No. 26 Apr 28

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

unewsonline.com Spring Fever 2011

Vol. XC No. 26

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Inside: Find out what students have to say about the Spring Fever Concert.

Motion City Soundtrack and Cartel provide talent and entertainment for SLU community >>ARTS

Good Friday tornado slams St. Louis communities Storm serves as safety reminder

By KRISTEN MIANO News Editor

Ryan Giacomino / Photographer

Debris is all that remains of junior Kelsey Hayes’ home. Approximately 20 homes in Hayes’ neighborhood were ravaged by a EF4 tornado on April 22.

Airport shuts down, over 200 homes are destroyed in storms

By DERRICK NEUNER Associate Sports Editor

No one thinks it will happen to them, but on April 22, an EF4 tornado, the largest storm to hit the St. Louis area since 1967, created a path of destruction through St. Louis County in Missouri and Madison County in Illinois.

That night, Saint Louis University junior Kelsey Hayes said she joined her best friend Mary Ray Staples and her family for dinner, an invitation she usually declines.

Hayes and Staples live in Bridgeton, Mo., located near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

KTVI Chief Meteorologist Dave Murray said he closely tracked a severe line of storms traveling southeast across St. Charles County the night of April 22. Earlier in the week, Murray had forecasted a major weather event in the St. Louis area.

“It was time to be ready for it,” he said.

Around 8 p.m. tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service for St. Louis County and St. Louis City.

“The sky turned orange and the winds got really bad. You could see outside their house; three trees fell down and we were thinking that must have been the worst of it,” Hayes said.

“A piece of a roof fell a foot from my car. After that, I knew I needed to get home.”

Hayes said she insisted on return-

ing to her home and had to travel home on foot because the roads were blocked. As she neared her street, she said she couldn’t find her house because the two-story brick house was swept away in the storm “Almost instantly you could smell the gas leak, and I started screaming my dogs’ names,” Hayes said. “I don’t hear any barks; I don’t see any movement. I started … crying and calling my parents. My parents didn’t understand that the house was gone. It’s like it was never there.”

Down the street, SLU freshman Tigré Smith and her aunt were looking out the windows at the darkening sky.

“The power went out, and you could hardly see outside,” Smith said. “It was really loud. You could hear things hitting the house. Trees were being uprooted … I kept thinking, ‘wow, is this really happening?’ It was horrible.”

When the storm passed, Smith’s neighborhood was destroyed. Her aunt’s house was spared with only a damaged roof.

As the storm passed through northern St. Louis County, it also impacted Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

Curran Hennessey, a high school senior from East Grand Rapids, Mich., was aboard American Airlines Flight 699, from St. Louis to Chicago-O’Hare.

He was traveling home after visiting Washington University in St. Louis.

Hennessey’s flight was supposed to leave Lambert around 7:30 p.m., but his flight was delayed by the storm

Ryan Giacomino / Photographer

A jet departs Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on Wednesday, April 27. Plywood has replaced much of the glass in Terminal 1 and Concourse C has been closed indefinitely due to extensive damage.

ON THE WEB>> View more photos from the tornado damage at unewsonline.com. and remained attached to the gate at Lambert’s Concourse C. When the storm hit Lambert, Hennessey said the plane was tossed twenty feet from the gate.

Debris from houses and the airport hit the plane.

“It was terrorizing, having the See “Storm” on Page 3

While no one was killed during the tornado in St. Louis on Friday, April 22, over 70 people were killed in storms over the southern United States on Wednesday, April 27.

This serves as a strong reminder of what tornados are capable of. At Saint Louis University, there are several systems in place to ensure that students remain safe during storms.

“We put in place several allhazard radios throughout the campus,” Connie Tillman, the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Department of Public Safety and Security Services said.

“We give out emergency cards that you can carry with the ID for immediate actions.

Recently we got access to the list serves for residence halls, and we can send out mass emails to everyone on campus.”

But the warnings and messages are not always taken seriously.

“I’m usually out on my balcony, watching the storm,” sophomore Jon Levin said. “If it looks like it’s going to turn bad, then yes, [I’ll head to the basement].”

DPSSS has done training at SLU101 sessions to explain the tornado sirens, stating that if the siren sounds, there is eminent danger and that they will not go off in St. Louis city unless there is a tornado warning.

The SLU Community Emergency Response Team is also trained in tornado preparedness. CERT is a group of students and staff who are trained to assist first responders in the event of a disaster.

Facility Services and DPSSS are also trained in tornado damage response and would be notified by a paging system that alerts all primary personnel.

Even with all the measures taken, Tillman still worries about how prepared SLU students are for a disaster.

“It’s on my mind everyday.

I would be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Tillman said. “It’s our responsibly as a community to make sure everyone knows what’s going on.

“If you see people walking around when the sirens are off, grab them, bring them inside, and tell them it’s a severe situation.”

SGA moves forward on inclusion Student input sought on Pius XII plan Barbecue event in quad sparks support for oath

By ERIKA MILLER Enterprise Editor

By KRISTEN MIANO News Editor

“We, as students, form a diverse and vibrant university community.”

So states the opening line of the new Saint Louis University Oath of Inclusion, a long-term project by the Student Government Association, which seeks to spell out what it means to be an inclusive community on a college campus.

The Oath was officially launched and revealed to the student body at a barbecue held in the quad on Tuesday, April 19.

Despite tornado and storm warnings blaring over the radios, SGA President Courtney Anvender said she thought the event was successful.

“I think there is a really good energy here, maybe because its not raining yet,” Anvender said, “but I think

it’s cool that students want to see what this is and what’s happened with it.”

Though the turn out was promising, several students who attended were just hearing about the Oath for the first time that day.

“I’m not really sure what this is,” junior Lizzy Burns said, “but I think diversity, particularly focusing on inclusion within diversity, is important, because you can have diversity and not include people. It’s important to stress the inclusion factor.”

To promote awareness of the Oath, members of SGA handed out copies of the text with burgers and root beer that were served at the event.

“We have sign up sheets for people to sign up to help in the future,” incoming Vice President for Diversity and Social Justice, Kripa Sreepada said. “We also have surveys asking what students think inclusion is because it’s such a hard concept to define.”

Kati Cundari / Associate Photo Editor

Students sign the Student Government Association Oath of Inclusion in the quad on Tuesday, April 19.

See “Oath” on Page 3

In his April message to the Saint Louis University community, President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., said the University is continuing to explore the possibility of renovating Pius XII Memorial Library, assuring that updates are made to current study spaces. Plans, however, are not definite.

The University sent a request for proposal in the fall to identify an architect for the library project. Perry Dean Rogers Partners Architects, an architectural firm based in Boston, was selected to create a set of potential design plans.

“Perry Dean Rogers is a leader in their field and is dedicated to building SLU the library it desires and needs,” Student Government Association Academic Vice President Katie Becherer said.

Members of Perry Dean Rogers visited SLU the first week of April, kicking off a 20-week design process.

Director of Pius Library David Cassens said the three-day

meeting with the architects included a tour of the library and discussion of relevant points about the building and general renovation needs.

“We’re very pleased with the architects, I’m sure we’ll have an open exchange with them about the needs we hope will be implemented for Pius Library,” Cassens said.

To gather student input, SGA invited students to a town hall meeting with the architects on April 5. Becherer said this town hall was one of the highlights of her time on SGA. “I was so proud to be a member of a student body that asked intuitive questions and offered insightful suggestions,” she said.

SGA President Courtney Anvender said the architects were proficient when interpreting what students and faculty had to say during the town hall.

Perry Dean Rogers has collaborated on many other university library projects, including work at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and Webster University in St. Louis, among others.

“[The architects] understand student culture and know the building needs to be a place that fits our lifestyle,” Anvender said.

At the meeting, students were able to ask questions and offer suggestions to the architects that will be incorporated into a number of design proposals to be presented at the end of the design process.

See “Library” on Page 3

Rain, rain go away

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

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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Let Us Introduce You Joshua Walehwa

Director of Housing and Residence Life loves art, social justice

By PRIYA SIROHI Staff Writer

Keeping the books in order for the Department of Housing and Residence Life is a daunting task, but for Joshua Walehwa, it is an art form.

“It’s not like crafts or scrapbooking. Constructing books mixes storytelling and art.”

Teaching children how to make books, as well as teaching drawing and claywork at the St. Louis Art Museum, are a few of many activities Walehwa balances. Aside from his position as Director of Housing and Res Life at Saint Louis University, he is involved in the Regional Arts Commission, a non-profit organization located in the Delmar Loop which works to provide grants to arts organizations. His efforts as part of RAC combine his passions for art and social justice. Walehwa believes in the institute’s mission that art can be a force for change and community improvement.

“When there is service in areas with talent and passion, it is sustainable. This is the next challenge for tomorrow’s college students,” Walehwa said. “Where do we get out?

In areas we have talent and skill. There are ways of giving through your gifts.”

Walehwa has many gifts and skills that he is eager to share with SLU, and he brings diverse experiences to the job.

“I have been very fortunate in life. I am so blessed and grateful to be here, at SLU, right now,” Walehwa said. “I was born in Uganda, and I came here when I was little, and I grew up in California.”

Raised by a single mother with five kids, his first job was as a newspaper boy. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from the University of Iowa before going on to earn a Master’s in Student Development in Postsecondary Education. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Students are the source of his passion for education and social change.

“I’m a first-generation college student,” Walehwa said. “I

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

7:09 p.m. - FIRE ALARM A student stated while cooking bacon she went to do homework and the smoke from the bacon set off the fire alarm.

There was no fire. Maintenance responded and reset the alarm

Monday, April 18

7:00 p.m. - INFORMATIONAL A SLU student notified DPSSS and advised she has been receiving harassing phone calls, text messages and emails. All were sent anonymously.

The student believes they were sent from her home town in Nebraska, by an ex-girlfriend who is dating her exboyfriend.

Tuesday, April 19

4:07 p.m. - STEALING UNDER $500 DPSSS discovered a photograph missing in Duborg Hall while making a building check on Friday, April 15, 2011. A Marketing and Communication employee also noticed the missing photograph. The employee is in the process of determining the description of the photo.

Wednesday, April 20

4:21 p.m. - STEALING UNDER $500 A SLU student contacted DPSSS and advised that person(s) unknown had removed his bike, which was secured to a bike rack.

The bike has been missing since Tuesday, March 29, 2011.

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

SGA discusses amendment to bylaws Minghao Gao / Photographer

always wanted to know why students go to college then don’t finish, and what keeps students in college.”

Since 2002, he has worked at Coe College as the Director of Housing, as the Residence College Director at Brandeis University and as the Assistant Director of Housing at Washington University in St. Louis. He has only positive things to say about coming to SLU. “SLU is an impressive place. And with its Jesuit background, it really connects with my values.”

Walehwa also acknowledged the larger community who helps to make Res Life possible on campus.

“Everybody does their part, and everybody makes it work,” Walehwa said.

Although he admits that he keeps quite busy, Walehwa

finds time to indulge in his love of art with his fiancée.

The two of them enjoy visiting art galleries together.

“I like Latisse; I like funky [artists], Friday Kahlo, you know,” he said, “And, as cliché as that may be, I just love Michelangelo and ‘David’.” I love figure sculptures, paintings and drawings, and Leonardo Da Vinci. I really have a wide, eclectic taste in art.”

For Walehwa, however, creativity is not reserved only for the art. He finds creative outlets in the people he surrounds himself with, and in this way he has found a home at SLU. “I stay blessed. I have great people all around me,” Walehwa said. “We learn together, grow and make the community better. I wake up every morning feeling very fortunate.”

Make summer count.

By KRISTEN MIANO News Editor

This week’s meeting of the Student Government Association was brief in comparison to last week, as the senate burned through the four items on their agenda in just under an hour.

The meeting began with a presentation from the Saint Louis University Barnes & Noble Bookstore by Tricia Polly, the bookstore’s Textbook Manager.

Starting in the Fall of 2011, the bookstore will be starting a program which will allow students to rent books for less than half the price of buying the book new. The bookstore is working on making as many books as possible rentable online or in the store, and all payment methods will be acceptable.

Next, senate discussed the bill to amend the bylaws to restructure the associa-

tion’s diversity, inclusion and social justice efforts, which would include creating a new service leadership committee and changing the name of the Vice President for Diversity and Social Justice’s title.

The only complaints with the bill that were voiced were hesitations about the name change.

“I have a problem with the name change, but they worked really hard on this,” Arts and Sciences Senator Jimmy Meiners said. “For what they want to do, this amendment is the best option.”

After a passed amendment to the bill to keep the position’s name the same, proposed by Fusz Hall Senator Caroline Rutledge, the bill was tabled for a week and will be voted on during next week’s senate meeting.

The meeting wrapped up with the approval of new senators for next year’s senate and an allocation annual funding

to the women’s water polo team. The team missed the meetings and funding process this year because of a miscommunication between them and the finance committee.

Their budget was reviewed over the Easter break, in time for a vote during this week’s senate meeting. The team was allocated $4,110 in annual funding by a unanimous vote among the senators.

Corrections: In last week’s news article,“5 of 8 organizations appeal successfully in senate,” the statement that the positions of VP for Diversity and Social Jusice and VP of International Affairs were to be combined was incorrect. Additionally, Rainbow Alliance recieved $6000 in funding, not $10,000 as stated. The University News regrets these errors.

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Concert to aid relief efforts in Japan Students sell paper cranes and host events to raise money

By PATRICIA SCHAFER Staff Writer

After a 9.0 earthquake sparked 23-foot tsunami waves that hit northeastern Japan on March 11, Saint Louis University senior Linda Holyoke saw the wreckage on the news and decided to take action to raise funds for relief.

Now, with paper cranes and a concert, several SLU students have made a difference in earthquake-damaged Japan.

“I realized that even just one person can make a difference,” Holyoke said, citing the book “Three Cups of Tea,” written by Greg Mortenson, as her inspiration.

She began talking with students and realized that other Chartered Student Organizations were looking for ways to assist the relief effort, but no one group had a definite plan.

The Asian American Association, the International Student Federation and the Diversity Leadership Cabinet called a collective Japan relief meeting to discuss the most effective way to gather funds and increase awareness of conditions in Japan.

Sophai Thach, philanthropy chair of AAA, said the need for a central idea was crucial.

At the relief meeting, the CSOs decided to focus on two efforts to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross: Selling 1,000 paper cranes and hosting a Japan Benefit Concert.

According to Holyoke, Japanese tradition says that a wish will be granted to the folder of 1,000 paper cranes; the team

wanted to respect this tradition as they sought to raise funds and awareness of conditions in Japan. The Filipino Student Association, Delta Gamma, Delta Sigma Phi and Alpha Phi Omega offered to help with the logistics of folding cranes and setting up for the concert.

“We thought it would be great to have more man power this way instead of just with one group,” Holyoke said.

With funding from Student Government Association in place, students began folding cranes. Several CSOs held crane-folding workshops to encourage students to participate. After finishing the folding effort, cranes sold in the BSC two weeks ago for $1.

The group sold over 430 by the end of the week.

Anita Cheng, DLC Vice President and ISF president, was impressed by the way CSOs joined for one cause.

“Sometimes people find niches and stay there at SLU. But in this case, we pushed for collaboration between different groups, and it really worked,” Cheng said.

At the relief concert on April 14, a cappella groups Decadence, Astha, Bare Naked Statues and other student acts performed for a crowd who gathered for a $5 admission fee. According to Holyoke, the Red Cross will double all funds raised by students. Oscar Vazquez, SGA Vice President for Diversity and Social Justice, said a substantial amount of money has already been raised.

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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Library: Renovation plans move forward Continued from Page 1

Ledia Riley / Photographer Musicians preform at the Japn Benefit Concert held April 14th in the West Pine Gym to raise money to aid the relief efforts in Japan after the tsunami

“The last amount of money I have heard that we have raised so far between the concert and the cranes is a little over $800, and we are expecting that to grow in the coming weeks,” Vazquez said.

Reflecting on the experience of helping to organize an entire concert in a little less than a week, Thach was happy with the team effort.

“SLU’s Jesuit mission tells us that besides having brains for school, we must have hearts willing to care for others. That’s what we were trying to do,” Thach said.

Though the concert has past, the team is considering looking for ways to continue their efforts to raise money for Japan. Cheng said that

students would still try to sell 1,000 paper cranes and were examining possibilities for selling cranes in the future.

In addition, Holyoke said students might form a group at SLU that concentrates on disaster response assistance.

She also noted that several lectures are planned in response to the Japan earthquakes that will allow students to gain more awareness of current situations in Japan.

Overall, students felt that the time and effort they put in to helping others was worth what they received in return.

“It feels good to do good because that’s how it should be.

We’re not here for ourselves,” Holyoke said. “We have to stick together.”

Students fight back against cancer at Relay for Life

“We are just so pleased to finally get started on this; we interviewed here in January and saw the building, and we said, ‘Wow, this has nothing but potential,” Martha Pilgreen, a principal of Perry Dean Rogers, said in the meeting.

During the design process, the architects plan to make two additional visits to campus.

Anvender said the architects will present design plans that can be used for fundraising to the board of trustees in September.

“Much work still needs to be done, including identifying funding sources, but this potential project is a priority for students and for me as well,” Biondi said in his message.

The push for a library renovation began last spring. A survey on the library was distributed to students, and members of SGA researched the libraries at peer institutions.

The comparative research was combined with feedback from the surveys to create a proposal for renovation. SGA members presented the proposal to the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) and the board of trustees in the fall.

“What I believe sets this project apart is that it is student-driven and student-focused,” Becherer said.

“The administration recognizes this dynamic, and I believe they are committed to seeing that the library renovations reflect the students’ wants and needs.”

Since the project is in the initial design phase, no concrete renovation plans have been decided.

“We really don’t know what [the architects] will come

back with,” Cassens said.

“We’re still waiting for them to give us ideas.”

As the project moves forward, members of SGA said they are confident that students will be given a voice in the renovation plans.

Incoming SGA Academic Vice President Patrick Grillot has been involved with the library project since the research phase began and said he plans to keep students engaged with the library project.

“I encourage students to really dream big,” Grillot said.

“If we have to cut back, that happens, but we’re really looking for the best we can get out of [the renovation].”

Grillot said he would like to see an entrance on West Pine into the library, an expanded capacity and other amenities that will make Pius the centerpiece of campus in the design proposals.

“Students really want a functional space to study that they feel comfortable in,” Grillot said.

Anvender said continuing to gather student energy and feedback is vital for the project’s success. “[Pius] needs to be a building full of life that inspires learning. In order for that to happen students need to express what learning really means for them,” Anvender said.

Pilgreen also acknowledged the value of student involvement during the town hall.

“It is important for students to speak very clearly and very loudly about the services they need to be better scholars and better citizens,” Pilgreen said.

“It has been tremendously insightful how they have thought about what they want for the library.”

Oath: Official document launched at barbecue creation of the Oath of Inclusion was a necessary step because it clearly outlines what According to Sreepada, is expected from the student SGA began working on the body.

Oath of Inclusion in the sum“The Oath is important mer of 2010 and have been de- because it puts forth a very veloping it during the entire formal document about how first and most of the second Saint Louis University is comsemester. mitted to being a very incluThe finished Oath asks stu- sive community,” Sreepada dents to emsaid. brace diversi“I think ty inclusive of the docuall races, ethment gives nicities, sexstudents I am ver y proud of the a manner es, genders, ages, abili- Saint Louis community. in how to ties, faiths, act and orientations, This is obviously a step asks them classes and if they’ve forward and the rest of met this ideologies.

It challengstandard.” es students to the student population A n assess their is stepping forward as v e n d e r worldviews, agreed, work to en- well. stating rich the culthat the ture of SLU -Richard Peralta Oath gives and encourthe stuages them dent body to foster a a universal welcoming mission to community while working for live up to. social justice both at SLU, in “We’ve had a lot of good St. Louis and beyond. feedback so far, and even “I am very proud of the now, the Oath of Inclusion is Saint Louis University com- bringing people together,” munity,” Richard Peralta, Anvender said.

Residence Hall Coordinator “I’m curious to see how of Fusz Hall said. this continues past this event.

“This is obviously a step I think the Oath is really imforward, and the rest of the portant for Saint Louis Unistudent population is stepping versity because this is for the forward as well. student aspect of the commuSaint Louis University re- nity. ally is becoming a stronger It’s about what we are all community as people for oth- about and how we expect ers.” ourselves and each other to Sreepada stressed that the behave.”

Continued from Page 1

“

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Associate Photo Editor

In an effort to raise money for cancer research, freshman Turk Thomas allowed people to write names of cancer patients and cancer vitctims on his head. “I shaved my head earlier that day in support of a friend with brain cancer, thought what else could I do to help, thought I had all this head-space, so I might as well charge people a dollar to write on my head,”said Thomas. Thomas was one of hundreds of students who participated in Relay for Life on April 16th.

Storm: Friday’s Tornado largest to hit area since 1967 Continued from Page 1

airplane swing all over the place. I learned you can go airborne without leaving the gate. It was very surreal,” Hennessey said.

Hennessey said.

“There was debris everywhere. You think of an airport as being orderly … There was baggage everywhere, everything was in disarray. Vehicles were upside down. The runway was indescribable,” Hennessey said.

The Mich. native said his part of the state rarely experiences tornadoes and compared the pressure difference, a tornadic hallmark, to “flying verticle in a F-15 jet.”

“I was scared sh*tless,” Hennessey said. “I was dumbfounded by the experience.”

In Hayes’ neighborhood, around 20 houses were severely damaged and later condemned. Parts of Hayes’ house were scattered amongst the yard and neighborhood.

All that remains of Hayes’ house were the bushes from the front yard and the deck that had been attached to the back of the house.

Hayes, who had taken mission trips to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, said “it is hard connecting the devastation to here. It’s bizarre. You always see it elsewhere; it’s never your home.”

Hayes said because she usually doesn’t heed the warnings provided by tornado sirens, if it not been for the Staples, she would not have survived the storm.

“I grew up with the sirens, I’m used to them,” Hayes said, “Mary is the reason I’m alive.

If I hadn’t been with them, I wouldn’t be here. I would have been on my bed, which was crushed by walls caving in. My bed was still made under the rubble.”

Though the home is lost, Hayes said her family rescued over 300 loads of laundry from the house, which were later ashed free of charge, and her mother was able to locate her wedding band.

Hayes also experienced the power of the winds generated by the storm ad how randomly destructive they can be.

“My dad’s boss at the airport called and said they had found a picture of (me) from 1997 at a friend’s birthday party. It was plastered against a window at Lambert,” Hayes said.“It’s a picture I wish no one would ever see, but finding these things means a lot.”

Hayes, a member of Alpha Phi Omega, received an outpouring of support from the SLU community.

Vice President of Membership for APO David Gentle said the organization is planning a number of fundraisers and has established a Hayes Family Fund.

“We will be selling shirts for $12 on campus, $9 of which will go to the family,” Gentle said. “On Mon., May 2, Humphrey’s Restaurant and Tavern will be donating 25 percent of food sales to the fund; on Tues., May 3, Laclede Street Bar and Grill will be donating 25 percent of food sales between 5-10 p.m.

“We have other fundraisers planned for Vito’s, Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe and Pappy’s BBQ. We plan to announce those in fliers on campus next week.”

More than 251 residences were destroyed in the St. Louis area because of the April 22 storms, but no one was killed.

KSDK Meteorologist and SLU professor Mike Roberts attributes the lack of severe injuries to early warnings.

“Considering that so much of this (storm) happened in the Metro area, the fact that no one was killed is miraculous. It speaks to the success of the lead time we have now (on these storms) as being very effective.”

According to Murray, a La Niña pattern has taken hold over the Midwest region.

Typically, a La Niña year experiences more violent and more frequent tornadoes.

Outbreaks of 40 or more tornadoes are generally expected with this weather pattern.

On April 22, cool Canadian

air collided with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, creating a favorable atmosphere for tornadic storms.

Murray said strong thunderstorms usually die out before they reach the St. Louis Area.

Called the “Arch effect,” the air over the city is usually drier and weakens approaching thunderstorms.

Since storms feed off the air 20 to 30 miles ahead of them, super-cell storms typically fade out over St. Louis County when they encounter the dry air over St. Louis City.

Around 7:20 p.m. on April 22, two smaller thunderstorms saturated the air over downtown St. Louis.

These storms forced a delay in play for the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Later, two super-cell storms raced across west-central Missouri.

Instead of losing power, the storms gained power as they approached the St. Louis area. Murray said this was a recipe for “a pounding.”

“Mother Nature will do this from time to time; it’s something we live with here in the Midwest,” Murray said.

“I love the challenge of the forecast and getting the information out, but I do not like the results.

“I spent three hours Sunday in a war zone in St. Louis.

It’s both amazing and painful.”

”

Allison Smith / Photographer A car lays over turned in the destruction caused by the tornado that hit St. Louis on April 22. The tornado, which was the largest to hit the city since 1967, destroyed 251 residences and damaged Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

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Missourians’ rights under attack if bill is approved

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

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Oath of inclusion’s positive intensions blurred by lack of needed discussion While the idea of taking an oath that “will embrace people for the diversity of their identities, creating a community inclusive of race, ethnicity, sex, age, ability, faith orientation, gender, class, and ideology” is admirable, Student Government Association’s most recent event fell short of what could have kicked off a movement towards social justice on a globally conscience campus.

On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, the Student Government Association launched the Oath of Inclusion: An oath meant to bring Saint Louis University’s community together in acceptance and understanding of the many differences on SLU’s campus.

The event, however, did not highlight the main purpose of the oath: To bring a sense of community among its students, as well as a sense of understanding and tolerance.

Instead it became an opportunity for a free dinner for many students. Incentives are key to events, but free food should not have been the focus of the occasion. Inclusion should have been the focus. Campus unity should have been the focus.

Issues as complex as gender roles, racism, sexual orientation, etc., are not solved through a signing of a “peace treaty.” They are solved through honest discussions, knowing that not always will there be an agreement. There must always be an understanding of differences that transcends from semester to semester and

from year to year.

Swearing an oath by writing a name on a piece of paper can easily be forgotten, lost in time and thought. Actions toward others, however, cannot.

SLU students, who are often involved on campus while also taking an over whelming amount of credits, train themselves to push out information as they take in more. In order for an event to influence students as occupied as SLU students, there must be more than dinner on the quad with an oath on the side.

If the Oath of Inclusion would have been presented earlier in the year, followed by proactive events, SGA could have had a stronger impact upon SLU students.

There has to be a clear definition of SGA’s intentions with the Oath of Inclusion. Those students who understand the implications of having an inclusive campus, are already aware of the positive effects that it could have. It is those students who do not feel as strongly about the Oath of Inclusion that must be drawn in and convinced.

Next fall, as SLU’s campus begins to come alive with new and returning students, SGA should strive to bring this message forth with more events that include active discussions that “embrace people for the diversity of their identities,” in efforts to create a diverse campus, not only in race, gender, age and faith, but most importantly, a campus diverse in thought.

B*llikens for Choice’s surprise encourages sex talk Students have sex. That is the message the anonymous student group B*llikens for Choice brought to light on Wednesday, April 20, as the group distributed 1,000 condom-filled eggs around campus. Although B*llikens for Choice is not recognized as an official student organization, the group made a point to make their presence felt.

Their creative egg hunt was an outlet for free expression that had SLU’s campus talking about sex-- a talk that is most often dreaded by parents and censored by the administration.

However, the “sex talk” is an important conversation that should be free of fear and embarrassment, and these types of student demonstrations create a platform for open discussion. While the eggs created a dialogue, this conversation could have been brought about in a different manner. Having an Easter egg hunt for condoms, though entertaining, is an immature way to bring about such an important topic.

As a Jesuit University that practices Catholic ideals, the University does not approve of the pro-choice mission of B*llikens for Choice, causing the group to stay anonymous.

As public citizens, we are granted freedom of expression, but the administration has certain regulations, by which all private

“

students are obliged to abide.

If the administration made an exception to the rules, it would be unfair to both SLU and to fellow students who are subjected to conform to the University’s regulations.

Additionally, if an Easter egg surprise had been picked up by a visitor unfamiliar with the campus or condoms, then responsibility for the egg would have been thrust upon the administration, not B*llikens for Choice.

There could have been a better way to distribute contraception to SLU students, possibly off campus, which would have stayed in line with the University principles.

Whether or not B*llikens for Choice went about expressing themselves in a way that is deemed acceptable in administration’s eyes, however, is not truly important now.

What is important is that their original egg hunt creates a conversation, essential to this time, where it is a fact that SLU students do have sex on campus and that student pregnancies may hinder education: The very reason this University exists. “Sex talk” should not be censored, no matter what kind of views we hold, because the consequences of sex are serious, whether it be a reprimand from administration or pregnancy, and there should be an on going, comfortable conversation about it to prevent negative outcomes.

‘Sex talk’ should not be censored, no matter what kind of views we hold.

”

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

Students share what movie they are looking forward to.

(69 votes total) What upcoming movie are you looking forward to the most?

49%

The Hangover Part II

29%

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

16%

Rio

6%

Scream 4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Missourians’ rights as employees, renters and home-buyers are under attack in the form of SB188, a bill that currently sits on Governor Nixon’s desk to be either approved or vetoed.

This legislation changes the language of the Missouri Human Rights Act to make it harder to prove discrimination in employment, and otherwise. If the bill succeeds, instead of having to show that discrimination was a “contributing factor” in an adverse action against an individual, a victim of discrimination will have to prove that discrimination was the “motivating factor.”

The bill makes it easier for employers and housing providers to hide behind other reasons besides discrimination for firings or mistreatment of individuals, or even simply ignorance of the law. In terms of employment, is also would place a cap on the punitive damages that could be charged to discriminating employers, erase individual liability against discriminators and greatly limit whistle-blower protections.

Despite the fact that this legislation has been brought to the table with the supposed assumption that it would bring state law closer to that of federal law, it ironically may do the opposite, making state law no longer substantially equivalent to federal law.

This could result in the closure of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, a non-biased entity which seeks to determine the validity of discrimination cases, an could mean the state’s loss of roughly $1.1 million federal dollars.

Discrimination cases then would have to be taken on by federal entities such as H.U.D. and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These organizations, if overwhelmed by the increased volume of cases, may resort to having out-of-state evaluators assessing Missouri discrimination cases.

Legislation that allows for discrimination is regressive policy and a step backwards for Missouri.

Concerned Missouri citizens can contact the governor’s office to encourage a bill veto.

- Rachel Boeglin is a senior in the College of Education and Public service

Quotes of the week

“ “ “

If it wasn’t for Mary [my best friend], I wouldn’t be alive.

- Kelsey Hayes is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

” ” ”

See Page 3.

Training was the hardest thing ever. You really need to push yourself.

- Rachel Wessling is a sophomore in the School of Nursing.

See Page 10.

I have been very fortunate in life. I am so blessed and grateful to be here, at SLU, right now.

- Joshua Walehwa is the Director of Housing and Residence Life.

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See Page 2.

It is important for the SLU community to recognize students in various disciplines, so it is important that the talents of students in the fine arts are acknowledged by the SLU community.

- Sharron Pollack is a faculty member of the department of Fine and Performing Arts.

”

See Page 8.

Opinion

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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Unveiling the cowardice in the battle of State against Church Dear Kate M., As summer nears, mosquitoes will head out in full force, ready to cause you unnecessary pain to stick with you for the rest of Commentary the season, striking once with a seemingly endless backlash.

Thus, the giant mosquito bite of human histor y—the classic battle of Church and State— Stepanie Mueller has unnecessarily str uck again, and an end to this backlash does not appear to be in sight.

This mosquito hovers above France, thought to be one of the most developed and advanced countries in the world but proving cer tain discrepancies to the theor y with a recent law.

The law bans covering one’s face in public in order to assure that a person could be identified in the event that they commit a crime. In addition to motorcycle helmets with shields, the law also bans veils like burqas and niqabs, traditional garments of Muslim women that cover the entire face.

The law hit a climax last week as two women were arrested for wearing burqas in public in an attempt to protest the recently instituted law and heavily debated threat to religious freedom.

Police claimed the women were arrested for protesting without a permit. The simple act of civil disobedience transpired into a seemingly personal attack on a religion that holds the second biggest concentration in France, next to Catholicism, raising more controversy than ever intended.

The wording of the law never mentions Islam specifically, but alludes to the traditional practices of the religion by including the wearing of veils. The French government claims that no specific religious prejudice is intended,

do not rub it in

just to keep more jobs within city limits. The jobs that have simple tasks, well-defined boundaries, and plenty of firms to supply competition should be outsourced. Costs would be lower and this would open up more room for the city workers to continue with their proper occupations.

More importantly, competition must be maintained in these inhouse opportunities. The government will still run into problems if they contract a monopoly as they did with the some outsourced companies. Breaking down jobs will keep firm prices competitive because no one will control the entire operation. The issue of contracting shows that even now that New York has decided to move more in-house, all the parties must be carefully examined before these huge jobs are meted out.

The most disturbing consequence of this move would be backing up political implications. The concept of keeping jobs within our own cities seems nice, but not ver y efficient or humane. If jobs can be more effectively done somewhere else, that is where they should go.

This will free people on our front to do the jobs in the appropriate sectors instead of keeping them in the spot they are in now for the sake of convenience. Outsourcing jobs does not mean the loss of jobs for anyone, but rather a shift to jobs in another line of work. Looking at this as a point for nationalism would hobble any gains from this move.

New York moving jobs in-house has got many people ver y excited.

While even though an economic perspective does match up with this possibly political move, there are many dangers to still be avoided. The city must be careful to outsource the appropriate jobs to best utilize its own work force and to give out contracts to competitive firms. New York must avoid getting too much of a political agenda.

For when they start to think of outsourcing as selling out to distasteful foreigner companies, they will forget the common humanity between ever yone. Jobs may be an opportunity to connive for some, but for most- whether that is in New York boundaries, the U.S., or abroad- it is just a means to live.

I first got married in second grade. It happened in my backyard, on a sticky July afternoon that smelled like BBQ and launCommentary dry detergent. To be honest, I don’t remember my groom’s name, but that’s not important. What really matters is that we were both ready for the commitment; Melanie Moriarty we’d known each other for at least 25 minutes. I was sure he’d make a great husband because he knew how to tie water balloons, a skill I definitely lacked.

At the time, I was sure I’d met my match.

The ceremony was breathtaking, if I may say so. It took place right next to the sandbox and was officiated by my groom’s older sister, whose name I also seem to have misplaced. My nameless boytoy had on fish-printed swimming trunks, and I wore a sundress by Old Navy and shoes by Keds. We didn’t kiss because, well, that would have been disgusting, but it’s still a day that I’ll never forget.

Like many other college girls striving toward that ever-elusive MRS degree, my friends and I discuss our future weddings quite often. We talk about appropriate venues (churches, beaches, castles); we talk about the perfect colors (emerald green, lemon yellow, bright coral); and we talk about when the big day will happen (not too soon, not too late…seriously, do you think I’m going to die alone?).

Lately, I’ve noticed that these conversations have been occurring in greater frequency. This shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. Thanks to Facebook, I learn on a daily basis that another one of my friends is either engaged, married or expecting a child. While my elementary school best girlfriends brainstorm bouquet arrangements, I burn frozen pizzas in my apartment and wonder what it would be like to bungee jump out the window.

A few months ago, I went home for dinner, and my dad had a surprise for me: He and his on-againoff-again girlfriend had tied the knot in our living room that morning (and you thought your family was weird).

Without telling anyone, they hired a minister to come over and do the deed. The conversation went a little something like this: “Melanie, we have something to tell you. We got married this morning in front of the fireplace. It was really great. Do you want pork tenderloin for dinner?”

Because the relationships and marriages in my life resemble sitcom snafus, I think it’s hard for me to seriously participate in these dream wedding conversations.

Truth be told, I’ve never been one of those girls who has had her ideal ceremony planned since she was old enough to read the tiered text tucked between the tulle and taffeta in bridal magazine articles. Mentally, I sometimes feel like I’m still in second grade—willing to marry a skilled stranger, yet unnerved by the idea of actual commitment.

Speaking of commitment, most guys I know balk at the mention of a wedding. They’re okay with a marriage (in like 20 years), but a wedding? That’s a girl’s job, that glossy affair. So why, then, does it startle the male population when they discover that most girls have been planning their day for years?

Isn’t that what’s expected of us?

Unless you live under a rock or just generally have more important things to think about, you know that the wedding of the century lingers on the horizon: On April 29, 2011, Prince William will marry Kate Middleton, thus thwarting every girl’s undying desire to become a princess. I’m trying not to take this too personally.

I’ve never wanted my wedding to be a huge ordeal, but more like a party with a purpose and people I know. I’d be perfectly fine eloping— so long as it’s to an island somewhere, and not to the living room of my house. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think there’s more to a marriage than lace and champagne and satin trains. If there’s anything I learned from my first wedding, it’s that you should probably be able to name your groom, no matter how much you think he has to offer.

To all the bewildered boys: If you ever see a group of girls huddled over Vogue’s bridal issue, don’t worry. We’re talking about favors and flowers and fountains, not fiancés. It’s okay to be freaked out. I sure as hell am. I mean, it’s been 13 years since my last marriage, and I’m not sure we ever got an official divorce.

So do I, Melanie, not-so-secretly wish I could still marry into the royal family? Do I think I’ll have another water balloon fight at my next wedding? Do I already have baby names picked out? Do I think that this is all a little ridiculous?

Yes, yes, yes and yes. For better or for worse, I do.

Debra Reilly is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Melanie Moriarty is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Mauriel Blakeley / Illustrator

naturally, but the law’s ambiguities prove to prejudice anyway. If the goal, by using vague language, is to steer away from religious controversy, they are failing miserably. Instead, they are merely opening up the doors to a slippery slope of legal ambiguities. By American standards, if the wordage identifies the covering of one’s face as illegal, could this include baseball caps or sunglasses? What about scar ves or headbands?

The first flaw of the law is the pretense it was passed under. It seems almost unbelievable that this law was voted through with the label of ‘security’ purposes.

The French government obviously tried to legitimize the law by placing an official topic header above it, but instead, represented themselves as cowardly and ignorant.

Hiding behind this mask of security is just that: Hiding. It is a motion that lacks braver y and honesty where both are most needed. The ignorance to the public’s disgust at this law is a further setback in the government’s failing endeavor.

Second, it should go without say-

ing that the government is meant to protect the personal freedoms of its people while simultaneously advocating their safety. These two should be able to work together without cancelling the other out. The real challenge of the government is to find that medium and promulgate it in the best way possible and not by eliminating certain religious norms.

In every battle of Church vs.

State, there is the above-described conflict of safety vs. freedom, a conflict that has branched out to other aspects of governmental reach but rarely ends with a contented people, as is the case now.

It is a choice that the government must make in some situations, current airport security being one of those. In order to protect flights from terrorism, security standards have been heightened to a level that could almost be considered an invasion of privacy and a breach on one’s personal freedoms. After incidents in the past that prove this necessary, the near-invasion is, at the very least, understandable.

The veil has not given reasonable cause for these actions. It is pre-

ventative, maybe, but has no basis for prevention. Airport security has the power to uncover a concealed weapon but the revealing of one’s face only has the power of identification, which has no standing in preventing major acts of terrorism.

Lastly, creating a law whose child is an inevitable, widespread backlash is a step that governments should never take.

Granted, ever y law will have supporters and opposition, but it seems that this law almost has that opposition built in, undeniable in a world where the subject of religion has become so touchy.

Governments should not exclude necessar y laws because they will cause controversy. They should exclude laws that seem so minute in their effect for the general population but dire in their effects on a select few.

Limiting religious freedom is the first step to chaos. Yes, the government should protect their people, but this is not the way to do it.

Stephanie Mueller is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.

reCaptcha digitalizes texts, but still needs human help We are all scholars. This is not some feel good statement for those who need a pick-me-up after studying for hours on end. Anyone who Commentary has set up a free email account, bought a ticket online, created a Facebook account, made an account on Craigslist or any other multitude of activities is a Stewart Heatwole scholar.

You might be thinking, “What do those sites have in common... nothing,” but there is one thing that they do have in common. It is called a reCaptcha, or a Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart. Luis von Ahn, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, invented this device in 2000 to aid in the digitization of texts.

In 2008, The New York Times was undergoing a massive project to digitize all its newspaper issues from 1851 to the present.

This project was one that really introduced the idea of digitizing documents.

Libraries today are under taking massive efforts to digitize there libraries—a logical task as computers take on more duties in everyone’s daily and professional lives.

The computers that are converting the physical texts to digital copies come across words they do not recognize.

This usually results from the texts being old, ink fading or yellowing of pages. This is a major inconvenience for researchers because they would have to go through and manually fix ever y mistake.

Humans alone can recognize these letters, whether we are 50 or 13 years old. As the creator of the reCaptchas, von Ahn said, “Your brain is performing a task that, despite 50 years of research in computer science, we cannot yet get computers to do.”

We, humans, do not have to understand the words, we just have to know the alphabet and have a moderate amount of deductive reasoning.

So von Ahn decided to monopolize on the fact that only humans translate these words. Computer spammers are some of major websites’ biggest problem, but with the reCaptchas in place, the computers are not able to break even the sites’ first line of defense.

“

This is pretty ingenious, not only is there an interesting intellectual and academic use for these devises, there is also a practical use— something that breaks the trend in inventions that only have one use.

For example, the light bulb simply has a practical use, to light areas; the light bulb itself is not doing any intellectual task, unlike a reCaptcha.

One might wonder how useful these translations actually are, or how much of a difference the reCaptchas are actually making.

Surprisingly enough, reCaptchas are making an incredibly vast difference, “The number of words that we’ve been able to digitize like this is insanely large. It’s like 1.3 billion by now,” von Ahn said. That is enough to fill more than 17,600 books. The real kicker, though, is that these translations are done with 99 percent accuracy.

In recent years, Google has started using the reCaptcha software to help in digitizing all the books they are putting into “Google books.”

Just like everything in life, there are some failings, but compared to the successes that have been seen, the failings are minimal.

Failings generally occur when a person is presented two words and one is an inkblot or a smudge, thus rendering it unsolvable.

Other controversies have risen when customers were presented two words that in combination were offensive, but these occurrences are few.

Its last failing comes with cursive writing. Few people today read cursive thus resulting in incorrect translations, yet these problems are inconsequential when looking at the many accomplishments reCaptchas have under their proverbial belt.

My feelings are mixed on this technological development. It is so amazing that we are able to literally rewrite history, but at what cost?

Are we losing the book in its physical form? Books require paper, which requires us to cut down forests, which just about everyone knows is awful for the environment.

But what is the cost of making everything digital? Technological devises require energy and that has a large environmental impact.

In conclusion, the question I would like to pose is, how much thought and reflection have we put into this new technology?

It is so amazing that we are able to literally rewrite histor y, but at what cost?

”

Steward Heatwole is a freshman in the College of Education and Public Service.

Starla Salazar / Illustrator

New York seeks balance in city jobs In what seems like a complete 180 from its previous position, the Bloomberg administration has decided to bring more Commentary work inside of New York City instead of contracting out. This move comes after years of criticism over the high level of outsourced work. The govDebra Reilly ernment claims it will save tons of money in the long run, but such thoughts are dangerous. Not all jobs are efficient to keep within city limits, especially if those New York companies are monopolies. Giving work to these price-gobbling private companies deals just as bad a hand as giving jobs to outside organizations.

Sensitivity about giving as much work as possible to one’s own people feels nice locally but displaces someone else from their job.

There are two kinds of jobs New York needs to consider while contracting. According to Danahue, chairman for Har vard University, the outsourcing of jobs should not happen when tasks are complicated, there is not a definite set of goals and there is a lack of competition. If the tasks are the contrar y and outsider work better provides for these ser vices, then the job should be outsourced. The jumbling of these two contracts to the wrong companies is exactly what has lead to such an instate uproar.

Take for instance the redoing of the 911 and CityTime systems as pointed out by Lisberg’s Daily News City Hall Bureau Chief. The frustration of not being able to track these outsourced producers illustrates the adverse affects from giving away the incorrect jobs. In moving to reincorporate these contracts at a city level, New York finally seems to be moving in the right direction.

The city cannot be tempted to tr y to keep as many jobs as possible. They will have to remind themselves to outsource certain jobs. If they need more people to be trained and work for these technology jobs because of the inherent benefits, then they should also make sure they are not holding people in ineffective positions

Games

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Thursday, April 28, 2011

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Comics/Student Art

Last Week’s Solutions:

By Noah Berman

Sudoku

Figger It

Crossword

Word Search

Arts

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

Thursday, April 28, 2011

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OUT

Motion City Soundtrack rocks Chaifetz

TOWN

Spring Fever provides energy and fun for students

on the

Arts Editor’s Picks

MUSIC Thursday, April 28 7:30 p.m.

Bare Naked Statues Spring Concert: BNS Goes to Hollywood AB Auditorium, Cook Hall Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door 10 p.m.

The Takeover with DeadasDisco and DJ Uptown The Pepper Lounge No cover charge Friday, April 29 7:30 p.m.

Bare Naked Statues Spring Concert: BNS Goes to Hollywood AB Auditorium, Cook Hall Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door 7:30 p.m.

String Orchestra Concert Saint Francis Xavier College Church Admission is free Sunday, May 1 8:30 p.m.

William Fitzsimmons with Slow Runner Firebird Tickets are $15

THEATER Friday, April 29 8 p.m.

Dead Man’s Cellphone Xavier Hall Theatre Tickets are $10 for general admission, $9 for seniors, staff and faculty and $7 for students Saturday, April 30 8 p.m.

Dead Man’s Cellphone Xavier Hall Theatre Tickets are $10 for general admission, $9 for seniors, staff and faculty and $7 for students

OTHER

Thursday, April 28 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Preview and Purchase Party: Student Art Exhibition Boileau Hall Friday, April 29 4:30-7 p.m.

Student Art Exhibition Opening Reception Boileau Hall Saturday, April 30 12-4 p.m.

Student Art Exhibition Open Viewing Hours Boileau Hall

Hundreds of Saint Louis University students traded their raincoats for glow sticks on Wed Concert Review - n e s d a y, April 27 as Motion City Sound - t r a c k headlined the stage at Chaifetz Arena during the anAndrea Royals nual Spring Fever Concert with catchy pop-rock tunes and a fog machine.

Sponsored by the Student Activity Board each year, Spring Fever features a major musical act and allows free admittance to students.

In the past they have brought acts such as Augustana and Ben Folds.

Motion City Soundtrack shared the stage with Cartel, a band from Georgia that has been making music since 2003.

Rocking melodies many college-age students have grown up listening to, the concert granted students in the University community a chance to revisit their younger days.

“I think I first heard Cartel when I was learning to drive,” senior Danny Laub said.

The band played several original songs before introducing Motion City Soundtrack, including their first hit “Honestly” as well as a cover of “Wonderwall” by Oasis.

Cartel has spent the month of April touring to various college campuses across the country and said they were excited to be visiting Saint Louis University.

Like Cartel, several students have listened to Motion City Soundtrack for years.

Hailing from Minnesota, the band formed in 1999 and just launched their most recent album entitled “My Dinosaur Life” in January 2010.

The album includes song such as “Her Words Destroyed My Planet,” Pulp Fiction” and “Stand Too Close.”

Motion City Soundtrack’s lead vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre draws inspiration for his lyrics from artists like Tom Waits and Ben Folds, assuring that each song tells a unique, personal story.

“Disappear,” the hit song from their latest album, had the SLU community singing a cappella in unison, painting a landscape of edgy-punk beauty on the arena floor as soft pink lights landed on each head of the audience, unifying them with the band.

Serene moments, however, were hard to come by with this pop-punk group.

The band members were obviously enjoying themselves while they were on stage, as they danced with animated head-banging and vigorous strums on the guitar.

The award for most enthusiastic band member would go to keyboardist Jesse Johnson, a hipster-turned punk-rocker who quickly changed out of his trendy clothes and thick red framed glasses to sport a more black gritty fashion just moments before stepping on stage.

Johnson’s vibes delivered his energy straight to the audience, as he worked up a sweat dancing along with each song.

Motion City Soundtrack said they are currently preparing a new album, and (Shah) Yuqing Xia / Associate Photo Editor

See “Spring Fever” on Page 9

Motion City Soundtrack (top) served as the main act at the 2011 Spring Fever concert, which took place on Wednesday, April 27 in Chaifetz Arena. They were joined by Cartel (bottom), who served as the opening act.

Latest University Theatre play weaves complex plot

By T.J. Keeley Staff Writer

In the last production of the year, University Theatre director Tom Martin promises a journey from “a bowl of soup to the heavens and back.”

The play is Sarah Ruhl’s “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.”

Our protagonist is Jean (played by senior Alexandra Woodruff), a lonely and insular woman who hears a cell phone at another table

ringing without end.

No one is answering it because the cell phone’s owner, Gordon (played by sophomore Mark Holzum), is dead.

Jean falls in love with the dead man and promises to keep his cell phone.

As the plot weaves more and more complex episodes, Jean finds herself meeting several very weird people from the dead man’s life, including his mother and his mistress, and learning things

about him that challenge her concepts of love.

Woodruff said that “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” plays like “a Tim Burton romantic comedy, full of crazy situations that should stir the audience up.” Similarly, Holzum said, “’Dead Man’s Cell Phone’… [will] make the audience use different muscles…[because it is] not like your normal play.”

Ruhl has received universal acclaim for “In the Next Room (or The Vibrator

Play),” “The Clean House” and “Passion Play,” among others. Martin was drawn to the material because he “adores Sarah Ruhl” and argues that she is “our greatest living playwright.”

Ruhl’s trademark, a lack of specific stage directions and an insistence that actors do not invent back-stories, provided challenges for the actors. Woodruff admitted that Ruhl’s call to live in the moment “scares [her] to death,” but that she “has a lot

in common with Jean…[they both] need to make people feel better.”

Holzum remarked that Ruhl’s ambiguous stage directions allowed for the theater to make some intriguing choices with the set design. “The set is pretty cool,” Holzum said, “and [they’re] doing stuff with cameras and projecting that gives it the kind of feel that See “Cell Phone” on Page 8

Arts

8

The University News

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Cell Phone: Director encourages organic acting approach

SLU Step conquers competition for third time Alpha Phi Alpha awards group in Non-Greek Strolloff

Continued from Page 7

you’re not really watching a show.”

According Woodruff, one of the main themes of the play is “the cell phone culture: How to connect in a world that is so connected via machines, but not on a personal level.”

Holzum agreed that Ruhl’s play exposes how technology allows people to feel connected without “ever interacting with people.”

These relevant, modern themes and what Martin calls “industrial-strength whimsy” assure Martin that “anybody’s going to love this thing.”

Disconnectedness was not a theme on set, however.

Both Holzum and Woodruff lauded Martin’s directing, commenting that Martin encouraged an organic approach to acting and suggested the actors bring a bit of themselves to their roles.

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” will be performed Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 and again from Friday, May 6 through Sunday, May 8.

Tickets can be purchased at slu.edu/x38574.xml or at the Box office in Xavier Hall from 12-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

unewsonline.com

By ASHLEY JONES Arts Editor

Saint Louis University Step team secretary Erica Hammond is proud of her team.

The group recently won at this year’s Non-Greek Strolloff competition for the third consecutive year.

The competition is hosted

by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and involves various Missouri universities, as well as some out-of-state universities.

“I am proud of the team.

We put a lot of hard work in…

The end result is always what we expect,” Hammond said.

The team began practicing for the competition last semester before winter

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

break. They initially began by practicing twice a week, but started practicing every day once the competition got closer.

SLU Step became a chartered organization in 2009; however, they began performing before then.

The organization is made up of two different parts.

One of these parts is the Non-Greek Strolloff team.

Hammond explained that this portion of the team requires tryouts and is more intense because it is the section that competes.

The other part of the team participates in different events around campus. In the past, the group has performed at events such as SLU’s Got Talent.

Hammond explained that the group mixes well and has grown as a family since its formation.

“Once you have that family bond, it’s easy to get things done,” Hammond said.

She explained that the team has remained consistent throughout the years because there was always one person left on the team to pass on their traditions.

Hammond is currently a senior and has been on the team all four years of her college career.

She explained that it is a bittersweet feeling to have performed in her last competition with the team.

“I am so proud of the team and what we’ve accomplished,” Hammond said.

Concert contributes to collaboration, awareness of local creative community

Sophomore Mark Holzum plays Gordon in the University Theatre’s latest production, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.” The play will take place April 29-30 and May 6-8.

Art exhibition: Culmination of curriculum for seniors

By Patricia Schafer Staff Writer

On Thursday, April 28, advanced Saint Louis University studio art majors have an opportunity to display their talents for the University community at the Student Art Exhibition in Boileau Hall from 9-11:30 a.m.

The exhibition gives the campus community the chance to look at the students’ art prior to the opening of the exhibit to the public.

Students can buy art, ranging in price from $20 to $600, or merely view the drawings, sculptures, painting, prints and photographs available.

In addition, departments are encouraged to purchase students’ pieces to be displayed in offices around campus, creating and atmosphere of commitment to the students that the departments serve.

According to Sharron Pollack, Studio Art program director and associate professor of Studio Art Fine and Performing Arts, the exhibition that started 41 years ago is an opportunity for students to begin the shift from the classroom to the real world.

“Within the context of our local conditions, students are able to begin imagining a transitional audience for their work that exists outside the instructional studios,” Pollack said.

Students must go through a rigorous selection process, called the jury process, to exhibit their work.

Students submit pieces to compete for limited number of spaces in the display; then this jury decides on the pieces most worthy.

This experience fosters an awareness of the way organizations select entries in local, regional and national juried exhibitions.

Any student taking studio art classes, whether a major, minor or visual communication certificate student, or a student taking a single class may submit to the exhibition.

However, with stiff competition, the exhibition primarily displays work of advanced members of the fine arts community at SLU. “We have about a dozen senior studio art majors this year, and they will be displaying their most recent art work in the exhibit.

This show serves as a culmination of their work in the studio art program, so the seniors are the standouts in this exhibition,” Pollack said.

The exhibition concludes hours of developing artistic skills and techniques; however, artists are still open to learning experiences.

“By going to an exhibition, analyzing the artwork and asking student artists questions about their work,

the students benefit from the viewers input,” Pollack said.

“An exhibition space is where the student work finally meets the audience.”

The student art on display is not limited to paintings or photographs. Ceramic/sculpture, prints, drawings, paintings, photographs, digital artwork and graphic design are all represented at the exhibition.

In addition, fiber and metal pieces representing the Craft Alliance Grand Center and SLU conjunction will be available in the display.

Other events are planned for the weekend. On Friday, April 29, a reception will be held in Boileau Hall from 4:30-7 p.m. to acknowledge submitting artists and open the show to the public.

In addition, purchase awards, merit awards and collector awards are given at a ceremony. Refreshments will be served for all in the SLU community who wish to attend.

Pollack said that attending the Student Art Exhibition will increase respect for diversity in lifestyles and majors at SLU. “It is important for the SLU community to recognize students in various disciplines, so it is important that the talents of students in the fine arts are acknowledged by the SLU community,” Pollack said.

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

Aaron Stovall, vocalist for St. Louis-based band So Many Dynamos sings at a “secret” concert held Friday, April 22 in studio space within local venue, Jefferson Underground. The concert was held in support of the St. Louis Art’s Project, which aims to create collaboration and awareness among the local art community.

unewsonline.com

Arts

9

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Spring Fever: Glowsticks, dancing cause amusement among concert attendees ‘Laramie Project’ elicites emotion

Continued from Page 7

some of the fresh songs heard in Chaifetz might be included in the collection.

Pierre will be visiting St. Louis again in June when his side-project band Farewell Continental takes the stage on June 18 at the Firebird.

Hopefully his return to St. Louis in the summer will include an improved performance, as the sound and technical problems impaired the quality of the show.

“The show, minus the terrible sound quality, was energetic and fun,” Laub said.

However, Laub vowed he would not buy Motion City Soundtrack’s next album because he said he does not typically listen to that genre any longer and was not pleased with their last two releases.

Laub said he attributes his change in attitude toward Motion City Soundtrack to his own taste, and not the style of the band, as they still play “pop-driven rock songs about girls” at age 30.

Whether or not audiences can agree upon an enjoyable genre of music is insignificant to some of the best components of the evening- the glow sticks and the dancing.

Nearly every audience member could be seen on the arena floor waving a colored wand to the beat of the music.

Some students, took their enjoyment of the glowsticks too far and were reprimanded after childishly chucking their glow sticks at the bands.

Some were also reprimanded for crowd surfing to the foot of the stage.

Throwing things and dangerous dance stunts are not new phenomena to the poprock scene.

It is this energuy that causes Motion City Soundtrack to come to motion when playing in front of energetic audiences as seen at the University.

“Sometimes it’s just fun to play live,” Pierre said.

(Shah) Yuqing Xia / Associate Photo Editor

Motion City Soundtrack performed at the 2011 Spring Fever concert on Wednesday, April 27. The band released their most recent album, “My Dinosaur Life” in January of 2010.

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On Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15, the Saint Louis University Rainbow Alliance presented “The Play Review Laramie Project,” a story following the after math of the death of a gay youth in a small Stephanie Mueller Wyoming town.

In 1998, University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, was viciously murdered in a hate crime rooted in extreme homophobia.

Based on hundreds of interviews, the eight-person cast successfully portrayed a broken and conflicted town on the small stage of the Black Box Theatre, beautifully bringing to life the heartbreaking tragedy.

The first shining point of the play was the utilization of the stage.

The 60-seat theater hardly seemed to have room for a proper performance upon first glance.

Once the show began, though, it was more than apparent that every inch of the stage would be used to the actors’ advantage, at no point proving to be too crowded or cramped.

The way the actors moved about the stage was riveting, probably the most captivating aspect of the play, even trumping the story itself.

It was amazing to see the actors flawlessly move into their spots from different directions, knowing precisely where to stand to make the most aesthetically interesting arrangement without the confusion that can so easily happen in such a small outlet.

As a cast of eight playing more than 60 different characters, the actors themselves cannot be overlooked as vital contributors to the success of the play.

Each actor effortlessly morphed into the next accents, costumes and personas, easily changing as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

From a non-theatrical stance, the actors’ complete knowledge of each role they were asked to undertake was the most impressive part of this play.

There was no hesitation as to which character the actor was expected to play next, and, inasmuch, no question as to the work and hardship that surely went into the creation of the play.

A play that is able to elicit emotion from the audience is always a sure sign of success.

In the portrayal of the candlelight vigil following Shepard’s attack, the lights went low, actors entered the stage with a small light, and a slow and sweet Gospel song played in the background.

If nothing else struck the audience, this was the moment that truly embodied the message of the play.

If there were anything to criticize about the play, it would have nothing at all to do with the particular SLU production.

The play was written in three acts, separated by brief intermissions.

While I am confident it was written that way for better organization and clarification purposes, it occasionally had the tendency to slow the action of the play down, possibly losing audience members on the way.

It could hardly be said that there were any definitive flaws of the production, and it was difficult, regardless of the audience’s personal beliefs to not be intrigued by the message and production of the play.

The controversial “The Laramie Project” successfully executed its two-night run and undeniably gave its audience something to think about.

Sports

The University News Talk to us: Talk to us:Brian BrianBoyd Boyd 314.977.2812 314.977.2812 sports.unews@gmail.com sports.unews@gmail.com

Thursday, April April 28, 14, 2011 Thursday,

unewsonline.com

Commentary

Billiken Briefs Men’s Soccer The Billikens wrapped up their spring season with a victory over St. Louis rival Washington University. Sophomore Alex Sweetin continued his successful spring by netting a goal, and freshman Adnan Gabeljic did the same in the 2-0 victory.

SLU finished up the spring with a record of 2-2-1. Their schedule included some marquee opponents, most notably MLS team Columbus Crew.

“Our approach and attitude to our road games are improved, which is one of the major things we wanted to accomplish this spring,” head coach Mike McGinty said.

Women’s Soccer The women’s soccer team will finish off their spring exhibition schedule against the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State on Friday, April 29 at 6 p.m.

Admission to the game at Robert R. Hermann stadium is free.

Men’s Basketball On April 30, the men’s basketball team will be hosting their FanFest at Chaifetz Arena. The event is free and open to the public.

Players and coaches will be present at the event, including head coach Rick Majerus.

Fans will have the opportunity to interact with both the players and coaches while recieving a close-up glimpse of the basketball facilities and the team’s pregame routines.

There will also be a Q&A session with Majerus and the players at the event, which begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m.

Track

and

Field

The Billikens competed in the SIUE Twilight Invitational at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on April 24.

Multiple athletes achieved personal bests at the event as well as seasonal bests.

Standing out on the men’s side was sophomore Will Whitehead, who posted a time of 11.40 seconds in the 100-meter dash, the best time this year at SLU. Senior Gavin Robey finished fifth overall in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.79.

On the women’s side, junior Amanda Thompson finished third in the long jump, and freshman Jessi Collins finished fourth overall in the long jump.

The Billikens resume action on April 28 at the Drake Relays.

No telling what is next in this topsy-turvy sports world I think I know everything there is to know about a lot of sports. Is that cocky of me?

Sure, but in a world Commentary filled with voices screaming to fill the vacuum space that is ESPN, it seems ever yone Derrick Neuner can be an expert at something.

Take Mel Kiper, Jr., for example. For the last several weeks, we have endured him changing his mind on who will go first in the NFL Draft,

which takes place this evening on the NFL Network.

Kiper said he has a system to determine who will take who. So do I; it’s called guessing. No one has any idea what teams will do when it is finally their turn to pick off the big board.

Will Cam Newton go first?

If this is really the year of the quarterback, why isn’t Kiper guaranteeing it?

The easiest pick is the first one. From there on, teams get a limited amount of time to make their decisions. Put enough smart people under pressure, and they are bound to crack.

Take Tim Tebow for example. The Denver Broncos shocked the NFL world when

they took Tebow in the first round. I guess not everyone knows everything.

Before I move on from football, I think that we will have an NFL season, but I do not think it starts until October.

Why? Money and lots of it. Who wouldn’t want a few extra millions or billions in their pockets, anyway? It doesn’t make any sense to me to play football when you can cancel the season and make money anyway.

I mean, what do you have to lose from shutting down America’s most profitable sports industry? Oh, I don’t know; ask Bud Selig.

Speaking of Selig, I bet he’s an anxious man these days.

The MLB just acquired a bankrupt and headed-to-catastrophe Los Angeles Dodgers club, and the league apparently has an attendance issue.

I guess baseball without steroids just isn’t as fun. Or maybe it’s that America’s pastime just isn’t what it used to be.

With over 160 games each year, and nearly every game televised in some form, there really is no incentive to go to the ballpark. That’s why they invented high definition televisions.

The only real reason is to watch Albert Pujols.

That’s right, I said it, to watch “The Man.” Could this be his final year in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform?

Gasp!

I know ESPN is hoping to get exclusive rights to The Second Decision.

But I know that Pujols will be back, at less than $30 million a year and not for 10 years, and that Cardinal Nation will stop hyperventilating.

I also know the Cardinals will be in first in the National League Central when we return in late August.

Yes, I know that the NBA and NHL playoffs are fantastic this year, but who really cares?

Canadians and Miami fans care I suppose.

How crazy is it that a Canadian team may win an American championship?

Hey, what do I know?

Women’s Track and Field

Featured Story

High hopes for new fall recruits

SLU student packs a serious punch

By BRIAN BOYD Sports Editor

After his team posted a school-best finish at the Atlantic 10 Indoor Track and Field Conference Championships this past season, track and field head coach Jon Bell is taking steps on the recruiting trail to keep the Billikens climbing the A-10 ladder.

On April 26, Bell announced the signing of four studentathletes who will participate on both the cross country and track and field teams.

Madie Alexander, a Springfield, Ill., native, was named to the Illinois Class 2A Cross Country All-State team this past year.

Alexander has been described by Bell as “having a breakout season this past year” and as someone who could become a “constant contributor.”

Laura Hogan, an Ohio native, comes from a strong running pedigree. Her high school, Magnificat, has won three straight Ohio Class 1A state championships in cross country.

“It is my hope that Laura will bring that winning attitude into our program and continue that success here,” Bell said.

Jaimee Holmes, another Illinois native, comes from a small school, but posted solid times and according to Bell, has shown great talents.

Rounding up the recruiting class is Michigan native Natalie Myers.

Similar to recruit Laura Hogan, Myers’s high school team also won a state championship.

“I could tell right away on Natalie’s recruiting visit that she fit into our training system and our program,” Bell said.

All three student athletes will have four years of eligibility beginning in the 2011-2012 season.

“I am excited to have this group of women joining our program next year. I believe they will allow the help the entire women’s program take large steps forward,” Bell said.

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

Rachel Wessling, a sophomore nursing student, began training to box her senior year of high school. She continued her training shortly after she arrived at Saint Louis University and has won her only fight to date.

Meet Rachel Wessling, the toughest girl on campus

By TYLER VACHIO Staff Writer

Rachel Wessling, a sophomore nursing student, has always been a competitor.

Her competitive spirit is what led her to where she is today.

It all started in high school when Wessling played in a Homecoming powder puff game and a player on the opposing team decided to bend the rules.

If that player knew what the rest of the world is finding out about Rachel Wessling, odds are she would have kept her hands to herself.

“I was getting checked in the throat by an opposing senior girl. I knew that was not right,” Wessling said.

In response to the cheap shots, she took the girl, picked her up and threw her to the ground. Wessling was summoned to the vice principal’s office, unsure of whether or not a punishment would be given.

None was.

Instead of a punishment, the vice principal offered a constructive piece of advice, suggesting that Wessling find a way to channel all of her ag-

gression and competitiveness into something more productive.

Wessling took that advice to heart. She enrolled in boxing classes her senior year af high school in Lockport, Ill. When it came time for her freshman year of college to start here at Saint Louis University, Wessling chose to focus on school, not boxing.

Upon arriving at school, she began to realize how much she missed the sport and looked for another means to satisfy her competitive hunger.

Instead of immediately returning to boxing, she tried her hand at a new type of combat sport: Kickboxing.

“I soon realized that I really liked what I was doing earlier and wanted to just enroll in some more kickboxing classes,” Wessling said.

She found a local boxing gym here in St. Louis on Olive Boulevard. The boxing gym soon became her new home ring, where she took all-female kickboxing classes on a weekly basis.

It was at this gym where her boxing talents finally became noticed. A man named Rob

Wisdom came up to Wessling after one of her classes and asked her how long she had been boxing.

“I told him that I have never been trained to fight, just some classic boxing skills and these kickboxing classes.

Then he asked me to join his fight team. I was really surprised that he asked me,” Wessling said.

She accepted his offer.

As a college freshman, Wessling had to balance nursing classes and a parttime position on a fight team, something not many college students can do. Wessling has done so admirably, however.

After months of difficult training, Wessling discovered that she would be able to participate in her first fight in January of 2011.

That was all the incentive she needed to step up her training regimen. Wessling began taking her training and focus to a whole new level “Once I found out that I was going to be eligible to fight, we stopped practicing and started training. Three times a week for an hour a day and then two hours on Tuesday and Thursday,” Wessling

said.

Like most SLU students, Wessling was able to enjoy her Christmas holiday with family and friends, but she returned early to ensure that she would be prepared to compete.

When she did return, her one hour a day, three day a week workouts gave way to an even more brutal regimen.

Wessling began training four hours a day, six days a week in preparation for her contest. According to her, the hardest part of it all was not the physical punishment, but the mental strength required.

“Training was the hardest thing ever; you really have to mentally push yourself. Boxing is complicated like that,” Wessling said.

Jan. 28, the date of her long-awaited fight, did not go as smoothly as she had predicted. Wessling’s first opponent, Whitney Powell, cancelled the fight that morning. However, to Wessling’s surprise and relief, a new opponent was scheduled. Elle Fisher, a junior championship kickboxer, was a little bit See ”Wessling” on Page 11

Women’s Tennis

Atlantic 10 recognizes four student-athlete standouts

By BRIAN BOYD Sports Editor

Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Casey Miller has excelled on the court and off of it, being named All-Conference and Academic All-Conference.

The most successful season in team history was capped off with a bevy of individual awards handed out to Saint Louis University women’s tennis student-athletes.

For the second straight year, graduate student Hailee Elmore was named as the Most Outstanding Performer in the conference by the coaches in the league. Last year, Elmore was the first ever SLU student-athlete to collect the honor.

She was also named the Atlantic 10 Conference Women’s Tennis Student Athlete of the Year and as a member of the Academic All-Conference team.

In addition to the Outstanding Performer honor, Elmore was named to her third consecutive A-10 All Conference team, an unprecedented feat in school history. She posted

a 22-6 record this past year, Her performance in the A-10 Championships was as gutsy as they come. With a berth in the championship match on the line, Elmore came from behind to win her match and propel the women’s tennis program to new heights.

Elmore leaves SLU as the career-victories leader in both singles and doubles play and is currently ranked No. 118 in the country.

She is the first Billiken to receive a national ranking and is currently in contention for an NCAA tournament bid.

“Her list of accomplishments is a result of constant preparation, attention to detail, the joy of competing and an absolute bitter refusal to be beaten. She led all of us this year,” head coach Jonathan Zych said.

Junior Jenny Nalepa also earned first-team All-Conference honors, joining Elmore.

Last year, she was named to the second team. Nalepa posted 21 total wins on the year Senior Casey Miller was named to the second team AllConference squad, as well as the A-10 All-Academic team.

She posted 15 wins in singles play and a 16-8 mark in doubles.

Miller finished her career with the second-most doubles wins in SLU history.

Head coach Zych said that Miller has been “a joy to coach” and has “an all-around perfect game.”

Last but not least, freshman Stephanie Hollis was named the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer in the conference.

Hollis was spectacular in her first season with the Billikens, posting a 26-4 record, the third best in school history.

“There is no tougher competitor in the A-10 than Stephanie Hollis,” Zych said.

Sports

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11

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Baseball

Softball

Mixed results against A-10 foes Billikens endure tough stretch

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Associate Photo Editor

Senior Nick Becker has been a valuable asset for the Billikens offensive attack, posting a .284 average for the year while providing senior leadership to the rest of the team.

April 15 No. 25 Charlotte Saint Louis

April 21 Saint Louis St. Bonaventure

3 0

1 5

The nationally ranked and Atlantic 10 leading 49ers lived up to their billing as the best pitching team in the country, blanking the Billikens by a score of 3-0 in the first contest of the three-game series. SLU, owners of the second best ERA in the A-10, held their ground behind sophomore Alex Alemann’s seven innings of one-run ball, but were unable to crack 49ers’ starter Andrew Smith, who allowed only three hits in a complete-game shutout performance.

The Bonnies put SLU in a hole early, jumping out to an early three run lead, and the Billiken offense was never able to catch up. Alex Alemann got off to a shaky start, allowing a three-run homerun in the first inning, his first of the year. He recovered by holding St. Bonaventure scoreless until the sixth inning.

Once again, the Billikens threatened in the ninth with singles

by Cody Cotter and Connor Gandossy, but were unable to do any damage.

April 16 No. 25 Charlotte 5 Saint Louis 10

April 22 Saint Louis St. Bonaventure

In the second game of the series, the Billiken bats showed no fear against the vaunted Charlotte pitching staff, lighting up the scoreboard in a 10-5 victory. The 10 runs were the most any opponent had scored against Charlotte this season. With the score sitting at 4-2 in favor of the 49ers in the bottom of the fifth, SLU exploded for five runs to take a 7-4 lead. The inning was highlighted by a Connor Gandossy two-run home run. Junior Zach Miller went three of four at the plate, driving in two runs.

April 17 No. 25 Charlotte Saint Louis

A pair of home runs keyed the Billikens in the rubber match against A-10 leader Charlotte. Senior Jon Myers teed off for his fifth home run of the season to give the Billikens a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. SLU locked up the game in the eighth inning when they pushed across two more runs. Senior Nick Becker hit a rare inside-the-park homerun, and freshman Danny Brennan roped a double down the left field line to put the game out of reach. Zack Smith went six innings on the mound and surrendeed only two runs. The win lifted SLU to 4-5 in the A-10 and 22-16 overall.

few and far between for SLU in the first game of the doubleheader. Behind Zack Smith’s pitching performance, the Billikens upped their lead to two runs in the fourth behind a Marco DiRoma sacrifice fly. S The score remained 2-0 in favor of SLU until the eighth inning until St. Bonaventure tallied the deciding three runs.

3 8

SLU surrendered an early lead to the Bonnies when freshman Brett Vanover yielded two runs in the second inning. The score remained 2-0 until the fifth inning when the Billikens came roaring back. Cody Cotter roped a double down the right field line to tie the game at two a piece. Cotter led the Billikens on offense wtih three hits and two RBIs. The SLU pitching staff could not contain the St. Bonaventure offense for the remainder of the game, however, surrendering two runs a piece in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The loss dropped the Billikens to 22-18 overall and 4-10 in conference play.

Wessling: Full-time student, part-time fighter Continued from Page 10

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

Wessling gets her hands in a fighting position.

championship kickboxer, was a little bit younger than Wessling but still just as much of a competitor.

After three exciting rounds of boxing, Wessling won the fight after a vote from the judges.

Wessling, a competitor in every sense of the word, was satisfied with her performance but found a few things to pick at.

“I was really excited; it went really well. After watching the tape, I saw some things that I could have done better, but overall, I was really happy with my performance,” Wessling said.

Currently, Wessling is not fighting or training for any upcoming fights. She does

however, have ambitions of fighting in the future.

In the meantime, on top of school work and workouts with the boxing club, Wessling has started practicing with the SLU club womenís soccer team.

Wessling knows that beyond the fighting, she still needs to thrive academically.

“I am still working out with them, not as much as I would like. But my school work is now my first priority,” Wessling said.

When all is said and done, Rachel Wessling is just like any other sophomore in college. Classes, extracurricular activities, friends and family all take up considerable chunks of her time.

The only difference is that she can probably kick your ass.

Upcoming Games Softball

Baseball April 29 April 30 May 1 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 10 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 17 May 19 May 20 May 21

vs. Fordham vs. Fordham vs. Fordham vs. George Washington vs. George Washington vs. George Washington vs. Eastern Illinois @ Richmond @ Richmond @ Richmond vs. Southern Illinois vs. LaSalle vs. LaSalle vs. LaSalle

April 21 Temple Saint Louis

The Billikens played host to the Bonnies in a doubleheader, winning the first game behind the pitching of junior Kelcie Matesa Senior Kristen Nicoletti and junior Kerri Dockins both tallied two hits for SLU in the victory.

Matesa put forth a strong showing, allowing only two earned runs in five innings, but it was junior Hannah Huebbe who picked up the victory for the Billikens.

Dockins’s two run single in the fifth inning broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the winning hit.

After a brief non-conference swing, the Billikens swung back into Atlantic 10 play against the Temple Owls.

Temple, owners of a 10-3 conference record, have been known for their offensive output rather than their pitching staff.

In this contest, Owls pitcher Kristen Marris was locked into a pitchers duel with SLU junior Kelcie Matesa.

In the seventh, with the score tied up at one apiece, Temple hammered the Billikens pitching, pushing across nine runs to put the game on ice.

April 16 Evansville Saint Louis

April 22 Temple Saint Louis

April 30 April 30 May 4 May 4

@ George Washington @ George Washington @ SEMO @ SEMO

A-10 Championship Games (TBD): May 11- May 14

Softball: 27-22, 9-7 Atlantic 10 Baseball: 22-18, 4-8 Atlantic 10

3 4

In game two, SLU squeaked out a close victory behind the arm of Hannah Huebbe. She went the distance in the contest, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out nine.

The game was all knotted up heading into the fourth inning, but the Bills broke it open with their bats. Kristen Nicoletti drove in two with a triple, and Kerri Dockins drove her in immediately after to give the Billikens the four runs they needed to win.

April 20 Jon Myers got the Billikens off to a quick start against the Missouri Bonnies with an RBI single in the first, but the runs remained Saint Louis

April 22 Saint Louis St. Bonaventure

2 5

2 3

April 16 St. Bonaventure 3 Saint Louis 5

7 4

9 0

1 0

In the series finale, the Billikens had trouble generating offense once again, falling victim to a Temple shutout.

SLU freshman Julian Austin pitched brilliantly, allowing only one run in a complete-game effort.

Temple drove in the only run of the game in the first inning on a two-out single.

Austin allowed only five hits over the seven inning span, but the Billiken offense was only able to advance two runners beyond first base.

April 23 Saint Louis SIUE

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The Billikens kicked off a doubleheader against the in-state rival Tigers, looking to avenge a March 5 blowout loss. Missouri jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead, with four of them being unearned.

A three-run homerun by junior Rachel Faletto brought the Billikens within one.

Within striking distance heading into the seventh inning, SLU surrendered two more scores to the Tigers, and were unable to come back in the bottom half of the inning.

The offensive woes continued for the Billikens in the first game of their series with local rival Southern IllinoisEdwardsville.

After a three day layoff due to rain, the SLU bats never woke up against the Cougars.

SLU could only muster three hits and five base runners in total.

Kelcie Matesa and Julian Austin split the work on the mound for the Billikens.

Austin threw three shutout innings in relief of Matesa.

April 20 Missouri Saint Louis

April 23 Saint Louis SIUE

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In the nightcap of the doubleheader, the Billikens started off the same way which game one began: by surrendering unearned runs in the first inning.

SLU managed to put runners on board in each of the first six innings, but were unable to convert, stranding 12 runners in total. The only run came off of the bat of sophomore Laura Bohning, who hit a pinch-hit solo shot in the sixth inning. Freshman Julian Austin was saddled with the loss, giving up three runs in seven innings of work. Her record fell to four wins and seven losses on the year.

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After scoring only two runs in a span of four games, the offense finally clicked for the Billikens. Junior Kerri Dockins was locked in at the plate, going a perfect four of four and tying the school record for hits in a single game.

Four other players recorded two hits in the game. After a scoreless first, SLU caught fire, scoring at least two runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Dockins and fellow junior Alyson Brand both notched two RBIs a piece.

Hannah Huebbe picked up her team-leading 13th victory of the year, scattering six hits and two runs in the game.

Correction: In our April 14 issue, we incorrectly listed the scores for two of the softball team’s games. The correct scores are as follows: Evansville 1, SLU 3 and Evansville 2, SLU 10. The University News regrets the error.

Throughout the past year, the entire SLU community has tried to heal that wounds of discrimination and bias that divided us in the past. The Oath of Inclusion is a statement by students and for students to show that we are unewsonline.com Thursday, April 28, 2011 committed to living in a community where we can appreciate and learn from s . As a SLU student and a member of this commu nity, WE ARE ALLeach other’s difference BILLIKENS

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