ELMHURST UNIVERSITY ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 31, 2023 ELMHURSTLEADER.COM
PAGE 1 News: Elmhurst University enrolls higher numbers of international students in recent years
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ELMHURST UNIVERSITY ENROLLS HIGHER NUMBERS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN RECENT YEARS Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Editor-in-Chief 289 international undergraduate and graduate students from 38 different countries enrolled at Elmhurst University this fall, according to Institutional Research Data. This is a notable difference from 2017, with 20 international undergraduate and graduate students from 10 countries enrolling here. According to Christine Grenier, vice president for admission, the largest population of international students currently comes from India, and most are completing graduate degrees. Undergraduate international students regularly come from Vietnam, Greece, and Latin American areas, such as Colombia. Since 2016, EU has been working to recruit more international students. President Troy VanAken, the Board of Trustees, and Kara Johnson, director of international admission, have all played key roles in these efforts. Grenier thinks that the efforts will help students prepare for intercultural interactions, and VanAken believes these efforts will benefit students and help EU fulfill its mission. According to Grenier, a number of developments
have helped EU recruit more international students.
students who may not have heard of EU before, according to Grenier.
First, EU committing itself to being a school that welcomes international students allowed the Office of Admission to receive the support it needed to expand its international recruitment efforts.
Grenier believes the most effective tool to recruit more international students happens when international students share their experiences at EU with those they know abroad.
“It enabled us to build relationships and partnerships abroad, and we also have been able to attend international college fairs and high school visits, and meet with college counselors and students to spread the word about Elmhurst U,” Grenier wrote in an email to The Leader. Another development that helped draw in more international students was changing EU’s name from Elmhurst College to Elmhurst University. According to Grenier, having “college” in the name can create confusion for international students because they may interpret the term “college” as referring to a high school or vocational school, so the term “university” helps students abroad understand what EU is and what it offers. In addition, EU’s acceptance of the Common Application helped put EU on the map for
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EDITORIAL BOARD Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Editor-in-Chief Ilana Garnica (she/her) Managing Editor, Chief Copy Editor Rachel Fratt (she/her) Head Graphics Editor Abbey Mark (she/her) Head Social Media Graphics
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Samuel Shulman (he/him) Staff Writer
CORRECTION In our printed third issue published on Oct.
Alyssa Kuehne (she/her) Assistant Copy Editor Eve Hvarre (she/her) News Editor Sarah Glees (she/her) Multimedia Editor
Ian Murphy (he/him) Staff Writer
17, our article reporting on Dr. Ron Wiginton’s
Tyler Ptaszkowski (he/him) Staff Writer
editor’s name. The correct spelling is Gianna
Kevin Brassil (he/him) Staff Writer
With every issue, The Leader is committed
Fatima Gutierrez (she/her) Staff Writer
According to Grenier, the Office of Admission hired a new admission counselor to work alongside Johnson to help people learn more about EU and its application process. This will help Johnson continue EU’s work of building relationships around the world. Furthermore, the Office of Global Engagement offers several services for international students, according to Tony Marotta, director of global engagement. Some new programs being introduced this term include Global Eats, where students will be taken to different cuisines in the suburban
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“Our best recruitment tool is when students have a successful experience here and then return home and tell their teachers, family and friends about Elmhurst,” Grenier wrote. “We also ask alumni to attend fairs on our behalf when they are available, so that students can learn not only what Elmhurst has to offer, but what it’s like to study in the United States.”
memorial incorrectly spelled a former Montesano. All online publications of this article have been changed to reflect this.
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area to “explore culture and break bread with each other,” and Chicago Explorers, where international students will be taken to different Chicago neighborhoods to gain an understanding and appreciation of Chicago.
Additional initiatives are cultural exploration events including Global Eats and Chicago Explorers, an international education week in November, and outreach to various offices and individuals to support international students.
Marotta believes these programs will enhance international students’ willingness to engage with surrounding communities.
Christine Akoth, a sophomore international student from Kenya, mentioned receiving a lot of support from staff and students when she first came to EU.
“With these initiatives, we hope international students will take more advantage of the cultural and social enrichment opportunities in neighboring communities and Chicago,” Marotta wrote in an email to The Leader. Marotta also mentioned a new mentor program in which older international students will assist younger international students throughout their first year at EU and beyond. Existing initiatives for international students include a pre-arrival orientation, an on-campus orientation, and workshops on international student needs (F-1 status, employment regulations, travel regulations, etc).
She stated that when she first arrived, everything felt new to her and she wasn’t familiar with some appliances, like the charging ports or microwaves here, so meeting new people helped her adjust to life on campus. In addition, participating in orientation and being part of an Orientation Student Leader group of 12 played an important role in helping her feel connected on campus. “It made me not feel that, you know, I’m so lonely over here, but it just kind of gives me like a small family which I can actually confide in instead of just being thrown in a bigger, you
know, freshman big group,” Akoth said. She also spoke about how friendly people on campus have helped her adjust. “Being able to meet, like, friendly people, it really plays a really important part in my feelings and just how I appreciate everything in life knowing that I have like this group in school, which is gonna help me,” Akoth said. Netochukwu Kalu, a sophomore international student from Nigeria, has had an overall positive experience with being welcomed into EU as well. “People are usually intrigued when they hear where I am from, and it can be very entertaining to hear the kinds of questions people have,” Kalu wrote in an email to The Leader. “The professors have been great and very helpful in getting me used to the teaching styles, and I appreciate how all my professors have genuinely wanted me to succeed.”
DAWN TURNER GIVES A BOOK TALK ON HER MEMOIR “THREE GIRLS FROM BRONZEVILLE” Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Editor-in-Chief
justice, asked Turner questions about her inspiration for the book, her writing process, and different parts of the book.
Dawn Turner grew up with her sister, Kim, and best friend, Debra, in a historically Black neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago in a “bright and shiny, immaculate private complex,” but right across the street from where she lived, there was a housing project that was deteriorating.
Turner wanted readers to take away a few universal themes from her memoir.
“You could see the difference in the lives, I mean just difference in the communities, that were just across the street but in the lives of the people,” Turner said. “So, a lot of times we try to, or we just think ‘Oh, that person is just inherently bad,’ but clearly, there are forces that are beyond just somebody.” Turner, an award-winning author and journalist, gave a talk about her memoir, “Three Girls From Bronzeville” on Oct. 26 in the Founders Lounge, to give people who had read the memoir an opportunity to “go behind the scenes.” Andrea Krieg, assistant professor of criminal
“I want readers to see this as a story with a lot of universal themes centering on transcendence, grit, resilience, and second chances regarding who gets them and who doesn’t, who makes the most of them, and the people who might squander them,” Turner said. Turner’s memoir follows the story of herself, Kim, and Debra, who were coming of age in the afterglow of the Civil Rights Movement. According to Turner, their parents viewed them as having opportunities that had been denied generations of Black people and envisioned that they would, “partake in every aspect of the American dream,” and Turner wanted to investigate why each of them went down very Continued on page 4 PHOTO BY Adriana Briscoe OCTOBER 31, 2023
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different paths.
know where they’re going to end up.
“When that [the American dream] didn’t happen for my sister and my best friend, I wanted to understand why, and so that’s when I started to go back and look at our past,” Turner said.
“We all know people whose path diverged from our own or even their own personal trajectories changed, and they landed in a place where they had no idea they would be, and that’s one of those universal themes in terms of the story,” Turner said.
Turner continued, “And I am a journalist, so I didn’t want to just do it as a memoirist. I didn’t want to rely solely on my memory because memories are faulty, so I, as a journalist, I did what I do best — I talk to people, I interview them, I looked at documents.” In her lecture, Turner emphasized that she wanted to paint a complex picture of herself, Kim, and Debra. Turner also wanted to tell an engaging story that highlighted the idea that people never
She noted that sometimes tragic or traumatic events happen that can change one’s life and the lives of those they love. “The reality is is that we all make bad choices, and there are different degrees of bad — but we all have to at some point make amends or ask someone for forgiveness,” Turner said. “And then sometimes the reason why we don’t have these cataclysmic slides is because of grace
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or something far bigger than ourselves, and that’s another thing I was hoping would come from the book.” In addition, Turner wanted to talk about the complexities of “life,” “community,” and “situations” and paint a more complete picture of Bronzeville. “I wanted to talk about our complicated, complex community on the South Side of Chicago and just give it more depth and get people to understand,” Turner said. “You know, when we hear the South Side, you know, it’s such a loaded phrase, and it means so many different things to different people, but I wanted to show a different version of that.”
SIGMA KAPPA RAISES MONEY FOR ALZHEIMER’S WITH A LIP SYNC BATTLE Eve Hvarre (she/her) News Editor
Phi performed, like they do every year, and took this year’s first place slot, making it their fourth consecutive win.
Sigma Kappa held their annual Pearl Jam event in the Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel to raise money for Alzheimer’s research on Oct. 25.
Many of the routines were comedic and goofy but still helped Sigma Kappa raise money for charity.
Junior Lydia Szydlowski, who was in charge of planning the lip sync battle, explained the cause behind the event.
Szydlowski enjoyed the time with her sorority sisters.
Before the event, students could sign up with a prepared lip sync routine and compete against other routines in order to win a prize. It cost five dollars to compete and three dollars to watch. Following each performance, spectators could give donations to “boost” that routine’s score. Pearl Jam turned out to be a success, and Sigma Kappa raised $534 for their foundation. To start off, the sisters of Sigma Kappa performed their routine and got the crowd excited. In total, there were 10 numbers and routines. Some people performed on their own, while others performed in duets or groups. At the end of the night, fraternity Alpha Sigma
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Pearl Jam is one of the first big events that Sigma Kappa holds in the fall semester after recruitment. Szydlowski started planning for it before the semester started. “I had the date picked out and the song I wanted to do at the beginning of August, and then started working on the choreography for our group in September, and then started teaching it to my sisters at the beginning of October,” Szydlowski said. PHOTO PROVIDED BY Lydia Szydlowski
“Pearl Jam was raising money for the Sigma Kappa Foundation, which primarily donates to Alzheimer’s research and awareness,” said Szydlowski.
“The biggest takeaway for me is just having fun with my sisters,” Szydlowski said. “It’s a great way for us to get to know each other and especially our new members since we spend so much
time practicing the dance that we perform at the beginning of the event.”
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WITH STATES BANNING BOOKS, ILLINOIS TRIES A DIFFERENT APPROACH Kevin Brassil (he/him) Staff Writer On June 12, Gov. of Illinois J.B. Pritzker signed a law banning book bans, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2024. He did this at the Harold Washington Library in response to other states having banned books and classroom material. Over the past few years, states around the country have banned books that depict people who identify as LGBTQ and racial minorities. In the state of Florida, they have banned whole classes in schools because they discussed these topics. In regards to the book banning, Elmhurst University’s head school librarian Jennifer Paliatka said, “In our current climate, there are an increasing number of book bannings across school districts and public libraries because there are organized groups of people who feel that books about LGBTQ people and books about racial minorities are not appropriate for the classroom, or the school library, or the public library.”
Paliatka continued, “But what they really want to do is erase those people with those identities from public access and take away their stories so that the libraries and the schools only so books about people that look like them.” When you walk through our school library, you will see a display of books that have been banned today and in the past. When talking about the display Paliatka said, “I created it a number of years ago, and every year I add a few new books to the display.” Paliatka continued, “I started because I thought it was interesting how many people objected to classic works of literature, and I thought other students here and others who use the library would also be interested in how sometimes our freedoms of reading what we want are being impacted by others.” There have been a large number of books banned in 2023. According to the American Library Association, “Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, there has been
695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles. This is a 20% increase from 2022.” This shows that even though people need libraries and the materials that they hold, it is very difficult to get these because they are being banned or are at risk of being banned. There are groups like “Moms for Liberty” that have put people onto school boards and city councils who support banning books and classroom material that support LGBTQ people and those who are a part of a racial minority. According to “Moms for Liberty,” their mission statement is, “Moms for Liberty is dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.” When asked if she would ever support a book ban, Paliatka said, “No, there is no time I would agree with a book banning. Even if that book has bad material, you still should have access to it and make a decision for yourself and your family.”
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KEEPING UP WITH THE SCREENWRITERS’ STRIKE Sarah Glees (she/her) Multimedia Editor It has been 109 days on the picket lines, and SAG-AFRTA is still going strong. Halloween costumes were making headlines as SAG-AFRTA asked its members to choose more general costumes this holiday rather than specific characters. The guild is asking this in order to avoid promoting struck work. “Let’s use our collective power to send a loud and clear message to our struck employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract,” said the union on their website Oct. 19.
In another update, George Clooney and a group of other A-list actors met with the heads of SAG-AFTRA with a proposal to take caps off union dues for high-earning members earlier this month. This is in order to bridge the gap between what SAG-AFTRA is seeking from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and what the AMPTP is willing to give. Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA was thankful for the proposal but explained why it legally wouldn’t work. “We are a federally regulated labor union and the only contributions that can go into
our pension and health funds must be from the employer,” said Drescher in an Instagram reel. “So what we are fighting for in terms of benefits has to remain in this contract.” Talks between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP are currently stalled on the topic of charging streaming services 57 cents per subscriber. This would allow funds to be available for actors who worked on those streaming platforms. Unfortunately, the AMPTP, whose CEO’s annual salary average is roughly $40 million, states that this proposal would create, “untenable economic burden.”
EU’S BOOK CLUB READS “THE SILENT PATIENT” having a romantic relationship, which could not have been farther from the truth.
Fatima Gutierrez (she/her) Staff Writer This fall, the Bluejay’s Book Club read “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides. This book won the popular vote even though many book club members don’t read psychological thrillers. For most of the club, it’s the first time we read a male author in our spare time, outside of school. The book focuses on the psychological aspect of how a person could commit murder, mainly on how Alicia Berenson killed her husband. The consensus from the book club was that “The Silent Patient” achieved the feeling of being thrilled with the unexpected twists and turns especially towards the end of the book, where it is impossible to guess the ending. Seeing as Michaelides wrote “The Silent Patient” loosely based on the Greek tragedy “Alcestis” by Euripides, you can imagine it has a tragic ending.
The book club generally underestimated every character, especially Theo Faber, who was the reader’s most reliable narrator. Alicia Berenson’s diary is how she speaks to the reader while recalling different days and the emotions she was feeling. We distrust Alicia Berenson from the start since we are told she killed her husband, Gabriel Berenson, and refused to speak for six years, thus becoming the silent patient. However, we can’t help but engross ourselves in her thoughts because, just like Theo, we want an answer as to why Alicia killed her husband, Gabriel Berenson. Alicia gets admitted to The Grove, which is a mental hospital in London, instead of serving a life sentence. Theo is a trained psychotherapist who specifically applies for a job at The Grove to be Alicia’s psychotherapist.
If you like modern retellings of Greek tragedies, this may pique your interest. In the book club, we discussed how we felt about the story, as we uncovered Alicia Berenson and Theo Faber’s lives.
Theo is obsessed with understanding her mentality and who she was, and is. Alicia Berenson was married to Gabriel Berenson, a fashion photographer she considered her savior. So, why would she kill him?
We see the psychological connection between childhood trauma and who we become as adults. Within the book club, we also tried to predict the story onward from Part I of the book; one theory was that Alicia and Theo would end up
The book club attempted to make sense of that very question and ask if Alicia really did kill her husband. This was when individuals clashed in the book club and doubted Alicia’s intentions and whether she was capable of murder.
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The book club examined Alicia’s painting she did of the murder titled “Alcestis,” which is a self-portrait of herself standing before an easel, nude and painting in either blood or red paint. Many assumed Alicia painted “Alcestis” was because it was her way of admitting guilt. While reading “The Silent Patient” you expect a solution or a realization, but the book leaves you with more questions. There were answers to questions you couldn’t even think of, and that sudden realization was so well-written that no one predicted it. Although left with some unresolved questions, the book club was capable of breaking down the symbolism — even down to the ending, with the snow signifying Theo Faber now being the silent patient.
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MOST OF THE EU’S WIKIPEDIA PAGE ALLEGEDLY WRITTEN BY THE SAME PERSON level of protection. Despite this, the page has experienced relatively low amounts of vandalism, aside from alumni of the university attempting to add themselves to the page’s “Notable persons” section.
pages” to share information about themselves, Paul1580 has yet to make use of this feature, making it unclear whether this editor is actually a graduate, former faculty member, or even current faculty member of EU.
However, scrolling through the edit history for EU’s Wikipedia page reveals something much more interesting — Paul1580 consecutively editing the site.
As Paul1580 has been inactive on Wikipedia since 2020, making only two edits in 2022, an interview with this individual was not feasible.
Though the credibility of the information Wikipedia provides to millions of users every day has been repeatedly called into question, it is a misconception that just anyone can edit any page on the site.
XTools, a site that provides statistics pertaining to Wikipedia pages, offers even more revealing information. According to XTools, roughly 53% of the current information on EU’s Wikipedia page is attributed to Paul1580.
However, as Wikipedia also allows users to directly communicate with each other via “user talk pages,” Paul1580 has had many opportunities to offer more insight about themselves.
Administrators on Wikipedia can provide varying levels of protection to pages more prone to vandalism, preventing most users from editing these pages until they have created an account and logged a specific number of edits.
Furthermore, the site’s “edit counter” tool indicates that Paul1580 has made over 700 edits to EU’s Wikipedia page, in addition to adding information to the pages of EU alumni and faculty, as well as a page for “Hauptgebaude” — better known as Old Main.
EU’s Wikipedia page is not currently under any
Although Wikipedia allows editors to create “user
Tyler Ptaszkowski (he/him) Staff Writer From Aug. 5, 2015, to Aug. 19, 2022, a user by the name of Paul1580 made multiple consecutive edits to the Elmhurst University Wikipedia page, frequently adding and removing information about the university’s history, traditions, programs, notable alumni, and miscellaneous features.
Notably, on July 1, 2020, when informed about the capitalization of common nouns on Wikipedia, Paul1580 replied, “We were asked to wait until today to update our Wikipedia article” and noted that certain information about personnel and office locations was outdated. This led another Wikipedia editor to inquire whether Paul1580 had an affiliation with EU, as editing with a conflict of interest is strongly discouraged on Wikipedia. In response, Paul1580 stated that they simply wanted to help the article “remain accurate and verifiable” by adding more reliable citations.
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Although Paul1580 claimed to have “an association with the university,” they also asserted that they had not been financially compensated for updating the article, and that contributing to Wikipedia was “an interesting hobby at most.” As Wikipedia allows users to edit with almost complete anonymity, the identity of Paul1580 is significantly more difficult to determine. As always, it is important to keep in mind where information comes from, who is providing it, and what credentials they may possess. After all, it’s entirely possible that Paul1580 is just another random person on the Internet. Then again, they might also be working for EU to this day, and there’s a chance you encountered them on campus just the other day.
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BLUEJAYS ENCOURAGED TO SHARE THEIR VOICES WITH THE MIDDLEWESTERN VOICE may submit two works in total for this contest, and the deadline for submissions is Jan. 8, 2024.
Lily Morgan (she/her) Staff Writer The MiddleWestern Voice magazine is now accepting literary submissions for its 26th volume, and Bluejays are encouraged to submit their fiction, nonfiction, and poetry pieces now through Jan. 8, 2024. This upcoming year, MiddleWestern Voice is running three separate literary contests with different designations, although every submission will be considered for publication in the magazine’s next volume. The first contest, First Voice, is a fiction, nonfiction, and poetry competition that will determine the first literature piece to be featured in this year’s magazine. Pieces submitted for this particular contest will be judged by the MWV student staff. Bluejays
The Carlson Contest is open to fiction and poetry pieces only, and it will be judged blindly by members of the English department faculty. This contest is open to two submissions per Bluejay, and the deadline is Dec. 15, 2023. The Lively Contest is a creative nonfiction competition that will be similarly blindly judged by members of the English department faculty. However, this contest accepts only one submission per Bluejay, and its deadline is also Dec.15, 2023. There are no official page limits for submissions, but the MiddleWestern staff does have some guidelines. In their fliers placed around campus, they ask for 15 pages max for fiction, eight pages max for creative nonfiction, and two pages max for poetry.
To anyone hesitant to submit their work, MiddleWestern Voice President Alyssa Kuehne, who also serves as the assistant copy editor of The Leader, has some encouragement. “Even if it’s something you’re not completely confident in, you’re never going to finish a piece and think it’s perfect,” Kuehne said. “Putting yourself out there is the first step in completing the goal of being published.” And if you’re not inclined to submit writing, the MiddleWestern Voice magazine also accepts submissions for other multimedia forms such as original artwork, graphic design, and music. Be on the lookout for The Gathering on Nov. 9 for more information about those submissions.
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GHOSTS OF EU’S PAST HAUNT CAMPUS GROUNDS Samuel Shulman (he/him) Staff Writer Have you ever felt like someone was in the room with you, even when you’re alone? Have you ever heard a bump in the night, or footsteps when there was no one else around? Elmhurst University has a long and storied history, dating back to the late 19th century. From the days of the pro-seminary, to the establishment of a full collegiate institution in 1924, EU has seen over 40,000 students in its tenure. Many former students and faculty return to campus from time to time, but some have never left. A haunting story most students are aware of is the ghost in the Mill Theater scene shop, located off the back of the Alexander parking lot. The story alleges that in 1968, a young technical director named David Payne died in a hit-and-run car accident during winter break. Shortly after his death, when students returned for J-term, a student went to the scene shop to get a blueprint for a set being built for the “Marriage of Figaro.” Who gave that student the blueprint? The dead set director. The student was not aware that Payne had died until his peers told him that after they met his ghost. It has been confirmed that there was a faculty member named David Payne, hired in mid-1968, with a singular photograph of him in the 1969 edition of the former EU yearbooks, The Elms. His name is displayed under his photo by another faculty member’s name. Junior Jessica Sanderson, an active actress in the theater department, has not just heard of David Payne, but has quite literally heard him. “I’ve heard footsteps above me while I’m the only one there,” Sanderson said. Sanderson stated that this has happened a few times while she’s been in the scene shop. Other students have had similar experiences, dating back to when Payne died, yet his ghost is not the only one that roams campus grounds. Rumors of the residence halls being haunted are common speculation among many students on campus, given that the oldest residence hall is over 100 years old. Surprisingly, one confirmed ghost resides in Niebuhr and has been seen personally
in its entirety. Senior Skylar Schulz has never felt alone in her dorm room, as she “felt like there has been someone else in the room in all three dorm rooms” she’s inhabited. From Niebuhr Hall to Schick Hall to West Hall, Schulz has felt an otherworldly presence each year. Schulz has the abilities of a medium, a person with the clairvoyant ability to see spirits, and similar to “The Sixth Sense,” she can indeed see dead people. “I have heard of one haunting my freshman year, and this year with the same type of haunting in Niebuhr Hall on the first floor,” Schulz said. Schulz also heard about the haunting from current first-year students living in Niebuhr Hall as well as from Niebuhr resident advisors, with claims of footsteps running up and down the halls in the dead of night. The haunting is by the ghost of a girl named “Becky”, who supposedly died in her room in Niebuhr Hall 10 to 15 years ago. Stories vary on how she died, but the most common one told is that she committed suicide. This haunting has been confirmed to Schulz via Dr. Phil Riordan, vice president of Student Affairs. Schulz is a resident advisor on campus, and she, like the other RAs, had a one-on-one meeting with Riordan. In that meeting, he did confirm that there was a death of a girl named Becky in Niebuhr Hall. Becky’s ghost primarily haunts the first floor, and when asked, Schulz stated, “Why she haunts the guys’ first floor, I do not know.” There have been no other confirmations of residence hall apparitions, but dorms are not the only places where ominous figures have been seen on campus. Christopher Baraglia, a graduate from the class of 2023, worked as a night custodian between 2020 and 2023 and has encountered paranormal activity on campus in the twilight hours.
thought it was someone who wasn’t supposed to be there. I looked around the basement and saw no one.” The same apparition appeared again two days later while Baraglia was in another basement classroom. In another incident, around 3 a.m., Baraglia was waiting in the Alexander parking lot for the train when he witnessed someone across the tracks “dancing in the dark, by themselves.” Baraglia couldn’t make out who the figure was and speculated it may have been a “drunk man.” However, once the figure moved under a street light, it appeared the figure was looking directly at him. “That’s when I got up and left,” Baraglia said. It wouldn’t be a surprise if there were many other ghosts on campus, as many students and other people have been on EU’s grounds over the course of 152 years. Schulz has seen other ghosts on campus, and the “most common place for ghosts would be the Mall area.” Schulz stated that for some of the ghosts, she knows “who they are,” but for others, she only sees “them passing by.” Be reassured though, as according to Schulz, “ghosts are not evil, and there is nothing bad that would happen on campus from them,” and that, “ghosts can not physically hurt anyone. The only thing they can do is mess with our technology; that’s it.” Some believe that ghosts return to places where they had the most joy in their lives, and for those that roam campus grounds, it must be apparent that they had their greatest joys at EU. “It is just benevolent beings on our campus that are trying to either enjoy their time here or still have unfinished business down here that they have to finish before moving on,” Schulz said. In a similar ring to the University Alma Mater song, the third verse goes as follows:
“I was in the basement in one of the corner classrooms in Koplin Hall, vacuuming, when, out of the corner of my eye, it looked like someone was peering half their body through the door,” Baraglia said.
“When life’s closing days draw nearer
This incident occurred around 2:35 a.m., according to Baraglia.
Linger long o’er thee.”
“It freaked me out,” Baraglia said. “I paused my music to hear if anyone was calling my name.” At this point, Baraglia heard nothing, and then he “saw a flash of somebody running from the door. I
Sad the heart may be, Still shall dreams of youth and glory This practically states that at the end of our lives, we will think back to our youth and glory here at EU, and so maybe one day our ghosts will roam campus grounds, much as we do now.
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LOOK WHAT YOU MADE HER DO
TAYLOR SWIFT REDEFINES CINEMA WITH NEW ERAS TOUR MOVIE Sarah Glees (She/her) Multimedia Editor At the youthful age of seven years old, I found myself fixated on just one thing: scoring a CD of Taylor Swift’s sophomore album, “Fearless.” From that point forward, I could admittedly be deemed a Swiftie. Though not all her albums have been ones I found myself listening to on repeat, when news of the Eras Tour was released, I was all in…until, of course, I saw ticket prices. Thankfully, news of the movie being released gave us less financially flushed fans a way to take part in the experience, and, wow, was it an experience. I’m someone who’s a fan of film and frequents the movies fairly often and never have I been to an experience like “Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour.” Right off the bat, the theatre was filled with fans of all ages wearing Taylor Swift-inspired outfits and friendship bracelets. From the climactic opening of the film, you could sense the slight stir in the crowd that eventually erupted into chanting the lyrics to every song and dancing in the aisles. One of the most heartwarming moments was seeing a group of elementary-aged fans gather together in the front row to sing and perform every song. I can’t recall another artist like Taylor, who has transcended this many generations.
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“Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour” brings back the community experience of cinema and reimagines the possibility of concert features. As Taylor requested of her audience at the start of her show, these songs have all taken on new meaning, and when I hear each one of them, this one-of-a-kind experience will be what’s playing in my head.
I was also not a fan of the fact that “The Archer,” “Tis the Damn Season,” “No Body, No Crime,” “Long Live,” “Cardigan,” and “Seven” were all cut. I went with a friend who was lucky enough to scramble for tickets when Taylor came to Chicago, and she pointed out that many of the gaps between eras were cut out as well. After seeing how iconic some of these interludes were, I wished they had stayed in. I understand that time was a concern, as this movie is already close to three hours; however, I think many fans, myself included, would’ve sat there until midnight to catch every moment. Here’s to hoping that there’s an extended-release version when it comes out on DVD/streaming. The only other shortcoming I found worth mentioning was the price of the tickets. Tickets were priced at $19.89 without tax. Sure, it’s significantly less than the $500
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H OTO
“Folklore” and “Evermore” were also juxtaposed against one another, with “Folklore” having an airy, dreamlike forest quality to it, while “Evermore’s” forest was darker with a witch-like atmosphere. In addition to the gorgeous sets, the background dancers were truly stunning.
However, one era that I was missing from all this was her debut album. “Our Song” was one of her surprises of the night, which I belted out every word to. I also wished that “Speak Now” had featured more beloved favorites, like “Mean” or “Back to December.”
That being said, it was completely worth the experience, but keeps me from going back to see it again, despite wanting to. Despite these shortcomings, they collectively only took half a star off, proving how amazing the experience was.
NET P
I was amazed at the sheer dedication and spectacle of the sets and screens. The song “The Man” had one of my favorite designs, as Taylor performed while walking through this elaborate 9-to-5-style office.
On top of this, Taylor made songs the radio played to death, “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Shake It Off” — I’m staring at you two, ones that I was completely rethinking. The performance of these, and other overplayed songs, was given with such power and showmanship that I couldn’t help but dance and sing along.
some had to shell out to see her in person, but it’s a lot for a movie ticket.
I NTE R
The atmosphere was truly more like an intimate concert experience rather than a movie screening, making it all the more enjoyable. However, the concert performance itself was incredible. Trying to pick a favorite song, or even era, is impossible, with each being as unique as they were.
There were moments I couldn’t help but to be mesmerized by their dancing and acting. This choreography mixed with the design made the film feel like a Broadway show.
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ARTS + CULTURE
ISSUE 4
DID SOMEONE SAY CAMP?
THREE HALLOWEEN MOVIES FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T HANDLE HORROR. Sarah Glees (she/her) Multimedia Editor The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) What screams Halloween camp more than Rocky? “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has been a cult classic since its seemingly failed release in 1975. Despite being deemed a box office flop, fans of the film began to rally around it, packing theaters to see it any chance they could. In 1976, the first known shadow-cast performance was conceived in Los Angeles by Michael Wolfson. On top of this, it has come as far as to be deemed, “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress in 2005. The movie follows the story of Brad and Jane, a couple in their prude era, and their introduction to Dr. Frankfurter, an alien transvestite from the planet Transsexual.
has a stunning and hilarious soundtrack.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Do you want to go somewhere that’s green? Well, so do all of the down-on-their-luck characters in “Little Shop of Horrors.” That is until a mean, green mother from outer space, aka Audrey II, comes into their lives.
Justice for the fact that this movie, for some reason, has only 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. This hilarious and campy feature starring Eddie Murphy is one that defined my childhood during spooky season.
The lively cast features famous comedic names such as Steve Martin, John Candy, and Billy Murray, who all bring their A-game to this picture. The film also stars Ellen Greene, who shows off her amazing vocal ability as Audrey, and Rick Moranis, who is a perfectly wimpy Seymore.
“The Haunted Mansion” features a crypt of early-era CGI skeletons, a barbershop quartet of singing stone heads, and a pissed-off floating head in a green ball; what more could you ask for in a Halloween feature?
The film is based on the low-budget black comedy made in 1960 of the same name, starring Jack Nicholson. Fun fact: it was, at the time, the most expensive movie Warner Bros. had ever produced, and the expense definitely pays off. Audrey II in the film shows off the amazing power of puppetry, and as mentioned previously, it
The story follows a family of four as they head off for a weekend trip; however, along the way end up trapped in — you guessed it — a haunted mansion. They each have personal challenges to overcome and creepy obstacles that are there to push them on the right path. It’s a fun, nostalgic, and classic Disney Halloween watch this season. INTE RN E T PH O
I’ve seen it more times than I can count, and the plot still doesn’t totally make sense; however, to this day it is one of my favorite Halloween features, and has one of the best soundtracks, only to be rivaled with the second
movie on this list.
TO S
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EDITORIAL
ISSUE 4
EDITORIAL ELMHURST UNIVERSITY NEEDS TO RENOVATE AND MAINTAIN OLD DORM BUILDINGS Elmhurst University needs to renovate its older residence buildings to accommodate students’ needs. First and foremost, one of the most pressing issues is the lack of accessibility inside Dinkmeyer Hall, Niebuhr Hall, Stanger Hall, and Schick Hall. While we acknowledge that implementing elevators is a project that can’t be easily done while students are living in these buildings year-round, EU could at least work on building accessible entrances for all residence buildings. Meanwhile, they could begin mapping out a plan for how to implement elevators in all the residence buildings. Next, EU needs to install proper air dryers, air conditioning, thermostats, and water bottle fountains in all residence halls on every floor. Air dryers will allow students to reduce their
landfill waste, air conditioning and thermostats will help prevent students from feeling uncomfortably hot or cold, and water bottle fountains on every floor, while not necessary, would make it much more convenient to fill up water bottles and stay hydrated. In particular, air conditioning has become increasingly important to have as summers become longer and hotter. Some people have health issues that can be exacerbated by heat, and dampness caused by humidity can potentially ruin furniture. Instead of leaving students to camp out in the Founders Lounge during hot nights, why not begin to implement air-conditioning units? Lastly, while the maintenance staff tries their best, hiring more maintenance staff may be necessary in order to ensure that dorm bathrooms
are stocked with everything students need and are kept clean enough to be tolerable. The Leader hopes EU takes these suggestions seriously — some of us have had one too many hot nights and days without paper towels. Letter to Editor Submissions Letters to the editor can be submitted below or sent to leadernewsec@gmail.com. Letters must include your full name and Elmhurst University affiliation. All letters should be 300 words or less in length. The editors retain the right to edit letters before publication. Don’t forget to spell-check. The Leader is the student-run newspaper speaking to 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 EU at-large. All text, photos and art cannot be reproduced without direct permission of The Leader.
GRAPHIC BY Rachel Fratt
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EDITORIAL
ISSUE 4
RUFFLED FEATHERS Jennie Bosas (she/her) Staff Editorial Cartoonist
SPOOKY COLORING PAGE Jennie Bosas (she/her) Staff Editorial Cartoonist
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OPINIONS
ISSUE 4
SOCIAL PARIAH: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS IMPACTING STUDENTS ON CAMPUS Jennie Bosas (she/her) and Samuel Shulman (he/him) Staff Writers The students of Elmhurst University are scholars, artists, and future leaders. But, above all, we are the generation of the ‘scroll.’ Our mornings begin with the warm glow of our screens, as the constant feed on social media fuels our connections. In this digital tapestry, EU itself engages, making its presence known through Facebook and Instagram. We are the subjects, the content creators, and the audience.
This public feud became well-known, from first-hand viewers or through hearsay, by many EU students.
memes to vitriolic comments about campus organizations, athletics, and even individual students.
Junior Amina Malik feels that the feuds aren’t necessary.
93% of survey respondents believe that the ability to be anonymous significantly influences how people post on social media.
“I think we’re at that age that if we don’t agree with somebody, we should just leave them alone,” Malik said. However, not everything posted on this particular student platform is negative. Many of the common posts seen on the community story are flyers for campus events or footage of the well-loved campus cat, Boots.
Social media becomes the stage where our drama unfolds, echoing the conversations, camaraderie, and controversies of campus life. In this article, we’ll explore the multifaceted role of these platforms, diving into their impact on our campus and personal lives.
When asked overall about the type of impact social media has on one personally, 42% of respondents said that it has a negative impact on them, while 40% claimed it has a positive impact on them.
First, it’s worth noting that 100% of respondents in the survey said they use Snapchat, and a significant 86% mentioned being part of a student social media group.
Some students said that it was not worth it to go, others said it depends on how one feels, and many others added how much fun they had at their orientation. These discussions might have been heated, but they did subside as orientation began. However, the most recent and most prominent controversy seen on the community Snapchat stories is the debate over campus parties. It became very apparent that asking about campus parties would not be met with positive feedback, leaving users across different classes to duel it out in an old-fashioned “flame-war.”
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This is a common occurrence on this particular platform. Other such posts range from the use of racial and homophobic slurs and misogynistic posts about campus sororities to making egregious claims about other students cheating on their partners. Only 35% of respondents said that they use Yik Yak, and 40% of respondents said that the ability to be anonymous does not impact the way they post on social media. However, 33% said that the ability to be anonymous does impact the way they post on social media.
To gauge the impact social media has on EU students, a survey was distributed via the community Snapchat Story, where viewers of the classes of 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 could respond.
Snapchat has introduced a new feature — community stories for college students — which has brought both delight and controversy to campus life. The first controversy seen on this platform was the debate over whether or not to go to New Student Orientation.
A recent example of this came following the football team’s first CCIW conference game win. Some users on Yik Yak were less than impressed with one such user saying the “football team finally win and y’all still being negative,” to which another user responded, “Fuck you and your shit ass team.”
Created by �� � from the Noun Project
When asked if these social media student groups accurately represent the student body, 46% of respondents said “somewhat,” 25% said “not entirely,” and about 12% said “yes.” This boils down to another platform that has made a resurgence on many college campuses, especially at EU. Yik Yak, a social networking app released in 2013, made a comeback in 2021 and allows users to post anonymously on a group forum within a five-mile radius. Similar to Snapchat, it offers a student forum. The major difference, of course, is the anonymous factor, and so Yik Yak has become another hotspot for controversy on campus, largely due to that factor. The posts range from
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81% of respondents said that they have considered deleting social media, but only 40% said that they have considered it due to recent happenings on student platforms. It is apparent that social media has a relatively negative impact for students at EU, but for EU as an institution, 54% of respondents said that they believe social media has a positive impact. 98% of respondents follow campus clubs and organizations on social media, mostly on Instagram and Facebook. Instagram was the second most used social media platform by respondents, with 98% saying they use it. The Office of Student Involvement, the Office of Admissions, and the official Elmhurst University Instagram posts highlight student life and involvement on campus.
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From the amazing feats of students in the performing arts, success at athletic events, community service from fraternities and sororities, and high academic prowess, social media is a great platform to demonstrate the variety of abilities students have at EU. Most respondents agree that posts made by campus-run social media pages accurately depict the student body, with 54% saying they’re “somewhat” accurate and 30% saying “yes,” they are accurate. Social media has made an undeniable impact on life as we know it, and it has made an impact on our campus.
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ISSUE 4
Senior Samantha Welko said social media “makes it easier to get to know people,” but it also opens up ways for others to “anonymously bully people.”
When asked if social media overstepped by allowing student platforms outside of school jurisdiction to exist, 44% of respondents said “no,” while 35% said “yes.”
The results of our survey reveal a diverse range of opinions about the role and impact of social media on Elmhurst students. While it has undoubtedly made it easier to connect and get to know one another, it has also opened the door to anonymous bullying and controversy.
Ultimately, we find ourselves at a crossroads where the allure of these platforms competes with the pitfalls they present.
Students express concern about the negative impact it can have on their personal lives, while others believe in its power to depict the rich tapestry of achievements here at EU.
Social media is a powerful tool, one that can either uplift or undermine our campus experience. The responsibility, it seems, lies with us, the ‘scrolling’ generation, to harness this digital realm and make it a force for good in our journey at EU.
ELMHURST UNIVERSITY DESERVES 24-HOUR DINING, OR AT LEAST CONSISTENT HOURS ON THE WEEKENDS Ian Murphy (he/him) Staff Writer I have many gripes with suburban America. One of which is my dislike for huge roads clogging up our towns and cities. Cars are king, especially in suburban cities such as Elmhurst, even if there is a relatively walkable area downtown. Elmhurst University’s campus is very walkable. However, off-campus, it’s practically required to have a car to get anywhere. That’s a resource I — and many others — do not have. It’s nearly impossible to get to McDonalds, Popeyes, or even Target, without a car. It’s certainly far more dangerous. This is all to say, for those students living on campus, which is close to 1,000 based on dorm capacity, and for those without a car on campus with them, a lot of times their only reasonable option for food is the Main Café or the Roost.
The Roost also rarely stays open for its full hours on the weekends. I’ve seen it close before 8 p.m. on a Saturday — it was scheduled to stay open until 10 p.m.
package of ramen or cereal would be a start.
EU’s contracted food supplier, Chartwells, now trying to brand themselves as “Elmhurst Eats,” is not very clear in their communication.
They’ve decided the hours they’ve set is the best way to make money, whether it’s because the most students come during those times, or because it’s the best way to avoid paying employees for more hours, or for some other reason I couldn’t imagine.
They have a website where hours for each dining location are posted — this is very useful on the weekends; EU’s campus dining page is almost never accurate. Even then, I’ve run into days where half of the Roost will be closed for hours, and the website will show it as open. This begs the question: why? Why do dining hours change with little warning? Why is the main café open for less than nine hours each weekday? Why is there a gap in dining service at all?
I know this likely won’t happen. Chartwells, like any other company, is designed to make money.
I don’t know for sure the reason why dining on campus is like this. Chartwells did not respond to The Leader’s request for an interview. I do know this: EU residents deserve to eat when they are hungry. They deserve a consistent schedule for dining. Ideally, campus residents can eat at any time of day or night they please, but at the very least, they are deserving of better communication.
For students without a car, there’s no other option than to bend to Chartwell’s whims — why are we willing to pay so much to do so?
This isn’t always bad. The specials in the café are generally pretty good, and the Roost has some solid options. The bigger issue is actually having time to eat.
The solution is simple. The main cafeteria could stay open from open to close, instead of closing between 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
It can be difficult to eat if you have something going on during the day, especially on weekends. The main café is closed by 6:30 p.m., and the Roost doesn’t open until 6 p.m.
The Roost could keep consistent hours every day of the week, or even stay open 24 hours a day. Even if the actual food service areas are closed, at least having the option to buy a OCTOBER 31, 2023
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