Alestle No. 69 Vol. 36

ALESTLE

the

K.Dot delivers with new hot release page 5

thursday, 04.27.17

Chambers-Book blows by strikeout record page 7

alton — east st. louis — edwardsville

vol. LXIX no. XXXVI

A long way from home

Graduation celebration to be streamed for families abroad TRENT STUART Alestle Reporter SIUE is hosting a pre-commencement ceremony for international students graduating in May, August or December 2017. The ceremony will be live-streamed for parents and family members who may not be able to attend the commencement ceremony.

Office of International Affairs Executive Director Mary Weishaar said the ceremony is in response to the risky nature of international travel due to the uncertainty of what the U.S. government will decide to do next in regard to travel from other countries.

“We have been told by some students, not all, but some, that their parents are not able to come here for graduation because of all of the legal ramifications, bans and so on,” Weishaar said.

According to the Association of International Educators, the most recently revised executive order limits entry on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days in an attempt to increase national security

by President Donald Trump.

Although the executive order does not affect travel to and from any other countries, Weishaar said the issue is still being discussed in the U.S. court system and can change in an instant.

“Things can change very quickly — they can change over-

Post-it notes with words of support for international students are displayed in the Student Success Center’s International Department, Room 0300. | Allison Gregory / Alestle

night — and we have no control over that,” Weishaar said.

Weishaar said the international affairs office is trying its best to support and inform international students in any way possible through these times of uncertainty.

“We’re making sure that they

Creating safe spaces

have as accurate of information as we have, that we are supportive of them and if issues come up on campus or the community, that they know that we can try to help them for those issues,” Weishaar said.

Graduate electrical engineer-

ing student and president of the Muslim Student Association Zia Ansari, of India, said he has seen several international students negatively affected by the ban, including one student who was not able to go to his brother’s wedding, and another who could not travel

out of the country when a relative passed away.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, however, Ansari said the university has been supportive in every way it can for international students.

“Legally, [the school] can’t really do anything with the travel ban, so they are trying their best to go and do something for the students,” Ansari said.

Additionally, after graduation, some international students are concerned with leaving the U.S. for the summer.

According to Weishaar, the international affairs office advised students to stay in the U.S. over spring break in March. However, for summer break, the office is advising the students to meet with someone in the international affairs office to discuss what to be aware of when traveling abroad.

“We just want to make sure that every student is completely and fully informed on the risks [of international travel],” Weishaar said.

The pre-commencement ceremony for the graduating international students will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, May 1, in the Meridian Ballroom.

Contact TRENT STUART Call 650-3527 Tweet @tstuart_alestle Email tstuart@alestlelive.com

Student Government awards Sustained Dialogue program comes to SIUE organization, business of year, announces new staff KEEGAN GAUWITZ

away the essential knowledge and understanding the program aims to provide.

“The basis of the program is Sustained Dialogue — a dito support our university’s misversity and inclusion program that sion of diversity and inclusion and began at the turn of the century — to really start to focus on incluwill come to SIUE as a curricular siveness,” Moore said. and co-curricular program in Fall On the other hand, Harris 2017. said the pilot for the curricular The basis of the program dialogue program will take place is to provide a model for conin spring 2018 rathflict-resolution, and for er than next fall. Like students to have con“The basis of the program is to Moore’s co-curricuversations along the pilot, Harris said lines of difference in a support our university’s mission of lar the peer moderators way that would build diversity and inclusion and to really would play a big role positive relationships in preparation for the and trust. start to focus on inclusiveness.” curricular program.

The program be“A good thing gan spreading across TARSHA MOORE about sustained diacollege campuses after Student Affairs student adviser logue is that we’re able a group of Princeton to work closely with University students “[The co-curricular program] representative from [the Sustained brought Sustained Dialogue to their campus in 1999. Other would allow students a safe-space Dialogue Campus Network], and campuses followed, adapting the to have those difficult conversa- they actually train moderators for program as either a curricular or tions, come to an understanding these programs,” Harris said. and get more comfortable with the Harris and Moore hope the co-curricular program.

According to historical stud- feeling of being uncomfortable. It sustained dialogue programs can ies Associate Professor Jessica would allow them to touch on help transform SIUE and other Harris, the idea to bring Sustained those topics in a way that allows campus communities, bringing students and faculty together to Dialogue to SIUE began last them to grow,” Moore said.

Moore said the co-curricular build trust among one another respring with the Black Lives Matter conferences on campus. Harris program’s pilot will take place this gardless of their backgrounds.

“The goal is that, over the said a number of students who at- upcoming fall, and will contain tended those conferences showed groups of 15 students — mostly next few years is that every stuinterest in discussing diversity and freshmen and sophomores — in- dent, prior to graduating from cultural competency relating to terested in studying the various SIUE, has some experience with diversity topics at hand. sustained dialogue whether in the race, gender and sexuality.

Peer moderators will be classroom or outside of the classIn response, Harris met with Denise Cobb to begin discussing trained to facilitate those discus- room,” Harris said. how the university could integrate sions, making sure students take

Alestle Reporter

sustained dialogue as a part of the curriculum. That discussion expanded to a conversation of with Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple and Student Adviser Tarsha Moore to include a co-curricular program.

Moore said the co-curricular program would complement the curricular piece in an effort to involve more students.

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MIRANDA LINTZENICH Alestle Reporter Student Government held their last official meeting April 24, in the Goshen Lounge. During the meeting, SG awarded organization and business of the year, Ramon DeShazer made some of his first presidential appointments as 2017-2018 SG president and the new senators were sworn into office.

The organization of the year was awarded to the Global Ambassadors Program, and was presented by External Affairs Officer Carmen Connors and Organization Relations Officer Chase Tiffany. “[GAP] is a new organization that started last spring at SIUE and has kind of been taken by storm,” Tiffany said.

According to Connors, the organization is a way to help open up students’ eyes and encourage bringing each other together to learn about different cultures.

“I cannot believe how many people have been touched by this organization; they totally deserve this award,” Connors said. “There have been so many people who have been affected by this organization— International students and also students who have been paired up with International Students.”

The Business of the Year award was awarded to El Maguey, but representatives for the business were unable to attend.

Election Commissioner Ricky Rush thanked the senate for giving him the chance to serve as Election Commissioner and announced the new senators.

“There are no losers here,” Rush said. “What happens, happens.

I hope you all do not get discouraged and do not run away from your calling. Not everybody wins, but the only way to [guarantee a loss] is to not try, and you all are leaders for stepping up and trying and putting your best foot forward.”

DeShazer announced his executive board as follows: Ethan Massey, external affairs officer; Erin O’Flaherty, internal affairs officer; Kiersten Gavin, financial officer; Christian Heck, organization relations officer; and Alyson Woods, marketing and communications officer.

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SIUE celebrates Earth Week

thursday, 04.27.17

Campus clean up encourages students to help planet TAYLOR FLEIG Alestle Reporter The Student Organization for Sustainability held a Campus Litter Cleanup to commemorate Earth Day where they helped clean up campus as well as collect recyclables.

“To me, Earth Week is important because it is a part of a larger historical movement. It raises awareness this week of the issues that affect us daily,” Connie Frey-Spurlock, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, said.

President of the Student Organization for Sustainability Dana Wynn said she got the idea from her own community in Alton and decided it would be beneficial to implement it on campus.

“It is important for students to care about sustainability because it is ongoing. We are all going through life, so it’s important to invest in something that is good for you and the earth,” Wynn said.

It can be difficult to take part in more earth-friendly practices, yet, according to Wynn, there are simple steps you can take to begin.

“Start with food — everybody eats,” Wynn said.

Growing your own foods and simply eating more sustainable foods can make a great impact.

According to Frey-Spurlock, it can be difficult for students to identify exactly how sustainability and taking the extra step toward greener practices can benefit them.

“Our daily lives are viewed through a human lens,” Frey-Spurlock said. “Our current practices are not considerate of other beings. We do things in the name of having more stuff with little concern for others. If beginning a more sustainable practice causes any inconvenience to us, we do not want to continue.”

Using empathy in science does not follow the typical objective approach most scientists take, yet Frey-Spurlock said it is vital.

“We think of science as being unemotional,” Frey-Spurlock said. “We have this idea from a scientific standpoint that we have to be objective.”

According to Frey-Spurlock, you cannot separate the subject from the research. Frey-Spurlock said a balance is necessary. ‘‘Am I doing good for the world?’ — it’s a science question and a love question,” Frey-Spurlock said.

Frey-Spurlock compared the connection between science and daily life to the connection between violence against the earth and violence against women.

“The land has little value in and of itself, so we exploit it just

Left, Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies Associate Professor Connie Frey-Spurlock and first-year graduate students and sociology majors Miles Foltynowicz and Sean Peters promote the clean up campus event hosted by the Student Organization for Sustainability April 19, in Peck Hall.

Allison Gregory / Alestle

like women’s bodies, marginalized folks and other things less powerful,” Frey-Spurlock said.

According to Frey-Spurlock, sustainability is an important factor of happiness. She said people will continually have a need to

posses more until they accept that they do not need more material possessions.

“That want of more is a response to a need for connection,” Frey-Spurlock said. “Whether it be in music, the earth or people.

The garden is where the revolution is taking place.”

Contact TAYLOR FLEIG Call 650-3527 Tweet @tfleig_alestle Email tfleig@alestlelive.com

National Science Foundation awards grant, SG passes duties to new staff gives SIUE students hands-on experience SG | pg. 2

KEEGAN GAUWITZ Alestle Reporter

The Major Research Instrumentation program at SIUE has been awarded a $204,565 grant by the National Science Foundation for its research on custom microchips led by School of Engineering professor George Engel.

The National Science Foundation awards two different grants for MRI programs. One grant — an instrument grant — awards money for a program to purchase an instrument, or piece of equipment. The other grant, a developmental grant, is awarded for a program working on developing an instrument of their own.

The grant received by SIUE’s MRI program falls under the developmental category.

Engel has been working with a group of nuclear physicists at Washington University on a family of custom microchips for 15 years. He said the initial funding came from the Department of Energy. Then, in 2006, they received an MRI grant for about the same amount as the current grant to develop a special chip.

The chips are used for gathering data from the experiments of nuclear physicists, greatly reducing the size of the instruments needed to transport the equipment used.

“Fifteen years ago, they literally had to rent a U-Haul to put all their experimental equipment in.

Then they would travel to physicists at Texas A&M or Michigan State University. Now when they

travel for an experiment, all of what used to fit in a U-Haul fits in something about the size of a shoe box,” Engel said.

Over that span of 15 years, Engel and his colleagues have developed multiple generations of two chips, making improvements within each generation. The new grant money will be used to make improvements to the developed

board which are put into the shoe box-sized experimental equipment.

Engel said there are two different chips because there’s a different class of experiments. For some, researchers are interested in the level of energy of the radiation which strikes the detector. When trying to determine how much energy there is, researchers use that chip.

The other type of chip can discriminate what kind of radiation is being used — whether it is alpha, gamma or another kind of radiation. For this chip, Engel and his colleagues received a grant from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

“The plan was to perhaps use it in a hand-held radiation monitor that first-responders could use in the case of a dirty-bomb.

That way, they could go out and know not only the GEORGE ENGEL extent of the radiation, but exactly what type of raSchool of Engineering Professor diation they were dealing chips while creating one brand with,” Engel said. new chip.

All blueprints for the chips Graduate student Po Wang, are drawn to scale by students inof Taiwan, is one of the students volved in Engel’s research using involved and responsible for help- CAD programs that have been ing identify ways to improve these donated through Cadence Design chips.

Systems.

“For the new chip, we need “Many of the students who to transfer 5 volts to 3.3 volts. So, work in this field end up going to I first test the circuit, then change work for companies such as Texas the layout for the design,” Wang Instruments or Intel,” Engel said. said.

The programs that have been The chip itself is a small donated, coupled with the opporsquare, about 1.5 square inches. tunity to participate in designing Despite its size, there are over the chips give students the knowl100,000 different electronic com- edge and hands-on experience ponents within each chip. The they need for their future careers. chips is connected to a circuit

“Many of the students who work in this field end up going to work for companies such as Texas Instruments or Intel.”

There was a new position called Student Diversity Officer taken by sophomore business administration major Kelsi Delgado, of Edwardsville. This council will take over Diversity Week, the Tunnel of Oppression and will continue what Tiffany worked on to establish the committee, on which Delgado currently serves.

“Since this is a brand new position, and since this is something that has never been done before on our campus, we are really looking forward to lay the groundwork for a successful organization and a successful position,” Delgado said.

After approving the election results, each of the new senators took an oath to serve SIUE as a representative. The next meeting will be in Fall 2017.

In other business, SG approved the following for the Fiscal Year 18: • A travel request for SIUE Dance Marathon Leadership Conference 2017 July 20 to July 23 for $600 • A travel request for Delta Lambda Phi Convention 2017 from July 20 to July 24 for $600 • A travel request for University Dance Organization Backhaus Dance Intensive July 17 to Aug. 5 for $600 • A travel request for Autonomous Robotics Club Global Conference on Education Robotics July 8 to July 12 for $600 • A travel request for SIUE Solar Racing Team Formula Sun Grand Prix July 3 to July 8 for $600 • A program request for SIUE’s Black Girls Rock! 5th annual Black Girls Rock Jamboree Sept. 13 for $3,284.85* • A program request for a Cross Between Campus Ministry Root Beer Riot Aug. 26 for $2,251.00 • A program request for Black Student Union’s Black Student Union: Back to School Weekend Aug. 18 to Aug. 19 for $225 • A constitutional review for German Culture Club • A constitutional review for Environmental Career Club *SG is not allowed to give more than $3,000, according to Financial Officer Clayton Donald. However, the amount was approved through acclimation.

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thursday, 04.27.17

Student Diversity Council discusses events for 2017-2018 school year TRENT STUART Alestle Reporter 04.23.17 An officer issued a written warning for disobeying a stop sign and expired registration on South Circle Drive at Whiteside Road.

An officer issued a written warning for expired registration on Northwest Entrance Road at North Circle Drive.

An officer issued a written warning for disobeying a stop sign at North Circle Drive at P3 Road.

Vehicle owner Javon A. Williams, arrived at the PD and was issued a state citation for parking where prohibited.

The tow release documents were provided to Williams.

A sergeant took a report of a single vehicle accident that occurred at the Flying Fields to Illinois registered vehicle U22322.

Alton PD advised they were detaining Amani A. Ammons (22-years-old, 3120 Lawn St., Alton) on an active SIUE PD warrant for unlawful use of a credit card. The officer responded to Alton PD and arrested Ammons and transported her to the SIUE PD where she was fingerprinted, photographed and processed.

Ammons was unable to post the $2,000 cash bond and was transported to the Madison County Jail at 2:20 p.m.

04.22.17 An officer issued a written warning for diving without lights at Cougar Lake Drive at North University Drive.

There was a report of subjects with flashlights in the field area near the School of Pharmacy building. The officer advised they were geo-caching.

An officer issued a state citation to Kendell Kelly for speeding 49 mph in a 25 mph zone on North University Drive at P3 Road.

A subject reported the theft of some cash from her wallet while she was in Founders Hall April 13.

04.21.17

A sergeant responded to Lot B regarding Illinois registered vehicle S277129 striking Illinois registered vehicle S614897 while attempting to park.

A sergeant responded to Lot 12 regarding a caller stating there was a possible female subject looking in vehicles. The sergeant advised there was no one in the parking lot. The area was secured.

04.20.17 An officer issued a written warning for disobeying a stop sign on University Park Drive at South University Drive.

An officer responded to the Morris University Center to retrieve a phone and personal property. The property owner arrived to retrieve her belongings before the officer arrived.

A female requested an escort to her apartment because her ex-boyfriend’s vehicle was parked in the vicinity of her apartment. Officers escorted the subject to her apartment but were unable to locate her ex-boyfriend’s vehicle in the area. The officer called the ex-boyfriend who stated he was just trying to retrieve some of his property.

An officer issued a written warning for speeding 38 mph in a 25 mph zone. The offense occurred at South University Drive at P2 Road.

An officer collected a debit card turned in to the Morris University Center Information Desk.

04.19.17 Officers responded to Dunham Hall Theater in reference to a suspicious male who was found sleeping on the sofa.

The suspect departed prior to the officer’s arrival. The officers checked the area but were unable to locate anyone matching the description of the subject.

Officers and engineers responded to a report of a large amount of smoke coming from the Art and Design East Building. The building engineer stated they were salting the kiln.

The officer noted the smoke was coming from the kiln and students were monitoring it.

An officer issued a state citation to Curtis J. Jenkins for speeding 56 mph in a 25 mph zone on South University Drive at P2 Road.

An officer collected a found phone at the front desk of Student Fitness Center. The officer was unable to identify the owner and left messages with the roommate and front desk worker.

Officers responded to Peck Service Road regarding Illinois registered vehicle R313397 being in violation of the scofflaw policy. Brown’s Towing was notified and the owner of the vehicle showed up and signed the acceptance of responsibility form. The vehicle was not towed.

A student advised that while in Edwardsville he had received harassing text messages sent from another student. Neither party resides on campus.

The reporting party stated that he would file a complaint with the Edwardsville Police Department.

An officer issued a written warning for one headlight on Stadium Drive at Whiteside Road.

An officer issued a written warning for a stop sign violation. The offense occurred on South Circle Drive and Residence Drive.

The recently approved Student Diversity Council held its first meeting of the school year with Student Body President-elect Ramón DeShazer April 18 to discuss each of the events concerning diversity and inclusion that will be held on campus in the upcoming year.

The SDC will be in charge of multiple events throughout the next year, and some of their main focuses will include the Tunnel of Oppression and Diversity Week.

One of the biggest changes the council will be making is a revamp of Diversity Week. Since the new council will be able to devote more time to the events, it plans to have more outreach and involvement from organizations on campus.

The members will also be taking over the planning for Tunnel of Oppression, an activity for SIUE students and faculty to learn about the various issues people face around the world.

DeShazer said all students should be represented in some capacity, and these types of events will help do that at SIUE.

“Diversity is a huge part of our institution here, and we definitely want to continue to promote it,” DeShazer said.

In addition to the Tunnel of Oppression and Diversity Week, the council plans to host other events, such as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, a cultural trivia night and situational workshops to inform people about the marginalized groups on campus.

Sophomore business major and SDC member Kelsi Delgado, of Edwardsville, said Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is a mile walk to raise awareness for sexual assault.

She said she thinks working with the Greek councils would deliver a large turnout and open up important conversations about sexual assault.

“I think that is something that we can really benefit from because a lot of the times you hear news stories and things like that about sexual assault happening with Greek things, basically because there are a lot of party situations,” Delgado said.

Additionally, the members discussed the role the Student Diversity Officer will have to play in the diverse SIUE community.

Student Government is still in the

process of selecting the officers, but DeShazer said he thinks the Student Diversity Officer should be involved with students on a situational basis to make necessary changes if issues come up.

“Not many students have another student that they can go and talk to when it comes to issues that they have had on campus and actually have something done about it,” DeShazer said.

DeShazer said he is looking forward to seeing how the next year’s events turn out.

“We’re such a huge university; we have all different kinds of students, so I definitely like the ideas, and I’m really excited to see where we take a lot of this,” DeShazer said.

Plans for each of these events are still in the works, but the council did vote to officially recommend the list of events for the upcoming school year at the meeting. The council will continue to plan the events at the start of the Fall 2017 semester.

Contact TRENT STUART Call 650-3527 Tweet @tstuart_alestle Email tstuart@alestlelive.com

Social media challenge confronts stigmas TAYLOR FLEIG Alestle Reporter

Student government teamed up with Counseling Services to participate in iCare Week April 17 - April 21. “iCare is a national program that raises awareness of suicide and suicide prevention and mental illness in general,” SG Organization Relations Officer Chase Tiffany said.

A social media challenge lasted the entire week and encouraged students to correct the stigma behind mental illness.

Students had to complete at least 5 days of the week-long challenge to be entered into the raffle.

Up to 10 students have received gift cards. Each day of the week involved an exercise to promote mental health.

Participants were entered into a raffle to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

Monday’s challenge put the spotlight on Kognito — an online training program that teaches participants the warning signs of mental illnesses as well as the stigmas behind them. Posting a

picture of yourself completing the training or holding your certificate would complete the first challenge.

Tuesday involved posting a picture of an act of kindness, accompanied by the hashtag #iCAREWeek.

“You never know how a small act of kindness can affect someone,” Tiffany said.

Wednesday involved posting a picture of completing a favorite relaxation technique. According to Tiffany, this is important because with the everyday stress of college and life, you need to take time for yourself.

On Thursday in the Goshen, iCare participants could choose from sunglasses, shirts and other gear and post a picture sporting the iCare logo.

Friday involved posting a picture being active.

“Being active increases mental health for majority of people and helps them to relax. Additionally, if you’re working out it can help to improve your mood,” Tiffany said.

Saturday was about eating healthy. Participants were ex-

pected to post a picture of their healthy meal.

Lastly, Sunday involved posting a picture of friends because to Tiffany, friends are an important part of relieving stress.

According to Tiffany, by joining SG with Counseling Services for this event, the stigma behind mental illness will hopefully raise awareness.

People are afraid to seek help for many different reasons, but Tiffany hopes this week will aid in relieving the harsh stigmas.

“I was afraid to seek help because of the stigma associated with it. I didn’t understand the services and I didn’t understand the stigma,” Tiffany said. “I come from a rural area, where we don’t educate our youth about the stigmas.

Getting past what I was taught and what was built into me really helped me become who I am today and I want other students to have that opportunity.”

Contact TAYLOR FLEIG Call 650-3527 Tweet @tfleig_alestle Email tfleig@alestlelive.com

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lifestyles alestlelive.com

contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 thursday, 04.27.17

don’t shoot the messenger:

A look at financil aid from behind the counter

Financial Aid Adviser Liz Caldieraro works at her desk after answering a student’s questions on student loans April 25, in the financial aid office.

| Chloe Smith / Alestle

MIRANDA LINTZENICH Alestle Reporter With their hands tied and a negative stigma surrounding them, the individuals who work in the Office of Financial Aid can often seem like the enemy. Some make that known by threatening advisers in the office, but Assistant Director for Client Services Mary Jenkins wants students to know they are just messengers and they are here to help students.

Client services refers to the people on the front lines known as the counter, the advisers on the phones and those who respond to emails sent to the office.

“Primarily, we are the faces and the voices that the students contact, see and hear, whether it is something good or something bad,” Jenkins said.

According to Jenkins, there’s not much consistency in working in financial aid. “[An average day] is a little bit different for me than the front line people,” Jenkins said. “There is no average day. Every day is totally different. What we are doing is dealing with students, parents, faculty and staff here at the university with questions.”

Jenkins said it is their responsibility to know the answer off the top of their head, or at least know where to access that answer by looking at federal regulations, state regulations and university regulations and procedures.

Darius Smith, of Chicago, a graduate student studying college student personnel administration, recently started working at the financial aid office, and said it has changed his perspective.

“The hardest part has been adapting to the actual system,” Smith said. “There have been a lot of federal changes, and with those, [the office] has had to make rapid adjustments.”

Smith said his coworkers make the process of changing easier.

“I like the staff,” Smith said. “The employees here make me feel appreciated and are always there to help and answer questions.”

Smith said before he worked at the financial aid office, he thought employees were unorganized and didn’t know what they were talking about.

“Now I know there are so many different circumstances, adjustments and changes,” Smith said.

“It really helps to have the one-on-one basis with students and realize that personal circumstances change the aid you receive — I understand that now.”

Jenkins said she understands some students are apprehensive about student workers, but does not see them as any less than a regular employee.

“We do have some student workers who have been fully trained as financial aid advisers, and they are not making decisions,” Jenkins said. “If they are telling you, ‘No, you can’t have the money,’ then they are repeating what a federal rule or regulation is.”

Jenkins said most of the workers have gone to SIUE and have used financial aid. They know what students are going through and want to help them as much as possible.

“It’s an awful lot for us to have to know and be able to pass along to the students,” Jenkins said.

“Students want money, and students want to be able to live their life comfortably.”

Jenkins said in order to do that, they come to the financial aid office for money.

“Most of the time we say, ‘Yes, we are happy and can do this for you,’ sometimes what they want goes totally against federal regulations, state regulations or university policy, and we can’t do it.” Jenkins said.

AID | pg. 5

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DAMN.

Kendrick builds upon legacy KENDRA MARTIN Alestle Managing Editor Kendrick Lamar has come a long way.

After dropping his critically-acclaimed mixtape, “Overly Dedicated” in 2010, Lamar continues to be a prominent artist in not only hip-hop, but also mainstream music seven years later. With four albums under his belt, he shows no signs of slowing down and with his latest release, “DAMN.,” Lamar leaves fans wondering, “Is he gonna ever fall off?”

When Lamar dropped “The Heart Pt. 4” a few weeks ago, then followed it with the stunning visuals for his latest single, “HUMBLE.,” fans went into a frenzy at the thought of some new music from King Kendrick.

Once April 14 hit, and “DAMN.” was available in stores and streaming platforms, the internet was broken, and after multiples listens of the latest album, Lamar did not disappoint.

There is a concept and a calculated motive for all of Lamar’s albums, and “DAMN.” is no exception. For some reason, I have never been a huge fan of his singles, but once I hear them in the context of the album, I become a huge fan of the songs.

This happened with “Backseat Freestyle” from “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012 and even “King Kunta” from “To Pimp a Butterfly” in 2015. “HUMBLE.” definitely fell into that category, but “HUMBLE”is not even close to being the star of this album.

Even though I have listened to this album multiple times thus far — more than 15 to be exact — I still have yet to uncover everything Lamar expressed in this album, but that it is the beauty of it. Every time I listen to it, I pick up a new concept or even find a different favorite song.

Musically, this album is amazing.

While “To Pimp a Butterfly” took a jazzy, neo-soul route, this album takes a hip-hop approach with hard-hitting yet smooth production. It’s perfectly balanced. When the album opens up with “BLOOD.” Lamar explains a situation between a lady he has met who seemed to lose something that ends in a gunshot, then transitions into “DNA.” From the start, “DAMN.” let me know that we were in for something totally different from “To Pimp a Butterfly.”

As the album continued to flow, I kept wondering where it would fall off, and it just didn’t.

However, I will say there are songs that I don’t particularly like. “GOD.” is probably one of my least favorite songs on the album, and it doesn’t particularly

Kendrick Lamar’s newest album, “DAMN.,” upholds the high standard the rapper has set for himself. | Photo via Facebook

help that it is sandwiched in between two of my favorites — “FEAR.” and “DUCKWORTH.” Although I love the production on “GOD.,” I do not like the hook whatsoever. It feels very forced, but after multiple listens, that is the only song I do not like out of 14.

I even enjoyed the Rihanna feature on “LOYALTY.” Fans, myself included, were worried about the U2 feature song, “XXX.,” but truthfully, that song turned out to be my favorite song on the album.

It’s dark, gritty, the beat changes are spectacular and the way Lamar’s energy changes with the beat is stellar.

However, while “XXX.” might be my favorite on the album, I feel like “DUCKWORTH.” is the star of the album. It follows Lamar rapping over some amazing 9th Wonder production that follows him telling the story of the founder of his label, Anthony Tiffith aka Top Dawg’s life.

The song shifts betweens his trials and tribulations with each beat switch and then connecting it to him almost killing Lamar’s father, meeting Lamar and founding Top Dawg Entertainment. The song ends by rewinding to the intro, which left me

absolutely stunned.

Although this album has only been out for a week, and I still have yet to unwrap every piece of it, this album continues to show me how far ahead of his peers Lamar is. Even though I am a fan of many rappers today, there is something about Lamar that makes me proud to watch him grow as an artist. He continues to push himself and does not conform his art for anybody, and I completely respect that.

While they are completely different musically, he reminds me so much of OutKast. Throughout their career, OutKast have continued to push the envelope for what they could do musically.

From “Southernplayalistic” to “ATLiens” to “Aquemini,” OutKast was one of those artists where it was hard to track what they were going to do next. Lamar follows that same pattern. He always keeps me on my toes and continues to deliver quality, and regardless of if you are a fan of his or not, you have to respect that.

Contact KENDRA MARTIN Call 650-3527 Tweet @kmartin_alestle Email kmartin@alestlelive.com

The Alestle pays financial aid a visit AID | from pg. 4

Jenkins said sometimes their hands are tied, and it isn’t up to them to decide financial award amounts. They are just the messengers and don’t make the rules.

“The federal government selects approximately 30 percent of all students for a verification, which means the school they are attending is verifiably correct,” Jenkins said. So we have to ask for all sorts of documentation and the federal government puts other conditions on, like we are not actually allowed to accept the tax return, but the IRS tax return transcript.”

Jenkins said it would be easy for people to turn in a different paper tax return to the office than the one they submit to the IRS. She said some people do theirs online and forget to print it off.

According to Jenkins, they don’t choose who gets verified, but they will be happy to answer any questions for students who are selected for verification, students with holds, incoming freshmen and students in other situations.

Jenkins said there is a negative stigma that surrounds financial aid, and she would like to believe that it stems from the lack of understanding regarding the federal regulations and rules they have to abide by.

“The money [students] are getting is federal money. There is very little money that comes from SIUE,” Jenkins said.

“We’ve got a grant and a lot of scholarships that come from the university, but it is not big time money in most cases.”

Jenkins said Illinois also has the Monetary Award Program grant and a few other grants, but the majority comes from federal funds. She said students don’t understand that.

“They think that when we tell them, ‘Sorry, you are not eligible to receive that money,’ that it is the person that they are talking to that is making that decision,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said the financial aid office never makes those decisions and believes that can be misunderstood.

“The people at the front counter and on the phones are probably some of the most empathetic people that I have ever met,” Jenkins said. “They understand what the students are going through, what the problems are, that things can arise and they will do everything they can to try and help the student.”

The financial aid office is located on the second floor of Rendleman Hall and is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office does have days where they stay open late for evening students and are open the Saturday before each semester begins.

Contact MIRANDA LINTZENICH Call 650-3527 Tweet @mlintz_alestle Email mlintzenich@alestlelive.com

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You’d think someone would’ve called for help by now.

alton — east st. louis — edwardsville

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Hold yourself accountable behind the screen

Facebook Live launched in April 2015, which gave way to live interaction on social media through video. As journalists, we have used this device to our advantage, but we believe there is a line that can be and has been crossed.

ALESTLE STAFF EDITORIAL With technology advancing at the rate it is, our society demands more information in a timely manner and Facebook Live provides just that — but how much is too much?

For the most part, the feature provides insights into the lives of our friends, but this is not always the case.

The blame isn’t necessarily

on Facebook itself, but rather on the people behind the screen.

People need to take responsibility for not only their actions, but also those they are recording.

When millions of people are watching a fight or shooting live, it only encourages future video streaming of these violent events.

Live streaming serious and personal events can both be irresponsible and inappropriate.

Sometimes, recording events causes added stress to the victims involved, and it’s often not the most effective way to intervene.

For example, the recent shooting by Steve Stephens who killed Robert Godwin has gained a lot of attention. According to the New York Times, Stephens had millions of viewers soon after recording this on Facebook.

Ryan Godwin, Robert Godwin’s

grandson, pleaded the video of his grandfather being shot be taken off of Facebook.

Police brutality instances also have been highlighted on Facebook through the video feature. When these videos are continuously shared, they are also widely spread throughout the media.

As social media continues to grow, it provides people with actual footage of current events and gives them a visual of the actual situation at hand.

Although these incidents have gone on for decades, they seem to appear in media more often because of our handheld recording devices.

However, the oversharing of such incidents is becoming a problem, and causing people to become are becoming desensitized

to these incidents.

We are taking this footage of actual real world incidents and sharing them all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Searching for comments and likes on social media can consume us. This leads to sharing content all over social media that shows actual people’s lives being taken away from them, and it is quite odd that we are forgetting that.

Social media has provided a great platform for sharing, but not if we are reassuring that violent acts are OK. As a society, we need to try to stop these incidents from happening, not encouraging them; report posts of fights and shootings.

READ MORE STAFF EDITORIALS AT ALESTLELIVE.COM.

Art or Interference: Graffiti as an art form causes controversy Instagram romanticizes it, and driving down the interstate can leave you in awe or annoyance.

Graffiti is controversial for some, but I don’t see it as a problem given the right circumstances.

But before coming to a definite conclusion, there are multiple types of graffiti that need to be addressed.

MIRANDA LINTZENICH Alestle Reporter The most common is tagging, which can be seen on almost every freeway or vacant building in the greater Metro East-St. Louis area. It is usually one color and the name of a group or person. This can be affiliated with gangs in the area, and can be unwanted. Personally, I don’t see this as art, but more of a hobby for some bored teenagers who had access to a can of spray paint.

Another type can be considered similar to murals.

On Delmar, businesses will pay people to paint murals of Chuck Berry and other people

to commemorate the spirit and history of St. Louis. This is art and it is beautiful.

These two examples seem to be pretty black and white. There is artwork that takes time, skill and planning. You can tell the artist wanted their art to mean something. Then you have what any kindergartner could do with a can of paint. But there is also an in between. There is this mix of artwork and free expression that can sometimes be thought of as graffiti.

This mix can be anything from a new event coming up to simply painting feelings. Art is a beautiful, free-spirited talent that can be perceived through different interpretations depending on the person. Some think two lines on a canvas is overpriced, and others see the story behind it.

Whether you like it or not, art will always be around. Instead of painting it in a bad light, why not expand on the idea and provide a creative outlet for local artists? At SIUE, we have beautiful sculptures all around campus, and we also have the

Rock in the Stratton Quadrangle.

With a can of paint, you can paint any message on it, and it is encouraged to do so as a tradition.

But I feel like there could be something more that SIUE could add to the table. I believe that a place where artists could freely express their art could be beneficial. A small rock can only do so much, and sometimes your message can be painted over in less than an hour after it is put up.

I understand SIUE is already accepting with the numerous displays of artwork in the Student Success Center. I guess the idea of framed art is different than art that can be done outdoors with spraypaint.

I also understand that SIUE wouldn’t want the campus to be the next Concrete City or Cadillac Ranch, but even just a small place in the Gardens or off the trails, or even one wall in a single building that could be open to students doing their senior portfolio, approved by their professor or dean, would be a great addition

to campus.

Another idea could include having sections of the trails or sidewalks open for painting. For instance, you see students having fundraisers with painting lots to raise money for art programs and the idea isn’t far off. We already have a chalk drawing contest during Homecoming Week, and this could easily be incorporated into that.

Maybe the idea is a stretch, and maybe wanting more artistic expression on campus is overcompensating for the lack of skills I seem to have. Maybe a compromise could be to have actual chalkboards, rather than the ones in the SSC. Students could write messages or draw, if permanence is a problem. But I think SIUE and the city of St. Louis should become more widely accepting of art work and there are many ways to achieve that goal.

Contact MIRANDA LINTZENICH Call 650-3527 Tweet @mlintz_alestle Email mlintzenich@alestlelive.com

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sports

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thursday, 04.27.17

TENNIS TEAM TAKES SECOND CONSECUTIVE OVC TITLE READ MORE AT ALESTLELIVE.COM

page 7

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A call to the bullpen

Chambers-Book on the hunt for another OVC title was 737 — a record that stood for over 20 years. Chambers-Book’s numbers are still rising this regular season, as the Cougars are just past the midway point of the season.

Chambers-Book said she is humbled to have broken the longstanding record.

“When I came here I didn’t think it was possible for me to break the record. I can’t thank everyone enough who’s helped me get to this point. This is a huge accomplishment not just for me, but for this program,” Chambers-Book said.

Chambers-Book is known for her pitching, with 220 strikeouts this season, but something that is often overlooked is her .270 batting average, which is impressive for a pitcher.

Montgomery said Chambers-Book’s versatility is a big reason for her success. “[Chambers-Book] hits the ball very well, and can run bases very well. There are very few players in the nation that are like her. I think she is one of the top-15 pitchers in the country,” Montgomery said.

SIUE softball is always improving.

This year, the Cougars have held a top-50 RPI ranking, and Montgomery passed her 1000-win milestone.

With the OVC tournament approaching, Chambers-Book believes the Cougars’ competitiveness is their biggest key to bringing home their second conference championship in three years.

“We have a very deep bench, and every girl plays a part of our team. We compete very hard with one another because we know that nobody’s starting spot is safe,” Chambers-Book said.

In 2015, Chambers-Book was a part of the OVC championship team, but Chambers-Book says her senior year has been her favorite because of who she is surrounded by.

“I love my team. The journey to this point was hard, but they make this year fun.

They are a great group of girls to be around and have a bright future ahead of them,” Chambers-Book said.

Chambers-Book plans to graduate this May with a degree in applied communication studies, but said she is not ready to leave the game quite yet, and hopes to be able to coach softball one day.

ZEKE TORRES Alestle Reporter SIUE softball has continued its successful season, posting a 35-10 regular season and sitting one game back from second place in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 10-4 record.

Chambers-Book, an Indiana native, is the Cougars’ captain, an OVC conference champion and has received multiple honors, including OVC pitcher of the week.

As as team captain in her senior year, Chambers-Book said it feels great to see the Cougars keep winning and improving.

“It is a great feeling to win. We always look for ways to improve, whether it be after a win or a loss,” Chambers-Book said.

Head Coach Sandy Montgomery said Chambers-Book’s biggest strength is not just an improvement, but also her competitiveness both on the mound and in the batter’s box. “[Chambers-Book] is competitive and passionate. She understands when she makes an error and is willing to learn and adjust from them. She’s a difference maker,” Montgomery said.

Chambers-Book said she agrees with her coach.

“My competitiveness is my biggest strength and my will to win. I always want to get the job done and win for my team,” Chambers-Book said.

However, Chambers-Book was faced with a challenge after taking a year off for personal reasons and had to decide whether or not to return for her last year of eligibility.

Chambers-Book made the decision in early May 2016 to return to the SIUE softball program, and said a big reason for that is her support system.

After making the decision to come back, Chambers-Book had to overcome another challenge upon returning to Division I play.

Chambers-Book said she had to prove to herself that she could return to her old self.

“Playing a Division I sport is tough as it is, and even harder to do after taking a year off. I had a very successful junior year and I needed to show myself that I could return to play at that level or better than that level,” Chambers-Book said.

This season, Chambers-Book broke SIUE’s career-thrown strikeout record, which

Senior left-handed pitcher Haley Chambers-Book has surpassed the SIUE all-time strikeout record, and earned national recognition.

| Allison Gregory | Alestle

Contact ZEKE TORRES Call 650-3527 Tweet @ztorres_alestle Email ztorres@alestlelive.com

Baseball looks to finish conference play strong KEEGAN GAUWITZ Alestle Reporter SIUE baseball’s conference record dropped last weekend after being swept by the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks in a three-game series.

The Cougars are now 1722 overall following a nine-game losing streak. They’ve dropped to 6-15 in conference play with three conference series remaining.

Although the Cougars were swept this weekend, Head Coach Sean Lyons said the club played better baseball than they had been in the previous six games.

“Early on in this skid, we just didn’t play very good baseball.

Whether it was defensively, pitching or not getting timely hitting.

This past weekend we cleaned it up … Although we didn’t get the wins against UT Martin, we did play better baseball … We just

didn’t score runs,” Lyons said.

In the first game of the series, the Cougars produced five runs, but gave up nine runs to UT Martin. In the final two games, the pitching staff limited the Skyhawks to three runs in each outing, but offensive production was missing from the Cougar line-up.

“Moving forward, we’ve got to bring together all three phases of the game successfully,” Lyons said.

In the first game against UT Martin, junior right-hander Nelson Martz started on the mound for the Cougars. Martz jumped out to a great start, striking out seven and allowing no hits into the third.

In the fourth inning, Martz gave up four hits and two walks allowing the Skyhawks to grab a 5-0 lead.

Martz continued into the seventh inning, before being relieved

by redshirt junior Mike Miller after giving up four more runs on five hits. Martz finished the outing throwing 6 and two-thirds innings, striking out 10.

“It was really an odd outing for him, because he was actually pretty dominant with his stuff … but he made a couple mistakes.

He had some walks and gave up some 0-2 hits, which is uncharacteristic for him,” Lyons said.

Offensively, redshirt junior first baseman Jared McCunn led the charge for the Cougars going 4-5 on the day with two RBIs. Senior second baseman Alec Skender went 3-4 with two runs scored.

“I got some good pitches to hit, and luckily we had some guys on base,” McCunn said.

Game two was a pitcher’s duel as junior Brock Fulkerson threw eight innings, giving up only three runs on nine hits and striking out five.

Fulkerson was swapped out by sophomore Michael Shereyk heading into the ninth. Shereyk kept the Skyhawks scoreless in the final inning.

McCunn, senior designated hitter Keaton Wright, junior right fielder Dustin Woodcock and sophomore center fielder Eric Giltz provided the Cougars with their only four hits in the 3-1 loss.

Giltz scored SIUE’s only run on an error by UT Martin’s catcher.

Sunday, the Cougars got the bats going again, but struggled to capitalize with runners on base. SIUE outhit UT Martin 10 to 9, but were only able to score two runs.

The Skyhawks earned an early lead scoring two in the third inning, and one in the fourth off sophomore starting pitcher Danny Ehrsam. The right-hander acquired the loss for the Cougars

despite giving up only two earned runs in his five innings of action.

Junior Mason McReaken threw the final four innings of game three, allowing just two hits and keeping the Skyhawks scoreless.

SIUE’s offense tried to battle back behind McReaken’s performance. Junior shortstop Mario Tursi scored off a sacrifice fly by McCunn in the sixth, and sophomore outfielder Jackson Layton drove in a run in the bottom of the ninth but the Cougars couldn’t tie it up.

The Cougars look to get back on track this weekend in a non-conference match-up against the University of Pittsburgh at 12 p.m. Saturday, April 29.

Contact KEEGAN GAUWITZ Call 650-3527 Tweet @kgauwitzalestle Email kgauwitz@alestlelive.com

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HOROSCOPES

By Jennifer Shepherd, The Lipstick Mystic Monday, April 24 - Sunday, April 30, 2017 Aries: March 21 - April 19

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Libra: Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 Venus is moving opposite your sign for a while. This means you need to take some time to really look at your relationship patterns. Maybe there are certain things that you are doing that you need to change.

It’s healthy to take stock of these things.

Capricorn: Dec. 22 - Jan.19

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Leo: July 23 - Aug. 22 Venus is helping you out, especially with your love life.

Maybe you’ll realize you’re still in love with a former flame.

Consider getting back in touch with that person, just in case you can get back together. Keep an open mind.

Scorpio: Oct. 24 - Nov. 2

Aquarius: Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

Gemini: May 21 - June 21

Virgo: Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 You’re in a good mind this week, thanks to the moon. You’ll enjoy some fun times with friends, coworkers and family members.

Along the way, you could become attracted to somebody special who is a new character in your life.

Sagittarius: Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

Pisces: Feb. 19 - March 20

You’ll have good news as Saturn brings you positive vibes.

Maybe you did something nice for a friend, and now somebody is going to do something nice for you when you least expect it. Give yourself permission to have lovely things happen to you.

There’s a nice new moon in your sign, and this will bring you clarity and insight. If you’ve been involved in a complicated relationship, you’ll figure things out. If you’re single, you’ll feel more at peace about your past and optimistic about your future.

Just when you thought nothing good was ever going to happen to you, Jupiter will surprise you with something amazing.

Maybe you’ll finally get that huge promotion and raise that you wanted. Or perhaps that great person you care about will fall in love with you.

You could encounter somebody who is more aggressive than you are. Venus is pushing at you a bit, forcing you to stand up for yourself more. Maybe you’ll interact with somebody who challenges you, yet there is intense chemistry with this person.

You need to travel and expose yourself to some new things.

Mercury is encouraging you to take a risk and embark upon an adventure. Find a way to take a break from your usual routine, even if you’re just going away for a weekend.

Mars is enhancing your creative energy. It’s a great week to write a love song, craft a sexy poem or write a confessional blog post that reveals your emotional vulnerability and warmth.

Somebody might notice how sweet you are.

It’s OK to have standards in your love life. Venus is reminding you that you might not want to be with somebody who has certain behaviors that make you uncomfortable. It’s okay to express the fact that you need your partner to adhere to certain ideals.

Jennifer Shepherd, the Lipstick Mystic®, is an astrologer and syndicated columnist with over 2 million readers.

For mystical fun and psychic insights visit www.lipstickmystic.com.

Want to win $100?

It’s just a download away pp our a t d a o l sho wn 1) Do a screen g a ke 2) Ta ost and t P e l ) t 3 Ales @The l media cia on so

The sun isn’t doing you any favors lately, and this means you need to chill out and relax. Don’t make any huge decisions about your personal life. You need to take a break from anything that would create permanent change.

A friendly new moon is telling you to stick to your guns. If you’ve been questioning a relationship, wondering if somebody is a good person, it’s healthy to go through this process of examination. Be assertive, be strong and stand up for yourself.

One individual will be randomly selected.

We will announce a winner online and in our graduation issue Tuesday, May 2.