2.24.21

A life devoted to justice HAMLINE UNIVERSITY | ST. PAUL, MN | 2.24.21 | VOL. 131 | NO. 12 | HAMLINEORACLE.COM

The Oracle remembers Anna Arnold Hedgeman, one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement and Hamline’s first graduate of color.

Nicole Ronchetti Reporter nronchetti01@hamline.edu

On a warm August day in 1963, one of the most memorable moments of the civil rights movement took place. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Washington D.C. for racial equality. The event included the famous “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. But, the March on Washington would not have been possible without a Hamline graduate that has mostly been left out of history.

Anna Arnold Hedgeman graduated from Hamline in 1922 and was the university’s first student of color. Born in Iowa, Hedgeman was raised in Anoka, Minnesota, at a time when there were less than 50 Black residents in the town. She would go on to attend Hamline to pursue teaching, but racial discrimination posed a number of challenges for her.

“As a Black woman, she could not student teach in the state of Minnesota, and when she graduated with her degree, she could not teach in Minnesota,” said Carlos Sneed, the director of the Hedgeman Center which is named after Hedgeman and focuses on student diversity and inclusion.

Hedgeman took a position teaching at Rust College, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) located in Mississippi. While there, she would experience opaque and violent racial segregation for the first time, inspiring her to become involved with the civil rights movement. This is a cause she remained passionate about when she moved out east, working for the YWCA USA Inc. and becoming a prominent figure in causes that included all aspects of her identity.

“She was working on economic justice, she was working on racial justice, she was working on gender justice; and she was using her experiences, her vision, and her values that came from a Christian, United Methodist view,” Sneed said.

As notable figures of the civil rights movement began to organize the March on Washington, they called on Hedgeman to help organize the event. She became the only woman on the committee. In charge of logistics, Hedgeman was responsible for transportation to get people in and out of the city safely and helped recruit 40,000 white participants through her church connections.

“Well over half [of white participants] came because of their religious connection and their connection to Anna Arnold Hedgeman,” Sneed said.

Despite being a major part of planning the march, Hedgeman was not allowed to speak, and the contribution of Black women activists to the civil rights movement was largely glossed over. While other figures from that day have become household names, Hedgeman is mostly unknown even in her home state and university.

“She was this trusted confidante of civil rights leaders,” Sneed said, “but sometimes the people who do the most work in pushing a movement forward are never celebrated. Their names get lost.”

Hedgeman continued her activism after the march, still maintaining an intersectional approach to complicated social issues. She received honorary doctorates from both Hamline and Howard University, another HBCU that where she worked, and would go on to write two memoirs. She regularly returned to Hamline to lecture and was known for sitting on the lawn outside of Old Main and having discussions with students and sharing her experiences.

SOURCE | WIKI COMMONS TOP: Anna Arnold Hedgeman, Hamline alumna and activist, was born on July 5, 1899.

BOTTOM LEFT: The 1963 March on Washington in which Hedgeman helped organize.

see HEDGEMAN page 3

PHOTO | ElLIZA HAGSTROM, ORACLE The Hedgeman Center, located on the third floor of Anderson, is dedicated to diversity and inclusion based off of the example set by Anna Arnold Hedgeman.

To learn about the car thefts around campus and how you can stay safe, see page 2

For information on the SNAP grocery program, see page 3

2 News

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Recent cars thefts consistent with years past The Hamline-Midway community, as well as the greater Twin Cities, has seen an increase in car theft recently. This car theft is similar to what is experienced in years past, though how it is being perpetrated has changed.

EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION Editor-in-Chief Carmen Danz Managing Editor Molly Landaeta News Editor Audra Grigus Business Manager Elizabeth Lowe Ad Manager Julien Halabi Design Editor Melanie Hopkins Social Media Director Ella Smith Web Editor Aidan Stromdahl Opinion Editor Mien Le Sports Editor Cathryn Salis A&E Editor Olivia Koski Variety Editor Andrea Lindner Copy Editors Eliza Hagstrom, Lydia Meier Illustrator Leo Coughenour Senior Reporters Kelly Holm, Anika Besst, Robin Doyscher Reporters Nicole Ronchetti, Sarah Sawyer, Ethan Hermann, Jilly Wortman, Leslie Perez, Jack Fischer, Z Martinez, Leslie Perez, Lyla Lee, Kathryn Robinson, Hayden Hayes Senior Columnists Emily Brown, Will Nelson Columnists Hafsa Ahmed, Andrew P Weston, SJ Welch Senior Photographers Melanie Hopkins, Antonio Risso Photographers Emily Lall, Cait Quinn, Aidan Stromdahl, Dasiyah Franklin-Carter Distributor Robin Doyscher Advisers David Hudson, Trevor Maine

Anika Besst Senior Reporter abesst01@hamline.edu Hamline Public Safety (HPS) has had four reports of car thefts so far in 2021. Two of the cases involved cars left running and unattended.

One case was a carjacking on campus. The last involved students a few blocks off the Hamline campus and was reported to HPS. It is Director of Public Safety, Melinda Heikkinen’s understanding that the St. Paul Police Department has made arrests in all these cases.

The recent uptick in crime has been consistent with what the entire Twin Cities have faced, and what has been seen in years past. The 2020-21 academic year has seen seven reported auto-theft incidents at Hamline, whether it was break ins or car thefts. This is similar to the 2019-20 school year, which was at eight at this time last year. The 2019-2020 school year had 13 overall.

To combat the rise that occurs around this time of year, HPS has increased patrols both on foot and in their vehicles, as well as increasing the watching of surveillance. The public safety directors of local universities such as St. Thomas and Macalester have also been in communication about incidents they are experiencing so they can track and report incidents faster.

The Learning Garden, located next to the Hamline Church on Asbury Avenue, has experienced auto theft recently as well. When parents are dropping their children off, the subjects work fast to break in and steal whatever they can. Since the surveillance cameras of the area do not reach that far, there is often no way of knowing what happened.

In the fall of 2019, current junior Matea Simonson had her car stolen from parking lot E near West and East Hall and Peterson dormitory. She later found it totaled a few blocks off campus.

“These are Hamline students, and it’s no secret, Hamline is an expensive college to go to and so it’s like, not many of us can really afford the potential damages or not to have a car,” said Simonson.

Earlier this school year, a student had their car stolen from the Hamline Apartments underground parking lot. Many have wondered how something like this can happen since both the building and garage doors are locked. The subject who stole the car piggybacked into the building, traveled down to the ramp and stole the car from there.

PHOTO | CAIT QUINN, ORACLE Englewood Avenue is a street that is located on the south side of Hamline University’s campus. It has a convenient location that is close to the main buildings and resources at Hamline and attracts a lot of visitors and their vehicles.

This “piggybacking” occurs when a person enters behind a student after they have swiped their card to enter a building. It is at times unavoidable and HPS reminds students they can always call them if they believe someone piggybacked in.

A few outliers could have possibly played into the recent number of auto-related theft. One of which is the cold spell the area recently encountered. Historically, when this cold weather occurs, more car-theft rings arise. Another possibility being the spike in rhodium prices.

“A vehicle’s catalytic converter contains the element rhodium.

The market price of rhodium fluctuates, but can sometimes compete with the precious metals we’re more familiar with, like gold and platinum,” said Marc Scholten, visiting assistant professor in the chemistry department. “I do not know if recent vehicle thefts are motivated by the price of rhodium, but there is value that can be harvested from these vehicle parts.”

On Feb. 12, the Dean of Students office sent out an email about best practices to keep students and property safe.

If you experience car theft or crime in any way, HPS can be reached at 651-523-2100 or by email security@hamline.edu.

Public Safety’s guide to keeping you and your car safe

POLICIES

T he Oracle has been published by Hamline

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.

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1. Don’t leave your car running while it is unattended.

2. Remain alert and lock your doors at all times, even when you are inside your vehicle. Be aware of your surroundings.

3. If you are being followed or approached, avoid stopping.

4. Leave yourself space to escape.

5. If you must sit in your car, do so in a well-traveled area.

6. Know your neighbors and look out for each other.

7. If there is no other option, and you’re in immediate danger, surrender your vehicle.

News 3

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Snaps for good food, please Students are encouraged to apply for SNAP to help pay for groceries.

Anika Besst Senior Reporter abesst01@hamline.edu as of this February, Hamline has begun a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) referral program with Second Harvest Heartland (SHH).

This is different from Hamline’s Food Resource Center, as SNAP is a financial support system that helps supplement an individual’s grocery budget.

SNAP has existed before but due to COVID-19, eligibility requirements have changed for SNAP. Students are encouraged to reach out to Sophia Brown, Food Resource Center coordinator, with any questions since no financial situation is the same.

The U of M recently started a similar referral program, which Hamline adopted. Brown worked to establish the connection over the past few months.

“The U of M just started the same thing, that is where we got the idea, a referral program. Because they also found that 50%-ish of their students are eligible but hardly any of them were using SNAP, and since the U of M is huge they were like, ‘we have so many students that could be using this,’” said Brown. “Hamline is smaller but half of our students, I believe, are probably eligible so I would love to see more students apply and receive the benefits.”

There is a survey attached to an email students received on Feb. 9. After completing that, students will receive an email with further instructions about whether they are eligible and how to contact SHH, whose email address is included in the confirmation.

From there, the SHH SNAP Outreach Staff contacts the student to both screen and assist students. The application is then sent to the county where it is reviewed, the student is interviewed and it is approved or denied.

“Once we receive a referral from a student, we hope to connect with the student within five business days. Depending on the number of referrals we receive, it could be quicker or longer,” said Ma Lee-Chritz from SHH. “It is important that students check their emails and/or their voicemails; we will usually email students first since we have learned that most respond quicker that way.”

Research was conducted fall of 2020 and it revealed students are struggling to keep clean at Hamline. With this information, the Food Resource Center has begun to offer hygiene and personal products such as shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, deodorant, menstrual products, toothbrush and toothpaste, pregnancy tests, masks and hand sanitizer.

To take the SNAP survey visit hamline.iad1. qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_25bMGHYzvuftNzL Students with any questions can email Sophia Brown at sbrown51@hamline.edu.

Requirements - U.S. citizenship, green card holder for at least 5 years, refugee or asylee status.

- Earn less than $1,755 gross a month (amount increases with additional household members).

Additionally, identifying as one of the following: - Individual works a work study job on campus (or has been offered federal/state work study funding in your financial aid letter this academic year due to COVID-19).

- Have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $0.

- Working at least 20 hours per week at any job.

- Are physically or mentally unable to work.

- Are responsible for the care of a child under the age of 6 who lives with them, or are under the age of 18 or over the age of 50.

ILLUSTRATIONS | MOLLY LANDAETA, ORACLE

Correction

On 2/17, the Oracle incorrectly credited the “Vote” illustration. The graphic was sourced from Canva.com.

Hedgeman (continued from front)

Hedgeman continued her activism after the march, still maintaining an intersectional approach to complicated social issues. She received honorary doctorates from both Hamline and Howard University, another HBCU that where she worked, and would go on to write two memoirs. She regularly returned to Hamline to lecture and was known for sitting on the lawn outside of Old Main and having discussions with students and sharing her experiences.

Throughout her life she worked toward furthering justice, fighting for equal treatment for all, often without recognition. Her legacy continues today and more is being done to bring it to the forefront, including plans by the Hedgeman Center to commemorate the 100th anniversary of her graduation next year.

“For white students, it’s important that they learn about the sacrifices and successes of people of color,” Sneed said, “how they fought daily to be there and be recognized.”

4 Variety

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Review: “for colored girls who have considered...”

The metaphysical dilemma found in Ntozake Shange’s “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.”

AJ Washington Reporter awashington02@hamline.edu Content warning: brief mentions of suicide.

On the cover of Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem, which is a term coined

by Shange to describe how her work combines poetry, dance and music, is a drawing of a brown-skinned woman with worry wrought in her eyebrows.

The orange scarf on her head has the same undertone as her skin. Behind her is the title drawn in paint with letters dripping against a white tiled background: “for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf.”

In this choreopoem, seven characters, each referred to as “lady” and a color of the rainbow, tell a story with their bodies, and with their lines.

The play circulates around being a “colored girl” which Shange calls a “metaphysical dilemma.” The modern poems are written in African-American

Lady in red speaks of her abundant and underappreciated demonstrations of love. She drives 27 miles to her lover’s home when he calls at 3 AM. She sends many gifts, love letters, and poems.

Ultimately, the imbalanced affair results in its termination by lady in red. “i want you to know/ this was an experiment/ to see how selfish i cd be/ if i wd really carry on to snare a possible lover/ if i was capable of debasin my self for the love of another/ if i cd stand not being wanted/ when i wanted to be wanted/ & i cannot/” It is an esteemed act to relinquish an unfulfilling relationship, but these lines reveal the shame of degrading oneself in pursuit of love. In her reflection, she feels that this affair was “selfish” on her part. This poem resonated with me for I too was in a relationship that lowered my self worth in sacrifice for love. While reading this poem aloud, my emotion coated every word and within lady in red, I recognized my own power.

However, being an empowered Black woman does not rid one of their sensitive and dependent nature. For those whose identities face constant SOURCE | AMAZON attack and oppression, nurturing one’s Vernacular English and recount sexual sensitivity threatens the exterior that is and romantic exploitation, a craving necessary to endure pain. for intimacy at one’s own expense and “i thot i waz but i waz stupid i the nature of black women within her waz able to be hurt/ & that’s not real community. anymore/ i shd be immune/ if im still

alive & that’s what i waz discussin/how i am still/ alive & my dependency on other livin veins for love/ i survive on intimacy & tomorrow/ thats all i’ve got goin” These lines are spoken by lady in yellow. She is frustrated at her own human nature that depends on love and intimacy to survive. Suffrage has brainwashed people into seeing love as a luxury when it is essential for survival.

In the same poem, lady in yellow says that “bein alive & bein a woman & bein colored is a metaphysical/ dilemma/.”

Some have defined metaphysical dilemmas as a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses. It is difficult to describe a dilemma that reaches beyond perceptible sense, but Shange captures it in lady in red’s abundant love that degrades herself. She captures it in lady in yellow’s frustration with her dependent human nature. This metaphysical challenge that cannot be perceived through the senses inspires expansive artistic like Shange’s poem.

Although it is difficult to encapture a reality beyond our senses, the result of our attempt creates a reality we can all share.

Pandemic sorrows and successes Many students have felt a heavy weight on their mental health, while some have learned to blossom in isolation.

Kathryn Robinson Reporter krobinson12@hamline.edu In March of 2020, the world shut down in an instant, and life has not looked the same since. This has taken a toll on many students at Hamline. With the frigid temperatures of Minnesota winters, many students say they are struggling to even leave their dorm or house.

Allyson Chromey, a first-year student, has felt the effect of isolation on her mental health.

“The lack of social interaction really caused my mental health to go down,” Chromey said. “But because there wasn’t a social outlet or any in-person contact for so long, now that things are opening back up, I still just want to be alone.”

Others echoed the same feelings of isolation and distance. Mohamed Shukri, a-first year student and

class representative for Hamline Undergraduate Student Congress, has felt the effects of the pandemic.

“The pandemic has made me feel distant from everyone in my life, including my family,” Shukri said. “I constantly want to be alone.”

With the frigid temperatures that have stayed in Minnesota for the past two weeks, isolation and loneliness have been a bigger problem.

“It’s worse now that I can’t even go out because of the cold. It’s also worse that this semester I don’t live on campus and have day-to-day interactions with my friends,” Shukri said.

How e v e r, not everyone has had a negative experience regarding the pandemic and this new normal. Without all of the social interactions and expectations, some have been able to work through their insecurities and become more comfortable with themselves.

First-year student Kate Kelley expressed that while her mental health has been affected by the pandemic, it has not necessarily been a bad thing.

“When the pandemic hit, there was a lot going on in my life,” Kelley said. “I was able to take a step back and reevaluate myself without the influence of society.”

Social isolation has made the majority of students uncomfortable and unhappy, yet Kelley felt the opposite.

“Social isolation gave me the opportunity to take a step back and learn to love myself because I had to be alone,” said Kelley. “It also brought a lot of insecurities to the surface, and I was forced to deal with them head on.”

Regardless of if the pandemic has been good or bad for someone’s mental health, it is important to have strategies to use when a person’s mental health suffers. Even though it is difficult to physically be with others right now, students have still found spaces to connect with one another.

“I joined the track team to make new friends and it’s helped a lot,” Chromey said. “I also have been trying to reach out to people in my classes.”

“Now that things are opening back up, I still just want to be alone.”

“Quarantine has been a great time for me to set my own schedule and rhythm,” Kelley said. “I can finally go to bed when my body wants to and I can set my own schedule.”

Listening to her body has been Kelley’s greatest success during the pandemic.

“I can now exercise for myself, whenever I feel like exercising and do homework at my own pace,” Kelley said.

When polled on Instagram, 84% of Hamline students that answered said that the pandemic and winter months have affected their mental health.

These numbers are startling and demonstrate just how tough this year and last year have been on students.

If you or someone you know is struggling, there is always help available. Hamline University offers mental health support through Counseling and Health Services.

Appointments may be scheduled by calling 651-523-2204. Those with urgent needs can visit the Crisis Text Line for free 24/7 crisis counseling.

Text HOME to 741741 to reach a crisis counselor.

Variety 5

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Supporting BIPOC peers near you Local Black-owned business that you can be supporting.

Hayden Hayes Reporter hhayes01@hamline.edu Being a part of a community means supporting the community — and not just on social media. Redirecting economic resources is one important step towards achieving racial equity in the Twin Cities business landscape.

Now that it is Black History Month, it is time to make a conscious effort to support the Twin Cities’ Black-owned shops and businesses, something that should be happening year round. Here are some to get started with.

Tay’s Secret Garden: Need some new green friends to adorn your dorm room walls? Tay’s got you covered. Tay refers to herself as the “Ghetto Gardener,” Fairy Godmother, Energy Balancer and your best plant friend. She is a young woman who runs a plant nursery out of the front part of her home. She is open daily from 12:009:00 p.m., just give her a 15 minutes heads up before heading on over. Tay accepts all forms of virtual payment (Paypal, Venmo, etc.) and cash, so it is an easy transaction. Lastly, to show the importance of businesses supporting

business, she has Koru Kombucha, a Black owned, Minnesota-based kombucha company, and Jewelry

by Sister Anna, a Black, indigenous, person of color (BIPOC) ran jewelry business, available for purchase.

Contact Info: Instagram: @shontayevans Facebook: Tay’s Secret Garden Call/Text: 612-425-5867 Black Garnet Books: Black Garnet is a Black womanowned bookstore located in the Twin Cities. Their shelves primarily stock adult and young adult contemporary literature by Black and racially-diverse authors. “ We’r e i n c r e d i b l y e x c i t e d to introduce everyone to underrepresented voices and stories, new and old, that support and affirm the cultures they’re connected to,” owner Dionne Sims said.

Due to COVID-19, Black Garnet is operating mainly through online sales and pop-up shops, with limited hours at pop-up location in partnership with Merci Tattoo. The ultimate goal is to open a physical space for the community to connect in, with diverse books as the foundation for that connection, in Spring and Summer 2021.

Contact info: Website: blackgarnetbooks.com

Soul Bowl: The brainchild of Gerard and Britney Klass offers a new way to do soul food. Patrons can customize their bowls with reinvented but classic flavors and textures. With dishes like Southern Hospitality, RhiRhi’s Sweet Plantain, Mrs.Parker Donut Peach Cobbler and J Cole Cauliflower Mash.

And their signature, Beyonce Lavender Lemonade, is always great, regardless of it being -20 outside.

Contact Info: Phone: (612) 567-7044 info@soulbowlmn.com Trio Plant-Based: In 2016, Louis Hunter attended a protest in support of Philando Castile.

Hunter was one of the protesters who was accused of throwing rocks at police officers, and was facing 20 years in prison if convicted. In August 2017, the charges were dropped after Dan and Sarah Woodcock, who Hunter met while protesting, arranged a protest and petitions in support. The Woodcocks and Hunter both decided to do pop ups to feed the community.

After a lot of success, they decided to turn these pop ups into something more permanent. Once again, the community came together to help Hunter out and raised over $50,000 for Hunter and the Woodcocks to open their business. In 2018, Trio PlantBased was born, and Hunter became

the sole owner of Trio in 2019. Trio, the first Black-owned vegan restaurant in Minneapolis, creates unique dishes such as the “Mac Attack” burger, a Beyond burger topped with mac & cheeze (a vegan cheese alternative) and crushed potato chips, and the “BBQ jackfruit” wrap filled with southern coleslaw, pepper jack cheeze and cilantro aioli.

Contact Info: info@trioplant-based.com (612) 326-1326 Available on Doordash and Bitesquad.

Golden Thyme Coffee: Co-owned by Stephanie and Mychael Wright, Golden Thyme Coffee is a long standing, gathering space in Saint Paul. While the cafe is not currently serving in person, customers can stop by and grab a drink and snack to go. They have bagels, cakes and specialty drinks named after favorite jazz musicians like Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington. Customers can get educated on Black musicians who changed history while enjoying bagels and sipping tea.

Contact Info: Phone: 651-207-5945 It is a long overdue effort to support Black owned businesses. Twin Cities residents can support these businesses and work together to further the success of our BIPOC peers.

Yes, professors do more than teach Three professors’ hobbies that students may not know about.

Leslie Perez Reporter lfarreraperez01@hamline.edu Outside the regular routine, most people pursue various interests, which may have little or nothing to do with their career. That being said, professors are not always in lectures, meetings or grading assignments. One may be surprised as to what they do in their leisure time.

For instance, political science Professor David Schultz pursues several hobbies that do not necessarily connect to political science.

One hobby professor Schultz enjoys is being an avid tennis player.

“I first played tennis in high school, lettered in it, and then made my college team, but an injury to the foot prevented me from playing,” Schultz said.

Schultz also enjoys amateur astronomy in his free time.

“I started off college wanting to be a particle physicist, but that did not happen. I did get a masters in astronomy,” Schultz said.

Additionally, he bakes and makes wine.

“My mother was a professional cook, and I learned from her how to bake. My family has a history in brewing, so I learned that from them. I have won nearly a dozen ribbons in the Ramsey County and Minnesota State Fairs for baking,” Schultz said.

Anthropology Professor Sofía Pacheco-Forés discovered hiking as a hobby while completing her graduate degree in Arizona.

“I had never lived somewhere where nature was so present and accessible, and I wanted to explore my new surroundings. I had this idea that the desert would be empty and desolate, and I quickly learned it was anything but.” Pacheco-Forés said. “It was also nice to have a hobby where I could be active and take a break from school. I just moved to Minnesota last fall, and hiking has been a nice way to get to know the area, especially in the middle of a pandemic. My sister even got me snowshoes so that I can keep hiking in the winter.”

Pacheco-Forés also got into embroidery while undergoing a lot of changes in her life.

“I got into embroidery after an unexpected personal catastrophe. My life changed very dramatically very

quickly and a lot of things felt out of my control at the time. Embroidery offered the combination of creative expression with a calming repetitiveness that really appealed to me. I had never done it before, but I looked up a few basic stitches online and ended up getting really into it,” Pacheco-Forés said.

Her hobbies, while intriguing, have taught Pacheco-Forés to be cautious.

“Both of these hobbies ended up involving various sharp objects that stabbed me at one time or another.

I have cactused myself more times than I would like to admit while out hiking, and I’ve pricked myself with needles when carelessly stitching.

There’s probably a lesson here about being more observant, but such is life,” Pacheco-Forés said.

Another professor who has several hobbies is theatre arts Professor Laura Dougherty. Partly inspired by actress Judi Dench, she adopted cross stitch as one of her main hobbies.

“I cross stitch rude words and have moved on to include feminist slogans. I read a story about Judi Dench working on needlecrafts during movie shoots, but she was always stitching swear words, which I thought was fantastic.

I was visiting a dear friend a few years ago, just after a cat I had for fourteen years died, and needed something

that was calming and stable, and also had just a touch of irreverence to it,” Dougherty said.

Besides cross stitch, other hobbies Dougherty has are keeping score at Red Sox games, writing letters on mismatched hotel stationery, fountain pens, writing letters and collecting wooden spoons from around the world.

PHOTO | DAVID SCHULTZ Professor David Schultz enjoys astronomy. Here he captured Venus’ shadow on the sun.

While professors have a passion for teaching, they also have diverse hobbies they are passionate about.

Although the hobbies are different and have different stories behind them, these professors found things they find joy in and connect to in their spare time.

6 A&E

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Students process 2020’s civil unrest What can you do in a year like this?

The Hamline Theater department decided to have a conversation. “2020: What We Saw, What We Heard” was an original Hamline piece displaying a kaleidoscope of viewpoints.

Sarah Sawyer Reporter ssawyer04@hamline.edu  was a year of division throughout the country.

Dynamics that have been stewing since the foundation of the nation came to the surface in the midst of a pandemic. After the murder of George Floyd, there were massive Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020. Months later, in 2021, there was an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by protestors. Some say that there has not been such a restless divide in this country since the Civil War. Hamline’s Theater department, directed by Austene Van, responded to these events with a series of monologues. Each member of the ensemble wrote a piece describing their own thoughts and feelings regarding the events. More challenging, they had to write another piece from a perspective that was not their own. Everyone performed a piece that they had not written. This process created a truly unique performance.

Sophomore Emily Walser-Kuntz, a member of the cast, described how one of her roles was to play a Trump supporter. She called it the most challenging acting role in her career, and that the things she said in her performance were things she normally mocked.

Walser-Kuntz attributed consistent practice to her success in this role. She emphasized the importance of having the conservative perspective represented in a piece like this despite her strong personal disagreements with it.

“I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I want to keep creating. Having my writing in a published sense was frightening, but exciting,” Walser-Kuntz said.

The diversity of perspectives was truly the strength of this performance. Floyd’s daughter, a right-wing news anchor, a Target cashier, activists, internet fights, suburban moms, business owners, politicians, family dinners and even pirates were included in this performance. Each monologue provoked a new emotion, a new idea and a new motivation.

After the performance, which was held via Zoom, audience members were able to ask the cast questions: a “Talk Back.” This intimate space allowed viewers to further explore the process behind each monologue. The cast was open and willing to share.

Members of the cast revealed some of their personal experiences not only of writing these pieces but also of their personal involvement and interactions during the summer protests.

“We’re all in our own little pods. We read things, watch things, but rarely talk about things,” cast member and junior Bridget Benson said in reference to the “good discomfort” the performance brought.

The director and renowned member of the theater world, Van, spoke about the importance of this dialogue.

“We get our information through entertainment,” Van said.

Sophomore and stage manager Ajah Williams discussed how all the actors filmed themselves.

She points to Van as a great facilitator: someone who can hold all ideas all the time and leads with patience. Williams spoke about how she hopes that people both from inside and outside the Hamline community will view the performance as it is meant to be a community conversation starter.

“2020: What We Saw, What We Said” will be available in the Hamline archives along with the theatre’s other performances.

PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE THEATRE Hamline University’s department of theatre and dance presents “2020: What We Saw. What We Said,” directed by prominent local actress Austene Van. The virtual performance premiered on Feb. 19.

SCREENSHOTS | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE From retail workers navigating a pandemic to news anchors reporting on our nation’s recent tragedies, students portrayed a variety of voices that were heard throughout the year of 2020. From left to right: Oracle senior reporter and sophomore Anika Besst, sophomore Essence Boe, junior Donald Birttnen, first year Emmanuel Glass and junior Jacob ‘Coby’ Aloi.

A&E 7

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Professors got rhythm Aside from teaching us, many of Hamline’s professors engage in artistic pursuits outside of Hamline, including music.

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Robin Doyscher Senior Reporter sdoyscher01@hamline.edu Hamline University is known for its robust arts program, and has a strong community from indie musicians, to the orchestra and wind ensemble, to the musical actors. Especially among Hamline teachers, there are many faculty members who have prestigious and respectable backgrounds as career musicians.

“I started playing the drums when I was seven years old. My stepfather brought drums home one day and I started to play and he just would sort of watch me and let me explore. And it took, I guess. I would start to, just as I was leaving high school, start to begin to start identifying with other drummers and jazz music and rock and roll in particular,” Davu Seru said.

Seru, a Hamline faculty member, teaches courses in first-year writing, English and literature, and is an interdisciplinary scholar specializing in African-American literary and cultural studies.

Seru mentioned studying drummers such as Max Roach, Albert Jones and Mitch Mitchell, as well as jazz icons such as Monk Bird, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. Seru also talked about how musicians improve themselves by imitating their betters, until imitation can become innovation.

“It’s how you get better unless you follow an academic track.

You really follow recordings and icons, icons. That’s the word for people that are great symbols for you to model yourself after.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think that’s definitely a me where you get that teacher aspect from,” said Seru.

Professor Jeff Bailey is director of the certificate in music production program at Hamline University, and has extensive experience as a composer and touring musician.

“I’m a St. Paul kid. I was born and raised and was a band when I was much younger. I played trumpet and baritone horn and was completely enthralled with that, the culture of it and the playing and Tom Bulwark that all resonated with me,” Bailey said.

Bailey is also into art activism, and believes that music production and composing can truly become a space for anyone.

“So many institutions now are seeing that experience painting and dancing and this whole collaborative idea of how, the painting is the main point, but let’s have music from that period. And as you go through, you know, Van Gogh or whoever, I know my, my friend who is a curator part of the curating team in Toronto, and they’re doing a lot of African and Black American art and to have supportive material that is in line with those

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PHOTOS | COURTESY OF JEFF BAILEY Jeff Bailey jams on both the acoustic and electric bass.

Minnesota School of Music and ran into all sorts of problems there, institutional kind of cultural racism that was rampant,” Bailey said.

Through the certificate in music production program, Bailey said that he wants to see all sorts of students come together, no matter their areas of musical interest. He hopes to see more inclusion and expansion within the musical scene.

STAFF PICK OF THE WEEK TOPIC: Local Musician AIDAN STROMDAHL Photographer

MMYYKK

periods gives you this other sense of cultural identity at places that picture in a timeframe,” Bailey said.

Bailey got his start in musical education but found that the classic canon emphasized in the curriculum was too restrictive for the creativity needed in jazz music.

“Somewhere in there as I started attending college, I realized I didn’t have enough brain bandwidth to do nonmusic homework and music homework. So, I jumped in with both feet and started applying for the University of

“MMYYKK specializes in Soul, Jazz, Electro and R&B. His musical explorations center themselves in themes of love, humanity, healing and higher consciousness.”

8 Opinion

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

The slippery slope of head pats Speakout only disability in life is a bad attitude,” with a five-year-old in prosthetic legs running on a track. Or someone telling a disabled person that they’re brave just for going to the mall or just living their life.

The next is people thinking that you’re not disabled even though they have all the proof that you are. This can come in many forms, from random people online and non-supporting people in our Emily Brown Senior Columnist ebrown15@hamline.edu

When annoying ableism has layers that are scary.

WHEN AN ABLED person thinks of ableism, they probably think of people struggling to find an elevator or not being able to get a job because of their disability.

While these are ableist, not everything is clear as just not following the accessibility guidelines when constructing a new building. Not only are disabled people a marginalized community, but they are also the largest marginalized community in all of America.

And like every other oppressed community, we have to deal with “fun” microaggressions.

They come in categories.

The first categor y: the classics. Most people probably know these. You know, the type of meme that says “The

“The next one is people thinking that you’re not disabled even though they have all the proof that you are.

This can come in many forms from random people online and non supporting people in our lives to doctors and even our government.” lives to doctors and even our government. It’s not like I’m surprised. My mom and I have to meet with someone who works with the county we live in every year to prove that I’m still disabled and I still need services even though I have… brain damage. Someone might say that this is to protect disabled people and prevent scammers from scamming the system.

But, why? Why should we jump through a million hoops to prove that we are disabled so that we get the stuff we need to live?

Lastly, and one of my personal favorites, is when people talk down to me because they assume that I don’t understand.

They get right up to my face and talk like they’re a kindergarten teacher. It annoyed me as a kid, but now I know better.

I do understand. I am not a kindergartener that needs help understanding the world around me. I’ve spent years researching ableism and I know what I want to do with my life.

I have support from a small, tight-knit group of friends and the best family in the world.

On the surface, these just sound annoying. They are. And I’m not going to lie, it’s sometimes heartbreaking. But, here’s what I’ve learned: oppression is a pyramid. Microaggressions are at the bottom and at the top are instances of genocide and hate crimes The slope is slippery. One day people are patting your head and calling you cute, and the next, people are saying that everything should stay open during a global pandemic because the only people who are dying are either sick or disabled. People should know why this is hurtful.

Disabled people deserve better.

It starts by treating us as equals, believing us and listening to us.

What do you think about holding and celebrating Lunar New Year virtually?

Alex Yang Sophomore “Planning Lunar New Year as a virtual event definitely has its own unique set of challenges. From deciding which virtual platform we would use to contacting performers about recording their performances, the to-do list was never ending. Despite this, we are very excited to show all of our Lunar New Year guests what we have been working so hard to plan. This year’s Lunar New Year will be quite different from the previous ones, but still just as meaningful.”

Emily Lou Senior “It’s definitely new to us. This is my second time being on the board of APAC and to be honest, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Growing up, I’ve always celebrated Lunar New Year in person.

I appreciated our past Lunar New Year events because I got to feel the energy of everyone being in the same room. Doing it virtually is going to be different because who knows if people are going to keep their cameras or if they’re going to be quiet.

We just hope that the turnout is great as this is one of our major events and an online one at that!”

We want to hear from you.

Letters must include submitter’s full name and graduation year (when applicable), be submitted electronically at least three days before publication and must not exceed 700 words.

The Oracle does not edit Letters to the Editor, but reserves the right to withhold publication of letters.

The content of the Opinion section does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff.

E-mail submissions to: oracle@hamline.edu With questions, contact: Drew Science 106

Noah Vue Junior “Celebrating Lunar New Year virtually for APAC is a whole different experience than what we’re used to prior to COVID, having it in person. Planning our event this year was a bit difficult as we try to keep it as fun and engaging as possible being limited. As much as we would love to celebrate our Lunar New Year in person, we still hope everyone is able to have a great time filled with warmth and happiness as we celebrate the new year together.”

Opinion 9

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

I’m not like other girls Will Nelson Senior Columnist wnelson08@hamline.edu

How pick-me girls have perpetuated internalized misogyny.

S OUND CARRIES STRANGELY in the Heights — bouncing off the brick walls and around the odd angles of the French casement windows, cracked to let some fresh air in. Sometimes little snatches of conversation will drift into my dorm from some unknown location; whispers in the wind.

I remember one conversation that I overheard late one October night this school year. A girl was

talking to someone (presumably her boyfriend) on the phone.

“Yeah, she’s getting all dressed up and everything now…. No, no you know me, I’d rather stay in and read on a Friday night.

Yeah, I just don’t see the appeal of all that.” The sentence was punctuated with a snide laugh.

I wrote the conversation down at the time because it was an almost cartoonishly real example of the not-like-other-girls trope, but I remembered it this week when one of the Oracle’s editors suggested that I write about pick-me girls.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the term, a pick-me girl is a girl whose desire for male approval causes her to reject and even condemn modern femininity. Pick-me girls do things like going out of their way to point out that they’re not wearing makeup when others are, start ostentatiously cleaning and cooking during a party while making “I belong in the kitchen” jokes or say things like, “I never hang out with other girls, they’re too emotional!”

The advent of social media platforms (TikTok and Twitter in particular) has exponentiated the use of comedic stereotypes

like the pick-me girl, the Karen and the toxic indie boy. We could discuss how categorizing people like this, in general, is potentially dangerous. But frankly, it’s hilarious and thus unlikely to stop any time soon.

Instead, it can be interesting and useful to break down individual stereotypes and examine them and their implications as social and cultural indexes. The pick-me girl is a phenomenal example that speaks volumes about our current social climate.

The driving force that leads to the pick-me lifestyle is internalized misogyny. Raised within the confines of the patriarchy, a fledgling pick-me comes to understand that masculinity is valued above femininity, and, in a desperate bid to distinguish herself from other women subjected to the patriarchal regime, she attempts to subvert her femininity entirely.

This ends up manifesting itself in them shaming other women for their social or sexual liberation. Instead of standing in solidarity with other women who might have different lifestyles than them, pick-me girls belittle and degrade them to stick out from the crowd.

This attitude is frequently accompanied by a strange rideor-die mindset. “Men make mistakes, build them up” is all well and good until lines get crossed. Chronic forgiveness or letting people get away with doing bad things because “men make mistakes” can lead to things like a couple ending up in an endless cheat-and-forgive cycle in which neither of them are happy.

Another problem that this perpetuates is male entitlement.

Pick-me girls set standards for women in relationships that aren’t just antiquated, but entirely unrealistic. Women shouldn’t be expected to stop wearing makeup or stay in with their man every night cooking and cleaning, or forgive a man who cheats.

Platforms like TikTok certainly caricaturize girls like this, but as I learned from my open window, they’re definitely out there.

Here’s the thing: there’s nothing wrong with not wearing makeup. There’s nothing wrong with staying in every night and reading. But don’t expect all other women to do the same, and certainly don’t shame them for doing otherwise.

COLLAGE | MOLLY LANDAETA, THE ORACLE

10 Sports

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Sport games prevail through the pandemic Sport seasons are starting up again, and there are many guidelines in place to keep Hamline student athletes safe.

Jilly Wortman Sports Reporter jwortman01@hamline.edu

PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE Jason Verdugo, Director of Athletics and Hamline University Associate Vice President, is dedicated to keeping our athelets safe and following regulations put in place by the Minnesota Department of Health and the NCAA. In the time of a pandemic, the one thing that is constant is the inconsistencies. It is a balancing act between creating a “normal” space and keeping everyone involved safe. However, in this balancing act, there is not room for error. There is only one shot to get everything right.

Whether it is postponements, weekly testing or

distancing guidelines, each layer in athletics has to continually adapt. The fall semester was a trial run— move everyone back on campus, start classes and finally allow teams to practice through heavily regulated guidelines. Now it is time for the real thing.

There are many sports whose seasons are already underway, and so far it has been an overall success.

There have been a few setbacks but a postponement at this point is a win. Since school has started back up for the semester, both men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s swimming have had game postponements.

Game days are unrecognizable to what they once were.

“It’s sport specific. It depends on the Minnesota Department of Health, what other institutions are doing and the NCAA,” Hamline University Associate Vice President and Athletic Director Jason Verdugo said.

“We’re constantly on calls regarding regulations and changing things as they need to be”.

“We get tested three times a week and in order to play, everyone has to have two negative results in a row, during our games we’re distanced and wear masks until we are on the court playing,” junior Lindsey Bernardy of the women’s basketball team said.

“For our Gustavus meet, we watched the meet on a live stream from a classroom and were only allowed on the pool deck the heat before us,” sophomore Julie Mesita of the women’s swim team said.

While in-season games are happening, championships are out of the question for the current

seasons, as there are too many factors working against it. For instance, men’s hockey doesn’t have enough participating teams this year to even create a bracket.

“Who would allow large groups of athletes to travel in from potentially fifty different states?” Verdugo said.

No school has the resources to host such a large event this season.

For teams that have not had their opportunity to compete yet this year, they are still trying their best to make the most out of the situation.

“This time has been good for the first-years to help them adapt to the system and create more team chemistry than ever before,” junior Triston Thomas of the football team said. “We also have the chance to focus on our bodies and make sure we are the best we can be.”

“The experience itself is completely different from my first two years, but this year there is an extra level of excitement on game day because we have been practicing for so long,” Bernardy said. While this year may not be the same, all this hard work is not for nothing.

And Hamline teams have been adapting as best they can.

PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE ATHLETICS A familiar logo to many sports teams and the Hamline University athletics page, Hamline teams are experiencing many changes to their season scheduals in quantities unlike previous years, due to the tightened regulations put in place for the health and safety of sports teams.

Sports 11

The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Weekly MIAC round-up spotlights Cathryn Salis Sports Editor csalis01@hamline.edu

Women’s Hockey at St. Thomas (Feb. 17, 2021) W 4-3 The Hamline Women’s Hockey Team continues to dominate this season, adding another win to their record. Their matchup against Bethel that was set for the same day was postponed but there are more scheduled games left in their 2021 season.

The team’s defense and smart offensive plays carved the Piper’s path to success on Wednesday. They took the lead quickly and early, and maintained it the entire game.

Within the first three minutes of the first frame, sophomore Madison Davis earned a goal with an assist from sophomore Molly Garin. Davis played in all 26 games of her rookie season and is proving to be quite indispensable this 2021 season as well.

She is not alone in displaying effective attacking abilities. First year Emme Nelson has scored in three of the past four games, with four goals total. She earned the second goal for the Pipers in the first 15 minutes of Wednesday’s game unassisted.

After St. Thomas made the board in the last bit of the second frame, senior Olivia Arnkell retaliated. Despite being a defender, Arnkell returned the puck in less than 30 seconds and earned Hamline’s third goal of the game, ending the second frame with the momentum behind the Pipers.

Sophomore Ava Bailey in goal set a season-high number of saves, ending the game with 36 saves to add to her year’s collection. The second period of this game accounted for half of her saves alone. Bailey has now accumulated 83 saves in the past four games.

Garin added another goal to the Piper’s score about three minutes into the final period, which ended up being the winning goal of the game. With less than 20 minutes remaining and the score of 4–1, the St. Thomas Tommies proved they still had some fight left. They scored twice within three minutes, but this was not enough to overcome the deficit the Pipers created.

Despite pulling their goalie in the last minute, Hamline’s defense held and the game ended with a score of 4–3 in the Piper’s favor.

Men’s and Women’s Track and Field vs.

St. Thomas (Feb. 19, 2021) Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams put up strong performances during their meet against the St. Thomas Tommies last Friday, with the women earning 19 top-three finishes and three event wins, and the men collected 7 topthree finishes and two event wins.

Junior Alexandra “Lexi” Maddux won the mile event with a new PR of 5:04.41, smashing her previous time by 12 seconds.

This time earns her a fourth place national ranking in this event.

Senior All-American Helen Dolan followed Maddux, earning second place with a time of 5:12.63 that ranks 15th in the country. Both athletes are competing at completely different levels than they were coming into competitions at Hamline.

The Pipers continued to rank nationally as senior Joe Martin recorded the farthest throw in Division III throwing competitions so far. His new PR and national record is 17.26 meters this season. Martin has returned for another season with Hamline after his senior season was canceled by the pandemic. He earned the title of best in conference after scoring low his first two years, and is now on the path to win nationals.

Junior Christian Velishek won the high jump event with a height of 1.90 meters.

Velishek is back competing this season after an intense injury his sophomore year. His first year was very successful and he is on the road to being just as, if not more, successful this season despite his sophomore setback.

First year Josh Lynch won the men’s pole vault competition with a height of 4.00 meters. On the women’s team, senior Shanoah Harren cleared 2.84 meters in the same event to earn third place and first year PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE ATHLETICS Andreiana Aurelius recorded a height of

Events WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 Men’s Basketball vs. Concordia College St. Peter, Minn.

7:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Women’s Gymnastics vs. UW-Eau Claire St. Paul, Minn.

5:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball at Concordia College Moorhead, Minn.

7:00 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE ATHLETICS 2.24 meters to earn fourth place.

First year Tisana Lowe finished only 0.01 seconds behind the first place finisher in the 60 meter dash with a time of 8.18. First years Ellie Logan and Raegan Carpenter also competed, earning fifth place with a time of 8.58 and eighth place with a time of 8.88, respectively.

Director of Track and Field Operations and Cross Country Head Coach Devin Monson is excited about watching the younger athletes on the team develop.

“We had some nice running by our young sprinters on both sides,” Monson said. “They are a young group but they keep getting better.”

Only one indoor track meet remains for the 2021 track and field season. Hamline competes against Bethel this Saturday and hopes to end the indoor season with even stronger performances than they’ve had so far.

No events.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Men & Women’s Track at Bethel St. Paul, Minn.

TBA Women’s Basketball vs. St. Mary’s St. Paul, Minn.

2:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at St. Mary’s Winona, Minn.

2:00 p.m.

Men’s Hockey vs. Gustavus Adolphus St. Paul, Minn.

7:00 p.m.

Women’s Hockey at Gustavus Adolphus St. Paul, Minn.

7:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 No events.

PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE ATHLETICS

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