‘People in crisis should not be a pawn’
Philly’s only rape crisis center forced to limit services amid state budget impasse
BELLA PRIVITERA ’26
Managing Editor
LIV BIELAWSKI ’27
News Editor
Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center, Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) – Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence, announced staff layoffs Oct. 6 and a pause of essential services as a result of the state budget impasse.
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a $51.5 billion state budget proposal Feb. 4 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. After months of debate among state legislators, the deadline to pass the budget, June 30, passed without a resolution.
Senate Republicans released a $47.6 billion counter-budget in August, prolonging the process.Two months later, WOAR announced its staff layoffs. There has not yet been a resolution to the state budget, and, consequently, WOAR has now gone without state funding since July.
Without access to all of WOAR’s services, survivors of sexual violence have few places left to turn.
The number of sexual assaults in Philadelphia has increased by nearly 16% since 2024, according to the Philadelphia Police Department Crime Statistics, with 393 rapes reported from Jan. 1-Oct. 26, 2024, and 455 reported so far in 2025. Amid the rise in reported assaults, the city’s only rape crisis center has played a role in supporting survivors for over 50 years.
WOAR was founded in 1971 by Jody Pinto after her friend experienced sexual assault and struggled with the “brutality” of the institutions meant to help her in the aftermath, such as the hospital, the police department and the courts. According to WOAR’s website, Pinto was inspired to create an organization that could support survivors of sexual violence throughout every step of the healing process including advocacy, counseling and education services.
Guided by a mission “to eliminate all forms of sexual violence in our communities,” WOAR provides services to victims of sexual violence, abuse and harrassment that include prevention education programs, group therapy sessions, rape kit testing, a 24/7 crisis hotline and court accompaniments for those wishing to seek legal remedies.
Due to the efforts of community partnerships and donations, some of these services are still continuing, such as the 24/7 hotline, rape kit testing and court accompaniments. However, many of the preventative services have been paused, according to Kyle Norton, a member on WOAR’s board of directors. This includes group therapy, educational programs and restorative justice practices.
Funding Pennsylvania’s rape crisis centers
Norton said the most difficult part of his job now is working to try to keep as many services afloat given the limited resources and trying to “diversify the funding” coming
into the organization.
“We not only have the state budget impasse that’s working against us, we’ve got a federal government shutdown,” Norton said. “We have an administration that has shied away from supporting and, in fact, has pulled funding from domestic dating violence and similar issues, so we’ve got a lot of things working against us.”
Despite the donations and partnerships that have been beneficial in keeping some services maintained, they will likely not be sufficient long-term.
“It’d be like living paycheck to paycheck,” Norton said.
WOAR is not the only rape crisis center that has been affected by the budget impasse. There are 47 rape crisis centers across all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, all of which are overseen by the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect, according to Gabriella Romeo, public policy director for PCAR. The state budget impasse has impacted funding to all of these crisis centers.
The primary source of funding for Pennsylvania’s rape crisis centers is the Rape Crisis line item in the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services budget. PCAR has been advocating not only for an end to the budget impasse but also for an $8 million increase to their line item, Romeo said.
An increase in funding would allow Pennsylvania’s rape crisis centers to better support survivors, Romeo said.
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“Unfortunately, we live in a world where sexual assault happens, sexual violence happens and whoever experiences that trauma deserves help to heal from that experience,” Romeo said. “These services are life-saving, life-changing services to make sure people get the help that they need.”
Impact on survivors
Mayva Pierre Louis ’26 said WOAR’s pause in services is reflective of Philadelphia’s neglect toward survivors of sexual violence. Pierre Louis serves as president of Prevention, Advocacy, Trust and Healing, an organization at St. Joe’s geared toward helping survivors of sexual assault and physical or emotional abuse in the univerity community. It was formerly known as Rape
Education and Prevention Program.
“I think it shows a lot about what we care about as a city and what we don’t really care about falling through the cracks,” Pierre Louis said. “I hate that survivors of rape are the ones that are falling through the cracks.”
Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs, writer, speaker and founder of the Instagram platform, @shewillspeak, which focuses on gender equity and ending sexual violence through art and activism, has been featured on numerous advocacy platforms such as me too. Movement, The Army of Survivors, Black Love and End Rape On Campus. When it comes to the importance of maintaining sexual violence crisis centers for survivors, Jacobs said anyone can be a victim.
“I don’t think people think that [victims of sexual violence] could be your friend,” Jacobs said. “It could be your brother, your
sister, the person that you see every day that always has a smile on their face, but they’re going over [to the crisis center] because they’re at their breaking point.”
Norton said he hopes the current budget issue will serve as a “wake up call” for everyone, including the Commonwealth, and this isn’t something to “play politics games with.”
“This has significant impact,” Norton said. “It’s real impact now, tomorrow, next week and is something that we can’t play around with, with people’s lives and the trauma that they’re going through in these circumstances.”
Jacobs stressed the importance of remembering the people impacted by the cuts to services for survivors of sexual violence, not just numbers.
“People in crisis should not be a pawn,”
Jacobs said. “Folks that need support should not be the people dangling in the in-between of a decision being made … We might look at these as numbers and statistics, but these are real people. I’m thinking about the real person that doesn’t get to make that call.”
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
Office of Public Safety and Security: 610-660-1111
Counseling and Psychological Services: 610-660-1090
Office of Title IX and Equity Compliance: titleix@sju.edu, bias@sju.edu, or 610-660-1145
Office of Student Support and Well-being: 610-660-1149
Dining options at UCity and Lancaster campuses limited
As the Lancaster and University City campuses continue to undergo changes following its mergers with St. Joe’s, one ongoing challenge for both locations is on-campus dining options.
At the Lancaster campus, there is collective agreement that the lack of food available for purchase poses a significant challenge to members of the community.
Lancaster’s on-campus cafeteria closed in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic and never reopened. Rosa’s Cafe, another option, closed at the beginning of the semester after the owner chose to not renew the lease, according to Peter Norberg, Ph.D., senior associate provost for academic and faculty support.
Now, students on the Lancaster campus either rely on the C-Store, a convenience store with grab-and-go items, leave campus for meals or order DoorDash.
Elieth Molinarez ’25, ’26, a member of Student Council at the Lancaster campus, said affordable and convenient food options are important for the demographic of students there.
“Most of us that are there are working,” Molinarez said. “We have a lot of parents. We have people that are coming in, and they work night shifts, or they come to school and then have to go work. Everybody is already adults with careers.”
The C-Store is stocked three times a week, according to Laura Molina, associate director of student leadership activities, but Molinarez said the C-Store often runs out.
“After a couple days, it’s completely depleted, and it’s gone, there’s no more options,” Molinarez said. “We’re left with stuff that people just don’t really want.”
Stephanie Hentz, clinical instructor and undergraduate nursing program director for the BSN program and RN to BSN program, said the students who are attending evening
classes are the biggest concern.
“We’ve seen a lot of students do DoorDash and things like that to overcome the need, but it’s definitely felt that there are not many options here,” said Hentz, who also helps direct the Lancaster campus HawkHUB, the university’s food and basic needs resource center.
Norberg said the university is exploring ways to expand food access on the Lancaster campus, including partnerships with local restaurants and food trucks.
Currently, one food truck from a rotating list is on campus weekly. The university has engaged with over 15 local vendors and the Lancaster Chamber to assess further interest, according to Mary Klebon, MBA ’22, senior director of conferences and
auxiliary services.
Other members of the community would like to see more options for people who bring food from home, including community refrigerators and microwaves, which Norberg said is in the works as well.
“We are looking … for students who bring their lunch to have an opportunity of a place to refrigerate, a place to keep their lunch, and then working on making sure we have microwaves,” Hentz said. “They’re not always functional, so getting those fixed and repaired and available to the students.”
Klebon said the university is actively exploring a range of future dining options, as well as potential collaborations with delivery platforms such as Grubhub.
UCity options
People based at the UCity campus also would like to see more dining options available, particularly after the closure of the Wilson Student Center, which housed the Wilson Dining Hall, at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Freshens, located at 4140 Woodland Ave., offered fresh food options, such as smoothies, smoothie bowls and salads before closing in May 2025.
Carly Robinson ’26, PharmD ’28, vice president of University Student Senate at the UCity campus, said students on the UCity campus often pack food from home or leave campus to get takeout options. Robinson said students are looking for fresh foods at affordable prices.
“The main thing is just a lack of access to cheaper food that’s actually on campus, that’s filling and considered a meal and not monotonous,” Robinson said.
Cole Dyson ’26, PharmD ’28, another UCity student, said the off-campus food options are limited and inconvenient to get between classes.
“If you go and get food from one of these places, you need to walk there,” Dyson said. “It takes like 10 minutes to walk there and then 10 minutes to get your food, and then when you go back somewhere and sit down, you only really got, like, 20 minutes left.”
A coffee café, which was scheduled to open earlier this year in Woodland Hall, has been delayed until late November due to construction permitting, according to Lauren Adams ’00, MBA ’02, associate vice president of academic and administrative services.
Adams said the café will offer specialty espresso and blended beverages, refreshers and an assortment of grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, snacks and bottled drinks. The café will operate Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will accept cash, credit debit, Dining Dollars and Hawk Cash.
In the meantime, several food trucks regularly set up shop along Woodland Avenue, long before the merger. The university is also offering free, daily coffee service from Aramark in the Integrated Professional Education Complex building from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Robinson said she hopes the university’s future dining options address the needs for both convenience and variety.
“Students are hoping to see consistent food at a reasonable price and stuff that’s not the same every single day,” Robinson said.
GRACE O’MEARA ’27 Assistant News Editor
A student shops at the C-Store on the Lancaster campus, Oct. 24.
‘STEM can, and should be, more accessible to all students’ Conference discusses importance of STEM education
CARA SANTILLI ’24, M.A. ’26
Copy Chief
The Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Educators (PRISE) held its annual educator conference Oct. 25 in the TGR Learning Lab at the Cobb’s Creek Golf & Education Campus in Philadelphia.
About 120 educators, high school students and college students attended the conference to learn how innovative teaching methods and equitable access to science, technologically, engineering and mathematics education can inspire a new generation of educators.
PRISE is composed of 11 higher education institutions in the greater Philadelphia region, including St. Joe’s, and is dedicated to the “recruitment, retention and ongoing development of diverse and highly effective teachers,” according to the organization’s website.
This year’s conference was created in partnership with the TGR Foundation, founded by Tiger Woods to build and support community-based programs empowering students to pursue their passions through education. While the general focus of each PRISE conference is connecting STEM to the real world, the theme for the Oct. 25 conference was “Real Work in the Real World: Empowering Students to Impact the Community Through STEM.”
Over the last 10 years, Pennsylvania has experienced a 67% decrease in teaching certifications, with a little over 6,200 certificates being issued last year, compared to nearly 19,000 in 2013. This decrease contributed to more than a third of Pennsylvania’s school districts facing teacher shortages last year, with
the largest vacancies being in STEM and special education.
PRISE’s motto is “doing together what we cannot do alone,” said Victor Donnay, Ph.D., professor of math at Bryn Mawr College and director of PRISE. Donnay said the goal of the conference was to provide an opportunity for current and aspiring educators to engage in workshops and meet like-minded people who could support each other.
“We think the social network is really important, knowing other teachers, people you can contact to ask questions,” Donnay said.
MaryAnne Anderson, a senior at Montclair University, is an earth and environmental science major who wants to go into the education field after graduating. Anderson said she attended the conference to form connections to help her reach her goal of becoming a teacher.
“It’s kind of hard to find [support], especially people going into the teaching field, especially for the STEM career,” Anderson said. “So [the conference] was something nice that I figured would be able to [help] communicate more, reach out more, find more people.”
The conference stressed the importance of uplifting students and breaking down fears associated with STEM as a solution to the teacher shortage.
Shameeka Browne, the Keynote speaker at the conference, is a math specialist for grades five through eight and understands many children carry trauma with math.
“I get the opportunity to talk to parents a lot, and they tell me their trauma, that someone embarrassed them in school, or they got a problem wrong
or they cried doing their fact homework at night,” Browne said. “Because of that, they tell their children, ‘Baby, it’s OK. Mommy wasn’t good at that either.’”
With this understanding, Browne strives to create accessible spaces for students to engage in STEM, such as clubs like FIRST LEGO League, National Society of Black Engineers and Math Club.
“I know how important it is to create safe spaces like my teacher created space for me to fall in love with math,” Browne said. “So, I work really hard to create those spaces, not just to teach content but for students to fall in love with mathematics and see how it manifests in their day-to-day activities.”
Another attendee, Sarah O’Connell, a senior math major at Bryn Mawr College, said she attended the conference because she is interested in becoming a math teacher and believes STEM education is for everyone.
“STEM can, and should be, more accessible to all students, and all students have the capability to succeed,” O’Connell said.
Shirley Posey, educator and director of the STEM Initiatives and Program Development at Imhotep Charter High School, merges STEM and culture to equip students with the tools necessary to tackle real-world challenges and create sustainable communities. Posey’s students have successfully used 3D printed water filters to bring clean water to communities both nationally in Jackson, Mississippi, and internationally in Ghana.
“When we’re looking for solutions for the future, our solutions are right in front of us every day, and it’s the students there that are going to literally create these
solutions,” Posey said.
Like Browne, Posey recognizes students are apprehensive when they hear STEM and believes educators need to present it in a different light.
“When you break it to [students] using this model that it’s about solving solutions, we just use tech and mathematics and science to solve those solutions, and cultural intelligence in order to do that, then that’s when you will see the engagement,” Posey said.
Donnay said he considers science education to be a social justice issue.
“To be a contributing member of society where you can take advantage of the benefits of society, having a STEM education is very important,” Donnay said.
Cloud service outage impacts online campus services
LUKE SANELLI ’26
Digital Content Editor
Members of the St. Joe’s community were unable to access key academic tools, including Canvas, Panopto and Qualtrics, following an Amazon Web Services outage Oct. 20, affecting companies and services around the world.
AWS is the world’s largest cloud services provider, which helps its clients access apps and services through a digital cloud. This allows clients to avoid housing the infrastructure themselves.
Robert McCunney, senior learning and experience designer in the Office of Information Technology, said OIT began experiencing difficulties accessing Canvas and other technologies before the workday began.
OIT sent an announcement informing the community of the outage at 10:47 a.m. While OIT did not send out a follow-up message announcing its restoration, some users noticed Canvas had returned when AWS programs were restored at 6:01 p.m. Veronica Hardy, Ph.D., adjunct professor of educational leadership and
counseling, was teaching an asynchronous course when the AWS outage nullified Canvas. Hardy said several of their students emailed to let them know they were having technology troubles. Though Hardy’s students had submitted their assignments the previous day, Hardy said the outage prevented their students from accessing future modules.
“It slowed down my opportunity to grade and respond to their assignments because I missed the whole day of being able to provide those responses,” Hardy said.
Evan Mullen ’17, MBA ’27, a graduate student and graduate assistant, said his classes began the same day as the Canvas outage. Mullen said the outage made preparation for class more difficult, as he could not access the syllabus or the Zoom meeting for class. Mullen said his professor had to create a new Zoom link for the class.
“It literally affected every aspect of all my academics that week, in that day,” Mullen said.
McCunney said the outage was frustrating partially because OIT could
do little to address it.
“There’s only so much we can do to get it back up,” McCunney said. “We’re reliant on these other institutions.”
and the person was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Public Safety investigated an odor of marijuana but found empty open containers inside a Hawk Hill residence hall. Community Standards was notified.
Public Safety investigated an intoxicated person in a Hawk Hill residence hall. An ambulance was called, and the person was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Oct. 19
Public Safety investigated a fire in the Campion Dining Kitchen. There were flames seen on a stove being used by staff. It was immediately extinguished without further incident.
Oct. 20-23 No incidents to report.
Digital Awareness: Online Safety Value: Integrity & Care for
Shameeka Browne gives the Keynote speech at the PRISE conference in the TGR Learning Lab Oct. 25.
PHOTO: PRESTON THOMAS ’28/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: BLADIMIR LEMUS ’26/THE HAWK
Editorial: Survivors of sexual violence deserve necessary support
On Oct. 6, Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center announced it would be laying off employees due to Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget crisis. Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) – Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence, has served the community for over 50 years, providing essential services, such as a 24/7 hotline, therapy and counseling and educational resources to survivors. The layoffs stand to create gaps in WOAR’s services, leaving the organization’s thousands of clients without access to many free and potentially life-saving resources.
In the United States, roughly 423,000 people aged 12 and older experience sexual violence each year, amounting to about 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men having experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetimes. For many of these survivors, the trauma associated with their attack leads to various mental health struggles, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental health services facilitate healing and
help individuals process their past trauma, making access to counseling essential for survivors of assault.
Prior to the layoffs, WOAR provided this support to survivors of sexual violence since the 1970s. WOAR’s free and accessible professional services ensured that aid wasn’t
“A price can’t be placed on these life-altering services.”
dependent on socioeconomic status, a reality currently jeopardized by the organization’s budget-induced layoffs.
The need for WOAR’s services remains unchanged amid the changes. Without adequate staff, therapy sessions may become less available and prevention education efforts could be sidelined. These changes would limit WOAR’s ability to serve the community, leaving survivors with fewer resources at their disposal.
When these services are threatened, survivors are forced to endure financial barriers in addition to the trauma they’ve endured and relive. Protecting the accessibility of WOAR’s programs is necessary in ensuring equity for all survivors in Philadelphia. A price can’t be placed on these life-altering services.
Members of the St. Joe’s community seeking support are encouraged to contact the following resources:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), 610-660-1090
Campus Ministry, 610-660-1030
The Office of Student Outreach & Support, 610-660-1149
The Jesuit community, 610-660-1400
Employee Assistance Program, 866-799-2728
The Hawk welcomes Letters to the Editor, typically no more than 250 words. They can be emailed to hawk.editorial@gmail.com.
Importance of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court retention election
One of the most critical elections this year is occurring right here in Pennsylvania — the Supreme Court retention election. A usually sleepy affair attracting little interest, this year’s race has turned into a well-financed, bitter battle to determine who will control this state’s Supreme Court for the next several years.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is one of the state’s three appellate courts (along with the Superior and Commonwealth Courts). As the name implies, the Supreme Court is the court of last resort.
Pennsylvania is one of only 24 states that elects its justices. The elected justices
serve 10-year terms and then must run for re-election. Unlike most elections, the incumbents do not run against opponents. Instead, the voters get only two choices: to say yes and retain the judges for another ten-year term or to say no and remove them from their positions.
Until this year, the system worked fine.
Not this time. This retention election has become a heatedly contested partisan fight. The seven-member court currently has five Democrats and two Republicans. Three of the Democrats, Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht, are up for retention this year.
If all three Democrats are not retained, the Court would be tied, two to two.
Governor Shapiro would then nominate three new justices who would require confirmation by the Republican controlled Senate. Given the hyper-partisan state
of Harrisburg’s politics today, the odds of Senate confirmation are basically nil, and the seats would remain empty until partisan elections in 2027.
There could then be chaos on the Court, with split votes on cases like redistricting and other election issues, school funding, environmental rules and labor questions. And so, this normally placid election has been turned into a nationally watched cage match.
Who wins? Hard to say.
The two things that are certain are that the consequences of this election will last for years to come and, because of that, the Pennsylvania results in this normally boring race will be watched intently here and around the country.
Joseph Powers is an
CARTOON: LUKE SANELLI ’26/THE HAWK
Sanctuaries for truth and justice
CLINT SPRINGER Guest Columnist
Universities are sanctuaries for truth and justice, places where curiosity meets conscience. In the Ignatian tradition that shapes St. Joe’s, the pursuit of truth is not merely an academic exercise. It is a form of discernment and a commitment to examine evidence carefully, question assumptions honestly and act with integrity and empathy once truth is found.
Critical thinking lies at the heart of this calling. The ability to reason through evidence is an act of justice itself in an age where misinformation spreads faster than
understanding. Thinking critically resists complacency, refuses the easy answers and approaches complex issues with rigor. At St. Joe’s, our mission calls us to live greater, which, in this context, means using our intellect in the service of the truth and humanity.
A sense of justice requires discipline of mind and spirit. We cultivate it through inquiry that seeks truth freely and without self-interest. In doing so, it forms the conscience to act with integrity and compassion. Our scholarly pursuit becomes a workshop for moral imagination, where facts are tested against values, and knowledge is joined to purpose. Through study, reflection and dialogue, we learn
truth is not a possession but a practice that requires a lifelong effort to see the world clearly and to respond bravely.
For a Jesuit Catholic university, learning is never separated from love. Cura personalis, or care for the whole person, reminds us that truth must serve humanity. When intellect is guided by empathy, and empathy is informed by understanding, learning becomes an act of love. This union of heart and mind shapes not only what we know but who we become. It calls us to see each person as worthy of respect and attention, reminding us that education is not simply the transfer of knowledge but the cultivation of human dignity.
By nurturing critical thinking
Keep the human in the art
Human creativity is irreplaceable
BLADIMIR LEMUS ’26
Creative Director
Recently, I’ve seen plenty of videos, and even a few commercials, completely created by artificial intelligence. As a consumer, I found these videos entertaining, and even comical, at times. However, as a creative person, it makes me wonder if AI use will one day replace people’s desire to develop their creativity.
In the past, I have used various AI tools to create images, answer questions and create music, albeit with poor results. A common theme among these tools is that it only takes a prompt to create a desired result. What would take me hours to create takes an AI program seconds. It is very concerning that a computer program is able to replicate art designed by humans with only a prompt or reference to the
source material, and people in the art and entertainment communities are beginning to feel the same way.
Kei Urana, author of manga and upcoming anime “Gachiakuta” posted her concerns about AI art on X. Her translated words stated the following:
“Patterns, lines, colors, designs, etc. I have been honing my skills for many years. In other words, I would like you to stop using my drawings for AI.”
As AI continues to improve, I am concerned about where people will draw the line in using AI for art and entertainment professionally. Netflix Japan has already used AI for background images in one of their films, “Dog and Boy.” While not a feature length film, it can be seen as a starting point for production studios to begin using AI in their work.
As a consumer, AI could lead to more content to enjoy in shorter time spans. However, as a creative person, I view it
completely differently. I’ve spent years developing my artistic style, and I’m still developing as I gain more experience and inspiration. It’s a constant process of trial and error and experimenting with new
and discernment, universities remain sanctuaries for truth and justice. They call us to not only think deeply but to live wisely, using knowledge to illuminate conscience and to build a more just and hopeful world.
Clint Springer, Ph.D., is an associate professor of biology and Faculty Senate president at St. Joe’s.
ideas and materials. I’d hate to see my years of hard work be replaced by a computer program that can replicate it in mere seconds. AI shouldn’t replace the passion and soul artists put into their work.
How rigid is our socialization? The meaning of home
SOPHIA BERTSCH ’27
Guest Columnist
Merriam-Webster defines socialization as “the process beginning during childhood by which individuals acquire the values, habits and attitudes of a society.” Being abroad has led me to question my socialization’s impact on my worldview. My socialization creates social norms, some of which are not universal. Can I truly be surrounded by difference? I have learned what home is and isn’t. Home was where I was socialized, so can I find comfort far from my home?
Some of my friends in Madrid had different upbringings than me. They moved
from place to place, sometimes from country to country, without permanence. They’re Third Culture Kids, meaning they spent their formative childhood years in places outside of their parents’ homeland. Their process of socialization was unlike mine: It was malleable and flexible, a culmination of multiple cultures, causing them to adapt to new circumstances. “Home” might have a more expansive definition, meaning people rather than a place. My home is Long Island. I grew up there, in the same house and in the same town. I’m connected to home, as stories about random connections to celebrities and lectures about surfing on Long Island’s South Shore have become far too
familiar to my friends both in Madrid and Philly. Yet having a specific place I call home means that, in some ways, my world is limited. This manifested in my initial difficulty to find comfort in Madrid. My homesickness reflected my constant and stable socialization that constructed social normalities and abnormalities. I learned the clear values from a single society. Our socialization impacts how adaptable we are. Sometimes, I feel having one true home means I cannot find a home elsewhere. Yet, I’ve learned that it’s not so black-and-white — that at times, we can be resocialized. Values that seem universal are not universal, expanding my definitions of what is “home” and “normal.”
GRAPHIC: BLADIMIR LEMUS ’26/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: MOLLY DETTLINGER ’27/THE HAWK
The politics of it all Our responsibility as political agents
In my sophomore year of high school, I met a student who was very politically active. At that time, I didn’t understand this student’s zeal for political involvement, nor did I understand his social media activism. Now that some years have passed and a little bit of clarity has been poured into my head, his thought process is clear to me. This student truly loved his country. It was a love that bore itself through political action. He expressed his zeal through the means made possible for him by the democratic structures we have in our system.
I thought back to this political action this past weekend after news coverage of the “No Kings” protest circulated. I reflected on my old classmate’s political life and the miasma of American politics these past 10 years. I thought to myself, “I can be a better agent of democracy. I can do more to be involved.” With a general election right around the corner, I have been brainstorming ways to take actionable steps. If you would like to join me in a deeper political engagement, here’s what’s on my to-do list.
1. Reorganize my news feed: Identify my trusted sources, select a handful and read.
2. Pay attention to local politics: These events seem less flashy and do not grab the headlines, but the municipal matters
are important, too.
3.Vote in local politics: OK, you’ve been following more closely. Now make that attention count. Vote!
These are the pillars of this political reformation. With the Nov. 4 general elections sharply coming up, this is a perfect opportunity for me to put my ticket where my typing is, or, in other words, begin checking off my to-do list. If these action items speak to you, and frankly, even if they don’t, I urge you to join me in this reformation. Democracy is only as strong as the foundation it stands upon, and we, the people, are that foundation.
The Louvre heist: Stealing our art and attention
The story sweeping social media
SHARON JONNALAGADDA ’29 Guest Columnist
This week, I’ve swiped past “Get ready with me to rob the Louvre” and “Here’s what I would’ve stolen instead” videos as the internet reacts to the recent jewelry robbery at the Louvre Museum in France. Major news media rushed to cover the Hollywood-worthy heist, playing off people’s snowballing fascination with the story. But what exactly about this break-in has captivated the world?
Let’s trace it back to 9:30 a.m. Oct. 19, when the thieves broke into a window on the first floor of the Louvre. They used a mechanical lift, and two of the four thieves climbed up to the balcony and used power tools to enter the building.
Then, they used disc cutters to break open the glass cases while security guards were evacuating visitors. The thieves escaped back through the window and drove away with the two other thieves on scooters at 9:38 a.m., stealing nine items. The entire affair lasted seven minutes but left its mark as the “heist of the century.”
As French investigators scrambled to track down the culprits, the internet seemed to be thrilled with the story. Social media is ripe with comments rooting for the thieves behind this bold plot. Perhaps these sentiments are fueled by the classic Robin Hood tale of the common man taking from elitist institutions. Hollywood movies like “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Inception” have romanticized heists as glamorous and daring. People view art heists as “victimless” in comparison to the brutal crimes that are usually broadcasted
What makes an accent?
in the news. While most people don’t condone theft on a regular basis, it’s hard not to be intrigued. Maybe it speaks more about ourselves that we’re willing to
Why is the Delco accent is so hard to master
CAROLINE KELLY ’26 Columnist
The HBO Max miniseries “Task” may seem familiar to residents of Delaware County. Indeed, much of the series’ principal shooting was done in Delco and Philadelphia, and the creator, Brad Ingelsby (who also created “Mare of Easttown”), is from the area. A recurring theme among actors and staff from both shows is the difficulty of the “Delco accent.” English actress Kate Winslet even said it’s one of the few accents that’s made her “throw things” over its difficulty. So, what makes it so challenging?
Both the Delco and closely related Philadelphia accents are heavily nuanced and don’t seem as prominently portrayed in media as a New York accent, for instance. Yet, the Philadelphia accent remains one of the most studied because of its unique sound. Additionally, there are slight differences in the accent by
area and neighborhood. In an interview in Variety, “Task” dialect coach Susanne Sulby said “...North Philly sounds a little different than Delco or South Philly.” Sulby, who is from Doylestown, also served as a dialect coach for “Silver Linings Playbook,” another piece of media set in Delco, so her experience gives her credibility. In that same interview, Sulby mentioned the idea of Delco pride, saying people “love Delco” and cited actress Emilia Jones as someone who has fallen in love with the area.
So, does love or affection for a place influence your ability to perform an accent? I think there is a degree of merit here, as genuine interest often leads to wanting to “do right” by that place. The “doing right,” in this case, would be studying the Delco accent and its nuances.
In the end, what makes the Delco accent so difficult to master might be the same thing that makes it so beloved: It’s deeply tied to a sense of
place and identity. To truly embody it, actors have to understand the people who speak it. That blend of technique and emotional connection is what brings
authenticity to stories set in Delco and why audiences continue to be drawn to them.
SAHR KARIMU ’26 Hawk Columnist
overlook the crime for its theatrics.
ILLUSTRATION: ALEXIS KAIN ’27/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: HANNAH PAJTIS ’26/THE HAWK AND BELLA PRIVITERA ’26/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: BLADIMIR LEMUS ’26/THE HAWK
Five study abroad options you may not know about
TAYLA J. EVANS ’27 Features Editor
For many college students, the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture at a destination of their choice is a big draw.
Maybe that destination is already familiar, or maybe it’s a bucket list dream.
For Mary Migliozzi, Ph.D., assistant director of the Center for International Programs, studying abroad also closely aligns with St. Joe’s Jesuit mission, particularly the principle of “cura personalis,” or care for the whole person.
“I think an important part of educating the whole person is taking the whole person out of their comfort zone and putting them in situations where they’re confronted with different points of view, different ways of living and different ways of seeing themselves in the world,” Migliozzi said.
St. Joe’s offers a host of options across 18 countries for a semester or year abroad. For shorter-term options, there are three faculty-led summer classes and numerous study tours each semester.
Whether you want to spend a semester away or just over a week, here’s a list of five study abroad options off the beaten path to check out.
Study tour, Viking Era Ritual and Religion
Location: Reykjavík, Iceland
In spring 2026, a brand-new St. Joe’s study tour will travel to Iceland for nine days. The Viking Era Ritual and Religion class will take students to multiple historic sites across the country, all revolving around pre-Christian Nordic religion.
Study tours are the shortest duration of all study abroad options. They involve travel added to a semester-long course, usually at the end of the course.
Shawn Krahmer, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies, has taught theViking Era Ritual and Religion course for two other semesters, but this will be the first time a study tour will be featured at the conclusion of the class.
Krahmer said this will be her first time in Iceland, too.
“What I would tell students is don’t be afraid to push yourself outside your comfort zone because your professor is doing that, too,” Khramer said.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 1.
Summer, Media & Cultural Studies
Location: Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa
If you don’t want to spend part of your academic year abroad, summer study abroad programs are a great option. The South Africa course, taught and led by shenid bhayroo, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, and Jenny Spinner, Ph.D., professor of English, features stays in two South African cities: Johannesburg and Durban.
Over the course of four weeks, students produce and publish journalism stories across multiple mediums — print, video, photography and social media. Field trips include a safari, sites connected to Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and apartheid history (and wherever else your stories take you).
Allie Miller ’24, former editor-in-chief of The Hawk, said their time in the program in 2022 was “the experience of a lifetime.” They said the program was immersive by the nature of the class structure, which centers on storytelling.
“Whether [students] are or are not interested in journalism, I would absolutely recommend that people consider it as an option, especially because South Africa is one of those places that other people might not have the opportunity to go to on their own,” Miller said.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2026.
Semester, The Beijing Center
Location: Beijing, China
The Beijing Center, one of 27 semester or year programs St. Joe’s offers, provides students with the opportunity to study in the capital of China at a Jesuit institution on the University of Business and Economics campus. There, students can immerse themselves in Chinese culture and language.
Students can participate in a professional internship program, and academic excursions are offered each semester. They can also spend an entire academic year in Beijing through this program.
Meilyn Frank ’26, who has roots in China, said she studied at The Beijing Center for a summer term, as the academic term did not fit into her schedule. She said the experience was incredibly impactful.
“It’s so dramatic to say it changed my life, but I think a lot of people going abroad would say that, and it definitely did in the sense that the world’s so much bigger than I ever could have imagined it to be.”
Semester, Universidad Alberto Hurtado
Location: Santiago, Chile
This direct exchange program allows students from the Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, a similarly sized Jesuit university in the capital city of Chile, to swap places with students from St. Joe’s. Migliozzi referred to the swap as an “exchange balance.”
“We offer them a certain number of spots based on the number of students we send them, and vice versa,” Migliozzi said, adding that students don’t have to attend the other university the same semester.
This program is immersive and Spanish intensive. Migliozzi said participants must have an intermediate level understanding of the language. Students stay with a host family.
“You're taking classes with local students in an unfamiliar culture in your second language, and you’re living with a local family and you are making local friends,” Migliozzi said. “You’re not surrounded by other Americans and just really getting to know how people live there.”
There has not been a swap in a couple of years, Migliozzi said, so now is the time to go. The deadline to apply for a semester abroad in fall 2026 will open in January.
Currently in Pop Culture: Victoria’s Secret
OLIVIA GASPARRO ’27
Features Columnist
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion show first began in 1995. It started as a small-scale, industry-focused event at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, but the empire has since expanded into a globalized moment.
However, the fashion show hasn’t always been as glamorous as it may seem. In 2019, the annual lingerie event took a five-year hiatus due to immense backlash over not being inclusive of all body types and races and declining ratings.
Backlash
In February of 2020, The New York Times published an investigation against Victoria’s Secret, exposing a toxic workplace that included bullying, harassment and inappropriate behavior toward both employees and models.
For many years, the brand exclusively featured tall, thin and mostly white models throughout their campaigns and runway
shows, known as “Angels.” This represented a narrow image of beauty and showcased unrealistic beauty standards.
The company’s problems were brought to light when Ed Razek, then-chief marketing officer of L Brands (now Bath & Body Works, Inc.), came under fire in 2018 after telling Vogue that Victoria’s Secret should not include transgender or plus-sized women in their runway shows. Razek’s remarks were met with immediate backlash, leading to boycotts against the brand.
By 2019, public interest in the once-iconic brand and yearly fashion show plummeted. The company decided to cancel the show due to drops in ratings, marking a turning point in the brand’s history.
What has changed?
Taking a step toward rebranding, Victoria’s Secret split from L Brands in 2021. Since then, the company has focused on creating change within their brand and the image they portray. In August 2023, Victoria’s Secret shared a new statement of its brand values on its website: “We
Semester or year, create your own
Location: Anywhere
Can’t find a program you like? Come up with your own!
The Center for International Programs offers the process of petitioning, where students can research and request programs that aren’t offered by St. Joe’s. Students must write four standard applicant essays and receive two faculty recommendations, like for other study abroad programs. Additionally, students must write a 500-word petition essay, receive one recommendation from their advisor and complete a course equivalency form.
Natalie Parone ’27 successfully petitioned to study abroad at the University of York, where she is currently studying. She said she didn’t really like the programs St. Joe’s had to offer but wanted to study medieval history in the United Kingdom. The Center for International Programs helped Parone through the entire process of petitioning.
Parone said she chose the University of York because she hoped to find a school similar to the things she liked about St. Joe’s, like her approachable professors.
“I wanted to find a school where I could have that experience,” Parone said.
Fashion Show, held Oct. 15, reflected these efforts toward inclusivity. The runway featured angels diverse in race, body size and background, including a model who was pregnant, symbolizing the brand’s new
GRAPHIC: SATINA SACKIE ’27/THE HAWK
Meilyn Frank ’26 stands outside of St. Joseph s Church, Beijing in China during her time abroad. PHOTO COURTESY OF MEILYN FRANK ’26
Word Search: Halloween
TAYLA J. EVANS ’27
Features Editor
1.Ghouls 2.Haunted 3.Halloween 4.Pumpkin 5.Witch 6.Spooky 7.Skeleton 8.Goblin 9.Candy
Archives Unboxed: Project Vietnam
In the spring of 1967, the United States was two years into an escalating conflict in Vietnam. At St. Joe’s, three students were focused on Vietnamese children who had been orphaned by the war.
Marty McAdams ’67, Angelo Bello ’69 and Bill Conway ’68 were all part of the Project Vietnam committee and worked with on-campus clubs and organizations to organize fundraising drives and rally fellow students to provide aid for the Stella Maris Orphanage in South Vietnam.
Two St. Joe’s students, by then serving in the U.S. Air Force, Lieutenant James L. Tobin ’64 and Captain Edward Essl ’55, had reached out to the St. Joe’s ROTC program, telling them of the orphans’ plight and asking for assistance.
Now preserved in the St. Joe’s
Archives Collection, documentation of the community’s response to that request for help includes newspaper clippings from the time, as well as black-and-white photographs of students washing cars and holding posters.
Bello headed the Project Vietnam committee, which organized film screenings of past St. Joe’s basketball victories, charging admission to raise money for the orphanage fund. McAdams and Conway organized a car wash, while the St. Joe’s chapter of the Arnold Air Society, a professional service organization for students in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and the U.S. Air Force Academy, organized a “Win A Date Miss Pennsylvania” contest.
The fundraising efforts extended beyond Hawk Hill, with students from Drexel University, La Salle University, the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Military College joining in.
Coverage of the students’ work appeared in papers across Philadelphia and South Jersey, including Courier-Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, City Line News and others. Together, these clippings captured both the urgency of the war and the energy of students determined to help.
Looking back nearly 60 years later, McAdams said students came together to help in any way they could.
“I think the key takeaway is that the ROTC got involved,” McAdams said. “We weren’t the only ones that got involved. We got a lot of other people involved. We threw a car wash, and I don’t know how much money we raised, but hopefully it helped.”
The students ended up raising over $1,500.
Another classmate, Richard Zanoni ’67, said most students knew about the war from what they saw on TV or read in the newspaper. After his graduation in 1967,
10.Frankenstein 11.Trick or treat 12.Bats 13.Cobwebs 14.Dead 15.Cemetery 16.October 17.Howl 18.Cauldron
Zanoni became a teacher before being drafted into the army.
Zanoni remembered reading about the St. Joe’s orphanage fundraising while a student on campus, and he later brought a different lens to the war. Once in Vietnam, Zanoni picked up a camera and began to document the war. A selection of Zanoni’s photographs were featured in a 2018 exhibit in Drexel Library.
“I knew that if I survived Vietnam, I got out of the Army, I was going to go back to teaching, and this was going to be living history,” Zanoni said. “Because I would have pictures, slides to show my students.”
EMILY TACONET ’27
Special to The Hawk
A student accepts donations on behalf of Project Vietnam, raising money those orphaned by the Vietnam War.
COMIC: ALEXIS KAIN ’27/THE HAWK
The five best last-minute Halloween costumes
celebrities or friends.
With Halloween right around the corner, the annual costume panic has set in, along with a scramble to find something creative that isn’t too basic or costs more than a trip to the grocery store.
While elaborate costumes might look impressive on social media, the reality is not everyone has the time or money to plan weeks in advance. That doesn’t mean you can’t still turn heads with items you already own. Sometimes, the best costumes come straight from your closet.
“I like to keep it simple and cheap,” said Benjamin Rodgers ’27, who is dressing up this year as Dipper Pines from the TV show, “Gravity Falls.” “Occasionally, I’ll splurge, like every five years, but I like to keep it simple.”
Owen Abbott ’26 suggested quick options like dressing as a referee or a player with your favorite jersey. Abbott himself saves money by dressing up as an egg every year.
Why an egg?
“I have it,” Abbott said with a shrug. So, don’t panic — grab what you have, and make it work.
Here are five last-minute Halloween costumes you can pull together with things around your home.
Cereal Killer
What you need: An empty cereal box, dark clothes and a plastic fork or knife (optional).
For a punny twist on the classic serial killer, dress in all black and grab an empty cereal box, stabbing it a few times for effect. If you have a plastic utensil, leave it lodged in the box for extra flair. It’s the perfect low-effort costume that’s more funny than frightening and doesn’t require any fake blood cleanup.
It’s Raining Men
What you need: An umbrella, rain jacket and printouts of male
Think of some of your favorite male icons, whether they’re celebrities, athletes or even friends and family. Print out their photos and tape them to an umbrella. Pair it with a rain jacket, and you’ve got yourself a costume that’s guaranteed to get a few laughs.
Bonus points if you play the The Weather Girls’ classic song as your entrance music.
Post Malone
What you need: A white T-shirt or tank, jeans and a washable marker or eyeliner
Not only is Post Malone a highly successful rapper, but he has a laid-back style that’s easy to copy. All you need is a plain white shirt and some jeans — the baggier, the better. Then, grab something washable you can use to draw on your face to create some makeshift tattoos.
It’s instantly recognizable and surprisingly simple.
Remote Employee
What you need: A business shirt, sweatpants and slippers or sneakers
Go for the “business on top, casual on the bottom” vibe. Throw on a nice button-down, dress shirt or blazer over your comfiest sweatpants or pajama bottoms. Put on some slippers or sneakers, and add headphones or a coffee mug as a prop.
Now, you look ready to “hop on a Zoom call” while staying comfortable all night.
Hot Mess
What you need: Baggy clothes, messy hair and printouts of flames
Take the phrase “hot mess” literally. Dress in worn-down clothes you’d never wear in public, scruff up your hair until it looks chaotic and tape paper flames to your shirt.
It’s simple, funny and an accurate reflection of how most students feel by this point in the semester.
Crossword: The spirit of Halloween
Across
7. American soul singer and activist whose 1965 album was titled “I Put a Spell on You" after its hit single.
8. A well-known hopping undead creature from Chinese folklore.
9. This eye was believed in Mediterranean cultures to cause misfortune, ill-will, sickness and even death.
10. This state is home to the Pukwudgies, prominent little wild men of the woods from Wampanoag folklore known for devilish mischief.
11. This Latin word meaning “to warn” is where we get the word “monster” today.
12. This people’s Samhain festival is where we get the pagan origins of Halloween.
14. This hairless Mexican dog breed is believed to serve as a psychopomp to those who’ve passed on.
Down
1. British science fiction and horror writer who learned to read on her mother’s grave.
2. Horror director responsible for “The Thing,” “Halloween” and “They Live,” among others.
3. Terry Pratchett’s version of this character was so popular that he was used to announce Pratchett’s own death.
4. The devil is typically depicted with two of these sticking out from his head, believed to be taken from pagan nature deities.
5. The chosen weapon of many slasher villains, like Michael Myers.
6. Jordan Peele’s second film as a director, which features evil doppelgängers wielding golden scissors.
13. This period in Japanese history saw a dramatic rise in interest in yōkai, a class of spirits and monsters originating from Japan.
Alyssa Yannantuono ’26 holds a box of cereal pierced by a fork and wears dark clothes to embody her rendition of a “Cereal Killer.”
ALYSSA YANNANTUONO ’26
Special to the Hawk
BRENNAN DILLENBECK ’28 Hawk Staff
Alyssa Yannantuono ’26 dresses in pajama pants and a blazer for her “Remote Employee” costume. PHOTOS: ZACH PODOLNICK ’26/THE HAWK
Looking back on the 2025 Phillies
DIANA SOSA ’27 Sports Reporter
After losing a devastating three of four games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Divisional Series, it’s difficult to remember the success of the 2025 Philadelphia Phillies. This season, the Phillies won the National League East Division, with a record of 96-66. The team’s collective batting average was .258, tying with the Milwaukee Brewers for second in the MLB. However, the Phillies fell flat in the postseason. During the NLDS, the Phillies had a team batting average of .212 and an on-base plus slugging of .657.
Despite losing three-time All-Star and 2023 Gold Glove Award winner Zack Wheeler, the Phillies starting pitchers had a combined earned run average of 3.79. The bullpen struggled, but the acquisition of Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline made a significant difference.
Free agents
During the off-season, the contracts will be expiring for multiple key players on the Phillies. Throughout the 2025 season, fans speculated whether or not 2025 All-Star MVP Kyle Schwarber would be returning with the Phillies. The 32-year-old had 56 home runs this season, granting him second place in the MLB. This season, he was the Phillies designated hitter, with an average of .240 and an OPS of .928.
Another significant player whose five year, $115.5 million contract will be expiring is catcher JT Realmuto. Once considered the best catcher in baseball, Realmuto is still elite, with the fastest average pop-time in the league.
Starting pitcher Ranger Suárez will also be entering free agency this offseason. The 2024 All-Star had a 12-8 record, 151 strikeouts and a 3.20 ERA this season. Center fielder Harrison Bader was also picked up from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline July 31.Harrison filled the holes in the Phillies outfield and added a right-handed bat to a primarily lefty lineup. For the 2026 season, Bader has a mutual $10 million option with the organization and a $3 million buyout.
Roster changes
The Phillies could also make some potential moves this offseason, with noteworthy players entering free agency like New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman. Another face to look out for is right-fielder Kyle Tucker from the Chicago Cubs. The organization’s top prospect, 22-year old Andrew Painter, had a record of 5-8 and an ERA of 5.26 this season with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, as he recovered from Tommy John (ulnar collateral tear) surgery. Outfielding prospect Justin Crawford hit an average of .334 for the IronPigs this season, and his Major League
debut for the 2026 season seems likely. IronPigs shortstop Aidan Miller was drafted by the Phillies in 2023, and with an average of .264, could potentially make the Opening Day roster as well.
Coaching staff
Many fans thought Phillies manager Rob Thomson was fired this offseason, despite the extension to his contract lasting through the end of the 2026 season. After leading the organization to their first postseason appearance in 11 years, he was promoted to the team’s full-time manager. However, since 2023, the team has made the playoffs each year but have fallen short of the World Series. Along with Thomson, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski,
confirmed the team’s entire coaching staff would be returning for the 2026 season. Dombrowski also mentioned hiring a new bench coach in the Phillies end of season press conference.
Looking toward the 2026 season, it is important the Phillies prioritize big signings, bring up their top prospects and improve their in-game coaching staff. Although the season ended on a low note, the organization seems to be focused on improving for the future and celebrating the victories made throughout the regular season.
Women’s basketball ready to tip off into the 2025-26
MONICA SOWINSKI ’26
Assistant Sports Editor
Ending the 2024-25 season with a 24-10 record and losing in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team is ready to hit the ground running for the 2025-26 season. The 15-woman roster features ten players between the first-year and sophomore classes. Junior guards Gabby Casey and Aleah Snead swept A-10 preseason honors again for the 2025-26 season. With the addition of two new staff members and a promotion made on the coaching staff, the team is ready to take on West Chester Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Hagan Arena.
No stranger to Hawk Hill, sophomore guard Jill Jekot signed to the team in April after entering the transfer portal following
her rookie season at Penn State. Jekot’s older sister was former St. Joe’s player Katie Jekot ’20, MBA ’22, who ranked eighth in program history in assists. Coming from a strong basketball background with three sisters who played collegiate basketball, Jekot will bring an intelligent skill set to games. The former Nittany Lion’s rookie season wrapped up with 21 appearances and 18 points.
As a member of Lebanon’s senior national team since 2021, sophomore guard Amar Mansour is sure to add points to the scoreboard this season. Last season at Azour Sporting Club, Mansour added double figure scoring in 18 of 21 games. In five games, Mansour had double-digit rebounds. Mansour also had three appearances in the International Basketball Federation and, most recently, added seven
rebounds and five assists against Japan at the 2025 International Basketball Federation Women’s Asia Cup. Philadelphia natives Snead and Casey are on the rise to continue in the A-10 spotlight. In addition to earning A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year last season, Snead became the first Hawk since 2018 to have eight offensive boards in a single game.
Snead earned a spot on the A-10 Preseason Second Team and All-Defensive Team Sept. 30. Similarly, Casey was named to the A-10 Preseason Third Team after earning two A-10 Rookie of the Week honors.
Averaging 7.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, Casey provides steady scoring on the court.
A notable acquisition of the team is sophomore forward Cecilia Kay. The former Eagle at American University ended the
2024-25 season recording 268 rebounds and setting a first-year program record. As a three-time earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Kay’s season finished with 344 points. Alongside these three players, four experienced first-years are joining the team. First-year forwards Olivia Lutterodt and Rian Dotsey and first-year guards Kaylinn Bethea and Emily Knouse all share diverse skill sets, allowing for shots to be made at any point on the court.
76ers secure exciting season opening victory in Boston
night behind Tyrese Maxey (40).
The Philadelphia 76ers opened its 2025-26 regular season with an impressive 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics Oct. 22. Incredible offensive contributions from rookie guard VJ Edgecombe and veteran guard Tyrese Maxey propelled Philadelphia to their victory in TD Garden in the season opener.
Edgecombe was selected as the third overall pick by the Sixers in this year’s NBA draft out of Baylor University.
Following the team’s worst season in recent history (24-58), the acquisition brought optimism to Philadelphia in regards to the development of the team’s young assets. The rookie had an immediate impact on the game as he tallied 14 points in the first quarter alone, surpassing Lebron James’ record for the most points scored in the first quarter in an NBA debut (12). Additionally, Edgecombe produced the most points scored in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlin’s 34 points in 1959, as well as the most points scored in a rookie’s Sixers debut, passing Allen Iverson’s franchise record of 30 set in 1996. He sustained this offensive momentum and finished the game with a statline of 34 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Edgecombe was the team’s second leading scorer of the
The tremendous offensive showings of Edgecombe and Maxey exhibited their potential to be one of the best backcourts in the league this season. Maxey’s game-high 40 point performance, which included seven made 3-pointers, was an explosive way to open his sixth NBA season. The former All-Star’s versatile efforts on both ends of the court kept the Sixers in the game, even when Boston started to pull away with a lead in the second half. Whether he scored on a midrange jumpshot, fast paced play in transition or fought his way through Boston’s frontcourt, Maxey’s efficient scoring abilities were on full display against the Celtics.
Another standout performance came from Sixers forward Dominick Barlow. In his first starting role with the team, the two-way player made well-rounded contributions by securing important rebounds and showcasing extreme athleticism on both ends of the floor. Barlow finished the game with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Unfortunately, there were no positive takeaways regarding center Joel Embiid’s performance. In just 20 minutes of play, Embiid struggled to get into an offensive rhythm, contributing only four total points on 1-for-9 shooting against Boston’s frontcourt. Following his first regular season game played since Feb. 22, it is evident Embiid will need some time to become reacclimated to the fast-paced flow of the NBA.
NICOLE FRANZ ’27
Junior guard Aleah Snead shoots from the 3-point line Sept. 30.
GRAPHIC: CARMEN KNOPF ’27/THE HAWK
Junior guard Gabby Casey dribbles down the court Sept. 30. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS
Brazil, Boca Raton and the City of Brotherly Love Skill and support take men’s tennis student-athlete to success
MONICA SOWINSKI ’26
Assistant Sports Editor
Feeling like he needed “something different,” first-year Davi Carlos traveled from São Paulo, Brazil, to Boca Raton, Florida, to further his tennis career.
Carlos learned about the Puhan Personalized Tennis Program through a family friend and decided to join. Through the program, Carlos met the current St. Joe’s women’s and men’s tennis head coach, Jeffrey Puhan. With daily morning practices, Carlos trained under Puhan while completing high school online.
Having formed a connection with Puhan, Carlos decided to reach out for recruitment. Carlos’ decision to come to St. Joe’s was confirmed after he visited campus and experienced great practices with the team.
Puhan said Carlos’ consistent positive mindset and work ethic has made him a great addition to the team.
“My favorite moments are when he enjoys the success and he’s happy, even though he knew what he had to go
through in terms of his training to get to that point,” Puhan said.
The camaraderie and support of the team have been Carlos’ favorite aspects of playing for St. Joe’s.
“Everyone wants you to succeed,” Carlos said. “My teammates, they want me to be better every day because we’re a team. So, if I do good, [my teammate is] gonna do good as well.”
Years of individualized training and competing alone taught Carlos how strongly supporting teammates can influence the match day atmosphere. After having to retire from a match at the Princeton Invitational due to injuries, Carlos was proud to support his teammates.
“It was so fun, like it was crazy, the atmosphere was really good,” Carlos said. “We were the loudest team there for sure, and it made a huge difference for the guys.”
Carlos’ performance has only been progressing. After a tight match against Delaware, Carlos was able to gain back a point and win the match. Donovan McKnight, assistant coach for the men’s
and women’s tennis teams, said Carlos’ composure in stressful situations has been notable.
“For a freshman to be able to be as composed as he was in those moments, I think that was the best part of it,” McKnight said. “It was that and then the energy that he brought to the court, he’s pumping himself up, and that’s what we really ask for as coaches.”
Despite tennis being largely an individualized sport, McKnight said Carlos is always “providing energy” to support his teammates.
“He’s an excellent teammate as well,” McKnight said. “On the court, off the court, even though he’s a freshman, he really does provide a good example of someone that you could look to be like, ‘Alright, this guy is getting out there and doing his job, doing it well and doing it in a mature way.’”
‘Our theme all week was to prove them wrong’
Field hockey rebounds with recent win
TESS MARGIS ’26
Assistant Sports Editor
St. Joe’s field hockey snapped a four-game losing streak after earning a hard-fought win against Davidson Oct. 24. Fifth-year forward/midfield Ava Smith scored two goals, adding to the impressive season she’s had.
“We’ve had a few tough losses in the conference especially, but sometimes you need those losses to make you think how much that winning means to you and the team,” Smith said.
Smith, who came to St. Joe’s from Scotland, tied the record for goals scored in a single game with four and set a new program record for most points in a single match with nine Oct. 3 against Lock Haven. She has 14 goals on the season.
“I didn’t really know [the record] was a
thing because back home, points and goals, you just go out and play,” Smith said. “It was really nice getting on the bus and all the girls telling me about it. It was pretty cool to do it away from home as well.”
The team currently has an 8-9 record with a 3-2 conference record. They’re ranked No. 43 overall by the NCAA. Head coach Hannah Prince said it was a “relief” to be back in the win column after the game on the 24th.
“Our theme all week was to prove them wrong,” Prince said. “And that just meant prove the country, prove the conference and even prove yourself if you’re having any self-doubt. I feel like we absolutely did that today, so I’m thrilled.”
Sophomore back Adèle Jardemar tallied two assists in the win. Jardemar, who transferred to St. Joe’s after spending the 2024
season at Maryland, said the points on the board reflect the work her team has put in.
“I had a hard season last year because I didn’t play, and I got injured,” Jardemar said. “So, I came here in the spring, and I found this new team and we all worked really hard … it just makes us so happy and makes me so happy.”
Prince said the win was a good rebound after a few close losses.
“I think just to be able to show that we can execute corners, putting the ball in the back of the net just showed the team that what we’re made of is something special and that if they stay the course, good things can happen,” Prince said.
Prince also credited Smith with being a “threat” on attack and having a good reach defensively.
“I feel like people always talk about how
many goals she scores or what she creates on attack, but I also think, equally, the way she plays on the press just puts the other team’s defenders under a lot of pressure and allows her to pick balls up and then allows us to be very close to our attack circle,” Prince said. Smith said most of the roster is new, with only 10 players from last season returning. She credits the season she’s having to her new teammates becoming more comfortable playing with each other.
“I think now that the season’s coming to an end, we’re getting used to each other and playing off of each other a bit more, which is good,” Smith said. “Just keep putting the goals away.”
First-year Davi Carlos starts on the men’s tennis team after training under head coach Jeffrey Puhan.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS