HAMLINE UNIVERSITY | ST. PAUL, MN | 2.16.22 | VOL. 133 | NO. 9 | HAMLINEORACLE.COM
Black Lives Still Matter: Amir Locke protest
PHOTO | JACOB ‘COBY’ ALOI, ORACLE Protesters gathered in Government Square on February 5 to protest the killing of Amir Locke. According to other News outlets, over 1,000 people were in attendance at the protest.
Protesters took to the streets on a cold February Saturday, to demand justice for yet another Black man killed by the Minneapolis Police Department; Amir Locke was killed during a no-knock warrant, a tactic by law enforcement that the Minneapolis Mayor’s re-election campaign said he had banned in his first term. Jack Fischer Senior Reporter jfischer12@hamline.edu Lydia Meier Senior Reporter lmeier05@hamline.edu Over one-thousand protesters took to the streets yet again to rally against police violence on Saturday, February 5. Minneapolis Police fatally shot 22-year old
For a recap of Black Student Collective’s art show, see page 5. Facebook @TheOracle
Black man Amir Locke 3 times, after serving a no-knock warrant around 7 a.m. on February 2. Police had been in the apartment for 9 seconds when an officer now identified by MPD as Mark Hanneman shot and killed Locke, who was sleeping on the couch and had a handgun. Locke was sleeping at a friend’s apartment, and not named in the warrant or connected to the investigation. Protesters rallied in front of the Hennepin County Government Center and heard from activists as well as the family of Locke. A cool 20 degrees in windy downtown didn’t seem to dissuade turnout, in a city all too familiar with protests because of police brutality against Black folks, Philando Castile, Daunte Wright and George Floyd. The killing comes while the Federal trial against three officers involved in Floyd’s death is underway across the Mississippi in Saint Paul. “It was cold out and it was a Saturday afternoon so I assumed people had other things going on. I was relieved to see that people showed up for Amir Locke but also disappointed to know that it took another murder
for some people to find this issue worth their time and attention,” Sophomore Kinzie McDowell said. Newly re-elected Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had touted his accomplishments on police reform in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing, including a nowdeleted section on his campaign website that advertised the mayor’s first-term accomplishments, including “banning the use of no-knock warrants in Minneapolis.” As it turns out, the mayor did not do that; he had banned police from unannounced entry, which MPD complied with as seen in the body camera footage, they shouted “Police, search warrant” before crossing the threshold of the apartment. Groups at the rally distributed signs that read “Frey Lied, Amir Died,” and called for both Frey and new interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amiela Huffman’s resignations. The Saint Paul Police Department originally obtained the warrant for the apartment as part of an investigation into Locke’s cousin, who was not present and is facing two counts of second-degree murder. The warrant SPPD
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2 News
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Hamline’s ever-changing community EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION Editor-in-Chief Andrea Lindner Managing Editor Elizabeth Lowe News Editor Anika Besst Business Manager Julien Halabi Multimedia Editor Jacob “Coby” Aloi Web Editor Aidan Stromdahl Design Editor Sena Ross Opinion Editor Robin Doyscher Sports Editor Cathryn Salis A&E Editor Ollie Koski Variety Editor Eliza Hagstrom Copy Editors Lydia Meier Illustrators Abdirahman Ali, Leo Coughenour, Sena Ross Senior Reporters Robin Doyscher, Jack Fischer, Ethan Hermann, Lydia Meier, Kathryn Robinson, Jilly Wortman Reporters Eden Fahy, Ma Shwe, Kayla Tester
ILLUSTRATION | SENA ROSS, ORACLE
Senior Columnist Emily Brown, Will Nelson Columnists Robin Doyscher, Alex Sirek, Dean Young Senior Photographers Aidan Stromdahl Photographers Cole Brennan, Rachel Peterson, Nathan Steeves Distributor Robin Doyscher Advisers Trevor Maine
POLICIES
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students since 1888. The paper is funded through a student fee levied by the university’s Student Media Board. We are a public forum. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or staff. We do not discriminate in employment. Our mission To cover news, trends, events and entertainment relevant to Hamline undergraduate students. We strive to make our coverage accurately reflect the diverse communities that comprise the student population. Corrections The Oracle welcomes corrections of quotational and factual errors. Please send such commentary to: oracle@hamline.edu and place “Correction” in the subject line. Direct advertising inquiries to oracle@hamline.edu. The Oracle accepts most print and insert requests. 1536 Hewitt Ave. MB 107 St. Paul, MN 55104 oracle@hamline.edu
Hamline looks to the future in the wake of a new slew of faculty and staff departures. Lydia Meier Senior Reporter lmeier05@hamline.edu The 2021 fall semester at Hamline saw significant changes to the makeup of campus due to faculty retirements and sabbaticals, as well as staff departures. These departures included Residential Life coordinator Gaith Hijazin, Social Justice director Valerie Chepp and Theatre & Dance chair Bill Wallace, which the Oracle reported at the time. Over the course of the fall semester and the beginning of 2022, Hamline saw more departures from staff and faculty, which has led to changing workloads for current staff and new hires. In the Admissions Office, Hamline Experience Coordinator Lauren Loeffler left and was replaced by Deb Ahlquist. New Student Programs (NSP) lost Assistant Director Becky Kaarbo, and current Hamline senior Crystal Camacho, a student worker in NSP, acknowledged that there are a lot of unanswered questions at the moment. “Our team of four have done a great job maintaining the program and the work we do,” Camacho said. Over the course of the fall 2021 semester, the office of Residential Life lost several lead staff members–from coordinators Matt Barr and Troy Schillinger to the director, Javier Gutierrez. To smooth over the transition, student workers took on more responsibilities, like Hamline junior and Residential Life lead office assistant Neva Miller. “All four of us have been given projects here and there that we were unfamiliar with and had to learn on the fly,” Miller said. “I think it ultimately strengthened our connection as a team because we all looked to each other for support at one point or another.” The office worked quickly, and at this point, all vacant Residential Life positions have been filled with Yolanda Armstrong being
promoted to director. Evan Fisher-Damsgard is now the operations coordinator, and John Schmidt and Rebecca Rosario are serving as area coordinators. Gutierrez, Barr and Shillinger all departed for new positions elsewhere, and although Miller misses them, she’s excited about the new energy in the office. “There was a bit of a transition period after they left, but I really commend the new team we have for how quickly they picked it up and kept the ball rolling,” Miller said. Director of Public Safety Mel Heikkinen also left Hamline for a new position on January 31, 2022. Although this has not been formally announced by the university, the Department of Public Safety and Heikkinen have both confirmed the departure. “[Heikkinen] brought us to the place where she was able to and I think we grew as a university… I’m sad to lose her on one end, but on the other side of it, too, it’s, this is the right opportunity for her to move forward with and if that’s what she was wanting, then, our role is to support, my role as her former supervisor was to support her and taking that next step in her career,” Dean of Students Patti Kersten said. Academic departments are also facing these changes. Professor Aida Audeh, chair of the Studio Arts and Art History departments retired after the fall 2021 semester. The new chair of the Studio Arts Department is professor Allison Baker, who says she’s excited about her new role. “My goal over the next three years as chair of Studio Arts is for every student to have a truly high impact internship experience. So that is something that my colleagues and I are all working towards,” Baker said. “I think that is going to be the thing that really sets us apart from all the other schools in the area.” Although changes are often unexpected and complicated, Camacho, Miller, Kersten and Baker all voice optimism for the future of their departments.
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
News 3
Hamline gets new Public Safety leadership Hamline’s Public Safety is preparing for changes as it welcomes Illiana Cantu Delgado as the new Assistant Director of Public Safety. Anika Besst News Editor abesst01@hamline.edu Offices across the Hamline campus are going through changes big and small, one of which being the Public Safety office. Illiana Cantu Delgado began as Assistant Director to Public Safety on January 10, 2022, and acts as Interim Director of Public Safety since the former Director, Melinda Heikkinen left. Offices across the Hamline campus are going through changes big and small, one of which being the Public Safety office. Illiana Cantu Delgado began as Assistant Director to Public Safety on January 10, 2022, and acts as Interim Director of Public Safety since the former Director, Melinda Heikkinen left. Prior to joining Hamline, Cantu Delgado worked at Regions Hospital in St. Paul as Safety and Security Supervisor. Her predecessor Heikinnen left Hamline on January 31 to pursue a job at St. Louis University as Assistant Vice President for Public Safety. Cantu Delgado is a St. Paul native which allows her to not only recognize many of the shifts happening in the nation at large in recent ye a r s, bu t also those in the local community as well. “There’s a lot of tension. And sometimes I kind of feel like in my life, opportunities present themselves and I kind of go where I’m needed,” Cantu Delgado said. Cantu Delgado’s own rich history and identity have resulted in a unique perspective when she addresses her work. She is a child of immigrants and was a first-generation college student. Her past has included roles with law enforcement, helping victims of human trafficking, being a 911 operator, police dispatcher and hospital security, amongst other experiences. After her experiences in law enforcement and security, heavily white, male-dominated fields, Cantu Delgado, who is an AfroLatina woman, has described it as “being a unicorn amongst donkeys sometimes.” “I feel very proud of where to come from. I never feel ashamed to say that yes, I grew up poor and yes, I grew up in the inner city and yes, I grew up outside with the projects…Because all of that contributed to my character,” Cantu Delgado said. “It takes people like us to infiltrate these types of industries to promote change within and it’s very hard. I think when you wear a uniform, people immediately judge you as it’s a negative thing. It’s hard to be called names by your own community, when in fact you’re there to keep them safe and not there to patrol them…You’re there to stand with them, to make sure nobody else hurts them, and me and the rest of my family members who are involved in this industry, we take that very seriously… I want to make sure everybody has a voice.”
The future of Public Safety is being examined through this changing time as Cantu Delgado and the staff considers what would be best for the Hamline community. An emphasis of the Public Safety office as they move forward is in creating a more positive impression and a space safe for all through steps such as community engagement and transparency, something Cantu Delgado looks forward to. Cantu Delgado joins Hamline with connections to the St. Paul Police Department and Ramsey County Sheriff. “This is a team effort to keep everybody safe and informed and feeling good and coming to campus…I want people to feel safe when they’re here. And there could be a different approach. It doesn’t have to feel that when you see us, it’s a negative thing,” Cantu Delgado said. “I think the opportunities there, I think everybody would want that. I just think it’s a real big breakdown in communication… and I just want everybody to get to know me and get to know the staff because there’s a really good group of people here. Really talented.” Cantu Delgado has been with Hamline for a little over a month and has begun building relationships across campus. “Yea, she’s pretty cool she has some family where I’m from and she fit right into Public Safety instantly,” wrote student dispatcher Oscar Hinojosa in an email. Cantu Delgado is excited to be working with students first starting their journeys. She hopes to cultivate a space that is healthy and conducive to the growth of everyone, especially since it is an academic institution. “You’re growing as young adults, you should be able to express your opinions, you know, and if they’re not the same as mine, that’s okay,” she said. “I would say everybody’s probably tired of fighting with one another. I feel it. If I feel exhausted, I can’t imagine what it is to be younger… This world is changing. And it’s like every single day. And for me, I’m at a stage in my life that I feel like I’m just watching it all happen. And I’m like, I don’t know what I can do to help but I’m going to figure it out.” These plans come at a time of change for the university as Hamline continues to navigate the changes COVID-19 has caused. Heikkinen was also the COVID Coordinator, the responsibilities of which will now be delegated to other members of the COVID team. “I’m very excited that Illiana has joined us….I think she’s the right person to guide us moving forward,” Dean of Students Patti Kersten said. to guide us moving forward,” Dean of Students Patti Kersten said.
ILLUSTRATION | ABDIRAHMAN ALI, ORACLE
4 News
AMIR LOCKE
(continued from front)
obtained was not a no-knock warrant, and asked MPD to execute the warrant on their behalf as it was outside of Saint Paul. MPD then petitioned a judge to execute the warrant as a no-knock, according to the Star Tribune. In a case that continues to live in the shadow of the George Floyd killing, the judge who granted that no-knock petition was Judge Peter Cahill, who oversaw the Derek Chauvin trial. Activists have since called for his resignation as well, arguing that the entire criminal justice system should be accountable when civilians are killed by police. Despite the connotation that has been associated with protests for Black lives, the march and rallies remained peaceful, without looting or police-aggravation. “I prepared for the worst, but stayed calm throughout the day. While there I felt safe, but also saddened and angry,” said sophomore Jennifer Martinez Badillo who was also there. The rally ended at the Minneapolis Police Department First Precinct after protesters marched down and closed S Third Ave and N Forth Street. Locke’s death has created some interesting bipartisan outrage. The handgun he
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022 had was legally obtained and he had a conceal and carry permit. In the body camera footage, Locke can be clearly seen with his index finger extended along the barrel of the gun, not on the trigger, indicating he wasn’t intending to shoot, a gun safety practice some call “trigger control.” The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, a fairly conservative caucus, called for a ban on no-knock warrants, “Mr. Locke did what many of us might do in the same confusing circumstances, he reached for a legal means of self-defense while he sought to understand what was happening” their statement read, adding “Black men, like all citizens, have a right to keep and bear arms.” As of this reporting, no real action has been taken from city, state or Federal lawmakers. Mayor Frey instituted a new no-knock warrant moratorium after Locke’s death, but after his false advertising this during his re-election campaign, lawyers and activists pointed out that this moratorium provides exceptions and may execute a no-knock warrant if approved by a judge, signed off by the Chief of Police and there is “imminent harm to an individual or the public”; which is effectively what the policy always has been. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration is pushing to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which they say will curtail the use of no-knock warrants, and that they are looking into further expanding the restrictions on Federal agents to act on no-knocks; which they restricted alongside chokeholds and carotid restraints in September through an Executive Order.
GRAPHIC | ANIKA BESST , ORACLE PHOTOS | JACOB ‘COBY’ ALOI AND LYDIA MEIER , ORACLE A compliation of photos from the February 5, 2022 protest that took place in outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, MN. The protest was for Amir Locke who was shot and killed by police during a no-knock warrant. For all photos, visit https://hamlineoracle.com/
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Raising tennis legends The biopic “King Richard,” depicting the life of Richard Williams, father to tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams, has received six Oscar nominations for the 2022 season, including Best Picture. Ollie Koski A&E Editor okoski01@hamline.edu
A&E 5 AFTER DEADLINE PODCAST Want to learn more about how we bring content to you? Check out our podcast “After Deadline” hosted by Multimedia Editor Jacob ‘Coby’ Aloi.
ILLUSTRATION | SENA ROSS, ORACLE
Serena and Venus Williams are two of the most accomplished Williams family actually drove, to the highlighting of serious athletes in the tennis world. Beyond their incredible skill, they events, such as the LAPD beating of Rodney King. The were some of the first visible Black women in sports, and have cinematography and editing shine during the many tennis maintained their activism while facing the unique intersection scenes, excelling at capturing the intensity and excitement of of misogyny and racism. Previous films such as “Venus and each moment, while not draining the audience with repetition. Serena” (2012) and “Serena” (2016) have focused on the lives of “King Richard” is an honest exploration of an intelligent and the sisters. The 2021 film “King Richard,” directed by Reinaldo complicated man, who reckons with his own ego and trauma, Marcus Green, delves deeper into the role of their father, Richard while trying to create a better path for his family. The film has Williams, played by Will Smith, who is largely credited for also been nominated for Best Original Screenplay by Zach Baylin, guiding his daughters to their early success. Best Film Editing by Pamela Martin and Best Original Song for The film’s timeline begins in Compton in the early 1990s, “Be Alive” by DIXSON and Beyoncé. The 94th Academy Awards after Williams had married his then wife Oracene Williams (now will take place on March 27. Keep an eye out as the Oracle Oracene Price), portrayed by Aunjanue Ellis. Smith and Ellis have plans to do more coverage of the Oscar nominations prior to both received Oscar nominations, for Best Actor in a Leading the ceremony. Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role respectively. The two capture a complicated marriage, with both parents aiming to create the best life for their children, but often clashing in their methods. Both Williams and Price are personally hardworking and ambitious, and they also push their children to embody these traits. The film of course focuses on showing this parent-child dynamic in Williams’ commitment to raise his two biological children with Price, Serena and Venus, to be tennis champions. Despite working night shifts, he spends time each day at the tennis courts with the girls. It is important to note that Price’s role as a mother and second coach to the sisters can be overshadowed by that of Williams—who was most often interviewed by the press—but is no less essential. Opportunities that first came to Venus as the elder sister, are shown to have been Williams’ initial priority, but the movie shows Price continuing Serena’s training at home during this period. What is captivating about how Williams interacts with his daughters, is that despite his high expectations for them, he is also immensely protective of their wellbeing. Throughout the film, Williams is often shown in conflict with the other adults in the girls’ lives. He frequently emphasizes that the most important thing is to have fun, even as Venus is on the path to becoming a professional player. In fact, Williams famously removed Venus from Junior Tournaments altogether for a few years during her adolescence, because he feared the pressure would consume her childhood—a move that at the time many believed would end any chance of her going pro. Williams was regarded as a controversial figure in the tennis world for other reasons, although it is important to understand this public perception in its context of a Black family breaking barriers in an overwhelmingly wealthy and white institution. Tennis is a very expensive sport, but Williams was a smart businessman, and his headstrong nature and persistent marketing of his daughters’ talent was needed to finally open doors. SOURCE | IMDB On more technical aspects, the film captures the “King Richard” tells the story of Serena and Venus Williams’ rise to tennis 1990s in many ways, from the charm of the colorful sports fashion and the vintage Volkswagen that the stardom under the guidance of their father, Richard Williams.
The latest episode “On Criticism” is a conversation with A&E reporter Ethan Hermann about his approach to film criticism and its importance in journalism. Listen at The Hamline Oracle on Spotify or on The Oracle website.
STAFF PICK OF THE WEEK TOPIC: Hats Leo Coughenour Illustrator
The Flat Cap “I’ve always thought that this style of hat was cool despite it going out of style a long time ago. It’s a strange hat since the top is mostly flat and it has a brim that’s typically sewn to the body of the hat.”
6 A&E
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
An evening of Black art and expression Black Student Collective’s art show provided a space for community and sharing for five local Black artists and the Hamline community. Anika Besst News Editor abesst01@hamline.edu The foyer of the Anderson Student Center was alive with art and conversation at the cultural expression event hosted by Hamline’s Black Student Collective (BSC) on February 11 for Black History Month. Five local artists were featured with work spanning a wide range of mediums from painting, glasswork, photography, jewelry and print on sale. Senior Alexis Griffin, BSC’s Black History Month Coordinator, created this event after realizing that during her time at Hamline, there has been limited Black art displayed, especially that of local Black artists. “I’ve seen a lot of Black artists are not…represented in the community or other places as well, kind of overshadowed,” Griffin said. “I want a space where they could come here and just be open and show their art, anything they wanted, I said ‘bring anything you want, anything you think identifies you as your culture.’” One artist featured, Darrell Washington is a current Hamline sophomore who has been doing art seriously for about seven years. His work is inspired by emotions and conveyed through the mediums of photography, drawing and painting with a topic of his work often channeling different variations of love. “We as humans can be really fluid throughout life and go through a lot of transformations, especially with the emotions, so that is in my work in different ways,” Washington described. Another artist, Dizzy, graduated from Hamline in 2021. She enjoys exploring mediums of art, with painting and jewelry for sale at this event. For Dizzy, art is a meditative practice and she describes her work to often explore social justice topics and Black issues. “I’ve been playing around with that style and kind of just having fun with it and expanding it, and opening it up to share with other people as something that I kind of work with intention in a spiritual sense,” Dizzy said. Another Hamline alumni Tachianna Charpenter (2019) was also featured in this show with mosaic glasswork, glass on glass, and a couple of pieces of glass on bone. For her, the mirrors allow viewers to be pulled into the pieces, “to see [themselves] being reborn.” Charpenter also explores the topics of grief and death after recently losing her mother. “A lot of my pieces deal with just that liminal space of like constantly being at the crossroads of
being alive and dead at the same time and then the transition that your relationship with death takes on when someone very close to you passes away, and just the different forms that now your relationship with that person is,” Charpenter said. Another artist was Godfree Manley-Spain who is a UMD alumnus who has done photography for almost six years. After moving to the cities, he decided to pursue his art with a more serious angle. He went to school for mechanical engineering and after graduating when the pandemic started, it gave him time to consider what he wanted to do with his life. He also moved to the cities a month before the murder of George Floyd, which was a catalyst for him to learn more about his community and get involved in new ways while creating his art. “I realized that art was kind of something that was just within me and I always just kind of found myself gravitating towards it. And I realized that I kind of wanted to make it a full time thing,” ManleySpain said. “Ever since, specializing more with creative portraits, street photography, documentary photography, and honestly anything in between.” Simone Alexa is a student at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and was also featured in this show. Her work explores the topic of representation inspired by a lack throughout her life as someone with Native Hawaiian and African American backgrounds. She often uses fantasy and science fiction, which are passions of hers. “Growing up there was a lot of lacking representation in art. And so I deal with the kind of trauma of not having representation and try to promote a lot of healing and empowerment in my work,” Alexa said. “I think it’s a really good escape and kind of inspiration for a world that we could create like in a lot of sci-fi, sometimes it gets like really dark and deals with the downfalls of society. But at the same time, there’s a science fiction that talks about the beauty of humanity.” The artists were excited to be part of this event and share their work, especially after many of them have had limited opportunities for shows due to the pandemic. “I’m just really thankful to be here,” Dizzy said. “It’s kind of my first real showcase so I’m really excited to kind of get out there a nd ha ve a platform to present my work and share it with people and engage in conversation.” The event provided many an opportunity to appreciate the value of art PHOTOS | JACOB ‘COBY’ ALOI, ORACLE Left: Dizzy considers herself a multidisciplinary artist, working in many mediums to showcase their selfexpression. Top: Darrell Washinton has been doing photography for seven years. In his work, he looks to capture the fluid nature of human beings. Right: According to Tachianna Charpenter’s artistic statement at the event, she views artistic expression as “A sacred way of healing and representing the stories within her body that are not written in a language.”
PHOTOS | JACOB ‘COBY’ ALOI, ORACLE Top: Simone Alexa uses her artwork to explore her connection to her heritage. Bottom: According to Godfree Manley-Spain’s public LinkedIn, he generally focuses his photography within his community, often opting to use film instead of digital means to capture his work.
for all it offers. “The whole point of art is just to make art and so you don’t need to be good to other people. That’s not the purpose of art,” Charpenter said. “I see a lot of people especially, as they get older, thinking that they’re not able to create things because it’s not as good as somebody else’s. And it’s all relative, the whole point of art is to express yourself and to figure out what inside yourself needs healing, so just create anyways.” The event was well attended with members of the Hamline community as well as friends of the artists visiting. BSC’s President Jazmin Clausen-Thomas was excited with the turnout and happy to provide a space for celebrating Black expression. “We’ve had, at this event especially, a really, really good turnout from people who have multiple different backgrounds and that was our goal,” Clausen-Thomas said. “It’s important to showcase Black people at their best because I feel like the media just depicts Black people in a negative light in so many different ways. So I think it’s important for us to celebrate Black joy and Black art as much as possible.”
Opinion 7
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Some portrayed standards hurt girl he talks to,” but it didn’t feel right. Why should one deprive someone they care so deeply about of other meaningful relationships? This opinion has left its mark on me to this day, making me anxious to chat so openly about my own relationship.
“Why should one deprive someone they care so deeply about of other meaningful relationships?”
Elizabeth Lowe Managing Editor elowe03@hamline.edu
The toxicity on social media can be rampant. You do you, boo. Growing up, I always heard different recounts on how exclusive relationships should be, and today I still get my relationship compared to others. I think that’s incredibly unfair. The bottom line is: Everyone has different boundaries, and consent is (and always will be) key. However social media, and the people close to you, can readily disagree. I remember telling a few friends once that my partner had other friends of their preferred gender(s), and I was met with awkward silence. Of course, in the past I’d seen multiple online threads that hold the heteronormative belief, “I should be the only
My mother also made quite an impression on me. Starting in high school, she always asked which boys I found cute, who talked to me and she rambled on about how “exotic” I looked as an Asian American. Jokes on her, I came out as not heterosexual, and this is what began a lot of tension. See, she really wants grandkids, and her thought of exclusive relationships is moving in together, tying the knot, and conceiving a child with your partner. And then another child. My thought is, it’s now 2022, and all I wish to have is pets. As a cat owner, my cat is very much a cute, whiny little being. She is my favorite only child. Another concept not so readily portrayed in the media is a couple not living together. To put it short, couples moving in together is seen as a milestone. A large one. On Tiktok and Instagram, you can watch couples’
process moving into apartments, and their entire—very captivating— renovation journey. And the couples that live apart, even after getting married, are met with more hesitation. But perhaps the most questioning is done to those who don’t sleep together every night, instead choosing to have their own bedrooms to retreat to when wanted. Some people openly talk about how they wish they could live with their partner(s) and fall asleep next to them every night, and others don’t seem to have much of a voice on their opinion, so I’ll state my own here. I love and appreciate my partner, and I also highly value my sleep. Sure, I’d enjoy falling asleep next to them every once in a while. But after falling asleep in my own bed alone for the majority of my 21 years, I want the room to turn and fumble about. I also get all the sheets to myself, no fighting or anything. As for sleeping in separate rooms or entirely different locations, you can each adjust the lighting to your own liking, and never be banished to the couch. No hate to those that do live together, but I’m what people like to call “picky”. With Valentine’s Day this week, I gather most of us were overwhelmed by the pink and red decorations at our local Target, and to the swarms of happy couple posts but listen to me here - everyone’s relationship can present itself in a different way. If your love language is quality time, maybe cook a favorite dinner with your person. If it’s physical touch, maybe a few hugs will suffice. And if you just don’t celebrate with your partner, I hope you stayed warm and maybe even treated yourself! After all, self-love is something we should all aspire to practice.
Realizing your idols are undeserving
Eliza Hagstrom Variety Editor ehagstrom01@hamline.edu
Growing up and realizing that the people you idolize aren’t deserving, hurts This article covers topics some readers may find disturbing, such as sexual assault. A TikTok posted in October of 2021 (since deleted), claimed that when the creator was 13 she was brought onto a tour bus by a popular pop-punk band and was told to take off her bra “for their nasty collection.”
When commenters asked for the creator to expose them they responded with “they’re not even that punk they write songs about champagne and kids” For those not familiar with punk/poppunk music, people instantly knew that they were referring to the band All Time Low. Referencing their songs ‘Poppin’ Champagne’ and ‘Kids in The Dark,’ along with the fact that they are known to have fans throw bras at them while on tour. Since then, over ninety-seven allegations of sexual misconduct with minors have been made against the band’s lead guitarist Jack Barakat. Since all this has happened, I have stopped listening to All Time Low entirely. My Spotify is no longer able to play any of their songs with the ‘don’t play this’ feature. I spent almost a hundred dollars on concert tickets way before any of this came out. My friend and I decided that their actions would not change the fact that we were gonna have fun together, and that it could be a way for us to say goodbye to a band that helped us get through middle and high school. The concert took place on October 30 and only a handful of allegations had come out at that point in time. While at the concert, I felt on the verge of bursting into tears or throwing up. Many times the lead singer, Alex
Gaskarth, told the crowd that “we really appreciate you all being here.” Despite openers and merch sellers backing out, the venue was still packed. People that I met there had similar feelings as I did, but some wanted to support them more. Someone in the crowd yelled, “I love you, Jack!” Those words, yelling that they love someone accused of hurting minors, have been ringing in my ears since. At that concert, people around us talked about how they did not believe or care about any of the allegations made against these people. And people would say that being mad and holding them accountable made fans question the loyalty of themselves and others. Since that night many more people have spoken out against this band, accumulating around one-hundred allegations. It was recently announced that the four members of All Time Low are pursuing legal action against their online accusers. They have filed a libel suit against them to find out who the anonymous accusers are. Rolling Stone states that the band plans to “utilize discovery including subpoenas to uncover the identities of those that defamed them.” And in an attempt to still look okay to fans, the band is claiming that they stand
with victims and survivors. (Just not the people they victimized). “[The band] will then donate any proceeds derived from this litigation to charities that support victims of sexual abuse,” according to Rolling Stone. Even more upsetting than these actions taken by the band, is the fact that fans online have poured out to support them. “#IStandWithAllTimeLow” was trending, and people were making “All Time Low Defense Crew” shirts. The post the shirts creator about this shirt reads “I’ve spent the last couple of hours coming up with a way to support All Time Low while also being an advocate for SA survivors. I designed this fundraiser to do just that - all funds will be donated to NAESA (including funds raised irl!) Please share!” The ways people say that they stand with and support victims and survivors directly contradict the fact that they are supporting this band and this lawsuit. They do not want to admit that the people they love are abusers. That’s a hard thing to face, it really hurts. I’m not going to deny these fans that, but standing by as someone is revealed to be an abuser is not being a better fan. It’s denial.
8 Word Search
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
GRAPHIC | LEO COUGHENOUR, THE ORACLE
9 Sports
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Meanwhile, on the field/court/track/rink...
The Oracle’s photographers have been taking full advantage of the now-open stands during Hamline athletic competion to ensure complete and exciting coverage of the sports world. Here are some of our favorite unreleased photos from this year. Cathryn Salis Sports Editor csalis01@hamline.edu PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE RIGHT: Hockey at Hamline is played at TRIA Rink and hosts both the men’s and women’s teams. PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE STOCK The Hamline men’s soccer team went 2-12-3 in their 2021 season.
PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE STOCK The Hamline women’s soccer team sent Taylor Sayles to the 2021 MIAC Women’s soccer All-Conference team.
PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE The gymnastics team celebrated their seniors during their Code Red night on Friday 2/11 and competed cleanly in all their events. PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE STOCK RIGHT: Women’s basketball is on track to break records that have been in place for over 20 years.
PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE STOCK Hamline’s football team was eager to get back into competition after a year of no game play.
PHOTO | CHETHA NY, ORACLE STOCK Women’s basketball has been a crowd favorite at Hamline for a long time and their current season is one of their best in years.
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The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Cold weather can’t freeze out the Pipers With winter sports winding down, there is a lot to look back on from the Hamline winter athletes and their success on and off their respective courts. Jilly Wortman Senior Reporter jwortman01@hamline.edu Is the success of a team determined exclusively by the statistics that they create? The Hamline winter athletics think it’s a deeper thing that can’t be measured by numbers. The Hamline Women’s Basketball team is on its way to the MIAC Tournament. The team currently has a record of 16-5. This season has been historic for the Pipers, the last time the women’s team had this number of wins in a season was during the 1985-1986 season. They secured this achievement against St. Benedicts back on February 7. The defense has been shining bright with over 230 steals this season. “We have a great group of young women on our team and they have been so fun to coach and be around each day. I am proud of our efforts on the basketball court as well as in the classroom. We achieved a 3.58 Team GPA for fall semester. They have worked extremely hard and it has been fun seeing them have success this season,” head women’s basketball coach Alex Focke said. Women’s hockey has been filled with tricks, points and wins. The team has a record of 11—3 and is currently on a three-game winning streak. With Whitney Colbert as the new head coach, the team has had three shutouts this season in which they have scored at least four points. When the women’s team was facing off against the UW-Superior Yellowjackets, Jordan Hansen scored their 100th career point. Track and Field are in the midst of the indoor section of their season. The women’s team has been racing for first place, with many wins in the 1,000 meter, long jump, 4x200 meter and weighted throws. The team has had two athletes named MIAC athlete of the week. Jenneel Rodney and Jailyn Robinson were both named the MIAC Women’s Field Athlete
PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE The men’s hockey team has faced a few postponements at the beginning of their season but has high hopes for success in the rest of the year. of the Week. Rodney gained the title on January 25, and Robinson was named the Athlete of the Week on February 8. On the men’s side, they have competed in 5 meets and have broken records. The Hamline first-year Joshua Thomsen broke two records in one day, one of which was already theirs. On January 29, the Pipers were competing at the MSU-Mankato Mark Schuck Open and Multi where Thomsen broke the school record of 8.36 seconds in the 60-meter preliminaries, then broke the record again with an 8.30second finish in the finals. The gymnastics team started the season with a postponement, but since then they have competed in four meets. “Overall I feel good, you know success is subjective. I feel good about our efforts and our progress, our intention, fight and grit, unfortunately, that isn’t always equal to statistical success which oftentimes we’re measured on,” Doug Byrnes head coach of the Gymnastics team said. When the Pipers faced Winona State, there was a nail-biting finish of 176.975 to 179.725 that led to Winona taking the win. “We have had some wonderful individual performances and we have
had a ton of transcendental performances from people learning,” Byrnes said. In the pool, waves are being made. Junior diver Courtney Broyles was named the MIAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week on January 18 and is now working towards her second Zone Qualifying score. The women’s team hosted Augsburgs University Swim and Dive team on January 23 and walked away with a win and 180 points. The men’s team is small but mighty – the roster consists of four athletes who have been swimming at six meets this season. Men’s hockey has an overall record of 4—15—1. They are on a one-game winning streak and their meet-ups with St. Olaf have been intense. When the two teams first met this season on December 31, it was a high-scoring game that ended in a 4—4 tie after one overtime period. At their second meeting of the season, the match went to overtime again after ending the regular time of play tied at 1—1. The Oles walked away from the meeting with
the win and a final score of 1—2. The men’s team faced a few postponements this season back in January. The men’s basketball team has a current record of 9—13. On February 5, the Pipers visited the Concordia Cobbers and secured the win with a final score of 79—67, 21 of those points being scored by first-year Bradley Cimperman. “The 2021-22 men’s basketball season has been about opportunity and growth. Navigating injuries and players missing time due to illness has presented challenges and given opportunities for our players. We have had numerous players step in and provide quality minutes throughout the year. I am proud of the growth we have shown over the course of the season and we are excited to finish strong and head into the MIAC playoffs on a high note,” Jim Hayes, head coach of Hamline’s men’s basketball team, said.
PHOTOS | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE TOP: Hamline’s gymnastics team celebrated their senior night on February 11, their last home meet of the season. LEFT: The gynmastics team was geared up and excited to celebrate and compete on their Code Red night.
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, February 16,2022
Variety 11
Tips to fight the winter blues With it being mid February, winter seems to have no end and the springtime beauty seems far away. Nevertheless, Hamline and the Twin Cities have so much to offer, even during these bleak times. Kathryn Robinson Variety Reporter krobinson12@hamline.edu The winter months can be hard. The frigid cold, icy roads and overall lack of color can really deplete motivation and bring your mood down. It’s important, especially at the beginning of the semester, to find ways to increase happiness and motivation until the beautiful spring days arrive. Here is a shortlist of some activities that can help beat the winter blues with an added feature of an exciting club on campus: HU climbing club: Clubs are a great way to meet new people and get your mind out of school work. While there are many clubs on campus, the HU climbing club is a specific way to get your body moving and to meet new friends. Grace Pierson, the president of the HU climbing club and the vice president, Josh Lynch started the club as a way to find more friends to climb with. The club has since grown and they now host weekly events for students to climb. “Our main goal is to make climbing accessible to any Hamline student, and to make an inviting community for people who’ve climbed their whole life, never climbed at all, or anywhere in between,” Lynch said. “We go to the Twin Cities bouldering on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., and St. Paul vertical endeavors on Sundays at 2:00 p.m..” They also have climbing events that they put on. “In January we had a guided ice climbing event in Sandstone, MN and we hope to do that more next year,” Lynch said. If you’re interested in joining the climbing club, you can email huclimbingclub@ hamlineedu or by messaging them on Instagram @hu_climbing_club. If rock climbing or other winter sports are not your cup of tea, there are also many other ways to charge your battery and find the bright side to winter. Get Creative: It can be hard to channel your creativity during the winter months, but this is a crucial time to do so. I have been forced to get creative during my creative writing class and have enjoyed every second! Get intentional with your time and set aside even just 20 minutes to do something you enjoy that lets you channel your creativity. Whether it be listening to music, painting, writing, or talking with a friend about a movie you both love, all these activities can help alleviate some
of the dreaded winter blues. Visit a Museum: Speaking of creativity, look at others’ art! The Minnesota Institute of Art is free and great for college students. The Twin Cities area has a lot of museums, though. Not all of them are free but many have discounts for students. It is a great way to get off campus and learn something new and maybe even get inspired by something you see. Buy some flowers: Spring may seem far because of the endless white snow outside, but you can bring spring inside. Buying flowers and adding a pop of color to your living space can increase your mood and make spring feel even closer. Spring is my favorite season, so incorporating pastel colors and flowers increase my happiness greatly. Buying flowers for a friend is another way to connect and add a pop of happiness to someone else’s life as well. Seasonal depression is a scary, isolating and lonely problem that many people face. While there are things to do to fight the winter blues, Hamline’s Counseling and Health Services is here to help you. They can be reached by phone at (651)-523-2204.
ILLUSTRATIONS| SENA ROSS
Variety 12
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, February 16,2022
Welcome to the Year of the Tiger A night of fun, filled with food, culture and performances. Welcoming the Year of the Tiger with Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), Global Students Society (GSS) and Hamline University Programming Board (HUPB). Andrea Lindner Editor-In-Chief alindner02@hamline.edu Red and Gold was the theme of the transformed Anderson Center for the Lunar New Year celebration. The event, a collaboration between the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), Global Students Society (GSS) and Hamline University Programming Board (HUPB), was held on February 11 with a great turnout. Hamline junior, GSS event coordinator and MC for the night, Mien Le noted that the event took a lot of planning and hard work. “We had long meetings for like two hours every week, so it’s challenging but it was really fun to do,” Le said. Guests were able to enjoy food from Tokyo 23 and performances from the Chinese Asian American Association of Minnesota Dance Theatre (CAAM) and Ha Family Lion Dance, a poem reading from Hamline Chinese professor Shannon Cannella and a competition to see who could pick up the most skittles using chopsticks.
Le found the event to be meaningful as she is an international student from Vietnam who has been unable to celebrate Lunar New Year as she usually does. “Lunar New Year is the time of year where you gather with your family, but I haven’t seen my family for three years. So it is important because I can finally celebrate my tradition, not with my family, but with friends and other people,” Le said. Junior and APAC social media coordinator Misha Ram noted that collaborating with both the GSS and HUPB was crucial in getting the event up and running. “It makes sense for the Global Student Society to be part of this as a lot of their international students celebrate Lunar New Year and then we’ve worked with HUPB before and we just loved collaborating with them,” Ram said. Rather than focusing on traditions from one specific country, Ram said that the event was more broad as APAC is for all AAPI individuals. “It gives people a sense of home,” Ram said. Junior Anthony Meng attended the event because his family celebrates Lunar New Year every year, and it was exciting for him to see a space for it on campus. “It shows inclusion and also how diverse our student body is. At the end of the day if we don’t acknowledge that everyone has many cultural heritages and traditions we automatically kind of minimize the importance of it,” Meng said. Students with no cultural ties to Lunar New Year were also able to enjoy the activities.
PHOTOS | CHETHA NY, ORACLE The Lion Dance, one of the most anticipated parts of a Lunar New Year celebration
“It’s interesting to go to an event that showcases a culture I haven’t experienced much, and who doesn’t love free food?” Junior Kayden Rinzel said. Le, Ram, and Meng all cited the Lion Dance as the thing they were most excited to see. “That’s the must have activity. If Lunar New Year doesn’t have Lion Dance, it’s not Lunar New Year. It cheers up everybody, I’m very very excited for that,” Le said. Meng shared a similar sentiment. “It’s really fun, energetic, you’re able to interact with the lions if they come up to you and it’s just really fun,” Meng said. Anyone interested in collaborating with HUPB for a future event can contact collaborations-hupb@hamline.edu.
PHOTO | CHETHA NY, ORACLE A dancer from the Chinese Asian American Association of Minnesota Dance Theatre