Oct 31, 2018

The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University

Volume XCVIII | Est. 1929 | www.sjuhawknews.com

Oct. 31, 2018

Left: Rabbi Abraham Skorka recites “Mourner’s Kaddish” a traditional Jewish prayer of mourning. Right: A crowd gathers to mourn for the victims of the Pittsburgh, Pa. synagogue attack. (Photos by Luke Malanga ’20).

Solidarity with synagogue shooting victims LUKE MALANGA ’20 Managing Editor

Paul Koenig ’22 stands in the crowd during the service outside the Chapel of Saint Joseph. “I felt anger because although I was not affected at all, the fact that this is still happening, it pisses you off,” Koenig said.

The Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations held a service of interreligious solidarity in wake of the Oct. 27 synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Pa. which killed 11 people. St. Joe’s students, staff, faculty and adminstrators, as well as community members, gathered next to the sculpture “Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our Time,” which depicts Christian-Jewish friendship, to honor the victims and stand for religious tolerance.

Freedom of speech versus silence

Adjunct professors discuss inability to share opinions CHRISTINA PHOTIADES ’20 Special to The Hawk At St. Joe’s, faculty are well aware of current debates about freedom of expression playing out across the country.

In one case that made national headlines this summer, James Livingston, Ph.D., a tenured professor of history at Rutgers University, was found guilty for violating the university’s discrimination and harassment for a Facebook post he made that was critical of white gentrification in his New York neighborhood.

After Livingston, who is white, received intense backlash for his posts, including death threats, Rutgers began an investigation and eventually concluded that while Livingston had a right to express his opinions, he had violated the university’s policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment.

William McDevitt, Ph.D., associate professor of management and president of the Saint Joseph’s University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), said many St. Joe’s faculty are mindful of what they say in the classroom, especially in the current political climate.

“I am sure that many adjuncts and non-tenured faculty, and even tenured faculty, have to consider whether they should tailor what they say in order to avoid being the target of threats,” McDevitt said.

The AAUP has issued several reports in the last decade that cite the efforts of various political and religious organizations to undermine free speech on college campuses in the

name of defending it.

According to the Saint Joseph’s University Faculty Handbook, regardless of their status as tenured or non-tenured, St. Joe’s faculty have the right to freedom in their classroom in discussing course content, but, according to the handbook, they also “should not deliberately inject into their teaching controversial matter which has no proper relation to the subject.”

The handbook also states that each department should define its own policy while “keeping in mind compliance with equal opportunity/anti-discrimination standards.”

Like Rutgers, St. Joe’s also has a separate Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, which applies to all uni-

German major to be removed

versity employees and defines discrimination as any “distinction, preference, or detriment to an individual as compared to others in the terms or conditions of his or her employment or education on the basis of his or her Protected Category status.”

Ronald Dufresne, Ph.D., associate proALYSA BAINBRIGE ’21 fessor of management and president of FacSpecial to The Hawk ulty Senate, said academic titles and ranks – that is, a faculty member’s status – should not The university stopped accepting new determine the way a faculty member interacts with or is perceived by students. That’s espe- German majors this fall after the department of modern and classical languages decided to cially true of adjunct faculty, Dufresne said. eliminate the German major.

Thomas Buckley, Ph.D., assistant proCONTINUED ON PG. 4 fessor of German and chair of modern and classical languages, said the primary reason behind the decision was simply that the department didn’t have the numbers. German has been decreasing in popularity on campus and nationwide, he said.

“It’s never been a large major, but it’s gotten smaller and smaller over the years,” Buckley said. “So that’s been an issue in terms of filling up even one upper-division course.”

The department has only had only enough students for one section of an upper-division German course for the past six or seven years, Buckley said. In fact, St. Joe’s currently only has one remaining German major on campus, Allison Clause ’19.

Since there are not enough students to have an actual upper-level course, Clause is fulfilling an independent study to complete her major.

Tia Pratt teaches a class about African-American Catholicism in April, 2017 (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

CONTINUED ON PG. 4

2

News

Oct. 31, 2018

Department of Public Safety reports (Oct. 19– Oct. 25) Oct. 24

Oct. 20 Public Safety confiscated a quantity of alcohol from a St. Joe's student inside the lobby of the Villiger Residence Hall. Residence Life notified.

Community Standards notified.

Public Safety responded to a fire alarm at the Villiger Residence Hall.

Public Safety Officer responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking. Alarm was reset.

Public Safety responded to a fire alarm in McShain Hall. Public Safety Officer responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking. Alarm was reset.

Public Safety was notified regarding a disorderly female inside of Starbucks. Public Safety Officers responded. The female, not affiliated with St. Joe's, was escorted out of the area without incident.

Oct. 25

11 1

On campus

Public Safety responded to a fire alarm at the Villiger Residence Hall. Public Safety Officer responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking.

Alarm was reset.

Oct. 21

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

1

On campus

Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a large party in the 5200 block of Church Road. Public Safety Officers and Philadelphia Police were notified and responded. Community Standards notified.

Off campus

0

Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

Green Fund optimistic despite budget cuts Student organization hopes to implement new initiatives in coming year ANDREA RODRIGUEZ ’18 Hawk Staff The Green Fund, a St. Joe’s club devoted to sustainability and environmental preservation efforts, accepted to a roughly 75 percent cut to its budget this year as part of a collective cut to the budgets of many campus clubs and organizations.

Green Fund’s annual budget went from roughly $40,000 last year to around $7,000 this year, according to club member Madison Cassel ’20.

The club was informed about the changes at the beginning of the semester before the cuts were finalized, but members said they are not worried because they expect the reduction to be temporary.

They understood some of their money was redistributed to help other areas on campus, said David Erfle ’19, Green Fund president.

“We still want to make sure that for future years our budget is back up to where it was because we want to have a major impact on the new layout of campus and for generations of students to come, to make their new campus a better and more sustainable place,” Erfle said.

Beth Hagovsky, director of Student and Leadership Activities, confirmed the university’s intention for the Green Fund’s budget to return to what it typically is.

However, she also said while the Green Fund has, does and can benefit the community, recent years have been slow for the organization and that needs to change.

“We're pretty confident of the fact that it is a temporary reallocation,” Hagovsky

said. “But a lot of it has to do with the students. If at the end of this year, we're not seeing an increased amount of activity on the part of the Green Fund or students bringing ideas to the Green Fund, then I think we would probably have a conversation and say, ‘How could this money better be spent to benefit our students?’”

Erfle acknowledged the club has left money on the table in recent fiscal years.

He attributes a number of factors to this, from the club not having enough members, to a lack of student input on proposals, to barriers with the administration.

Each year the club prepares a number of proposals based on ideas received by members of the club or students. These proposals are then presented to the university’s administration for approval.

While Erfle said the university is often initially enthusiastic about proposals, they are rarely implemented.

The university’s newest master plan,“Think Anew, Act Anew,” set to be released later this month, has limited the number of projects the club has been able to get approved and fulfill, Erfle said.

“Green Fund hasn't been able to do a lot of big investments because of that master plan,” Erfle said. “We don't want to invest money in buildings that won't be there or in areas that won't be there. and a lot of the feedback we're getting from administration and facilities is that they don't want to do that either.”

Cassel also said once the master plan is released, the club should be able to breach what she called a “stalemate with administration.”

“Once we have more transparency on

Green Fund members gather to discuss upcoming issues and events (Photo by Matt Barrett ’21).

this master plan, we are fully intending on creating those major projects,” Cassel said.

“We would love to have student input seeing where the needs are on campus and the projects themselves. We really want them to benefit the community and students.”

Dan Hughes ’18 was part of a group of club members who presented a proposal to the university in 2016 to make Mandeville Hall a more sustainable and eco-friendly building by only using environmentally-friendly light bulbs. Hughes said university officials seemed excited, but the project ultimately was not approved.

“When it's student driven, it is so hard to create change at St. Joe's, because there are so many different channels that have to get it approved,” Hughes said.

The Green Fund has been able to successfully fulfill various larger projects in

the past, such as installing water filters around campus and getting solar panels for Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena. This year, the club is trying to get involved with a community garden project.

The organization’s main goal this year is to focus on educating, informing and cultivating the sustainable culture on campus, club leaders said. Even though Green Fund had a rough time finding students to join in some previous years, they now have a good number of people who can work together and who are excited about their initiatives, Erfle said.

“Our generation of young people can be the driving force to change the ways of life people live sustainably,” Erfle said.

News

Oct. 31, 2018

3

Nuns get off the bus

Tax Justice Truth Tour makes stop at St. Joe’s ERIN BREEN ’19 Copy Editor Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, and other members of the Catholic advocacy group NETWORK, hosted a town-hall style discussion as part of their “Nuns on the Bus” campaign in the Chapel of Saint Joseph on Oct. 24.

The nuns began in Santa Monica, Ca., and hosted 54 events in 21 states in less than a month as they traveled to Mar-alago, Fl., a place they believe exemplifies the small population who unequally benefit from current policies, particularly after the passing of the 2017 tax reform legislation by House Republicans, which was the central topic of their educational forum.

The event stressed not only the wealth inequality the tax policies perpetuate, but also the governmental assistance programs that will be cut as a result of the reform.

“The law itself will really badly damage the very population that the sisters are working with,” said Lindsay Hueston ’16, an alumna now working as an associate for the organization. “We are on the road to talk about the impacts on people who are benefiting from medicaid and medicare. This program will drastically slash people’s access to it.”

The event highlighted the way current tax laws further wealth inequality and gave audience members a chance to talk in small groups and all together about how the newest reform policy might affect

Members of NETWORK march through the aisle in the Chapel of Saint Joseph (Photo by Mitchell Shields ’22).

them and their communities personally.

NETWORK reached out to Beth Ford McNamee, assistant director of Campus Ministry, and asked if St. Joe’s could be a stop on their tour.

The tour, falling during election season, is motivated by the desire to engage voters, according to McNamee.

“They are inviting people to consider the Catholic Social Teaching tradition and place that alongside the current economic context,” McNamee said. “[The goal is] making decisions in voting that would put those at the margins of society at the forefront of voting decisions, specifically, in

this case, in terms of tax policies.”

Throughout the event, Campbell also emphasized a lived-out commitment to placing society’s most vulnerable members as first considered when creating policies and legislation.

McNamee identified tax policy as a confusing topic for many. She said the town hall is an important step in helping community members understand not only the policies themselves, but the effect the implementation will have on society members of all socioeconomic standings.

“There is always room for more learning,” McNamee said. “Nobody needs to be an ex-

pert in it. The nuns on the bus are trying to educate us about the impacts of the tax policies.”

Some of the students in attendance also shared the motivation of awareness.

Mike Williams ’20, is a former resident of the Romero Resident Learning Community (RLC), which focuses on social justice through community service. Williams also attended the forum. “[Wealth equality] is something I’ve always had a passion for,” Williams said.

“Anything I can learn from people who know better than I do, the more I’ll go as an individual.”

Hueston identified education as only one part of the event’s mission.

“Coupled with awareness is an understanding of how certain people have been affected, or conversely not affected by these things,” Hueston said. “More importantly, with that awareness is doing something about it. It’s a collective struggle, not an individual one.”

This call to action was woven into the event, which ended with the opportunity to sign pledge cards and with suggestion on how to systemically voice frustration or fear dispersed throughout the event.

“One of the biggest concerns is how are we being responsible as a nation to care for the common poor,” Campbell said. “The problem is most people don’t see each other.”

4

News

Oct. 31, 2018

Freedom of speech versus silence CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “Our adjunct colleagues are just as valuable parts of faculty as anyone else,” Dufresne said. “All of our colleagues that are here, belong. All of our professors are legitimate.

All of our professors are trustworthy.”

In reality many untenured faculty members do believe that being untenured means less freedom.

“The level of comfort a faculty member has in speaking freely in class depends in large part on that professor's silo and the protections that come with it,” said Tia Pratt, Ph.D., a former visiting professor of sociology at St. Joe’s, who left the university at the end of the spring semester after completing a fourth and final contract year as a visiting professor. “I would say that an adjunct has the least amount of protections while a tenured full professor has the most.”

Caroline Meline, Ph.D., adjunct professor of philosophy and head of St. Joe’s Adjunct Association, is one of nearly 500 contingent faculty members on campus. This number includes non-tenured, adjunct and visiting faculty.

Meline said while she has never censored herself in the classroom, she knows that is not the case for others.

“I’ve heard some other people feel that their contracts were not renewed because of things they may have said,” Meline said.

When asked if the university had ever chosen not to renew a faculty contract because of comments the faculty member made in or out of the classroom, University Provost Jeanne Brady, Ph.D., did not respond.

Anthony Palma, adjunct professor of English, said he tends to shy away from conflict in his class, partially because of his status as a non-tenured professor.

“There is always that lingering fear that something you say or do will affect students in a way you don't anticipate and could result in them either challenging your status or elevating a situation,” Palma said. “It is in those moments where you really understand your vulnerability as an adjunct.”

David Parry, associate professor and chair of communications studies, said there is definitely a power discrepancy among faculty members.

“There are a lot of ways that non-tenured faculty members are exploited, are required to act differently and are normatively encouraged to act differently,” Parry said.

But in regard to freedom of expression and construction of classroom discourse,

Parry said the tenured versus non-tenured distinction is not where the greatest disparity exists.

“You would see greater differences in faculty across another axis, for instance, in faculty of color, or marginalized faculty,” he said. “Faculty who are exposed in some other way probably have to be more careful about their speech in the classroom than tenured or non-tenured faculty.”

Pratt acknowledged her race and gender were factors in her willingness to speak up in the classroom, especially because she was aware that a number of students at St. Joe’s had never interacted with a woman of color in a position of authority.

“I took great care in what I said in class and sometimes avoided opportunities to speak directly to the events of the day, which included events on campus, because I needed an offer of courses for the following semester,” Pratt said. “If I addressed them at all, it was indirectly.”

First hired as an adjunct professor and then given a one-year, renewable contract as a visiting professor, Pratt said she felt like she had more security as a visiting professor, so she was able to push herself in addressing important issues.

In 2016, after speaking at a panel on Jesuit slaveholding at the Cardinal Foley Campus Center, Pratt said she stopped holding back.

“With the limited protections that come with being a full-time visiting instructor, I decided that I would be my authentic self and stop making end-runs around the important points I should be making in class,” Pratt said.

Pratt said she began more deliberately addressing issues about race in her classroom in her last two years at St. Joe’s.

“I began talking more forcefully about things like systemic racism and intersectionality across all of my classes,” Pratt said.

“I want to be clear. I always tackled these issues. Doing so is essential for a sociology professor. However, I did them in such a way as to not make anyone uncomfortable.”

Pratt said that decision was as much for students of color as for herself.

“I realized that in pushing white students, in particular, to think about issues of race and racism in a way they hadn't considered before, I was also showing students of color that they could have at least one professor at SJU who would do that,” Pratt said.

“I don't regret it.”

German major to be removed CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “The only thing that made it possible for me was that when I went abroad, there were more options for classes,” said Clause, who studied abroad in Vienna, Austria during the fall 2017 semester.

Although she was not aware her major had been eliminated, Clause said she agrees with the decision to cut it, given the lack of numbers. Still, she said she has enjoyed the advantages of being the only person in her major.

“This independent study is really helpful because it’s a lot of one-on-one interaction,” Clause said. “It’s a lot of just us speaking, whereas in a classroom you don’t really speak unless you raise your hand or get called on. I think it’s helping my German, personally.”

Clause, who is also majoring in international business, said she thought the German major would be an advantage with firms who want a German-speaking American. She originally wanted to study German because her grandparents emigrated from Germany and she still has family living there. She wants to continue learning German after college.

“I don’t want to lose it,” Clause said.

Buckley also said since he is the only full-time German faculty member, it is impossible to run a quality program alone.

“How do you have a quality program with one full-time faculty, meaning, ‘the world according to me,’ if you will?” Buckley said. “If you’re not going to offer something of value, why offer it?”

Buckley said the university won’t replace him when he retires, either. There just aren’t enough people pursuing careers in German anymore, especially German teaching positions, he said.

In many high schools and colleges, German has been replaced with more popular languages, such as English and Spanish, Buckley said.

One reason St. Joe’s German program doesn’t have the numbers is because many high schools don’t teach German or have axed their German departments, Buckley said. St. Joseph’s Preparatory School is one

of a few high schools in the Philadelphia area that still offers a German curriculum.

Thomas Farren, Ed.D., chair of modern language at St. Joe’s Prep, said German is thriving at the school, with students taking German at all levels. St. Joe’s Prep offers a German exchange program, students take the National German Exam and the school induct students into Delta Epsilon Phi, The National Honor Society for High School Students studying in German. Farren said that events and programs like these, as well as dedicated native and non-native teachers, and student success, are what makes the discipline so popular.

“Kids want to see value,” Farren said.

“It becomes real for them and it makes them want to do more with it.”

Farren and other faculty members in the St. Joe’s Prep modern language department said they are disappointed that the university “gave into educational pressures,” as Farren put it, by eliminating the German major. They said they are frustrated that no information has been made public regarding why the decision was made and what measures were taken to try to save the program.

Farren said that the study of modern and classical languages is central to the Jesuit education model and that model is often taken for granted.

Buckley explained the university’s elimination of the major was never announced publicly because it just didn’t affect enough students.

While Buckley said he is sad that the German major is gone, he is not dwelling on the loss.

“You can’t have every language offered for eternity,” he said. “There’s going to be shifting in language. As with anything in life, we can’t mourn the past.”

St. Joe’s will still offer a German minor, and German will remain one of the languages that satisfies the GEP language requirement. Buckley also recommended study abroad programs in Germany and Austria for a more in-depth study of the language.

The German flag hangs outside the department of modern and classical languages office in Bellarmine Hall (Photo by Rose Barrett ’20).

Opinions

Oct. 31, 2018

5

There’s no excuse not to vote Nov. 6 midterms require collegiate involvement Editor in Chief Ana Faguy ’19 Managing Editor Luke Malanga ’20 Copy Chief Paige Santiago ’19 Faculty Adviser Shenid Bhayroo Contributing Adviser Jenny Spinner Copy Editor Erin Breen ’19 Copy Editor Kaila Mundell-Hill ’20 Online Copy Editor Leslie Briggs ’17, M.A. ’18 News Editor Alex Mark ’20 Assistant News Editor Natalie Drum ’20 Editorial Page Editor Annie Clark ’19 Opinions Editor Dominique Joe ’19 Assistant Opinions Editor Taicha Morin ’20

Voting is the foundation of a democracy. Citizens can certainly petition their governments and run for office themselves, but ultimately, casting a vote in an election is the simplest and most direct way to shape a government that closely represents your values.

A government exists to serve its citizens and it is our responsibility to provide input by electing candidates who we believe will best create legislation that suits our needs. Choosing not to vote out of apathy or a disinterest in politics is an abdication of that responsibility.

The millenial vote is one of the most sought-after by political candidates, and for good reason. Our investment in the outcome of political elections is more long-term than any other eligible-to-vote population, and yet we too often fail to take advantage of the opportunity to shape decades of policy by casting a vote and making our voice heard.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University estimates that only half of eligible voters aged 18 to 24 voted in the 2016 general election. That number was only 17.2 percent in the 2014 midterm election, according to CIRCLE. College students in particular can find it difficult to schedule a visit to the polls on election day, or even to the mailbox to send in an absentee ballot. Yet with a civic responsibility as vital and foundational as voting, we should emphasize making time rather than finding time, especially when in-state students at St. Joe’s can also vote via absentee ballot.

It’s easy to lose sight of the importance of midterm voting. General elections are given far more media coverage and discus-

sion space than midterms, often causing a lack of interest in state and local candidates who appear on the ballot during the midterm elections. Those state and local candidates often shape policies that most closely impact voters.

State lawmakers configure budgets for public education, design long-term development plans for the roads and bridges we drive on and decide what percentage of our our paychecks go to state and local taxes.

In recent years, states have also used their right to self-determination to override federal restrictions, legalizing marijuana and same-sex marriage while Congress refused to do so.

If you’re frustrated by your representatives in Congress not reflecting your values, then electing state and local politicians who will vote in line with your ideals is likely to create a more visible, immediate impact on your daily life.

And it is likely that you are frustrated, as only 19.1 percent of Americans expressed approval of Congress according to a recent polling aggregate by RealClearPolitics.

Voting also impacts our daily lives because of the ways in which voting was and is still denied to different marginalized groups.

Participating in democracy is often difficult or impossible for black and Latino voters due to obstacles created by lawmakers who have an interest in making sure their voices are not heard.

In a January 2018 case, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the boundary lines of its 18 total districts had been gerrymandered to benefit Republican members of the state congress and that the entire state congressional map needed to be redrawn as

a result.

During this election cycle, it came to light that over 107,000 eligible voters in Georgia were “purged,” or permanently removed, from the state’s voter registration listings after not voting in previous years.

Efforts that restrict access to the polls, including “purges” and voter ID laws, disenfranchise people of color and low-income voters who tend to lack required documentation for voting, such as a photo ID. Voting should not be a privilege, but it still is for many Americans. Skipping the opportunity to shape your own democracy is not just a shame, it’s irresponsible.

Being a politically-involved citizen doesn’t mean that someone needs to start watching C-SPAN or reading Nate Silver’s political analysis blog FiveThirtyEight. It simply requires evaluating what you value personally and consider which candidates on the ballot will pass legislation actualizing those values.

So whether you carpool with friends to the polls or register to vote for the first time, take the first step in creating a legislative body that caters to your values by participating in democracy.

—The Hawk Staff

The Hawk welcomes Letters to the Editor, typically no more than 300 words. They can be emailed to hawk.editorial@gmail.com.

Lifestyle Editor Emily Graham ’20 Sports Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Sam Britt ’20 Assistant Sports Editor Ryan Mulligan ’21 Creative Director Kelly Smith ’19 Page Designer Kaitlyn Patterson ’20 Staff Photographer Rose Barrett ’20 Staff Photographer Matt Barrett ’21 Social Media Manager Erin Castellano ’20 Assistant Social Media Manager Alyssa Lamont ’19 Business Manager Jordan Grossbaum ’21 Distribution Manager Addie Guyer ’19 Assistant Distribution Manager Gavin O'Reilly ’20

REVERSE TRICK OR TREATING

CLASS REGISTRATION

Hawks for Just Employment held their second annual Reverse Trickor-Treating event where they deliver candy to subcontracted staff around campus to show appreciation for these employees. This event was a great way of reminding everyone that those who help campus run smoothly are integral to the community and deserve our appreciation at all times throughout the year.

The third most stressful time of the semester (between midterms and finals) is almost upon us: class registration. Next week everyone will be scrambling to make their schedules and filling the advising center as we try to finish taking our GEPs.

AGAPE LATTE

As the leaves fall off the trees and a crisp breeze blows through Hawk Hill, you might also be hearing the faint sound of jingle bells.

It’s still October (Happy Halloween!) yet some people are already listening to Christmas music. Whether you’re a Grinch or already in the Christmas spirit, let’s all agree to keep the jingle bells to a minimum until after Thanksgiving.

New student-run program “Agape Latte” was held with men's basketball Head Coach Phil Martelli on Oct. 24. The over 150 students in attendance experienced music, coffee and a discussion on faith and college life. We hope “Agape Latte” continues to draw large crowds of students in for conversations on faith over cups of joe.

SANTA IS COMING TO TOWN A BIT TOO EARLY

6

Opinions

Oct. 31, 2018

Language has insurmountable power Political rhetoric played a role in Pittsburgh shooting DOMINIQUE JOE ’19 Opinions Editor Vice President Mike Pence is flat out wrong in saying that political rhetoric didn’t play a role in the tragic mass shooting in Pittsburgh last week.

When Pence remarked in an NBC interview that “[he doesn’t] just think you can connect [Trump’s language] to threats or acts of violence” he wasn’t acknowledging the ways in which words have power and are creating a culture.

Regardless of whether the political rhetoric itself is the catalyst for the direct action, the kind of language that President Donald Trump uses shapes and creates spaces where a shooter can formulate the idea and draw confidence in himself enough to enact a heinous hate crime against a group of people.

The shooter who took the lives of 11 innocent people at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh was not a Trump supporter.

On Gab, a social media network structured in the fashion of Twitter but without any content restrictions, the Pittsburgh shooter criticized President Trump’s relationships with Jewish people. But that doesn’t mean the political climate, one created by political rhetoric, isn’t to blame for the follow-through on the part of the Pittsburgh shooter.

President Trump’s political rhetoric is fast and loose and it is incredibly misguided

to assume his words don’t have power.

Since the primaries and two years into his presidency, President Trump has had a very reckless way of speaking. And it is this unhinged rhetoric that provides people the space and the platforms to have and display their own form of unchecked vocalizing. It isn’t the content of the rhetoric itself, but it is the precedent that the rhetoric establishes.

And Trump’s rhetoric hasn’t estab-

everything that comes to mind and his racist, xenophobic and sexist rhetoric has no fine tuning as to scale back that sentiment.

You can look at any of his rallies. Every time he talked about locking Hilary up or called Mexicans rapists, his rhetoric opened up space for others to do so as well. He is a powerful figure and as the president sets a precedent for how people speak.

And it isn’t even on the campaign trail where Trump’s use of language plays a very

Regardless of whether the actual political rhetoric itself is the catalyst for the direct action, the kind of language that Trump uses shapes and creates spaces where...[someone can] enact heinous hate crimes[s] lished a precedent for the idealized “free and open political debate in America where everyone expresses themselves passionately and openly— but also recognizes the difference between passionate debate and acts of violence and evil” that Vice President Pence, when interviewed for NBC, expressed that he wanted.

President Trump’s legacy thus far has illustrated him as a “tell it how it is” kind of politician. He supposedly expresses firm and resolute positions on different political situations, and does so in this accessible way that resonates heavily with his base.

But he also doesn’t have a filter. He says

important role in the ways in which people communicate. President Trump’s Twitter page speaks volumes to the almost constant cosigning of aggressive language.

Even when you look at his more tame tweets, such as “The United States has been spending Billion of Dollars a year on Illegal Immigration. This will not continue. Democrats must give us the votes to pass strong (but fair) laws. If not, we will be forced to play a much tougher hand,” Trump is simply tweeting about spending on immigration but the phrase “a much tougher hand” denotes a tone that isn’t particularly friendly.

Not outrightly vicious, the language of a “much tougher hand” can still be easily coded as a threat. Regardless of political affiliation, this is the sitting president threatening another political party.

Pence said it himself in the NBC interview, “people on both sides of the aisle use strong language about our political differences,” but Trump is making a threat.

Threats are statements used to alienate, strike fear and damage others. This is the kind of rhetoric I’m talking about.

So coupling this unhampered discourse where he lets vaguely racist, xenophobic, ableist and sexist language fly with a propensity for threatening language, a culture forms around this.

It is in this culture that the Pittsburgh shooter finds a forum online to vent his frustrations with, suspicions of and the downright delusional conspiracy theories he has about Jewish people. It is the vaguely violent language and careless vocalizing of a sitting President that allows for the culture to form, regardless of if it was his intent or not.

It is the power that President Trump has inadvertently given to American culture and social media culture that has perpetuated this egregious act against humanity. I only wish this would be a wake up call for President Trump as to the power that he wields as an acting president and a cultural figure.

Language has an insurmountable power and I don’t think our President understands the full scope of change he has created when he posts his newest tweet.

Washington’s possible "Blue Wave" Politically leveling the playing field DEVIN YINGLING ’22 Columnist I know that this brisk fall weather tends to have all of us here at St. Joe’s wishing we could go back to summer vacation, but fear not; as there are plenty of waves and current events to keep us all tied up until next June.

If my horrible wave puns lost you I apologize, but there is a Democratic “Blue Wave” phenomenon taking over the news headlines and possibly coming our way post-midterms.

Many Democrats have high hopes for regaining the majority in Congress, but, is that probable?

According to the Washington Post, Democrats currently have 193 seats, overpowered by the GOP’s 235. Seven seats are vacant, two of which were occupied by Democrats most recently.

In order to have a majority, the Democratic party will need to win 23 seats from Republicans while maintaining all of

their current ones. If they are successful, it’ll be the first time since 2010 the party has had a majority.

The 35 seats being contested in the Senate don’t look like they’re in the Democrats'

term thus-far. He has had plenty of support, enough for him to confirm two new Supreme Court judges and sign over 170 bills into law, according to GovTrack.

But, the way I see it is that a Demo-

Allowing a new majority with a competing platform into Congress could possibly help to ease the split between the dominating parties by allowing a louder voice from the opposition to the Republicans to be heard favor either. Thus, after seeing these numbers, a Democratic comeback seems highly improbable. But, with a high influx of blue votes and intensive and strategic campaigning, the “Blue Wave” isn’t out of the picture completely. All it takes is some mobilization.

For President Donald Trump, this could be quite a set-back, as he has had all three branches of government dominated by his own party throughout his

cratic resurgence in November is just a way to even the playing field. Who is to check the power of the majority if the majority of each branch is held to the standards of one ideological platform?

However, this possible “Blue Wave” is unfortunately a direct result of our political polarization. We, as citizens, are basing our voting on party lines.

Elections are no longer a matter of who

would serve our country best, but rather a contest between the two most wealthy political groups competing for dominance.

What we need are two competing sides, which we obviously have, but to have the final outcomes of their debate be compromise. Allowing a new majority with a competing platform into Congress could possibly help to ease the split between the dominating parties by allowing a louder voice from the opposition to the Republicans to be heard.

Of course, this may not end up being the case judging by the current severe climate of our party polarization and that politics is a game and thus quite unpredictable. But I would rather be on the optimistic side of the speculation.

Bottom line, make sure you vote if you are of age on Nov. 6. The midterms, as we all know, are of the most importance for us as citizens than in any other national election.

The outcome of this election could cause a drastic change to our current government, whether that be a democratic resurgence, or a continuation of Republican dominance.

Opinions

Oct. 31, 2018

7

Acknowledge existence or expect resistance Outcome of presidential memo to redefine gender MADISON CASSEL ’20 Columnist What would it feel like to have your very existence denied? What would it feel like to have your own country’s administration say your identity is “wrong?” How would you maintain hope that it would get better?

These questions pose an unsettling reality for many Americans in the LGBTQ community since the Trump administration, through the Department of Health and Human Services came out with an official stance saying that gender will be defined by whatever the individual is at birth.

The agency is preparing a memo that will be distributed throughout the administration that defines “sex” under Title IX, the civil rights law against gender discrimination in education as the memo also states that the sex listed on a person’s birth certificate will serve as definitive proof of gender. Basically, to the Trump administration, gender is dictated by a piece of paper.

For a while now, President Donald

Trump and his policymakers have been openly discriminatory towards transgender or non-binary individuals.

In March, the Trump administration announced its plan to ban transgender people from the military. In May, the Department of Justice adopted an illegal policy that housed transgender people in prison according to the gender they were assigned at birth.

munity instead of an ally and this offensive and politically incorrect memo could have been a deadly strike against these Americans. But it won’t be.

It won’t be because President Trump and his administration are taking this stance alone. The rest of America refuses to ignore the transgender and non-binary population.

In 2017, the Public Religion Research In-

Transgender people now have unprecedented representation in our country’s political system and have an extraordinary opportunity to enact positive change for the LGBTQ community and the rest of the country Last year, the Department of Justice allowed businesses to openly discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, so long as the business owners could cite religious reasons for their discriminatory behavior.

Since taking office, President Trump has been an enemy to the LGBTQ com-

stitute conducted research on American attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. Seven out 10 Americans support laws that protect the rights of LGBTQ people and 53 percent of Americans oppose laws that would require transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond to their sex at birth rather than their current gender identity.

Transgender people are not only supported by their country, but they are also elected to office by their country.

In 2017, eight transgender candidates were elected to office, the most ever in American history. This year 40 transgender candidates are running for various levels of government, which is further evidence of a necessary progress in our democracy.

People who have been neglected and ignored by our government are now prominent members of the very same government.

Transgender people now have unprecedented representation in our country’s political system and have an extraordinary opportunity to enact positive change for the LGBTQ community and the rest of the country.

Trump may think that he has silenced transgenders with his discriminatory memo, but in reality he has caused them and the rest of America to use our collective voice.

To the transgender members of our community: we see you, we hear you and we support you.

Making a plan to vote Take five minutes and think ahead JULIAN LUTZ ’19 Columnist Election Day is less than a week away and across Hawk Hill there has been an upswing in participation in the democratic process, from outstanding turnout in freshman elections to widespread interest in the Student Senate’s own voter registration drive.

From the start of this semester, the most commonly asked questions have included “Are you registered to vote?” and “How do I register to vote?” And we as a school have answered admirably.

But now the questions are changing and students are wondering how they’ll vote– and also where, when, for whom and why.

As 2018’s organizers and volunteers put it, people are curious about how to be good voters. Some students are ashamed to ask these questions, thinking they should know the answers to avoid looking like bad citizens.

However, these questions are important. The mark of good citizens and the next step after registering–actually being a voter and voting. So let’s answer them before it’s too late.

To be clear, this advice focuses on those voting in person on Election Day. If you haven’t sent in your absentee ballot, go to the website of your state’s Department of

State and see how late you can still send it in before Election Day. The last day to mail an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania is Nov. 2.

Then look up the sample ballot in your polling area, research the candidates and send it in quickly.

For those voting in person, start by double checking your registration status and polling place. The PA Department of State,

You should also consider voting with someone if the process seems a little daunting. Holding a friend accountable can help hold ourselves accountable.

Voting as a millenial can be a strange and surreal experience–older folks everywhere, uncomfortable clunker machines, cold coffee and folding chairs.

Bringing a friend means bringing a

Find your polling place, make a plan to go there and then read about the candidates until you’re ready to vote for example, has a simple “voter registration status check” on their official website. Use it to make sure you are registered successfully.

Then do something just as important: look up your polling place’s name and address.

There is a chance that your polling place matches an older residence. If so, you should try to get to your listed polling place. Otherwise, you can request a provisional ballot at your nearest polling place and explain your current residence status.

Once you know where you’re voting, you need to decide when. In Pennsylvania, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Look at your Tuesday schedule and decide what time you can dedicate to voting. There may be a wait, but overall the voting process is clean and quick.

support and guide along, to figure out the system and working together to fix the system. Besides, if you travel to your polling place with a friend, you can also walk around the neighborhood afterward, go to lunch, or ever split a Hawk Wrap.

Next, after confirming status and location and making plans to go vote, the last main step is to understand how voting will work in 2018.

First, look up the sample ballot in your neighborhood. It explains who is running and may or may not give some context on the candidates as well. Sample ballots also alert you to random, but interesting forms of direct democracy, like Philadelphia’s ever present citywide ballot questions.

Then do that research, any research–

look up the candidates’ stances, the public stances and so on. But be careful: Pennsylvania was redistricted this year, meaning that any voters could lose track of who their congressman is. So find out, and find out what else you’ll be voting for.

To understand politics and break them down into the most clear set of ideas can be confusing. Voting is difficult, even if you do all of these steps right.

To simplify, find your polling place, make a plan to go there and then read about the candidates until you’re ready to vote.

Then wake up on Tuesday, get to the polls and feel the accomplished and conscious voter you are.

When you do so, you’ll get a sense of the “why” of voting: you’ll see neighbors of all different ages, propping up kids and pacing themselves with walkers, taking names and taking their time, to choose who to trust with our representation. In the end, registering without voting leaves you feeling unsatisfied, frustrated and left out of an energizing election.

Being a St. Joe’s student is about banishing that feeling with conscious effort grounded in our beliefs.

It means taking the next step and doing a little bit more. And besides, you can take as many “I voted” stickers as you want.

8

Opinions

Oct. 31, 2018

When service is a photo op How APEX isn't promoting a kind of selfless service KARLEIGH LOPEZ ’20 Columnist When the temperature drops and the candle section in Target makes the much-anticipated shift from candy floral to cozy autumnal scents, there is an instinctive shift in the atmosphere at St. Joe’s.

Typically following the anxiety and stress of midterms, harmony is restored among students as the anticipated announcement of the Appalachian Experience (APEX) leaders dominates all social media.

It seems like every app from Twitter to Instagram is flooded with photos of students posing in trees, embracing in replicated candid laughter and spewing corny puns about the location they are being sent to.

While I understand the excitement of an impending trip, as I scroll through photos of my peers, I am confronted by the fact that every year and every APEX season I have spent on this campus has made me feel increasingly detached from wanting to be involved in service.

We pride ourselves in being a university that does more, going beyond being just scholars to make an impact in our community. There are dozens of service opportunities available to students at St. Joe's and for that reason, among many others, I am humbled to be a student at

such a generous and selfless university. However, there is something so inherently problematic with the branding and promotion of APEX that each year has angered and disappointed me.

I would venture to say that there is not and never will be, a single St. Joe’s student who has not heard of APEX. It is this campus’ pride and joy, only spoken of positively—untouchable. It is almost administered.

I am exhausted of hearing every fall the same cliché APEX pitch from seemingly every person I encounter here: “you HAVE to sign up

Are we so far removed from reality and emotionally barren that crying with strangers on top of a sleeping bag sounds so appealing?

Or have we just become so blinded by the alluring cult-like promise of APEX —a way to escape our privileged middle class lives to have our very own recreation of “Into the Wild.”

I am extremely troubled by the likeness of APEX to the ‘Western Savior Complex’ and ‘voluntourism.’ As defined by The Stanford Daily, “Voluntourism [is] when affluent Westerners spend loads of money for the opportunity to

There is something so inherently problematic with the branding and promotion of APEX that each year has angered and disappointed me for APEX, you’ll cry together and bond with so many people you don’t know, you’ll make so many lifelong friends.”

The push to sign up is never about truly devoting yourself to service and the impact you could have on something much bigger than yourself. Instead, the marketing of the service trip is centered around APEX as an experience for students, a retreat of sorts.

There is nothing harmful about wanting to form stronger bonds with your peers, but if the goal of the trip is to promote inclusion, then the cliques that form as a result of a week in the mountains seems highly contradictory.

travel to and ‘improve’ a community.” Though it may seem selfless—surrendering your spring break to spend a week doing manual labor with little cellphone reception—APEX is less about “how can I serve,” and more about “how can service benefit me.” We want to feel good about ourselves by ‘helping’ the less fortunate.

The fundamental issue is that people need to be sold on an idea. That is what APEX branding does so well. They advertise and promote service as more than just giving yourself—you get something in return.

APEX attributes valor to those who serve others by making them heroes in their own sto-

ries while simultaneously marketing the retreat aspect of the trip as a revamped sense of union and community among your peers. Students become so enveloped in this wonderful and glamourized rendering that they essentially become willing members of the exclusive club.

Perhaps we should confront the fact that some part of each of us is selfish. We want the gratification that service gives. But it is vital to try and see past the charm of APEX and uncover what it really is—privileged students hammering aimlessly on construction sites and snapping photos of the mountains with the caption, “what a rewarding experience #APEX2018.”

Instead of flocking in masses to Appalachia, we should look around our own city. Before running away to go be a hero somewhere else, there are endless projects in Philadelphia that would benefit immensely from the number of people who sign up every year for APEX. There is no need to fundraise hundreds of dollars to send students to other states when that money could easily be donated to local projects.

Service, contrary to what APEX makes it seem, is not just a week without your cell phone and sleeping on the floor of a gymnasium to humble you and build character.

Service is about using your privilege to give back, to contribute something of benefit, selflessly. We must remember that the best place to start is home.

Lifestyle

Oct. 31, 2018

9

A new way to trick-or-treat Students pass out candy to St. Joe's staff JAMES MCCLOSKEY JR. ’20 Hawk Staff Hawks for Just Employment held its second Reverse Trick-or-Treating event in which they delivered candy to the subcontracted employees around campus.

Students went to Campion Dining Hall and the four freshman dormitories— McShain Hall, Villiger Residence Hall, Sourin Residence Center and Lafarge Student Residence—to show appreciation to employees who are subcontracted by the university.

Hawks for Just Employment has been in operation for several years, but this is the first year that the organization has been recognized by St. Joe’s as an official student organization rather than a branch of Campus Ministry.

In the event’s first year, students of Hawks for Just Employment handed out candy to Aramark employees in Campion Dining Hall.

This year, Stephanie Mignogna ’19, president of the organization, said it was time for the event to be larger and more inclusive.

“We asked some employees about when the shifts change over so we could get an idea of how to hit as many people as possible,” Mignogna said. “We are hoping to get 100 people covered.”

Students gathered in Wolfington Hall on Oct. 28 to finish preparations for the event.

On Oct. 29, students brought bags of candy to the staff to show appreciation for the work they do for the student body.

“I think that everyone has their favorite person in Campion that they say hi to and it’s great to say hi, but you don’t really know that person even though you see them everyday,” Mignogna said. “Obviously, material items are not the most important thing, but it’s just a nice, small way to show the employees, ‘Hi, I am thinking of you.’”

Jul Hankinson ’19 has been a member of Hawks for Just Employment for multi-

Lexa Fenster ’22 gives candy to a Campion Dining Hall employee (Photos by Rose Barrett ’20).

ple years and has seen the impact of the Reverse Trick-or-Treating initiative.

“Without the subcontracted workers, St. Joe’s wouldn’t run the way it does,” Hankinson said. “A lot of them you don’t even see and we often take them for granted.”

Katie Seibly, a Campus Ministry associate and advisor of Hawks for Just Employment, said she has embraced her new role with Hawks for Just Employment.

She sees the organization as an opportunity for students to engage in conversation about the mission of the organization.

Students from Hawks For Just Employment prepare to hand out candy.

“Reverse Trick-or-Treating works as an effective way to connect with some of the subcontracted staff at St. Joe’s and an effective way to bring people into the conversation of what Hawk’s for Just Employment is thinking about and the goals that we have on campus,” Seibly said.

Seibly said that Reverse Trick-or-Treating allows students to engage with the staff in a more meaningful way.

“When we intentionally enter into those spaces of giving gratitude and thanks, it is a starting point for an ongoing connection,”

Seibly said. “The show of appreciation and respect will hopefully work to build relationships, connections and ongoing conversations with the subcontracted staff and students on campus.”

Reverse Trick-or-Treating is the first event of the year for Hawks for Just Employment.

“People care, but it’s figuring out how do you make them care and want to get involved,” Hankinson said. “It starts with recognizing that the workers are real people like us that have jobs, have kids, have dreams and hopes.”

Members of the club put together goodie bags.

Lifestyle

Oct. 31, 2018

10

Puerto Ricans find home at St. Joe's Songs that Number of students increases inspire us to vote

GAVIN O’REILLY ’20 Assistant Distribution Manager

The number of undergraduate firstyear students from Puerto Rico has increased almost three-fold since 2009, from 7 in the class of 2012 to 19 in the class of 2022, according to the St. Joe’s Office for Enrollment Management.

Karen A. Pellegrino, vice president for enrollment management, said the most recent data indicates there are currently 54 students from Puerto Rico enrolled at St. Joe’s, making Puerto Rico one of the top 12 states and U.S. territories in enrollment out of over 41 represented in the student body.

Pellegrino also said that the university’s presence in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria in September 2017 made an impact on recent enrollment.

“It showed that this was an institution that cared about them,” Pellegrino said. “When a lot of other places weren’t able to get down there, Saint Joseph’s made an effort to get down there and meet with students and I think that personal contact was extremely important for the results that we had last year.”

Maria Troncoso ’22 was at her home in San Juan when the hurricane passed over Puerto Rico.

Troncoso said this experience created at lot of uncertainty, especially because of the power failures and lack of communication.

“I knew what was happening, but I didn’t have access to media,” Troncoso said. “It was like living in a bubble and then it all shattered.”

Troncoso said she visited the university in May after meeting a St. Joe’s recruiter at her high school.

She said she decided to enroll because of the welcoming atmosphere of the school, the open and understanding attitude of the faculty and the university’s commitment to Puerto Rico’s welfare.

“We heard [St. Joe’s] even had a mass for us,” Troncoso said. “The university wanted to be there for us.”

Jennifer Cotler is an adjunct professor who has taught Spanish at St. Joe’s for over 20 years and was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Cotler said during this unstable period for the island, the ongoing outreach from St. Joe’s gave students a positive impression of the university.

“I think that helping Puerto Rico really falls in line with [the Jesuit] mission and

SOPHIA RICHETTI ’22 Special to The Hawk

Natalia Velazquez ’21 poses in her hometown in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Photos courtesy of Velazquez).

I do believe that St. Joe’s has always been a very big draw for Puerto Rican students,” said Cotler. “For sure, more now if they’re providing more admission and more aid.”

Other St. Joe’s students from Puerto Rico said they are happy about the greater representation of Puerto Ricans at St. Joe’s and they support the university’s diversity efforts.

Natalia Velazquez ’21, from Ponce in the southern part of Puerto Rico, said her experience at St. Joe’s has been positive, but the transition was difficult at first.

“I was raised with American TV shows, music and all that,” Velazquez said. “So I didn’t think I would have a culture shock, but I did.”

The capital, San Juan, sits on the coast of Puerto Rico.

Several first-year students from Puerto Rico said the transition to college is easier when there are familiar people around them.

“It’s easier to adapt with all of us together,” Troncoso said. “It’s hard to be so far from home, so it feels like home when we all go through the same stuff together.”

Camila Morell-Camacho ’22 from Humacao, a municipality on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, said that she visited St. Joe’s in summer 2018 after hearing about the university from Puerto Rican students already at St. Joe’s.

Morell-Camacho said meeting Puerto Rican students eased the tension of being in a new environment.

“It’s pretty cool, because we all quickly got to know each other pretty well seeing each other around campus,” Morell-Camacho said. “We just get along,” Sara Ledesma ’22, also from San Juan, said that she visited St. Joe’s more than once and made her decision early. She said the amount of Puerto Ricans attending St. Joe’s influenced her decision.

“We’ve been with each other most of the time,” Ledesma said. “But, I study with other Americans [and] I’ve made a few friends in my hall.”

Troncoso said she and other students from Puerto Rico appreciate being viewed as individuals and not just as numbers.

“I applied to other schools and didn’t go because they were trying to reach a higher percentage of Latinos,” Troncoso said. “So we felt like another number and we were only there for that. Here, we were a part of the community and it wanted us here, so that meant a lot to all of us.”

Midterm elections are approaching, so it’s time to get excited to vote.

The artists on this playlist are diverse— women, people of color and LGBTQ people—mirroring the diversity that is growing in our generation.

It includes a current popular song, a throwback song from our angsty middle school days and a few well-known blasts from the past. Listening to these songs on your way to the polls is a definite way to get pumped to vote.

“This Is America” by Childish Gambino “This Is America” was released earlier this year and became an instant hit. Many people talk about the music video and its political imagery, but the song itself has an important message as well. This song represents what you think about when deciding how to vote. What issues are important to you? Who can you support to see your interests represented?

“Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen This song is a classic throwback to the ’80s. It conveys anger, stress and their toll on society and that message is still relevant today. Many of us young voters feel pressured to vote one way or the other due to the partisan gap widening more and more. We also know that voting is a privilege but feel the pressure of deciding who will be leading our country the next few years.

“Complicated” by Avril Lavigne Even though it was released in 2002, “Complicated” has remained an iconic song for years. Though this song is about a romantic relationship, it can also be interpreted as the complicated relationship many have with politics. Election season can cause your relationships with your friends and family members who have differing political views to become more tense and complicated as well.

“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor This is an iconic song from the 1970s that is still relevant in pop culture today.

It’s important to remember during election season that even if your candidate doesn’t win, it’s not the end of the world. We can get through all the stress and pressure, because our generation is stronger and more influential than we know.

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel Though “We Didn’t Start the Fire” recounts culture and politics from the ’50s and ’60s, its chorus reminds us that times then were crazy and times now are crazy too, but the world will keep on turning. This song is also fun to jam out to, so it’s a good note to end on before you reach the polls.

This playlist represents the many emotions we may have when looking at our current political state and deciding how we want to vote. These songs can’t tell you who to vote for, but they can inspire you along the way.

Scan this QR code to listen to the playlist on Spotify:

Lifestyle

Oct. 31, 2018

11

Cashing in on resale culture Passion for premium sneakers becomes business endeavor

ERIN BREEN ’19 Copy Editor ALEXA POLLICE ’21 Hawk Staff When Alexander Bell ’19, was in high school, he saw a kid in a pair of Air Jordan 13 sneakers and an interest was sparked despite their $100+ price tag.

He wanted a pair, but beyond that, he realized there was a potential business venture there.

Using the exclusivity of Air Jordans and other premium sneakers to his advantage, Bell began buying high-end sneakers and reselling the gear at various consignment shops and retailers in his South Philadelphia neighborhood.

“Boutique by Buckets started by me reselling casually sneakers and streetwear,” Bell said. “It started with a love of shoes and not being allowed to have them as a kid.”

Bell began to spend his free time scavenging the internet for leaked information about the production of premium sneakers.

He researched launch dates, amount of pairs being released, preorder prices and locations of where he might be able to get his hands on a pair.

“This hobby occupies more time than most people’s hobbies,” Bell said. “It is niche.

Not many people go home and watch videos of people unboxing shoes. It is a passion.”

Each time he was successful in finding a pair of the exclusive limited-release sneakers, his hobby took another step towards becoming a business.

“On eBay, I saw they were $100 more than Footlocker had them,” Bell said. “First I thought, how do I get these shoes? Then I realized I can make money off of this.”

Finding eBay and other online marketplaces unsuccessful, Bell sold the premium sneakers out of consignment shops. The shops only charged $30 for display, allowing the enterprise to become profitable.

Alexander Bell ’19 organizes his business’s products (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

Bell said he receives 20 percent commission on the items he sells.

After using the venture as the topic of his college essay, Bell took a break. When he resumed his passion in spring of 2018, it was no longer just an interest—it was now officially his business.

“I called myself Buckets McBell when I used to play basketball,” Bell said. “Anytime I needed to fill in a name for something I would just fill in ‘buckets.’ It just made sense when I made a business to call it Buckets.”

The logo Bell created with his father depicts a bucket of peaches, referring to the way basketball was originally played using empty peach baskets instead of the metal hoops used today.

Other than help from his father, Bell also collaborates with friends and students.

Alim-Karim Kamara ’20 went to St. Joe’s

Prep with Bell and because of social media and sharing a campus again at St. Joe’s, he has been able to keep up with Bell’s efforts.

This year, however, Kamara’s role grew when Bell asked him to start wearing the company’s gear.

“We do a lot of work together where [Bell] does a lot of styling for me for music videos and photo shoots and things like that,” Kamara said. “I also wear his brand a lot, which a lot of people on campus are starting to recognize.”

The recognition and admiration for the brand is what got Brent Sullivan ’19 involved with the company as well.

Sullivan has known Bell since freshman year but only started working with the company in spring of 2018.

“I saw him wearing some supreme stuff and asked him how he got it,” Sullivan said.

“He explained that he stands in line for a while and asked if I was interested in helping him out.”

Sullivan’s role for the company involves entering raffles to help Bell acquire some of the premium shoes that drew his interest to the field years ago. Sullivan also models the designs of Bell’s brand.

Bell sees his business as shifting more towards sneakers and contributing to the growing resale culture.

“It introduced streetwear people to high fashion and high-end fashion people to streetwear,” Bell said. “Resale was huge for that.”

Bell’s ambition is evident to those who have been there to see his success.

“He is very hardworking,” Kamara said.

“Although he doesn’t know what he wants to do, he is still making progress with what he does do right now.”

Crossword: Harry Potter edition Across 1. Harry Potter lives in the town of Little ____ with his aunt and uncle, the Durselys.

5. This character’s name comes from the 18th century word for bumblebee.

6. The first name of the founder of Slytherin House.

7. The number of Voldemort’s horcruxes.

8. Hermione Granger’s patronus spell takes on the form of this animal.

10. This type of witch or wizard has the power to transform into an animal.

12. The name of the Weasley family post owl.

Down 2. The Gryffindor House’s ghost is known as Nearly ___ Nick.

3. This Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is claimed by many fans to be the worst character in the series.

4. Harry Potter faced the Hungarian ___ dragon during the Triwizard Tournament.

9. Harry Potter’s first broomstick was the 2000 version of this type of broom.

11. Hagrid’s giant half-brother is named ___.

Lifestyle

Oct. 31, 2018

12

Say goodbye to the chili pepper RateMyProfessors removes hotness rating JOSEPH PANICHELLI ’20 Hawk Staff With registration for spring 2019 classes approaching and students turning to the website RateMyProfessors.com to help decide which courses to take, they will no longer be able to base that decision on how “hot” a professor is.

In late June, RateMyProfessors ditched its controversial chili pepper rating, which allowed students to add a chili pepper to their online evaluation of an instructor.

BethAnn McLaughlin, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, led a social media campaign this summer to persuade RateMyProfessors to get rid of the pepper.

McLaughlin tweeted at the company, "Life is hard enough for female professors.

Your 'chili pepper' rating of our 'hotness' is obnoxious and utterly irrelevant to our teaching. Please remove it because #TimesUP and you need to do better."

Thousands of Twitter users responded in support of McLaughlin’s tweet.

“It’s embarrassing to have someone who is 18 or 20 years old looking at a professor and being like ‘Do I think she’s hot? Do I give her a chili pepper?’ That's just gross,” McLaughlin told The Hawk during a phone interview.

On June 28, RateMyProfessors responded to McLaughlin in a tweet that the chili pepper rating was meant to “reflect a dynamic/exciting teaching style.”

However, the company said, it understood McLaughlin’s point and removed the rating.

McLaughlin said many women academics already face gender discrimination

Graphic by Kaitlyn Patterson ’20.

from their colleagues. They don’t need it from students, too.

“There’s a huge gender bias that we need to tackle,” McLaughlin said, “and certainly having a chilli pepper on there, asking if your professor is hot, is not acceptable.”

A 2015 study by Ben Schmidt, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at Northeastern University, examined differences between the language used to evaluate male professors and female professors on RateMyProfessors.

Schmidt found while male professors are labeled “sarcastic,” “savy” or “intellectuals,” female professors are commonly described in words connected to their personalities or physical attributions, such as “strict,” “sweet” or even “hot.”

Jo Alyson Parker, Ph.D., professor of English at St. Joe’s and a member of the Gender Studies Committee, suggested gender bias in student evaluations are not limited to RateMyProfessors.

“I know female professors who, on their student evaluations, had students who were commenting on the clothes they wore,” Parker said. “It’s pretty doubtful that a man would get those kind of evaluations.”

Robert Moore, Ph.D., professor of sociology, specializes in issues in higher education and social inequality.

He said the anonymity of student evaluations encourages this behavior.

“Sexist notions can come out freely in sites like this because there’s no inhibition,” Moore said. “It allows those who have sexist beliefs to promote them without anyone knowing who they are.”

Moore explained that both historically and contemporarily, women in higher education have had to work harder than their male counterparts to prove their competence.

“Look at two professors who come in at exactly the same time, with exactly the same credentials, and follow them through the course of obtaining tenure and various promotions and compare those categories.”

Moore said. “I think you would still find, even with all other things being equal, that there would be a gender differential between men and women.”

Tia Pratt, Ph.D., a former visiting professor of sociology at St. Joe’s, said racial bias and not just gender bias, can be found in evaluations as well.

Pratt said many of her students at St.

Joe’s had never encountered a black woman in a position of authority and that had the potential to impact their evaluations of her.

“This disconnect can lead to a backlash that manifests itself in course evaluations,” Pratt said. “There is evidence that professors who are women and racial minorities receive lower scores on course evaluations.”

McLaughlin said at the end of the day, RateMyProfessors is what students make it, and it is specifically male students who must be at the forefront of societal change when it comes to the way female professors are viewed.

“The sooner we can help those transitioning from high school to college understand what the societal norms should be as we look at each other as professionals, we’ll be able to really change the arc of understanding how to interact with one another in less contentious ways as just men and women,” McLaughlin said. “It makes you a better human to understand the experiences of others. And to a certain extent, that really falls on our male students a little bit more heavily.”

Christina Photiades ’20 contributed to this story.

Writing love letters through song Artist 6lack releases emotional second album

ALEX KARPINSKI ’20 Hawk Staff R&B artist 6lack released his second album, “East Atlanta Love Letter,” a compilation of emotion and the confusion of navigating a relationship while lacking of trust in anyone else.

There are certain artists that can create quasi-cinematic realities through sound and touch far more than the auditive faculties of a person. 6LACK did just that with “East Atlanta Love Letter.”

He painted an unforgettable audiovisual masterpiece.

Ricardo Valentine, better known as 6LACK, is a rapper turned R&B vocalist from Atlanta.

Before releasing his debut comercial album, “FREE 6LACK,” he worked closely with a number of Atlanta-based artists, including the innovative artists EARTHGANG and J.I.D. 6LACK’s moody, dark and spacy R&B sound garnered him two Grammy nominations for “FREE 6LACK” and set the stage for his recent sophomore release.

6LACK has a distinct flow, delivery and cadence that differentiated him from his contemporaries within the alternative R&B genre.

“East Atlanta Love Letter” is filled

Graphic by Kelly Smith ’19.

with piano-centric beats and heavy-hitting drums that drive the tempo throughout each track.

While not the most dynamic vocalist, 6LACK plays off of his spacy and melodic production and embeds emotion into each lyric.

“Loaded Gun” is the first standout track on the album. The song’s melodic piano and eerily harmonized background vocals provide the ultimate setting for a reflection on fame and success.

6LACK refuses to compromise himself in the face of the ever-changing landscape of fame.

The title track “East Atlanta Love Letter,” is a collaboration with Atlanta rapper and pioneer of modern trap music, Future.

The harmonies and the delivery of Future’s verse and background vocals make for an intricately layered love song that serves as the perfect title track for the album.

With a feature from J. Cole, “Pretty Little Fears” is a highlight song of 2018. From a musical perspective, it is not the most impressive composition.

As with most tracks Cole touches, the sentiment pulls the listeners towards its relatable core.

Through this album and this song, 6lack shows he is still searching and is not quite sure what he wants out of his relationship.

Transparency is all 6LACK is asking for. All relationships have “pretty little fears.” The successful ones have to navigate through them and the only way to do that, according to 6LACK, is through honesty.

While 6LACK is still searching, Cole has found what he considers most important in his life.

Cole beautifully contrasts his Christianity with the love he has with and for his wife. While mistakes may have been made, Cole knows it is not worth throwing everything away.

This track also provides a chance to reflect of what truly matters in life.

In the current musical climate of materialism and misogyny, the song provides a change of pace and implores the listener to think about what is really important in their lives: relationships.

The remainder of the project is filled with tracks of similar quality.

“Switch” is one of the best singles of the year and includes a great hook with unforgettable Ty Dolla $ign vocal harmonies.

“East Atlanta Love Letter” is a must listen. 6LACK has left us with an album to listen to for years to come.

Sports

Oct. 31, 2018

13

Martelli tells of spiritual journey at Agape Latte SAM BRITT ’20 Assistant Sports Editor Pillows laid scattered about the floor of the Forum Theater lobby. Dozens of students clad in mint green t-shirts characteristic of the Agape Latte program were seated in front of a makeshift stage adorned with candles. The relaxing music set the stage for St. Joe’s first Agape Latte.

Men’s basketball Head Coach Phil Martelli was picked to headline the event because of his popularity on campus and his willingness to speak about his spiritual journey. The main goal of Agape Latte is to set up an event where members of the St. Joe’s community, led by faculty and staff, can come and discuss their faith.

“We wanted a big name and that is why we got Phil Martelli,” Student Coordinator Lamar Bustion ’20 said. “In the future we want students to voice their opinions on who they want to see and come speak as well.”

It only took Student Coordinator Jeremiah Milligan ’20 one meeting to realize Martelli would be the perfect guest.

“We met with Martelli in his office,” Milligan said. “He didn’t hesitate to be on board.

It was wonderful just to speak and talk with him. The stories he told and his demeanor were very comforting. I really was encouraged by his story.”

Martelli’s talk centered around his own journey and relationship with God. He dis-

cussed how this relationship has changed throughout the years and how it has molded him into who he is today. One of the main themes of Martelli’s talk was the idea of noise.

“We are always praying for something but we fail to listen,” Martelli said. “I know God is speaking to all of you. You all just live in a world that is so noisy that you can’t hear him.”

One challenge Martelli sees in the world is the inability to listen.

“Adults have let you down,” Martelli said.

“They no longer require you to learn how to listen. It is a lost art. That is why we need you now. If you can listen, you can learn.”

Martelli’s pregame ritual also touches on this idea of noise. He describes how he likes to take a silent moment before each game to pray.

“On game day I don’t speak,” Martelli said. “I don’t eat, I don’t shower, I don’t even shave until the last possible minute before I leave.

I like to get to the locker room early, before anyone else is there. That is when I take out my rosary ring, which was blessed by the pope and I pray.”

While Martelli is known on campus for his coaching prowess, the talk took on a more religious connotation.

Campus Minister Katie Seibly stressed that one of the main goals of Agape Latte was to reach as many students as possible. Martelli played into this by speaking not as one of the most famous members of the St. Joe’s community, but as “a normal guy with an extraordinary job.”

Head Coach Phil Martelli spoke to students in Forum Theatre (Photos by Matt Barrett ’21).

Dominic Polidaro ’21 and Lamar Bustion ’20 listen to Martelli's talk.

Sports

Oct. 31, 2018

14

St. Joe's field hockey wins third straight A-10 regular season title

A look at St. Joe's club lacrosse culture RYAN FLOOD ’21 Hawk Staff

Senior forward Anna Willocks fights for the ball outside the circle (Photos by Mitchell Shields ’22).

RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Assistant Sports Editor The St. Joe’s field hockey program continued to dominate the Atlantic 10 as they were crowned Regular Season Champions for the third straight year. They went a perfect 8-0 in conference play and will host the A-10 Field Hockey Championship at Ellen Ryan field.

The Hawks will defend their A-10 tournament title on Nov. 2 against Richmond University. The two day tournament consists of four teams and will conclude with the championship game on Nov. 3. If the Hawks win their first matchup, they will take on the winner of the game between Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Massachusetts.

“I am feeling confident in our team,” senior forward Anna Willocks said. We have improved immensely throughout the season, but over the years we have improved so much and I think it really has just been a focus on our team culture which has sent us in the right direction.”

The Hawks finished their regular season 16-2, ranked 12th in the nation. They are coming off of their second win over a nationally ranked opponent this season against 14th ranked Syracuse University during Senior Day on Oct. 27. Willocks and freshman forward Tonya Botherway each accounted for five points.

St. Joe’s has dominated the A-10 weekly accolades as well. Willocks was named A-10 Player of the Week for the fourth time this year and Botherway was named A-10 Rookie of the Week for the fifth time this season.

As a freshman, Botherway realizes that this team has a unique opportunity and needs to make the most out of it.

“I’m loving it being part of a team that’s kind of making history at St. Joe’s,” Botherway said. “I think it’s just about not being complacent and content with where we are as a team and just knowing that there’s always room for improvement.”

Botherway leads the team in goals, setting multiple freshmen records this year along the way. She has been a key to the Hawks’ success throughout the season.

Willocks said she believes Botherway will

Junior midfielder Pepa Serrano controls the ball.

Sophomore forward Sara Hayes fights off defender.

help lead St. Joe’s to another A-10 regular season title next season.

“She’s just doing amazing,” Willocks said. “I think she’s just setting herself up in the right direction for her next couple of years and her career here. I hope she goes after the records that I got.”

The Hawks have been able to couple young talent with accomplished experience. Head Coach Lynn Farquhar emphasized the importance of her three seniors Monica Tice, Joely Helder and Willocks in setting the foundation in their earlier years for the dynasty which St. Joe’s field hockey is building.

“It’s awesome to see our three seniors step up,” Farquhar said. “They’ve helped create this program and they’ve taken us to a whole new level.”

For Willocks and the rest of the senior class, playing on their home field in their last A-10 tournament will bear great meaning. It was where they first had the opportunity to compete for a championship.

“It’s pretty cool that I’m coming around full circle now,” Willocks said. “My first A-10’s were on home turf, so I’m really looking forward to [this] week.”

The St. Joe’s men’s club lacrosse team, led by senior captain Josh Nicastro, embraces a unique style with their team structure and culture. The squad is completely student organized, playing games and practicing without a formal coach.

Nicastro has been with the team throughout his time on Hawk Hill and knows the challenges that come with having an unconventional team layout.

"For being a team that doesn't have a coach, per say, like an older guy or a dad, we're pretty good with that," Nicastro said.

According to Nicastro, having a traditional team structure does not necessarily translate to success.

“It gave us more structure, but that doesn’t mean we’re not better off without one,” Nicastro said. “A lot of teams that we play, especially Temple, they typically have a full coaching staff. We still beat up on them every time we play.”

One way Nicastro enables the team to excel without the presence of a coaching staff is by setting objectives for upcoming seasons.

“We definitely want to win the conference championship,” Nicastro said. “We always get to the conference championship game, but we’ve always lost in overtime or some weird thing. It’s never been straight up getting torched, it’s always a sudden death goal that decides the game.”

Junior John Carrozza, one of Nicastro’s teammates added that there are smaller goals along the way that are equally as important.

“I think the main goal is to win a national championship, but a smaller goal is focusing on each game and taking the season one game at a time,” Carrozza said.

Nicastro compared the team dynamics to that of a fraternity. He constantly stressed the importance of brotherhood and playing for each man on the field rather than oneself.

Carrozza pointed to the team’s strong sense of brotherhood as the key to the Hawks’ success in both the past and present. He believes having great chemistry helps the team blend together and communicate efficiently.

The Hawks hope that their strong sense of leadership and team dynamics will pay off, as they anticipate a successful season that ends in a national championship victory.

“We all have a common bond in that we all love playing the game,” Nicastro said.

Sports

Oct. 31, 2018

15

Student Athlete advisory committee launches social media campaign FLYNN MARTIN ’21 Special to The Hawk Members of St. Joe’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee [SAAC] reminded the university community through a social media campaign earlier this month that athletes are more than what fans see during games.

The campaign was part of an NCAA initiative, the Diversity and Inclusion Social Media Campaign, designed to promote inclusion and diversity awareness on college campuses.

“I think one of the main goals is to portray the student athlete as more than just a jock, but someone who plays a bigger role and isn’t just a number on the field,” said junior Aaron Lemma, a member of SAAC and the St. Joe’s men’s track & field team.

Each day of the campaign, SAAC used its Twitter and Instagram accounts to post photos and videos of St. Joe’s athletes from different sports, genders, races and sexual orientations. Posts were tagged #NCAAInclusion and #A10Inclusion.

Junior Hayden Seig, a right-handed pitcher for the men’s baseball team, was featured in an Oct 2 post titled “Breaking Stereotypes.”

“I have made an effort to branch out significantly, desiring to unite multiple communities on campus,” Seig said in the

post. “I have immersed myself in campus ministry in efforts to grow friendships that will last forever, as well as lead a club called Agape Christian Fellowship.”

Senior Isis Gill-Reid, vice president of SAAC and a member of the women’s tennis team, was also featured in the series. In her Oct. 2 post, Gill-Reid mentioned she is the publicist of the Black Student Union as well as a participant in other campus organizations.

“I would definitely say it was a success, especially for our first on campus social media event,” said Gill-Reid, who helped organize SAAC’s participation in the campaign.

Lemma said the most important part of the campaign was showing fans that student athletes are more than athletes.

“The thing about student athletes throughout the country, athletics are what people look to when looking at a university,” Lemma said. “Athletics is a big part of our culture, so for SAAC and the student athletes to step out into the SJU community and say, ‘Yeah, we play sports, yeah, we lift, but we are part of this community too, and we want to make the community better just like you do.’”

Students like Giancarlo Musso ’21 said they appreciated seeing beyond the athletes’ most visible roles.

Junior Pitcher Hayden Seig releases the ball at the mound (Photo courtesy of Sideline Photos LLC).

Senior Isis Gill-Reid hits a backhand behind the baseline (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

“The campaign definitely changed the way I saw some of the athletes,” Musso said. “I used to view the Division I athletes as just athletes and nothing more.”

Julia Watrous ’21 also said she en-

joyed the posts.

“It was great to see the athletes in a different light and try to make a difference around campus,” Watrous said.

Junior Aaron Lemma competes in the relay (Photo courtesy of Sideline Photos LLC).

e r o m e r a s m r e t d i M ? s w n o o i n t k c e u l e l a i t Did yo n e d i s e r P n a h t t n a t r o p im

E T O V

6 R E B M E V O N , Y A D S E U T Problems voting? Call the Election Protection Hotline at (866) OUR-VOTE • (866) 687-8683

VOTE.ORG