No. 14 Dec 2

The University News

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A Student Voice of Saint Louis University Since 1921

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Vol. XC No. 14

YOU ASKED

Thursday, December 2, 2010

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“BAH, HUMBUG.”

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Housing scholarship to be revised ?

By JONATHAN ERNST Editor-in-Chief

A shuffle. That is what Saint Louis University students will find when they open their Fall 2011 financial aid package. The University’s $2,000 housing scholarship will be moved to merit-based assistance, effective in the fall.

“We are doing this change because we believe that upperclassmen need to have greater flexibility in determining where they can live,” vice president for Student Development Kent Porterfield said.

“We think this is a win win because students retain their aid, they get greater choice in where they can live and we still believe we are going to have strong demand for housing.”

Porterfield also expressed that students will still receive the same scholarship assistance, but they will not have to live on campus to receive their full award. Cari Wickliff, Director of Student Financial Services, also stressed that this decision will not reduce any student award package.

“We really haven’t found a situation where it would

negatively affect a student because it really is just taking something that was divided and putting it into one where every student is going to have tuition, but not every student is going to have a housing charge,” Wickliff said.

This change will increase the overall discount rate at the University as students who lived off campus who had to forfeit their scholarship money in the past will be given the full award regardless of where they live.

The University will thus be awarding more scholarship money to all of its students

and according to Wickliff the University has already budgeted to compensate this.

“This will increase the overall discount rate at the institution, but that is something that has been discussed and has been supported that this is the right thing to do and the right time to do it,” Wickliff said. “We just have a lot of work to do behind the scenes so that when you receive your award letter you don’t have to come in and ask us questions about it.”

This decision comes in the wake of the residency requirement for freshman and

“A Christmas Carol” comes to the Fox, “pulls at the heartstrings”>>PAGE 12

sophomores that was first announced in spring of 2008.

This fall was the first semester in which two entire classes were required to live on campus because of this requirement. This requirement along with the housing scholarship and strong demand for student housing created this need for administrative change to keep pace with the growing on-campus housing demand according to Porterfield.

“Since last spring, we have See “Scholarship” on Page 3

Deck the halls with vows from housing Administration outlines, initiates changes in housing process

By SEAN WORLEY Assistant News Editor

Abraham Maslow, a notable psychologist, theorized that human beings need basic articles such as food, water and sleep, among other necessities in order to survive.

Another basic need for human survival, according to Maslow, is housing.

The student housing situation for the Saint Louis University campus will be observing some changes for the upcoming Spring 2011 Housing Sign-Up process which will determine housing for the 2011-2012 academic year. “[Student] feedback guided us throughout the review process,” Dawn Aldrich, Associate and Interim Director of Housing and Residence Life, said.

Aldrich said student feedback was garnered through surveys that were completed after students registered for housing last spring and through discussions with student organizations such as Residence Hall Association and Student Government Association.

Although Aldrich said student feedback would continue to be gathered, she confirmed that the review of the housing process has already been set.

The review process resulted in several changes to the formal housing assignment process that students must go through in order to live on campus.

For current freshmen who are still obligated to live on campus next year, the priority system will determine the order in which students choose from available housing. Precedence, according to Aldrich, will be based on the average number of semesters lived on campus, the average total credit hours of individuals or groups and the average cumulative GPA as of the end of the Fall 2010 semester.

Updated from last year, junior and senior students who are going to participate in the housing sign-up process, for which applications for all students become available Dec. 17, will no longer be affected by the priority system.

Instead, students will be registered for sign-ups through a lottery system.

“It’s much like throwing your name in hat and having it pulled out,” Andrea Herderhorst, coordinator for Housing and Residence Life, said.

Griesedieck Complex

921 Beds Marchetti Towers

Reinert Hall

576

552

Village Apartments

Flats at 374

Marguerite Hall

489

294

272

Fusz Hall

238 Laclede Houses

26 In a document presented to the SGA at the Nov. 17 meeting, Aldrich estimated that 825 spaces, 288 of which are in the Flats at 374, would be allocated for juniors and seniors to take place in the lottery system. This entails that if more than 825 upperclassmen complete the application process, a waitlist may need to be utilized, according to Aldrich and the Housing and Res Life online FAQ document.

Juniors and seniors given a lottery number between one and 825 will have first choice

DeMattias Hall

203

Grand Forest

201

Pruellage Hall

71

= TOTAL BEDS: 3,843 Photos by: Leda Riley, Yuqing Xia (Shah) / Photographers, Ryan Giacomino / Managing Editor, Noah Berman / Photo Editor

of any on-campus residence space. Upcoming sophomores will wait to choose their housing space after the upperclassmen complete their process on April 4-5, 2011. Sophomores make their choices on April 7-8, 2011. There will be approximately 1,298 spaces reserved for second year students.

Those upperclassmen on the waitlist will be offered any available housing after the sophomores are placed in spaces.

Other changes to the residence assignment process

include the elimination of previous squatting polices, or the act of remaining in one’s current on campus space, and the elimination of the paper sign-up process. Instead, students will choose their housing space through an online portal.

The online utility used is SelectRoom and it is a separate system from the Banner utility that is used for class registration. Herderhorst said that research was conducted of sister universities and similar schools and found that this system is being widely used.

Changes to the sign-up process are no longer malleable, as Aldrich said. However, reactions to the changes are not concrete when comparing the administrative opinion to the student viewpoint.

Dean of Students Scott Smith said he hopes that students will be receptive to the new sign-up system.

“Student government and [Res Life] have been worked with since the fall and the changes are the presentation See “Housing” on Page 3

Fair trade: Ex-soccer coach encourages careful, informed consumption

By KRISTEN MIANO News Editor

Kati Cundari / Photographer

Social justic advocate, Jim Keady, spoke on Wednesday Dec. 1 in the BSC Wool Ballrooms as a part of Fair Trade Week.

Advocate Jim Keady can sum up what’s wrong with the Nike Corporation in two words.

“Nike lies,” he said in his presentation his recent Great Issues Committee speech.

Keady has been campaigning against Nike and their use of sweatshops for the past fifteen years, presenting at numerous high schools and colleges around the country about the many human rights grievances Nike commits. He

has created quite a stir for the popular sports apparel company, but Keady’s motivation is not the trouble he causes.

His inspiration instead comes from a foundation of Catholic social teaching.

“I consider myself a liberation theologian,” said Keady, “And I believe if Jesus the revolutionary was around in 2010, he would be in place like Indonesia.”

Indonesia is one of several countries that hosts Nike sweatshops, a fact Keady learned while doing research for a paper as a graduate stu-

dent at St. John’s University.

At the time, Keady was also coaching the men’s soccer team at St. John’s. Nike sponsored the team, and as Keady learned more about the practices occurring in Nike factories, he came to believe that this partnership contradicted the school’s Catholic mission.

When he became vocal about his belief, the school gave him a choice.

“I was given an ultimatum.

‘Wear Nike and drop the isSee “Keady” on Page 3

Problems beleaguer Lofts on Laclede

By ERIKA MILLER Enterprise Editor

One of the largest providers of off-campus housing for Saint Louis University students may be in jeopardy.

Former tenants of the University Heights Lofts began filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau in 2008, many of which center on failure to return security deposits.

Most recently, on Oct. 28 the partnership that owns the Lofts filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The partnership owes more than $40 million to Fannie Mae, the Federal National Mortgage Association, according to an article published in the St. Louis Business Journal. The Chapter 11 Voluntary Petition was filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court – Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis).

Chapter 11, referred to as “reorganization” bankruptcy according to the website of the United States Courts, usually involves a corporation or partnership. A chapter 11 debtor typically proposes a plan of reorganization to keep its business alive and pay creditors over time.

Danielle Meier, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and a current tenant in the Lofts, said that management has not notified tenants of the current legal or financial condition of the property. “I would think that it was within our rights as residents to receive information about the situation in order to dispel any myths or at least offer some reassurance,” she said.

Bruce Development Co. began a $60 million historic redevelopment project on the complex three years ago. The company website states that the original financing project came through a mixture of state and federal historic tax credits, tax increment financing (TIF) and conventional financing.

The 260,000 square foot renovation includes 264 rental loft-style apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space. A management company, Midland Management, was created by Bruce Development solely to manage its developments and investments. Midland currently manages over 4,000 rental units.

At present, Midland Management has a BBB rating of F on a scale from A+ to F. The reasons for the rating include 30 complaints filed against the business in the last 36 months.

Midland has failed to respond to 15 of these complaints. The BBB website lists that reasons for the complaints include billing or collection issues, contract issues, and refund or exchange issues.

Bill Smith, a trade practice investigator with the BBB, said that whenever the BBB receives a complaint, they send out letters and attempt to contact the company. Smith said that the BBB received no response to any of its attempts at contact and during See “Lofts” on Page 3

Happy Holidays!

Read and Recycle The University News prints on partially recycled paper.

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Let Us Introduce You Matt Wesselschmidt

SLU-TV Vice President, Eagle Scout, enjoys finger painting

By KRISTEN MIANO News Editor

Sometimes the Saint Louis University Television studio is a crazy place to be, but despite the hustle and bustle of producing several shows and broadcasts, junior Matt Wesselschmidt stays remarkably calm.

In his three years working at SLU TV, Wesselschmidt has risen in the ranks to the position of Executive Vice President. In this role, he is responsible for running the control panel for shows like Mondays in Midtown and the daily weather reports.

He also assists the SLU TV president, David Koeller, with administrative activities, such as putting together budgets for annual funding and placing orders for the latest technologies.

Wesselschmidt was at the right place at the right time at the beginning of his SLU TV career. He just showed up in the studio one day during his freshman year.

“They were putting together the news broadcast and were short staffed, so they just threw me into the control room,” said Wesselschmidt.

“I’ve been addicted ever since.”

Wesselschmidt was never formally trained to work at the station. Most of what he knows he learned on his own.

“It was a trail by fire sort of thing.”

As a computer science major, Wesselschmidt is right at home when he is in front of a control panel. He said that his favorite part of working at the station is getting to mess around with the expensive equipment.

“I do enjoy pushing the buttons and seeing them light up and what they can do. It’s fun.”

Wesselschmidt said he did not watch a lot of television as a child, but some of his favorite shows now are 24, Dr. Who, and House. His interest in working in television started in high school. He considered joining his school’s television station then, but he did not actually get involved

THE SLU SCOOP

All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Security Services

Saturday, Nov. 27

Friday, Nov. 26

5:31 a.m. - DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY A male subject was arrested at St. Xavier College Church after he was observed kicking at a wooden door located on the north side of the building. Officers said they observed considerable damage to the door.

Be a Responsible Billiken Noah Berman / Photo Editor

until he got to college.

Wesselschmidt contributes in a number of ways at SLU TV. “I also do some writing for the news broadcasts, and co-host Updog every week,” Wesselschmidt said.

Updog is SLU TV’s weekly Wednesday night talk show.

Wesselschmidt said that Updog is mostly unscripted, but he tries to come to the set equipped with amusing stories, important topics and a plethora of bad jokes.

“Updog is the main thing I do that goes on screen,” said Wesselschmidt. “But the majority of the stuff I do here goes on behind the scenes.”

Wesselschmidt’s behind the scenes work has opened up other opportunities for him as well. In addition to managing the station, he also works at SLU’s Law School in multi-media services.

While most of his work at school has been in media, he does not expect his experiences at SLU TV to translate

into a career after college.

In terms of where we will see Wesselschmidt’s career head, stay tuned. He is not sure what he would like to do after college.

“Working for Google would be pretty fun,” Wesselschmidt joked.

This St. Louis native is not all just about technology though. Wesselschmidt is also an Eagle scout. His favorite part of being a scout is that it gives him a chance to explore the wilderness. His interests also lie in video editing and he claims to be a master finger painter, with several of his more popular pieces exhibited on his refrigerator.

Wesselschmidt said that he’s had a blast working at SLU TV, but his favorite moments at the station are the ones that do not always make it onto the screen.

“The out-takes are pretty funny,” said Wesselschmidt.

“I’ve been wanting to make an out-take highlight reel for some time.”

1:44 p.m. - SICK CASE A student reported that a male non-SLU student arrived at her apartment in what appeared to be an intoxicated or drug related condition. The male subject became violent and was subdued by DPSS and taken to SLUH-ER.

Monday, Nov. 29

1:44 p.m. - CHEMICAL SPILL A small amount of Phenol Chloroform was spilled in Doisy Research Center.

The chemical evaporated into the air and there were no evacuations or injuries.

5:09 p.m. - MISSING AND DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY A student reported that the front passenger window of her vehicle, parked on Caroline St., was shattered and her radio was missing.

Check out unewsonline.com for this week’s officer profile!

STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000 witness.slu.edu dps.slu.edu

Two student groups receive SGA funds

By SEAN WORLEY Assistant News Editor

The weekly Student Government Association meeting mainly consisted of spot funding allocations for two student organizations.

Alpha Phi Omega, Saint Louis University’s co-ed service fraternity, desired to travel to New Orleans for a Spring Break service trip.

SGA unanimously decided to aid APO in their travels by allocating $1,098 for the spring trip.

Last spring, the men’s club volleyball team approached SGA during the Annual Funding Process with anticipations to attend the yearly National Collegiate Volleyball Federation national tournament.

According to Financial Vice President Tim Janczewski, “roughly $1,200” was allotted in the spring for the tournament.

The team came back to

SGA this fall with a request for $10,497.90 in additional funding for the team’s A and B squad to travel to Houston, TX for the tournament.

The team explained that they originally asked for funding without knowing the location of the tournament last spring because they did not want to lose out on a funding opportunity.

This is a contrary practice to what SGA desires from student organizations.

“During annual funding if [a group] doesn’t know the location we encourage groups to still write [the event] down but to not ask for funding,” Janczewski said.

“That is the ‘unforeseeability’ that we’re looking for when we receive a spot funding request.”

Team member Jake Haegele said that the club would have acted in this preferred manner, if they were informed of it.

“Our funding buddy pro-

vided little guidance about forming the budget,” Haegele said.

“We did not know we could put down that we didn’t’ know the location of the tournament.”

Senator Matt Ryan said that a student organization could not be penalized for SGA mishaps.

“If we’re not doing our jobs as Financial Buddies we cannot then say ‘No, we’re not funding this’,” Ryan said.

Janczewski said that the funding guidelines have always been available to organizations, no matter if there was a lack of communication.

“I’m not trying to point blame at anyone but every group had equal opportunities to write their requests and it seems to be an accidental mistake but spot funding is not the time to make up for that,” Janczewski said.

The men’s club volleyball team was allocated $1,922.80 with a passing vote of 33-6.

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

DPSSS encourages caution crossing Grand

By PARISA ROUIE Contributor

In mid-October, a student was hit by a car crossing Grand Avenue. She suffered minor injuries in her leg and was rushed to the hospital by Department of Public Safety and Security Services officers patrolling the area.

According to Sergeant Pasquale Signorino of DPSSS, another student was struck at the cross section of Laclede and Grand Avenues on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

"It seems that in the last three to four months, there have been an unusual number of pedestrians in auto accidents," Sgt. Signorino said.

As the St. Louis weather drifts toward heavy rains and

ice, more such accidents are expected to occur on campus.

"Clearly, crossing a busy street is a safety issue for anybody," Kent Porterfield, Vice President of Student Development, said.

Grand Avenue, a busy St. Louis transit artery, cuts through the middle of the main campus, and students have ten minutes to make it to class and often rush to make it to their classes on time.

Drivers, however, do not always adjust their driving habits to accommodate students that are in a hurry, and adhere to the traffic pattern dictated by the stoplights.

"One thing that is important to point out is that there's a signal device at the cross sections,” Porterfield said.

“But folks tend to get impatient."

This impatience is often followed by outright gallantry, giving Grand Avenue the nickname "Billiken Frogger" among students, according to Signorino.

"This may be amusing," Signorino said, "But it could cause serious damage and injury."

Student Aimee Warnke, junior, agrees that the drivers are often not at fault.

"More often than not, cars actually stop and let pedestrians go," Warnke said, “which is not the safest thing to do because there are cars behind them."

Signorino and Porterfield agreed that administering this issue would have no easy solution, and would certainly be expensive.

The possibilities of an underground tunnel or an over-

head pedestrian bridge have been considered, but "it's hard to imagine how that would fit," Porterfield said, adding that it would require an immense of amount of resources such as time and money.

Since the frequent accidents, the number of DPSSS officers around the cross sections enforcing the right of way has increased.

DPSSS officers have intermittently switched the traffic lights, particularly the one at the Grand Avenue crosswalk connecting the East and West sides of campus, to manual operation.

"Sgt. Roland Corvington is meeting with the director of St. Louis traffic this week to think of other ways," Signorino said.

But the most proactive solution, in Signorino's opinion,

is, simply, responsibility.

"There is not enough cooperation from students and faculty and staff," Signorino said.

"Everyone crosses illegally."

Although DPSSS has been cooperating with the city traffic administrators to enforce the speed limits and cautions, Signorino said he hopes that students and staff will act cooperatively and responsibly to reinforce these safety precautions, teaching freshmen and all newcomers to do the same.

"When my kids said to me, 'Dad, why aren't you wearing your seat belt?'" Signorino said, "I wore my seat belt because I wanted to be a responsible parent. In order for sophomores and seniors to be 'responsible parents' towards freshmen, they need to break this chain and stop crossing."

Philosophy Club debates Catholic education at University

By WOLF HOWARD Staff Writer

“Should SLU strive to be the finest Catholic university in the nation?” This was the question the Philosophy Club sought to answer at its ninth annual debate.

Junior Linsey Dieckmeyer came up with the prompt, saying it was based off of University President Lawrence Biondi S.J.’s University goal.

“I spent the summer studying at Cornell University and traveling the west coast,” Dieckmeyer said. “So, essentially, I was experiencing another type of educational institution and diverse communities which got me to thinking about SLU's strengths and weaknesses as it’s grounded in the St. Louis region.”

Eight student participants were divided into two groups of four, one side taking a positive stance toward the question and the other, a negative.

Each side was left to give their take on the issue for the remainder of the debate.

Senior Eileen Baker, Philosophy Club President, gave the opening remarks.

She began with a detailed history of Jesuit debates and setting a context for the discussion.

Each participant was given about five minutes to present their defense of their position.

Each student had a different approach to the question despite their assigned side in the debate.

Senior Bilal Naji took a negative stance to the question. He spoke from a political stand point, pointing out the lack of a “Billiken’s for Choice” group on campus and the shutting down of Una, SLU’s feminist group to show that the Catholic aspect of the question becomes a limiting force.

Matt Von Rueden utilized religion as a positive in his argument for striving to be the finest institution by referencing the four characteristics of Jesuit theology.

Von Rueden stated that these are essential for a working definition of what it means to be a Jesuit Catholic university. He stressed heavily a commitment to the service of God and that through pursuing this goal we could achieve our goal of becoming

the best.

Avoiding debate involving the definitions in the question, senior Steven Barnett was concerned with how the goal could be made to be a good thing.

Barnett was of the opinion that the University’s goal should be more about promoting academic excellence and developing strong skills, rather than improving statistical successes.

Dieckmeyer felt that competition to be the best distracts from the school’s Jesuit and University goals, and that trying to compete creates “a façade,” making concern with ranking and marketing campaigns more permissible.

“These things would hurt the academics of the school,” Dieckmeyer said.

She pointed out that the discourse of the night was not for competition but for sharing insight, which is what universities should look to do.

All of the students’ speeches were followed up by a response from Michael Barber S.J., a professor of philosophy and interim dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and the dean of the College of Philosophy and Letters. Bar-

Yuqing Xia (Shah) / Photographer

Members of the Philosophy Club debated whether or not SLU should seek to become the finest Catholic university in the nation. ber provided commentary on each argument with the intent of inspiring further conversation and bringing more insight into each student’s position. “[Barber’s] willingness to offer us constructive criticism on the spot was fantastic and really opened the floor for audience members to ask us their own questions,” Dieckmeyer said.

The floor was then opened to questions from the audience and requests for further

debate between participants.

Naji’s presentation was a prime focus during the conversation, as his examples inspired a lot of conversation.

An audience member asked the students to discuss what they thought a “holy rivalry” was, building on an idea brought forth by Barber.

“I thought the event was wholly successful,” said Dieckmeyer. “It encouraged precisely the type of open dialogue out club strives for.”

Housing: Lottery implemented Continued from Page 1

Andrea Royals / News Editor Top chess champion and Russian political activist Gary Kasparov visited the John Cook School of Business on Nov. 30 to speak to the SLU community and the Show-Me Institute about democratic reform in Russia. Kasparov held the title of top-chess player for 22 years, but has decided to focus his efforts on opposing the dictatorial regime of Vladimir Putin.

Lofts: Future of residents uncertain as apartments file for bankruptcy Continued from Page 1

the course of the investigation he went to the Midland offices to speak with someone regarding the 15 unanswered complaints. “Even after that, they have not resolved many of the complaints,” he said.

The BBB also notes that complainants allege that Midland failed to return security deposits after tenants had moved from rental properties.

Section 535-300 of the Missouri Revised Statues states that security deposits must be returned within 30 days of the end of a lease. Several of these complaints regarding security deposits are still pending.

Neither Midland nor the Lofts leasing office returned phone messages for comment.

A recent SLU graduate said that she had to wait more than 90 days to receive her security deposit from Midland after moving out of the Lofts at the end of June.

The Lofts leasing office told her to contact Midland, and after calls went unanswered, she sent a letter threatening legal action. She received her deposit back in early October,

two weeks after the letter was sent.

Former SLU student Colleen Smith did not have to fight for her security deposit, but she likened her experience as a tenant living in the Lofts to living in a “housing project.”

Issues with the management and a lack of building cleanliness made living in the Lofts, “a very expensive nightmare,” Smith said.

Smith said she initially was willing to pay higher rent to live in the Lofts for “the convenience of living close to school in a secure building,” but her experience was not satisfactory.

She said the elevators were constantly broken and that the building was “unsanitary.”

Due to these conditions, observers “would never know that [the property is] a fouryear-old rehab,” she said.

Current tenants seem to have mixed reviews of their experience thus far living in the Lofts.

Jon Gutzeit, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said, “In all honesty, things have gotten a little better

since I signed my lease and moved in this past May.” He also said that if “all stays the same,” he plans on staying in his apartment next year.

Though current tenant Lyle Wilson, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, doubts that he will ever receive his deposit back after he moves out, he said he can’t complain about the inexpensive rate he pays each month.

“The conditions may not be ideal and management may be difficult to work with, but I’m young and can afford a little extra [stresses] in that area so long as it takes the stress off my wallet,” Wilson said.

Tenant opinions aside, the future of the apartment complex is now in the hands of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Tenants seem to agree that the potential loss of a convenient source of housing due to these issues would be a shame, but as Meier said, “I can’t afford to play financial roulette with a security deposit of enough money to buy next semester’s books.”

of that feedback,” said Smith.

Freshman Natalie Grasso said she will be going through her first housing sign up process this spring, but has heard about previous years’ experiences.

“I think it was unfair to upperclassmen last year to let sophomores live in places like the Village, but now it’s fair because they get to choose first,” Grasso said.

Grasso said she hopes to live in one of the Marchetti Towers next year because she believes her current residence hall, Marguerite, is “more of a freshman dorm” with the various Learning Communities housed there.

While Grasso said she feels the housing process will be equitable for all students involved, that is not a unanimous sentiment among all students.

“Last year’s housing process was a joke and the upperclassmen got ripped off,” junior Joe Andreoni said. “I get making sophomores live on campus, but the rule shouldn’t be enacted until there is enough housing

for everyone that needs it.”

Andreoni is one student among others who have expressed that they felt forced into their current living situation. Andreoni currently lives in the Flats.

The administration is aware that there is limited space for juniors and seniors and an upperclassmen demand for on-campus housing.

“Upperclassmen like living in the Village and Grand Forest,” Kent Porterfield, vice president for Student Development, said. “I believe we’re still going to have strong upperclassmen demand, but if you look at our total number of upperclassmen right now, more live off campus.”

Porterfield credits this mass of students off campus to the desire for more flexibility and autonomy.

Even though more upperclassmen have been historically living off campus, Porterfield said that he believes the static housing availability will not pose that much of a problem.

“We’re constantly monitoring options,” Porterfield said.

“There is kind of an art and a science to the process.”

Scholarship: Students explore options as funds are reallocated Continued from Page 1

been looking at the student housing issue regarding the scholarship, we had a lot of conversations about if this was the right time to make a change,” Porterfield said. “Student Government Association was pretty clear last year and SGA has been pretty clear this year that they believe that the thing for us to do is to make a change in policy.”

Last summer, the University announced to incoming students and their families that the housing scholarship was not being offered anymore, as the administrators felt that it did not seem necessary with the residency requirement.

“We didn’t want to take those dollars out of their aid packages so we moved them,” Porterfield said. “We are now going to be doing the same thing for our continuing students.”

Another ramification of this scholarship move will include

students wanting to live in the Flats at 374, SLU’s newest housing option, not having to sacrifice any type of aid.

This year students were not given their $2,000 housing scholarship when living there but instead a $2,000 SLU rebate of sorts. The owners of the Flats gave $1,000 to students and this was matched

by SLU for a total of $2,000.

This was in response to the number of upperclassmen students who had no other SLU housing choice but the Flats. The Flats will remain a housing option for junior and senior students for a second year. Movement of the scholarship is already changing student-housing plans for next year.

“Now that I know my housing scholarship is moving to an academic scholarship, I am definitely moving off campus,” sophomore Terrence Murphy said. “It is cheaper [off-campus] and I don’t have to deal with Housing and Res Life.”

Keady: Speaker promotes activism

Continued from Page 1

sue…or resign’,” Keady said.

Rather than consent to a system that he was morally against, Keady resigned.

Since then, he has made it his mission to raise awareness about Nike sweatshops and social justice.

“Nintey-five percent of the stuff we are wearing right now was made under sweatshop conditions,” said Keady.

In a large number of Nike factories, workers are not paid a living wage and usually have to work overtime just to make ends meet. Their living and working conditions are subpar and many workers are harassed in the workplace.

Workers who try to unionize effectively are often verbally and physically intimidated and raises in salary are practically unheard of. Keady said that these conditions are not only morally wrong, but deny the human dignity of the factory employees.

“But we have seen some progress,” Keady said. “One area we have seen progress is with this issue of menstrual leave.”

By law, Indonesian women are allowed two days off when they are menstruating. In the sweatshops, however, women were required to prove this to their supervisors before they were given leave.

“But because of outrage from students like you,” said Keady, “In the ten factories I have been actively monitoring in Indonesia, this has stopped.”

Keady also stated that thanks to the activities of students, progress has been made in way of union organizing. By implementing unions, workers have a better chance of improving working conditions.

There are still areas that Keady would like to see improve. One of his current primary concerns is how Nike’s scrap rubber is disposed of. Most of the rubber is burned, creating numerous environmental and health hazards. Despite having visited and documented the dumping and burning sites, Keady has had a difficult time getting Nike to acknowledge this practice.

“This is public relations 101: tell people we are doing good things that are related to the issue we are being criticized on, and then override the credibility of whoever is criticizing us,” Keady said of Nike’s press releases regarding this issue.

Keady would also like Nike to raise the wages of the factory workers. For them to actually have a living wage, their current wage of about $1.25 a day would need to be tripled.

“Labor is not a commodity,” Keady said. “Labor is people. They are not just cogs in the machine of production.

They are people with human dignity.”

For real improvements in policy, however, Keady stressed the importance of student activism, especially on campuses like Saint Louis University whose sports teams partner with Nike.

“Our student athletes are being prostituted by athletic directors and our coaches, turned into walking advertisements,” said Keady, “Does anyone know what [Rick Majerus’s] personal service agreement with Nike entails?

Do we want Saint Louis University represented at a Nike events?”

Keady stated that any real change would not happen at the top with famous athletes and sports teams, but at the bottom with people and students who really care.

“Students are not just consumers, they’re citizens. So along with trying to support companies who are doing the right thing, you need to civically engage the companies who are not doing the right thing,” Keady said. “This isn’t just about assuaging your Catholic guilt by buying fair trade. You’ve got to do the activism as well.”

Keady closed his speech by encouraging students to support his campaign, or at least become activists for another issue they feel passionate about.

“The speech was very intriguing,” sophomore Anne Marie Batzel said. “As a business major, I’m interested in cooperate. I think we need to create change and do the right thing in situations like these.”

Civic Journalism Editor’s Note: Do you have a question about SLU that you would like answered? Students, faculty and staff members in the SLU community were invited to submit any SLU-related question they wanted, at which point we set our reporters to work to find them answers.

Civic Journalism allows us to make sure we are covering what our readers want us to cover in a direct and interactive manner through participatory and democratic journalistic process.

A second Civic Journalism section will be published in the spring. While we cannot promise that all questions will be answered due to the volume of submissions, it is possible that some questions may spark ideas for feature articles in future issues.

Please refrain from submitting subjective questions (sorry, we cannot determine who is the best professor on campus). We also ask that questions be related to campus (although we do acknowledge the importance of outside news).

Members of the SLU community are welcome to send questions to unewscivicjournalism@gmail.com.

The University News Thursday, December 2, 2010

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Marco Navarro, sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, asks:

Why can’t SLU make the pathway in the grass outside the BSC an actual path, instead of waiting for it to be torn up, placing posts to make people walk around, and then eventually putting new sod over the dirt?

Jeff Macko, Director of Grounds and Custodial Services, said that “green space” is his number one goal. Attempting to prevent students from walking across the patch of grass behind the Busch Student Center Amphitheatre and remain on the concrete path, Grounds and Custodial Services have planted trees and even put up rope barricades to lessen the wear and tear on the visibly disrupted grass.

“We typically try to eliminate adding in new paths,” said Macko. “We don’t like to add new ones if we don’t have to.”

According to Macko, Grounds and Custodial Services would prefer the path to be turf, but, as of now, no decision has been made on these plans.

“A permanent path can add or take away from a landscape,” said Macko. “With the patio, the rock croppings and the main 16-ft. walkways there is a lot of ‘hard space’ surrounding the path.”

“We would like to see this space remain green, but students just don’t want to walk on the sidewalk,” said Macko.

- Reporting by Wilson Fulk, Contributor

Talk to us: Jonathan Ernst 314.977.1590 eic.unews@gmail.com

Sarah Fentem, junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, asks:

I’ve always wondered about the plastic containers and cups in which sandwiches and salads from the Ameren Café and Fusz come. Are they recyclable?

Why are there no recycle bins in those dining halls?

According to Billiken Dining Services Director of Marketing, Eric Macharia the containers and cups are recyclable.

“They’re plastic so they can be recycled,” said Macharia.

Macharia said he was aware that there are no recycle bins in the Ameren Café and Fusz dining facilities.

“There are not any at the moment,” said Macharia. “But there are plans to install some in the near future.”

- Reporting by Sean Worley, Assistant News Editor Jessica Delgado, junior in the School of Nursing, asks:

Why is SLU using different shuttles for the Medical Campus (as well as the Frost Campus)? What happened to the old shuttles? Furthermore, whatever happened to everyone’s favorite shuttle driver, Charles?

Ryan Giacomino / Managing Editor

Amelia Blanton, senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, asks:

Why does SLU not water the plants and grass at recommended times, instead of at 2 p.m.? Also, why are the sprinklers on when it’s raining?

Jim Anthony, Grounds Supervisor for the Frost campus, said that there are accepted recommended times for watering plants and turf; however the grounds crew takes into consideration multiple factors when deciding to water.

“Maybe an early morning water for turf would be better but there are other conditions that we take into account,” said Anthony.

“Agronomically we’re looking at humidity, heat, drought, soil type, etcetera.”

Anthony described a method of watering called a “syringe.” This type of hydration method is designed to prevent wilting and complete dehydration of turf.

“The watering is controlled, we’re not wasting water,” said Anthony. “After running two miles in the heat you would want a sip of water, well the plants do too. It’s just a little bit

of water to get through the day.”

In reference to the inquiry about the sprinkler system being active during rainfalls, Anthony again said that it is all about various conditions.

“It may be raining but that rainfall may not be sufficient,” said Anthony.

According to Anthony, the grounds crew evaluates if the rainfall was enough to sustain the clay soils located on campus and if it was then they may not activate the system for a few days after.

“We are in tune to [the rain] and we do try to manage,” said Anthony, who also described efforts to institute a water sensor system that would more efficiently manage the watering system.

-Reporting by Sean Worley, Assistant News Editor

Transportation Services formed a new contract with Express Transportation Services, the company currently running the Billiken Shuttle Service to the Medical Campus and the Billiken Loop. The University no longer has any connection with the previous shuttle company owners.

“We subcontracted with the old company and when that contract was up we returned the previous shuttles,” said Joe Stumps, Supervisor for Mail and Transportation Services.

According to Stumps, Transportation Services is in the process of getting the two shuttles new wraps.

The Billiken-themed wraps allow for the shuttles to be covered in Saint Louis University logos and related pictures denoting them of their use by SLU. The wraps are not permanent fixtures.

Currently, the all the logistics for applying the wraps are being proofed and finalized and should be ready to go in the near future.

As for Charles the shuttle driver, his whereabouts could not be verified.

- Reporting by Wilson Fulk, Contributor Peter Hasser, junior in Parks College, asks:

What prompted the change from Subway as the sole late-night on-campus dining option to Fusz Food Court being the only late-night option? Is it possible that the switch be reversed?

Billiken Dining Services Director of Marketing, Eric Macharia said that the change from Subway to Fusz Food Court was based on student desires and evaluations from the Spring 2010 semester.

“The multiple options available appeals to the varied dining palettes of the students,” said Macharia.

Fusz Food Court offers Smashers Grill, 2mato and the Outtakes options. This compares to the offerings of the C-Store and Subway.

“We have received great reviews for the switch and we will continue to ensure we meet the dining needs of Saint Louis University,” said Macharia.

- Reporting by Noah Berman, Photo Editor

Games

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

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Some students will struggle to find space in the strenuous strappings of SLU’s new plan Space.

For such a weightless, unburdened ether, humankind suffered unending conflict and waged bloody wars. The strenuous allocation of space is a problem that we face even now, here at Saint Louis University. The new plan released by The Department of Housing and Residence Life attempted to fix the problems of last year’s housing debacle. The new plan, sadly, will only bring on a fresh wave of quandaries and headaches. The following are two major problems that SLU will face in the coming years with this plan.

1. Timeline The allotted time upperclassmen have for determining, post-lotter y, whether or not they will be forced to live off campus for the following year places students in a severe bind for finding privately-leased apartments nearby. Apartments in The Coronado, The Lofts, The Drake, etc. historically have had waitlists that many SLU students end up signing up for– and this was before the new changes. Students submit their housing applications by Feb. 25; lotter y results come out March 11.

Leasing nearby apartments via the usual process can sometime take several months, often starting with waitlists as early as the October beforehand. With March results, this is already too late for students who would need to find private apartments for the new academic year in August.

Furthermore, for those students brave enough to shoot for housing (once winning the lotter y), there may not be housing suitable for their needs. With only 537 spots on campus and 288 beds in The Flats, not all upperclassmen will get an apartment-style residence – which brings us right back to our present predicament.

Even though upperclassmen will pick first, there will be many disgruntled students faced with finding an apartment at lightning speed after the April 8 housing results, should they be dissatisfied with their housing assignment. This is a unique problem with this timeline. “Winning the lotter y” is not exactly winning. Herein lies a foreboding mess for both losers and winners.

The icing on the cake is this: students who gamble on the lotter y and lose have to compete for apartments against SLU students – those who decided long before the Februar y deadline to live off-campus –that start the hunting process for apartments early.

This will happen in greater numbers, since all housing scholarships will be moved to tuition. Many students will find off-campus housing more appealing by default, lacking funds from the University.

Let’s also not forget that nearby apartments understand their own viability. With a $700 non-refundable deposit for simply the waitlist at The Coronado, you can bet that the financial difficulties of apartment living will hit students harder than ever as off-campus housing skyrockets in its value for desperate SLU students.

With our space crunch, we are simultaneously tightening the strings on our pockets and on our valuable time. The lesson?

The early bird gets the worm – but Housing and Res Life hardly gives students a fighting chance for a roof above their heads.

We need time. If an unfortunate few of us lose space on campus, then we absolutely deser ve more space in our schedules, and

Available on our website: unewsonline.com.

we have a right to demand it.

2. Student Feedback Housing and Res Life’s claim that they responded to student feedback with this new plan lacks legitimacy.

First, Student Government Association passed a resolution in the spring last year asking the administration to keep the Griesedieck Complex fully freshmen housing. With no response from the administration, the resolution was soundly ignored; sophomores (even those not in Learning Communities) live alongside freshmen in those residence halls. Even if the administration had sound reasons for making this decision, they did not acknowledge that the resolution reached their ears. With official feedback given, it was disregarded.

Second, the iPod touch sur veys conducted during the housing appointments do not count as feedback. Simple satisfaction/dissatisfaction ratings given within minute-long time frames are no substitutes for well-reasoned and logical criticism from students who felt dissatisfied with the housing process. Feedback needs to highlight the specific tasks done well, the exact processes that caused problems, and the solutions that could resolve the problems.

Google docs, sur veys, e-mails – in a mass media world with these kind of resources, students did not hear even a rumor of efforts to reach out for proper feedback, which means that it didn’t happen for us.

They claimed that SGA and our Residence Hall Association gave student responses.

But these organizations did not reach out to the general student body; we do not know what “feedback” was given in our named. A SLU version of Wikileaks in this situation would have been much appreciated. We do not know if what they said represented the opinion of the student body.

It’s not enough, dismayingly, to count as “communication.”

Gaps between the administration and students on this crucial issue grow wider ever y day. Students need to feel heard. The immense success and student response on the Pius Librar y initiative prove that communication can be a real possibility: students will respond if given the chance.

Should the administration continue to mute the student voice, this plague will never be cured and we will perpetually be fighting for recognition and voice.

Housing is a black mark on the track record for student-administrator communication. We need to speak to you and hear from you, and it cannot be through paltr y and forgettable iPod-touch sur veys.

Thanks for asking us, SLU, before proceeding with this.

The conclusion? Housing and Res Life attempted to ameliorate last year’s housing pains, but they instead set up new problems and did not fix old ones. These will have resonating impacts for the surrounding private apartments. More importantly, the gulf of communication between students and administrators on such a basic need as shelter has widened. It further highlights a problematic attitude that our authorities have toward students – one of seeming apathy.

We urge you to prove us wrong on both of these counts. We do not want to constantly criticize. We urge you to take heed and prove that you are capable of handling the housing crisis with greater professionalism and intelligence.

I’ve heard a lot of complaining and anger about the sexual assault case, but nobody seems to have their facts straight.

It seems obvious to me that Saint Louis University did not find the two athletes guilty of sexual assault or else they would have been permanently suspended and with good reason.

Also the girl’s lawyer decided to drop charges of sexual assault. It seems to me like they were suspended for sexual activity on campus.

While I do agree that this warrants a suspension, I question whether or not SLU has given out the same punishment for every single sexual activity that has occurred on campus.

I hope that SLU didn’t give a more severe punishment because they didn’t want to act like they were showing favoritism to athletes. Also, if you read the police report that was recently published, you’ll find that Willie Reed’s name wasn’t mentioned.

What was he suspended for? Student Conduct Board didn’t even give them a separate trial despite the fact that even the girl’s story didn’t mention Willie’s name.

Also, I’ve heard that the players were kicked out of school and off campus because “they were a danger to the SLU community.” Well if this is true, why did SLU wait until October to hand down a penalty for something that happened in May? SLU must let these players back in when they choose to reapply in January. To tell them that they have to do community service and other things to reapply and then not readmit them would be unfair and unjust.

All parties were wrong that night, and SLU hasn’t treated anyone fairly since that point.

They’ve done their community service and they regret what they did.

I think SLU needs to give them a second chance.

-Marty Koravik is a sophomore in the John Cook School of Business.

SLU suffers from the “hypocrisy of heroic leadership”

39%

Obsessing over Harr y Potter

32%

Catching up on sleep

25%

Catching up on classwork

The summer before I came to Saint Louis University, the incoming class was assigned to read “Heroic Leadership” by Chris Lowery; a book that examines the success of the Jesuit enterprise in their nearly half-a-millennium existence.

I wanted to be a good student so I read it.

The reading did not serve me at all during my time here until now, as it has helped make me aware of the hypocrisy of this institution.

I have a question for the administration here: are you following the four principles of the Jesuits highlighted in “Heroic Leadership”: self-awareness, ingenuity, love and heroism?

Based on the articles that I have been reading in The University News, I would have to say no.

Did a recent College Prowler survey give a C in green sustainability? I hope that I am speaking for a large percent of the University when I say that a C is not acceptable for our sustainability.

Where is the ingenuity? In administration we received an F. I can understand a C grade, but an F? How is that possible?

I’m sure you will fix the problems that caused this ranking because this is obviously quite embarrassing for the University.

However, for now, self-awareness is out the window. We have two Jesuit principles to go, and these are where your hypocrisy shines through.

Events at Chaifetz Arena are contracted by Global Spectrum. This company brought Glenn Beck here twice. I have a question for the president and administration; do you have any control over who is allowed to speak here?

If you do, and you did nothing to stop Beck from speaking, then you failed the University on the principles of love and heroism.

Three months before Beck came to SLU in June he equated social justice—social justice— to code-words for Communism and Nazism.

Isn’t our mission social justice?

Beck promotes love for himself and people who believe what he believes.

Jesuits promote love for everyone. You could have been heroic and stood up for our Jesuit principles by saying no to them speaking here but instead, nothing was done.

Why? Because Chaifetz will fill like a jelly donut with people anxious to hear him men speak.

I bet the University made some good money those nights from concession sales.

Is that money worth ignoring Jesuit principles?

4%

Watching Youtube videos

-Max Nash-Howe is a fifth-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Posted below are the results from our web poll on The University News’ website.

These are the plans students had for their Thanksgiving breaks.

Check out our blogs!

-The Conservative Billiken SLU’s conservative voice -The Progressive Billiken SLU’s liberal voice -Foreign Affairs Students studying abroad -Going into OT On and off the court - 24/7

Peony Lee / Illustrator

SLU needs to give second chances

What did you do over Thanksgiving break?

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Opinion

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Thursday, December 2, 2010

7

Wikileaks shows governments that the Cold War is a thing of the past Colleges act as “Oh, you... you poor dumb son of a bitch. You’ve done more harm than you know.”

“I hope so.”

Commentary T h i s exchange takes place in the 1975 conspiracy thriller “ T h r e e Days of the C o n d o r, ” but it could Noah Berman just as easily have occurred over Thanksgiving weekend, 2010. Just a few days after that great celebration of pre-America American colonialism, the website Wikileaks.org began publishing 251,287 United States diplomatic cables.

This is, according to the site, the largest leak of confidential documents ever released into this sort of public domain, all of us, now, can take a peek into the ways in which our country conducts itself abroad. Some of these documents even go up to the “SECRET” level of security classification: the only one higher is the tightly controlled “TOP SECRET.” I won’t claim to offer full analysis of the documents: there are news organizations much better at that, for example: the German news magazine Der Speigel (http://www. spiegel.de/international) or the New York Times. You can, of course, examine the documents on your own - most read like a passage of exposition from a Robert Ludlum novel, or a voice-over from the movie “Syriana,” - at http:// cablegate.wikileaks.org.

I highly recommend reading at least a few of the cables, especially as Saint Louis University students concerned with social justice and the world around you.

For example: going to Ma-

corporations

even those who hate Neil Diamond (my roommates) still think he deserves a hall of fame plaque before the likes of the lady who sang Last Dance or the guy who rapped Mama Said Knock You Out. But the one they call the Jewish Elvis has been rejected before (by haters I presume) and this year’s race for the Hall also features Bon Jovi… and we all know what happens when Bon Jovi is involved.

So hopefully the voters this month will realize that it’s not about their own arrogant world of pretentious voting privileges, but rather a world were music was actually listened to using a turntable… not a cassette player.

Mark J. Zinn is a senior in the College of Education and Public Service.

Nicole Palazzolo is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Mauriel Blakeley / Illustrator

drid?

Search for leaks concerning Spain.

At least one document is a detailed brief of U.S./Spanish relations.

The fallout from Wikileaks’ actions has been, shall we say, increasingly hysterical. Original responses to Wikileaks’ plan of action ranged from passionate legal pleas to considerations of the safety of those involved. Following the removal of the press outlets’ NDA and the posting of the documents, people in power have suggested going as far as to declare the Wikileaks organization a terrorist group.

Politicians - mostly, you may be curious to know, American - have been calling for a shutdown of the site. The leakage of these secrets, such people claim, are a direct threat to the United States.

Hogwash. Perhaps some other countries find out what we really think about them, a secret negotiations come

to light and private conversations are no longer off the record.

In a worst case scenario, some political/diplomatic/ military moles come to light and wind up in trouble. But a threat to the United States?

I’m sorry to have to break it to you, governments American and abroad, but the Cold War is over.

We don’t have to think of diplomacy as espionage carried out while looking at each other over a conference table.

I applaud Wikileaks and the source of these documents.

If, as Wikileaks suggests, “The cables show the extent of U.S. spying on its allies and the U.N.; turning a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuse in “client states”; backroom deals with supposedly neutral countries; lobbying for US corporations; and the measures US diplomats take to advance those who have access to them...” then we the people (along with the

European Union should learn to like Turkey Step away from the Thanksgiving leftovers for a brief second. No, I’m not talking about whether Commentary you want that last dr umstick or thigh, but rather a nationstate’s contemporar y battle of accession Benjamin Stephan or rejection based on geo-sociopoli-econo-cultural (now, that is a mouthful, no pun intended) ties to a body greater than itself.

April 14, 1987 marks the date in which the Republic of Turkey applied for accession into the European Union.

Though the large majority of Saint Louis University’s student body was not even alive to experience this event, the Eurasian country has yet to gain entrance into the supranational body. In fact, a conclusion seems to be distant at best, with much opposition from European member states, all of which need to reach a unanimous agreement before Turkey’s initiation. I know that EU accession is a long process, but 23 years and little headway later beg the question as to why Turkey’s inclusion seems to have no end in sight.

During and in the years after Turkey’s application, it would have been nearly impos-

A college education is usually the key to a higher paid job, higher income and consequently a higher Commentary track life.

However, the “high” standards colleges once held towards ensuring their students Nicole Palazzolo g e t t i n g the best education have dwindled. It seems as though colleges are searching for money rather than teaching and nurturing the next Albert Einstein. If the next Einstein doesn’t have enough money to pay the bills, then who cares if they come up with the theory of relativity?

It seems as if colleges are acting more and more like corporations. The deductible is now the most prominent issue and the students are the afterthought. Schools all over the United States are obviously hurting from the recession, so they cut funds from art departments instead of athletic budgets because sports create more revenue.

Money is the priority.

The cost of annual tuition is enough to break the average person’s bank. The majority of U.S. college students can’t afford school without taking out some type of loan or getting grant money. And even after they pay that tuition, students incur additional expenses to buy items needed to succeed in a college environment.

The required texts are not cheap and most books are only worth one third of their original price upon selling them back. Prices at university stores are also outrageous. For instance at the Saint Louis University bookstore, items that typically cost about three dollars at other retail stores cost significantly more.

It seems as if when the administration assembles to discuss budget costs, they simply consider only what will bring in profit rather than what will be best for the student body.

Some people say colleges should be run as a business.

However, I don’t see how that is a viable idea. Colleges should base their structure around the education the students are paying greatly for.

Students are learning how to prepare for a world full of endless corporations and job searching. Colleges should guide that student in being able to handle the “cruel” world the best way possible, and draining them of all their money before entering the “hard life” is not the way to go about it.

If private colleges receive public trusts, where does all that money go? They don’t pay taxes on tuition or on the income from their endowment. In order to keep their tax-exempt status, private universities need to give most of that money away as aid to students.

However, they claim that money for student aid is hard to find. Also, campus appliances seem to constantly break, but there are new, useful (but pretty) trees planted around campus each week.

Is this a useful way to spend that money? Lastly, and even more curiously, is that while college tuition keeps increasing, the amount of money spent per student feels like, to some students, as though it keeps decreasing.

Colleges, in some instances, can resemble a big corporation in the way they have a board of trustees that elects a president to oversee and direct all departments.

However, the one huge difference between a college and a main stream business is the community. Students dwell and live their lives in the universities they attend. The students are not the employees, they are the consumers.

They’re there because they want and desire an education that will hopefully benefit them in the near future.

Isn’t that what all buyers hope for when they go to a store and buy a new piece of equipment? Our education is our piece of equipment.

So, universities should focus on that more than the other unnecessary wants of a highend board.

sible for talks to commence.

Turkey had invaded northern Cyprus, and ethnic cleansing of Greek Cypriots did not sit well with Greece, an EU member state. Understandable.

And speaking of invasions, the Ottoman Empire, throughout its history, often found itself succumbing to its guilty pleasure of marching through Southeastern Europe. Rightly so, this left a bad taste for Turkey.

But what of those who were not invaded, that is to say the power pulse which is Western Europe? France, one of Turkey’s greatest opponents, calls into question whether or not the country is actually located in Europe, citing Morocco’s rejection into the EU on these same grounds. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France and descendant of a long lineage of Ottoman-fighting Hungarians, has made it somewhat of his raison d’être to not let the world forget that (part of – he leaves this tidbit out) Turkey is not within European territory, a less than entertaining point, but a reasonable point nonetheless.

Geographic tit-for-tats aside, it’s near impossible to ignore the locational benefits of Turkey. A link to both Asia and the Middle East, which Europe could most definitely find advantageous, it is a strategic vantage point culturally, economically, politically, and militarily, major reasons why the Ottoman Empire reached the power echelon it had.

All things being equal, perhaps the most apparent characteristic of Turkey is its religion and culture. Secular nominally, the country is 99 percent Muslim. If Turkey would enter the EU, it would automatically have the second largest number of MEPs in Parliament. In other words, Turkey’s large population would supply a large chunk of new Muslim representation in Europe, and I think it’s safe to say that many member states, whose predominant religion is Christianity, would not be too welcoming.

Personally, I think that many will benefit should Turkey be admitted into the European Union. Actually, let me rephrase that… all would benefit should Turkey be admitted into the European Union.

Diversity is good; it fosters innovation and examination.

Firstly, though, Turkey needs to mend its broken ties with certain EU member states.

Meanwhile, Europe needs to see an Islamic actor as a beacon of progress rather than an anchored obstacle.

And lastly, these bodies need to proceed quickly, before Turkish sentiment for EU membership plummets.

The longer the debate is at a standstill, the less likely accession appears. Turkey, build some bridges. Europe, welcome variety. Food for thought.

Benjamin Stephan is a senior in the College of Education and Public Service.

Starla Salazar / Illustrator

rest of the world) ought to be aware of how our world is being run.

Comment from the journalistic institutions publishing these documents suggests that they agree.

All - as far as I am aware - contacted the U.S. government to make sure that nobody who would be harmed - physically - was named in their publications.

This is not to say that they plan to shy away from publishing information that could make for tricky diplomatic situations.

Citizens in the United States and in all countries from which these documents emanated deserve to know what is being done in their name, regardless of who definitely will not be receiving a Christmas card this winter.

Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, claims that “cablegate” is an “attack on the international community,” which it would be, if this

were still 1966 (the year from which the oldest leaked cables spring) and any leaked diplomatic information could result in an escalation of nuclear tensions.

This is 2010, and the leaks reveal that what we’ve long expected to be true actually is: diplomats are committing acts of dubious legality as a part of their daily duties because they do so in our name, and because these acts affect people world-over, we need to know.

If, following these leaks, our diplomatic agencies have to conduct business aboveboard and in good faith, that’s not a crime or a threat or an attack.

It is instead a wakeup call, a move that forces us to realize that the way we used to do things is outdated and must be replaced.

Noah Berman is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Neil Diamond should rock his way into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame There exists in this mad world only two types of people: those who love Neil Diamond, and those Commentary who hate him.

Those who love him dress up in striking sequin outfits and attend sold-out Mark J. Zinn concer ts at the Kiel Center (or whatever those kids call it now).

Those who hate him listen to the Eagles, or ABBA or some other crappy band from the late 70s to the early 90s that have been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Okay, so maybe you don’t like to hear Hotel California or Take it Easy played 37 times a day on a Clear Channel station.

But surely you dig Mamma Mia or Dancing Queen, I mean a well-respected and

“

to recognize the importance of 130 million records sold world-wide, or the nearly 40 Top-40 hits that made their mark on the Billboard Charts.

Why? God Only Knows, which is a great song by a band that is thankfully already inducted.

If you’re still reading this shameful plug of a commentary, you know Sweet Caroline.

Perhaps you have even seen Neil in the movie Saving Silverman.

But guess who wrote your favorite Monkee’s hit I’m a Believer, or the UB40’s jam of Red, Red Wine?

Could it be the same guy who Johnny Cash called “One of the best songwriters around?”

There’s no doubt that “the times they are a changin’.”

My doubt, however, lies in certain perceptions of “contemporar y music” being passed off as Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Sure, LL Cool J and Donna Summer are “dank” artists that I can groove to, but it’s not Rock ‘n’ Roll.

I’d like to imagine that

There’s no doubt that “the times they are a changin’.” My doubt, however, lies in certain perceptions of “contemporary music” being passed off as Rock ‘n’ roll. Sure, LL Cool J and Donna Summer are “dank” artists that I can groove to, but it’s not Rock ‘n’ Roll.

trustworthy foreign leader does.

If the Eagles and ABBA don’t tickle your fancy, let’s try a few more artists of “Rock ‘n’ Roll”: Blondie, Run-D.M.C., Earth, Wind and Fire (three forces, one Band), the Bee Gees, Prince, and Leonard Cohen.

All of these artists are special and great in their own fashion, but in a word-association game would “Rock ‘n’ Roll” ever come to your mind? Probably not.

It’s not that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame lacks the vigor of its name—legends like Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Dion, and the Beatles have all earned their nod into the Hall. But like I said earlier in this shameless rant, there’s a fine line between the lovers and the haters.

The haters constantly fail

,,

8

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Sports

The University News Talk to us: Chris Ackels 314.977.2812 sports.unews@gmail.com

Thursday, December 2, 2010

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Billiken Briefs

Fall Sports Recap

Baseball Three high school standouts committed to the Billikens on Dec. 1. The defending A-10 champs signed utility man Matt Adamowicz, pitcher James Norwood and pitcher Alec Sole.

“This is a class that is going to be regarded as one of the best during my tenure here,” head coach Darin Hendrickson said.

Women’s Soccer The SLU Women’s Soccer team excelled in the classroom as well as on the pitch this season. The team earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award for the 2009-10.

As a whole, the team posted a 3.46 GPA, tied for best among A-10 women’s soccer teams and 25th among women’s soccer teams nationally.

Volleyball SLU Charlotte

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Xavier

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Women’s Volleyball:

Kelly Hinderberger / Photographer

Season highlighted by 8-game streak

By BRIAN BOYD Staff Writer

Despite losing five seniors, the women’s volleyball team adjusted to the roster shakeup and posted a solid 19-13 (11-4) record this season, finishing third in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Billikens tested themselves early on and throughout the regular season, squaring off against top-quality opponents, such as Oklahoma, Tulsa, Middle Tennessee State and A-10 rival Dayton. The Bills defeated No. 23 Tulsa to get the momentum going into conference play.

Using their tough nonconference slate as preparation for the highly competitive conference season, the team continued its habitual

excellence, at one time ripping off eight A-10 wins in a row before succumbing to Xavier. The Billikens opened up their conference schedule with a tough 3-2 loss to No. 13 Dayton (27-3) and finished in the same fashion, positioning themselves for a run at an A-10 conference title in the process.

It was not to be, however. After winning a grinding matchup against Charlotte in the quarterfinals on Nov. 18, the Bills came up short in their efforts against Xavier (20-9) in the semifinals, ending their hopes at another NCAA tournament bid.

The squad wrapped up their season with a nonconference game against Sun Belt Champion and NCAA tournament-bound Middle

Tennessee State (29-5), dropping a 3-1 contest.

Despite missing out on the NCAAs, the Billikens are poised to continue their winning ways. Next season, the team returns second-team All Conference selection Alyssa Deno along with A-10 Rookie of the Year Andrea Beaty. Other Billikens to receive All Conference nods include senior Megan Boken, who was an honorable mention, and freshman Hannah Kvitle, who was named to the All-Rookie team along with Beaty.

With some developing superstars returning on top of a solid nucleus of players, the Billikens have the possibility to become a force to be reckoned with in the very near future.

Kelly Hinderberger / Photographer

Junior Ashley Gaillot (6) and senior Megan Boken (20) work together during the Billikens win over Temple on Oct. 22.

Men’s Soccer:

MTSU

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New coach leads rebuilding year

Women’s Basketball Arkansas State SLU

The 2010 edition of the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team closed the regular season strongly and only lost one of its final seven games. Unfortunately, the 2-0 loss to La Salle in the Atlantic 10 tournament ended the Billikens’ season and a chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament. This is the first season since 2005 that SLU failed to qualify for NCAA tournament play.

Head coach Mike McGinty, in his first season at the helm of the men’s soccer program, led the Billikens to a 9-7-2 record.

By ANDREW BUSH Staff Writer

50 54 SLU

Murray State

Erin Twiehaus / Photographer

72 55 Women’s Soccer: Sophomore Alli Reimer (5) way key to the SLU midfield.

SLU

Indiana

69 58 SLU

SIUE

55 62 Men’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball SLU

Georgia

59 61 SLU

Tennessee State

78 50 SLU

IUPUI

58 55 SLU

Portland

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Team finds groove late

By CHAD CARSON Staff Writer

Concluding the season with a 2-2 tie at Saint Joseph’s, the women’s soccer team finished with a 4-9-6 overall record and posted a final Atlantic 10 Conference record of 3-51. The season marks only the fourth sub-.500 season for head coach Tim Champion in his fourteen years at SLU. “We definitely learned a lot from this season to carry over next year,” sophomore Allison Hu said.

While the team did not advance to the conference tournament, two players earned A-10 honors.

Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Walsh earned a spot on the All-Conference second team while freshman for ward Jenny Hummert gained a spot on the All-Rookie team in the A-10.

As a transfer student from Murray State, Walsh posted impressive numbers in her first season. Within the A-10, she tied for first in shutouts with nine, while placing sec-

ond in save percentage and third in total saves and goals against average. After adding eight saves to her total through a clean sheet at Iowa, Walsh earned the honor of being an A-10 Co-Player of the Week. Walsh also set the school record with a total of 14 saves in the 1-0 away loss to Charlotte.

“Both Katie and Jenny fit in well right away and were crucial additions to our team this year,” Hu said.

In her freshman season with the team, Hummert tied for the team scoring lead with her two goals and two assists. A 1-0 game winning goal against St. Bonaventure earned her A-10 Rookie of the Week honors after the Oct. 10 contest.

Looking forward to next season, the team hopes to continue its consistent defense and improve the offense. A number of players return.

“We turned this season around at the end by scoring more goals and that’s what we need to do to be successful next year,” Hu said.

The Billikens did not win consecutive games until defeating University of Missouri- Kansas City and Temple back-to-back in late October. The win over UMKC, however, marked the beginning of a six-game unbeaten streak that propelled SLU into the A-10 postseason tournament.

On Nov. 7, SLU faced UMass knowing that at least a tie was necessary in order to qualify for the A-10 tournament. Only six teams qualify for the A-10 tournament, and SLU was locked in a tie with Xavier and Fordham.

After falling behind 2-0 in the second half, late goals from Alex Johnston and Sito

Sasieta dead-locked the game.

The result held, and SLU qualified for the A-10 tournament, keeping their hopes for NCAA qualification alive.

In the A-10 tournament, SLU topped St. Bonaventure 2-1 to qualify for the semifinals against La Salle. This semifinal matchup marked the last game of McGinty’s first season in charge.

SLU lacked a consistent goal-scoring threat, as five different players managed to tally a team-high three goals on the season.

But it was a young team, lead by freshmen and sophomores, and the seven top individual point earners all return to SLU next season.

Ryan Giacomino / Managing Editor

Sophomore Benny Estes (11) battles a Drake defender in the homecoming game Sept. 25.

Sports

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Cross Country: Tough start stirs doubts about Billikens Smooth sailing for Bills

By PAUL ESKER Staff Writer

You know that it has been a good season when your coach does not feel like it should be over. “After the NCAA meet, it really didn’t feel like the year should come to an end,” fourth-year coach Jon Bell said.

The coach’s feelings for the season are understandable. From the women’s team finishing two runners in the top five at the National Catholic Invitational, to the meet at Bradley, where the entire men’s team ran personal record times, the Saint Louis University Cross Country team consistently ran well in 2010 and brought Cross Country at SLU to new heights.

It all started with the meet at Duquesne, where Margo Richardson came in first place overall with a time of 18:01. “I usually tell recruits that there

is a very slim chance they will win a college race. There are usually around 300 runners.

Well, I can’t really tell recruits that anymore because of Margo,” Bell said.

After the good start at Duquesne, the rest of the season was smooth sailing, or rather, running.

“The biggest surprise is how smoothly ever ything went. In years past there is always been some bumps in the road: injuries, sickness, team drama. This year there really wasn’t anything,” Bell said.

The NCAA Midwest Regional capped the season, where the women’s team had their best finish ever, coming in 15th overall, and the men’s team finished with a solid 23rd overall.

“I come from more of a track background, but after this season, I’m ready for some more cross country meets,” Bell said.

Lately I’ve been asked by people inside and outside the Saint Louis University community how I feel Commentary the men’s basketball team will fair this season.

Being both a fan and an astute obser ver Derrick Neuner of the team for over three years, I have become accustomed to smiling, nodding and saying, “We will do fine this year. This should be another great year for the Billikens.”

That fairytale can last no longer. Who am I kidding?

Unless Captain Majerus, Skipper Moser and First Mates Cassity and Conklin can turn this team around, Billiken fans, I fear we are in a long, rough voyage.

Before I begin my whining, I should make something quite plain. The answer to the

question is not as easy as “the Billikens will be good” or “the Billikens will be bad.”

There are nights, for instance against Tennessee State, when SLU sailed to a 78-50 win, when I think to myself that the iceberg has been avoided and that brighter, calmer seas are ahead. To say that there are no bright spots, no rays of hope through the doom, would be both inaccurate and extremely pessimistic.

Head coach Rick Majerus has put together a fine group of young men that have the talent the likes of which have not been seen on our campus since the days of Larry Hughes and Justin Love. I have seen flashes of what freshmen Mike McCall, Dwayne Evans and Rob Loe will do for SLU in the near future, and it will have us contending for the Sweet 16.

But that is not where the Billikens are today.

Today, they are the Titanic sinking slowly to the bottom of the Atlantic 10. Today, they are Gilligan, lost at sea. And

perhaps the most agonizing part of this situation is this: There is nothing Majerus can do.

Let’s face the truth; it’s there for every one of us to see. When Kwamain Mitchell and Willie Reed were dismissed from the team, the Titanic became sinkable. And down she goes. Look no further than the 69-60 lashing handed down by the Portland Pilots.

Brian Conklin, in his homecoming game, couldn’t keep Portland’s big men out of the paint; SLU shot a pathetic 35 percent from the charity line; Cory Remekun collected just one rebound, as did Conklin; Rob Loe had a total of two points.

That’s the ball game, folks.

The only bright spot was the Billiken point guards; McCall and Jordair Jett had 14 and 13 points respectively while Cassity added seven.

When the men in the paint are not rebounding the ball and are not scoring underneath, what hope will SLU have against the next mon-

strous challenge, No. 1 Duke?

If the Bills are to have any success in the A-10 Conference this season, they are going to need several players to step up; step up big, and step up now.

I’m looking at you, Aussies.

Christian Salecich is a fantastic and prolific shooter, but this season has contributed just 13 points. That’s the worst shooting on the team. Cody Ellis, once a confident shooter and a physical defender, has seemingly lost his edge on the court. Both Aussies are immensely talented, and it was a joy watching them play last year. Therefore I am both confounded and frustrated at the lack of production from those two gentlemen thus far.

The talent is here; the coaching is here. This program still has the chance to hoist the sails and impress us all.

Maybe some brute honestly is what the guys need.

After all, it’s up to them to right the ship.

At 3-3, no one else is coming to bail them out.

Women’s Basketball: Tough roadtrip yields big victory Saint Louis Arkansas State November 19

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The Billikens contained the Red Wolves to a 28-26 mark at halftime. After the half, the Billikens came out red-hot and went on a quick run to expand the score to 40-33 with only six minutes remaining in the game.

Junior guard Janisha Gearlds scored a season-high 12 points for the Bills.

But the effort shown by the Billikens in the start of the second half did not carry over to the end of the game. The Red Wolves’ Quinishia McDowell sealed the victory for Arkansas State by hitting two free throws with 11.1 seconds remaining in regulation.

Murray State Saint Louis November 21

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Sophomore guard Jacy Bradley, scored a career-high 14 points for the Lady Billikens as they went on to roll the Racers 72-55.

Although this was the Billikens third game in five days across three different states, fatigue proved not to be a factor. The wellconditioned Billikens snared 29 offensive rebounds and capitalized on their second chances.

Freshman forward Lorreal Jones controlled the glass for the Billikens, securing 14 rebounds and contributing 12 points while shooting perfectly from the free throw line.

Saint Louis Indiana November 24

For the second consecutive game, the Billikens out-muscled the opposition and took the advantage on the boards. The Bills held a 54-26 margin in rebounding at the history Assembly Hall. Saint Louis shot a season high 45.8 percent from the field (22-of-48).

The Billikens were lead by their seniors the entire game. Senior forward Lauren Woods scored 15 points in the game, while fellow senior Kathryn Hester scored 14 points in addition to grabbing 11 rebounds.

This was Hester’s second double-double of the season.

Men’s Basketball- Upcoming Games Dec. 11 at No.1 Duke (CBS) Dec. 15 vs. Jacksonville Dec. 18 at Missouri State

Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec.

2 at Southern Illinois 4 at Bradley 12 vs. Missouri State 17 vs. Memphis

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Cancun Governor’s Cup Dec. 22 vs. Northeastern Dec. 23 vs. ETSU/Southern Miss Dec. 24 TBD

Women’s Basketball- Upcoming Games Dec. 19 vs. Florida Atlantic Dec. 22 vs. Evansville Dec. 30 at Ball State

Saint Louis SIU-Edwardsville November 28

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Once again, sophomore guard Jacy Bradley led the Billikens with 13 points.

Janisha Gearlds and Lauren Woods each scored 12 points, but the Billikens fell in Edwardsville last weekend. This game was stop number two on the Billikens’ four-game road trip, and it ended a two game winning streak for Saint Louis.

Saint Louis (3-4) tried to rally late in the game to overcome the Cougars, but the effort was not enough. SIUE ended SLU’s two-game winning streak with a 62-55 victory.

Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.

1 vs. Bowling Green 5 vs. Dayton (CBS College Sports) 9 at Temple 12 at Duquesne 15 vs. St. Joseph’s (KLPR 11)

Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.

2 at Tennessee Tech 8 vs. St. Joseph’s 12 vs. Dayton 15 at La Salle

Arts OUT ON THE TOWN Arts Editors’ Picks

The University News Thursday, December 2, 2010

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5

The University News

on campus performances provide endof-semester entertainment

By ASHLEY JONES Arts Editor

MUSIC Friday, December 3 7:30 p.m.

Guitar Ensemble Samuel Cupple’s House Free admittance Friday, December 3 3 p.m.

Student Recital Samuel Cupple’s House Free admittance 7:30 p.m.

String Orchestra Concert St. Francis Xavier College Church Free admittance Saturday, December 4 6 p.m.

BNS Fall Concert AB Auditorium, Cook Hall Tickets are $7 Sunday, December 5 Submitted photo by Anita Shastri

6:30 p.m.

Choral Concert St. Francis Xavier College Church Free admittance

The One Act plays, set to take place on Dec. 3 and 4, are just one of the upcoming Fine and Performing Arts Department events. Above: sophomore Joseph Denk (left) and freshman Kristin Rion (right) play in “Boy Meets Girl: A Young Love Story,” directed by junior Anita Shastri. The plays will take place in the Xavier Hall Studio Theatre at 8 p.m. Other upcoming events include the Jazz Ensemble, Guitar Ensememble, Concert Choir and String Orchestra performances.

Monday, December 6

One Acts

7:30 p.m.

Jazz Ensemble Concert Xavier Hall Theatre Free admittance

When: Dec. 3 & 4 at 8 p.m.

Where:Xavier Hall Studio Theatre Cost: free

THEATER Thursday, December 2 7:30 p.m.

Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker The Fox Theatre For ticket information visit fabulousfox.com Friday, December 3 6 p.m.

League of Laughter Improv Show Xavier Hall Theatre Free admittance 7:30 p.m.

One Acts Xavier Hall Studio Theatre Free admittance

On Dec. 3 and 4, a series of four student-directed, one-act plays will be performed in the Xavier Hall Studio Theatre.

Theatre-major seniors Erin Almand, James Canfield and Healy Rodman, along with junior Anita Shastri will be directing the plays as part of their Directing II class.

“A one-act is a short play that has no intermission. It can last anywhere between 10 to 60 minutes. All four of our one acts are around 30 minutes long

Guitar Ensemble

When: Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Cupple’s House Cost: free The Guitar Ensemble will host a recital on Thursday, Dec. 2 at The Cupple’s House.

The ensemble will perform works by Barrios, Handel, Hindesmith and Walton.

According to director William Hopkins, there will also be three Christmas carols performed by seven guitarists.

Hopkins describes these

each and tell a complete story within a short period of time,” Canfield said.

Almand, Canfield, Rodman and Shastri will each be directing their own one act.

“We each got the chance to pick which one we would be interested in directing,” Canfield said.

Canfield chose to direct “Freak!” The play tells the story of a new girl in school, who is suspected to be a robot.

“As rumors and gossip spread throughout the school, the New Girl and her classmates must find her way in this world and discover that she’s more than just a freak,” Canfield said.

In addition to “Freak!,” those in attendance will also be able to see “Jerry Finnegan’s Sister,” directed by Almand; “How to be a Good Son,” directed by Rodman; and “Boy Meets Girl: A Young Love Story,” directed by Shastri.

Auditions for the plays were held in October. Forty people came out and auditioned, and from those people the casts were selected.

“As a director, I have been in charge of casting the show, organizing rehearsals, staging and working on all aspects of the show from creating designs, helping actors discover their characters, and bringing the script to life on stage,” Canfield said.

The shows will take place at 8 p.m.

Admission is free to the public.

“Students should come see the one acts because the SLU community needs to support the arts. Each one act is a fantastic piece of theatre that allows the audience member to discover a new world, as well as possibly discover something new about themselves,” Canfield said.

carols as one of the highlights of the recital.

The Guitar Ensemble is made up of students who can enroll in the class for zero or one credit. They meet once a week to practice and are expected to practice on their own time as well. They have one trial recital at MOCRA before the actual recital.

This semester, the group consists of freshmen Jason Carter, Steven Freedman, Ben Minden-Birkenmaier, Andrew Patrick, Brandon Turnbull and seniors Ryan Pacatte and Stephen Siegner.

The recital will begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

String Orchestra

as its nucleus,” director Jeral Becker said.

According to Becker, SLU has had a choir possibly from the beginning. However, the Concert Choir replaced the University Chorale four years ago.

The Fleur de Lis, which was formed 11 years ago, is made up of the women from the Concert Choir and the Mastersingers.

The Women’s Quartet was formed recently.

In order to prepare for the concert, the group practices once a week for the duration of the semester.

“If the choir is thoroughly prepared and sing with spirit, the audience will absorb such expression and be inspired.

To have young people absorbed and motivated by such a noble art as music is truly a wonderful and uplifting thing,” Becker said.

The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, and the concert is open to the public.

Jazz Ensemble

When: Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Where:College Church Cost: free Director Marc Thayer would say that beautiful music in an elegant place is just one of the reasons that students should attend The Saint Louis University String Orchestra’s fall concert.

The concert will take place on Friday, Dec. 3 in St. Francis Xavier College Church.

The orchestra will be performing works by Marias, Ravel, Corelli, Holst, Gianelli

and Bach. In addition, they will also be playing some holiday music. Special guest, Maryse Carlin will be playing the Harpsichord.

“The music was written for this kind of environment,” Thayer said.

The group has been preparing for the concert since the end of August by practicing once a week. Students, staff and faculty make up the orchestra, which is in its second year. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., and the admission is free.“ It’s free, and [the String Orchestra is] one of the best things about SLU,” Thayer said.

Saturday, December 4 7:30 p.m.

One Acts Xavier Hall Studio Theatre Free admittance Sunday, December 5 1 p.m.

Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker The Fox Theatre For ticket information visit fabulousfox.com 6 p.m.

Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker The Fox Theatre For ticket information visit fabulousfox.com

Concert ChOir

When: Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Where:College Church Cost: free The Saint Louis University Concert Choir will be performing on Monday, Dec. 6 in College Church.

The concert will consist of seasonal music sung by the Concert Choir, The Mastersingers, The Fleur de Lis, a women’s chorus and a women’s quartet. In addition, “Ode on the Imitations on Immorality,” a large work

by Arthur Somvervell will be featured with a performance by guest soloist, Martin Dressler.

The choir is made up of 40-50 students. While these students come from various disciplines, they all have choral singing experience.

“Voice majors are required to be in this choir, which includes the Mastersingers

When: Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Where:The University Theatre Cost: free The Saint Louis University Jazz Ensemble will be performing its fall concert on Monday, Dec. 6.

The concert will feature a Big Band, Saxophone Quartet and Combo, which will feature a vocalist and solo opportunities for the performers.

They will be performing works by Sammy Nestico, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane and Jerome Kern.

According to director and associate music professor, Robert Hughes, the ensemble as a class and co-curricular organization, is open to everyone in the SLU community

including students, faculty and staff.

The ensemble, which was established in the fall of 2000, was originally founded as a traditional big band.

“The SLU Jazz Ensemble has adapted to try and meet the needs of the students interested in jazz,” Hughes said.

The group rehearses once a week from the beginning of the semester in order to prepare for their fall concert, which is held the last Monday of classes.

“Students are responsible for practicing their individual parts outside of class, and then rehearsal time is used to bring all of the individual parts together as a whole,” Hughes said.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will take place in The University Theatre located in Xavier Hall.

Talk to us: Ashley Jones 314.977.2812 arts.unews@gmail.com

‘Black Swan’ illustrates meaning of intensity The difficulty when it comes to reviewing a movie such as Darren Aronofsky’s latest, “Black Movie Review Swan,” is that the less you k n o w when you enter the theatre, the better.

I would even sugNoah Berman gest you stay away from the previews, although in a rare feat for the movie world, they don’t give away the best bits of the film.

All you need to know, for now, is that it goes into nonfestival release on December 3rd, 2010. And if it comes to a theatre near you, place “Black Swan” at the top of your mustsee list.

I guess I can let slip a few morsels of related information, if you need a little bit more to make that ten dollar ticket seem worth it.

The movie stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey.

It was directed by Darren Aronofsky and scored by the always brilliant Clint Mansell.

Portman plays Nina, a ballerina in pursuit of perfection - the reverse of Kunis’ character, a ballerina who is more about the joie de vivre than she is about the more technical side of hte craft.

Cassel plays a ballet director who views skill in his craft as deeply connected to the dancer’s sexuality, and Barbara Hershey plays a mother devoted entirely to her child.

From here on out I’m going to have to be careful: Aronofsky has created a psychological thriller that, as the saying goes, is what you find when you look up “intense” in the dictionary, and to know too much before the movie starts is to miss out on the film’s impact.

The plot raises a number of questions - about going “too far” for one’s art, about what’s real and what is not, about love and hate and sex and death.

If you know a great deal about the movie before you go in, you’re going to have these questions answered in advance, and you’re probably going to think that “Black Swan” is just another indie thriller.

Do as I say and go in knowing very little, and you’ll see that while it might certainly be an non-blockbuster thriller, it is also a story told with the power of an atomic bomb.

The consensus of the audience at the St. Louis International Film Fest showing of “Black Swan” can be summed up in the comment of somebody sitting behind me: “I need a drink!”

Now, obviously, I’m not saying that this movie is enough to drive you to drink.

But it does get itself wrapped around your head, so that you feel kind of wobbly and uncertain for a day or two later.

This is perfectly normal and is the result of seeing a really, really good film, and once the buzz wears off you’ll be desperate to discuss “Black Swan” with someone else who has seen it.

I guess I can tell you this: it helps, when watching “Black Swan,” to think about it as though you’re watching the movie from the perspective of Natalie Portman’s character.

Don’t try to figure out See “Black Swan” on Page 12

5/5

The Good: You will never forget “Black Swan.”

The Bad: You will never forget “Black Swan.”

The Verdict: See this as soon as you possibly can, but make sure you go into the theatre ready for anything.

Arts

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Thursday, 2010 Thursday,December October 7,2,2010

‘A Christmas Carol’ brings holiday spirit to the Fox Local actor joins cast for his first professional tour

By ASHLEY JONES

Continued from Page 11

what’s going on, or try to observe the film from some outside point - it’s so masterfully written, shot and edited that there’s very little room to go outside what’s happening on screen, anyway.

But if you start trying to consider this movie from the point of view of somebody who is not part of the movie, it starts to make very little sense.

This is a film that you’re meant to get totally immersed in - a viewing experience that puts you in the same shoes as Portman’s character, a film that gets into your head and does not let go.

Arts Editor

It is that time of year again, Christmas, and the Fox Theatre is providing an opportunity to get in the holiday cheer with “A Christmas Carol,” showing from Dec. 9-12.

According to cast member Adam Lloyd, it is a play that pulls at the heartstrings, with a mix of comedic and tender, serious moments.

“You get wrapped up in the lives of all the [characters]…

It is a feel good show,” Lloyd said.

This classic Christmas story, written by Charles Dickens, was originally meant to be a tale of the unfairness of the Industrial Revolution and the need for compassion. It follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by three ghosts and goes through a personal transformation from greedy and cold to compassionate.

This adaptation of the play will be directed by Charles Jones and performed by the Nebraska Theatre Caravan.

The caravan has been touring across the country performing Jones’ adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” since 1979.

Lloyd, who is part of this caravan, will be playing the character of Topper, who is the best friend of Scrooge’s nephew. Lloyd described him as a ladies man.

“He is an all around good guy,” Lloyd said.

One of Topper’s biggest scenes in the play takes place during the Christmas Present sequence. He is at a party with Scrooge’s nephew and friends. During the party he leads a discussion about Scrooge and pokes fun at him.

Although the play has been performed countless times and has been adapted in different ways, Lloyd said that what sets this adaptation apart is the fact that it closely follows the original.

“It is the same show that has been produced for the past 30 years,” Lloyd said.

He explained that it also closely follows the novel.

“You can go through the novel and take it word for word,” Lloyd said.

Black Swan: Puts viewers in characters’ shoes

Photos Courtesy of the Nebraska Theatre Caravan

Above: Scenes from Charles Jones’ adaptation of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol.” The Nebraska Theatre Caravan will be performing the Christmas classic at the Fox Theatre Dec. 9-12.

For Lloyd, being a part of “A Christmas Carol” is nothing new. He performed in the play once in middle school and three times in college.

Not only is he not a stranger to the play, but he is also not a stranger to the acting business. He said that his interest in acting goes back to the seventh grade.

“I saw my brother in a musical and was very jealous that he was getting all the attention,” Lloyd said.

It was from a desire to receive the same attention that he decided to audition for a play in junior high. He got a part and has been acting

ever since.

Since then he has performed in multiple productions, such as “Into the Woods,” “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Zoo Story” and “Bye Bye Birdie.”

However, touring with “A Christmas Carol” has been his first professional tour.

He auditioned for “A Christmas Carol” last February in Memphis, was cast in April and started rehearsal in November. At the time he auditioned, he had already received a BSA in acting and a BA in education and was student teaching.

He explained that although the cast has only been practicing for three weeks, they already have great moments together on and off stage.

“This is probably one of the most talented casts that I have worked with,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd, who grew up and went to school in St. Charles, MO, will be returning close to home for the show’s run at the Fox Theatre.

“It is a dream come true to be performing on the Fox stage,” Lloyd said.

For more on show times and ticket information visit fabulousfox.com.

Photo courtesy of Fox searchlight

Natalie Portman and Barbara Hershey play in “Black Swan.”

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