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ISSUE 05 11/09/21 ELMHURSTLEADER.COM
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‘ASTROWORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL’ TURNS INTO A MASS CASUALTY
WHAT YOU DON’T HEAR ABOUT ON THE STUDENT AMBASSADOR’S PODCAST
Vanessa Sevilla
@elmhurstleader
Vanessa Sevilla
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EU ANNOUNCES BRUCE KING WILL SERVE AS THE INAUGURAL VP OF DEI Jared Boekenhauer & Gianna Montesano
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“THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT A PRIVATE, LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE WHERE IT’S SMALL ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN PUT YOUR WHOLE ARMS AROUND IT, AND SEE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO BE.”
VANESSA SEVILLA/ OPINIONS EDITOR ERIC LUTZ/ FACULTY ADVISER PHOTO BY Elmhurst University
ASSISTANTS HANNAH HORN/ Assistant Graphics Editor SARINA OKRZESIK/ Assistant Copy Editor
GRAPHICS BY Jasmine Lillis
EU ANNOUNCES BRUCE KING WILL SERVE AS THE INAUGURAL VP OF DEI
STAFF PRINCESS GONZALEZ ESPARZA NICHOLAS REDMOND RYAN WINDLE ISABELY HERNANDEZ KAY LOVING EMMY SHAFFER HANNAH BARRETT CONTACT US THE LEADER NEWSPAPER Elmhurst University 190 Prospect Avenue Elmhurst, IL 60126 Office: 630.617.3320 General Inquires & Letters to Editor: leadernewsec@gmail.com ADVERTISE WITH US: theleaderadvertising @gmail.com ABOUT US The Leader is the student-run newspaper to the students, faculty, and administrators of Elmhurst University. The Leader is not submitted to any person or organization for prior approval. The contents are the decision of the editor in agreement with the editorial board. Opinions expressed in The Leader do not necessarily reflect those of the paper or its staff and are not intended to represent those of the EU atlarge. No text, photos, or art can be reproduced without direct permission of The Leader.
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Jared Boekenhauer and Gianna Montesano News Editor & Editor-in-Chief Elmhurst University announced in a press release that Bruce King, current associate vice chancellor for racial equity at City Colleges of Chicago, will be the inaugural VP of DEI at EU on Oct. 25. King has amassed 36 years of experience working in school districts, higher education, and DEI at various institutions across the country. According to the press release, he has worked at St. Olaf College, University of South Dakota, Carleton College, Lake Forest College, Wesleyan University, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and Hope College. At these institutions, King has served multiple positions for DEI, such as chief diversity officer and director of minority affairs. “I was impressed by the depth and breadth of Bruce’s experience in diversity, equity and inclusion work,” said President Troy VanAken in the press release. “His core belief in the ability of higher education to provide transformative opportunities and experiences to students will make him an excellent fit for our campus.” The decision comes after the final four candidates for the position spoke at open forums with members of the EU community. According to VanAken, King was given the highest rating PAGE 01
by campus members in attendance and the finalist recommended by the search committee. “During the search process, members of the campus community who attended open forums with each finalist gave Bruce the highest ratings. He also was the finalist that the search committee recommended,” said VanAken in an email to campus. With King entering the position, students are hopeful to see the changes he will bring to EU. “I’m excited to have King join our EU community, his unique background will continue to enrich our campus community,” said Cassandra Ibarra, senior at EU. “I’m eager to see what inclusivity tactics he will bring to the table.” At the open interview sessions, King spoke about his desire to work at EU due to its smaller size, and more intimate environment. “There’s something about a private, liberal arts college where it’s small enough that you can put your whole arms around it, and see the change you want to be,” said King at the open interview session. The VP of DEI is an inaugural position at EU with the search committee receiving over one hundred applications. EU partnered with faculty, staff, students, trustees, and alumni to serve on different panels, committees, and advisory groups in the year-long search for a VP of DEI. King will be starting his new position in January 2022.
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PHOTO BY Lexi Holmes & Christian Vanstedum
#3 GRAPHICS BY Jasmine Lillis
BLUEJAY TANK HOSTS THIRD ANNUAL COMPETITION, MEET THE WINNERS Emmy Shaffer Staff Writer The third annual Bluejay Tank competition took place in person for the first time, awarding three students a total of $3,000 to advance their ideas to the next level on Oct. 27. Bluejay Tank is a competition where students with a business or non-profit organization can pitch their ideas to judges, who decide which students will take home the cash prizes. “This fall, we hosted our first in-person competition as our previous Tank competitions were virtual due to the pandemic,” said organizer Martin Gahbauer. “The live version was exciting because it brought a whole new dimension to the student’s presentations.” The judges chose three winners; the first place winner received $1,500, second $1,000, and third $500. First prize winner Christian Vanstedum presented his dating app Spark, which he created a year ago to solve the problems he saw in dating apps. Vanstedum wanted his app to help people make real connections with others. “Artificial connections and friendships are formed on social media, so you don’t really know who
they are,” said Vanstuedum. “I think the best way to actually build a meaningful relationship with someone is by connecting in person.” Vanstedum received some assistance from Patrick Yanahan, adjunct faculty member and EU entrepreneur in residence, in perfecting his presentation and some guidance on what the judges were looking for. Lauren Laughlin won second place for coming up with a nonprofit organization that creates interactive modules for healthcare providers to familiarize themselves with the needs of LBGTQ+ patients to provide them with the most supportive care possible. Laughlin interviewed friends and acquaintances who identify with the LBGTQ+ community and their experiences within the healthcare industry. “I had a detailed discussion about their experiences in healthcare,” said Laughlin. “[We talked about] the types of discrimination they felt they’ve been subjected to, circumstances where their interaction with a provider has been really positive and what made that positive, as well as circumstances where they felt like the interaction was really negative, even if it wasn’t intentionally so, and what affects that had on them personally and their relationship to healthcare.”
of discrimination that exists in the healthcare industry and different funding modules for nonprofit organizations. While she initially thought that her idea was too big due to it requiring a significant amount of funding, she was pleasantly surprised with winning second place. Third place went to Mark Picardi, who proposed his idea for College Cleaners, a kit for college students to buy to help keep their dorm rooms clean and organized. The kit includes a Swiffer, paper towels, a feather duster, Clorox wipes, garbage bags, dust pan and broom, and Tide Pods. Picardi wanted to create an easy and convenient kit and one that caters to every student. “With a lot of college students you have a variety of extremes: The neat freak and the super lazy student that only cleans up when they have to,” said Picardi. “That’s actually how I designed the kit around where I could meet both markets — it allows me to hit those two extremes and everything in between.” Picardi enjoyed being able to show the value his product had to judges and how it could benefit themselves and students.
Laughlin also researched the different types PAGE 02
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H AVE YO U R VO I C E H E A R D BY J O INING O U R AWAR D WINNING NE WS PAPER Cailan Loebel, senior, (left) and Jeffrey Milostan, senior, (right) enjoying their free time playing ping pong.
PHOTO BY Lexi Holmes GRAPHICS BY Jasmine Lillis
SGA APPROVES TABLE TENNIS CLUB Jared Boekenhauer News Editor The Student Government Association unanimously approved an Elmhurst University table tennis club at the meeting on Oct. 29. The club was proposed by EU first-year Marvin Tchangwa. “I’m hoping to improve people’s skills in table tennis, and really form a good, solid foundation for them to play properly and compete against each other,” said Tchangwa. “But also have this environment that is friendly and competitive and people can enjoy being as a group.” Tchangwa got the idea for this club while he was practicing and started teaching his friends the basic skills of table tennis.
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“One of my friends was really interested [in becoming] better at table tennis and [becoming] like me,” said Tchangwa. “We were practicing quite often at the moment, and I thought ‘why not teach those skills not only to him, but to a larger group of people?’ and I really wanted to show those skills to a broader group.” Despite the unanimous decision to approve the new club, SGA members did have apprehensions over possible conflicts with students using the table tennis tables in the Roost when the club plans to meet.
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“I think we all [SGA members] have some concerns,” said SGA Vice President Isabely Hernandez after the meeting. “Let’s say he [Tchangwa] wants to, or he can only meet during protected hour with his organization. That would be a conflict because protected hour is when people are free, and people want to go to Founders [Lounge], go to the Roost, maybe play some games, that would be a conflict.” Hernandez explained that the conflicts SGA were concerned about are manageable, which pushed the group toward voting for approval of the club. “Those were concerns we could work on, and Cheryl [Leoni] is really open, especially since he’s [Tchangwa] an international student, and he did this competitively. He has a plan and he knows how to execute it, he just needs resources,” said Hernandez. “I feel really excited and honoured to be able to move onto the next stage of starting my club on campus. But also, somewhat relieved to get approval; always a bit stressful, as it was my first time really presenting an idea that I wish to develop further,” said Tchangwa in an email to The Leader. Tchangwa declared his next step is to create posters and an Instagram page (@EUtabletennis) to advertise the group. He plans to have an opening tournament to mark the club’s commencement.
After a nationwide search, the two candidates in consideration to fill the vice president of business and finance position arrived on campus to participate in listening sessions on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. Kurt Ashley, chair on the search committee for a VP of BF, sent out an email with the meeting times to students interested in attending the sessions with both speakers, where they could ask questions in person or over zoom. In order to protect the privacy of both candidates, the reporting in this story will reference the two candidates as Candidate A and B. The Leader is conscious that these individuals hold current positions at different organizations and to avoid any conflict with their current employment, The Leader will grant them anonymity. Candidate A has worked in higher education since 2009 starting off as a vice president at a nearby college, where they served for three years before moving into the position of vice president of finance and administration at a midwestern college. In their current position, they oversee and direct human resources, financial, facilities, and information technology operations as some of their responsibilities. Candidate A has been in their current role as VP of BF since 2020. One of the reasons they applied to EU is because the position would bring them closer to home.
the realm of higher education through teaching, before taking on cabinet-level roles. Candidate B has worked in the finance industry since 1995, after receiving their undergraduate degree in finance and later their MBA in 2005. If given the position, this would be the candidate’s first time working on a cabinet-level position at a higher education institution and at a university.
Jared Boekenhauer News Editor Do you like Facebook’s new name? YES
NO
INDIFFERENT
Currently, Candidate B works at a collegiate sports division company where, they have held the position of chief financial officer for the past three years, but they have been with the organization for 13 years. Being on a campus is what drew Candidate B to apply to the opening for VP of BF at EU. “It’s always exciting to be on campus because that is the heartbeat of the student,” said Candidate B. “Being able to work with teams of people is what drew me to this position.” If given the position, Candidate B would want to implement a new vision to aid the institution moving forward. “You can look at finance or history, and it helps you inform the future, but to be able to do that and work strategically with the cabinet to say ‘these are the opportunities, these are areas we can grow in,’” said Candidate B. “There’s confidence not just in numbers but [knowing] what those numbers mean.”
Do you think this will increase public support for Facebook? YES
NO
MAYBE
The candidate hired will be replacing Cindy Gonya, who entered the position in May 2019, and left the position this August.
“I’ve worked a long time out of state and I want to come home,” Candidate A said. “Everyone I’ve talked to says they want to figure out how they’re going to be here in the next 10 or 15 years, which I think is a positive and fits into the way I think.” Candidate A earned their undergraduate degree in marketing and computer science as well as their MBA. While earning their MBA, they entered PAGE 04
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Many of the initiatives put forth in the initial bill were cut. According to NBC News, this included paid family leave, free community college for two years, and the addition of dental and vision coverage to medicare. “That community college bill would go a long way to send people who maybe would not have gone to college to get a degree, and some form of technical work, or then go on to a four year institution and study something,” said EU junior Lukas Munoz. “Some of the people I know would have definitely benefited from it [free two year community college] I think maybe some of the people that didn’t go to college, like from high school, might have gone with that initiative in place,” said Munoz. Munoz said that two free years at community college could have helped students focus more on their education over paying for their tuition.
PHOTO BY CNBC.com & Whitehouse.gov
GRAPHICS BY Hannah Horn & Jasmine Lillis
DEMOCRATS ATTEMPT TO JAM THROUGH $1.75 TRILLION SPENDING BILL Jared Boekenhauer News Editor The Democratic Party — the party with control of the House of Representatives, the presidency, and a slim majority of the Senate — are attempting to jam through a $1.75 trillion bill called the Build Back Better Act. Currently, the bill is in the framework stage, but it remains a massive spending initiative. According to the White House’s website, the bill would provide universal preschool, invest in clean energy and tax credits for families who switch to clean energy, strengthen the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare), and much more. However the bill has been hotly contested in 11/09
the Democratic Party between progressives and moderates, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) pushing massive cuts to the original draft. “If you look at the progressive movement, they’re between a rock and a hard place right now. They have to get something, Democrats have to get something passed. But basically they don’t have the votes for what they want to get passed,” said Elmhurst University adjunct Scott Braam. “Well here’s the problem with that [progressives voting against the bill] perhaps, if you’re a pragmatist like me: Ok, then don’t vote for it. If there isn’t a perceived victory by Joe Biden, you will have a Republican president, maybe Donald Trump [in] 2024. You for sure lose the midterms,” said Braam. PAGE 05
PHOTO BY Lexi Holmes
MAN ON THE STREET: A ONE YEAR REVIEW OF BIDEN’S PRESIDENCY Nicholas Redmond
“If you’re paying tuition, you’re gonna have to be working to pay that tuition, but if you give kids the option, like ‘ok here’s the tuition paid,’ I mean you could have a thing where students focus on their studies, on their education, which is not necessarily a bad thing,” said Munoz.
Staff Writer
According to NBC News, the Build Back Better Act would put forward $555 billion in clean energy funding. These initiatives include expanding clean energy tax credits, and developing more incentives for families to switch to renewable energy.
Nolan Fraaza, sophomore exercise science major
“I think it’s a solid investment,” said Munoz. “I think it’s probably a little small compared to what it should be, I’m not an expert on it, the transition to clean energy. But I think it does seem a little small.”
One year after the election of President Biden, The Leader asked students across campus what they thought of Biden’s work as president. Q: How has Biden been doing during his presidency so far? A: I think he’s been doing an alright job and I mean there are things she could’ve done better. I don’t agree with how he left Afghanistan. I really appreciate his striving for climate change and trying to make a national stance on that. Q: Is he better than former President Trump? A: Absolutely. He’s a decent human being.
While the bill has been scaled down due to moderate Democrats, Braam believes there is still potential in the good provided by this bill. He also says the Democrats need something in order to have a shot at maintaining control come the midterm election of 2022.
Q: Would you vote Biden for a second term?
“This scaled down version still has amazing things in it,” said Braam. “When you’re down 20 to nothing you shouldn’t probably be running the ball, you probably should be throwing that pass. And it seems to me that they [the Democrats] better throw that long pass soon, they better get something passed.”
Q: How has Biden been doing during his presidency so far?
A: I have to see who’s he running up against, but his environmental views have had a pretty big sway on me. Emerson Azcoitia, freshman elementary ed. major (they/them)
A: I believe that he’s been doing good. I feel like we’ve seen some major changes, but we haven’t seen some of the stuff he’s promised. I understand that it’s difficult with politics right now in general, and how back and forth it is. He’s
trying to go through and solve what the former president did. In general I think he’s been doing good and I like to see how much he’s done for different communities. Both him and Kamala Harris. Q: Is he better than former President Trump? A: As someone who is queer, a person of color, and trans, for me, underneath Trump it felt a little scary with some of the things he was saying. I don’t feel in fear of my basic rights as an individual underneath the Biden administration. Q: Would you vote Biden for a second term? A: As of right now, I probably would. Aaliya Khaja, sophomore biology major Q: How has Biden been doing during his presidency so far? A: The first thing that comes to mind is international affairs. I know that Palestine has been struggling a lot. Palestinian citizens are having their phones taken and there’s so much violence going on. I was expecting him to help out, like with humanitarian aid. In terms of that, I don’t think he’s as different from other presidents. He’s a better change from our last president, but being a huge help to Palestine, I don’t think he’s done as much. Q: Is he better than former President Trump? A: I consider him to be better than Trump. You don’t have that white privilege happening as much anymore. Kamala Harris and him, they’re inclusive to other races. PAGE 06
Q: Would you vote Biden for a second term? A: I honestly would wait and see who the other candidates are and see their values. Currently, it was picking the best of the worst. Amina Nalik, freshman logic and supply chain management major Q: How has Biden been doing during his presidency so far? A: With foreign affairs I feel like he could be handling things better. There are a lot of innocent lives that are being put on stake. On a different spectrum, what he has done well he has shown a lot more effort in trying to help with the pandemic. So we have gone somewhere. He’s made it so that seeing someone popular like Olivia Rodrigo, who went to the White House and advocated getting the vaccine, probably helps a lot. Q: Is he better than former President Trump? A: Trump was very openly racist, sexist, and he said horrible things that separated people in America. He encouraged people not to check their resources and believe everything we see online. Which is obviously really bad and that sort of puts this country and its people in a hold where they are unwilling to learn about each other and not to be kind to each other. Q: Would you vote Biden for a second term? A: It depends on how he does in the rest of his term and also depending on the candidates. I’ll make sure to do my research on which one will be the best for the country and its people.
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new mystery islands that have flora and fauna that can’t be found anywhere else. These islands can have different times or seasons than what they currently are on your own island. Group stretching, an old event from the first adaptation of “Animal Crossing,” is coming to the plaza as well. Every day your character can partake in stretching with villagers and some nonplayer characters, or NPC.
PHOTO BY Siliconera.com
GRAPHICS BY Hannah Horn & Jasmine Lillis
‘ANIMAL CROSSING’ UPDATE HAS VILLAGERS PUTTING IN WORK with a new update on Nov. 5, “Animal Crossing” might be back.
Ryan Windle Staff Writer It may be time to turn on your Nintendo Switch again. “Animal Crossing” brought many people comfort at the start of the pandemic; escaping to an imaginary island was a great distraction from the harsh realities of the world. However, to many fans, it seemed like the game was unfinished and was lacking the spark that previous versions of the game had. Because of this, most players stopped playing the game; but
To start off, Brewster, the owner of the coffee shop “The Roost” is coming back to the mucseum, allowing users to virtually enjoy a cup of coffee with villagers and friends. Harvey’s Island is getting a massive plaza update. Old characters like Harriet, Tortimer, Katrina are coming back with their shops in this new plaza. New characters on the island that appear weekly, such as Redd, Sahara, and Leif, will have a permanent shop in the plaza when they are not on your user’s island. Boat tours and Kapp’n are coming back, showing
Cooking is finally coming to “Animal Crossing,” and with cooking comes a bunch of new crops to grow. Carrots, potatoes, and more will be available to harvest to make all the new recipes that are being brought with this update. A lot of new furniture is coming to the game, but most importantly, froggy chair is coming back. Fans have been begging Nintendo to bring this iconic piece of furniture back into the game, and they finally listened. The last major new update is the return of gyroids, with a new design that will provide an abundant amount of new decoration opportunities. All of this will be readily available on Nov. 5, free to all users. However, this is not the only thing coming to the game that day. “Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise” is paid downloadable content that will be available the same day the update is released. With this $25 expansion, users can create a resort full of vacation homes for many different villagers, which brings new interior design options as well as more hours of gameplay.
‘GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON’ PLAYLIST 1. 2. 3.
Coventry Carol by Sufjan Stevens
7 O’clock News/ Silent Night by Phoebe Bridgers, Fiona Apples, & Matt Berninger
Home Alone, Too by The Staves
4. 5. 6.
Away in a Manger by Nat King Cole
What Child is This by Bing Crosby
Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley
7.
White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes
8.
River by Joni Mitchell
PHOTO BY New York Public Library PHOTO BY Nme.com
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GRAPHICS BY Jasmine Lillis
GRAPHICS BY Jasmine Lillis
JEON SOMI DID NOT DELIVER WITH BEWARE, IT’S SCORPIO SEASON DEBUT ALBUM, ‘XOXO’
Ryan Windle Staff Writer Jeon Somi released her first solo studio album, “XOXO,” on Oct. 29, after years in the K-Pop industry.
unpleasant surprise and does not mesh with the rest of the song. The track “Anymore” could be a song that I would expect to hear on the radio. The guitar is mesmerizing, and nostalgic, like it is from the early 2000s.
To be completely upfront, the album was a big disappointment. It only had eight tracks, and four of the songs were songs that have been out for a while now.
Adding to the radio-friendly vibe, the lyrics are fully in English. “I wanna be your lover, don’t wanna be your friend” is a line that sticks out the most. While I love this song, it feels out of place compared to the rest of the songs on the album.
Starting off the album is the track “DUMB DUMB,” which I listen to avidly. It starts with piano, which then builds up to the chorus, all backed by whistling. The song is unique and, if anything, is a little short for my liking.
“Watermelon” is an okay song. Again, it feels out of place, but not as much as “Anymore” does. It is a simple song; nothing exciting or memorable happens in it. Will I listen again? Probably not.
“XOXO” has to be my favorite off of the album. I love how the flavor of the previous song is brought into this one. The whistling is still present, and there is a subtle beat, which gives the song a relaxing yet powerful energy. The rap portion of “XOXO” has some of my favorite lyrics, with “plenty fish up in the sea/but they don’t swim like me, you know it,” further emphasizing the power of the song. My least favorite song on the album, “Don’t Let Me Go,” follows. The whistling of the first two songs is still present, but the instrumentals are lacking, bringing no further depth to an already dull song. The lyrics are bland and basic, with the chorus consisting of Somi repeating “don’t let me go.” The featured rap of GIRIBOY caught me by an
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The songs “Birthday,” “What You Waiting For,” and “Outta My Head” are all Somi songs from the year prior. I love all of these songs, but wish they were not on the album; perhaps they could have been better suited for an EP. My main issue with this album is that it seems to go all over the place. Including old songs that do not fit the feel of Somi’s newer sound throws off the whole experience. The album lacks flow and does not make any sense. Having a solid storyline with the first three songs only to ignore it completely with the other two songs is confusing. This album is a disappointment, I wish that we got more with Somi’s first solo album. In the future, I am expecting a lot more, because this album feels like it’s simply a collection of songs rather than an album. PAGE 08
Ryan Windle Staff Writer It’s the scariest time of the year, it’s Scorpio season. I’m only joking (not really). Scorpios are the eighth sign of the zodiac, and their season takes place from Oct. 23, through Nov. 22. While they may not fit the stereotype, Scorpios are one of the three water signs that make up the zodiac. Most people know the typical description of a Scorpio, but if you do not know, here’s your synopsis: Scorpios are strong and independent, but they are also very charismatic and powerful. Scorpios love to take risks and never back down from a challenge. They don’t like to open up, so don’t take it personally if it seems like they hate you — they might not. The sign of a Scorpio is a scorpion, and they are ruled by the planet Mars (and Pluto if you consider that a planet). If you are a Pisces or a Cancer, you may want to find a Scorpio as they are the most compatible with one another. Scorpios are very passionate lovers and prefer a long-term relationship more than a casual hookup. Some famous Scorpios are Kris Jenner, Drake, Adam Driver, Lorde, and SZA. It may be in your best interest to find a Scorpio, it’s always a good idea to have someone in your life who keeps it real — even when you may not want to hear it. 11/09
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Continued from PAGE 09 While Scott was on stage, there is photo and video footage of him performing as a flashing ambulance tried to make its way through the crowd but was blocked by the audience. There is footage of the ambulance being used as a prop, with two individuals on top of the vehicle dancing.
SCORPIO SEASON PLAYLIST 1.
Late Night Prelude
2.
Raw Beat - Unfnished
3.
Tear You Apart
4. 5.
As people were passing out, the EMTs on site had trouble locating people and getting to them in a timely manner. Accounts from those in attendance claim the environment was too densely packed for anyone’s safety.
by Mark Ronson
There is speculation surrounding the use of narcotics as a cause of death, after a security guard was injected with a syringe by a concertgoer and was given Narcan to save his life. Further speculation surrounding prolonged heat exposure as a cause of death has also been circulating.
by Jai Paul
by She Wants Revenge
Posing in Bondage by Japanese Breakfast
Windstorm by School of Seven Bells
PHOTO BY KBC.co.uk
‘ASTROWORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL’ TURNS INTO A MASS CASUALTY
Criticisms and outcries have been directed at Scott and Drake, an artist who also made an appearance at the festival, for not ending the concert sooner, and for their overall lack of regard for the safety of their fans.
videos also depict people trampling over one another at the entrance before Scott even took the stage.
Concertgoers were rushed out of the venue after the concert ended. Many are returning back to the site to either pick up their belongings that were left at the concert, or to pay their respects and offer condolences to those who lost their lives.
Vanessa Sevilla Opinions Editor
6.
Give It To Me by HOMESHAKE
BEWARE!
50,000 people gathered on Nov. 5, to attend Travis Scott’s ‘Astroworld Music Festival’ and as the crowd inched closer to the stage during a crowd surge, eight attendees lost their lives and hundreds were injured before the set ended. Attendees have taken to TikTok to describe what it was like to be in the crowd, many recalling not being able to move or breathe. Videos are being circulated showing patrons passed out in the crowd being crowd-surfed out of the pit, and of attendees telling the cameramen that people were dead, begging them to stop the concert, but the concert continued. Before the concert even began, footage of what appears to be people getting through security surfaced, with Scott encouraging people who didn’t buy tickets to sneak into the festival. The
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Scott is not shy in promoting this type of rowdy behavior. Back in 2017, when the rapper performed at Lollapalooza, he was sued for encouraging fans to jump into a crowd of people, destroying gates.
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In order to obtain the best spot in the pit for Scott’s set, many concertgoers partook in rushing — the act of trying to push your way through to the front of the stage — before and during the concert. The onset of rushing may have been caused by the countdown Scott started around 8:30 p.m., according to one fan. Surveillance footage is being looked at to see if Scott could have enticed or encouraged this rushing, similar to what happened with former President Donald Trump and the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Houston police chiefs on the scene of NRG Park, where ‘Astroworld Festival’ was located, were there after the concert to speak with different news outlets and promised a thorough investigation of the deaths. Continued on PAGE 10
Flowers have been left outside of NRG Park for those who lost their lives and a prayer vigil is being held nearby on Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. The eight victims who lost their lives at Astroworld are Brianna Rodriguez, 16, John Hilgert, 14, Rudy Peña, 23, Danish Baig, 27, Axel Acosta, 21, Franco Patino, 21, and Jake Jurinek, 20.
PHOTO BY Mcuprime.cm
GRAPHICS BY Jasmine Lillis
G WITH THE TEA Gianna Montesano
The MCU grows with Harry Styles addition
Editor-in-Chief
Jokes float around about how expansive the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, but fans were taken aback when they found out pop’s golden boy, Harry Styles, would be joining the franchise as Eros, the brother of Thanos.
Ariana ‘Glinda’ Grande: Meet the new good witch Ariana Grande announced she will be portraying the pink and lovable witch, Glinda, on the big screen in the “Wicked” live action musical through an Instagram post on Nov. 4. Grande shared photos on the social media app of her in her home on a Zoom call with director Jon M. Chu and Cynthia Ervio, the actress chosen to play Elphaba. The post shows a floral arrangement from Ervio, congratulating Grande. The film’s director Chu, who directed the film “In the Heights,” released this summer, has been linked to the project since February, with casting rumors swirling around like the tornado that took Dorothy out of Kansas. A release date has not yet been set for the film, but we will soon see Grande defying gravity, and the laws of decibels, with her whistle register on the big screen. PAGE 10
Viewers who stayed for the post-credit scenes after “Eternals” (if you’re a true Marvel fan, you know never to leave when the end credits start rolling) recognized Styles appearing in a post-credit scene of an upcoming MCU movie. SPOILERS AHEAD. In the scene, he visits the remaining Eternals, who are frantic to find their counterparts stuck on Earth. Eros is introduced by Oswalt, who names him as the Royal Prince of Titan, declaring Eros can help them find the rest of their team. Rumors were circulating Styles would be in the MCU, but people denied them because of his touring schedule, album release, his lack of appearance on promotional materials, and the two other films he filmed earlier this year. 11/09
ELMHURSTLEADER.COM
OPINIONS
ISSUE 04
ELMHURSTLEADER.COM
OPINIONS
these tours, those who had not expressed initial interest to the person who sent the email out (including myself) were still given this demand.
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If they weren’t trying to single out only the Hispanic and Latinx students, why wasn’t the email sent to everyone? Also, if they are trying to have more resources for that specific population on campus, why not start creating some for those who are already here and those who are admitted? Would that not fall under one of admissions’ social responsibilities?
FE E L L I K E YO U R VO I C E ISN’T BEING REPRESENTED ON CAMPUS? H AVE YO U R VO I C E H E A R D BY J O INING O U R AWAR D WINNING NE WS PAPER
Though EU is hoping for the title of “Hispanic Serving Institution,” they have a history of being a Hispanic “holding” institution — that is, an institution that has done the bare minimum for their ethnic/minority groups, specifically those of Hispanic and Latin backgrounds.
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Providing resources for other students is almost entirely left up to students on campus. As president of the Latino student association, I have fought tirelessly for more resources for our Hispanic and Latinx population on campus to no avail.
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C O N TA C T GIANNA MONTESANO
ELMHURST FOOTBALL SEASON CLOSING IN WITH MORE LOSSES THAN WINS Isabely Hernandez
partied in the endzone.”
Social Media Manager
To start the second quarter, Augustana drove down into EU’s red zone, getting all the way to the 15-yard line. EU defense was once again able to hold them until the field goal.
The Elmhurst Bluejays faced off with the Augustana Vikings on Nov. 6, at Augustana College, losing 48–7. On Augustana’s first offensive series, they were able to get the ball all the way down to the 1-yard line of Elmhurst University. EU defense was able to hold them off and force them to only get a field goal.
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The next offensive play for EU was a one yard touchdown from quarterback Nick Eilers to receiver Gabe Holtke during the first quarter, tying the two teams 7–7. “We were in the huddle and Coach Lehto [offense coach] said we were going to score on this play and next thing you know we did,” said Eilers. When Holtke caught the touchdown, he had to celebrate the score for EU. “I was going to throw up the deuces but I didn’t want to get a penalty,” said Holtke. “So I just
11/9
ISSUE 05
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EU offense threw three interceptions throughout the rest of the second quarter, leading to few scores for Augustana, bringing the score to 27–7 during halftime. To start the third quarter, Stefan Postman got an interception to stop Augustana’s first drive. EU’s offense could not seem to move the ball forward consistently. After Augustana scored consistently after the third quarter, the EU football team had to leave with another loss, leaving their only score at the first quarter. At this point in the season, EU football has a 1–7 streak in the NCAA conference, only having one win against Millikin University on Oct. 9. EU is scheduled to end their season at home on Saturday Nov. 13, against Carroll University.
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WHAT YOU DON’T HEAR ABOUT ON THE STUDENT AMBASSADOR’S PODCAST Vanessa Sevilla Opinions Editor Inside Elmhurst University’s Admissions Office is a team of perky, young counselors, two of whom oversee the Student Ambassadors (SA) — the group of tour guides on campus. The Student Ambassador group is made up of “model students” meant to be representatives of the school, all of whom were expected to work hard to apply and be interviewed for this highly competitive on-campus job. As SA’s, we are responsible for creating content on the EU Admissions social media pages, such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. SA’s are also responsible for meeting with prospective and transfer students to give them full hour-long tours throughout the week, while also giving up their weekends throughout the month for sporadic events held by the Office of Admissions.
I was formerly a Student Ambassador until I was “volun-told” by my boss, to create a script for a Spanish version of a tour for prospective students. I, along with only three other Student Ambassadors (who all happen to be Hispanic/Latinx) out of the 15+ we have, were given this directive without any explanation other than the admissions team “wanting to start up Spanish-speaking tours like [they once did] in the past.” As an attempt to be inclusive to Hispanic and Latin communities, the initiative seemed pertinently exclusive to those who wished to give Spanishspeaking tours who were not Hispanic or Latinx. Student ambassadors of different ethnicities who expressed interest in giving Spanish-speaking tours were left out of the email thread. I really questioned their intent in starting these tours up again. While those who did express interest were bypassed because they didn’t necessarily fit the “look” admissions wanted for
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With this heavy burden to provide for such a large population, I have written articles, submitted reports and feedback, spoken with members of the cabinet, attended meetings after meetings, been on committees for the selection of prominent campus positions, all for nothing. This was not the first time I experienced feeling tokenized in my position as a Student Ambassador, and as a student here on campus. Even on tours, as parents of other first-generation students have come in to see another firstgen student putting herself through a private college, thinking their child could have the same opportunities, there is a pit in my stomach knowing that this isn’t entirely the case at a university that still struggles with exclusivity. All of this and more ultimately led me to withdraw from my position on the team, although I had the privilege of being selected and having a small role of recruiting students to the school. I am thankful for most of the experience, but it no longer sat well with me to entice Hispanic and Latinx students to come to the school without having any real support for that particular group on campus. Being asked to give Spanish-speaking tours, something I would have loved to do, ended up being the last straw.
11/09
ELMHURSTLEADER.COM
EDITORIAL
OPINIONS
wearing masks, exams are being taken in-person with a proctor watching your every move, and small group discussions are occurring inches away from each other rather than through 13inch laptop screens. Nobody explicitly laid out the expectation that everyone should snap back to normal once the semester kicked off. However, the message lingered as events slowly transitioned back to in-person and vaccines became widely available. There has not been much time to properly grieve on how turbulent Mar. 2020 to now has been. The expectation that students, faculty, and staff would snap back to normal after almost two years of a new reality is naive, and it’s okay to admit that. The world was forced into change blindly, and as humans do, we made do with the uppercut hits that were thrown at us and adapted.
SLOW DOWN AND GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT FOR HOW FAR YOU’VE COME As the semester dwindles down into a cluster of final exams, projects, holidays, and daylight savings, a mountain of stress and a spell of annoyingly persistent exhaustion is cast upon students. Many of us just want to hit the pillow, not the books, for a few weeks before coming back, but let’s give ourselves credit where credit is due. Fall 2021 marked the first “normal” semester back on campus since the world was turned upside down on Mar. 13, 2020. Being transported from dorm rooms to our childhood rooms was not easy; it made a major impact on our grades, social life, and mental health. Transitioning back to campus life has been jarring to say the least. We’re back in full classrooms 11/09
People are eager to return back to normalcy, but rushing into it by going to the bar or clubs maskless while the pandemic is still ongoing may be overwhelming, especially after going from isolation to social butterfly. This reminder to pace yourselves is not meant to throw us all back to the beginning days of quarantine, where life could not be lived in a public way, but to serve as a reminder of where we came from and how that impacts where we stand today. Returning back to normal pre-COVID-19 is what people seek, but take a moment to reflect where you were before Mar. 2020, and look at how much you’ve changed and grown in one of the most difficult experiences we may ever have to face.
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CARTOON BY Jasmine Lillis
Adapting the new ways of life into our new normal is awesome. Meetings can be done from the comfort of your own home, work can be done in a stress-free environment, and mask wearing protects you from pesky colds, flus, and viruses. There are so many little things to celebrate as we reach the end of the first semester back on campus. Slow down and give yourself grace. This past year and a half proves we can overcome any obstacle put in front of us. It’s a stressful time right now, but take time for some self-care, put your mental health first, which is one of the lessons this pandemic continues to teach us, and finish this semester. You’ve got this, The Leader believes in and supports you. PAGE 13
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