“...and the
stars look very
different today” Remembering David Bowie pg. 6
Jan. 27, 2016
Illustration by Danielle Zabielski ’17
The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University | Volume XCV | Est. 1929 | www.hawkhillnews.com
Community loses activist and professor
Alert: This is a test of the Emergency Notification System in our classrooms. If you are in a classroom please lock your door.
PLAN IN PLACE Saint Joseph’s takes part in first active shooter drill Image created by Krista Jaworski ’17
ANA FAGUY ’19 News Editor After receiving a notice via email on Jan. 15, the Saint Joseph’s University community participated in its first active shooter drill. The drill was implemented on Wednesday, Jan. 20. The drill tested the preparedness of students and faculty, as well as the efficiency of classroom safety systems and technological devices in the event of a shooter being on campus. At 10:45 a.m. a text was sent to over 9,400 phone numbers and a telephone call was made to over 167 classrooms to inform students and faculty that the active shooter drill had begun. “There is no preparation for that kind of thing because it is something that you cannot predict,” said Michael Boykin, inteim director of Public Safety. “Fortunately they are very rare occurrences, however you still need to make sure that you have something in place. The drill itself is twofold. One is to bring it to the consciousness of everyone here on campus to understand that they have a role in trying to do something to protect themselves, and two, for us, meaning Public Safety, identifying in the university what do we need to do in order to be better prepared for it.” As Boykin said, the drill had multiple purposes, as well as numerous results. The active shooter drill shed light on the problems that the university has overlooked, and will, in turn, focus its attention on preparing students with these safety measures. According to Boykin, the results of the drill helped to inform Public Safety Officers of classrooms that needed telephones
reinstalled. The drill also brought attention to the classrooms that were in need of door locks. Boykin said that these adjustments will likely be made in the coming weeks and classrooms will be updated before the next drill. This drill also provided a clear distinction between the action that would take place in a real emergency versus the action that took place during the drill. Boykin added that in case of a real emergency, text messages would be sent instantaneously through a different system than that used during the drill. Additionally, updates would be posted on both Twitter and Facebook, the loud speakers surrounding the campus would be blaring warnings, and Public Safety officers would be present on campus with bull horns. These actions would be taken to ensure that everyone on campus knew that danger was present. “I think we are better prepared. I don’t think we can ever be 100 percent prepared for every scenario that could come along,” said Cary Anderson, associate provost and vice president of Student Life. All St. Joe’s community members were notified of the drill, but the reactions of students ranged across a vast spectrum. Some professors did not take the drill very seriously; other professors, like Ruben Mendoza, Ph.D., assistant professor of decision & system sciences, treated the drill as if it were a real shooter emergency. “Unfortunately, we live in a time where these are frequent realities, thankfully they are not daily, but they are too frequent for my taste,” Mendoza said. “I did it, I took it seriously because I see it as my person-
al responsibility. I mean, what is the point of the drill if you’re not going to do it? You can’t just sit there and say ‘OK, this is what I would do.’ You have to do it. If you have thought about it, better yet practiced it, that is what you’re going to do [in a real emergency]. ” Mendoza explained that during the drill, he was teaching in the Wall Street Trading Room, Mandeville Hall 295, which has a full wall of windows. When the text came, he instructed students closest to the windows to shut the blinds and hide under their desks. Meanwhile, Mendoza turned off the lights and covered the windows on the door. According to Mendoza, the room was completely quiet for over three minutes. “I was ready to make it clear to them that if I could hear them, so could a person who would harm them, and they were quiet,” Mendoza said. “I was very impressed. Now, we know what to do, at least in this room.” The active shooter drill now forces students to put St. Joe’s preparedness into perspective and admit responsibility in emergency situations. “I think St. Joe’s is well-prepared to respond to a variety of emergencies,” said University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D.. “I think we all know, however, that you can’t plan for everything, and much of what you try to do is prepare people to make quick decisions that will keep them safer and also resolve the emergency. Everyone needs to be vigilant and take seriously things such as drills or communications about emergency preparedness.”
Catherine Murray, Ph.D., leaves behind a grateful St. Joe’s ANA FAGUY ’19 News Editor Catherine Murray, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and director of graduate gerontology, died Sunday, Jan. 24 after serving Saint Joseph’s University for five decades. The St. Joe’s community was notified of Murray’s passing via email on Monday, Jan. 25. “She was a champion of gender equality and, as such, served as director of the gender studies program and as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women,” University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D., said in his email to the student body. “Dr. Murray also served on the Advisory Board on Faculty Compensation (ABFC) for many years and as Faculty Senate President. She was an influential voice as chair of the Steering Committee for the Comprehensive Curriculum Review in 2008 and was the recipient of the Lifetime Service Award in 2010.” According to Ann Green, Ph.D., a professor in the English department and the president of Faculty Senate, Murray was crucial in establishing a gender studies program at St. Joe’s. “She leaves a huge hole in our work,” Green adds. Murray was a staunch advocate for the faculty. “A woman who chose a career in the sciences at a time when doing so was unusual, she was a passionate champion of gender equality,” said Donald Leitner, Ph.D., professor and chair of the department of psychology. “She also developed and ran one of the first gerontology programs in Philadelphia. She mentored many students during her long career at Saint Joseph’s. She will be greatly missed by me personally, by her many current students, by our alumni, and by her colleagues.” Murray will be in the minds of friends and colleagues alike. Without a doubt, her work, particularly for gender equality, will leave a mark on St. Joe’s for many years to come.