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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
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School of Pharmacy student earns student leadership award
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Wednesday, June 15, 2022 Vol. 75 No. 32
Professors weigh in the on the future of reproductive healthcare JANA HAMADE copy editor
The Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision once instilled the protective right to safely accessing abortion in the United States for decades. With the possibility of that decision being overturned, those options may become non-existent in many states, where more restrictive measures will be set in place. Corey Stevens, a professor in the women’s studies department, said they were really devastated upon first viewing the draft. They said they feel that abortion rights are really key to womens health and equality and autonomy over their bodies in this country, and that they personally engaged in a lot of activism around the issue. Stevens said there has been a concerted effort for decades to erode Roe v. Wade. “The state of Illinois is going to become one of these last bastions in the Midwest, so we will see probably people who have the means to do so travel to get abortions,” Stevens said. Tim Kalinonwski, coordinator of prelaw, said it will be up to each state’s constitution to take its own restrictive measures. He predicts that people will manage
to create access to abortions regardless of regulations. “To completely overturn Roe v. Wade and start to redefine the abortion decision out of privacy, that does surprise me … It leaves it up to every state to come up with their own restrictions, or not. You start to look at what the state constitution says,” Kalinowski said. “I think you will see organizations the same way people against abortion were setting up adoption agencies and medical support things when Roe v. Wade was the law, setting up transportation and making it easier for women to get to where they need to. Maybe in the first year you will get more people crossing the state line, but I think in the long run it’s going to look very similar to what it does now.”
The possibility of Roe v. Wade overturning may lead to more overturned decisions
Timothy Lewis, assistant professor of political science, said he thinks targeting women’s reproductive rights is the first step in infringing upon the rights of other minority groups under the 14th Amendment, which states that you cannot allow states to infringe upon that privacy that a woman has the right with her licensed physician to make a private choice about her body.
“This right to privacy that has to be protected by the 14th Amendment was also the basis of cases before and after Roe — the cases that gave us interracial marriage, the cases that gave us gay marriage. If you are saying that the constitutional basis of Roe is flawed, then so is the basis of all these other cases,” Lewis said. “There are going to be states that are going to attack gay rights, gay marriage, and so these other rights extended to minority people are in danger.” Lewis said this is the first time that the Supreme Court has reversed a decision to take away rights. He said this sets a very dangerous precedent for a country that is already highly divided, where the Constitution is at a very weak point. “This was a decision based off not the constitution, but five justices’ individual moral opinions. This was not a very
wise move, I don’t think this was a very constitutional decision. We’re at a point where issues shouldn’t be issues. A woman’s right to make a decision about her life, a lifeor-death decision shou ld n’t be an issue in an advanced d e m o c r ac y,” Lewis said.
will do or what others will do if they are putting together their own firearms for example, is [that] they’ll just manufacture the firearm in a way where it doesn’t have two of the features,” Moffett said.
and Lincoln middle schools both having a police presence within the vicinity. Libby Koonce is a teacher who teaches math at EHS. She said she has been around armed law enforcement in schools for as long as she’s been teaching and it helps alleviate some of her worries. “At Liberty it’s one floor, it’s big and it’s spread out but it’s one floor and [the officer] has easy access to get where she needs to go. The high school [has] a lot more kids, there’s a lot of space to cover,” Koonce said. Although the schools have law enforcement present, Koonce said she still feels scared of the possibility of a shooting where she works or where her kids go to school. “You always think it won’t happen in your town or anything, but you look at some of the demographics of some of the places that it’s happened and it’s happening in towns very similar to Edwardsville,” Koonce said. Koonce said she remembers the Columbine shooting of 1998 while she was still in high school at EHS and heard how much people compared the two areas. “I just remember all of the comparisons that happened between that town and that school and EHS and it was really concerning,” Koonce said. Koonce said in many ways the administrative staff at EHS have helped her feel more prepared due to the amount of drills and the desire for teachers to not shy away from talking about the matter and discussing a plan. “I feel like we do take the necessary precautions. The administrative staff, the teaching staff, the security, we all take it very seriously,” Koonce said. “What’s really sad is that the kids take it really seriously. This isn’t one that they laugh and they joke through like a tornado drill. I feel like they understand the severity of the situation.”
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Outlawing abortion could lead to danger for patients and doctors alike
Lewis said he thinks overturning Roe v. Wade will prompt people to have more unsafe and dangerous methods of abortions. “Now taking away that people can go into licensed medical clinics, have medical and psychiatric counseling, be in a safe and sterile environment to have an abortion pushes people to unsafe, unsensisee ROE V. WADE on page 3
Educators and families worry about safety as school shootings increase BRANDON WELLS sports editor
Warning: This piece contains discussion of school shootings. As school shootings continue to occur at an alarming rate, educators are left worried about what might happen at their school. On May 24, a school shooting happened at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. This specific shooting marked a slight change in the pattern when compared to previous shootings due to it taking place at an elementary school with much younger children. While not the only K-12 shooting, it is the most deadly one Texas has ever experienced. Another elementary school shooting and the deadliest K-12 shooting in U.S. history was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, an event that lit a spark for many more shootings in larger amounts than before. It brought the true danger of these mass shootings into the spotlight, causing numerous protests as many of the students spoke out. This year alone has seen 27 shootings associated with schools, and over 250 mass shootings. The heavily debated topic around the issue of school shootings and all shootings remains to be related to regulating firearms and whether it will make a significant enough difference in gun violence.
The issue varies by state
Political Science Chair Ken Moffett said he believes the role of firearms has been further discussed as a response to these shootings, but that states are making more of their own regulations. “A lot of the action on gun control and matters related thereto has largely happened in the states. For example, after the Parkland Shooting down in Florida,
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the state of Florida passed a gun control law — and keep in mind with Florida, that was a red state passing a gun control law,” Moffett said. While debated, Moffett also said he sees that many on both sides of the political spectrum are agreeing on how large the issue of school shootings is becoming, and that the Florida gun control law was a good example of this. He said in states like Illinois, this regulation is more common. “So for example, here in Illinois, you do have FOID where a person has to have a FOID card to even be able to purchase or possess firearms or ammunition if you’re an Illinois resident,” Moffett said. Illinois as a state has only reported 65 school shootings since 1970. As a result of the most recent shootings within the past months, the state of New York took its own action in raising its legal age for owning a firearm to the age of 21, the same age Illinois uses to regulate ownership. This particular law has since marked a challenge from the U.S. Supreme Court on what authority local officials have on firearm regulations that is set to be voted on this month. Moffett said the issue of firearm regulation likely doesn’t have a clear answer to how it can be dealt with. “I think part of the answer with respect to [something like] assault weapons and things like that is defining what exactly an assault weapon is in a way to where you’re not also banning, for example, shotguns or commonly used hunting rifles,” Moffett said. Moffett also said another issue comes with how banning these types of weapons has worked in the past and the early loopholes people and companies used to get past the bans. “The difficulty there is if you define firearms in that way, what manufacturers @alestlelive
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Firearm regulation and armed guards/ law enforcement in schools
Another heavily debated topic is the idea of armed guards or law enforcement in public schools, one that Moffett said states have tried to put into motion. “There have been some moves to have armed security at schools with the idea that armed security will make it less likely that a mass shooter would come there in the first place, but if the mass shooter does come there then the shooting can be stopped in earlier stages,” Moffett said. Moffett also said the idea has shown no evidence of actually being effective as of 2022 due to a lack of proper study. “As far as that goes in terms of looking at that as a public policy [is that] it looks reasonable on the surface, but nobody has empirically tested the question of ‘do armed guards at schools either deter shootings or make shootings less deadly if they happen,’” Moffett said. The idea of arming teachers is another one that has gained traction, but Moffett said the issue is that it’s difficult to get teachers to arm themselves. “Even in states that allow teachers to be armed, very few teachers go through the process to get armed in the first place. You even see that in Texas, which has as high a firearm ownership rate as anywhere [else] in the country,” Moffett said. In many large school districts however, law enforcement is present to some degree in schools to ensure the safety of students. One such school district is the Edwardsville school district, with schools such as Edwardsville High School and Liberty @Online Editor Alestle
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BY THE NUMBERS / COVID-19 AT SIUE, SUMMER 2022 New confirmed positive cases (from tests conducted by SIUE and self-reporting):
Tests conducted by SIUE:
May 28 - June 3: 7 students, 11 faculty/staff
May 28 - June 3: 208
June 4 - June 10: 8 students, 11 faculty/staff
June 4 - June 10: 260
14-Day New Positive Cases: 15 students, 22 faculty/staff
14-Day New Tests Conducted: 468
All prior weeks positive tests: (May 14 - June 10): 24 students, 37 faculty/staff
All prior weeks tests conducted: May 14 - June 10: 918
14 students 15 faculty/staff
Positive cases identified by SIUE testing:
MADISON COUNTY DAY BY DAY:
150 120 90
May 28 - June 3: 7 June 4 - June 10: 12
14-day new positive cases: 19
06.09.22
COVID-19 website, as of June 13. JUNE 7
JUNE 8
JUNE 9
JUNE 10
JUNE 11
JUNE 12
JUNE 13
06.05.22
Positivity Rate (last 14 days): 4.06%
Source: Health, Reporting, and Testing page on SIUE’s JUNE 6
Officer responded to a carbon monoxide alarm in the Lovejoy Library. Edwardsville fire department responded and advised building was secure. No fire, no smoke, no damage.
Officer responded to a report of a person in the lake. Officer made contact and advised paddle boats were not allowed.
(as of May 30): 100%
30
06.03.22
All prior weeks positive cases: May 14 - June 10: 32
Percentage of isolation/quarantine space available on campus
60
0
Total active positive cases:
A debit card was found in Parking Lot 4F.
06.10.22
Officer took a report of a parking hangtag being stolen out of a vehicle in Parking Lot C.
Pharmacy student nationally recognized for leadership NICOLE BOYD opinion editor
Khushali Sarnot received the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Student Leadership Award in recognition of her leadership roles in many student organizations, as well as off-campus pharmacy work. Sarnot, a third year pharmacy student from Manchester, Missouri, is a pharmacy intern for Saint Louis University, fundraising chair for the School of Pharmacy, president of Student Society of Health System Pharmacists and women’s initiative chair for the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. At SLU, she is on the leadership team for revamping pharmacy operations after their pharmacy operations moved buildings. “Management found that there was a lot of things not getting done on time, we weren’t meeting our goals,” Sarnot said. “So to achieve that we had a focus group of pharmacists, students, technicians … We have somebody representing that group and talking about what we need to do, how we need to train people and how we need to change the workflow to make it more efficient and have a guideline, meet our goals, meet our delivery time, meet our medication preparation time.” Sarnot said she is motivated by a love for the School of Pharmacy and pharmacy in general, as well as being the type of person to take opportunities that come her way. “I want to be part of it, not just as a recognition but also just for helping. That’s kind of the nature of pharmacy, you want to help people, you want to help grow the organization too,” Sarnot said. Sarnot said she started getting involved in various organizations by adding things slowly each year. “You can make a committee and have them help you,” Sarnot said. “Use a planner and obviously [putting] school, your grades and classes first, and then
Christina Victoria Craft | Unsplash
organizational stuff. Your mental health also, so balancing all those things and asking for help when you need it.” As part of the reward, Sarnot was granted access to ePublications that will allow her to access resources for research. “It’s a free resource, so if I need to look into, ‘Oh, I need to research diabetes medications, which one’s better?’ I get these publications, research done by professionals who spent years on it, I can look into it and read the articles for free,” Sarnot said. Lisa Lubsch, clinical professor of pharmacy practice, wrote a letter of recommendation for Sarnot. She said only two other SIUE students have received the award, so she only suggests people fill out the rigorous application if she thinks their application will be considered.
“They’re sending applications learn about leadership and orgafrom the best of the best in their nizational management and the school, so when you read these profession, so it was a wonderful applications, it’s quite remarkable network for her,” Lubsch said. what these pharmacy students Lubsch said as president-elect achieve and that Khushali was of SSHP, Sarnot was actively able to win out amongst supportive of the preshow many other appliident, and that she’s cations,” Lubsch said. excited to see how she Lubsch said bedoes as president. tween Sarnot’s P1 and “Her emails to evP2 year, she worked erybody are always so with the national office fun, too. She makes as an intern, which they her emails super, suhad never had a student per exciting and fun do before, and had to instead of just details do it all virtually. and facts. [It] makes me “We were curious Khushali want to participate,” since we hadn’t had a Sarnot Lubsch said. student do the internSara Gardner, a ship with the national organi- fourth year pharmacy student zation yet, and she was having a from Springfield, Illinois, served great time meeting all kinds of as president while Sarnot was prespharmacists all over the country ident-elect. She said Sarnot is a joy and all the things that she got to to work with, and even though
the president-elect position is typically a learning position, Sarnot took on a more active role. “I could always count on her to come up with creative ideas for our organization, and I could always count on her to meet deadlines and to get things done,” Gardner said. “Sometimes [it] can be rare to find someone you trust so much, but she just shows a real passion for our profession and she just has excellent leadership skills.” Gardner said one of the events Sarnot helped coordinate was their annual mock clinical skills competition. “She helped coordinate the students that participated in the event, she helped coordinate judges … She even was so detail oriented that she figured out ordering food for the event,” Gardner said.
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Archeology Field School sets up excavation site near campus LIV KRAUS reporter
The Archaeology Field School is digging deep to uncover thousand-year-old artifacts in SIUE’s own backyard. Susan Kooiman, assistant professor in anthropology, said the SIUE Archaeology Field School helps students to become more familiar with excavation. “It’s important for the students to get experience both excavating and doing lab work so they’re finding the artifacts, they’re getting the experience identifying archaeological features in the ground, but then they’re also able to look at and distinguish the different materials,” Kooiman said. Kooiman said there are a few things that need to be done in preparation for excavation. “We have to always figure out where we want to dig. A lot of times I’ll look up the preexisting maps that we have,” Kooiman said. Kooiman said that once the placement is decided, her class will set up a meter-by-meter grid. She said this helps them to know exactly where they’re digging. “If we stay on the same grid as they’ve used in previous years, it allows us to put units exactly along where they’ve already dug and we can kind of see and explore those spaces that they be-
gan to see, but couldn’t explore at the time,” Kooiman said. Julie Zimmermann, department chair in anthropology, said the site they are excavating is known to archaeologists as a middle woodland village that dates back to the 1960’s when it was first found. “Today, we don’t use the word ‘village’ the same way we did then because we haven’t actually found any houses, but we can tell middle woodland people were living there two thousand years ago,” Zimmermann said. Zimmermann said the class is starting to identify the features where Native Americans dug holes in the ground that were used for storage. “This is week three of the excavation so we’re getting down to the point where we’re finally kind of able to see what we call ‘features’. Features are these dark stains in the earth that indicate an ancient Native American fire pit, storage pit, house foundation and all that kind of stuff,” Kooiman said. Zimmermann said that a typical day starts a little before 8 a.m., with students uncovering the plastic that prevents the units from drying out. She said from there, students sharpen their tools and begin to work on digging and screening the dirt through a quarter-inch mesh.
Jeremy Bezanger / Unsplash
Kooiman said her class tries to work outside and excavate as much as possible when the weather is nice and reserve lab days for when it rains. She said on these days, the class will work on washing and categorizing the artifacts. “All the artifacts that they dig up are pretty dirty so we have to wash them and wait for them to dry and we sort them and then bag them up and put them away for further analysis,” Zimmermann said.
Kooiman said her students have become more self-sufficient and are learning fast when it comes to identifying what’s cultural and what isn’t. “We’re constantly doing paperwork, taking notes, mapping, photographing everything, finding all of the stuff, labeling everything so we’re very meticulous in the way that we dig because if we just blast right through it and don’t know where things come from, they lose their meaning,” Kooiman said.
Rudy Giuliani says Diet Pepsi is his favorite drink, former Trump aides testify he was drunk on election night DAVID GOLDINER New York Daily News
Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday deleted tweets insisting he was not drunk at the White House on Election Night and bitterly attacking fellow Trump aides who said he was. “I REFUSED all alcohol that evening,” Giuliani tweeted. “My favorite drink..Diet Pepsi.” He deleted the tweet hours later without any explanation. The ex-mayor, who has been known to enjoy a drink or two, blasted senior Trump adviser Jason Miller and Bill Stepien over their account of his condition as the votes rolled in. He accused them of retaliating against him for convincing Trump to claim victory and cry fraud even as it became increasingly obvious that the president was not going to win reelection. “I am disgusted and outraged at the out right lie by Jason Miller and Bill Steppien,” Giuliani wrote in the now deleted tweet, misspelling the last name of Trump’s 2020 campaign manager. “I was upset that they were not prepared for the massive cheating (as well as other lawyers around the President).” Giuliani even accused Miller and Stepien of being bribed to make false claims about
his drinking. “Are they being paid to lie?” he tweeted. He deleted that tweet too. The mayor agreed with a Twitter user who branded the pair “quislings,” or traitors, to Trump and retweeted a 2018 story about Miller allegedly slipping his pregnant girlfriend a pill designed to induce an abortion. He left those posts up. The videotaped testimony of Miller and Stepien about Giuliani’s actions on Election Night was aired Monday at the second hearing of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Miller and Stepien both told the committee that they met with Giuliani before the mayor spoke to Trump in his White House residence on election night. “The mayor was definitely intoxicated,” Miller said. “I’m not sure about his level of intoxication when he talked to the president.” Giuliani told Trump to “just say we won” because the president was leading President Biden in some battleground states on election night, before hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots were counted. Miller and Stepien said they urged Trump to hold off from declaring victory because they knew there would be large numbers of ballots still to be counted.
ROE V. WADE | cover unsensitized methods that’s going to hurt minority populations.” Lewis said. Kalinowski said the decision may place too heavy of a responsibility on the doctor or physician of the individual who is seeking an abortion. “The concern is there is no right to privacy in the Constitution, it doesn’t say anything about abortion, it doesn’t say anything about privacy,” Kalinowski said. Kalinowski said in this case when dealing with a fundamental right, incorporating abortion with privacy is crucial. He said the government must have a compelling reason to act, and when it does, shouldn’t limit the right any more than is necessary to accomplish government interest. “The question is, where does the government have the power to limit the right? Our constitution speaks mostly to national power, the limitation to abortion is dealing with state power. Generally, I would say that the government has a compelling interest in protecting life,” Kalinowski said. Just because we say the state has the power to do something it doesn’t mean the state has to exercise that power, so we have a bunch of states that are not exercising that power to limit abortion.” Discussions of abortion should run deeper than just legal or illegal. Stevens said the decision will impact those with lesser means the hardest, in which they may not be able to take time off from work or have the funds to travel to a state that will perform abortions. “I think that for people like me who are relatively privileged and who [live] in one of these states, I can take time off work if I [need] to. I have the income necessary to do that if I needed an abortion. I think for people living in poverty, which are disproportionately racial minorities, ethnic minorities or even poor white women, they do not have the same means and so it’s going to have a bigger impact on them,” Stevens said. They said the conversation needs to be less about managing abortion, but instead treating it as a necessary health care for pregnant people. They said they’re essential to women’s lives and limiting them is a cruel and inhumane thing to do. “In the 1990s there was this phrase Bill Clinton said famously that we want abortions to be safe, legal and rare, and I understand where that was coming from, that abortion is not the optimum outcome, but I think the conversation needs to move away from that and say you know, abortion is always going to be a necessary part of women’s health care,” Stevens said. “Pregnancy is a higher risk than abortion by a huge degree. Abortions carry as much risk as getting a colonoscopy. In the US we have huge mortality rates, especially for Black women.”
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Metro East Pride aims for people to ‘live their authentic selves’ LIV KRAUS reporter On June 25 and 26, St. Louis is bringing back its annual PrideFest after two years of absence. This event will include live music, booths and a parade to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Those who are unable to attend the St. Louis Pride events in June can visit the Alton Pride Festival taking place later this year, Sept. 10. The first annual Alton Pride Festival aims to spread awareness and puts an emphasis on advocating for the LGBTQ+ youth. The proceeds will go towards creating a local teen suicide prevention line and resource center. SIUE’s Safe Zone, a group of allies supporting the LGBTQ+ community on campus, will be participating in St. Louis PrideFest to educate people on the resources the committee offers. Nick Niemerg, assistant director for alumni relations and president of the Queer Faculty and Staff Association, is actively involved in SIUE’s Safe Zone committee. He said Safe Zone will host a booth at St. Louis Pridefest to represent the school. “It’s going to be made up of volunteers from the Safe Zone committee, so faculty and staff across campus that want to dedicate a little bit of their time out of their weekend,” Niemerg said. Niemerg said the booth will serve as a good opportunity to engage with the community and educate people on SIUE’s scholarship that is awarded to some LGBTQ+ advocates. “We’re using that booth to shed a great light on SIUE, talk to current students, potential students, alumni and community members and share all of the great things that are happening on cam-
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pus and also educate them about the Safe Zone Scholarship that’s also offered,” Niemerg said. Rex Jackson, associate director of residence life, said SIUE’s Safe Zone
Committee has been the only higher education institution in the area that has had a presence at the St. Louis Pridefest. “We’re going to do that andcontinue to have SIUE represented and
engaging with the community, with the community, especially the LGBTQ community, and articulating that we have these values as an institution,” Jackson said. Jackson said he believes that in terms of safety and security on campus, SIUE does a fairly good job, but there is also a space for growth for specific conversations surrounding safety to take place. Neimerg said Pride normally serves as a great time to remind people to be their authentic selves. He said this year felt slightly different due to certain legislatures in the country targeting the LGBTQ+ community. “While it might seem like with all this attack we might want to shy away and hide who we are, I think this year in particular is a time where queer people really need to live even more their authentic selves because this is such a unique time,” Niemerg said. “I think it really needs to be focused on encouraging and supporting one another.” Jackson said he would encourage everyone to not only participate in St. Louis Pridefest, but also Black and Metro East Prides that will happen around campus. He said even if not a part of the community, there’s many ways a person can benefit from attending these events. “It’s a space for you to learn and celebrate so I encourage folks to go out and see the parade, engage with the vendors and the booths,” Jackson said. “There’s some fun stuff out there.” For more information on Safe Zone and other LGBTQ+ resources on campus, visit their website.
Little Econ Library encourages students to learn beyond the classroom FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor A new resource in the economics department, the Little Econ Library is home to over 150 books and board games. Alicia Plemmons, assistant economics professor, said she started the project a little over two years ago. She said there were some cubicles that weren’t being used in the economics department, and she thought creating the Little Econ Library would be a valuable resource for students. “I noticed that the library didn’t have a lot of resources for good Econ books, and I kind of wanted to build a space in the department so students will be encouraged to come there to do some studying,” Plemmons said. Laura Wolff, economics instructor, said the library was born after the department had a bit of money left over during COVID-19 that would have been used for general supplies. Since few people were in the office, they were able to help create the Little Econ Library. “We had a little extra money that we could buy some things and we said: ‘Let’s do this.’ This was a way that we could use some of that money in a way that was kind of interesting and fun,” Wolff said. Plemmons said the library is not only a resource for students to find books, but also a place for students to work on
group projects or just play some board games together. “[We wanted to] have a little place that’s inviting to the students so that they can feel welcome. We want them to have a space where they can sit, to just go and work together on group projects,” Plemmons said. Many of the books and games in the library were donated by other universities that Plemmons reached out to via social media. She said that professors from eight or nine different schools sent in books and games. Plemmons also said many of the books are more focused on the history of economics, as students are curious about what factors led to today’s problems. “We have about 150 out, I probably have another 50 that will come in at some point that needs to be put on the shelves,” Plemmons said. “It turns out students seem to be really interested in [things] like, ‘How did this change over the past three 400 years? How did it develop?’” Wolff said she began to make a list of economic books that focused on the economics of systemic racism so she could help students find resources on specific topics. “There’s just so much there and it’s so interesting, and our students are actually very interested in that. I suggested five
or six of the books by some of the really top behavioral economists,” Wolff said. Mickenzie Bass, president of the Student Economic Association, said the library has been a great resource for students as they are able to dive into the many different subsections of economics. “[Finding new books] really helps ignite the passion that you had in the beginning, and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of when you’re in the middle of a really hard course,” Bass said. Bass said she and some of the other members of the Student Economic Association have had a blast playing some of
the board games, and have really enjoyed having the library available to them. “All around, I’ve loved my experience with the Little Econ Library,” Bass said. Wolff said she is excited for students to start using the library more in the fall, as she said she misses walking around the department and seeing students around and is glad the library will be a place for students to gather. “I will say as a faculty member who’s been there more than 30 years, I look forward to getting back to people hanging out,” Wolff said.
The Little Econ Library has taken the place of several unused cubicles in the Economics Department Melessa Hezberg / Econ Dept.
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Biased headlines in media reduce objectivity of quality news THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board
Throughout the last two decades, the topic of media bias and fake news has become commonplace and is still heavily present in politics. However, the media is not meant to retain this bias. The issue presented by a biased headline is that it drives public opinion in the direction of that bias or adds more fuel to an already formed opinion. In one study published in SAGE Journals, an example is given of how environmental policy-related headlines can change how people view a situation based on their own beliefs. Their political associations may also influence whether they see any bias. Another example of this can be shown in an article done by Business Insider that discusses what Americans believe to be the most biased news outlets, based on a poll. Unsurprisingly, they had conflicting opinions on every one of them.
While not only the headline bias is an important factor, many headlines, such as a headline from VICE News: “Republicans Just Voted Against Feeding the Baby They’re Forcing You to Have.” While the headline is not factually incorrect, the media outlet extended outside its intended purpose, to provide a source of hard news. The primary purpose of any news outlet is objectivity and all aspiring journalists are taught this. Both sides must be given a fair view. The University of Washington Libraries provides examples of different types of bias in the media, headlines being one of them, for the sake of research. Using this, it’s clear that the second example taken from the The Wrap as a snapshot shows a view of disappointment in the headline: “Bill Cosby Sex Assault Trial: Judge Allows Only 1 Other Accuser To Testify, Not 13.” Another factually correct headline, but still a biased one. By using the word ‘only,’ the publi-
cation expresses a desire for more to be done, and this is further expressed by adding that not all 13 accusers were allowed to testify. This headline also fails to take into account the reason the judge might have chosen this, which plays an important role in whether or not those reading it will accuse the judge or form negative opinions about them. This doesn’t at all mean journalists are all objective thinkers, but that fairness is the foundation that the occupation is built upon. It also has become more apparent that the people reading often think the headlines and content should represent what they believe the truth to be. The first example of this is people ‘fixing’ headlines to be more aligned with their beliefs. An example of this might be changing the words to better fit an idea. This could include changing neutral words into negative or positive ones to show a situation in a different way. The idea of ‘fixing’ a head-
line also tends to only take into account the headline itself, ignoring the content of the story it goes with and losing context. One example of this might be: ‘President Biden addresses economic concerns,’ which could be changed to ‘President Biden addresses his ruined economy’ if it was to be made more negative. While he had discussed economic concerns, many people believe he is solely responsible, and thus want to change the headline to express that view. Political standpoints don’t matter in this circumstance, as anyone is capable of doing this regardless of what they believe in. Even if what is being said has some truth to it, it’s twisting words to align with one’s personal views. We at The Alestle believe in media objectivity, and making a headline or story try to fit a belief or opinion will not fix it. It’s not the job of hard news to present an opinion, only the hard facts.
towards an interest or hobby. However, there is a difference between a company selling and promoting that theme recurrently where it is provided to buyers during most of the year, rather than in just a single month. Rainbow Washing started when companies began embracing societal progression and showing it off by adding rainbow imagery to their social media logos, in their advertisements or creating a pride-themed line. With this apparent inclusion and recognition of LGBTQ+ visibility, one thing stands out about the businesses’ marketing strategies: pragmatism. With minimal effort and for-profit use of the colors of the rainbow to flaunt “diversity” and “acceptance” to consumers, companies will fill their branding with bright colors and feature queer individuals on their pages.
At first glance, this can be seen as well-intentioned — it is not until you take a closer look that you realize the people that are promoting the company’s products aren’t being paid for it, no donations are made to LGBTQ+ organizations and that on July first, it is as though Pride never happened. Corporations continuing to foster an unsafe workspace for LGBTQ+ employees cannot co-exist with pushing brand loyalty and catering to queer customers in June. Monetizing Pride not only diminishes the community’s historical resilience against segregation and homophobia, but instead makes it about spotting your favorite gay celebrity in an advertisement for a big-name store for a few weeks. Of course, some brands do it right and use Pride Month to support queer talents, amplify issues and in-
crease public awareness. However, knowing that makes it harder for well-intentioned consumers to know which of them to support. A way to combat this would be checking to see if the companies donate any of their earnings from pride merch to LGBTQ+ organizations. The truth is, most of us know there is a slim chance we’ll be able to buy that cute rainbow-themed paraphernalia outside of June, because we know our inclusion is limited as long as it remains monetized. Accepting that creates a cycle of guilty purchases, funding billion-dollar businesses and allowing Pride Month to be an opportunity for brands to Rainbow Wash. People need to make long-term, authentic commitments to the queer cause — and companies should embrace the gay community year-long or stop taking their money.
How Rainbow Washing gets inclusion wrong COPY EDITOR Jana Hamade
The start of June means many things — summertime, the end of classes and for some, a celebration of pride. Pride month has been a recurring commemoration within the LGBTQ+ community and its allies since the 1969 Stonewall Riots to honor gay rights. The uprise of queer activists in Manhattan was the tipping point in promoting self-affirmation, equality and visibility by introducing the Gay Liberation Movement to the U.S. With its once humble beginnings and crucial purpose, it is clear that throughout the years, modernization and our consumerist nature has caught up to Pride. There is no shame in enjoying impulse purchases, especially if they are themed to adhere
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY EDWARDSVILLE WATER QUALITY REPORT – 2021 To: SIUE Students, Faculty and Staff The 2021 Water Quality Report from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides information about the source of campus drinking water, contaminant testing, general health precautions and how calendar year 2020 sample results compare to regulatory requirements. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is pleased to report that all United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) drinking water quality standards have been met, with no violations of maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). If you have any questions about this report or SIUE drinking water quality, please contact Facilities at 618-650-3711 or via email at fmserv@ siue.edu.In compliance with state and USEPA regulations, the university issues a report annually describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of this report is to increase the understanding of drinking water standards and raise awareness of the need to protect your drinking water resources. WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF SIUE DRINKING WATER SIUE purchases water from the city of Edwardsville. Edwardsville’s water treatment plant is located outside of the Edwardsville city limits. Water is obtained from two well fields that draw water from the American Bottoms Underground Aquifer. The system has nine wells that have been drilled to an average depth of 114 feet. The water is filtered, softened and disinfected. Water is pumped from the water treatment plant to the City and its bulk water customers through a network of water mains. Water pressure is maintained in the system by two elevated storage tanks and two ground-level storage tanks. The tanks are constructed of steel and concrete and have a combined volume of 3,420,000 gallons of wa-
ter. SIUE’s water system receives water into a 400,000-gallon underground reservoir. Water is then pumped from there through a system of underground mains serving the entire campus and into a 500,000-gallon elevated tank which maintains system water pressure. A second connection to the Edwardsville water system at the east edge of campus near Highway 157 provides us with a backup should the primary system experience trouble. SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT AND ITS AVAILABILITY Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Source Water Assessment Plan (SWAP) is available at the city of Edwardsville Water Department. This plan is as assessment of the delineated area around our listed sources through which contaminants, if present, could migrate and reach our source water. It also includes an inventory of potential sources of contamination within the delineated area, and a determination of the water supply’s susceptibility to contamination by the identified potential sources. WHY ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN MY DRINKING WATER Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some
and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health as public water systems. The city of Edwardsville’s advanced water treatment plant processes are designed to reduce any such substances to levels well below any · Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and health concern. metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial, or The University is required to test the domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas water in its distribution system for coliform, production, mining or farming. lead, copper, trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids. IEPA requires 4 samples · Pesticides and herbicides, which may come per month to be analyzed for coliform. The from a variety of sources such as agriculture, most recent testing results for coliform, lead, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. copper, haloacetic acids and TTHM are provided in the Data Summary table at the end · Organic Chemical Contaminants, including of this report. synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and ADDITIONAL INFORMATION petroleum production, and can also come from FOR LEAD gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and sep- If present, elevated levels of lead can cause tic systems. serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking wa· Radioactive contaminants, which can be ter is primarily from materials and components naturally occurring or be the result of oil and associated with service lines and home plumbgas production and mining activities. In order ing. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA responsible for providing high quality drinking prescribes regulations that limit the amount water, but cannot control the variety of materiof certain contaminants in water provided by als used in plumbing components. On the SIUE public water systems. Food and Drug Admin- campus, there are no lead service lines. When istration (FDA) regulations establish limits your water has been sitting for several hours, for contaminants in bottled water which must you can minimize the potential for lead exposure provide the same protection for by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes public health. before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you PROTECTING THE WATER may wish to have your water tested. Information YOU DRINK on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and To ensure tap water is safe to drink, USEPA steps you can take to minimize exposure is availprescribes regulations that limit the amount able from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at of certain contaminants in water provided by http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. public water systems. United States Food cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity such as: · Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
WATER QUALITY DATA TABLE
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. Although many more contaminants were tested, only those substances listed below were found in your water. All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels, these substances are generally not harmful in our drinking water. Removing all contaminants would be extremely expensive, and in most cases, would not provide increased protection of public health. A few naturally occurring minerals may actually improve the taste of drinking water and have nutritional value at low levels. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. As such, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. In this table you will find terms and abbreviations that might not be familiar to you. To help you better understand these terms, we have provided the definitions below. Unit Descriptions Term
Definition
ppm
ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
ppb
ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L)
NA
NA: Not applicable
ND
ND: Not detected
NR
NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended Important Drinking Water Definitions
Term MCLG MCL TT AL Variances and Exemptions
Definition MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. TT: Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. AL: Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.
2021 City of Edwardsville Water Quality Data MCLG or MRDLG
Contaminants
MCL, TT, or MRDL
Range
Detect in Your Water
Low
Sample Data
High
Violation
Typical Source
Disinfectants & Disinfection By-Products (There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants) Chlorine (as Cl2) (ppm) 4
4
1.2
NA
NA
2021
No
Water additive used to control microbes
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb)
NA
60
6
4.26
7.37
2021
No
By-product of drinking water chlorination
TTHMs [Total Trihalomethanes] (ppb)
NA
80
29
21.23
36.8
2021
No
By-product of drinking water chlorination
2
2
.059
NA
NA
2021
No
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
Inorganic Contaminants
Barium (ppm)
Fluoride (ppm)
4
4
.704
NA
NA
2021
No
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Nitrate [measured Nitrogen] (ppm)
10
10
1
NA
NA
2021
No
Runoff from fertilizer uses; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
Sodium (optional)
na
--
140
NA
NA
2021
No
Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching
0
5
.215
Na
NA
2021
No
Erosion of natural deposits
Radioactive Components
Radium (combined 226/228) (pCi/L) Contaminants
MCLG
Your Water
AL
Sample Data
# Samples exceeding AL
Exceeds AL
Typical Source
Inorganic Contaminants
Copper-action level at consumer taps (ppm)
1.3
1.3
.67
2020
0
No
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
Lead-action level at consumer taps (ppb)
0
15
0
2020
0
No
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
Additional Contaminants In an effort to insure the safest water possible the State has required the city of Edwardsville to monitor source contaminants 2021 City of Edwardsville Water Quality Data Contaminants
Manganese
StateMCL
Your Water
150 ppb
Violation
18 ppb
Explanation and Comment
This contaminant is not currently regulated by the USEPA. However, the state regulates source-erosion of natural deposits.
No
2021 City of Edwardsville Unregulated Perfluorinated Compounds Year Sample
Parameter
Units
Health-Based Guidance Level
Higher Result
Range Detected
Typical Sources
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
2021
ng/L
2 ng/L
4.2
ND to 4.2
Manufactured chemical: Used to make coating and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
2021
ng/L
14 ng/L
2.7
ND to 2.7
Manufactured chemical: Used to make coating and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
2021
ng/L
140000 ng/L
5.9
ND to 5.9
Manufactured chemical: Used to make coating and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
2021
ng/L
-----------
4.7
ND to 4.7
Manufactured chemical: Used to make coating and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
2021
ng/L
140 ng/L
5.1
ND to 5.1
Manufactured chemical: Used to make coating and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
2021
ng/L
140 ng/L
10.0
ND to 10
Manufactured chemical: Used to make coating and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water
2021 SIUE Water Quality Data Contaminants
MCLG or MRDLG
MCL, TT, or MRDL
Detect in Your Water
Range Low
High
Sample Data
Violation
Typical Source
Disinfectants & Disinfection By-Products (There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants) Chlorine (as Cl2) (ppm) 4
4
.967
.6
1.6
2021
No
Water additive used to control microbes
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb)
NA
60
9.2
8.5
9.9
2021
No
By-product of drinking water chlorination
TTHMs [Total Trihalomethanes] (ppb)
NA
80
33.5
31.6
34.5
2021
No
By-product of drinking water chlorination
contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com 650-3527 Page 8
sports
NEXT WEEK: DEPUTY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JASON COOMER LEAVES FOR LINDENWOOD
alestlelive.com
Wednesday, 06.15.22
SIUE Track athletes show progress in the OVC Championship with multiple top three finishes AHMAD LATHAN reporter After a roller coaster of a season, men and women’s track and field ended the season with a trip to the Ohio Valley Conference championship, taking multiple top three finishes. Assistant Coach Josh Wolfe said the staff thought the team did well at the last team event to close out the season. He said the team had good timing with their peak performance. “As a staff, we felt the team put their best foot forward at the conference championship,” Wolfe said. It was the last team event where we were peaking at the right time, which is the goal.” Wolfe said going to the Murray State track earlier during the season helped them get familiar with the environment. “We went to Murray State during the regular season to be in that environment and get an idea of what to expect when we would return for the conference championship,” Wolfe said. Wolfe said they did a good job as a staff and gives credit to head coach Marcus Evans for laying out a schedule that made sure they ran against some high-level opponents outside of their conference. Wolfe said he had no complaints about the season. He said they were focused on training the athletes well to stay competitive. “I have no complaints and I do not think our coaching staff has any about our season,” Wolfe said. “We try to focus on things that we can control and train with intentionality, that even if we go to a meet, we might not get pushed with the competition that is there and keep the intensity up in practice.” Wolfe said they were excited about the finishes of hurdler Kevyere Mack in the 110 hurdles where he placed second and sprinter Bobby Nuzzo placed second in the 100 meters. High jumper Ethan Poston also placed second.
Thrower Dominika Baranska finished seventh in her event and Kassidy Dexheimer, distance runner, scored in multiple events as well. Dexheimer placed first in the OVC Steeplechase event, where she was named the champion on day 2. She said she thinks she did a good job of finishing off her fifth year as a track athlete. “I came here for a fifth year to go with a bang, and I think I did a pretty good job of that.” Dexheimer said. Dexheimer said her preparation over the years and staying healthy played a big part in her final performance. “I have been doing this for so long and I was able to string together a lot of good months of training without getting injured, ‘’ Dexheimer said. “It was a combination of staying healthy and then building up speed over the years.” Dexheimer said she enjoyed the coaching staff throughout the season, and they helped her succeed on the track. “I think the biggest thing for me is I felt like they all cared about me outside of running and they made it an enjoyable environment to be in. That is why it made the success come naturally,” Dexheimer said. Dexheimer said she could not have asked for a better team to compete for and is extremely grateful for all of them. Wolfe said the team is looking forward to the changes within the OVC heading into the next season. He said the conference will see a shift in which teams are at the top of the rankings. “It might be interesting to see how it plays out and we want to be opportunistic in our approach to that. We understand that the conference will be trying to figure itself out again and figure out who is at the top,” Wolfe said. Wolfe said they are hoping this helps the team progress and take advantage of a changing landscape at the OVC.
Track and Field OVC Championship
TOP PERFORMERS
Conor McCarthy MEN'S 100 METERS
3rd (10.86) MEN'S 200 METERS
2nd (21.45)
Kevyere Mack MEN'S 110M HURDLES
2nd (14.34)
Kassidy Dexheimer WOMEN'S STEEPLECHASE
1st (10:47.13) WOMEN'S 5,000 METERS
3rd (17:31.65)
Ethan Poston MEN'S HIGH JUMP
2nd (2.11m)
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SIUE ATHLETICS