No. 23 March 29 2012

SCREAMING HEADLINE: This headline cuts off mid-sente

The University Ruse Wishing you a ‘Happy April Fools’!’ since 1919

We have a website

Vol. XOXO No. 42

BASKETBALL SEASON ENDS,

Scoring error scoots team back into tournament, coach cries

By SUPERBOWLES The Bowle Movement

The Billikens are in the Final Four after a scoring error in the Michigan State game.

Louisville and Florida have vacated their spots and wins in this year’s tournament after an investigation discovered that the team was serving bagels with cream cheese at meal periods not sanctioned by the NCAA. The Bills will be traveling to New Orleans on Thursday.

“We’re in the NCAA tournament still… Oh, I better get back from Hawaii,” Head Coach Rick Majerus said.

The error was determined after an NCAA investigation into the game. When Draymond Green punched Cody Ellis, Green complained to the referees and insisted that he was a NBA first round draft pick and he not need to follow NCAA rules and regulation. Also, Green cited that his agent and publicist were in the stands and that the action would hurt his draft stock and positive character image.

Referees decided not to make a call against Green and let the game continue.

After the game, Ellis filed a complaint with the NCAA. Ellis traveled to Indianapolis and persuaded the NCAA compliance to dock five points of the Spartans making the final score 61-60.

“The Australian accent really persuaded us. Our referees are really biased toward

big school, but once Ellis explained what a Billiken was, we had no choice but to rule in Saint Louis’ favor,” NCAA compliance office Ayma Moron said.

The referees were suspended for the rest of the NCAA tournament and reassigned to junior high basketball games.

After the change was made to the Michigan State game, Saint Louis was immediately moved to the Final Four. They would have faced Louisville and Florida, but both teams had to immediately vacated their tournament spot after their illegally-served bagels with cream cheese to players at improper NCAA sanctioned meal times.

The discovery was made after Rick Pitino’s second mistress revealed the violation to NCAA tournament investigators in an attempt to get money from Pitino and the NCAA. She also said that the Florida Gators mascot, in a private session, revealed the same action happened during Florida their pre-game warmups against Marquette.

These violations allowed SLU to get into the Final Four where they will face Kentucky. However, the game might not be played after Kentucky is under investigation after receiving 15 blue Cadillac Escalades and $500,000 from Kentucky boosters.

HOW COULD IT END LIKE THIS!

KT Teller of Lies

Guys, I think the grass is on fire. Does anyone else see that!?

Greek Week winner in doubt Six down. But really, who won????? the ominous sounding “May the odds be ever in your favor.” La Khatib maintains that he heard it somewhere Greek Week turned violent and thought it would be fun this week as the Wednesday to say. afternoon event quickly got Although six competitors out of control. The game, were mercilessly killed which was made mandatory during the brawl, many of the for all Saint Louis University team presidents had other students, complaints. was supGamma posed to be Phi Epsilon a singing President competiKathleen tion.

UnI don’t know how Shmadigan fortunately, thought w e a p o n s it went poorly. Stu- that there were added were too at the last pid people are dan- many lastminute, and minute rule the par- gerous, I guess. changes. ticipants “We were were told a -Someone in the article not told rumor that the criteria only one competitor would be allowed to leave the beforehand,” Shmadigan said.

Chez Fest Arena alive. Greek “We could have practiced for Week President Jessica Snow this for weeks; my girls can just wanted to put on a fun really brawl.” show for her viewing audiThe competition started ence. Snow said the Games, with all the participants which pitted women and standing on the stage in the men from each of the seven middle of Chez Fest. After teams, were just supposed to La Khatib gave his opening be fun. “I don’t know how it speech, the players began to went poorly,” said Snow. “Stu- pick up the various weapons pid people are dangerous, I found throughout. Within guess.” ten minutes, two were Much of the blame was dead. Cameras followed the given to Snow, as she was seen participants as they sprinted hiding the dangerous objects out of Chez Fest. strewn about in Chez Fest.

“I don’t know what you Additionally, Vice President Christopher La Khatib’s HINT: Check the next page... opening speech ended with

By MIMMY RED-HEAD GINGER!!!

“

”

Mad cows respond to the Pevely demolition >> OPINION

COWS HAVE OPINIONS TOO

SPORTS SECTION IS NO MORE

Billikens in Final Four

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Local cows beef with Pevely

A Photographer / Likes to Click Button to Take Photos

Moo. Mooooooo. Moo. Moo. MMMMMMMOOOOOOO. Moooooo. Moo. We are cows. Fear the cows. MOO.

Cows start their own ‘mooooooooo’-vement

By B.BOYD Predator-in-Beef

Move over, Mad Cow Disease. There are some genuinely upset cattle prowling the St. Louis streets.

After the St. Louis Planning Commission overturned an earlier Preservation Board ruling to prevent Saint Louis University from demolishing the fabled Pevely Dairy Complex, mixed sentiments were expressed by St. Louis citizens. Since the Feb. 22 decision, protests have largely died down.

With the exception of one key demographic, however.

The bovine citizens of St. Louis, weighing in at an average of 1500 pounds, have begun staging peaceful protests at the soon-to-be demolished complex located near the SLU medical campus.

“It was very cowardly of the Commission to reverse the decision without consulting with…well, pretty much any cow in the entire city, or nation for that matter,” said a fourlegged, spotted farm creature who refers to herself only as Bessie. “We’re the group most affected. It’s a travesty. We’re being treated like animals over here. If this keeps up, we’re dead meat.”

According to a young protestor simply known as ‘Chunk’, the economic

consequences of the Pevely demolition will undermine an already fragile job market for cows.

“We’ve been a part of

“

disgusting.”

When informed that no one had worked in any capacity at the Pevely complex since 2008, Chunk

This quote isn’t even in the stor y. We literally just added this box because we needed to fill space. Sorr y to disappoint. If you want actual quotes from the actual stor y, you could...you know...read the actual stor y.

-Jessica Snow

this dairy complex since we were calves. Most of us are college educated.

We worked hard to earn our degrees at Old McDonald’s Farm, and now we’re out of a job,” Chunk said. “What are we supposed to do, work in the fast food industry? That’s

”

responded with bull-like hostility.

“So you’re telling me that we haven’t been paid for standing here and eating grass the past four years? You reporters are pigs,” Chunk said.

The protests, which began on March 25th, have

been noticed by residents and students alike.

According to St. Louis native Charman Toilette, the collective effort of the cows are growing weary. Toilette, currently residing in his mother’s basement while chasing his lifelong dream of forming a Journey cover band, expressed sympathy towards the protestors, but said they should “get a real job”.

“They’ve been out here for days, just standin’ and starin’, eatin up grass and rocks and other weird stuff,” Toilette said. “They have no steak in the property. I don’t get it. They’re really milking their time in the spotlight.”

The protesting cows, while lacking a clear leader, have taken up an official title: Dairy Delighters Deploring Destruction. Sources have reported that the movement has garnered significant support from sympathizing celebrities.

“We’ve got connections in high places,” Bessie said.

“Benny the Bull, Mary Moo Cow, that steroid freak from the Chick-Fil-A commercials… they’ve all got our back. Even the Budweiser Clydesdales down the street had a moment of silence.”

In completely unrelated news, not a single major media outlet has taken notice of St. Louis cows speaking fluent English and protesting in broad daylight.

Headline: Witty and engaging, please read on

By P.RATATOUILLE Persian Cat

This is an important news article, and it is worth every minute of your time to read it.

That was the lead sentence, and it is the most witty and engaging sentence a reporter can come up with. It is quick and to the point, and it makes sure the reader will continue reading the story. After that point, it just gets more and more boring.

Basically what we are trying to tell you is that Who Lastnamehere did What in Wheretown on When’s Day and we don’t know Why. You better keep reading.

Here are some amazing details about the story, like, did you know that I haven’t slept in two weeks because I couldn’t think of a good headline for this story? It finally hit me, and it’s the perfect headline. But it doesn’t fit. Darn.

That was the most important information in the story.

You are going to remember it.

This next paragraph

gives more detail about the subject of this story, possibly a quote here.

“Quotes are good because someone else says them, and we’re basically off the hook, because we are not responsible for it,” Dr. Professor A said. “Quotes must be…verbatim and…checked for accuracy, unless…you’re…omitting parts, in which case you just add…some...ellipses.”

Quotes make the article look legitimate. Plus, there is no point in having an article with just you talking. You better have some different people talking, or nobody is going to buy this stuff.

“That’s why there is another quote from another important and convincing person here,” Dr. Professor B said.

At this point, nobody cares about the news story anymore, so you try to jam in as much of the boring detail as possible into these last paragraphs.

Like you don’t really need to keep reading because everything you needed to know

has already been said in the first couple of paragraphs.

But if you have nothing better to do and really care about the facts and details of this story, by all means, keep reading.

There is more information in the next paragraph.

This other information is boring and ambiguous and we don’t really know what it means. So we leave it to another expert to interpret this information here that we obtained by doing research.

“Basically, what this nonesense means in simple and dumbed-down terms, “ Expert says here, “is that we are working on fixing this problem. We have to be very diplomatic in analyzing this data, because students are too smart for their own good and will realize that we are not doing the best we can, but you reporters don’t need to know that. By the way, that was off the record.” But the journalist decides to put that in here anyway, because the readers have the right to know that, and it is better to

apologize after the fact than to ask permission beforehand. So there you have it.

That was probably the most useless piece of information you obtained.

Just remember, this is the last line, and if you have managed to read this far, you will probably be told something that will make you feel like reading this story wasn’t a waste of your time. Reading this story wasn’t a waste of your time.

WHAT IS THAT!?!?!?

Recycle? Who does that?

Who reads this line next to the recycling sign anyway?

April Fools’ Edition

1.75

WE HAVE A WEBSIGHT

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Let Us Introduce You

Student Government Association Gavel

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

By KROSTEN PIANO That little girl

When it comes to maintaining order and balance in the Student Government Association, this meticulously crafted piece of wood is unmatched. When the SGA gavel sounds off in senate, everyone falls silent. Or else.

“Everyone knows that when that gavel bangs, we have to shut up,” said Grammar and Spell-Check Senator, Moe Wester. “One time, a senator kept talking after the gavel stopped banging….he’s not with us anymore.”

The SGA gavel has been in senate for as long as anyone can remember, serving in the same position. When asked about what has kept it doing its job for so long, the gavel declined comment.

“It’s not going to talk to you, you know,” said SGA President, Ryan Matt. “And how did you get in my office?”

The gavel has made its way through various SGA presidents who have all left their own impression on the majestic hammer. Some barely used the gavel in senate, while other presidents have used it every chance they get, an affliction some have termed “gavel-happy.”

When asked who its favorite president has been, the gavel once again declined to comment.

“It doesn’t talk,” said Matt.

“You need to leave. You’re upsetting the senators.”

Off the record, the gavel told this University Ruse reporter that it doesn’t like Ryan Matt. Something about not believing it’s really a magical, sentient being.

“You can’t report that!” said Matt, “You’re just making things up!”

Prior to this semester, the gavel often participated in a fun, friendly activity called “Pass the Gavel.”

During Pass the Gavel, each senator had a chance to hold the wooden mallet and announce anything he or

? *CLICK*

she had on his or her mind, no matter how inane or irrelevant. As of late, SGA has cut the activity from their meetings, cutting down on meeting time but leaving the gavel with little else to do but bang as much as possible.

When asked if it missed Pass the Gavel, the gavel declined comment, clearly too choked up to say anything.

“We’re going to call DPSEP,” Matt said, “Stop trying to interview my gavel!”

The gavel wishes Ryan Matt would stop censoring it.

“I’m not censoring anything!” Matt said. “I don’t know how else to explain it to you…the gavel does not talk!

Knock it off!”

“You ended that sentence with a preposition. That’s wrong.” Wester said.

Though no one could actually replace the gavel, the

wooden commander of order says it sometimes feels threatened by the amount of knocking that goes on in SGA. When senators agree with something that is being said during the meeting, they knock loudly and incessantly, effectively drowning out the speech they agree with as a show of their support. The gavel is probably concerned because if the senators can do all the knocking for themselves, it will most likely lose some of its power.

“Let go of the gavel.” Said Matt, “It will not talk to you. It will never talk to you. Please, just leave us alone.”

Despite the sincere oppression the gavel is facing at the hands of the current SGA president, it remains hopeful that one day, it will be treated with respect and given the recognition it deserves.

HERE’S THE REST OF IT!!!!

Continued from Page 1

mean,” Snow said regarding the cameras. “We got six cameras to follow the ‘singers’ around.” [Snow made scare quote signs while saying singers.]

Willow Williams, the president of Kappa Beta, wanted justice for her team.

“There were so many rules broken,” Williams said.

“One team cheered above 50 decibels.”

The winner of the competition was highly coveted.

The Golden Tank is the most coveted trophy at SLU. Mary Ghobadi, a freshman member of Iota Phi Kappa, did not want to lose again this year.

“The tank is the frattiest ob-

ject imaginable,” Ghobadi said.

This tragedy had the highest death toll of any SLU event since the British Student As-

“

I don’t have to tell you anything...

You’re not a cop... are you? [We can’t report anything else she said...]

-Jessica Snow

”

sociation’s 2003 Triwizard Tournament. The 2003 tournament left six “wizards”

limbless and twenty dead.

The money raised at Wednesday’s event went to the Human Fund, a charity devoted to helping humans.

Snow was reluctant to give details about the Human Fund. “I don’t have to tell you anything,” Snow said.

“You’re not a cop, are you?”

When reached for comment, the Human Fund’s voicemail greeting sounded suspiciously like Snow.

There are still two more events this week. A tennis match is scheduled for Thursday and a joust will happen on Friday.

Lacey Bender, a member of Beta Tau Pi, did not seem to notice the six deaths. “Do you know if we won the most points?” Bender said.

And so ends our fake articles—thanks for indulging us, and on to the real newspaper!

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

unewsonline.com

Vol. XCI No. 23

DELMAR STYLE

Sr. Prejean defends human dignity

Thursday, March 29, 2012

RECORD STREAK ENDS

Check out the new reoccuring fashion feature >> ARTS

Baseball’s school record 13-game winning streak gets snapped >> SPORTS

Rally remembers fallen teen Key events in the Martin case

Atlas Week encourages global awarenesss

By MARTINA BOYTER Associate News Editor

Sr. Helen Prejean nearly filled every seat in St. Francis Xavier College Church when presenting “Dead Man Walking – The Journey Continues,” on Wednesday, March 28, at 7 p.m.

Prejean, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, has led the Catholic Church’s strong opposition to the death penalty and travels around the world urging national dialogue about the issue.

Prejean opened by explaining how she became involved in the pro-life cause. After teaching religion for a brief time, Prejean moved to the St. Thomas Housing Project.

Under the guidance of Marie Augusta Neal, Prejean recalls that she “woke up to the gospel of justice.”

Prejean felt called, she said, to work at Hope House in New Orleans. She stayed there for three years from 1984 to 1986. Prejean’s friend at the Louisiana Coalition asked if she would be interested in writing a letter to a death row inmate. At the time, she had no comprehension of the breadth of what she agreed to, Prejean said.

Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, Prejean’s first book,

tells the story of her correspondence with and role as the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, a death row inmate whose eventual execution Prejean witnessed.

Prejean said that when she met Sonnier in person for the first time, realizing his humanity was “a moment of grace.”

Years later, when Prejean accompanied Sonnier to his death, she told him, “You are not going to die without seeing one loving face.”

From then on, Prejean felt obligated to preach against the death penalty.

“I was the witness, I had to tell the story,” Prejean said.

Since Sonnier’s execution, Prejean has seen five other men to their deaths.

In reply to the fact that horrible crimes were in fact committed, Prejean calls on forgiveness.

“We are all worth more than the worst things in our lives,” Prejean said.

The moving response to Prejean’s first book resulted in its transformation into a movie starring Susan Sarandon. It also was reworked into an opera and school play.

She wrote a second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions, after discovering that many of the See “Atlas” on Page 2

Jennifer Wang / Photo Editor

Students, faculty and community members from all faiths unite to celebrate diversity during Atlas Week.

2005 Florida statute 776.0163 (3), better known as the “Stand Your Ground” law, is passed. The statute allows Floridians to protect themselves with deadly force in cases of self-defense.

Feb. 26, 2012 Florida African-American teen Trayvon Martin is shot by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman while walking back to his father’s house after stopping at a 7/11 to buy candy.

Kristen Miano / Associate News Editor

Black Student Alliance President, Senior Emma-Lorraine Bart- Plange, gives a speech at a memorial rally for Trayvon Martin at the clock tower on Wednesday, March 28.

Students call for justice in Florida shooting case

By KRISTEN MIANO Associate News Editor

Shouts of “No Justice, No Peace” were heard up and down Saint Louis University’s campus. On Wednesday, March 28, students gathered around the clock tower holding signs and giving speeches before marching down West Pine Mall to the Busch Student Center and back. The reason for the demonstration was not an occurrence at SLU, but instead a response to an incident in Sanford, Fla: the shooting of 17-year old Trayvon Martin.

“We need to raise awareness about this because there are still ideologies and biases that exist,” Ashley Brownlee, president of the Society for African American Studies, said.

“Because of these ideologies, unfair laws and unfair policies are still used to uphold injustices. Trayvon Martin didn’t have to die. I think that awareness needs to be raised, and

[SLU students] need to be held accountable, especially at a school like this that promotes social justice.”

Martin, a 17-year-old high school student was found shot and killed in a gated neighborhood on Feb. 26. A volunteer neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman, confessed he shot Martin in self-defense. Zimmerman also sustained injuries from the altercation, suffering a broken nose and a head injury. Police did not arrest Zimmerman, a decision that has escalated into a national outrage over the last month.

Advocacy groups and media outlets have made claims that Martin’s race not only made him a target, but also influenced how the police investigated the case. Reports have varied about what actually happened the night Martin was shot. Some say Martin attacked Zimmerman first, while other reports state that Zimmerman stalked Martin

and shot him unprovoked.

Under a Florida law termed the “Stand Your Ground” law, individuals are allowed to retaliate in self-defense as opposed to fleeing the scene if a danger is perceived. As more details surface, critics call to question whether Zimmerman was rightfully suspicious of Martin’s presence in the area or if it was just the result of a prejudice.

The facts and motives in the case remain mostly ambiguous, but that has not stopped people across the nation from taking action. A petition on change.org calling for Zimmerman’s arrest has garnered more than 2 million signatures. On March 21, hundreds marched through Manhattan in a “Million Hoodie March,” a march named for the hoodie Martin wore the night he was shot. Other similar marches have been in held See “Rally” on Page 3

March 20, 2012

The state attorney for Sanford, Fla., the town in which Martin was killed,said that a grandy jury will convene on April 10 to further investigate Martin’s death.

March 23, 2012 United States President Barack Obama speaks publicly for the first time regarding the Trayvon Martin case, stating that “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon”.

March 28, 2012 George Zimmerman,who initially claimed self-defense as his reason for shooting Martin, claimed that Martin physically attacked him before the shooting.

Surveilance video shows no bruises or bleeding on Zimmerman after the shooting, according to ABC News.

Students show off paper airplane skills SGA discusses Ministry Committee

By BRIAN BOYD News Editor

tions like the Muslim Student

By CHARLES BOWLES Associate Sports Editor Association, Interfaith Alliance, and many other student organizations.

Student Government AssoSenators expressed conciation had a spirited debate cern about exclusively alloand dialogue on multiple is- cating the building for faith sues during Wednesday’s de- based CSOs as other groups bate. and organizations expressed The two main debates that interest in the area as some SGA had was over a resolu- of Wuller Hall is used for Law tion to give approval of the School administrative offices Recommendation of the Mis- which will be moving at the sion and Ministry Committee end of next academic year. to enhance the services of the Senator Parry Draper, Depar tment the Parks of Campus College Ministry and S e n a t o r, an effort to expressed encourage This resolution would c o n c e r n Saint Louis that his University to change the perception c o n s t i t u officially sign of Campus Ministry so e n c y the “St. Franwould not cis Pledge” that is truly serving the be able to honor the to utilize Catholic Cli- entire campus. the space mate Covfor Parks enant.

College -Scott Hessel “There students was a conand that cern that campus ministry other students having their was only serving Christian voice heard on how the space students. This resolution should be utilized. would change the perception The bill was tabled for of Campus Ministry so that is the next two weeks so other truly serving the entire cam- recommendations could be pus,” Vice President of Inter- heard. nal Affairs Scott Hessel said.

The other main point of deHessel also is the head of the bate was the presentation and newly formed Mission and senate resolution to encourMinstry Committee. age SLU to officially sign the The resolution recom- “St Francis Pledge” to honor mended that the second floor the Catholic Climate Covof Wuller Hall, where campus enant. ministry is located, be turned into an area for faith based See “SGA” on Page 3 Charted Student Organiza-

“

If you asked a SLU student what word might to mind when hearing the “Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology,” it would most likely not be ‘fun’. Despite the demanding curriculum and national prestige, for those inside the program, the activities inside McDonnellDouglass can be as much fun as it is challenging. On March 28, the atmosphere of creativity and camaraderie was in full force as the Red Bull Paper Wings competition made its way to Saint Louis University.

Red Bull sponsored cars with

giant cans on the back greeted those passing by MDH. “It looked like a lot of fun, just a bunch of people hanging out and drinking Red Bull,” said sophomore Ben Winokur. “It makes the experience at Parks more enjoyable and adds variety.”

Inside the doors, students competed for a $100 Visa gift card, hundreds of pounds of Red Bull, and a chance to visit Austria. Beyond the prizes lies an opportunity to establish themselves as the premier paper airplane engineer and aviator worldwide.

The Paper Wings competition pits not only SLU student against their fellow Billikens,

but against students around the globe. The competition is open to students from all academic backgrounds, and measures both contestants’ paper-plane engineering and aviation abilities.

In all, 57 paper-pilots challenged for the title of SLU’s best. Standing in the halls of McDonnell-Douglass, students lined up with their paper airplanes and attempted to set the pace in distance traveled, airtime, and aerobatics. Each student designed separate planes for the categories in which they competed. The aerobatics category judges the pilot’s creativity and flight path on a scale from one to

Trivia night brings together Greeks

ten.

In a building full of some of SLU’s best and brightest students, including those with coursework in disciplines specifically tailored to engineering a flying object, staged a heated battle to be the last pilot flying in the Paper Wings challenge.

Ultimately, freshman Wolf Gaidis rose above them all.

Gaidis, a psychology major, didn’t even know about the Paper Wings until the day he competed. He said he stumbled into the competition on his way out of Spanish class See “Plane” on Page 3

Blue the Billiken Follow us: facebook.com/bluethebilliken

”

twitter.com/#!/BlueAtSLU

The hunt is on

Hamoud Al-Jalahma / Staff Photographer

Students from all six sororities and nine fraternities answer questions related to legends: sports, television, movies and Greek.

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

News

2

unewsonline.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Let Us Introduce You

Roya Massoudnia

7 Day Forecast THU

FRI

30 %

50 %

SAT

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

Well-traveled freshman is already making her mark at SLU

By HANNAH WILEY

74 77 76 82 79 66 71

Staff Writer

Born in St. Louis and of Iranian-American descent, freshman Roya Massoudnia understands the importance of cultural unity. Belonging to a family that highly values learning about new cultures and experiences, Massoudnia said, “Being culturally relative is the best blessing I’ve been given.” Massoudnia’s father is an international professor and her mother a sociologist. Both taught their children from an early age that recognizing any culture, religion, viewpoint, political ideology or anything else that differed from their own lives was important.

Massoudnia first experienced culture shock when she moved to Iran in 2004 with her parents and twin sister. For the next seven years, she and her family would call Tehran their home. Growing up in St. Louis and belonging to a proud Persian family definitely had its perks for Massoudnia.

“The Midwest is a lot like the Middle East. It’s family oriented, and it’s very relaxed —much like Persian culture,” Massoudina said. “My family always had CNN as the first thing to be turned on in the morning and the last thing to be turned off at night. And there was always delicious Persian food.”

Although her family liked the Midwest, they soon moved and enrolled Massoudnia in an international school in Iran that specifically catered to children of families of Persian descent who were international, but seeking integration into the Persian culture.

Massoudnia’s classes began in English, but over time Farsi was introduced and came to dominate the communication within the classroom.

Most of her classmates were European, and the atmosphere was accepting. Getting to know these fellow international students and learning from their different lifestyles and backgrounds, Massoudnia found her true passion in life.

“There would be students from North and South Korea, and they would sit on opposite sides of the room,” said Massoudnia. “It was amazing to see these young kids who didn’t truly understand the conflict between their countries but understood they

59 51 57 61 48 48 48 THE SLU SCOOP All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Saturday, March 24

2:41 a.m. - Property Damage A student returned to his dorm room and found a leak coming from the ceiling of his room. The responding DPSEP officer discovered the leak originated from the kitchen sink area located directly above the student’s room. Maintenance was notified and responded.

Minghao Gao / Senior Staff Photographer

weren’t to interact with one another.”

In 2009, during the Iranian presidential election, claims were made that the outcome of the election was rigged.

President Ahmadinejad’s victory angered the Iranian people, giving fire to the Green Movement. Thousands of angry protestors flooded the streets of Tehran, and violence erupted from both security and Green Movement forces.

“The people were angry because they felt that their beautiful, ancient, 2000-yearold culture was at stake. It was a war against their culture,” Massoudina said. “The Iranian people are highly intelligent. Most go to college, and by rigging their votes, they were not going to let the offense against their intelligence change the way their country was. They had enough.”

For the first time in 30 years, the Iranian people had found a voice to start fighting for the end to the oppression, and Massoudnia was there to witness and participate in it all.

Now, back in her home city of St. Louis, Massoudnia is an active member in the interna-

tional scene and a member of SGA. Because of the political upheaval she was exposed to and her passion for understanding why politics have such an important impact on people, Massoudnia declared a Political Science major.

“I want to understand why politics hold people back. It’s important to know the facts and make a step to change them,” she said.

Not only has Massoudnia figured out her road to success, but she is successful in teaching others the important things in life, like accepting other cultures and helping other people in need.

“Trade maternal love and send your children abroad.

There is nothing like learning independence from the streets of a foreign country,” Massoudnia said. “Everyone needs to learn how be culturally relative, and we should all take each day step by step.

And traveling is the best thing in the world.”

As for her favorite places, Massoudnia thinks back to Isfahan, an ancient Persian city that had a special effect on her.

“There was a sense of joy and pride in my cultural identity being there,” she said.

Atlas: Prejean headlines night Continued from Page 1

Prejean told her audience at College Church that everyone there was privileged:

“

men she advised on death row were not guilty. At least 140 individuals executed in the United States were To uphold the wrongly convicted.

Prejean is working on her third book, River of Fire: dignity of all life My Spiritual Journey. She — guilty and not explained that it is a prequel to Dead Man Walking, back- guilty — that is the tracking through the spiritual awakening that led to the challenge. experiences discussed in her -Helen Prejean first book.

Today, Prejean divides her time between speaking to the public about the death the students and the teachers penalty and counseling death at SLU. The reason, Prejean row prisoners. said, is to give; that is what

”

God needs.

“She was captivating and funny. It was a really insightful and challenging talk about how the death penalty really is a pro-life issue,” Junior Josh Pazderka said.

Prejean’s dialogue with Pope John Paul II in 1999 inspired him to group the death penalty with other pro-life issues and change the catechism. This has since made the Catholic Church a key opponent of the death penalty.

“The death penalty is about us and how we shall respond,” Prejean said. “To uphold the dignity of all life — guilty and not guilty — that is the challenge.”

Sunday, March 25

12:00 p.m.-Stealing Under $500 A patron of the church left her purse in one of the pews. When she returned, her purse was open and her wallet was missing. The wallet was found in the ladies restroom. The only thing missing was $40.00.

student ran away from the suspect.

The student called SLMPD before DPSEP was on scene.

Tuesday, March 27

3:57 p.m. - Sick Case DPSEP received a call in reference to a student sitting on the north stairway vomiting. The student believed what she ate was causing her illness.

Monday, March 26

9:45 p.m. - Assault 3rd An officer was contacted by a student who stated he was assaulted by an individual while walking west on Lindell Blvd. at North Spring Ave. The suspect swung at the student, hitting him on his right shoulder. The

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

News

3 Planes: McDonnell Douglas hosts contest DPSEP creates lost and found program unewsonline.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Continued from Page 1

By ADNAN SYED Staff Writer

in MDH, and after showing his paper-plane skills, a judge recommended that he enter the contest.

A knack for designing and flying paper airplanes developed in Gaidis’s youth.

He said that he would often have contests with his father to see who could throw their airplane the farthest.

“He would always let me win until the end. Then he would always say, ‘Wait, I have one more,’” Saidis said.

“Then he would pull out one plane that could soar.

He would destroy me, but he’d never let me see how he would fold it, at least until I turned 13.”

Five years later, his father’s wisdom has put him in a spot to represent the United States in the Paper Wings World Finals in Austria.

Gaidis pulled out a victory over fellow Parks freshman Anthony Tabanji.

Tabanji won the distance challenge with ease, posting a distance of 62 feet 7 inches. Gaidis was not to be denied, however.

His six seconds of airtime narrowly edged Ta-

Homoud Al-Jalahma / Staff Photographer

Students throw paper airplanes they created as a part of the Red Bull Paper Wings contest in the hallway of Parks College on Wednesday, March 28, as other students and faculty look on. banji’s flight duration of 5.9 seconds.

With the two pilots neck and neck, the outcome relied on the aerobatics category.

Gandis posted a score of 27 points, tying for the highest in the category and staking his

claim as the Red Bull Paper Wings SLU champion.

Gaidis said his experiences with remote control planes and hang-gliding helped him understand aerodynamics and gave him the ability to impress the judges in the aero-

Rally: Campus responds to Florida case Continued from Page 1

in cities such as Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

This Wednesday, the movement came to SLU’s campus.

“Students came to me last week and said they wanted to do something that would commemorate Trayvon Martin’s memory and to bring awareness to campus,” Patrice French, coordinator in the Cross Cultural Center, said.

“They decided they wanted to do a kind of memorial rally.”

Before the march, the African American Studies Program held a Brown Bag Lunch discussion entitled “Hoods: What happened to Trayvon Martin?” The discussion addressed the factors that played a role in Martin’s death.

“Its important to have things like this at SLU because the mission encourages us to fight for social justice and seek for truth, two things connected to this killing,” French said. “I think its great students have found another ways to bring awareness to these issues besides just having a discussion about it.”

In an effort to make a great-

er impact, a memorial rally was held in the Clocktower Plaza after the discussion that not only raised awareness in the broader SLU community about the issue, but also commemorated Martin’s death.

The rally was organized and hosted by several groups on campus, including the Black Student Alliance, the SLU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Society of African American Studies, SOJOURN (Sisters On A Journey of Unity Renewal and Networking) and the CCC. At the rally, both students and faculty spoke, speaking about the circumstances surrounding Martin’s death and calling on the students in attendance to call their Congressional representatives and spur them to action. Students made posters featuring statements calling for justice and referencing the Martin case and carried them across SLU’s campus during to march to and from the BSC. “I think it’s a striking way to get people’s attention, to get people out in the middle of campus with a microphone and posters and say we think

this is important, please listen to us, support us and hear where we are coming from,” French said. “That’s why I felt that the rally was an impactful experience. I was happy to see that there is a group of people committed to stand out in the sun and not be afraid of what other people might think of what they are doing.”

French was not the only person impacted by the rally.

Junior Sean Worley attended the rally and said he thought the rally was emotionally moving, especially in light of the University’s Jesuit mission.

“I thought the demonstration was very powerful,” Worley said. “What really grasped me was that there was a vast diversity of a variety of individuals that attended the rally, walking in solidarity.”

Brownlee also thought the rally was a success and was happy so many SLU students came out to show support.

“It is true that anyone who is a believer in justice and a believer of love will show up,” Brownlee said. “It’s a collective effort. If we want to stop oppression on all fronts we all have to come together and stand up for each other.”

batics category.

“I tweaked the plane, and they [the judges] said they hadn’t seen anyone do a loop or barrel roll like the one I did,” Gaidis said. “I tuned it so barrel and shadow out. You really have to throw it hard.”

Returnity OnLine, an online lost and found program initiative made possible by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, will help students recover lost items through a streamlined online process.

Any item a student loses can be reported and searched for through Returnity, and the database will be searched to find items matching the inquiry.

DPSEP Field Supervisor Pasquale Signorino explained that the program will be accessible to the SLU community while protecting against false claims by providing only a limited amount of information regarding the items.

“The great thing about this program is that you can look up the list of things that have been found. But specifics are kept away. For example, the list might say a TV was found near Fusz Hall,” Signorino said. “If you think it might be yours, you can either call and you are required to let them know what the specific model, or color it is, or any defining characteristic an owner would know.”

Another feature of Returnity OnLine is the availability

for students to directly search for their lost items. Signorino said that users will be able to submit requests for lost items with details only known by the owner, making the process more efficient. Anyone claiming property must also provide valid identification.

Another tactic to prevent illegitimate claims is the addition of a “Reserve Field” of the claim.

This field contains information regarding the item not available to the public, but required by the claimant when attempting to retrieve the lost item.

“For, example, while the online listing may include a 37-inch television that was found behind the BSC, the reserve description would further describe it as a ‘Samsung 37-inch Series 5 Silver Plasma Screen, Scratches near the side,” Signorino said.

For members of the SLU community preferring to retrieve lost items without technology, the physical lost and found location will remain in DuBourg Hall Room 9.

To access Returnity OnLine, go to http://slulf.com/ selectitemtype.aspx.

Items unclaimed will be held for at least 60 days before they are donated to a charitable organization.

Car crash halts morning traffic

Adnan Syed / Staff Writer

On Wednesday, March 21, at approximately 6:30 a.m., a 29-year-old male in a white 1997 Buick LeSabre driving southbound on Grand Boulevard hit the retaining wall at the Grand crosswalk. The crash knocked down a light post near the Busch Student Center.

SGA: Creates committee Continued from Page 1

The Catholic Climate Covenant, according the organization’s website, is an organization to take responsibility for our contribution to climate change and do what we do best: be advocates for those who will be left out of the public policy debate on climate change.

The “St. Francis Pledge” is a 30-page document broken up into five sections asking its participants to: pray, learn, assess, act and advocate.

Senators debated whether the bill would be an endorsement of the political statement. Some senators believed that SGA should not make the decision but that individual senators should make the pledge, not as a collective statement by SGA. After fierce debate, the senators approved the resolution 34-16-1.

SGA approved the creation and seating of the Mission and Ministry committee. SGA also approved the spot funding for the Asian American Association and Korean Student Association to go to the Midwest Asian American Student Union conference at the University of Illinois.

SGA also approved the resolution to create an initiative to donate leftover food from Griesedieck Dining Hall to Campus Kitchen. Senators Blake Exline and Krishi Peddada created the initiative.

Opinion

The University News Talk to us: Parisa Rouie 314.977.2812 opinion@unewsonline.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

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Reason, not emotion, must lead our nation to justice and peace It is when laws are protested that laws are changed. Recent news around Florida’s “stand your ground” law has led many to question its soundness. The nation has exploded in various interpretations of the case and what it means for our nation and our culture.

A month has passed since the death of Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman. After a month, Zimmerman has not yet been charged with murder, being defended under Florida’s “stand your ground” statute.

Since then, the application and possible unwanted consequences of this statute have been questioned by many, as allegations of racism and hate crime and general social insecurity abound among others.

However, at this point, anger and agitation are going nowhere in solving this controversy.

While the facts of the Trayvon Martin case are still under investigation, patience and deliberation are important for the peace of our communities. Angr y interpretations of the case and allegations of racism, regardless of their veracity, should not lead to violence or the spread of this anger. For the sake of establishing truth

and justice in our nation, we must refrain from passing judgments without knowing all the facts.

We must take a responsible approach, as citizens of a democratic nation, and perform our duty of improving the society and the legal system. But justice was never established on the basis of emotional and spontaneous judgments, but on rational and careful deliberation. Although emotional responses can be effective triggers of change, they should be guided by reason, for they can carr y a judgment too far.

We must not, however, muffle our concerns for the soundness of this law, as silence would compromise our ability to improve on our legal system and improve laws that need to be adjusted or refined.

But to allow emotions to carr y our concerns to extreme ends will only ruin any chance we may have of bringing justice to Trayvon Martin.

In this respect, ever y citizen has a right and responsibility to be vigilant and act as a check on the legal system. We are all responsible to stand up for those whose rights have been violated, but this responsibility follows from rational and careful judgments.

April Fool’s laughter will lighten up student life, diminish stress and improve health Panic is in the air as March comes to an end. Students are graduating, some are not graduating, some don’t know if they are graduating and some can’t wait another three years to graduate. Exams are approaching and deadlines are brutally incontestable. The year is ending. Another will begin in no time.

This time every year, April Fool’s jokes are a necessity.

This Sunday, use the opportunity to poke a little fun at yourself. If you haven’t been told to use your imagination since studio art or creative writing, now is the time to bring some silly creativity into your life. Playing pranks may seem silly and childish, but there are undeniable and unmatched benefits.

Research shows that laughter can have numerous benefits for one’s health. It can reduce stress levels, thereby improving sleep, eating and other metabolic habits. Laughter also increases blood flow and can contribute to a healthy heart. Laughter is medicine for the elderly and youth alike, and April Fool’s

Day pranks are an excellent opportunity to take advantage of this phenomenon that may sound too good to be true.

Without advocating lying and deception, playing silly pranks is a great way to boost your emotional and psychological health, as well. Sure, you might give someone a heart attack at first, but they will be laughing at the silliness of it in no time. You might realize everyday problems are much like April Fool’s jokes: Although they may take a longer time to resolve and pass, they end, eventually, leaving one feeling stronger in the end, perhaps laughing from relief.

April Fool’s and other prank-playing holidays should be focused on the humor and laughter that inspired their creation. Students need to dedicate one day out of the year to humor and laughter in order to emphasize the importance it has in our health. On this one day out of the year, they should exercise every right not to take anything seriously.

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You might realize everyday problems are much like April Fool’s jokes.

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Professor Schlafly: The recent success of the SLU men’s basketball team should inspire pride in our institution and excitement for the future, not an opportunity to invoke resolved issues of the past. Each situation, regarding Majerus’ personal political beliefs, and last year’s suspensions of two SLU student athletes, were subject to the proper and appropriate methods of action enumerated by this University’s policies. Digging up dead issues in this situation is not only unnecessary, but inappropriate because of their respective resolutions. The suspensions, and the charges that brought them, were most importantly, dropped by authorities of the law, and subsequently punished on a school level within the University’s student conduct system. Also, Majerus’ salary is moderate in the world of college athletics, and is greatly outweighed by the financial benefits a successful program receives. In SLU’s tournament appearance and single win alone, Majerus will have brought in more than double his salary. National exposure of the school, donations because of success, and increased merchandise sales go along with that already sizeable amount of money. I too would be frightened at the idea of athletic success at the costs of our institution’s values, but Saint Louis University has been unwavering to the commitments of its principles in both the mentioned situations.

You cite tenants of the Jesuit education and Catholic faith, yet you forgot one: Forgiveness. As a professor of history at a Jesuit institution I am surprised you mis-remembered the story of our spiritual founder. Before his conversion, Ignatius was a ruthless soldier and vain womanizer, hardly a saint on paper and an interesting choice by the Almighty for the founder of the Society of Jesus.

SLU students, alumni, and faculty should be proud of the recent success by the Billikens and the means by which it came. They would be right to support the Universality’s athletic teams as a symbol of our school. Hopefully the already bright prospects of our University will be made brighter by our teams’ endeavors.

- Jim Prebil is a 2010 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences

‘Burden of being a black male means carrying suspicions of others’ The untimely and unjustified death of Trayvon Martin has galvanized the attention of millions of Americans. I think that the death of Trayvon touches millions for many reasons. First, this tragedy highlights what so many already suspect, and that is the lives of black people, especially black males, are worth less than other lives. Second, the police work in regards to black males and their killings is spotty and incompetent. Third, the laws are once again protecting criminals from justice. Fourth, in a more diverse and integrated society, more white people have children that attend school with black friends, have mixed children, or simply more people have relationships with people outside of their race. Fifth, the details and actions of the police in Trayvon’s murder are so alarming that people are angry, but also people, especially black people, are in a state of anguish asking how this could happen in 2012.

Reasonable people know racism has not died and gone away, even with the fact that a black male is the leader of the free world. No one thought that these racist incidents could not happen again but, in 2012, I am sure we thought the death of a young man would not be swept under the rug like a nuisance. A reasonable person also realizes that if Trayvon Martin would have been white and his shooter, black, someone would have been arrested and possibly still in jail. Furthermore, what is alarming is that Sanford, Fla., the place of this tragedy, has had a history of murders of black men going unnoticed. Just a few years ago two white men beat a homeless black man to death. In this situation, Trayvon’s body was put in the morgue for 3 days and no one told his parents, Zimmerman was never taken in for questioning and his clothes never taken for ballistics testing.

In my view, the problem here is not the law; it’s how it is applied. The “stand your ground” law derived from the laws across this nation, that say if someone comes into your home you can use deadly force to protect you and your family. This law is the same principle just outside of your home. I have no qualms with that. What I do see as a problem is a grown man with racial hatred in his heart following a young black boy with a hoodie on and Skittles and iced tea in his hands, claiming self defense when he (George Zimmerman) eventually shot and extinguished the life of a 17-year-old 100 pounds smaller than he. That is not self defense and Zimmerman did not stand his ground if he pursued this young man. Even if Trayvon uttered harsh words at Zimmerman or threw Skittles at him for following him menacingly or, let’s say he did attack a man 100 pounds larger than him, did that demonstrate enough of a threat to justify a bullet that would end his life? Hell no!

As a black male, I was told early on by my parents not to wear clothes that would make me look suspicious. Do not sag, do not run in public. If pulled over by the police, keep both hands on the steering wheel and do not become agitated, even if the officer is rude. Never leave the house without your ID. If you are going to wear a hoodie, do not wear the hood up in public. Simply put, the burden of being a black male means carrying the suspicions of others.

I went out to the movies last weekend, walked to my closet to put on my Jordan hoodie, then thought about Trayvon Martin and decided to just wear a light jacket.

That is a damn shame.

- Divine Shelton is a graduate student in the School of Education and Public Services

Opinion

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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Pius Library renovations need to be re-addressed Remember when a renovated Pius Library was just a dream?

Last year, SGA President Courtney Anvender released a stateCommentary ment to students saying that the green light was given to a major renovation of SLU’s Pius library. The administration, at the time, agreed to undergo the Dustin Paluch renovations of Pius in a twophased approach. Phase I was supposed to bring renovations to Pius Library, but the current renovations have since been plagued by major delays in the process.

Phase II of the renovation project was meant to explore the concept of building an Information Commons onto Pius. The Information Commons would have been a building with state-of-the-art study space that is focused on functionality and design. This would have replaced the current roundabout behind Pius.

However, the iCommons has since been scratched from the project due to budget reasons. Phase II of the project now only consists of building a new entrance on the south side.

We don’t need a new entrance.

Are students too lazy to walk to the other side of the library, or is this the administration’s way of making the library look “new”? Overall, the library will not look much different from the outside since the iCommons was stripped away.

After looking through various documents I have received over the past year, I came to notice something about the renovation process -- the dates of completion keep changing.

First, in his January 2012 message to students, staff, faculty and trustees, University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., stated, “The expected completion date for this project is March 1, 2012.”

Last time I checked the calendar, as of this issue coming out, it is now March 29, 2012, which would mean

senator, and his sister currently the Secretary of State – he has many other opportunities to seek office.

It has been proposed that he views the redistricting as a chance to seek out and explore a new position, even replacing his sister’s seat.

This race also could have an effect on the November democratic turnout when large numbers are needed for the reelection of Senator Claire McCaskill and Governor Jay Nixon.

With Missouri not being a prioirity in President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, the Democratic Party will already struggle when it comes to supporting the two.

This may also prove harmful to Carnahan himself. The new district comprises only 20 percent of Carnahan’s old district, meaning 80 percent of the district is a part that Clay has been representing for over a decade. Also, with almost 50 percent of the district being black, demographics may favor Clay, who himself is African-American. It would be nothing new if racial factors played a large part in St. Louis politics as they have in the past.

Carnahan is being selfish. Knowing he could be beneficial to the party by running in another district, he still chooses to run in the new 1st District, the reason most likely being that the 1st District is almost a guaranteed Democratic seat. In past years almost an entire 50 percent of the district votes for the Democratic candidate. If Carnahan wins he would have security for years as opposed to a perpetual swing district.

Carnahan has stated that he hopes Missouri’s Supreme Court will rule against the redistricting. He contends that the map is unconstitutional. Even though he expresses this hope, he has made no indication of realization that his running against Clay is harmful to his own party. He has been stubborn in his running in the 1st District.

One can only hope the results of the election, whatever they may be, will be beneficial to the district and the party.

The growing disconnect between presidential candidates and mainstream Americans has roots in one main evil: money.

One candidate in Commentary particular boasts a boundless amount of riches making him a polar opposite to the typical citizen. As a member of the top 1 percent, with a fortune of nearly Stephanie Woods a quarter of a billion dollars, Mitt Romney hides behind a grand barrier of wealth when viewing the rest of the 99 percent of our country.

So far removed from the middle class Americans’ lives, how could former governor Romney possibly empathize with the constant struggle due to economic hardships? Or with the 8.3 percent of unemployed folks who are more concerned about when they will receive a paycheck again? In an attempt to connect with this part of the population, he felt it was necessary to tell his own story last year by saying “I’m also unemployed.” The difference between his unemployment and those who live under the poverty line is that he still managed to earn over $42 million in the past two years, according to ABC News.

A recent Huffington Post article comparing the gaffes of Romney and Mr. Burns from ‘The Simpsons” demonstrates his love for a ride on the high horse. Several of the quotes, although taken out of context, were shocking but rather comical. For example, “I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners,” Romney said in February at the Daytona 500 race.

It is this sort of lifestyle that puts many Democrats even farther at odds with him, predicting that he will use tax cuts to line the pockets of his friends -- friends such as those who own NASCAR teams.

Yet another faux pas that riled up many Americans was his statement claiming that he is “Not concerned about the very poor.” However, this quote obviously lacks background and was twisted to shed light on his “evil, capitalist horns.” To further clarify, he noted that they have a safety net which doesn’t need attention unless there are holes in it, and he also added that he is “Not concerned about the very rich,” since they are “just fine.”

Romney claims to be putting his energy into focusing on the heart of America, those middle class citizens who are currently struggling in this economic environment. But rather than being portrayed as a courageous leader, America is starting to look more like his charity case.

According to CNN, Romney spends an average of $12.70 per vote that he receives and $90,000 per delegate. This is four times what candidate Rick Santorum is spending. If money really does make the world go round, then Romney’s world is spinning at a much more rapid pace than most of ours as he sits on a seemingly budgetless campaign.

The New York Times shared that Romney has spent well over $75 million on his campaign thus far, which is mere pocket change compared to Obama’s $173 million. It would seem all too logical to feel frustrated at the amount of money going into finding a leader to solve our problems rather than using this money to directly solve them ourselves.

Together, more than $378 million has been raised for campaigning by all the candidates as of February.

With funds this massive, imagine how many hungry people could be fed. With 46 million Americans living under the poverty line, it irks me that so much money and resources are going into selecting the best politician to talk about the problem rather than investing into aiding our poverty-stricken citizens.

It seems hypocritical that a candidate would try to voice his concerns for bettering America when he uses all his efforts to raise millions of dollars for his own campaign and not use these valued finances to actually help those who he says he wants to help. I say put your money where your mouth is.

With that said, I do understand that it requires dense funds to be able to run a successful presidential campaign, but that does not make it any less frustrating.

It is a disheartening realization that money really is the end all be all of life. Whether there is not enough or it is being spent in ways people do not agree upon, the world of politics is saturated in a shade of green that blinds all who get involved.

In this race, it isn’t exactly who the best candidate is, but perhaps the one with the fattest pockets.

You can’t buy my love, but when it comes to politics, you can certainly buy my vote.

Rachel Smith is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Stephanie Woods is a junior in the John Scook School of Business.

Brandon Woods / Illustrator

that the library is currently one month over the due date for the entire project to be completed. Renovation is still occurring on the fourth and fifth floors. How long does it take to pull up some carpet, paint, install a few new outlets and bring in pre-built furniture?

With all the major aspects of this renovation being scratched, it is unacceptable for the renovation to be this far behind schedule. With the original due date set by Biondi, the renovations would have been completed long before midterms. Either the writer who most likely wrote the document for Biondi wrote the wrong date, or the construction crew SLU decided to hire sucks at following deadlines and should promptly be fired. Either way, having the renovations completed by March 1 would have helped the entire student body have more study space, but now, sadly, we are stuck waiting to see when construction will ever be completed.

The next two dates stated for the completion of the project appeared in March 2012’s Volume 5 Issue 6

and the student Spring 2012 issue of SLU’s University Libraries newsletters. The March 2012 issue stated, “[library renovations] will commence around June 2012,” around being the key word. Notice how the University no longer used an exact date.

Second, in the March 2012 issue, it is says that it was estimated that construction on the fourth and fifth floors would be completed on March 16. Work on second and third floors should have begun on March 19, with an estimated completion date of April 27. Work on the first floor, according to the issue, is scheduled to begin on April 30.

Again to reiterate the timeline, the University president said completion would commence on March 1, 2012, but now it is not estimated to be completed until “around” June.

However, I no longer see that as being realistic due to the renovation already missing two more key deadlines. The fourth and fifth floors were supposed to be completed in the new timeline on March 16, but as of this issue, they are still under

construction, which means that the second and third floor completion deadline is likely to be pushed back, thus pushing back the first floor deadline, and ultimately the overall completion deadline.

Last time I checked, adding new furniture, flooring and ceiling, along with increasing the number of threeprong outlets should be a regular update, not considered to be a “major” renovation. SLU’s misconception of “major” renovation is emphasized even more in the fact that many students will be fooled into thinking they spent a lot of money on a “new” library, but in reality the University cut as many things from the original proposal as they could in order to save money. Students deserve a library to be proud of. If SLU’s own Student Ambassadors don’t even show the inside of the library on campus tours, why should we as current students thank the University for promoting a service that should be completed on a regular basis?

Dustin Paluch is a junior in the John Cook School of Business.

Self-defense cases are hard to tackle, killing should always be a last resort As Americans, we are given the right to bear arms and to take up defense against violence. When acting in self-defense, murder is not the Commentary goal but a last resort. The line between murder and self-defense can be blurry.

This past month, the nation went into an uproar over the death of 17-yearMaeve Donahue old Trayvon Martin. Martin was walking home from a gas station when 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who reportedly has had a history of violence, followed him. Zimmerman claimed that he was protecting himself from Martin when he shot and killed him.

Although Zimmerman said that he acted out of fear in hopes of defending himself, investigation is underway to determine the real reason behind Martin’s murder.

Currently, in the state of Florida, where this horrendous crime happened, there is a law in place that enables citizens to carry weapons and use them if they ever feel threatened for their life. The law states, however, that before any actions are taken in a person’s defense, reason and propor tionality must be considered. It has been put into place for the protection of the citizens, and it is in fact a privilege. Although as American citizens we have the right to bear arms, this comes with the fact that we are responsible for any actions we choose to take with these weapons. By extending this freedom, our government has given us the responsibility to act justly. This law is in place solely for protection, it is not meant to be an excuse for a free-for-all.

Along with questioning Zimmermann’s seemingly abrupt actions, initial reports are labeling racism as the main reasoning behind Martin’s murder. Putting aside the fact that Zimmerman violated and took advantage of the law, Americans are outraged by this racist act. President Barack Obama recently commented publicly on this tragedy. Along with stating the importance of fully investigating this incident, he reached out to the parents of Trayvon Martin. Obama addressed this on a very personal level when he was quoted saying, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin.” This statement hits home to all races and parents, and to the whole country in

“

general.

In 2008 we, as a united and free country, chose to elect Obama to be the first African American president and our leader. His election was supposed to mark a turnaround in a country that has dealt with segregation and inequality for centuries.

It has taken us years, but we finally thought that equality in America was reached, and it is heartbreaking to know that this is not in fact true. To think that our country has not changed at all since 1955, when an innocent 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered, is unbelievably disheartening.

If the government believes that we can be given the responsibility to bear arms, we must earn that right.

These laws are not put into place to be abused by unhappy citizens. This incident in Florida was outrageous and was truly a tragedy.

When can we be trusted with the responsibility to keep one another safe? Self-defense and murder are two completely different things.

Self-defense does not happen with the intent of ending another person’s life. Reason plays a big role in selfdefending actions. In some areas, the government may deem it necessary for citizens to carry weapons out of self-defense, but if abusive incidents like this happen, what are we defending?

We should be protecting one another and ending violence, not starting it. Access and freedom of weapons to all citizens is a risk that our government takes. Aside from the cases where self-defense was legitimately the reason for murder, numerous cases pop up that stump investigators when it comes to intentional murder versus personal self-defense.

The reasoning behind a murder is generally what needs to be examined in order to determine cause of death. In the case of Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman took advantage of this Florida state law when he murdered an innocent and unarmed 17-year-old after accusing him of acting suspiciously.

With the responsibility to bear arms comes the responsibility to protect one another and to know right from wrong. To abuse this law that was put into place solely to protect American citizens is pitiful. This incident is causing many people to reflect on whether or not we are fully ready for the responsibilities that our government has granted us.

Self-defense does not happen with the intend of ending another person’s life

”

Maeve Donahue is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Parisa Rouie / Opinion Editor

Carnahan v. Clay in Missouri With primaries and elections quickly approaching, it’s time for Missourians to take notice of potential candidates and their aims.

Commentary With the redistricting that has taken place, St. Louis city will be seeing an interesting pool of candidates.

It’s time for the student body to familiarize Rachel Smith themselves with recent politics before marking their ballots come time for election.

Since Missouri is dropping from nine districts to eight, it has been a prospect for months that two of the Democratic Party’s most prominent empires will go head-to-head in the 2012 primary. Now that this possibility has become a reality, with United States Rep. Russ Carnahan entering the race against Rep. William Lacy Clay, St. Louis Democrats feel the burden of having to choose sides.

Fidelities will be tested as a result of this merger, placing all of St. Louis City into Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. The district previously belonging to Clay now encompasses Carnahan’s home and a portion of the former 3rd District. The 3rd District was eliminated and divided among the surrounding districts after the drop in population demonstrated by the 2010 Census.

Is the battle the best thing for the Democratic Party of Missouri?

Both Carnahan and Clay have been strong political figures in the past. Carnahan has been in office since 2005, and Clay was first elected in 2000. There is no surefire result regarding the winner; it is guaranteed that this primary will pull apart and prove detrimental to the party.

Carnahan’s move is a national loss for Democrats. He would have most likely proved the strongest candidate in running for the new suburban district. Otherwise, with Carnahan being a name as well-known as it is – his father having been governor, his mother having been a U.S.

Republican candidates are losing touch with our reality

Games

The University News Thursday, March 29, 2012

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The University News Talk to us: Joseph Cacchione 314.977.2812 sports@unewsonline.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

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>> Baseball

Billiken Briefs Lisch MVP Former SLU basketball star Kevin Lisch was named the Australian National Basketball League’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the Perth Wildcats.

Lisch played for the Billikens from 2005 until 2008. The Wildcats play on Sunday in the NBL semifinals against the Gold Coast Blaze as they try to win their sixth championship in franchise history.

Streid Academics Junior exercise science and physical therapy major Taylor Streid has been named to the 2012 Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team for swimming and diving. Streid finished fourth in the 200yard IM, second in the 100-yard butterfly and eighth in the 200-yard backstroke at this year’s A-10 championship. The last SLU swimmer to make the All-Academic team was Anna Larson in 2009.

>> Commentary

Bills set record with 13 straight wins Going for Loss on Tuesday ends streak, leaves SLU at 19-6 on the season

By JOSEPH CACCHIONE Sports Editor

Tuesday was the first time in nearly a month that the Billikens found themselves on the losing end of the scoreboard.

The 13-6 score at the hands of Eastern Illinois University ended the Bills’ 13-game winning streak, the longest such streak in school history.

Four errors by the Billikens and four homeruns by Eastern Illinois kept the game out of reach as SLU’s record falls to 19-6 overall on the season.

This was the first time since Feb. 18 that the Billikens committed four errors in one game.

SLU started off strong, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, seemingly poised to extend their winning-streak to 14 games, but the Panthers wanted no part of that history as they responded fiercely with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first.

Senior Marco DiRoma added an RBI single to bring the Bills within one run, but that was as close as the Billikens would get.

DiRoma also had a walk in the first, which extended his on-base streak to 15 games.

Only Arizona State has found a way to keep DiRoma off the bases this season.

Junior Alex Kelly and redshirt junior Steve Fernandez both contributed two hits and two RBIs apiece and provided the main sparks for the lackluster Billiken offense.

Freshman James Norwood took the loss, lasting just one inning, giving up four runs (two of them earned), walking two and striking out one.

Photo Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Alex Kelly stares down Temple’s pitcher on his way to the plate. The Bills would go on to extend their winning streak to 13 games before losing to Eastern Illinois on Tuesday.

Junior Jon Levin threw a scoreless inning and was the only highlight on the mound for SLU. In a poll released Monday by Collegiate Baseball, the Billikens are ranked 30th in the nation.

The Bills rank seventh in the NCAA in walks drawn, with 128, and walks allowed per nine innings, with 2.23.

They are also 10th in win percentage (.792), 22nd in sacri-

fice flies (14) and 23rd in fielding percentage (.978).

DiRoma is seeing national recognition with his strong play as well, as he is 12th in runs per game with 1.28, 28th in triples with three and 27th in walks drawn per game with .94.

Junior pitcher Alex Alemann also has performed well and is ranked seventh in victories (5), 11th in complete

games (2), 12th in ERA (1.09), 17th in games started (6) and 23rd in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (5.23).

The Billikens hope to return to their winning ways this weekend, playing a threegame series against Dayton in Ohio. The Bills will fight to remain undefeated in Atlantic 10 conference play (3-0) and set themselves up for a potentially long postseason run.

Final Four Predictions BILLIKEN SCOREBOARD

Men’s Baseball

W 8-2 R

vs. Temple

Kentucky over Louisville Ohio State over Kansas Kentucky over Ohio State

Kentucky over Louisville Kansas over Ohio State Kentucky over Kansas

Kentucky over Louisville Kansas over Ohio State Kentucky over Kansas

Louisville over Kentucky Kansas over Ohio State Louisville over Kansas

Staff Writer: Alex Kozich

Sports Editor: Joseph Cacchione

Associate Sports Editor: Charles Bowles

News Editor: Brian Boyd

W 2-1 vs. Temple

W 10-1 vs. Temple

>> Men’s Soccer

Soccer exhibition begins Tennis teams struggle

By CHARLES BOWLES

L 6-13 @ Eastern Illinois Women’s Softball

W 4-2

vs. Rhode Island

L 0-5

vs. UMass

L 0-8 (5)

vs. UMass

>> Men’s and Women’s Tennis

Associate Sports Editor

The warm temperatures and sunny days mean it’s time for time for men’s and women’s soccer to start their spring exhibition seasons.

Both men’s and women’s soccer kicked off their exhibitions seasons last Saturday, training for the upcoming regular season in the Fall.

The men’s team traveled to Springfield, Ill., to play the Indiana Hoosiers in their first exhibition match, and the women stayed in St. Louis to face the Ole Miss Rebels.

This spring exhibition season marks the first action for new women’s soccer head coach Kat Mertz. Mertz was named the women’s soccer head coach in February.

“Each of these games will push our players,” Men’s Soccer Head Coach Mike McGinty said to Saint Louis Athletics.

The match was very even throughout. Indiana struck first in the fourth minute when A.J. Corrado split the defense and kicked the ball past the Bills goalkeeper Nick Shackelford in the right corner.

SLU responded with a Jon Roeckle goal to tie the game at 1-1. Roeckle scored off a Bills corner kick, which deflected off a few players until Roeckle kicked in the goal just outside the box.

The Hoosiers then reclaimed the lead 2-1 on a Kyle Sparks goal. The Hoosiers would take that lead going into halftime.

The second half remained relatively quiet until Alex Sweetin made a goal in the 77th minute, tying the game at 2-2. However, Indiana would respond quickly. A mere two minutes after the Bills scored, Indiana’s Caleb Konstanski shot the ball past Bills goalkeeper Dillion Saffle. The Bills lost their first exhibition by a final score of 3-2.

The women’s soccer team played Ole Miss this Saturday at Hermann Stadium.

Both the men’s and women’s soccer will continue their spring exhibition seasons in this week. The men’s team will play Creighton on Sunday, April 1 at 2:00 p.m. The game will be played at Robert Hermann Stadium. The women’s team will be playing in a two-game tournament at Indiana State on March 31.

By JOSEPH CACCHIONE Sports Editor

The men’s tennis team lost two tough matches to Southern Illinois and Memphis this past week, dropping their overall record to 5-10 on the season. The Billikens lost to Southern Illinois 2-5 and to Memphis 0-7.

Against Southern Illinios, only junior Drew Feder and sophomore Patrick Kella were able to record victories for the Billikens.

Feder took down SIU’s Orhan Spahic 6-3, 6-0 and Kella won against SIU’s Szymon Opieczonek 6-1, 6-3.

Against Memphis, no Billiken was able to beat their Tiger opponent.

Sophomore Joe Flanagan had the most competitive match, losing 6-3, 6-3, and freshman Yehia El Sallaly lost 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). With the win, Memphis improved to No. 30 overall in the nation with a 14-3 record.

On the women’s side, the Billikens lost another match to Southern Illinois. 4-3.

This drops their overall record to a respectable 8-7 on the season. SLU kept it

competitive, but the Salukis proved too tough, winning two out of the three doubles matches and three of the six singles matches.

Junior Mia Elmore continued to shine for the Billikens as she won her singles match (6-1, 7-5) and also her doubles match with senior Jenny Nalepa (8-4).

Sophomore Stephanie Hollis (6-4, 6-0) and freshman standout Brooke Urzendowski (6-4, 6-4) also recorded straight-set wins for the Billikens.

“This match was a heartbreaker for us,” Head Coach Jon Zych said. “Maria competed great, and her match could have gone either way. I’m proud of her fight and toughness. All the girls played better attacking doubles.”

“Overall, we have no excuses. It was a great fourand-a-half-hour college tennis match,” he said, Next up for the men is a meet in DeKalb, Ill., to take on the Northern Illinois Huskies on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The women’s team is staying at hope and will play Memphis at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center on Friday at 2 p.m.

12 in ’12 11 in ’11. But can the St. Louis Cardinals make it 12 in ’12? Defending the World Series title happens more commonly than one might think, but repeats almost always happen with same T.J. Keeley the manager. So, here are five keys to success for the Cardinals to make it 12 in ’12: In Matheny We Trust For many Cards fans in my generation, Tony LaRussa is a celebrity. He has managed the Birds on the Bat since we first became cognizant of America’s pastime. But now that Skip has retired, the Cards will play their first season in 16 years with a new manager.

After names like Terry Francona, Mike Scioscia and even Jose Oquendo made their rounds on the rumor mill, management named former catcher Mike Matheny as the new manager. Matheny has been a part of player development in the Cards’ front office for several years, working very closely with John Mozeliak (the smartest man on the planet). Yet, Matheny has more Gold Gloves than he has games managed. The players were reportedly very happy with the hire, and everyone seems to be on the same wavelength in Jupiter, Fla. But, when the dog days of summer roll around and St. Louis is in the hunt for a red October, will Matheny’s inexperience do him in?

The Back of the Rotation Everyone and their grandmother expect the front of the rotation to be strong. Many would put Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia up against any top three in all of baseball. But Carp will start the season on the DL indefinitely, and time will tell how bad the disk is bulging in the back of his neck. Garcia has been masterful in the first half of both of his major league seasons, but he has considerably weaker numbers after the All-Star Break. While I fully expect him to get better with age and experience, it is the No. 4 and No. 5 guys that will make all the difference, should Garcia stumble or Carp miss too much time. Jake Westbrook (winner of the famous Game 6) has dropped 20 pounds and is tossing up blank frames in spring training. Kyle Lohse, remains underrated by Cardinal Nation. Last year, the right-hander led the starting staff in wins (14), ERA (3.39), WHIP (1.17) and BAA (.249).

Overpaid, maybe, but Lohse makes an enviable No. 4.

No, Really, Who’s on Second?

Let’s face it. The Cardinals have not had a second basemen since the days of Fernando Viña. They have shuffled many worthy candidates through, like Tony Womack, Ronnie Belliard and Mark Grudzielanek, but no one has stuck for very long. This year, second is a question mark again.

With Daniel Descalso, Skip Schumacher and Tyler Greene vying for the role, we will likely see a platooncombination of the three of them throughout the season.

It’s unlikely that Descalso and Greene can play an entire season, and Skip’s services might be needed in the outfield. Mozeliak insists Greene is the man for the job, but he seems like a Brendan Ryan case to me. But, hey, I didn’t win the World Series.

M-V-Freese With Pujols gone, the middle of the line looks like a hurricane: lots of power all around it but without a stable center. While I project Matt Holliday bats third and Berkman fourth, Freese could see some key at-bats in the 4-hole against lefties.

But, the 28-year-old has never played a full season; he has only played 184 games in his entire career. With the clutch hitting, opposite-field power and leadership poise he displayed last October, a healthy Freese remains the most important key to the hunt for a red October.

My prediction: 96-66, good for first place in the NL Central.

Sports

8

The University News

unewsonline.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Who to

CHEER

>> Softball

Softball struggles in consecutive double-headers Billikens drop three out of four games, have difficult time scoring runs

By ALEX KOZICH Staff Writer

Courtesy of nbcsports.com

Carlos Beltran

The newest addition to the Cardinals was clearly the biggest free agent pickup of the off season in all of baseball. I can’t think of a bigger one.

Who to

JEER

The Billiken softball team dropped three of four games in back-to-back double headers last weekend against A-10 foes Rhode Island and UMass.

The Billikens entered the weekend with a 13-15 record, which fell to 14-18 and 1-3 in A-10 conference play after the weekend.

The Billikens started the weekend with an 8-3 loss to the Rhode Island Rams.

The Billikens were able to get on the board first after Jessica Buschjost drew a lead-off walk, stole second and scored on an Alyson Brand two-out double to left center.

The Rams responded in the top of the third however, putting up two runs in the inning to grab the lead from the Billikens. The Billikens were able to get the run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double to left center by Laura Bohning.

The game unraveled for the Billikens in the fifth however, as an error by the Billikens, wild pitch, hit by pitch, and a Rhode Island single were followed by a no-outs grand slam by Rhode Island’s Kelly Coker over the outfield wall to put the rams ahead 6-2 break open the tie game.

Rhode Island concluded their scoring in the seventh with a two-run homer by Sta-

Photo Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Alyson Brand connects on a pitch, resulting in one of her three hits she had during a game against Rhode Island last Saturday. cey Fox. Hannah Huebbe (7-6) was given the loss for the Billikens, surrendering six runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks, striking out five.

The second game of the double-header with Rhode Island was set to begin Saturday but was started Friday after the first game due to weather concerns.

The Billikens took a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning when the game was called until Saturday.

When the game resumed, Rhode Island tied the game with a two-run homer for Courtney Prendergast in the top of the fifth.

The Billikens immediately retook the lead with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning.

Alyson Brand led the Billikens’ offense going a perfect 3-for-3 with 3 RBI’s. Hannah Huebbe picked up the win in relief, allowing one hit with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings of work.

After Friday and Saturday’s split double-header, the Billikens took on UMass on Sunday in a more traditional double-header. The Billikens were shutout in both games,

losing 5-0 and 8-0 respectively, as they were unable to overcome the dominant pitching of UMass senior Sara Plourde.

The Minutemen started the scoring in the second inning, tallying one run, and were able to take advantage of Billiken errors in the third inning, scoring three runs fueled by a two base error.

The Minutemen capped off the scoring in the fourth when pitcher Plourde sent the first pitch of the inning over the outfield fence to bring the score to 5-0.

Plourde stifled the Billikens all-game, pitching one hit ball for seven innings while recording 11 strikeouts.

The next game was more of the same for the Billikens and Plourde, as the UMass pitcher continued her domination of the Billikens, surrendering just two hits and recording nine strikeouts in the shortened five-inning game.

The Minutemen scored in every inning except the second, capped off by a fiverun fourth highlighted by Plourde’s second homerun of the day.

Julian Austin took the loss for the Billikens, allowing seven runs (four earned) on six hits in 3 2/3 innings.

The Billikens are in action this Saturday, March 31 as they visit St. Bonaventure for another double-header.

>> Track and Field

Track and Field outdoor season begins at Vanderbilt Senior continues field success, sophomores make their impact known Courtesy of sportsillustrated.com

John Lackey The Red Sox pitcher defended drinking in the bullpen and called any criticism of it “retarded.” Still, the most insulting thing about Lackey is that he makes $82 million to be a belowaverage pitcher.

Who to

FEAR

By JOSEPH CACCHIONE Sports Editor

Saint Louis University began its outdoor track and field season this past weekend at Vanderbilt for the Black and Gold Invitational, battling the rain but still finishing in the top 10 in many events.

Sophomore Allison Walter finished in fourth in the 400-meter dash with a final time of 56.37.

Junior Ashley Roche and senior Mallory Dugger also performed well in the event, finishing sixth and 12th with times of 57.37 and 59.34, respectively. Sophomore Caitlyn Brinkmann crossed the finish line in 22nd place in this event as well.

The junior/senior combination of Dana Siebenaller and Caitlin McCarthy finished neck-and-neck, taking fourth and fifth in the 800-meter run with times of 2:15.92 and 2:16.50 to continue SLU’s success.

Senior Brittney Cloudy picked up right where she left off at the indoor season by finishing in sixth-place in the long jump (17-11.5) and third

in the triple jump (39-9.25).

Sophomore Kita Alvares stood out for the Billikens with her second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.74 and a sixthplace finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.72.

For the men, Senior Dahmar Smiles took fifth place in the 110-meter hurdles, hustling with a time of 14.71.

In his first career race, freshman Tim Zellmer finished in sixth in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:37.16.

The men’s 4x400-meter relay combination of seniors Smiles, Patrick Kotecki, sophomore Stewart Van Horne and freshman Tommy Whittaker placed seventh out of 14 teams with a time of 3:23.85.

Van Horne also scored points for the Billikens with his eighth-place finish in the 800-meter run, finishing with a time of 1:55.87, just three seconds behind the winner, Jack Spilman from Miami University (Ohio).

The Billikens compete in St. Louis the next two weeks for the Washington University Invitational on April 7 and the Billiken Invitational on April 13-14.

Photo Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

The Billikens traveled to Vanderbilt University for their first outdoor meet of the season.

The team hopes to expand on their success during the indoor season.

>> Commentary

War for the Bluegrass State: Kentucky vs. Louisville

Courtesy of sportslogos.net

Detroit Tigers A great pitching and hitting team got even better by adding Prince Fielder. But the tigers are in the American League, which makes them Pujols’ problem.

By: Jonathan Auping Staff Writer

Pinch me; I must be dreaming. The greatest NCAA tournament game — no, in the histor y of college basketball — will be played on Saturday: Kentucky vs. Louisville in the Final Four.

Being Charles Bowles from Kentucky, this is the most important thing to happen to our state ever. We don’t have professional sports teams, and therefore college athletics are revered in the state. In Kentucky, it is acceptable to check “Basketball” as a religious affiliation.

For those do that don’t understand the magnitude of this game, think of Duke vs.

North Carolina in basketball or Ohio State vs. Michigan in football. That’s how important this game is.

However, this is even better than those any of those rivalries. Why? Simple. Pure hatred and passion from both fan bases that Duke and North Carolina only wish they could match.

Louisville has always been a popular team, the most profitable college sport program in the nation. Names like Wes Unseld, Darrell Griffith and

“Nervous” Pervis Ellison are just some of the great players that Louisville has produced.

Their fan base is filled with rabid, crazy, always-trying-toprove-they-are-just-as-goodas-Kentucky’s-fans crusaders. Louisville has won two national championships under then-Head Coach Denny Crum and always has been a hard-fighting scrappy team.

Louisville is now coached

by Rick Pitino. Pitino was Kentucky’s head coach from 1989-1997. His name is either loved by Louisville fans or reviled by Kentucky fans.

Pitino is a great coach, taking teams to the Final Four in four different decades, and he is one of only two coaches to take three teams to the Final Four.

The other coach — the man he will be facing — is John Calipari (although two of those teams had to vacate their appearance in the Final Four due to NCAA violations). Pitino and Calipari have a longstanding rivalry and hatred for one another, going back to when both of them coached in the NBA. Kentucky is “The Roman Empire of College Basketball.” Kentucky has some of the best talents and the most passionate fan base in college basketball. Where else would you find fans that have season tickets for more than 60

years? Where else would you find people who give up half of their salaries working in the coal fields of Kentucky just to see basketball? Nowhere else but Kentucky.

Big Blue Nation has some of the craziest and loudest fans who will go anywhere just to see their Wildcats play basketball. Also, Kentucky has become a home of celebrity sittings at Rupp Arena.

Some notable celebrities are Ashley Judd (Kentucky’s number one celebrity fan), Lebron James and Drake.

In only three years, Calipari took Kentucky from near utter oblivion under Billy Gillispie and transformed it into its former glory.

Calipari has never lost a home game since his arrival to Kentucky and has taken three teams to the Final Four, but has never been truly recognized for his coaching ability.

Calipari is a master recruiter, having seven first-round NBA picks in the past two years, and he has turned average players like DeAndre Liggins and Josh Harrellson into NBA-quality talent.

The Kentucky legislature passed a law requiring the two teams to play each other on New Year’s Eve (that actually is a Kentucky state law).

Since 1983, Kentucky and Louisville have played each

other once a year. Kentucky holds the series record 2011. Duke and North Carolina play three times a year, which really loses the luster of their rivalry. I think this time they will likely shut down the state and require every citizen in the state to attend the game.

It is rare that Louisville and Kentucky play twice in one year. The past five years of the rivalry have been some of the most entertaining games in college basketball.

In 2008, Louisville’s Edgar Sosa hit a game-winning three pointer at the buzzer.

In 2009, a fight broke out between Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins and Louisville’s Jared Swopshire only two minutes into the game.

In 2010, Josh Harrellson put his name in Kentucky history books by scoring 24 points and 14 rebounds in that game. He was only averaging 4 points and 4 rebounds per game at that point.

In 2011, Kentucky and Louisville fought a slugfest , marking the amazing individual performances of Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who scored 24 points and collected 19 rebounds, and Louisville’s Russ Smith, who scored 30 points with 8 points in the final 12 seconds. Now it will be the first and most important matchup of 2012 for both teams.

Kentucky has one of the most talented teams in the country. All of the starters have the potential to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Anthony Davis is a literal freak of nature. The biggest question mark for Kentucky will be the play of freshman point guard Marquis Teague.

Louisville is also very talented. They will apply fullcourt pressure, which is frustrating for any team. They are ultra-aggressive and will attempt to make Kentucky’s life miserable the entire game.

Peyton Siva is playing some of the best basketball of his life and is one of the best passers in the country. Another key for Louisville is Gorgui Dieng, whose shot-blocking ability is only matched by Anthony Davis.

The game will be amazing. If Kentucky wins, they will have beaten one of their fiercest rivals to get to the National Championship.

If Louisvillle wins, there might be a 51st state, as the rest of Kentucky might secede from Louisville.

All I’m saying is believe the hype, this will be a great game. Sorry for those of you from Ohio or Kansas, but Kentucky is where basketball is king, religion and on the verge of exploding due to the magnitude of this game.

Arts OUT on the

TOWN Arts Editor’s Picks

MUSIC Thursday, March 29 Doors open at 7 p.m.

Show begins at 8 p.m.

Young The Giant with Grouplove The Pageant There will be a $2 minor surcharge at the door Friday, March 30 Doors open at 7 p.m.

Show begins at 8 p.m.

Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive!

35 tour The Peabody Opera House Tuesday, April 3 Doors open at 7 p.m.

Show begins at 8 p.m.

Youth Lagoon with Porcelain Raft The Firebird Tickets are $10 - $12, available through firebirdstl.com Saturday, April 7 Doors open at 7 p.m.

Show begins at 8 p.m.

The All-American Rejects with A Rocket to the Moon The Pageant There will be a $2 minor surcharge at the door Wednesday, April 11 Doors open at 7 p.m.

Show begins at 8 p.m.

Mac Miller with The Cool Kids and The Come Up Chaifetz Arena Tickets available through thechaifetzarena.com

THEATER Thursday, March 29 through Sunday, April 8 Show times vary Bring It On: The Musical The Fabulous Fox Theatre For complete schedule or to purchase tickets, visit fabulousfox.com

OTHER Friday, March 30 12 to 2 p.m.

Billiken World Festival The Quad Event will begin with a Parade of Nations, food will be available for purchase from several CSOs Friday, March 30 6 to 7 p.m.

Magnificent March Improv Show Xavier Hall - Black Box Theater Free admission Wednesday, April 11 7 to 8 p.m.

Last Lecture Series: Dr. William Charron BSC 170

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

Thursday, March 29, 2012

unewsonline.com >> Fashion Section / fashion@unewsonline.com

Style by neighborhood: Delmar Loop Retailers cater to art and music lovers alike in trendy shopping district

By JULIA CHRISTENSEN Fashion Editor

You don’t need to be told that St. Louis has some phenomenal neighborhoods. You also don’t need to be told each nook of the city comes complete with its own vibe, scene and style. What you might need to hear is what’s located in each area and where to shop while you’re there. If uniqueness is your calling, look no further than the Delmar Loop.

Named “One of the Ten Great Streets in America” by The American Planning Association, the Delmar Loop occupies six blocks of the St. Louis and University City areas, and houses more than 140 shops, restaurants and the like, according to its website.

Getting to the Loop from SLU is quite easy, by city standards: take Forest Park Parkway westbound straight into the action and find free parking, including lots off Skinker Boulevard and Leland Avenue.

Upon arriving, you’ll be greeted by impressive bars, mouthwatering restaurants and lively music venues. Although these are spectacular, the shopping on the Delmar Loop truly sets it apart from the rest.

Devil City While Devil City describes itself on its Facebook page as “an original store experience . . . [offering] a blend of some of the oldest American brands, goods that are made in the USA and items that are unique and rebellious in nature,” it can be explained more simply as a rockabilly shop with bonuses. Tattoo printed tees are on display near Hello Kitty totes and men’s western button-ups.

The shop, though petite, is well stocked and prepared.

Ladies trying on pin-up style dresses can even slip into a pair of pumps waiting by the mirror to get the full va-vavoom effect before deciding to buy.

Although the price point is a bit higher than some nearby stores (Devil City’s Facebook page lists it between $30-50, but dresses seem to be more), both quality and

Minghao Gao / Senior Staff Photographer

Located in the Delmar Loop, Devil City features retro-inspired men’s and women’s wear. spunk are abundant within each piece.

Timeless Authentic Garments Vintage shopping can be tiresome, as the smell of mothballs annoys the nostrils and the inevitable glove of grit forms over the hand. Timeless Authentic Garments, also known simply as “tag,” provides a full selection of retro steals that are clean and neatly displayed, removing the ick-factor other second-hand stores may possess.

The store, which according to its website opened in 2008, features both male and female attire and accessories. Each piece is authentically vintage; although this can have a nega-

tive impact on wear-ability, it helps to assure that no one else at the Delmar Lounge is rocking your frock.

Avalon Exchange Not sure if you fit either style subgenre above? Try Avalon Exchange (formerly Rag-O-Rama), which features an ever-evolving selection of primarily second-hand items, including retro and designer pieces, plus the occasional oddball item — okay, more like frequent, depending on the day.

While the prices are reflected by the item’s condition and brand, the store sports a seemingly always-changing sale rack and hosts the occasional “Dollar Sale Event.”

Comparable to an eclectic Plato’s Closet, Avalon buys clothing and accessories from customers and sells it in their store. Interested in selling? According to its website, the store is currently buying spring clothing.

Get the look If you’re hoping to borrow some cool from the Delmar Loop to add into an outfit, you first need to determine the style. Since the look of the area is individualized, what can you take away?

At its core, the Delmar Loop seems to be feeding on everything rock ‘n’ roll.

Take that broad category in whichever way you want, but remember to keep it

interesting.

What’s arguably the most iconic piece of clothing from any music scene? Blue jeans, hands down. There’s no better way to sport this style than by rocking one of the originals: Levi’s. For the top, ladies might want to keep it simple, yet fitted, to make room for crazy accessories and outerwear.

While on Delmar you’re bound to buy something new that you won’t want to wait to wear, why not prepare your outfit for anything in advance?

In case it’s chilly in the venue or brisk during the walk outside, try throwing a retroinspired jacket on top. With its wild color and leopard collar, the “Marilyn Shrug in Emerald Green” ($52) from PlasticLand.com provides a hint of vixen, a dash of intrigue and oodles of attention-grabbing, Delmar-esque flair.

Your footwear should vary depending on your evening plans. Grabbing drinks somewhere near a parking lot, like Fitz’s? Throw on your most stunning heels.

In all reality, you’ll probably end up walking — it is easy to get caught up in reading the names on the St. Louis Walk of Fame, if nothing else — from one end to the other and back, so try sporting a pair of quirky flats.

The “No Bows About It Flats” ($54.99) from ModCloth.com are bright to boot (bad pun intended) and feature a slightly pointed toe, which elongates the leg and accentuates whatever style of denim you’re wearing.

The Delmar area is all about pizazz, which means no Loop-inspired outfit would be complete without some eccentric accessories. GirlProps.com offers a multitude of unusual pieces that will do the trick. The “Lipstick Pendent in Red with Gold Finish” ($14.99) and the “Egyptian Mermaid Earrings” ($9.99) aren’t your average jewelry — and couldn’t be more perfect for a look like this one.

For more information on the Delmar Loop go to VisitTheLoop.com.

For more style, shopping and featured neighborhoods, check out the Fashion Section at unewsonline.com.

‘Fashion Star’ dresses up NBC Outfit building 101: If “Project Runway” and “The Voice” had a baby, it would look something like “Fashion Star.”

Television Review NBC’s latest competition series, “Fashion Star,” gives hopeful designers the opportunity to Erin Everett showcase their work to buyers from H&M, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. Each episode of the show, hosted

by Australian supermodelturned-mogul Elle Macpherson, consists of a runway show in which each of 14 fashion designers present pieces that respond to a weekly challenge.

After the runway show, buyers from the three retailers are given the opportunity to bid on the clothing they have seen. Here’s the best part: When an item is purchased, it becomes available online and in stores after the episode has aired. You can literally wear the clothes right off the runway.

Contestants are eliminated until the one true “Fashion Star” has been found. Their prize? A cool $6,000,000 contract to launch their collection in H&M, Macy’s and Saks.

In addition to the panel of buyers, contestants are mentored by Jessica Simpson, teen music sensation, actress and founder of the multi-billion dollar Jessica Simpson Collection; Nicole Richie, pop culture persona and founder of the Winter Kate House of Harlow 1960 collection; and John Varvatos, former head of menswear design for Polo Ralph Lauren and creator of Polo Jeans Company. In sum, Simpson, Richie and Varva-

From the necklace up

Photo Courtesy of NBC

(From left) Jessica Simpson, John Varvatos and Nicole Richie mentor the contestants of NBC’s latest series “Fashion Star.” tos are not just mentors . . . they’re experts.

Though the show premiered on March 13 to dismal ratings — I will go ahead and blame Spring Break on that one — the purchased items have received incredible attention, with nearly all items selling-out online within 24 hours of availability.

Before the pilot episode, I had learned of the series through Yahoo! News, which reported that Simpson fired back at a male contestant for making a blatantly sexist comment during his critique.

(Side note: With two out of three mentors being female, as well as two out of three buyers, the “Aussie chauvinist,” as Macpherson referred to him, earned the not-socoveted title of “First Person Eliminated.” Sucks to suck.)

In this week’s episode, contestants were challenged to design three pieces that buyers could purchase for their Summer 2012 collections.

This episode was the most successful night yet, with Nzimiro, Sarah, Nikki, Ross, Kara and Orly each selling items that made for the highest purchases to-date. Ross’ cuffed pleated shorts and Orly’s scoopneck jersey dress set the record at $120,000, with the shorts going to Macy’s and the dress to Saks.

In case you’re late to the party with “Fashion Star” and have missed out on the soldout threads from Weeks 1 & 2, here are a few highlights: Contestants to watch out for: Sarah and Nzimiro. Both have had their clothing purchased in all three episodes — Sarah, though, has only sold her clothing to H&M. Will her designs be versatile enough to make her a “Fashion Star,” or will Nzimiro’s infectious charm and engineering smarts land him the ultimate prize?

Catch “Fashion Star” on NBC Tuesday nights at 9 p.m., after “Biggest Loser.”

“Fashion” is a word that seems to be both loved and hated. Some people take ext r e m e pride in Commentary what they w e a r , w h i l e others say they couldn’t care less.

O t h e r people just don’t Rita Winiecki k n o w where to start when it comes to fashion. Let me hop onto my pedestal momentarily and try to give a little direction and opinion about what “fashion” means to me.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that fashion is only manifested in designer clothes. This is grossly incorrect. Some of the best and most fashionable items I have found were purchased at Goodwill or H&M. In my opinion, fashion is taking different clothing, accessories and shoes, and mixing them to create an outfit that is unique and reflective of your personality.

Fashion is a way to express yourself without opening your mouth.

In the past, fashion was a luxury only available to the rich. You were either in or out.

For years there have been stye guidelines. No white after Labor Day. Your shoes and bag must match. You can never wear black, brown and navy together. The list goes on and can continue to be proven incorrect. The great thing about modern fashion is you can basically throw all of these former fashion rules out the window.

Some people are intimidated by fashion because

they don’t know where to begin. Here’s a pretty much fool-proof formula to create a great outfit.

First, start out with picking a statement piece. Let’s start with a gold chunky chain necklace. Next, begin to shape the outfit around this piece with items that either complement or create juxtaposition with the chosen statement piece.

One way you could offset the bulky necklace is to go with a pastel and neutral color palette in light fabrics.

For example, a mint pleated mini skirt with a pale pink sleeveless button-down, white blazer and nude ballet flats is a cute and pretty way to tone down the potentially gaudy necklace.

Last semester, a friend asked me to help her shop.

She openly admitted that she was nervous to go shopping with me. This feeling was not by any means unfounded; I tend to pick out the more eccentric pieces in stores — that stuff that you wonder “who would actually buy this?”

I think I finally calmed her nerves during the trip. I didn’t force any items in her hands because, as I said before, fashion is individualized. I wanted to help her pick out clothing that she felt great in.

This brings me to perhaps the most important part of fashion: confidence.

If you wear an outfit and walk with your head held high, then more power to you! If you get a questioning glance, then bask in the attention. Don’t be shy: let your personality shine through your fashion choices.

At the end of the day, there’s nothing more boring than someone who passively accepts what someone else tells them to wear.

Arts

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The University News

unewsonline.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Oprah Winfrey hosts ‘Lifeclass’ at Peabody The Hunger Games: SLU students comprise audience at first episode of OWN tour In what felt like a drawnout advertisement for the “O” Network, “Oprah’s Lifeclass: The Tour” inArts Commentary corporates Facebook, Skype and Twitter into a two hour-long talk show.

T h e O p r a h Kristin McGuire Winfrey Network debuted on January 1, 2011, as an American specialty channel. With less-than-stellar ratings, the network was forced to cut about one-fifth of its staff this year. However, the recent interview of Bobbi Kristina Brown and Oprah’s move to CEO may help turn things around.

The day started off promisingly as a group of college writers, including myself, were given an extensive tour © 2012 Harpo, Inc. / George Burns of the backstage of Peabody Opera House and escorted to Oprah Winfrey at The Peabody Opera House in St. Louis for “Oprah’s Lifeclass: the Tour.” our very own greenroom. As it drew closer to show time, we Six different locations were quick to tell them that they were taken to a room where own talk show, “Iyanla: Fix top Charter Cable executives My Life,” on the network this Skyped into the show, includ- committed their crimes being a women’s prison in Indi- cause they felt inadequate. and the family from OWN’s season.

The set for the show was ana and groups of fans from Laura, a single mother with “Sweetie Pie’s” schmoozed akin to a sportscast with gi- Ontario, Melbourne, Mumbai an autistic child, shared her before the event.

After being introduced ant screens live streaming and Chicago. Occasionally, story with Vansant, who to several OWN employees, the tweets of viewers at the those being Skyped in could seemed to get short with we were able to speak with Peabody. Just about every ask Vanzant a question, but Laura, saying that she “asked Oprah herself during a quick audience member had their I was not entirely sure what to be a mom . . . that’s exactly phone or tablet out, tweeting their purpose was in the show. what [she] got,” and repeatphoto shoot.

To open “Lifeclass,” clips edly asking if she loved her Everyone present was bub- about the show and trying to bling with excitement, as we get their tweet up on the giant of upcoming series on “O” child. were played with uproarious Although I agreed with were taken to a VIP appetizer screen.

A d d i - responses from the crowd. Vansant’s sentiments that a event downt i o n a l l y, Oprah then introduced Vanz- good attitude goes a long way stairs. There, v i e w e r s ant, spouting off slogans such and “forgiveness begins with we were able at home as “P.A.I.N.: Pay Attention In- yourself,” she oversimplified to speak with the show’s After being intro- c o u l d ward Now,” that would be a every issue presented and diw a t c h basis for the entire evening. agnosed guests without fully guest star, Iyanla Vanz- duced to several OWN the show When Steve, a recovering ad- listening to what they had to ant, an abso- employees, we were on Face- dict, was invited onstage to say.

I am not a life-coach expert, book and talk with Vanzant, the audilutely delightable to speak with u p d a t e ence stood and chanted his but “fixing” someone’s life ful woman.

V a n z a n t Oprah herself during a their sta- name. In minutes, “Standing cannot happen between comtus in an with Steve” was trending on mercial breaks. The idea of was some“Oprah’s Lifeclass” seems ada t t e m p t Twitter. thing of a quick photo shoot.

Vanzant diagnosed Steve mirable: showcasing Oprah’s to get it Winfrey proon TV. as one of many afflicted with life lessons, revelations and tégé who had Although the “fatherless son” epidemic, “aha!” moments in order to worked as her “relationship expert” in ‘90’s, I felt overwhelmed by the forming the root of his prob- make life “better, happier, bigbut the two had a falling out technology at the show, this lems. She used Steve’s story ger, richer— more fulfilling.”

However, the show was an over a business deal, and Van- tactic was well played by the as a cautionary tale to “never zant faded from the limelight. “O” network, as a couple dif- let your negative ego [make] advertisement for itself, and it came off as a commercialized Fast-forward 11 years and it ferent slogans and quotes of your story your badge.”

When Vansant interviewed and uninspiring version of seems that all is forgiven, as the night were “trending” on the prison women, she was “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

Vanzant is slotted to host her Twitter.

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Pushing past Provel cheese at The Good Pie

Minghao Gao / Senior Staff Photographer

The Good Pie uses a unique wood-burning oven to cook their authentic, Italian-style pizza.

Call me a “Wisconsin cheese head” or a “food snob,” but St. Louis-style pizza leaves me bafRestaurant Review fled. The crust is as thin as a Saltine c r a c k e r.

Cover it with tomato sauce and then load it with processed Molly Rippinger cheese and it has a cult following? Bon appetite . . . I don’t think so.

I needed an authentic pizza, and found it at The Good Pie in Midtown Alley.

Located on Olive Street, just minutes away from SLU, The Good Pie is nestled into an unassuming strip of buildings. The simple sign and tinted windows give off the impression of a stark holein-the-wall pizza joint, but don’t be fooled. Once inside, warmth comes from the brick walls, rustic wooden tables

and tasteful vintage decora- boyfriend and I had to wait tions. half an hour for a table. We did While The Good Pie may not spend that time clutching seem relaxed, the owner, a pager, waiting for the buzz Mike Rudolph, is anything of the hostess, but rather, we but when it comes to his piz- spent it by the fire pit on the za. Prior to opening his doors patio behind the restaurant. in 2008, he did extensive re- After relaxing out back, we search in order to ensure he were taken to our table, passwas creating a genuine pizza. ing the unique wood-burning To achieve this feat, Rudolph pizza oven on our way. enlisted the help of a masAs we walked by, we caught ter from the sight of a pizza capital per fectly of the world: crisp and Naples. bubbly Under the pie being After just 90 tutelage of pulled, finseconds in the nearly ished with the pizzaiolo– a title earned 1,000 °F oven, our aof drizzle only after olive months of and pizza was delivered to oil training unwhisked the table and ready to off to a der another master pizza table. No be sliced. maker– Rusquare dolph and his slices, just staff develdelicious oped the techniques to bring looking pizza. true Neapolitan-style pizza to Looking at the menu, I was St. Louis. immediately impressed by the Having arrived during the wide selection of offerings. If dinner rush on a Friday, my you are in the mood for meat,

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The Good Pie has an impressive list of salume ranging from mortadella to capicolla.

Each option is served with bread and costs around $13, but is definitely more than enough to share.

Even though the cured meats were incredibly tempting, my eye was caught by the simplicity of the arugula salad, which is tossed in lemon oil and sprinkled with fresh pecorino cheese.

The flavors were bright and balanced, with the emphasis of the dish being the integrity of the ingredients.

There was no heavy ranch dressing to blanket the salad in a monotone flavor– each element was enhanced by the other, thus creating a harmonious start to the meal.

I was also able to snag a bite of my boyfriend’s choice, the spinach salad. The greens were dressed in vibrant pancetta vinaigrette and tossed with Gorgonzola cheese, red onion and almonds. Though I still liked my arugula better, the spinach salad did contain a deeper richness from the flavorful pancetta.

Both were quite large portions and cost only $8 each.

Choosing a pizza to share was a difficult decision, but we ended up going with the special for that evening– a white pie topped with fresh mozzarella, kale, garlic and Guanciale. Often called “Roman bacon,” Guanciale is a cured pork cheek.

After just 90 seconds in the nearly 1,000 °F oven, our pizza was delivered to the table and ready to be sliced. Not having the patience to let it cool down, we dug right in.

This was a pizza I could appreciate and crave. The complexity of textures and flavors in each bite was wonderful, and a direct result of the unique cooking of the oven.

Kale can be dense and bitter, but because of the high heat, it became delicately crisp.

Sprinkled around the leaves of kale were the little nuggets of Guanciale that brought the fattiness needed to tame the See “Pizza” on Page 11

‘May the odds be ever in your favor’

“The Hunger Games” is amount in common. officially here. There was a Both women are incredibly ton of buzz surrounding this intelligent, physically strong film, and it and determined individuals. wasn’t for While many people would Film Review nothing. describe their actions as masW i t h culine and mimicking their fans of the male counterparts, they are b e s t - s e l l - both beautiful women who ing book are acting on their motherly by Su- instincts. zanne ColLawrence has gotten A-list lins com- attention for her part as Kating out in niss after bursting onto the d r o v e s , scene in 2010 for her part as Richard Pugh the film Ree Dolly in “Winter’s Bone.” grossed a She is on- screen for almost whopping $155 million at the the entire movie, yet her charbox office, making it the third acter hardly has a dull mohighest opening ever. The ment. film features a mix of new She dominates the screen, and old stars that helped this and her passion throughout blockbuster get an early start the film is evident. Look for to the summer movie season. her to be landing more big “The Hunger Games” is a roles in the near future. futuristic action/drama/sci-fi Joining her in spotlight movie featuring a nationwide are Liam Hemsworth, better battle royale called “The Hun- known as the boyfriend of Miger Games.” One boy and one ley Cyrus, and co-star Hutchgirl from each district across erson. Hutcherson puts out a the country are picked at ran- good effort as Katniss’ pseudom to honor their district do-lover but, for most of the and to try to be the last one film, he is there as a tool for standing.

Lawrence W h e n to use. y o u n g As far Primrose The role of Katniss as adapted Everdeen resembles screenplays ( W i l l o w somewhat from novels Shields) is Uma Thurman’s role are considpicked, her ered, this o v e r - p r o - as The Black Mamba in film was a tective sis- ‘Kill Bill.’ Granted, the s u c c e s s . ter Katniss Was it per( J e n n i f e r film is nowhere near as fect? No, of Lawr ence) gruesome . . . course not. decides to Almost any volunteer screenplay to take her taken from place, and is joined by Peeta a novel will have a few kinks Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). as the writers change platThe duo begin a whirlwind forms. adventure, as they deal with Considering the novel the crowds of people waiting takes place primarily in the to see them, the stress of pre- mind of Katniss — or so I’m paring for a fight to the death told — the writers and Direcand, of course, unexpected tor Gary Ross did an exceplove. tional job of explaining the The film is filled with a story and showing the viewblend of familiar faces, includ- ers what Katniss was thinking the ever-creepy Donald ing.

Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, This being said, there were Stanley Tucci and the always- some very prominent issues. quirky Woody Harrelson. The beginning of the film exNone of these actors, young plains the “Hunger Games” in or old, are megastars like about four lines of text before Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston, we are introduced into Katand that really helped the niss’ home. film. Seasoned veterans such The brief intro, as well as as Sutherland, Tucci and Har- the brief glimpse into the relson provided stability to daily life of Katniss, makes it the film. very hard to get interested in Sutherland was perfectly the movie. The games have cast in the role of President begun before establishing a Snow, the calculating and background, which makes watchful leader. Tucci lights the film feel rushed, and up the screen as the television leaves many questions to be broadcaster and talk show answered. host— the Hunger Games are filmed for television entertainment. His purple hair and million-dollar smile perfectly framed the circus that the media can become. Harrelson filled a similar void as the erratic and often drunk mentor for the young “tributes.”

With these solid, supportTHE GOOD ing roles, the young cast of Great performance by main characters was able to Jennifer Lawrence and shine and to steal the show. supporting actors.

Lawrence leads the newVery good use of comers with a bold perforspecial effects. mance as Katniss Everdeen, the newest female action star.

THE BAD Lawrence joins a group of very strong female leads right Some plot holes and a after Rooney Mara as the outvery long running time. cast/hero Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

THE VERDICT The role of Katniss someThis film is very what resembles Uma Thurenjoyable and was a man’s role as The Black good start for the Mamba in “Kill Bill.” Granted, trilogy. I look forward the film is nowhere near as to the next two films. gruesome, but the characters have a surprisingly large

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The Hunger Games

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Courtesy of Murray Close

(L to R) Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) in “The Hunger Games.”

Thursday, March 29, 2012

The return of the You say you want a Rebelution ‘Mad Men’ ad men Sterling Cooper Draper Harris is the glue that holds Pryce has made a timely real- together SCDP, the joke ad ization of race and racism. frightens her into thinking “ M a d that she will be replaced, M e n ” even though she is on materTelevision Review opened its nity leave. Harris’ personal fifth sea- life seems to have issues, as son with a well— she married a man t w o - h o u r who once raped her during a p r e m i e r e dispute. But hope is not lost on Sunday, for the women at SCDP. HarM a r c h ris recently was promoted to a 25. Ad ex- director position, though she ecutives at is still not paid well.

SCDP’s riShowrunner Matthew James Meiners val agency Weiner cares deeply about tried to historical accuracy. Late last poke fun at week, he changed the music in a rally for greater equality in a scene when someone pointthe corporate hiring practices ed out that it was from 1967, by throwing water bombs at not 1966. He does not wish to protestors. It seemed an op- portray racism and sexism in portune moment for SCDP a positive light, but he wants to put out an ad saying they to depict realistic experiences were an equal opportunity of working at a Madison Avemployer. The ad, which was enue firm in the ‘60s. The remeant to mock their com- sult is often cringe-worthy, as petitor, had some unintended it was this week when a charconsequences. acter talked explicitly about The episode ended with a wanting to have sex with his lobby full boss’s wife, of account while she executives, stood becopywriters hind him.

‘A Little Kiss’ gives and secre“A Little taries, all of ever y indictation that Kiss” gives whom were every indiblack and times are changing in cation that looking for the world. times are a job with changing in the firm. “A the world.

Little Kiss” Having a takes place in the early sum- black secretary is a baby step, mer of 1966, putting the epi- but it does show that they are sode after a good portion of not observing Jim Crow. It the Civil Rights Movement. was not too long ago that one What “Mad Men” has of the partners, Roger Sterlacked over the first four ling, dressed in blackface as seasons was color. The only a gag. Most of the characters non-white characters were on the show are often oblivithe Drapers’ maid, Carla, the ous to the way they treat the elevator operator, Hollis, and non-white characters. a short-lived girlfriend of a They rarely acknowledge character who is not even on the black characters unless the show anymore. Most of to disparage them. It will be the partners at SCDP have a rough transition, for sure, single-minded views on race, but Draper and Campbell with only Pete Campbell, the seem to be much more open junior partner, standing up for to change. the black protestors.

This episode was another Another issue plaguing the great work by Weiner. The recharacters of “Mad Men” is lationships of the characters that of gender. Peggy, argu- remain one of the best parts ably the best copywriter at of the show, and the politics SCDP, seems stuck in place. of the SCDP workplace are Although she has gone far in also fascinating. However, the her six years with the firm, issues that have been raised she will likely never rise to by “Mad Men’s” portrayals the level of Don Draper, the of race and are important to protagonist. discuss, especially in today’s Likewise, although Joan political atmosphere.

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Arts

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Patrick Olds / Senior Staff Writer

Southern-Californian band Rebelution at The Pageant.

It has been said that “the seed of revolution is repression.” This statement is in stark contrast with Concert Review the seed of the band Rebelution, w h i c h o r i g i nates in a peaceful message delivered Patrick Olds by reggae sound.

On Fri., March 23, Rebelution spread its roots at The Pageant.

Performing with The Green and PEPlove, Rebelution seeks to promote a message of peace, along with many other causes, through their “Peace of Mind” tour.

Rebelution came to St. Louis with high levels of anticipation that mounted from the point they announced their tour date in the fall of 2011.

According to their website,

Rebelution united in southern California in 2004 over a need to perform for college students, and a desire to give these students a message of hope that promoted multiple world-friendly causes.

The group has developed a significant following within the demographic that they originally sought, and shot up the charts for reggae music.

The stage was set. The crowd was relatively sparse at the outset for lesser-known groups PEPlove and The Green, but that changed by the time Rebelution took the stage just before 10:00 p.m.

The mood elevated from sedation to anticipation. Members of the audience jockeyed for position on the floor to enhance their points-of-view.

Rebelution entered to a chorus of cheers from every section of the venue. The stage setup was relatively simple, with a two-story stage.

The second level was built out of wooden crates bearing a green emblem. The band

was flanked with plants that resembled another certain illegal-looking plant.

The setting seemed to portray a laid-back atmosphere, all the way down to the wardrobe of the artists. The band members did not wear leather pants and crazy jackets.

Rather, they wore t-shirts, jeans and cargo shorts. The bassist was even wearing a Sacramento Kings basketball shirt. The concert looked like it was more of a jam session in someone’s basement than a band on tour.

Make no mistake, this was not a turn-off— their wardrobe selection is one of the reasons that Rebelution has such a loyal following: They don’t seem to conform to other people’s ideas of style.

The lights were not a significant part of the show, but contributed to the grazing, billowing, smoky setting. Very frequently the lights would turn green, implying a favoritism of the aforementioned illegal plant on stage.

The audience did not seem to care for anything but the music, and they participated many times.

From the lighters that went erupt to the swaying of arms back and forth, the audience did whatever they could to connect with the musicmakers on stage.

The highlight of the entire show was when the song “I’m Feeling Alright” played. All the band had to do was sing the first line, and the audience sang the rest with added echoes of “yeah, yeah” after the lead singer’s “I’m feeling alright.”

The show proved to be a mellow and endearing performance and gave the audience exactly what they sought, minus the faux ending that most bands seem to implement— the curtain call. The routine begins when the artist acts like the show is over, but ends abruptly so that the audience is left with disbelief and, only when the place erupts, the band re-enters to finish with a few more songs.

With the help of the opening acts, the end of the show really brought all of the performances together. This show seemed to be a quenching, hydrating force to nourish the seed that is Rebelution.

Pizza: Eatery opts for fresh ingredients Continued from Page 10

acidic greens.

Underneath the toppings laid a perfectly melted bed of fresh mozzarella cheese. The intense creaminess indicated the freshness of the product, which I learned comes from a nearby farm in Illinois, where the cows are milked on Monday and the cheese is delivered on Wednesday.

My favorite part of the pizza– the crust– was kissed with the ashes of the oven, and had a terrific body and crunch.

There was just enough to act as a solid foundation for the pie, but it did not distract from the flavors of the toppings.

For $13, I found this pizza a bargain, considering the high quality of ingredients and excellent execution. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to sample any of the other varieties, but after my dinner I would safely bet they are all delicious. The Good Pie will not break your bank, with menu items ranging from $10.50 to $16.50. If you have room, they also offer a changing list of gelato that is a great end to the meal, paired with a cappuccino.

While The Hill may be considered the Italian hot spot of St. Louis, I challenge you to push the Provel to the side, cross the street and give our neighborhood pizza place a try.

Whether joined by family, friends or a date, trust me, you will not be disappointed with the authentic tastes of Naples that The Good Pie serves up!

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Thursday, March 29, 2012

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