No. 1 Aug 25 2011

The University News Celebrating 90 Years as a Student Voice of Saint Louis University

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Vol. XCI No. 1

2011 HOMECOMING ACT ANNOUNCED ??????? ???????

Jack’s Mannequin Eric Hutchinson Tonic 2008

2009

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2010

2011

Parking rates bumped

By PATRICK OLDS Associate News Editor

See “Parking” on Page 3

Blue the Billiken The Billikens are back!

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

KICK OFF WEEKEND

Find out who will be performing at this year’s Homecoming concert >> ARTS

The Billikens are back on the court, on the field and in the stands >> SPORTS

Health and education: A primer

Fee hike affects campus lots Saint Louis University recently approved a parking rate increase for students, faculty and staff for the 2011-2012 academic year. This follows an increase in the hourly, daily and event parking increase that was approved in July.

The faculty and staff rate will jump, per month, from $46.67 to $51.67 for general parking, and from $69.17 to $76.67 for preferred parking.

The students will see a rise, as well, in the parking rate per semester.

Students that live on campus will see the price go from $255 to $280, and for commuters from $200 to $220.

According to Chris Regan, associate vice president of services operations, every three years the Parking and Transportation committee, made up of faculty, staff and students, reviews parking rates to identify what proposals would like to be made.

“The hourly, daily and event parking increase was approved by the committee and through the approval process of the executive staff, it was decided that permit prices would rise as well,” Regan said.

Regan said the rise in price is due in large part to three major factors: debt from the building of both the Olive and Laclede parking garages, regular maintenance and utilities and improvements in technology of the security and payment access systems.

“When we are talking maintenance, you have your sealing and your striping and those are all oil based. As the price of oil goes up the costs to maintain the garages will as well,” said Ann Gioia, director of the Office of Parking and Card Services (PCS), said.

“We put up fencing and landscaping as well as the new card system in the lots to make it easier for students to just use their student I.D. instead of a parking pass.”

According to Gioia, the new system will make it easier for students to streamline onto one card.

The new system also offers the added perk that if a card is not working for whatever reason, students may call PCS to be granted access to park.

This new system will replace an older version that was put into place in 1992.

There is currently a proposal on the table to update the technology further with the addition of payment by debit or credit card instead of just cash.

“I don’t think [the price increase] is a terrible thing,” junior Joseph Yancey said.

“Real-estate prices are going up and people want to be in or around the SLU campus. People should look at it that way rather than having to spend a few extra dollars.”

Historically the University will issue more than 7,000 permits annually to students,

Thursday, August 25 , 2011

How to stay healthy on a college campus

Triple cheeseburger with toppings Calories: 797 Protein: 56 grams Fat: 50 grams Carbohydrates: 27 grams

Chocolate chip cookie Calories: 260 Protein: 3 grams Fat: 10 grams Carbohydrates: 41 grams

Garden salad Calories: 23 Protein: 1 gram Fat: 0 grams Carbohydrates: 5 grams

Grilled chicken wrap Calories: 600 Protein: 33 grams Fat: 25 grams Carbohydrates: 63 grams

Chicken nachos with various toppings Calories: 1299 Protein: 65 grams Fat: 77 grams Carbohydrates: 90 grams

Plain bagel (no cream cheese) Calories: 300 Protein: 12 grams Fat: 1 gram Carbohydrates: 61 grams

Source: Billiken Dining Services Online Nutrition Chart

University offers wellness opportunities to students

By BRIAN BOYD News Editor

With the first day of classes looming, Saint Louis University students prepare for the oncoming lifestyle changes associated with the college life. Academic rigors, social demands, extracurricular activities and relationships call for an adjustment from the relaxation of summer. In the whirlwind of activities, college students often cast to the side two of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of success- diet and exercise.

“The stress and the change in your schedule has an effect,” Glen Kemper, Simon Recreation Center Fitness Coordinator said. “I mean, you have a pretty structured high school life. College life has much more unstructured time”.

Living in a fast-paced environment, it can be challenging to select healthy

foods and find time to get to the gym.

Fortunately for SLU students and programs, institutions exist to help students lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

The Simon Recreation Center offers a host of fitness options aside from their fitness center and swimming pool.

Some classes offered include dance, yoga and group exercise. All students are welcome to join for a small fee.

A new fitness class has been added to the bevy of choices at the Simon Rec. Starting this fall, a kettlebell training class will be available.

“That is a class I think will appeal to both ladies and men both because kettlebell training does wrap in the strength component as well as agility and flexibility,” Eric Anderson, Simon director said.

In addition to the fitness classes available, inside the Simon Rec is a

wellness suite available to faculty and students free of charge. Inside the suite are health DVDs and handouts, and can even have their body fat percentage measured.

Anderson also noted that attendance at the Simon Rec peaks in the beginning of the semester, but tapers off as the year wears on.

Exercise will not solve the problem by itself, however. Nutrition plays a huge role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

“One thing I would say about fitness and nutrition and tying those together, one thing that I have felt is that it is easier to make healthy choices in how you are eating and the amount of food you are eating,” said Anderson.

Dean of Students departs Smith moves on; no replacement named

By KRISTEN MIANO Staff Writer

After four years of serving as the Dean of Students of Saint Louis University, Scott Smith has moved on to take the position as Vice President of Student Affairs at Barry University.

“It is a Smith huge loss for SLU,” Vice President of Student Development Kent Porterfield said. “Scott’s work at the University these last four years has been nothing short of exemplary.”

According to Porterfield, Smith has received several opportunities for vice president positions at various institutions, but this past summer he interviewed for and was offered the position at Barry University.

“This is a promotion for Scott,and it is certainly one he deserves and has earned,” Porterfield siad.

Barry University is a smaller, Catholic institution in Miami Shores, Fla. The Student Affairs Division at Barry is similar to the Division of Student Development at SLU, as it focuses on creating a university environment that will work toward the success of students.

With the position of Dean of Students currently vacant, Porterfield said that the jobs and projects of the role have been dispersed among the remaining Student Development faculty. The time frame of Smith’s departure did not make conducting a search for a new Dean achievable during the summer, but Porterfield said he plans to post the position as soon as next week.

“In terms of impact, we will try to make the changes as invisible to the students as possible,” Porterfield said.

“This system is not ideal for any length of time, but we can make it work.”

Porterfield said that he was appreciative of the willingness of the Student Development Staff to fill in while the Dean of Students role is unoccupied.

“Scott was a wonderful colleague to work with,” Assistant Vice President of Student Development Leanna Fenneburg said. “He had a broad prospective on student life with things like Student Government Association. He made a big impact on polices affecting students and helping students to be successful.

We have big shoes to fill.”

As Dean of Students, Smith managed organizations like Student Conduct and Parent

See “Wellness” on Page 3 See “Smith” on Page 3

Education Union and track accentuate Health Sciences campus

By BRIAN BOYD News Editor

This fall, students at the Saint Louis University Health Sciences campus will be greeted with two sparkling additions. A 30,000 square foot Education Union and NCAA regulated stadium have been added to the Health Sciences Campus.

“I’m very excited about the additions. I look forward to using both the track and education center often while I am at the Med Campus for class,” junior Nursing student Nora O’ Connell said.

The Education Union includes a study space, a student lounge, a 225-seat computerized lecture hall, a café and a state-of-the-art Patient Simulation Center, which

gives students opportunities to participate in diagnostic and communication simulations with actors who serve as patients.

The Education Union also hosts the Office of Inter-Professional Education, which allows students from various colleges at the Health Sciences Campus to collaborate and interact.

The NCAA regulated stadium includes an eight-lane running track and circles a regulation-size soccer field.

The stadium will host both club sports and intramurals and will also serve as the home field of the Billikens Track and Field teams.

“I think it is a big plus,” Vice President of the Health Sciences Campus and Dean of the School of Medicine Phillip

Alderson said.

“I think it adds a real additional vitality to the Medical Campus,” Alderson said “It will be a wonderful facility for not only the students and faculty of various schools and colleges on campus, but also the home of intramural activities.”

Although construction on the Grand Bridge, which links the Health Sciences Campus to the Frost Campus, has yet to be completed, Alderson said he does not believe that it will prevent students from accessing the new facilities.

Alderson said that there are now three shuttles that take students from the Frost Campus to the Health See “Union” on Page 3

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

The new Education Union building at the Health Sciences Campus contains state-of-the-art facilities available to both undergraduate and graduate students alike.

News

2

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Let Us Introduce You

Matt Ryan

SGA President prepares to engage student body, enjoys yoga, Tai Chi

By PATRICIA SCHAFER Staff Writer

When Matt Ryan first visited Saint Louis University in his senior year of high school, he said he fell in love and immediately knew where he wanted to study as an undergraduate.

Last semester as a sophomore, Ryan and several friends directed their passion and plans for SLU and student leadership before the University and the students elected him Student Government Association President.

“Our campaign had 2,800 students support us in the election. Now, it’s time for those 2,800 and every other student to work to better campus this upcoming year,” Ryan said.

A junior from Overland Park, Kan. who is studying Public Health and Economics, Ryan has pursued multiple interests since coming to SLU. He was involved with the Irish Student Guild and the Political Round Table during his first two years at SLU, and his interest in student government reaches back to the spring of his freshman year.

During his time in SGA, Ryan said he took a special interest regarding issues of diversity.

He sat on the Diversity Committee board of SGA and engaged in Saint Louis University Students for Undergraduate SocioEconomic Diversity (SLU/FUSED), a student organization that promotes socio-economic diversity on campus.

Now, he said he encourages the students at SLU to unite for one purpose through SGA’s direction.

“As the student government, we want to set pathways for success and empower our fellow students to reach their goals,” Ryan said.

Though both successes and challenges wait in the new school year, Ryan said

THE SLU SCOOP All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Security Services

Thursday, August 4

8:59 a.m. - VEHICLE ACCIDENT On Caroline and Compton Avenue, a SLU student driver lost control of his vehicle which flipped over and came to rest on a SLU owned fence.

Friday, August 19

11:40 a.m. -VEHICLE ACCIDENT

Outsided St. Francis Xavier CollegeChurch, a DPSSS officer accidentally backed into a truck parked behind the patrol vehicle. No damage was found on either vehicle.

Sunday, August 21

5:56 p.m. - PROPERTY DAMAGE A Campus Ministry employee reported that their golf cart had been damaged at Wuller Hall. Upon the officer’s arrival, the employee stated, “that he parked the cart on the west side of the building on Friday, August 19, around 5:15 p.m.” Upon his return on Satur-

day, August 21, he noticed, “the dashboard of the cart had been torn away from the brackets.”

Sunday, August 21

1:31 a.m. - ALARM ACTIVATION An officer discovered an alarm had been set off from a low CO2 tank. Maintenance replaced the tank.

Be a Responsible Billiken STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000 witness.slu.edu dps.slu.edu

SGA plans a new way to do business

By KELLY WITTE Staff Writer Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

he seeks to connect with and represent the needs of the student body.

“Now, SGA’s job is to find energy to make a transition.

The success of campaigning cannot be the same success of governing,” Ryan said.

“But I believe that if we guide with vision and reason out difficulties, students will understand and appreciate where we stand.”

While some may think that being SGA President would come with endless demands, Ryan said he is determined to keep school, SGA and his personal life in balance.

He enjoys Yoga and Tai Chi as stress-relievers, and finds support in taking a step back from the blur of school.

“This job is important, but it is not the world” Ryan said.

Ryan acknowledged that many other students have responsibilities that are as equally important as his role in governing the student body.

“I try to find time to reflect on each day, to realize the good and what I can leave,” Ryan said. “It’s very much a Jesuit idea, and I work to make this more a part of my life.”

As Ryan and his team of vice-presidents prepare for the year, he hopes to engage students as they did during their election campaign.

“Throughout this year, I hope students realize that our campaign was never meant to be a seven-person campaign” Ryan said. “I hope students feel as involved in making this year great as I do.”

The Student Government Association is now under the guidance of a new administration led by President Matt Ryan.

Ryan said many of his fellow classmates have not made the effort to engage in student government, but that he hopes for a big change this year.

Starting this fall, the office hours for the SGA will be open to the public in the Busch Student Center. SGA said it hopes that students stop by and share their opinions directly with an executive board member, with the information provided by the organization to be readily available.

Participation in SGA will also be encouraged every weekend.

Ryan, along with Scott Hessel, the vice president of internal affairs,

will be hosting Box Lunch Saturdays each week. Certain student groups, as well as interested individuals, are welcome to bring their own lunch and take part in this event. Ryan said that those who attend can expect lively discussion during the meal and a true sense of involvement in their student government.

John Serpas, the financial vice president, said he is working on creating financial guidelines that are easier for students to understand, specifically those for student groups. Chartered Student Organizations, apply to receive funding each spring from SGA. With new changes, Serpas said many groups can request the finances they need with more understanding of the process than in previous years.

Last year, the process to create a more united campus began to make headway

with the Oath of Inclusion.

Reminding students that a stronger community and a better world are more easily attained with both shared ambition and discovery, the Oath sets the tone for what the SGA said it hopes to accomplish with this new year. SGA Vice President of Diversity Kripa Sreepada will be speaking about the Oath on Saturday, Aug. 26 during SLU’s Welcome Week activities.

To keep the student body informed of SGA initiatives, the newsletter, sent out to all students’ email inboxes, will see an update this year.

The former text document will now be condensed into a video, which will be sent out on either a weekly or biweekly basis. With many ideas being implemented this year, SGA said it assures that the community at SLU will become even more engaged and united than ever before.

News

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

SLU’s journey to orbit takes flight Students prepare mini-satellites for first Park’s launch into space

By NOAH BERMAN Foreign Desk Chief

Outer space is not easy.

Saint Louis University students and alumni know this all too well. In 1970, SLU graduate Gene Kranz orchestrated the successful return of the crew of Apollo 13 following a systems malfunction that could have resulted in catastrophe.

Though his experience with outer space was difficult at times, Kranz said he found his footing with his experiences studying aviation and the business of flying while at SLU. “Hands on experience in the field and in school helped the most as a pilot and engineer,” Kranz said.

Kranz worked on an aircraft called the PAR special, a SLU-designed and built project. Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology is now to aiming even higher to prepare its students with its Space Systems Research Lab in McDonnell Douglas Hall. A group of students are putting the finishing touches on a small satellite designed to fly in the vacuum of space.

The satellite, known as “COPPER,” or the “Close Orbit Propellant Plume and Elemental Recognition” satellite, is part of NASA’s CubeSat initiative to launch mini satellites onto their rocket payloads.

Senior Maria Barna, a member of the COPPER team, said that the satellite is an experiment in using “off the shelf components” which could eventually “drive down the cost of Earth Observation. COPPER will look down onto Earth with an infrared camera, taking advantage of

newer and smaller electronics some that do not have space heritage.

Senior Steve Massey explains that “it won’t be able to see your car,” but it will be able to see “large scale [urban] features.”

Currently, the COPPER team is working on installing solar panels and making sure that the satellite will fit within the primary launch vehicle.

Massey said that the current goal is to be able to show off a working satellite at a number of small satellite conferences this summer.

Last week, COPPER was “fit checked” at a conference in Utah. This was a check to see if the satellite fits within the capsule it will use to go into space.

Massey says that the team “does not have to have it ready until December.” Still, Barna said that they are “working really hard, getting things done as quickly as possible.”

Work that still needs to be done prior to launch includes solar panels, the fit check, structural elements, radio antenna installation and then final testing of the completed device. The SLU team is also collaborating on an experiment being run by Vanderbilt University, aimed at updating industry knowledge of the effects of radiation on newer, faster and smaller electronics.

Michael Swartwout, one of the SLU faculty members assisting with the project, built a similar satellite as a part of a similar program and the experience led him to get similar work going at Parks College.

“The most important task [of the satellite building team] is to get something up … but you don’t want to sacrifice the mission in the long run,” Swartwout said.

The COPPER mission has

Continued from Page 1

Minghao Gao / Staff Photographer

Parks students are currently building a satellite to be launched to outer space. The satellite, Close Orbit Propellant Plume and Elemental Recognition (COPPER), is part of NASA’s CubeSat Initiative and will be launched in the spring. been around for three years, but as a CubeSat they are barely a year into the concept.

“We haven’t hit any crisis moments yet,” Swartwout said. “But there’s a slow burn panic of having to be done by December.

The main problem the team faces, according to Swartwout, is of trying to get COPPER heavy enough to “punch through the atmosphere … volume is constrained, so that is the biggest problem.”

If the device is too heavy, it would not meet NASA specifications, too light and it would have trouble maintaining the orbit it needs.

In the end, though, Swartwout said, “The whole point is to teach students how to build spacecraft.”

Krishnaswamy Ravindra, the dean of Parks College, said he agrees, and that in a year or two – “more like 2013,” – the College plans to introduce more courses related to space, theoretical as well as hands on experiential learning.

There has even been some talk about an astronautics track according to Ravindra.

He adds that the COPPER project raised a lot of interest across disciplines, especially considering how this is SLU’s first space launch.

“We are all really anxious, proud, eagerly looking forward to it,” Ravindra said.

Gene Kranz agrees, and said that “getting into the satellite business is marvelous,” and “the key to our future as

nation relies on our ability to produce cutting edge technology.”

The mission will launch in the spring of 2012 (either March or April) and the satellite will pass over St. Louis roughly once every 90 minutes. It is too small to be seen from the ground, but it will be producing a radio signal that could be picked up if with the right equipment.

The students working on the project will be controlling the satellite, as well as downloading images using a beacon on campus and as part of a network of ground stations across the country.

Both Massey and Barna said they were planning to see the launch. “We’ll find a way,” they said.

First-year students beat the heat during 2011 move-in

Shah (Yuqing Xia) /Photo Editor

Incoming freshman Keevyn Scholl, accompanied by her parents, moved into her residence hall on Wednesday, Aug. 24. More than 1,700 freshman begin their classes on Monday, Aug. 29. Oriflamme members were spread around campus to assist students as they moved in.

Wellness: University offers students healthy options Continued from Page 1

“The best exercise is the “push away” method- the one which you push yourself away from the table”.

Billiken Dining Services has been promoting healthy eating through their “Balanced U” program. Students can choose a nutritionally balanced meal at every lunch and dinner. The menus are updated daily through social media platforms.

“The menus are updated through the Billiken Dining website and through Facebook everyday, so students can look before they come,” said Mary Dunn, Billiken Dining Services marketing director.

On the Billiken Dining Services website, students can also view menus, nutrition guides, and recipes tailored towards college students.

The website includes tools which calculates body mass index and resting metabolic rates, both of which can aid students in assessing their fitness. Furthermore, a nutrition journal is available to

track eating habits.

Billiken Dining Services resiBilliken Dining Services dent district manager. is also beginning a program Stress, lack of sleep, and called “Dining with Dan and drinking alcohol can all have Deena”. The program fea- adverse effects on students’ tures Dan health.

Connif f, “One of the executhe biggest tive chef concerns I for Billiken have about D i n i n g students is It comes down Ser vices, that they and Deena are skipto making smart B a r r y, ping meals the head especially choices. dietician, breakfast providing and that’s - Paul Taylor nutritional the worst and food meal of the preparation advice to stu- day to skip. You need to have dents. a healthy breakfast to do what “[Conniff] will cook in front you have to do during the day, of everyone and talk about like study” said Barry. what he’s cooking and give Although resources are tips, and [Barry] will jump in available to help students and provide nutritional infor- maintain healthy lifestyles, mation and they will both be when all is said and done, it available for questions,” said comes down to discipline.

Dunn.

“People sometimes have a Barry, whose office is in tendency to get in a rut and Griesdieck, is available to stu- eat the same thing such as dents for questions regarding hamburgers and French fries nutrition and diet. because they are so read“If anyone wants an an- ily available,” said Taylor. “It swer, they can stop in and ask comes down to making smart her directly,” said Paul Taylor, choices.”

“

3 Parking: Rates rise faculty and staff, as well to a small number of outside companies.

As the pay rate has increased across the board, a few lots have also changed designation.

According to Regan, some lots were treated as reserve lots, but did not have the pay designation.

In order to be fair, PCS changed the policy so that faculty and staff would have to pay a higher rate because of the placement of the lot on campus, as its exclusive right to park there is granted to a select few, Regan said.

“We have more than 50 students who work for us, but we welcome constructive criticism and new ideas,” Gioia said. “We feel the open-door policy is the best policy.”

Smith: Departure Leaves Void Continued from Page 1

Services, dealt with student crisis situations and helped to advise SGA. “Dean Smith was a very good moderator and personal mentor for our organization’s leadership,” SGA President Matt Ryan said. “He dedicated much time and energy to helping student government association better campus life for students. He will be missed.”

Despite the vacancy, Porterfield said he does not foresee any major changes to the Division of Student Development or the role of the Dean of Students.

“We always look at [changes], but I’ve kept the job pretty intact,” Porterfield said.

“Since Scott was made Dean, we made changes in terms of duties and functions to the role when we reorganized the division. When I looked at the position this time, I felt I didn’t see anything we could really unbundle from it.”

Once the position opening is posted, Student Development said it hopes to start a national search for candidates and start interviews around October or November.

Porterfield said that the administration is looking for someone not only with the basic skills and credentials, but also someone who can embrace Jesuit mission and values of the University.

Student Development said it plans to extend an offer for the position by the beginning of spring semester.

Union: Building unites campuses Continued from Page 1

”

Noah Berman / Foreign Desk Chief

The Simon Recreation Center offers programs and amenities to assist students in their pursuit of healthy living.

Sciences Campus. The first shuttle travels from the BSC to the Health Science Campus and makes stops along the way. This shuttle has been used by students traveling between the two campuses since the beginning of the Grand Bridge construction.

The second shuttle is an express shuttle, stopping only at the BSC and the Health Sciences Campus.

“I have heard people being very positive about the availability and reliability of the shuttles and I think it has been a real plus,” Alderson said.

In addition to the two shuttles, a third will begin running at the start of the fall semester. Mainly for intramurals, this shuttle runs later at night, transporting students from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“I think that we will be transporting people with a fair amount of convenience and people will learn to enjoy that,” Alderson said.

The University News

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

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Balance and a warm atmosphere will help students in long run You may have gotten here driving, you may have been dropped off and your parents may still be sticking around to make sure you settle in. You may have flown here, taken the train, a bus. Whatever you rode to get here, welcome.

You may be missing your family, your old friends and your old abode. You may not eat a home-cooked meal for a while to come. So whatever it cost you to get here, the University welcomes you warmly.

If you are missing your mother, The University News hereby assumes a motherly air to give you a few pointers.

Often, the “college student” title overwhelms the bearer with burdens of choosing a major, picking the classes and figuring out good study habits. While focusing on being students, all other needs related to being young adults often take the back seat. This is the part of ever y student that usually gets left at home. It includes continuing to eat healthy, exercise regularly and get enough sleep, among other things.

But keep in mind that these things are a necessar y part of being a college student.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least two-and-

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See Page 1.

“

As the student government, we want to set pathways for success and empower our fellow students to reach their goals.

- Matt Ryan, junior in the School of Public Health

”

See Page 2.

a-half hours of daily exercise for an adult.

Upon entering college, many students can no longer afford to participate in team sports and may miss the luxur y of exercising regularly with a team. To remedy this, it is important to plan to engage in healthy habits with friends by making healthy meal choices and exercising together.

The flip side of being active is, of course, getting adequate rest. Unfortunately, coffee and energy drinks become a sort of trend in college study groups, when in fact they are detrimental to the productivity of students in the long run. They disturb the normal sleep cycle, causing students to continuously reduce their sleep time. This can be dangerous, particularly if it is combined with the general anxiety that comes with adapting to a big school.

If the college experience is in any way over whelming, do not forget that the University offers many resources to help manage it, including personal and career counseling, an excellent fitness center and study and tutoring aids.

As you walk the campus, don’t forget that SLU welcomes you warmly to your second home.

SGA must remember whom they represent

“

Grab a bunch of friends and go have a good time.

- Christi Thieben, senior in the Doisy College of Health Sciences

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See Page 7.

“

I wish I could go to school here.

I’ve been showing the building to friends in town, and it’s just inspiring.

- Diane Gray, mother of a Grand Center Arts Academy student

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See Page 8.

As students move into their dorms and apartments, the Student Government Association executive board members will be taking the seats as student representatives. Last spring, they earned their current seats by campaigning as the Building Bridges ticket. Their yellow construction hats and safety-orange shirts seemed to have convinced the students that they had indeed rolled up their sleeves to build some bridges connecting the students to each other and to the administration.

Really? The student government is promising, yet again, to connect students to the administration. What else is new?

Building Bridges promised a smooth channel of communication between the student body and the administration.

Maybe the fact that this executive board has managed to visually represent its primar y duty, it is more believable that they will live up to it. A visual representation, however, is only the beginning of understanding SGA’s critical role.

“

Don’t forget that even though SGA has administrative power, they are of the students, and an advocate for the students. It is their job to take student initiatives and bring them up to the administration, making sure that the University is a safe and healthy environment for the students.

Senate must remember that, often, the students know best the problems they face and the needs they have, so they should keep in regular check with them.

And students must be continuously critical of the leaders they voted into power, keeping expectations high, as the new executive board takes office.

Building Bridges began its campaign in flash mobs out on the floors of the quad in the cold of Februar y. The candidates intermingled with the student body, and that is the level of devotion students will expect from their year in office. They may not care as much for the ambitious promises SGA makes, as they do for a fist bump in the quad and someone to lend an ear to their grievances.

Students must be continuously critical of the leaders they voted into power, keeping expectations high.

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You can participate whether you’re on the court, in the stands, in the band or as a student worker at games.

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- Chris May, Athletic Director

See Page 9.

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The student section at all games is a vital part of the college basketball experience and our team’s success.

- Dwayne Evans, men’s basketball player

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See Page 11.

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

These are their opinions on Del Taco.

(132 votes total) What do you think should happen to the Del Taco building on South Grand?

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

Blogs, additional commentaries and activities such as our web poll are all available on our website: unewsonline.com.

42%

Demolish the building and put in something new

30%

Keep the building but put in something new

23%

Leave it as is, I like my 3 a.m. tacos I am just focused on my classes at SLU, I don’t really care

5% 0

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60

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Opinion

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

U.S. needs global assistance with the debt ceiling crisis The European Union has had ongoing talks about Greece’s debt crisis. The United Nations has had numerous conferences and Commentary summits on the global economic cancer that has dragged growth down in 2011.

One can only wonder why the United States has decided to deal with its debt Priya Sirohi crisis alone.

The U.S. is dependent right now on a group of lawmakers that are willing to tank the economy to gain political capital in the upcoming 2012 elections. It has refused to ask other nations for advice or help. Instead, the country has left the mess to be sorted out by a deeply divided government. This is a problem.

The debt fiasco highlights this isolation. If the GOP can gain the upper hand on the debt deal, they can milk their “victory” for all its worth in 2012. In fact, according to Yahoo! News, “Sen. Jim DeMint sent an email to supporters through the Senate Conservatives Fund earlier [in July] attacking a fallback plan proposed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. At the bottom of the message, DeMint asked for support to help his group elect more conservatives to the Senate.”

Democrats are not any better.

Despite a majority in the Senate, they have refused to exhibit strong leadership and take control of the situation. They have devolved to disagreeing amongst themselves.

This endless bickering is strongly reminiscent of toddlers fighting over who can get the bigger slice of cake, all while the cake is burning in the oven. The debt crisis debate, politically, is solely focused on the United States. The country is drowning while attempting to outtalk and out-maneuver each other. In the process, it only swallows more water and sinks that much deeper.

Nowhere in this political juggernaut is the government

Parisa Rouie / Opinion Editor

trying to understand its decisions within a global perspective. It bears repeating. The U.S. government is trying to prevent a global catastrophe completely by itself. There is no country in the world that would even consider tackling this issue without consulting its neighbors.

For heaven’s sake – we’re in debt!

China has bought nearly $1 trillion of U.S. debt, according to The New York Times. This only takes the icing off of the $14 trillion of our total debt, which involves several other nations.

It automatically means that this problem is not simply about America.

It is about every country the U.S. has borrowed from and every country that borrows from it. The problem is also about every country that is in any way economically tied to us. This extends to every country.

Period.

So, the U.S. has a government that cannot agree within its own parties on a solution. Forget bipartisanship.

The U.S. thinks that, with its sadly broken pieces, it can reach an agreement that will allow it to improve its credit rating and prevent

a default on its debt. A default would mean that U.S. Treasury bonds, which other countries have agreed to take as collateral for the debt, will have no value. Other countries will then financially collapse, since the “money” the U.S. has been paying them with will be useless.

An agreement may or may not save the day from the scary economic monster, but the country is maimed in two legs and an arm. It seems we have hit a point where we have to ask for some help, or risk being unable to walk.

The European Union understood the basic idea of cooperation decades ago when it first began to form. An economic crisis in any one country within the Union is the business and priority of all other members. This is in direct recognition of the fact that economies are interdependent.

When an individual buys a car from a maker outside of one’s country, money reaches the hands of people on both sides of the border. Greece’s economic crisis, which began in the early 2000’s and exploded in 2009, has been the subject of talks by the EU since day one. They have agreed

on multi-billion-dollar packages intended to stimulate Greece’s economy, as well as austerity measures, thus slashing welfare benefits and public sector jobs, according to The New York Times.

While Greece is still struggling to regain a foothold in the slippery economy of the world, it can rely on its neighbors for support.

The U.S. is not incapable of cooperation. There is hope that before November, the country could have time to host a summit on the economic impacts of raising the debt ceiling. Major players in the current debt crisis would participate and a solution can be reached internationally.

As a part of an interconnected world, the U.S. has to stop thinking that problems end at the borders and see the strings that attach it to the citizens in Greece. Help and rescue from others is exactly what America needs right now, only if it can reach out over the waters and someone sees its open, willing hand.

Priya Sirohi is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Rebel forces in Libya will pressure the nation into limbo The Arab Spring is the phrase does not have authority in Russia used to describe the revolts in Arab and the International Criminal Court nations, starting with Egypt and now Tribunals do not apply to the people continuing with of Russia, leaving Qaddafi very safe the Libyan revo- from those seeking justice. But who Commentary lution in the spot- will take over if Qaddafi surrenders light. News on or seeks asylum? the Arab Spring The Transitional National Council clogged chan- (TNC) is currently the commanding nels just months authority of the Rebel forces in ago with con- Libya. If Qaddafi leaves, they would tinuous reports most likely take control of the nation. of their prog- The TNC has been very successful ress. However, in maintaining the fight against updates on the Qaddafi, but are they organized and Stewart Heatwole revolutions took powerful enough to take control of a back seat while an already-faltering nation? the U.S. dealt The TNC has widespread support with the debt ceiling crisis. in its objectives to relieve Colonel News of Libya, in particular, has Qaddafi of his post, as seen by the resurfaced after its brief interim be- large rebel forces and the two-faced cause, while Americans continued nature of the Qaddafi supporters. to bicker with each other about the In addition, the TNC is run by very debt ceiling, the rebels in Libya were intelligent individuals, making its still fighting for their freedom. success more promising. However, By the end of this past February, the challenges against the TNC the rebels had reported control of 80 might prove to be too daunting. percent of Libya’s oil supply.

First, Libya will face the real danAccording to David Kirkpatrick, gers if Qaddafi is overthrown. The a reporter for the New York past few decades have shown how Times, “oil is the life blood of the bad things could get when a rebel economy; whoever controls the oil group overthrows an established tyrresources is in anny. One a commanding could name position to situations decide the like that of future of the Iraq, where The past few decades country.” rebels took So, while evhave shown how bad over after idence would fall of things could get when a the lead one to beSaddam lieve that the Hussein, rebel group overthrows conflict would and bands an established tyranny. end soon, of looters with the shift roamed the of control of cities, rethe economy, sulting in things turned out otherwise. overall chaos. Somalia could also be When Qaddafi’s head of considered, where anarchy ensued intelligence defected to England after a revolution. Outcomes like on March 30, many predicted that these are very real for Libya’s future Qaddafi would end the conflict in and will need to be considered by one way or another. He had little the TNC if power was handed over. to no control of the economy and But the most daunting hurdle is his top officials were defecting, and the lack of continuity between tribes. this would be where any sane leader Even now the TNC does not would hand over the torch, but not effectively represent the rebels Colonel Qaddafi. Until on Aug. 22, from the eastern part of Libya the rebel forces took the capital of and especially the views of the Tripoli.

Tripolitans. The potential challenges At this point, one question and a lack of good representation arises: What will Qaddafi do? Will could lead to situations far from he choose to be a martyr or seek favorable for the Libyan people and asylum? Martyrdom is not an option their dreams of freedom. for Qaddafi, because he is known This is all merely speculation, as a family man. As strange as that seeing that Qaddafi has proven might sound, Qaddafi is a father and a knack for defining all odds and cares for his children, despite his maintaining power. At this point, egregious neglect of the nation he is there is no knowing whether the supposed to father.

Libyan people will acheive the Just where the Colonel will seek freedom they so adamantly desire. asylum, if he seeks it at all, has been If that freedom is granted, time will a topic of much debate throughout only tell what will become of their the Libyan conflict, but particularly tumultuous North African state. now that Tripoli has been captured.

The most recent, and most Stewart Heatwole is a sophomore probable destination is Russia. The in the College of Education and United Nations Security Council Public Service.

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Mauriel Blakeley / Chief Illustrator

Faltering economy may have a promising future for students As students, we have the perfect schedule. We go to class at whatever hours we pick and choose. We may not have class on Monday or Commentary Friday, which gives us a three to four day weekend every week.

We have the perfect life. We always have a friend to hang out with or a party or Kaylin Ielase a concert or a game to attend.

We can stay up late and sleep in without anyone telling us to get out of bed or do our homework, although, it would probably be in our best interest to do both.

So what is making the perfect life of the student something less than perfect?

The economy.

This economy – well, there is really no way to sugar coat it – it’s the pits. From making it difficult to get the loans we need to requiring us to take out more loans than ever before, it is making what would be a perfect life a little more flawed.

According to USA Today, the average student is cutting back their spending on “apparel, electronics, dorm furnishings and food items this year” and plans to spend an average of $808.71 instead of last year’s $835.73.

However, the expense of many back-to-school items is unnecessary and, therefore, this number can be shaved back even more.

The best advice for incoming freshman is to talk to a student you know and ask them what the average student usually needs. Resist the urge to overbuy and see through the tempting marketing ploys.

With so many budget cuts and the like, many scholarships have also been cut or divvied up into smaller amounts in an attempt to help more students. This, however, has created problems for those who had counted

on that money to help make ends meet when it came time to pay our tuition. Not to mention, worrying about being able to pay that tuition so that students can even attend the college or university of choice, let alone purchase the supplies needed for our education has added to the stress.

On the other hand, the less-thanideal economy has also driven many students to further their education in order to obtain their master’s, and to stay out of the workforce a while longer. Let’s face it; a dream job may or may not be waiting for students on the other side of graduation. That is the cold, hard truth.

This is the world every student is looking at and, for some, that future is not too far away and it is a very scary place to be entering.

The economy is not at its highest or proudest moment in history. Fact.

The economy is not at its ideal peak for a graduating students to enter into the workforce. Fact.

Here are a couple things some may not have thought of which will bring us some hope: Maybe one of those graduates will see a way out of the state in which we are currently living. If not, our future cannot be quite so bleak when so many of America’s youth are furthering their education far past the point of their ancestors.

And they are doing it in mass quantities.

They are some of the brightest minds of their generation and their future. Maybe then one of them will take a gander at our predicament and bring a fresh perspective or strategy to the plate. So perhaps there is something good to say about this economy. It is pushing us to better ourselves in ways we may not have otherwise done.

It may be the pits, and it may be making our lives slightly less perfect than we always imagined they should be, but it will not always be this way.

Kaylin Ielase is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

SGA needs to have better communication with students The Student Government Association (SGA) is the ultimate representative of the student body. It is the umbrella organization for Commentary all Chartered Student Organizations (CSOs).

Having such demanding representative duties, it is all too crucial for SGA to let its voice be heard on camFederico Garcia Lorca pus, to go out and make sure its constituents (all students) are well-informed about its initiatives.

What is even more important is SGA’s role in absorbing the concerns and proposals of all students and translating them into effective pressure toward the University administrators. Sometimes it is easier to follow the general trend of how the administration deals with issues and to adjust SGA’s plans to those the University is already foreseeing, transforming SGA in a mere spectator. It is important to point out that there is a fine line between what a senator is deciding out of his or her personal opinion and what comes from pursuing the best for everybody.

The SGA Senate must keep in contact with its constituents. Simple things like holding weekly round tables or placing a suggestions box in every residence hall and college could help.

Senators also have access to the email list of their entire constituency, which they can use to very easily establish a two-way communication channel. For example, this allows the Flats senator to send emails out to all students living at the Flats.

Speaking of which, the executive board of SGA will have to start working hard from the first day to keep up with their electoral commitments.

A week before classes start, the SGA website and Twitter account are completely empty of content. This is not a good sign if we remember their claims for SGA transparency and senate’s accountability. An updated website with structured content and good advertisement would give credibility to SGA, while a Twitter account where all senators could post meeting times and events and propose ideas would help to engage students more effectively.

Maybe the problem is that the SGA elections always sneak out of the blue. Nobody really knows how or when they happen, but suddenly the campus explodes and candidates start appearing everywhere. Even senators find themselves completely lost in the process, oblivious of such an important event, its mechanisms, dates and procedures.

Elections born inside SGA and led

by SGA veterans is not necessarily the secret formula of success. All students should have equal chance of running for the executive board, if they feel they have the experience.

To keep elections so hermetic will most likely hurt SGA not only from an administrative perspective but also towards] all those students who are expecting SGA to be their representative body.

Keeping open as many communication mediums as possible at an administrative level also gives a strong image to SGA. Although senators have several tools to get in touch with students, information coming “from above” presents a unified front. This is something that can be extremely beneficial for SGA to reinforce their integrity as a group, as opposed to students with personal agendas and an executive board rushing through the year. Not to mention senators should communicate their particular affairs with those whom they represent, while upper-level communications should be more of an informational resource for anybody on campus who wants to know what SGA is working on, like the reforms for the Pius XII Memorial Library or the future of the Bauman–Eberhardt Center.

What does SGA really stand for?

It has the potential to become the greatest student organization on campus and to gather thousands of students with a single call. In order to achieve this, however, it will have to prove that its priority is the students, not the administrators.

When the administration sees SGA truly backed by the students, then SGA will hold the power to really negotiate and push forward student initiatives. Fluid and continuous communication with all students through committed senators who are not afraid to listen or to be heard, making sure that all students feel and see their contribution to SGA could prove to be the most successful strategy for SGA in recent years.

Federico Garcia Lorca is a senior in the Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.

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SAB lands Lupe Fiasco for concert Rap artist will headline fall homecoming at Chaifetz Arena

By TJ KEELEY Associate Arts Editor

Welcome Week Activities Saturday, August 27 After the soccer game 1 a.m.

So You Think You Can Dance...Off Simon Rec Center Free pizza!

Sunday, August 28 1 p.m.

Fine and Performing Arts Ice Cream Social Outside Xavier Hall 6-8:30 p.m.

Theatre Auditions and Technical Interviews Xavier Hall

Talk to us: Erin Everett 314.977.2812 arts@unewsonline.com

A new sound will fill the Chaifetz Arena at this fall’s homecoming concert. Instead of the tunes of alternative rock that characterized the concerts in years past, the beats and rhymes of a popular rapper will blast from the stage when Lupe Fiasco takes the spotlight.

Student Activities Board announced on Tuesday that the rap artist will headline this year’s homecoming concert.

Lupe Fiasco gained popularity in the rap music scene with the release of his first album, “Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor,” in 2006.

The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, the first of the artist’s seven total nominations.

On his second album, “The Cool,” Lupe Fiasco produced more personal and topical music. The track “Gotta Eat” addresses the omnipresence of fast food in black neighborhoods and how it leads to diabetes. The artist’s father died of the disease years before. The rapper remixed Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” to produce “Muhammad Walks” and “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” to produce “Conflict

Diamonds.” His popular “The Show Goes On” is a remix of Modest Mouse’s “Float On.” More recently, Lupe Fiasco started two clothing lines, “Righteous Kung-Fu”, and “Trilly & Truly,” won a Grammy for Best Urban and Alternative Performance for “Daydreamin’” with Jill Scott, and started writing a novel titled “Reflections of a Window Washer.”

The Chicago native now resides in Brooklyn, N.Y., but has not lost ties to his hometown of Chicago. During the month of August, Lupe Fiasco is working with local churches to feed 100 Chicagoans every day in observance of Ramadan. In another philanthropic effort, the rapper recorded a single entitled “Resurrection” for the 2010 Haiti earthquake benefit record Music for Relief.

Between stops at Florida International University and Purdue University, Lupe Fiasco will stop at Saint Louis University on his summer tour.

“It was especially hard to get an artist that’s currently on the radio,” Christi Thieben, president of SAB, said.

In addition, the price to bring Lupe Fiasco to the Chaifetz Arena has risen since his most recent

album, “Lasers”, hit shelves in March of this year.

Thieben said she was ready for a change from previous homecoming concerts.

“We were going for a different type of artist from alternative rock,” Thieben said.

The process of selecting the concert artist received an overhaul this year, too. SAB formed a “music advisory board, consisting of 12 students representing a large range of students,” Thieben said.

SAB sent out applications to many student organizations to form the music advisory board, which met with SAB and General Manager of the Chaifetz Arena Jim Wynkoop, to plan the event.

The committee considered “who’s hot right now,” while making a list of possible performers, Thieben said. Lupe Fiasco was suggested simultaneously by the music advisory board and SAB, so SAB “pushed harder for him this year” after considering him for Spring Fever last year, Thieben said.

After booking Lupe Fiasco, the Chaifetz Arena staff suggested See “Fiasco” on Page 8

Courtesy of Drflet at en.wikipedia

Grammy award-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco performing on his summer tour.

Monday, August 29 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Theatre Auditions and Technical Interviews Xavier Hall 8 p.m.

Jay Pharaoh Performs Stand-Up Comedy Wool Ballroom in BSC Wednesday, August 31 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

SLU Fair The Quad (Rain LocationSimon Rec Center) Come get invovled in clubs 5 p.m.-6 p.m.

Expect Respect: Speaker Katie Koestner Wool Ballroom in BSC 9 p.m.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides The Quad (Rain Location: Wool Ballroom in BSC) Additional information

OTHER Friday, August 26 Midnight “Casablanca” and “Pink Floyd: The Wall” The Tivoli Tickets are $6 Saturday, August 27 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Festival of Nations Tower Grove Park Free admission Noon-10 p.m.

LouFest Forest Park Sunday, August 28 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Festival of Nations Tower Grove Park Free admission Noon-10 p.m.

LouFest Forest Park Tuesday, August 30 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. music War on Drugs w/Caveman

Biliken Club in BSC Free admission, all ages

SLU-sponsored arts school gets a new home

Festival of Nations Grand Center Arts Academy celebrates project completion returns to

By ERIN EVERETT Tower Grove Arts Editor

Nearly a week before the first day of school, parents, teachers and students crowded outside the front entrance to Grand Center Arts Academy (GCAA) to celebrate the opening of the charter school’s new building. Blue, white, orange and silver balloons blew in the morning breeze on Wednesday, Aug. 17 at the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for GCAA’s state-of-the-art facility. The project, which began in May of 2009, has spent two years in the making, finally opening its permanent doors this fall.

Developers Steve Smith and Joseph Cyr of the Lawrence Group and GCAA Principal Lynne Glickert said they have faced difficulties concerning the new school’s construction. Faced with the remains of a four-level parking garage on 711 North Grand Ave., once the Carter Carburetor complex, Smith and his team rebuilt the west side of the Beaux Arts building entirely. The new two-building complex includes 16 different levels, 100,000 square feet and seven floors of classroom and studio space.

“As a developer, we’ve done a lot of different things,” said Cyr. “But this was a unique project and a unique educational endeavor. At the same time, we were preserving a 90-year-old building. We were faced with the question: How do you turn a parking garage into a bunch of classrooms?”

A group of smiling students held several feet of silky yellow ribbon as Glickert, Schoemehl, Smith and others addressed GCAA supporters. Glickert cut into the ribbon amongst loud cheering and the flash of many photographs, signaling the beginning of a new era at GCAA. “This building is a perfect example of how communities get rebuilt,” said Grand Center President and Chief Executive Officer Vince Schoemehl, during Wednesday’s proceedings.

GCAA opened in fall of 2010 to sixth and seventh graders, and will add a grade each subsequent year through grade 12 in 2015. Enrollment will be capped at that time at 750 students. In addition to providing a rigorous academic program, including science, math, social studies English and visual art, the school offers world-

By KATHRYN GRUNDY Staff Writer

Top: On Aug. 17, GCAA Principal Lynne Glickert cuts the ribbon, officially opening the new school building on Grand Blvd.

Right: Parents raise their hands to show support for the school. class training in music, including stringed instruments, vocals, theater and dance.

Currently, 350 middle school students attend GCAA. The school, sponsored by Saint Louis University, is tuition-free.

While anxiously awaiting the completion of their new Midtown location, GCAA held its classes in a shared space offered by the Third Baptist Church across the street.

Students are adjusting to the move.

“It was a little confusing.” student Abi Gray said. “There were places we couldn’t go [in the building] close to our classes.”

After the ribbon cutting and dedication, students and parents led clusters of visitors around their new stomping grounds. Construction is ongoing, but the former parking garage was quickly being prepared for Aug. 22, the first day of school.

The familiar smell of a new building was pungent and walls freshly adorned with colorful paint, as teachers began to move guitars, desks and posters into bare class-

Photos by: Allison Smith / Staff Photographer

rooms. A walk to the north and south cafeterias included ornately decorated ceilings and shiny marble floors, with giant windows looking into the heart of Grand Center and Grand Avenue.

GCAA is the first and only performing and visual arts charter school in the state of Missouri, and receives sponsorship for their charter from SLU. This charter was

approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MODESE) in 2008. As sponsor, SLU closely monitors academic performance, including standardized test scores, classroom performance, finance, management and compliance with MODESE See “GCAA” on Page 8

The 12th annual Festival of Nations, held on Aug. 27 and 28 in Tower Grove Park, will feature music, traditional dance, folk arts and crafts, an international market with handmade gifts and a variety of ethnic foods.

This festival celebrates more than 90 years of history. Produced by the International Institute of St. Louis, the Festival of Nations finds its origins in the International May Festival, held in 1920 by the same organization.

“Since we began 90 plus years ago, we’ve been having festivals, and, aside from the sharing opportunities it provides, we think this festival is an important part of helping different cultures preserve their traditions,” Kate Howell, assistant director of the Festival of Nations, said.

In 2011, Festival of Nations is expanding to reach new members of the community.

Last year’s festival represented 81 ethnicities and drew 140,000 visitors, 40 percent of whom came to the festival for the first time. The 2011 Festival of Nations will represent more than 100 ethnicities, and the International Institute of St. Louis said hopes are high for an even better turnout this year.

New to 2011 will be a headline performance troupe from New York City called Cobu.

The nationally acclaimed dance troupe merges old and new traditions by fusing Japanese Taiko drumming and tap dance. Cobu will offer a workshop after a daily 2 p.m. performance.

Howell recommended another new group, the Tibetan Buddhist Monks of the Drepung Gomang Monastery.

The monks are making a stop at the festival during a tour of the United States to perform Tibetan Buddhist chanting and to provide a workshop in yak butter sculpture.

As in past years, the many forms of cultural expression at the Festival of Nations are grouped into sections.

Visitors can find the Village Green program for free dance lessons from festival artists and test their skills in everything from Middle Eastern belly dancing to traditional Irish dancing. Also notable, the International Food Court includes more than 40 ethnic food booths, featuring dishes such as Afghan sambosa, Cuban empanadas, Bosnian baklava and more.

According to Howell, the Festival of Nations is not a fundraiser, but a program.

“We do it purely for the outreach—to encourage people to learn about culture and See “Festival” on Page 8

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Stay reel late at the Tivoli Theatre shows cult films during midnight screenings

By TJ KEELEY Associate Arts Editor

A few years ago, the Tivoli Theatre in the Delmar Loop started a summer tradition of midnight screenings of popular films. The films shown, however, were not new releases, nor were they necessarily box office successes.

No, they were cult classics, like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and films that drew an audience with their reputation for being notoriously awful, like Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room.”

This fall, the Tivoli has decided to extend Reel Late at the Tivoli for a couple more months.

For just $6, moviegoers can attend the film-watching events, which might include an assault of plastic spoons in mockery of “The Room.”

Here is a preview of some of the classic (and not-so-classic) films in the line-up: “Casablanca” – Aug. 19 & 20, 26 & 27 It is difficult to say anything about this 1942 Humphrey Bogart classic that has not been said before. “Casablanca” is one of the all-time great films, winning the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay in 1944. Co-starring Claude Raines and Ingrid Berman, “Casablanca” is sure to appear on any list of greatest American film. A touching and funny romance, “Casablanca” is worth a look, especially for those who have never seen it before. “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”

“Pink Floyd: The Wall” – Aug. 26 & 27, Sept. 2 & 3.

Written by Roger Waters and based on the Pink Floyd album by the same name, this musical drama won two British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs) film awards and gained cult status through its soundtrack. The film chronicles a troubled rock star and his decent into madness, and is one classic rock fans cannot miss.

hood around the park from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Admission and entertainment are free.

Tower Grove Park is located on Grand Ave. approximately three miles south of the Frost Campus.

For more information on the performance schedule and booth locations, visit festivalofnationsstl.org or download the newly available Festival iPhone App.

Fiasco: Concert at Arena

“The Room” – Sept. 9 & 10.

A mainstay at Reel Late at the Tivoli, this nightmare of a film written, directed, produced and starring the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau, is self-described as “a drama with the passion of Tennessee Williams.” Actually, some might call it the worst film ever made. It is so bad that it is funny, and many filmgoers return for more giddy fun. Interested parties should attend “The Room” armed with plastic spoons to hurl in the air after each of the many appearances of spoons in the film.

“The Princess Bride” – Sept. 23 & 24, 30 & Oct 1.

Another call back to the 1980s, “The Princess Bride” is a delightful epic romance.

Magical and swashbuckling, this comedy follows Westley on his quest for Princess Buttercup, his true love. Co-starring Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn and Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner’s comedy is instantly quotable. Did you ever wonder where “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my

Continued from Page 7

preserve their own cultures,” she said.

Howell said that the aspiration to share culture is manifest in all of the festival’s offerings.

Festivalgoers have the opportunity to interact with others’ cultural traditions, while also celebrating their own.

The four stages will open at 11 a.m. on both August 27 and 28, with a shuttle service operating in the neighbor-

“The NeverEnding Story” – Sept. 2 & 3, 9 & 10 Through the pages of his bedtime story book, a little boy is transported into a fantasy world. Magical adventures ensue. “The NeverEnding Story,” directed by Wolfgang Petersen (“Poseidon,” “The Perfect Storm,” “Troy”), is one of those trippy 1980s films that haunt the childhood memories of twenty-tothirty somethings. Tune in for a dose of childhood terror, or some good old-fashioned nostalgia.

“Aliens” – Sept. 16 & 17, 23 & 24.

James Cameron’s sequel to Ridley Scott’s “Alien” finds Sigourney Weaver fighting the outer space monsters once again, this time with the help of an over-the-top Bill Paxton (“Big Love,” “Twister”). Exciting, thrilling and gory, “Aliens” qualifies as one sequel that might be better than the original.

Festival: New cultures represented

Continued from Page 7

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

The Tivoli Theatre in the Delmar Loop hosted a series of midnight screenings on weekends throughout the summer. father. Prepare to die,” came from? Or why people might say “inconceivable” with a lateral sibilance? Now you will.

“Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil” – Sept. 30 & Oct. 1, 7 & 8.

The Tivoli screening is the St. Louis premiere for this genre mash-up film. When Tucker and Dale vacation in their cabin in the woods, they are suddenly attacked by a group of over-sexed teenagers. This comedy pulls the rug out on horror films and promises to be “a perfect love story…with a high body count.” Alan Tudyk (“Death at a Funeral,” “Dodgeball”) and Katrina Bowden (“30 Rock”) star in this film.

“The Human Centipede II: The Full Sequence” – Oct. 7 & 8, 14 & 15.

Following the horror shock-fest of the first film (“The Human Centipede: The First Sequence”), this is the second film in British director Tom Six’s trilogy about psychopaths who join humans together to create a human centipede. While the first film, unrated and disgusting, was more atmospherically disturbing than downright assaulting, the second film has been banned by the UK Film Board, and the Tivoli will not let anyone under the age of 18 in. Viewers beware, this film is not for the weak stomached.

getting the New Boyz to open for the rapper.

Thieben said she believes the board members “came away with a good grasp of what it’s like to book a concert at SLU.” “Students should be proud that we’re having this,” Thieben said. “Grab a bunch of friends and go have a good time.

We are doing something that’s really geared towards them.”

While she has never heard of Lupe Fiasco, freshman Amy Carls said she “would probably go anyway,” heed-

ing Thieben’s advice, because she said she is a fan of pop music.

The concert is free, but interested students still need to obtain tickets in order to attend.

Tickets can be picked up at the Student Involvement Center, and SAB said it plans to have them available as soon as Monday, Aug. 29.

Students can also acquire tickets at upcoming SAB events.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 in Chaifetz Arena.

For more information about the event, students can visit http://sab.slu.edu/

GCAA: School relocates Continued from Page 7

regulations.

“I come from a family of artists, but, as a parent, I really watch the academic curriculum,” Diane Gray, whose daughter Abi attends GCAA, said.

“This school has done an excellent job encompassing all areas of study.”

Students at GCAA are enrolled in core arts classes, including visual arts, music, theater,and dance, until subspecialization and specialization begin in their high school years.

Academic curriculum is intended to be college preparatory, and will also offer Honors and Advanced Placement courses.

Abi said she is most excited about taking art and dance classes.

“I really like the new dance studio,” she siad.

“I wish I could go to school here,” said Gray. “I’ve been showing the building to friends in town, and it’s just inspiring.”

In a final moment at Wednesday’s celebration, Schoemehl said, “We will live to see this school produce some of the finest students in the area.”

The University News

Sports

Thursday, August 25, 2011

unewsonline.com

Tra

Billiken Briefs

Men’s hoops welcomes Whitesell aboard

By DERRICK NEUNER

Dust

Associate Sports Editor

off those

running shoes

Lace up your kicks for the third edition of the Billiken 5K Run and Walk. The Saint Louis University Cancer Center and Billiken Athletics invite you and your friends to join in on the fun.

The race starts Monday, Sept. 5 at 8 a.m.

For those looking to best last year’s time, chip timing will be available.

Cash prizes will be randomly awarded to SLU student participants Visit slubillikens.com for registration.

Sports

nut?

The Saint Louis University Department of Athletics is looking for enthusiastic SLU students who have a love for sports and want to help promote Billiken Athletics by joining its 2011-12 Billiken Street Team.

Members work roughly 20 hours per week and are able to receive internship credit through the University.

The ideal candidate should be organized, outgoing, professional, mature, self-starting and committed to the marketing and public relations industry.

Contact Amber Branson at abranson2@slu.edu to prepare you application.

Next time in The University News Women’s Soccer and Volleyball Preview

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

New assistant coach Jim Whitesell (left) directs practice alongside fellow assistant coach Chris Harriman during a pre-season workout at Chaifetz Arena.

dreams for the Class of 2015, both for the student-athletes and fans?

partment is spending a lot more time through social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. We’ve put on various promotions like feeding students at the games, doing premium or themed nights and we organized a student trip to a men’s basketball game at Xavier University in Cincinnati. We’re going to work hard to engage the student body, starting this Saturday night’s huge men’s soccer game against Northern Illinois.”

A:

Q:

By MICHAEL JOHNSON Sports Editor

In his fourth year as Athletic Director at Saint Louis University, Chris May said that he expects all students to play a role in strengthening the athletic community on campus in 2011 and beyond. The University News had a chance to catch up with the man calling the shots for SLU athletics.

Q: What are your hopes and

“As we invite a whole new class of freshman in, we wish they both engage with the program. I ntercollegiate athletics can bring a community together and help us celebrate the wonderful parts of Saint Louis University. We encourage freshman to participate in all parts of campus, but especially in athletics. You can participate whether you’re on the court, in the stands, in the band or as a student-worker at games. You can build a community, a real culture around the sporting events that improves the atmosphere on campus.”

Fee allows for students to attend men’s basketball games at no additional charge. Are there any other strategies to boost school spirit?

A:

“You’ll see a lot of aggressive marketing efforts. The athletic de-

R

When Porter Moser left the Saint Louis University Billikens last April, head coach Rick Majerus was left with a critical decision: on the heels of what looks to be a promising season for his squad, who best would serve the team as a teacher and best serve the staff as a leader? Majerus took his time, and earlier this summer, found his man in Jim Whitesell.

Majerus, known for his tough man-to-man defense and quick ball movement, said in his announcement of Whitesell that “Jim’s teams have always impressed me as being fundamentally well-

coached ... Jim has a love affair with the game, and his passion will coincide well with that of our players.”

“Coach Majerus is one of the best teachers of the game in the country, and I am thrilled to join him and this great coaching staff,” Whitesell said in a statement released by the school at the time of his hiring. “I am familiar with and strongly believe in the Jesuit education, and my wife, Connie, and I are extremely excited about being a part of the SLU community.”

What Majerus could not have expected is how quickly his new assistant would become a key member of his staff. On August 1, SLU’s head coach underwent a

heart procedure in Utah, and shortly after, his mother, Alyce, passed away at age 84.

Majerus was only able to attend two of the scheduled ten days of practice leading up to the Billikens’ summer trip to Canada, leaving Whitesell, along with fellow assistants Alex Jensen and Chris Harriman to run practice.

Needless to say, the Bills were in good hands. Whitesell, a 24-year head-coaching veteran, came to SLU after spending the previous seven seasons as head coach at Loyola Chicago, and holds a career record of 387-301 in those 24 seasons.

See “Whitesell” on Page 11

Athletic Director creating Billiken buzz

Q: The newly-passed Athletic BILLIKEN SCOREBOARD

Talk to us: Michael Johnson 314.977.2812 sports@unewsonline.com

The men’s basketball team is currently competing in Canada and Christy Connoyer, your head women’s softball coach, recently returned from a coaching gig with Team USA in Australia. How exciting is it to head up a department that spans the globe?

A: “It’s really encouraging, as the

athletic director, to have people traveling internationally and promoting not only athletics but the whole University. Clearly, SLU is internationally known. What’s amazing is you have people come back from their trips and say, ‘You’ll never guess we saw somebody here or there.’ There are Billiken fans all over the world.”

Q: How would you grade SLU’s presence locally in the St. Louis Metropolitan area?

Photo Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

A: “I think we have a great rela-

tionship with the city. People living St. Louis and the surrounding communities have a long connection with Saint Louis University. We have been educating people for a long time here, and the support that the University and this athletic program receives is wonderful. So many people are proud to be Billikens. Our marquee program, the men’s basketball team, has a wonderful radio agreement with ESPN Radio that gives us great reach, and we have had good television exposure, as well.”

May and rest of the athletic department anticipate the annual onslaught of freshman support as the men’s soccer game kicks off their season this Saturday at Robert R. Hermann against the Huskies of Northern Illinois at 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

L

2-0

vs. Louisville

Fresh faces re-charge volleyball

By TONY TRAINA Staff Writer

W

1-0

vs. SIUE

W

2-1

@ Evansville Women’s Soccer

L

2-1

@ Louisville

L

3-2

@ Austin Peay

W vs. Evansville

4-0

Team captain Alyssa Deno and her teammates could not be more excited to show how they have come together this preseason under their new coach, Kent Miller.

Coming off a 19-14 campaign last season, the Miller era is off and running for Saint Louis University volleyball.

Many questions have yet to be answered going into this weekend’s Hawkeye Challenge in Iowa City, Iowa, but both captain and coach have expressed optimism and anxiousness in finding answers.

“This is an important weekend for us,” Miller said.

“I’m just excited to get them going and get a chance to see what we’ll be like in a game situation” The Billikens have been working hard to adjust to the systematic and positional changes instituted by the new

Billiken Basketball runs wild in Canada

By DERRICK NEUNER Associate Sports Editor

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

Kent Miller looks to continue his winning ways during his time at SLU. coach, as well as welcoming new faces to the team-- including two freshmen, three transfers and two redshirts.

Going into the weekend, Miller said he has a few goals for the team.

“We want to be an aggres-

sive team, play hard on defense, and have a high work ethic,” he said.

Miller said he wants to focus on more than results, but that “these are certainly See “Fresh faces” on Page 11

The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team has found an international flavor as of late.

Two of its players, Cody Ellis and Rob Loe, are from Australia and New Zealand, respectively.

Emmanuel Tselentakis, a 6-feet, 4-inches tall guard from Greece, recently inked to play for SLU. The team currently is in the midst of a 10-day, five-game exhibition tour.

The tour, an international trip allowed by the NCAA once every four years, has allowed the Billikens to hold 10 days of practice more than two months before the regular season is set to begin.

The extra practice time is vital for a team that seems to be an early season favorite for the Atlantic 10 Conference

title.

As part of the exhibition tour, SLU plays four teams during their five-game tour.

Two of those games, against the University of Windsor, in Windsor, Ontario, and the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario, have already occurred. SLU is 2-0.

Following an off day Wednesday, the Bills face the University of Ottawa Thursday, Aug. 25. SLU plays the first of two tilts against Carleton University Friday, Aug. 26, and wraps up the trip Saturday, Aug. 27, against the Ravens.

According to assistant coach Jim Whitesell, the team will also partake in team building activities, such as visiting arcades and going white water rafting in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

See “Foreign flare” on Page 11

The University News

Sports

10

unewsonline.com

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Exhibition tilts pay dividends for men’s soccer Welcome

Week game stirs memories

Three exhibition matches prepare Billikens for rigorous season schedule August 22 SLU 2 – 1 Evansville

August 19 SLU 1 – 0 SIU-Edwardsville

It took two late game goals to complete a comefrom-behind victory for SLU earlier this week at Evansville.

After falling down 1-0 early in the second half, senior Mike Roach converted on a penalty kick in the 74th minute to tie the game up.

Just 10 minutes later, Roach placed a perfect pass to freshman striker Hansel Reyes who netted the game winner just inside the box.

Roach has been a team leader for the Bills since he returned from injury last season. The St. Louis native is crucial to the team’s ability to control the tempo and create offensive opportunities.

Reyes, a quick-footed freshman from Dallas, is expected to see significant playing time up front for the Billikens.

August 14 Louisville 2 – 0 SLU

Two juniors carried in the Billikens in their 1-0 victory over SIU Edwardsville last week at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.

Alex Sweetin netted the game’s only goal in the 74th minute, curving a free kick just to the left of SIUE keeper Scott Meyer.

After a foul by the Cougars, Sweetin took the free kick from straight in front of the goal, just outside the 18 yard box.

Sweetin was named a team captain last year as a sophomore, and continues his leadership role this year. He was tied for a team-high eight points last season.

Classmate Mark Pais had an impressive night in goal against SIUE. The keeper made a crucial save late in the second half, and will be a key to any Billiken success this season.

Even in a 2-0 loss to Louisville, SLU gained some much needed experience.

Louisville is the top-ranked team in the country and is coming off a 2010 season where they reached the NCAA National Championship final before losing to Akron University. Louisville retained nine of the starting 11 off of last year’s College Cup team, and returns this year as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team.

The experience was crucial for the Billikens because of the hauntingly difficult schedule they face, especially early in the season. SLU hosts defending national champion, Akron University, on Sept.

10, and also has matches against nationally-ranked Notre Dame, South Florida and Indiana.

Playing top-ranked Louisville will only help this team prepare for a tough season schedule.

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

Senior midfielder Mike Roach tallied one goal and one assist in pre-season play. The Billikens kick off their 2011 campaign at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27 at home against the Huskies of Northern Illinois Univeristy.

Drew wants to play for ‘legend’

Women’s soccer steamrolls in opener

By CHRIS ACKELS Managing Editor

By DERRICK NEUNER Asociate Sports Editor

The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team has received a verbal commitment from a 6 feet 6 inches small forward Jared Drew from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis.

Drew informed head coach Rick Majerus of his decision on Aug,. 21 after an unofficial visit on campus.

Drew is the first commitment of the 2012 recruiting class for SLU. He said he intends to sign his letter of intent in November at the start of the fall signing period.

“After visiting down there on Sunday, and sitting down with Coach Majerus and Coach Harriman, I just knew it was the place for me,” Drew said.

“Coach Majerus is a legend. He knows where the program is going and is all about getting me to be the best student-athlete I can be,” he added According to ESPN.com, he chose the Billikens over offers from Missouri State University and Creighton University, and was garnering serious interest from Boston College and Michigan.

It took less than two minutes for the Billikens women’s soccer team to get on the board in Sunday’s season opener against Evansville at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Aug. 21. From that point forward, the Bills would never look back, turning in an impressive 4-0 victory to start the season.

Sophomore Jenny Hummert tallied two goals in the match, continuing her offensive prowess from last season. As a freshman last year, Hummert started 18 of the team’s 19 games, and earned Offensive Most Valuable Player honors, as well as a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.

Hummert’s two goals were both assisted by freshman, a great sign for this young Billikens. Mallorie Owen found Hummert midway through the first half to earn her first collegiate assist. Late in the game, Julia Merlo assisted the Billikens’ fourth goal of the day.

Freshman Abbey Stock also scored in the match, netting SLU’s second goal in the 5th minute. Stock is a Missouri native and was a top level scorer for St. Joseph’s High

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

The women’s soccer team started out strong with a season-opening victory over Evansville, 4-0. The team now prepares for a pair of games in Milwaukee, Wisc.

School in Town & Country.

She will likely play a key role in SLU’s offense as well.

Any young team always needs some senior leadership. Jasmina Suljic, a senior midfielder who has worked with head coach Tim Champion for four years now, provided exactly that in the Bills first game.

Suljic was the first to get on the board, scoring off a pass from junior Alli Reimer just one minute and 16 seconds into the match.

“It was a good win for

us,” Champion said after the match. “We played well, and the best thing is we scored some goals… we were really able to put the ball in the net.”

Four goals is the most the women’s soccer team has scored in a single game since a 6-0 win over Arkansas State in 2003.

The offensive explosion is key for a team who scored just 11 goals in 19 matches last season.

“We moved the ball really well, and scored in the very first minute, which is a major

improvement,” senior midfielder Colleen Kustura said.

“We won the balls in the air, we were strong defensively and we put the balls in the net.”

Kustura is a key part of the midfield for the Bills. Champion said he praised her leadership and her ability to control game tempo after Sunday’s match.

The women now head to Milwaukee, Wisc., for two matches this weekend against Milwaukee-Wisconsin and nationally-ranked Marquette.

Maybe it’s just me.

Maybe it’s because I’m a sports fan, because I thrive on competition, or Commentary simply because I’m a guy.

Maybe it’s because of my floor, because even now, two years Chris Ackels later, the gentlemen of 4th floor Clemens are still my best friends.

Or maybe it’s because I needed a way to get all my energy out after Welcome Week.

But that night – the first soccer game of the year where freshman scream their lungs out for school pride and floor pride – that night I will always remember.

I remember the floor meeting, inventing cheers for a new school and feeling like I was really a part of something.

I remember walking to the game, past the green quad, across the busy Grand Avenue, and through the black steel arches.

I remember being there, screaming like crazy and getting to know the guys I’d be living with for the next nine months.

I remember not having a voice the next day.

The Welcome Week soccer game – held this year on Saturday evening at 7:00 when SLU takes on Northern Illinois – is quite possibly the highlight event of a freshman’s first week at SLU. Along with over 1500 classmates, it’s your first experience of Billiken pride and tradition.

Floors compete against each other in a cheering contest during the game, seeing who can make the moist noise and come up with the best cheers. And while you’re painted up and screaming like crazy for your new school, it’s a unique bonding experience with your floor mates.

I remember Steve’s body slathered with blue paint.

I remember Pat’s crazy chant.

And I remember Luke’s leadership and willingness to inclue everyone.

The bonding that took place in the bleachers at Robert R. Hermann Stadium was a foundation for the first nine months at my new home.

And this year, with a young team that includes six freshmen, the members of the Class of 2015 will have something extra to cheer about.

SLU’s soccer team is picked to finish second in the A-10, and the team has a goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament.

There’s no better way to start the season.

I don’t remember who the opponent was, who scored the goals or who which side went home with the W that night. But I remember the face paint, the “Billikens” chant, and the feeling.

The feeling that this – my team, my floor, my school – was something I could be proud of.

Who to

Who to

Who to

CHEER

JEER

FEAR

TODD HALEY

JIM IRSAY

PRINCE FIELDER

The Chiefs’ head coach showed his loyalty to his team by fulfilling his promise to go see Lil Wayne in concert in Kansas City. Haley made the promise after one of the rapper’s songs was used for a pre-game video last season. It is still to be determined whether or not Coach Rick Majerus will be attending the next Nelly concert in St. Louis.

The NFL owner tweeted that he was in Brett Favre’s hometown of Hattiesburg, Miss., creating speculation that the Colts might be interested in Favre while Peyton Manning’s health status is uncertain. By doing so, Isray combined two things that most people find annoying in relation to sports: Twitter and Brett Favre.

The first place Brewers are on fire, and Fielder is the leading NL MVP candidate. Even scarier then some of his other impressive statistics is the fact that, despite his uncanny resemblance to a giant teddy bear, he is leading the league in intentional walks, which begs the question: Has Fielder become more feared than Albert Pujols?

By JONATHAN AUPING

Sports

unewsonline.com

11

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Foreign Flare: Bills torch Canadian competition Whitesell: Continued from Page 9

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

When head coach Rick Majerus announced the trip in June, he handicapped the experience. “This is a great springboard into next season.

It will be an educational and cultural endeavor,” Majerus said. “The SLU Billikens are the beneficiaries of what figures to be a wonderful experience in life and on the court.”

So far, the spring board has been set in the Billikens’ favor.

On August 22, SLU overwhelmed the University of Windsor Lancers 98-57. Five Billikens finished in double figures, led by junior Kwamain Mitchell and sophomore Mike McCall, who put up 16 points apiece.

Mitchell was 6-of-10 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from long range, while McCall hit seven of his nine shots and both of his chances from

3-point range.

As a team, the Billikens shot 60 percent from the floor (36-60) and 3-point range (915). SLU nailed 17 of its 20 chances from the free-throw line.

SLU took control of the game midway through the first half with three straight buckets, two by McCall and one by Mitchell, to put SLU on top 19-8. A John Manning jumper and Jake Barnett trey at the 8:39 mark stretched the SLU advantage to 24-12.

A one-handed jam by Cory Remekun gave the Billikens a 10-point lead at 26-16, and the Bills did not lose that doubledigit margin the rest of the way.

The match-up against the University of Western Ontario on Tues., August 23, would play out similarly.

McCall led the Billikens with 16 points, while Mitchell scored 12. Barnett and Jett notched 11 points apiece.

As a team, the Billikens shot 52 percent from the floor.

Mitchell collected a teamhigh seven assists to just one turnover. Barnett and Loe led the team with five rebounds.

Ellis tallied a team-high five steals.

The Billikens quickly built a double-digit lead and took a 50-21 lead at halftime. SLU has scored more than 50 in the first half of each of the first two games on the exhibition swing.

That swing continues on Aug. 25, as SLU takes on the University of Ottawa, and Friday and Saturday’s games against Carleton University.

Tip-off for both games against the Ravens is set for 6 p.m. CST. The games can be streamed online through the official SLU athletics website, slubillikens.com.

The Billikens regular season will begin in November, with the full schedule announced in September.

Mike McCall and the rest of the men’s basketball team have taken their talents to all three countries in North America over the past nine months.

Fresh faces: radiate confidence Continued from Page 9

Competition this weekend will include the University of Iowa, Central Michigan University, and a solid Marquette University team that finished third in the Big East last year.

Miller certainly brings a pedigree of winning with him.

He played a key role as a part of the coaching staff that led the University of Illinois to a 50-15 record in his two seasons with the Illini. He also built the University of Toledo into a perennial contender in the Mid-American Conference over his 12-year tenure.

With his winning background come expectations, and the eagerness the team and coaches have about the season reflects this.

“It was frustrating waiting that long for a coach, but we know now that the wait was worth it,” Deno said.

While many questions remain unanswered, there is no doubt that the team returns talent from last season’s team, which finished third in the Atlantic 10.

At the top of the list is

Deno, but Miller says she has shown her value more than just on the court over the difficult transition period. “[Deno] was one of the ones from the start who really led that group into being excited about new opportunities,” said Miller.

“Especially with the seniors and Deno, they’ve done a great job focusing on what’s next for us and not looking back too much.”

There is a certain air of confidence around this year’s team too, as they approach a schedule with four preseason AVCA top 25 teams.

“I think it’s a pretty tough schedule…if and when we get to the NCAA tournament, we won’t be surprised one bit,” Deno said.

While waiting for answers from the Hawkeye Challenge, there are a few certainties about this team. Deno commands leadership and respect on and off the court, and the team is optimistic about Miller’s ability to bring this squad to the next level.

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photo Editor

Dwayne Evans and the Billikens are on the road again - this time from Windsor to Ottawa.

Joins staff Continued from Page 9

“Coach [Majerus] wanted to make sure we have a strong foundation,” Whitesell said. “We’re trying to throw at them enough so we can play a game. Ultimately we want to be good in our man-to-man defense and our man-to-man offense and moving the ball.

We’re getting a little bit better at it every day. Also … we want to develop a lot of guys.

We want to see a lot of guys play and try a lot of lineups together.”

So far, the international trip to Canada has given the coaching staff a chance to do just that.

Although junior Kwamain Mitchell has returned to the floor, the Billikens have seen substantial production from sophomores Mike McCall, Jordair Jett and Jake Barnett.

Through two games in Canada, SLU is 2-0.

“We had some good stretches, especially on the defensive end,” Whitesell said from Canada. “We’ve built a good lead but we were unable to sustain our intensity like we would have liked. It was good for us to play two games back-to-back. We are seeing some real positive things on this trip so far.”

Whitesell also brings a tremendous background in developing the student-athlete.

He has graduated 95 percent of his players in 24 years as a collegiate head coach, including 100 percent of his players at Loyola Chicago.

Additionally, Loyola was one of only 14 schools in the nation to have been saluted by the NCAA with a Public Recognition Award for its Academic Progress Rate score from 2008-11.

It’s a quality unmissed by Majerus. “He cares about the players as young men first and foremost, and then about what they are doing with their education and academic endeavors,” the head coach said. “ Jim is a welcome addition to our staff, and his coaching, recruiting and people skills will be a big asset to our team.”

Dwayne’s World: Live from Canada Dwayne Evans is a sophomore forward for the Billikens men’s basketball team. Last season, he was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie team and led SLU in rebounds. He now checks in as a guest columnist from Ottowa, Canada, where he and his team are preparing for the 2011-2012 basketball season.

Hello from Canada! We are currently in Ottawa in the midst our five-game summer exhibition schedule.

The games, as well as the practices at Chaifetz Arena leading up to it, have been great. We’ve won our first two games against the University of Windsor and the University of Western Ontario, and play the final three here in Ottawa before heading back to the STL. On behalf of the team, I want to first thank all the fans that came out to watch us in our open practices.

We had some tough practices, and looking up into the crowd and seeing the support from the fans really helped us get through some of the sessions.

Being able to go on this trip will only generate positive things moving forward.

Usually, we aren’t able to have full-team practices until the middle of October.

Being able to gather as a team in the summer gives us a head-start in learning the plays and system, as well as becoming familiar with one another. Our freshmen, John Manning and Grandy Glaze, have been able to play, which is an awesome experience for them.

In terms of the trip itself, the coaching staff put together a great schedule that allows us to have some fun while also mixing in plenty of ball.

At our first stop in Windsor, we played several games

of laser tag. Cody Ellis rigged the system and won both games. We also rode go-carts.

John Manning and Rob Loe are both 6-foot-11. Imagine those guys on go-carts! Hopefully someone got a picture.

After getting into Ottawa early Wednesday morning, we had a pretty eventful day.

The team and I spent the day white-water rafting on the Ottawa River.

It was one of the best experiences of my life, we even jumped off a cliff into the river! It took a little persuading to get some of the guys to do it, no names though (ahem, Cory Remekun!).

Eventually, though, everyone jumped in (“Team Together!”). Afterward, we had a great barbecue. It’s been

great getting to know my new teammates and just hang out with the rest of the guys.

As a team we are really excited about the upcoming season and we look forward to putting all of our hard work on display in November. I think our student section is one of the best in the Atlantic 10.

The student section at our games is a vital part to the college basketball experience and our team’s success, so when we take the floor for our first home game it would be great to have a sea of Billiken blue in the stands.

We as a team are focused on winning and we want you to be a part of that! We hope to see you at Chaifetz Arena this season!

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

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