March 30, 2017 issue 07 Loquitur

EMILY ROWAN / PHOTO EDITOR

EDITORIAL

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WE ARE THE

LOQUITUR 2016-2017 Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CECELIA HECKMAN MANAGING EDITOR MOLLY SEAMAN MULTIMEDIA WEB EDITORS KATIE BRIANTE CAITLYN HUEBNER SARA JOHNSEN NEWS EDITORS JACLYN LABES CASEY SEMENZA ASHLEY SIERZEGA SPORTS EDITORS KEITH BROWN CHRIS FONTE EMILY JANNY LIFESTYLES EDITORS JESSICA DIPROSPERO ANNA LAQUINTANO MARISSA ROBERTO

The real cost of our favorite things My phone was made by Apple.

My shirt was made by H&M. My bag was made by Nike.

All of these statements are true when you look at the products at face value. But what you do not see is the deeper truth of where and how your products are actually made.

Each company has a supply chain. A supply chain is the steps in a production process.

Every item we own contains components and these components are supplied by humans all over the world. There are many steps in the production chain, and each product is made up of many raw materials produced by countless people.

All of the materials are manufactured by still more people.

Some companies are using forced labor to acquire minerals or to manufacture clothing in sweatshops in order to keep the prices of their products low for us consumers. While the low cost benefits us, it takes advantage of those in adverse situations.

Many companies have a corporate social responsibility policy, which is a set of business practices that a company pledges to follow to benefit society. A company can improve their corporate social responsibility by committing to better supply chain management and making sure that the

PERSPECTIVES EDITORS VANESSA CHARLOT JANELLE DESOUZA KATIE BRIANTE PHOTO EDITOR EMILY ROWAN AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT EMILY CROUSE NASIR RANSOM JESS TENNETT MADDY WORLEY ADVISER JEROME ZUREK

MISSION The Loquitur student newspaper and website are integral parts of the educational mission of the Cabrini Communication department, namely, to educate students to take their places in the public media.

The newspaper and website provide a forum of free expression. All members of the college community may submit work to the editors for possible inclusion.

Publication is based on the editorial decision of the student editors.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Loquitur accepts letters to the editors. They should be less than 500 words, usually in response to a current issue on Cabrini University’s campus or community area and are printed as space permits. Name, phone number and address should be included with submissions for verification purposes. All letters to the editors must be e-mailed to loquitur@ cabrini.edu

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

EMILY ROWAN / PHOTO EDITOR

Apple is investing in improving their supply chain.

FLICKR / INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION

Women in India work in sweatshops making clothing for low wages. raw materials they acquire and the outsourced labor they use to make their products are not being done through forced labor.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international development agency that Cabrini University partners with, is taking a stand against forced labor and urging companies to use fair labor to create goods.

One of the benefits CRS outlines is improving product quality. A socially just supply chain can help produce more sustainable products. A more humane supply chain comes about by better communication between the company and their suppliers. This will lead to increased productivity and strengthen relationships with suppliers.

One problem when it comes to consumers is blissful ignorance. We like our products cheap because we can save our money while still getting the goods we want. But at what cost? Someone else’s freedom.

Someone making a living wage.

If companies were more transparent about where they get their raw materials, where their products are manufactured and who is actually doing the labor then maybe we would think twice about what we buy and who we buy from.

KnowTheChain is an organization that holds companies responsible for poor supply chains and praises those who are acquiring their materials CONTINUE READING ONLINE

Cabrini mentors its first generation college students through new program

BY EMMA RODNER-TIMS Assistant News Editor Cabrini University helps its students in many ways. But one unique way is through the mentoring of first-generation students. Some students at Cabrini are the first people in their family to attend or graduate college. Associate director of the first-year experience, Saleem Brown, took it into his own hands about two years ago to help these student feel acclimated to their new environment.

“I started a program called ‘Cav Cares.’ In that program, incoming freshmen, a first-year student, will receive an upperclassman mentor. That mentor will meet with them once a week in person, and then once again at the end of the week either via email or in person. So, they receive contact from an upperclassman twice a week, just helping them get adjusted to the campus, showing them offices to go to and helping them out with understanding their syllabi.

For any questions they might have, they have an upperclassman mentor,” Brown said. The help and guidance offered to these students even goes beyond their mentor. Students

discuss the upcoming year.

“At the end of each month, we will meet with our first-generation students one-on-one, just to make sure they’re good, and they’re comfortable on campus. Any questions that the mentor couldn’t answer maybe I can answer,” Brown said. “And then, we meet once a semester for a nice dinner, a get together, where we all come together and

“They have staff and professors on campus that they can go to. Being a first-generation student, you really need someone who you can trust and believe in that’s going to tell you the right thing. That’s how this program originated. Giving them a contact, and a consistent contact, for them to lean on,” Brown said.

First-generation students not only deal with the pressure that

First-generation students not only deal with the pressure that comes with college, but they also balance any pressure that comes from their family.

we just talk about the semester, talk about the relationships with the mentors.”

Every first-generation student who chooses to be a part of the program is with their upperclassman mentor for their entire first year. Beyond student mentors, first-generation students have access to different faculty and staff members that are involved with “Cav Cares.”

comes with college, but they also balance any pressure that comes from their family.

“Being the first to go to college is scary because I don’t want to be a drop out or become a failure to my parents and become just an average Hispanic coming to America to work for little pay and long hours. There is a lot of pressure,” sophomore accounting major Michael Bo-

nilla said.

“There’s so much coming at you, and there’s so much pressure on you. Being the first to go to college, which is a big feat in itself to just get into college, but now you’re the first one in your family. Now everyone who might have missed that opportunity is kind of relying on you and is living their dreams through you,” Brown said.

This program is helping students every year and is looking to grow as the years go on.

“I’ve seen a lot progress through them. In the first year, it started, those students who came in as mentees wanted so bad to be a mentor. And, a student who was a mentor the first time this program was ever run wanted to be a mentor again. It’s an unpaid position, this is time that they could be doing something else, but they’re giving it to this program – right there that shows growth, but you’re also helping someone else along in their first year,” Brown said. “If anyone wants to be a mentor or if anyone knows a first-generation student coming to Cabrini, send them my way because I want to help them.”

ERODNERTIMS77@GMAIL.COM

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Her body, her choice: Women’s healthcare and having the right to their own bodies

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Women’s rights supporters gathered in Washington D.C. to protest Donald Trump’s proposed plan for women’s healthcare.

BY ASHLEY SIERZEGA News Editor Women are concerned about a potential reduction in areas that pertain to women’s health care.

The Past From the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848 to the Women’s March on Washington in 2017, women have scratched and clawed and fought their way to achieve equality with their male counterparts.

The 1920s brought the right to vote to females in the United States and the 1960s brought the push for equal pay.

hood. It is just the most affordable that a lot of women have access to.”

According to the Affordable Care Act, private health care plans must provide coverage for contraceptives without charging out-ofpocket costs. Before the federal mandate, the majority of women’s health care went towards contraceptives. A study published in “Health Affairs” found that out-of-pocket spending for birth control pills fell from $33 to $20 and IUDs dropped from $293 to $145 after the federal mandate was put in place by Obamacare. Women on the pill also saved an average of $255 a year.

But is it truly a man’s place to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her own body? Those in power are mainly wealthy, older, white men.

Making decisions with a new perspective Sarah Carter, the assistant director of student diversity, compared what America’s Congress looks like to a school board of directors.

“If you are on a board of education and you just have a group of older white men who are making the decisions EMILY ROWAN / PHOTO EDITOR about the school system in Obamacare provides coverage for women’s contraceptives. your county, then what sense are we looking at things through? It is just 10 straight white men? But “Until that time it was kind of a given what types of people are we including in the that women would grow up and go through decision making process to represent the puberty and you get pregnant and your propeople that we are serving?” fessional life is kind of over and you’re either America isn’t just wealthy white men. It raising a child on your own and truly living in is a diverse nation filled with many cultures, poverty because it was very hard to get a job languages, sexual identities and genders. that could support yourself and your child or “We need to look at any decision that’s you were stuck with whatever guy you were stuck with,” communications professor Cathy being made and ask if it is serving that Yungmann said. “It was really a dead end and population appropriately because who have power in populations need to be the voice a terrible existence for a lot of women that of the people, which is incredibly important really had no choices in their lives.” looking at the members of our community,” Carter said. “They need to say, ‘are we serving President Trump’s Plan these people appropriately in a way that they With President Trump at the helm of the need?’”

United States, many women are afraid that their health care and the right to their own Women’s Empowerment bodies are in jeopardy. They believe that the Women are now fighting for the rights progress women made throughout history to their own bodies and empowering each will be reversed. Trump wants to reform Obamacare and the amount of coverage it of- other to do so.

“I think women really need to know about fers Americans. Women are concerned about their bodies to feel empowered so that they a potential reduction in areas that pertain to have control of their lives,” Yungmann said. women’s health care. One prominent stance She believes that society changed when he has taken is defunding Planned Parentwomen began to have a choice about whethhood. er or not they wanted to become pregnant “Back in my college days it was the only and when they wanted to become pregnant. affordable place that a lot of female students Birth control gave women an alternative could get health care,” Yungmann said. to the lifestyle of being just a mother and a “And it wasn’t just birth control or abortion housewife. It gave them the option of indeservices they were getting. They were getting pendence and not needing to rely on a man annual checkups and mammograms and for a good life. all kinds of women’s health discussions Women need to know their sexual and they could have with Planned Parenthood employees. I think it is such a slam to women reproductive rights. Amnesty International describes these rights as the right for a if you want to do away with Planned Parent-

woman to make decisions about her own health, body, sexual life and identity without fear or discrimination, the right to sexual and reproductive related health services including contraceptives, the right to have access to fact-based comprehensive sex education, the right to choose their intimate partner and if and when they want to marry, the right to live free from violence including rape and the right to live free from discrimination based on sexual identity or gender. The most debated and controversial right that is given to women is the right to an abortion. The right gives this service to women in a minimum of cases that include rape, incest, their life or health is at risk or when there is severe or fatal impairment to the fetus.

“There are some people that even if a pregnancy is a result of rape do not believe that there should be any abortion services or anything like that,” Yungmann said. “If you’ve never been a victim of a rape or unwanted assault of any kind then you I think have no empathy for what that would be like.”

Domestic Violence and Children One form of domestic violence towards women is having children. Sometimes domestic violence results in a woman getting pregnant with a child she does not want to have, or having more kids than she desires.

“If you’re in an abusive relationship the most surefire way to have control over someone is children. The number of children they have,” Tommie Wilkins, the grant coordinator for the Office of Violence Against Women Grant, said. She talked about “stair step” children, which is when a family has one kid each year. For example there would be a 6-year-old, a 5-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old.

Wilkins mentioned that with that many children that young it it hard to leave.

“I’m not just talking emotional or financial. I’m talking physically just walking,” CONTINUE READING ONLINE ASHLEYSIERZEGA@GMAIL.COM

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Women should have the freedom to do with their bodies as they wish.

State Farm Summer Marketing Intern Description: State Farm is looking for a qualified intern to join an agent’s team. Their team seeks an intern who can assist with various projects plus handle a wide range of duties. This intern should be prepared to work in a fast-paced team environment, and will finish the internship having gained broad experience in various aspects of marketing.

Location: Main Line and Phila Region, PA Desired Majors: Business, Commnication ReminderMedia Accounting Intern Description: A growing King of Prussia based company currently has an internship opportunity to work with our Accounting Department. In this role, you will assist the Controller with functions including accounts payable, purchasing, sales/cash receipts, and administrative tasks. This is a non-exempt position.

Location: King of Prussia, PA Desired Majors: Business, Finance Accounting YSC Sports Marketing Internship Description: The Marketing Internship position will work directly with the President of YSC Sports Marketing and will assist in a range of areas including sponsorship implementation, sponsorship sales support, new property development, marketing research and client services, among other duties.

This position has the opportunity to interface with almost every aspect of the company, including event operations, television, athletes, sponsorships, sales, proposal development, event planning, budgeting, digital / web / social media integrations, etc.

Location: Wayne, PA

If you are interested in any of these positions, please visit the Career Center or contact career@ cabrini.edu

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THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

The life and struggles of a Author’s Note: The names in this article have been changed to protect the identity of the persons involved. The name of the expert on domestic violence, Tommie Wilkins, has remained the same. This is a five-part series.

BY CAITLYN HUEBNER Web Editor

How it all began As a freshman in college, the abuse started.

This is not how freshman year is described on a school’s website. Freshman year is described as full of excitement and anticipation as many live on their own for the first time and embark on this life-changing journey.

Nowhere does it mention fearing for your life because of an abuser.

At the beginning of Amanda and John’s relationship he would act pushier than most guys. The abuse started off slowly but progressively got worse over the duration of their relationship. The two met during a party in his dorm room. John was obviously drunk, while Amanda was not.

John was complimenting her tattoos and pulling her in close. Before she left that night, John added his number to Amanda’s phone. A few days later, she texted him out of curiosity.

John invited Amanda to another party later that week.

After a few drinks, Amanda decided it was not safe to drive home. John invited her back to his dorm where the two just laid in bed together and slept. The following Monday John invited Amanda to his dorm again. The socalled “Honeymoon phase” was over before it even had a chance to start.

John started pushing Amanda for sex. She tried to explain she was uncomfortable but this meant nothing to John. “He would pin me down even when I said no and take advantage of me,” she said. “There was only one consensual night and I made him stop, but I couldn’t fight back.” Amanda’s small physique did not have a chance against John, who would go to the gym every day.

“I always felt disgusted with myself after he did,” Amanda said.

“I felt completely helpless. He continued this for a while.”

Amanda had not been drinking that night, she stayed out of fear.

Dec. 16, 2014, Amanda had gone to the emergency room for the flu. As part of normal routine for women entering the emergency room, a pregnancy test must be performed. Amanda’s life came to a crashing halt upon positive pregnancy results from blood and urine testing.

Amanda had planned to transfer from her local community college to Louisiana State University. “I broke down and cried. I felt like a failure.”

Amanda initially considered all her options when she found out she was pregnant. She initially contemplated having an abortion. This thought was quickly laid to rest once she heard her baby’s heartbeat for the first time.

Adoption quickly became her best option. Her only rule was that the parents would have to be a same-sex couple. “We had a couple in mind,” Amanda said. “But I chose to keep [my baby].” Amanda’s grandparents and brothers were extremely supportive of her final decision.

It was not for another two weeks until Amanda told the father she was pregnant. Amanda later said this is her biggest regret. “I didn’t want to tell him at all but my grandmom made it seem like if I didn’t it would be harder on me,” Amanda said. “I found out it was harder on me to have him in the picture than it was to have him out of it.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis pregnancy, please visit this website to learn more information. Amnion Pregnancy Center provides a variety of non-judgmental services to both men an women. All of Amnion Pregnancy Center’s services are confidential and free of charge.

her or even their future daughter.

A few days later, after Amanda ignored him, John texted her asking to meet him at a restaurant to talk. At the restaurant all eyes were on Amanda and John for two reasons; first, because she had started showing, and second because of the words John was screaming to Amanda.

John refused to acknowledge that their unborn child was exactly that— a child. When speaking about their daughter John would use words like mistake, it and parasite. These terms were not exclusive to being in private.

Amanda remembers John saying something along the lines of, “You and that tumor inside of you are causing us to be the center of attention. You ruined my life. I fucking hate you and I fucking hate her.”

Once leaving the restaurant and returning to the car, the abuse turned violent yet again.

“When we got back into the car he locked the doors.

He held onto my wrists with one hand and choked me [with the other].” Amanda said that he then started hitting her in the back of the head. Amanda, understandably, became extremely emotional. Having John see the tears of his victim only added fuel to the fire. He started to yell even louder and even laughed at Amanda for being terror-stricken.

“I was 19, scared of having a baby and scared of losing her life or my life at the hands of an abuser.”

Taking a stand

Amanda would often find herself at the doctor’s office during her pregnancy. She explained that she had a very hard pregnancy. The stress and anxiety Amanda went through every single day caused her to be at high-risk pregnancy. She had to be tested twice a week for stress starting at the 28-week mark. She was anemic, was constantly dehydrated despite drinking plenty of water and Gatorade and her Lyme disease came back. Amanda even went into labor early, despite having a 56-hour labor and delivery.

Growing up On multiple occasions Amanda Amanda was not immune to found herself in the emergency facing hardships in life. At a very room. “Emergency ultrasounds young age Amanda lost her father, were almost every weekend,” and then her mother two years Amanda said. later. Amanda and her two older One instance, in particular, brothers were raised by her grandstands out to her. “In February of parents.

2015 John hit me so hard in the In elementary school Amanda’s stomach I thought I lost the baby,” classmates would always ask where Amanda said. Fortunately, the her parents were when it came ultrasound showed Amanda’s baby to days parents would visit. This was fine. curiosity turned to harassment.

Although the baby’s life was By middle school, the harassment fine, Amanda’s was not. John had turned to bullying. “I would have threatened to take Amanda’s life notes shoved in my locker telling numerous times if she ever told me to kill myself,” Amanda said. “I anyone about the abuse. Because EMILY ROWAN / PHOTO EDITOR got called fat a lot. I suffered from of this fear implanted in her mind, bulimia until about 16.”

Amanda felt she had to lie to the On average, one in 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner per minute.

Amanda was able to find comhospital staff about what hapA new life lies ahead fort in the isolation through the help of horses. Horses pened; she told them she had simply fallen down.

When Amanda finally told John about the pregnancy, were a sort of therapy for her growing up. “I was a really Amanda was unable to go to her family for support. his response was anything but pleasant. John had come good rider when it came down to it,” Amanda said. “I Her family never liked John. Her brothers told her multiback saying that Amanda had ruined his life. “John filed would finish between first and fourth.” ple times to leave him. More importantly, Amanda knew adoption paperwork without my knowledge,” Amanda “I remember these days like they were yesterday.” how her brothers would react if they found out what was said. “He offered me five grand to abort the baby. When I going on. Hoping to avoid making her situation worse, said no that’s when the abuse got worse.”

Pregnant Amanda turned to her closest friend, Laura.

In January of 2015, Amanda would find out the gender As a first-semester freshman, Amanda found out she While Laura was only able to offer a listening ear, she of her future child. She begged and pleaded with John was pregnant. was very helpful. Laura knew everything that was going to be there for this momentous event in the pregnancy.

Nov. 1, 2014, John and Amanda attended a late on. She was even digitally there for one of John’s beating Reluctantly, John agreed to go.

Halloween party at a college in northern Pennsylvania, sessions.

On the drive to the ultrasound appointment, John the school John was attending. Amanda, John and a few One Friday in March John told Amanda she needed repeatedly hit Amanda. It was at this point the abuse friends had gone outside one of the dormitory buildings. to visit him at school. If she did not, John would see to it turned toward Amanda and John’s unborn child. He It is at this point the abuse turned physical.

Amanda and their baby would be hurt. Fearful of what began hitting her in the stomach all the while saying he Amanda had been nauseous lately. So much so, in the meeting would entail, Amanda had Laura stay on the wished she would just miscarry. fact, that John had become suspicious. “He picked me phone with her the entire time John was with her. “I had What should have been an exciting time in her pregup and threw me on the floor,” Amanda said. “He said my phone positioned so he wouldn’t see she was on the nancy, finding out the gender of her baby, reinforced that phone,” Amanda said.

‘If you’re pregnant this should stop the mistake from this nightmare Amanda was living would not fade away. forming.’”

Within a matter of minutes, the situation turned hos“It was horrible— terrifying really,” Amanda said. “I felt Amanda immediately got up, went back to his room tile. John pulled out the pair of scissors Amanda kept in alone. I was scared that if I told somebody he would kill and packed her bags to leave. When she went to leave her car’s first aid kit. Amanda remembers John making a me. I felt so hopeless.”

John grabbed Amanda’s arms and threatened to call the comment about wishing the scissors were sharp enough Amanda had given up hope on John being there for police, telling them she was driving drunk. Although to cut her.

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domestic abuse survivor Amanda’s fear turned to terror as she remembered the box cutter she had in her glove box. She hoped he would not find it. He did.

He grabbed the box cutter and tried to cut the baby out of Amanda’s stomach. Screaming, crying and begging for John to stop, he finally gave in and left. This was not done before he punched Amanda so hard in the chest the wind got knocked out of her.

Amanda drove to Laura’s house where she cried for over an hour. Laura and her father begged Amanda to go to the police. Amanda feared that John would, in fact, try to kill her if she went to the police as he said to her all the time. Out of fear, Amanda kept quiet.

“This is the life of a domestic abuse survivor,” Amanda said.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t After this particular instance, Amanda had extremely mixed emotions. On one hand, she knew it was not safe to stay with John. On the other, she knew it could possibly be as equally dangerous leaving him. In order to get the abuse to end, Amanda attempted to buy his affection with gifts. This idea backfired. “‘Thanks, but I don’t want this stupid thing from you,’” Amanda remembers John saying. “‘I want that parasite in you gone. Make that bitch die already. I’ll buy you the bleach.’”

The abuse remained consistent over the next months.

John would hit Amanda and punch her in the stomach.

Amanda would try to ignore him but was unsuccessful each time. John would harass Amanda every night with drunken phone calls. “John would say how he wishes things could work out, but he just has too much hate for the baby,” Amanda said.

July 10, 2015, Amanda gave birth to her daughter.

“When I was admitted to labor and delivery I called [John],” Amanda said. “I begged for support and he went, ‘Nah, you’ll be fine. I hope she’s a stillborn, though’ and hung up.”

It was not until the following morning John showed up at the hospital. Him showing up made Amanda’s situation far worse, and far more difficult.

“I didn’t want him on the birth certificate. I didn’t want him to sign any papers. I didn’t even want her to have his last name but he did it,” Amanda said. “When I called the nurse in to make him leave, he said, ‘Oh no, she’s delusional. She’s still fragile from giving birth. I’ll sign the birth certificate right now so you know she’s just being a crazy, postpartum mother.’ He hyphenated the last name. At this time no one in his family knew about my daughter.”

With the swoosh of a pen, Amanda now forcefully signed onto a lifetime worth of abuse.

A family of three?

For the first six months of his daughter’s life, John was barely in the picture. Amanda was living in the Pocono area and while John was not studying at college, he lived in the Philadelphia area. Those rare times John would visit with Amanda, he would spend the time catching up on abuse.

“When he would come over he would slap me around and say that I ruined his life,” Amanda said. “He would snatch [my daughter] from me and call her a bastard. He called her a mistake and constantly talked about how he wanted to snap her neck.”

Amanda remembers one time in particular when her daughter was nine month old and cutting teeth. One night, her daughter was crying in her crib just wanting to be held and comforted. She remembered John getting up and walking over to her daughter.

“I figured he’d bring her to me and he’d go get a bottle for me [to give to her],” Amanda said. “I heard my daughter start screaming like something was terribly wrong. I rolled over and saw him smacking her. I said, ‘Get the hell away from her!’ He said, ‘The dumb bastard won’t stop fucking crying. I wish I could just find a way to kill you both.’”

Amanda kicked John out that night.

It was not until Amanda’s daughter was a year old that her paternal grandparents finally found out about her; they did not take the news very well.

John’s parents blamed Amanda for trapping him and ruining his life. His mother would scream in Amanda’s face declaring she is a mentally unstable mother. His father tried choking her. When Amanda tried to stand

EMILY ROWAN / PHOTO EDITOR

Ninety percent of children who are exposed to intimate partner violence are eyewitnesses to it happening. up for herself and her daughter, John fractured her jaw.

Enough was enough. Amanda pulled her phone out to call the police, but John was much faster.

“John wrestled the phone out of my hand while I was holding my daughter,” Amanda said. “He choked me and pinned me against the wall saying if I called anyone and told them he would break my fingers and smash my phone.”

Amanda tried to leave but could not. John had her phone and locked her out of the house without her daughter. For 45 minutes Amanda sat sobbing, not knowing what was happening to her daughter behind closed doors.

After 45 agonizing minutes John returned Amanda’s unharmed phone. She immediately called one of her older brothers. He and his friends arrived within minutes.

Together, they recovered Amanda’s car seat and, more importantly, Amanda’s daughter.

“When I got my car all packed up John hung onto the driver’s side window and said that if I left he would kill himself and make it look like look like I did it,” Amanda said. “So I stayed out of fear. I left first thing the next morning and that’s when he filed for custody without my knowledge.”

Why don’t you just leave?

Why don’t you just leave? Here is the simplest answer to one of the most complex questions: it is just not that easy. “[John] threatened me numerous times to take my life

if I told anyone,” Amanda said. “He always said, ‘I swear to God if you do anything I will kill you and our daughter and then kill myself. I felt like I had to stay in order to protect my daughter.”

Leaving an abusive relationship does not mean just walking out the door and never coming back. Tommie Wilkins, violence against women on campus grant coordinator at Cabrini University, said that while this type of leaving does sometimes work, for many it does not.

Planning must be done ahead of time because where is there to go?

Depending on the situation, friends and family are out of the question. Many have exhausted themselves trying to convince the victim that he/she is in an abusive relationship. Time after time when the victim does not listen, friends and family often shut them out.

“I should’ve told my mom-mom because she worked [for a courthouse] and my cousin worked in the PFA office, but I was still too scared,” Amanda said. “Laura mostly just listened and said I should try and leave or just tell my brothers. Everyone I talked to told me to try and leave.”

Without having friends or family to turn to, where would a domestic abuse survivor go? Many survivors end up going to shelters; however, these are almost always full.

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PERSPECTIVES

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

How Cabrini molded my heart for the better

BY JESSICA TENNETT Audience Development Editor

Many students when they finish college cannot say that their lives have been changed in unthinkable ways.

Sure individuals mature, they find their passion and run with it but their view on life most often stays the same.

I on the other hand, have had experiences that have changed me forever.

I was raised in a small town in Perkasie, Pennsylvania.

There is not much to it besides being a small historic town with plenty of farmland and strong personalities. I come from a town that raises itself on country pride and the ability to show off what you have worked hard for.

My family lives up to that expectation and prides themselves on hard work will get you everywhere in life.

The idea that you make your future, and if you do not work hard you will not get anywhere. Growing up I was always told to do my best, and that quitting is never an option.

Sure, growing up, I was used to always working hard in school, and making sure that whatever I decided to join I would stick through it until the end. These values have shaped my work-ethic today and how I carry myself. I see the positives in this however, I do not agree with every value I was taught.

I value some morals that my parents have instilled in me. My parents have showed me that hard work does pay off if you set your mind to it. My dad runs his own business and my mom is the Coordinator of the Pennridge School Districts Nursing program. I have grown up around parents who put the family before themselves and support my siblings and I in every way they can.

I aspire to be half the people that my parents are, but some things I would rather not carry on.

Before coming to Cabrini, I was narrow minded I saw the world through how my parents told me which was everything you do now will affect you somehow in the future, and that nothing is free. But since my time here at Cabrini, I have transformed into a completely different person. I see the world through a completely different lens than I did before.

I have been blessed with taking classes that allow me to see the world beyond my own fingertips. Experiencing a taste of what people in other countries encounter on a daily basis. The ECG classes that Cabrini encourages us as students to take allows us to become selfless individuals.

Personally, taking ECG 300 dealing with Global Issues, I have a newfound passion for those less fortunate than myself. This class has given me the opportunity to reflect on my life and to open my heart to those in need.

However, my parents do not see these values the same way.

My parents, like most Americans, believe that individuals who are undocumented should enter the country through the process of getting a visa and papers. They do want the refugees to seek safety but, they want them to enter our country the same way our ancestors did.

Knowing that most Americans think this way is horrible. It scares me that people live their life everyday with that mindset. Since taking this ECG class I feel more for these people and I want other people to see that these individuals are just like us. I want people to put themselves in those individuals shoes and think about what they would want people to do for them.

Cabrini has shaped me into a person that thinks about how my efforts will affect other individuals. I think about how fortunate I am and tell myself that I am truly blessed compared to other people. Cabrini is not just a school to me, but the foundation at which I became the person that I am today. These four years have shaped me into ways unimaginable and I will be forever thankful to be able to call myself a Cabrini University Alumni.

TENNETT23@GMAIL.COM

One big happy family: Family not based on a typical style

BY BRITTANY SMITH Assistant Perspectives Editor

If you were to go back in time to the United States of America in the 1950s, you would see one family style. A father, a mother, and children would sit around a table and enjoy a nice meal together at the end of the day.

Divorce was not socially accepted. According to fiftiesweb.com, the average age for a women to be married in the 1950s was 20.3 years old, and 22.8 years old for men.

Today, there’s no such thing as one typical family style. I am that walking proof.

Born on Nov. 15, 1995, I came into this world surrounded by a loving, but not typical family. My mother was 19 when she had me, and my father was 22. They dated for a while, but the relationship, like many young relationships, did not work out. I don’t recall much of the time that they were together but, I believe that it’s for the best that they aren’t together today. Normally, when you speak to someone whose parents aren’t together, you hear a lot of anger and anguish in their voice because their parents do not get along. For me, it’s extremely different. In fact, my parents are completely opposite. They made it their goal to raise me as a team and to always do what is best for me in my life. They have far exceeded their goal. My mom often uses the term “Team Brittany” to describe how they work as a team to make me happy and watch me be as successful as possible even though they are not together today.

Step-Parents 16 years ago, my mother introduced my brother and me to a wonderful man and I knew our lives would be changed forever. Brian Grobelny, my amazing, hardworking, hilarious, and loving step-father, has done nothing but make our world a better place to be.

Although he makes my brother and me extremely happy, the best thing that he could have ever done was make my mother happy, and he has exceeded his expectations.

my mom have also a relationship that is not often seen.

They work together to make my life as perfect as it could possibly be. They are more than just acquaintances, and there are never any fake smiles towards each other. They have really pulled off working together and bringing my big crazy family together. Another crucial member of “Team Brittany.”

Brothers David Richard Eife, born on Aug. 17, 1998, has been my partner in crime since the day he was born. My mom had David with an amazing man named Dave. Dave, although not my own father, has always treated and loved me as if I was his own. Every Christmas I was spoiled by him, every birthday I was always reminded how much he loves me. On my 21st birthday, I was blessed to be able to celebrate with Dave, David, Dave’s wife Bev, and her daughter, Britny. Although we are all not related by blood like David and I are, they are and will always be a part of my family.

Kevin, but my mother, my step-father and my brother, David, absolutely adore him. For being 6 years old, Jack is the toughest, sweetest and most loving child I have ever met. day, a hug from Jack is all it takes to cheer me up.

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BRITTANY SMITH / ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Brittany and her step-parents at graduation.

BRITTANY SMITH / ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Brittany and her parents dressed for prom.

My parents are my world. Over the years, they have gone from being my loving parents to my role models, my friends and my rocks. They listen to me, give me great advice, and support me and every journey I decide to take. Although our family is unusual, they have brought the people that mean the most to me into my world.

One of the qualities that I admire most about Brian is his relationship with my father. My dad and Brian have always had a level of respect for each other that is often not seen between a father and a step-father. They have always worked as members of “Team Brittany,” making my life easier by getting along and supporting me in everything I do. Never overstepping boundaries, Brian has taken the role as step-father very seriously by always providing me with the necessities to live, and the things that he knew would make me happy. Brian has been an absolute blessing to my family. My world would not be the same without him.

Growing up as a “daddy’s girl,” I would never have thought that I could love my step-mother as much as I do.

Marie came into my life 10 years ago, and has made every day better by being apart of my life. Marie is an amazing mother, and everything she does for my dad and our family does not go unnoticed. Marie makes our world a beautiful place to be. It’s safe to say, I owe my dad a big thank you for bringing Marie into my life.

Similar to my dad and Brian’s relationship, Marie and

BRITTANY SMITH / ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Brittany and her brothers at a softball game.

BRITT.SMITH1195@GMAIL.COM

PERSPECTIVES

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

THELO QUITUR.COM | 7

Introverts or extroverts, who has more fun?

BY LAURA SANSOM Assistant Perspectives Editor

ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging). ENFP (Extroversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving). People may define themselves by these letters, but what do they mean?

The Myers-Briggs type indicator sorts people into different groups based on different personality traits. The biggest and most talked-about category is the first letter: E or I. Introversion vs. Extroversion.

At the core of it, considering yourself to be an introvert or an extrovert really depends on how much you want to interact with others and how much time you really spend looking inside yourself.

But there are so many stereotypes regarding both. Introverts are boring and anti-social. Extroverts aren’t serious enough. All they want to do is party.

Extroverts have more fun in college, but

PSYCHOLÓGOVIA BUDÚCNOSTI/ CREATIVE COMMONS

Introverts and extroverts have different ways of thinking. introverts get better grades.

Honestly, maybe there is some truth in the stereotypes, but they’re not something to define a person on. Just because someone prefers to stay in with a few friends doesn’t mean they’re not having fun and really enjoying their college experience. Just because someone might know more people doesn’t mean they’re not spending any time alone or aren’t

focusing on their schoolwork.

It really depends on the particular person. Everyone is different, no matter if they’re an introvert or an extrovert.

I’m an ESFJ (Extroversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging) on the Myers-Briggs scale, which means I’m an extrovert. But I’m not a walking stereotype. Sure, I’m usually pretty comfortable in big groups.

I like going out to concerts and hockey

games and I like meeting new people. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel awkward when I don’t really know anyone. That doesn’t mean I’m entirely comfortable just walking up to someone and saying “hi.” And it definitely doesn’t mean I don’t like to be alone sometimes. (Honestly, I’m kind of known for taking walks into Wayne by myself because it gives me time to think).

And I’m definitely dedicated to my schoolwork. It just means that if I really want to focus, I should be alone because if I’m with people, I want to talk to them.

People are too versatile to have their entire personalities defined by two categories. Everyone is different. They do different things and have different personalities: introvert, extrovert or otherwise.

LAURALEESANSOM@GMAIL.COM

Living a double life: College student and YouTuber

BY RAHMERE GRIFFIN Assistant News Editor

RAHMERE GRIFFIN / STAFF WRITER

Many people have started blogging and becoming YouTubers.

Being a student in college is possibly one of the hardest things one could go through education wise. There are so many challenges students face in college like deadlines from multiple classes, making time for studying and finding some way to fit rest somewhere in between all of that. My college experience so far has been like many others with the exception of one thing, I am also a Youtuber.

As a child throughout middle school and high school, my sister and I would watch several Youtubers online like DashieXP, Thecomputernerd01, and FoseyTube.

Watching them sort of inspired us in a way. We used to record little segments on my laptop of us just goofing around and later watch them back over and over again.

In our minds we were viral sensations. Who would’ve known that several years later at the start of my college career I would have my own Youtube channel.

My Youtube channel, Griffoutt, was officially created on Sept. 19, 2015, literately three weeks after moving in for my freshman year. I didn’t want to be that person who is always mentioning their channel to anybody and everybody. I was really shy about it and only really close friends knew that this was something that I was doing.

Starting my college career at Cabrini provided me with an opportunity to try new things. I took that opportunity and ran with it by going out on a limb and literally putting myself out there for the entire world to see essentially.

My reason for starting the channel was simple, I thoroughly enjoy making people laugh and I also wanted to make memories in college. I wanted my channel to be different and set apart because that’s what I strive to be, different and set apart. I want to provide quality comedy that people can enjoy without having to resort to profanity or lewdness. I didn’t have anything but an iPhone, a MacBook, basic iMovie skills and a goal. I was determined to at least put out one video every week because I felt that consistency was key when it came to building a Youtube channel. My channel features things like vlogs, challenges, news reviews, advice and most importantly skits.

Doing skits was always something that I wanted to get into on Youtube. They are the pride and joy of my channel. Some of my skits are parodies of popular shows and movies when I was growing up like That’s so Rayshon (That’s so Raven) and College Musical (High School Musical). My mom has always had a passion for drama as she was one of the heads of the Drama Ministry at our church and it is safe to say that her passion has definitely been passed down to me. I took her passion and amplified it and made it my own. Half of the time I try

to make most of my skits as relatable as I can. The more relatable it is, the more likely someone is to remember it.

All of the other times the skits are about whatever pops into my head. I’ve even had a skit about a report card stealing ninja. Imagination has no limit.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that brainstorming, making, editing and uploading a video every week would not be plausible for me. Dealing with deadlines of college along with my own personal deadlines for Youtube was overwhelming.

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RAHMERE GRIFFIN / STAFF WRITER

Rahmere dressed for a skit as Eagles head coach.

RAHMEREJDGRIFFIN@GMAIL.COM

Money burns a bigger hole in our pocket than flex

BY ANGELINA MILLER Staff Writer

As a current student ambassador for Cabrini’s Office of Admissions, one thing that I have grown to learn is how eager prospective students and their families can be to get to the cafeteria portion of our campus tour. Typically, after I explain all of the stations of our cafeteria, a student or will ask me the following two questions: “Do you actually like the food here?” and “Are there other places to eat close by?” In response to that, I will proceed to tell them I do genuinely enjoy the food options that we have on campus. However, there is no question that you can still find me making a trip to the Wawa, Dunkin’ or So-Fun Frozen Yogurt on the Main Line in Wayne at least once a week, if not once a day. After having this repetitive chain of conversation continuously occur month after month for over a year now, I could

not help but actually mentally ask myself why I do it.

“Why do I, as a college student, constantly put a hole in my pocket by buying coffee, meals and snacks off campus when I could use meal exchange and flex dollars for all of the above right on campus?”

Somehow, from May to August, I managed to go an entire summer with subbing out all coffee, sweets and all unhealthy foods for fruits, vegetables and working out every single day. While I was in one of the most mentally healthy states that I have ever been in, all of my beneficial habits unfortunately led me into a very detrimental place once college came back around. I may have started off my year by writing my first article on how to eat clean and avoid the freshman fifteen, complete with a realistic and feasible meal plan for any college student.

However,, one thing that I did not take

into consideration both in my article and in life in general was that all of the free time, money and independence that I was graced with over the summer would not carry over with me into my school year.

Fall of 2016 blessed me with many things, from a wonderful group of friends to a new job at a Pilates studio just minutes away from my school. I also reinforced my academic mindset of saying yes to every potentially beneficial opportunity that life was going to place on my plate. Although my life shifted in many positive ways, my priorities uncontrollably changed faster than I could even take in.

Working three jobs on top of running a club, taking six classes and making time for other extracurriculars every week led me to start saying yes to the convenience of making Dunkin Donuts runs with my friends and no to making time for the gym. One iced caramel latte with almond milk lead to another, and another, until

Yosef, the daily worker at the Dunkin counter memorized both my face and my order. The fact that he would confidently say “cya tomorrow” to my friends after he gave us our coffee was comical for a while, until I realized how much these daily trips may actually be taking a tole on my life.

This was also around the same time that my friends and I bought matching t-shirts from So Fun! Frozen Yogurt. Something in my mind finally told me that I had to learn to stop saying yes to Moe’s Monday, “No Weight Wednesday’s” for frozen yogurt, and Sunday morning McDonald’s trips, and shift my focus back onto my own independence.

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ANGMARIEMILLER@GMAIL.COM

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

LIFESTYLES

8 | THELOQUITUR.COM

Who really Panic!ed at Trump’s close ban on Planned Parenthood

HOPE DALUISIO / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Lead singer of Panic! at the Disco, Brendon Urie, is standing with Planned Parenthood.

BY ANGELINA MILLER Assistant News Editor

Welcome to the end of eras Without non-profit organizations such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation, many individuals would be lost without counseling and healthcare services for family planning, sexually transmitted diseases and other reproductive problems. However, the man who is currently running our country seems to think otherwise. On January 23, 2017, President Trump attempted to cut off funding to organizations such as the Planned Parenthood and others for the purpose of them performing abortions overseas and lobbying for legalizing abortions in foreign nations.

Beginning in 1984, President Ronald Reagan picked up a game of political football by initiating the first policy to ban government funding of foreign pro-abortion groups. President George H.W. Bush then maintained this policy until Bill Clinton revoked it, following with President George W. Bush reinstating it and Barack Obama reversed it again in 2009. Now, President Trump decided to pick the football back up and reinstate this policy. However, it has been obvious that not everyone stood by his decision.

“After I started college, I realized how many of the women in my life depend on Planned Parenthood,” 20 year old Brianna Barstad said. As a Neuroscience and Psychology major at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Barstad openly stands by Planned Parenthood because of the support, procedures and care they provide for all individuals, regardless of race, religion, sexuality and class.

“From birth control, to check-ups and breast exams, this resource is essential; especially in places with lower incomes, and on/near college campuses, where those who do not have the means, or whose parents won’t support them can live a healthy and productive life they way they choose to do,” Barstad said.

In comparison to Barstad, Carolanne Deal, a 20 year old Art History Major at the University of Delaware, also thinks of Planned Parenthood as an essential establishment for many. “There is a PP office right next to my apartment complex and it is comforting to know that

I have the resources available to me at a convenient spot,” Deal said.

Others such as Vanessa Miranda, a former Cabrini Mission Corps Missioner and current Teacher’s Aide at an elementary school in San Jose, CA, view Planned Parenthood as a positive resource for those who identify as LGBT because of the current lack of LGBT centers.

“There is only one transgender resource center in state of New Mexico, but there are six Planned Parenthood centers in the state,” Miranda said from research.

“Planned Parenthood has often been a hot topic in the media because of its abortion services, but by closing PP centers, LGBT populations will also be affected,” Miranda said.

LGBTQ rights are important to many individuals young and old today, including Deal and her girlfriend Elena, who are open members of the LGBTQ community themselves. The two personally advocate for the rights of the community by attending equality events on UD’s campus, donating to the Human Rights Campaign and being active members of Haven, UD’s LGBTQ club.

Along with Deal, Barstad has also been a huge supporter of LGBTQ rights since the young age of 13. “I grew up in an extremely conservative rural community and had multiple instances where I was bullied for even supporting LGBTQ rights, which has only made me more passionate about supporting their rights as well as women’s rights in general,” Barstad said The time for being sad is over Luckily, for young women such as Carolanne, Brianna and Vanessa, Planned Parenthood’s President, Cecile Richards, did not let Trump get to her. On March 6, Richards publicly said via Twitter, “We won’t back down in the face of threats or intimidation, or turn our backs on the patients who count on us. Not today, tomorrow, not ever.” She also pointed out the fact that studies show a majority of people in our country agree.

Two days later, Brendon Urie, the front-man of the pop-rock band Panic! at the Disco, decided to publicly back-up Richards and Planned Parenthood on Twitter.

The band made viral news with word a one of a kind Planned Parenthood t-shirt release. While supplies were limited and expected to sell out fast, all proceeds were

guaranteed to go to Planned Parenthood to show their support of the organization and what they stand for. Urie personally wrote out a touching message on Twitter that afternoon, advertising the shirt and thanking all of the band’s fans for their love and support.

The shirt is black and features the band’s name and the words “Care. No matter what” in pink. While it is not expected to be sold on the remainder of Panic!’s Death of a Bachelor Tour, fans had the opportunity to pre-order it on Panic!’s online store beginning on March 8.

Fans including Kate Howards, a current junior student at North-West Shoals Community College in Florence, Alabama, were heartbroken that the shirts unfortunately sold out in almost 24 hours. However, many others snagged the shirts early enough and were very excited to stand by Panic! to support the cause.

“When I saw that Panic! at the Disco was doing this fundraiser, I didn’t even blink - I ordered the shirt immediately,” Yvette Simmons, a 34 year old TV and Radio major at Purdue University Northwest, said. “I was so proud of Brendon Urie when I saw the post. It’s brave to be such a public figure and really stand for what you believe in.”

Along with Simmons, Barstad was very excited to hear that Panic! decided to put their strong platform of mainstream and alternative fan bases to use with the fundraiser. She also noticed how it goes hand-in-hand with what the band preaches at their shows. “They always talk about how young people will ‘change the world’ and spread positivity and love. This also means taking care of one another, and I believe that is where their basis for having the fundraiser stems from,” Barstad said..

Deal has also made note of how Panic! at the Disco’s frontman Brendon Urie has actually discussed his fluid sexuality multiple times before, which she suspects to obviously contribute to the band’s involvement in LGBTQ rights issues.

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LIFESTYLES

God is still speaking

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

BY ERIC STONE Assistant Perspectives Editor

Jennifer Timmerman, senior sociology major at Eastern University, has suffered through tension and turmoil within the Catholic church and the Christian religion in general for years. Those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer have not been accepted by all Christian denominations, despite the recent and progressive legalization of gay marriage in all 50 states in 2015.

Students and faculty members from Eastern University, those who identify as LGBT advocates, stood by each other in the commons for two hours on Friday, March 17, sharing prayer and solemn words. Many of these students and faculty members have been harshly treated in words and actions in the past because of their sexuality, making the stand a safe space for these people to share their stories.

ERIC STONE / ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

The event was held at Eastern University.

Timmerman was one of the students who attended this event. Timmerman is also the co-leader of Refuge, Eastern’s Gay-Straight Alliance.

“I came to Eastern because of Refuge and because I knew it was one of the only Christian colleges that had any kind of gay-straight alliance,” Timmerman said.

Timmerman is openly gay and spoke about the hardships she experienced as someone who was raised in a Christian family. Timmerman made it clear that she never knew how she felt about the Bible and sexuality, which caused a lot of deep-rooted confusion within herself.

“I came to Eastern thinking that who I am is a sin, and now I am super excited to be an out and proud lesbian on campus,” Timmerman said. “We can’t leave this event and keep our mouths shut; we need to keep fighting if

ERIC STONE / ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Pastor Jim Goodyear spoke at the event. we’re going to help people to better understand the LGBT community because it’s what God would want us to do.”

Timmerman was one of many who spoke her mind at the stand and also one of several who presented a poem regarding the turmoil experienced by the LGBTQ community because of society’s treatment. Timmerman used events from her real life in the poem, involving issues with friends who had abandoned her and those who bullied her for who she was.

Samuel Vaughan, a heterosexual ally to the LGBT community, helped run this event. He made it clear that it was not a protest, but instead an outlet for people to vent their hurt feelings and what is on their mind.

“The stand was an attempt to encourage the school toward moving in a more progressive direction,” Vaughan said. “As it stands right now, this University can fire or refuse to hire people right now based on who their partner is and our official literature also defines marriage as an institution that is exclusive to men and women, even though a majority of staff and faculty members do not believe that this is just.”

Among those who spoke out against the unjust treatment of workers who are not allowed to identify as anything other than straight was Jim Goodyear, a pastor at Gloria Dei who identifies as homosexual.

“Whether you are gay, straight, bisexual or whatever letter you want to put, excuse my language, but I don’t think God gives a damn,” Goodyear said. “What God cares about is that we give hope to other people.”

Goodyear went into detail about how some of the people from his community have been uncomfortable with his sexual orientation and have labeled him as a pedophile or someone who is untrustworthy. Goodyear even mentioned that those who did have trust in him and enjoyed his role as their pastor were still not interested in his personal life otherwise.

“If you can’t share your own personal life, you can’t share God,” Goodyear said. “I’ve learned that God loves me for who I am and God loves me for who I teach the

9 | THELOQUITUR.COM

gospel to.”

Vaughan himself noted the issue of people using the Bible as an argument to claim that homosexuality in the Church is not what God himself wanted.

“The Bible has been used to tell slaves to submit to abuse, it has been used to shut up and shut down women, it has been used to justify violence against people who believe in a different God and it is now being used to shame our LGBT students and fire our LGBT faculty,” Vaughan said. “How many times do we need to remember to read our Bible in proper historical context and with the realization that we have a loving God?” Those who attended the event look hopefully towards the future and continue to work hard to achieve what they want.

“I hope that in the future the LGBT community will not have to sacrifice hundreds of dollars, countless hours and unbelievable amounts of energy to even get people to understand that gay slurs, hurtful subliminal messaging and ignorant discrimination takes place every day, even on a campus as great as Eastern University,” Vaughan said. “My hope is that one day Eastern University will truly be an accepting and inclusive place.”

“We had 60 or more people today who felt very affirmed by having strong Christian leaders tell them that they are loved no matter what orientation they identify as,” Timmerman said. “One of the most important things you can hear is that God does love you and that you are not alone.”

ECSTONE31@GMAIL.COM

ERIC STONE / ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Students gathered at the event with signs.

ERIC STONE / ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

This event welcomed all students.

LIFESTYLES

10 | THELOQUITUR.COM

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

Sesame Street introduces newest muppet friend: Julia, who has autism

BY ANNA LAQUINTANO Lifestyles Editor

Sesame Street, a television show that aired for more than 50 years ago, decided to take on a new project, introducing their newest muppet friend Julia, who has autism.

Throughout the years, Sesame Street has taken on the challenges of addressing subjects such as death, disability, skin color and prejudice. Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop’s vice president of outreach and educational practices, said in a 2015 interview, “We wanted to demonstrate some of the characteristics of autism in a positive way.”

“More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence in the United States is estimated at one in 68 births,” according to the Autism Society.

PHOTO VIA SESAME STREET TWITTER

The video of Julia and Abby went viral on the internet.

The announcement of Julia joining her furry friends on Sesame Street went viral. On social media, pictures and videos of her singing ‘Sunny Days’ with her friend Abby Kadaby were everywhere.

The nonprofit states on their website, “Sesame

Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. Our recipe for success is combining a curriculum that addresses children’s critical developmental needs with the sophisticated use of media and a large dose of fun.”

Patrick Masluk, an employee at Juno Search Partners, was one of many people who were amazed by the release of Julia.

“I will say personally, my cousin has been autistic her whole life,” Masluk said. “She’s older now, about 13 I think, but her name is also Julia so her mom and dad almost cried because the character Julia is just like her.”

The Autism Society’s website says, “Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability.” Not every case of autism is the same. Children in the spectrum show different signs and characteristics.

“She was mostly socially awkward. She did not show a lot of emotion,” Masluk said. Ironically in an interview on 60 minutes, Julia is said to show the same characteristics, having a socially awkward personality.

The idea of having Julia on the show will not only bring awareness to the subject of autism but it will show children who are similar to her that they are not alone.

In an interview with 60 minutes Stacey Gordon, the puppeteer behind Julia, said, “It is important for kids without autism to see what autism can look like.”

Gordon’s son has autism and she uses his real-life experiences to portray the characteristics seen in Julia.

“Having Julia means our kids are important enough to be seen in society,” Gordon said.

Marissa Laverghetta, mother of three year-old Bella, hopes Julia will bring a special light into her daughter’s life.

“I started researching signs when she was two and still was not speaking like other children her age. I was told to get a speech therapist, so I did. The evaluators for speech therapy finally told me I needed to get her tested

for autism.”

“I cried when I saw Julia was coming to Sesame Street.

I now know how many other families are discovering autism in their families,” Laverghetta said. “Hopefully, Julia can bring hope and encouragement to others with autism to have confidence in themselves and not see themselves as different, but special in their own way.”

Jessica Hoffer is an employee in the Entertainment Department at Sesame Place in Langhorne, P.a. “The weekend of April 22 and 23 we do what we call ‘Variety Day’ and the park is only open for children with special needs,” Hoffer said. “My boss is trying to get a Julia character for us to do meet and greets, but all summer long we will be selling Julia plush dolls in the gift shop and I believe we are trying to do more.”

Julia is set to make her on-air Sesame Street debut on April 10, 2017.

ALAQUINTANO@GMAIL.COM

Women’s history month calls for a Brawny-woman

BY EMMA RODNER-TIMS Assistant News Editor

A key theme in the coming of 2017 has been the fight for women.

Their equality and rights are humanities for which they are still fighting.

From the Women’s March in January to the 2017 Forward Feminism Conference being held by the National Organization for Women in June, steps are being taken to increase and correct the respect and equality of women.

Perfectly aligning, with what may very well be the theme of 2017, feminism, Georgia-Pacific has relaunched its campaign #StrengthHasNoGender. Last year, the company celebrated this hashtag on International Women’s Day (March 8) but this year the company is spanning the campaign for the entirety of Women’s History Month (which is celebrated throughout the month of March).

As a part of Women’s History Month and the #StrengthHasNoGender campaign, Georgia-Pacific’s product company — Brawny — has replaced their wellknown “Brawny-Man” with a “Brawny-Woman” as a way to honor the women “that inspire us all.”

This change in branding is a first for the company.

“It’s important for us to have conversations about shifting notions of genders,” Cabrini University’s chair and associate professor of English Dr. Michelle FillingBrown said. “It is drawing attention to shifting notions of beauty, women, and diversity. That said, it would be wonderful if we didn’t have to have a specific month to remind us that ‘strength has no gender.’”

“I hope that at some point that seeing women of all races, classes, sexual orientations, gender identities,

religions, abilities as spokespeople for national campaigns becomes ‘normal,’” assistant director of intercultural education, engagement and assessment in Cabrini University’s student diversity office, Sara Carter, said. “That being said, there is not often the statement made that ‘Strength has no gender.’ This is serving a greater purpose to help break social norms about women’s strength and really, what strength means in general.”

Brawny released a video that celebrates women from history who have been “trailblazers” in different fields and areas. Some of the women highlighted in their video include Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie and Serena Williams.

Another leg of Brawny’s support and efforts during Women’s History Month is their partnership with Girls Inc.. Girls Inc.’s mission is to inspire “all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.” The incorporation is rallying for opportunities for girls. There is a special desire for girls to gain interest for the STEM fields.

“I think it’s great that they are also donating to nonprofit organizations like Girls, Inc. to help empower young women. To me, this shows an investment in the future of young women as future leaders,” Carter said.

As a part of Girls Inc. Operation SMART Program, Brawny is donating $75,000 to the cause. The Operation SMART Program is working to have girls realize their potential in STEM fields. Their hope is to have young girls everywhere become more excited and confident in their ability to partake in STEM education and STEM careers.

“I think a lot of people are responding positively to

the organization Brawny partnered with [Girls Inc.], and it will open new doors and opportunities for the women and employees who rely on Girls Inc.,” junior religious studies major Shannon Donnelly said.

On Brawny’s website, there is a series of videos featuring the stories of strong and independent women in STEM fields. Not only are these featured women making a difference, but they are breaking barriers and being women of “firsts” in their fields.

“The women who are on the website that represent strong, intelligent, educated and diverse women aren’t actually on the packaging,” Filling-Brown said. “Brawny could change their packaging every month to feature a different strong woman to bring continual attention to women’s empowerment.”

“Not only should women be celebrated, honored, and respected every day, I think men should too,” Donnelly said. “We are all equal, and our culture needs to do more to highlight our individual strengths without overpowering anyone”

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LIFESTYLES

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

THELOQUITUR.COM | 11

Unique bond between grandparent and grandchild has healthy benefits

BY JESSICA FERRARELLI Staff Writer

Imagine the exciting trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

Remember when Pop would yell at the television during sporting events or game shows?

Remember trying to teach Mom-mom and Pop-pop about the latest toy or gadget?

Didn’t lunch always taste better when Nana made it?

Grandparents play a large role in a lot of families’ lives. They are there to instill wisdom, feed and love their grandchildren. Some children are raised by their grandparents while others talk over the phone from a distance. Grandparents teach lessons that parents do not and they are great listeners.

Research from the University of Oxford has found that grandparent involvement increases the well-being of their grandchildren. A survey of 1,500 children found that those with higher involvement with their grandparents had fewer emotional and behavioral issues.

A Grandparent’s Influence Toni Muir, a mother of two, was very close with her grandparents on her mother’s side when she was younger.

When Muir was growing up, she lived right down the street from her grandparents. She would go over often after school.

She was the first grandchild so she was given some special privileges, especially with her grandmother.

“Everyone told me she didn’t really let them in the kitchen with her, yet she did with me, but I also know now that you’re very different with grandchildren than you were with your own so she would always let me hang out with her and watch her and do stuff with her and even at a very young age,” Muir said.

Though her time with her grandmother was spent

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY REBECCA DIVALERIO

Divalerio and her grandfather on his birthday. adult grandchild relationship was associated with fewer symptoms of depression for both generations,” said Sara M. Moorman, an assistant professor in the department of sociology and the institute on aging at Boston College, in a press release.

Rebecca Divalerio, a senior at the University of Scranton, has always had close relationships with her grandparents both as a child and adult. Two of her grandparents, on her father’s side, passed away when she was young, while her mom’s parents have always lived with her.

Her grandparents have taught her many life lessons that she carries with her always.

“My grandmom’s biggest thing is never let anyone get in your way and always push forward regardless of what is thrown at you,” Divalerio said. “My grandpop is more of the class-act dude. Like get off your phone, go out and do something with your life. Always make sure your keep family central. As you get older people lose connections.”

A close relationship between a grandparent and their adult grandchild is important to both individuals. Having that special bond is different than with a parent or child.

They teach you lessons that your parents cannot and they are always there to listen.

“They’re always the people you can run to if you don’t want to talk to your parents about something,” Divalerio said.

right away,” Reese said.

Reese believes it is healthy to have grandkids running around. It makes her feel young, keeps her active and happy.

“Last month when we were up the mountains we had a snowball fight. I ran around the house having a snowball fight with my grandsons. Now would I do that with Bill? No,” Reese said.

It is important for grandparents to feel needed and not a burden. According to a study from the “Gerontologist,” depression symptoms increase if a grandparent feels they are being cared for but cannot reciprocate the favor. Feeling as if they are a successful and competent grandparent is associated with fewer depression symptoms.

Muir is the grandmother of one grandson, Brayden, and soon to be grandmother to a baby girl.

She usually sees Brayden a couple times a week.

Before he was in preschool, she had him everyday. She finds incredible joy in being a grandparent and loves spending time with her grandson. She feels it is a lot different than being a parent because there is less rushing around.

“That’s the thing with being a grandparent, though.

Time with them is valuable. Time rushing around doing other things isn’t as much as it was when you were with your kids. So therefore you kind of cherish each moment.

So it’s like ah go ahead we can stand here for 15 minutes.

I get that now,” Muir said.

Her close relationship with her grandparents has influenced how she acts with Brayden. She keeps the idea of a simple life in mind when with him like going to the library, playing outside and being in the garden.

“It really does give you something to look forward to...There is just so much joy when you hold that child the first time,” Muir said. “It does kind of balance out everything in the universe.”

The Joy of Being a Grandparent PHOTO SUBMITTED BY TONI MURI

Muir’s grandfather holds a special place in her heart.

inside, the root of her relationship with her grandfather bloomed outdoors where they would enjoy nature and eat fresh vegetables.

“With my grandfather I was in the garden all the time.

I mean all the time. So I would sit outside with him on his bench and there was a dog out there and I would sit with them and it’s funny because I have a love for gardening and outside now,” Muir said.

Muir took a lot from her relationship with her grandparents, including her love for nature and taste in food, but the greatest gift she gained from them is the appreciation for the simple things in life.

“They were just very simple and easy going and it was just like a very easy-going way of life and I like that it was very calm as opposed to hectic everywhere else it seemed,” Muir said.

“We found that an emotionally close grandparent-

In the United States, 40 percent of adults over 30 years old reported that they are responsible for taking care of their grandchildren. Parents turn to grandparents for childcare because they are more trustworthy and less expensive than formal childcare services.

Pamela Reese, and her husband Bill, are parents of six and grandparents of seven. They have five grandsons, Caleb, Kyle, Ethan, Liam and Connor, and two granddaughters, Charlotte and Adelynn. They range from 11 years old to four months old.

Reese tries to see her grandchildren as much as she can, at least twice a month.

Her older grandchildren have all found activities they love to do with grandma. Some love to watch old movies and play spots, while others love to bake and garden.

Reese has a special relationship with each one and makes time to do what they enjoy.

Her grandchildren always shower her with love when they come over before they greet anyone else.

“They come in the house and run to me first before they go to anyone else to make sure I get a kiss and hug

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY REBECCA DIVALERIO

Toni Muir enjoys some sun and giggles with grandson.

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LIFESTYLES

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

THELOQUITUR.COM | 12

Hip-Hop and R&B fans: Welcome 6LACK, pronounced ‘black’

BY LAUREN STOHLER Staff Writer

EMILY ROWAN / PHOTO EDITOR

6Lack’s album “FREE 6LACk” is available now.

The qualities and features that draw a person to an artist and turns them into listeners can be a difficult process, especially for a young artist. To essentially take the path less traveled by and create music true to the musician’s passion, intended purpose, soul and artistry is even more of a struggling feat, especially while surrounded by the deafening mainstream sound that has engulfed present day hip-hop and R&B.

24-year-old Ricardo Valdez Valentine, better known by his stage name 6LACK, is a rapper, songwriter and singer from Atlanta, Georgia. 6LACK, pronounced ‘black,’ has been in the music business since his late teens but is recently making serious waves with his new album, ‘Free 6LACK,’ released in Nov. of 2016.

Almost as if listeners are peering into Valentine’s personal diary, ‘Free 6LACK’ is an expression of his journey with relationships as a whole within the music industry and within his own life. Signed with a label that kept him artistically captive for five to six years, Valentine was unable to release the music in which he loved and was forced to create music that he despised.

Now, working with an Atlanta-based collective called LoveRenaissance (LVRN) and receiving the artistic creativity he very much so craved, ‘Free 6LACK’ is an embodiment and statement of the last five or six years of his life, claiming his freedom from past relationships and free from all ways of past thinking and old feelings.

Posing with a black bear on his album cover, ‘Free 6LACK’ is made up of many different flavors and meanings of work, yet all songs still possess the same melodic, smooth sound that sets the stage for earopening rhythms and mind-expanding lyrical content that captures an array of emotions while sharing his stories and perspectives.

Valentine’s main goal for his latest project is for it to be relatable, he told Complex Magazine. “Once this project dropped and I started seeing reactions, the main word I saw was, ‘Yo, I relate, I feel this, I went through this.’ It was just seeing tons of people actually connect instead of saying, ‘Oh, that was a cool song.’ It was designed to make people give some kind of reaction.” Valentine said.

“Whether you like it, love it, or it’s not for you, at the end of the day I just wanted to get some kind of reaction.”

Reaction is most definitely what he achieved. From songs such as both of his albums hits, “PRBLMS” and “Ex Calling,” Valentine’s apathetic message and emotionally careless mindset is short-lived when the entire album is given a listen. ‘Free 6LACK’ has no trouble inspiring late-night calls and texts to exes with songs such as “Luving U,” expressing regret in “MTFU,” and pain in “Worst Luck,” while serenading our soft and loving hearts with smooth and simple songs such as “Gettin’ Old,” and simultaneously hinting on his sexual prowess with “Learn Ya.” Not only is Valentine a pro at getting us all in our feels, but he makes it a point to keep us on our grind as well with tracks such as “Free” and “Rules” while asserting his authenticity and truth in “Alone/EA6,” and “Never Know.”

All in all, Valentine’s ‘Free 6LACK’ project takes each listener on an emotionally evoking journey whether his album is played straight through or on shuffle. As for future music, we can most definitely expect to hear more from Valentine. “I always feel eager too because I know that listeners kind of need something to relate to as far as music right now.” Valentine told Billboard Magazine.

“Everybody is kind of where they are as far as their career and their success. There’s not that many people that are still in the jungle or in the midst of dealing with a lot of regular life shit. I feel more eager than anything to get that stuff out so people can feel like somebody’s going through it with them.”

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4 80’s metal giants are returning to the recording studio in 2017, but with a twist

BY JOHN WILLIAMS Assistant Sports Editor

2017 could be a memorable turn-back-the-clock type of year for classic rock and metal fans everywhere as four 80’s metal giants are returning to the studio with plans for 2017 album releases.

Judas Priest, Warrant, Quiet Riot and Danzig are all planning to release new records with their revitalized lineups over the course of the year.

Priest will be releasing their first album since 2014 when they dropped “Redeemer of Souls”, the only album that they have made since 2008. While it is not the original lineup, frontman Rob Halford and the rest of the gang that has been there since 1989 will be featured on the record.

Glen Danzig will be releasing his 11th album since leaving the legendary punk rock band, The Misfits. His latest endeavor does not have a name attached to it just yet, but it will drop at some point this May. This will be the group’s first album with original content since 2010 when they released “Deth Red Sabaoth”. The group did release an album in 2015 called “Skeletons,” but it only featured covers of songs from the 60’s-80’s.

The Quiet Riot lineup of 2017 will look nothing like the Quiet Riot lineup of old. While two members of their mid-80’s lineup will be playing on their new tracksdrummer Frankie Banali and bassist Chuck Wright-the

new album titled “Road Rage” will feature guitarist Alex Grossi, who has been with the group since 2004, and newcomer vocalist James Durbin, a finalist of American Idol season 10.

The album’s original release date was scheduled to be April 21st, but the band wants to re-record vocal tracks so Durbin, who was brought into the fold on March 4, is featured on the album. Singer Seann Nicole sang on the record initially but was ousted from the band after playing just five shows with the group.

The album is expected to be ready by the end of the summer, according to Loudwire.com.

Riot’s hair metal counterpart Warrant will be dropping their new album “Louder, Harder, Faster” on May 12th.

This will be the group’s second studio album with frontman Robert Mason at the helm. The rest of the band’s original members, including guitarists Joey Allen and Erik Turner, drummer Steven Sweet and bassist Jerry Dixon, will also be present on the album, providing some continuity for the band whose first album, “Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinkin’ Rich” is turning 28 years old this year.

With other big time rock groups like from all different generations like Deep Purple, Alice in Chains and System of a Down also releasing albums this year, 2017 promises to be a major for rock fans of all generations. They have a lot to live up to after a fantastic 2016 in the rock world.

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K.K. Downing, guitarist, playing in Judas Priest.

SPORTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

THELO QUITUR.COM | 13

Men’s and women’s golf ready to kick off their season

BY JESSICA FERRARELLI Staff Writer

Golf season is quickly approaching and the players are ready to get back on the green with their eyes on one prize: the Colonial State Athletics Conference (CSAC) championship.

The recently released CSAC preseason coaches poll ranks Cabrini’s men’s golf team as the one to win the CSAC championship this season above Marywood, Rosemont and Neumann. The golf team earned 73 votes, including four first-place votes in the poll.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the CSAC’s head coaches. We look forward to a competitive spring season and hope to build on the progress we made in the fall,” Dr. Tony Verde, Cabrini’s coach, said in a recent press release.

Last year, Cabrini’s golf team placed third in the 2016 CSAC championships. All five players placed in the top 22 finishers. They hope to do even better this year.

Clay Anders, a junior marketing major, has been playing golf at Cabrini since freshman year.

“This season I think we are going to do really well. We won three tournaments in the fall and we came in the top five of every tournament so I would say I’m looking forward to CSAC’s the most because the winner of that goes to Nationals,” Anders said.

In the fall season, the team recorded top five finishes

in all seven events. The roster this semester is the same as last for the men’s team so they have great chemistry and know each other very well.

“It’s a good thing that I can look at my teammates and know I’m playing golf with some of my best friends,” David Gall, a sophomore accounting major and finance minor, said. Gall has been playing on Cabrini’s golf team since freshman year and was one of Cabrini’s golfers to received the All-CSAC Second Team award for finishing in eighth place.

“I’m very excited to see how we end the season,” Gall said. “We have two senior captains who are vital to our team so I look forward to seeing how they can lead us. As a younger member of the team I just hope we can help them end their careers off with a CSAC Championship.”

Caitlin Bullock is a freshman business management major and member of the new women’s golf team.

She said that they lost some women players so she is representing the women solo.

“We lost Megan [Savage] to a senior internship so now it is only me,” Bullock said, adding that it does not intimidate her at all.

Even if they cannot win the title of CSAC champions as a whole, the teams are cheering on their players to win tournaments and individual accomplishments.

“I would say one of the players on our team is going to win the CSAC individually, just don’t know who yet but I think one of us will,” Anders said, adding that he is

confident in the team’s odds of winning.

The season beginnings on March 21 with men’s golf playing at Philadelphia University Spring Invitational at the ACE Club, while the women will play the St. Davids Golf Club for the Eastern University Spring Invitational.

Cabrini will be hosting CSAC’s Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30 at Bellwood Country Club in North Coventry, Pa. “As a team, the only thing we can look at is winning the CSAC. What happens after that will happen if it happens.

We just have to focus on winning the CSAC and that is all,” Gall said.

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Rowing team starting their inaugural season

BY MEGAN NILAN Staff Writer

The fall semester marked the first in Cabrini University history for its rowing team. Serving as a learning experience, the team hopes to continue its development and improve“Rowing revolves around teamwork, and I think our fall season really helped to create a stronger team and lots of friendships,” Lauren Markowitz said.

“Sometimes negative times approach just like lack of patience or doubting yourself and others as a team.

But personally, I know that I felt like we weren’t going to perform as well as other teams because we were new. In the end, we ended up winning and all of those mixed emotions were all in my head,” Markowitz said.

Markowitz said that all of the competitions were very enjoyable. “It’s always so intense during the race, but it’s so rewarding afterwards to know that all of your hard work paid off,” Markowitz said.

“As far as competitions go, I absolutely love the regattas that we go to. There is just this busy air of excitement, and everyone there is in the same boat as you (no pun intended),” Liz Hammond said. “Since we were all new to the sport, it was really cool to see everyone find their strokes and strength throughout the season,” Hammond said.

There will be new team members joining in the fall this year, which is very exciting for all of the current members. They will be able to pass on their knowledge about the sport to others who are interested in it and will expand their team. Hammond says that the season went very well for her, but it just took her some time to get used to the schedule, as it did for many other members as well.

“My mindset for this season is really just to buckle down and focus on technique. Before we were racing the clock, but now we are racing the other boats in the water,” Hammond said. “You need to have perfect technique to achieve what you want during this, and strength is going

PHOTO BY CABRINI ATHLETICS

Cabrini rowing at their Navy Day regatta. to be what really allows us to give our strokes that extra power to beat our competition.”

Meg Murtha said that the fall season was challenging because everyone on the team was new to rowing, except for their coxswain who had six years of experience, and one rower who had a year of experience in high school.

With great efforts, the entire team basically learned how to row and race within eight weeks.

“One significant change to the team is that we have five new rowers who just had their first experience out on the water, during the team’s spring break training!

Another change for the spring is the length of the races,” Murtha said. “In the Fall the races were 5K but in the Spring the races will be 2K.” Meg said that his means the races will be more like sprints, and it also means the team has to work together to move the boat faster over a shorter distance.

“For the new season, my mindset is that there is still a

lot of room for improvement from everyone on the team.

I would like for my teammates to continue to work hard and push themselves to new limits in order for us all to reach our goals of going to the NCAAs, and earning a qualifying spot for the Head of the Charles Regatta, which will take place October 2017,” Murtha said.

“For each athlete to know they are doing the work to be as prepared as they can be when we get to the starting line,” Janit Gorka, head coach of the rowing team, said.

“Most of the team is new to the sport—we will adjust goals with every season, but from my perspective, I am stressing this season that the team members should be proud of what they accomplished so far, but to keep reaching for more speed and effectiveness every day.

Also for the team, I want them to come into the season in good physical condition so we don’t have a long ramp-up time.”

“Truthfully, how many college students want to wake up at 5:00 am? Besides that, many are learning how to be full-fledged athletes while also learning technique,” Gorka said. “It’s not easy. We practice twice a day some days during the season, especially when conditions are bad to get on the water. They have had to be flexible and adjust to additional practices in the afternoon this week because it has been so cold and dark in the morning. They’ve had blisters, sore muscles, and are sleep-deprived. We are fortunate to have had some tough Cavaliers.”

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PHOTO BY JANIT GORKA

Cabrini practices out on the Schuylkill River to prepare for a race.

SPORTS

THELOQUITUR.COM | 14

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

What is in store for Cabrini’s men lacrosse team in 2017?

BY HOPE DALUISIO Staff Writer

Now that spring break is over, Cabrini’s men’s lacrosse season is in full swing. Their home opener was on Feb. 18 against the Haverford College Fords and ended with a 13-10 win.

“The first game went well, we came out strong but got a little too comfortable and let Haverford come back into the game,” senior captain Evan Downey said. “We are a young team so there is always things we can learn from each game.”

With a win in their home opener followed by two more wins the Cavs are looking forward to a promising season. The win against Haverford marks the team’s sixth consecutive season opening win.

“I think we played well for most of the game, the fourth quarter we kind of let up a little bit,” assistant coach and defense coordinator P.T. Ricci said.

“We have a lot of new guys playing, a lot of freshmen and sophomores who

didn’t see a lot of minutes.

Overall I was happy with the effort.”

Being such a young team, captains Evan Downey and Steve Halko both work hard to help the new team members get adjusted.

“The biggest thing coming in as a freshman is getting the nerves out of the way,” Downey said.

“Your first college game can be a very exciting thing and it can throw you off your game if you let it. The biggest thing I try to do for the young guys is settle them down and let them know they earned the time they are getting on the field.”

Compared to playing in high school, college lacrosse is a lot different.

This season there are 17 freshmen on the team.

“As a freshman and being from out of state it’s definitely a little intimidating coming into a team environment where everyone is already so close,” freshmen Tommy DeLuca said. “But the captains were right there to help all of us the first day we got here. Myself and the

rest of the freshmen have become really close with the entire team so we don’t really feel like new guys anymore which is great.”

The freshmen on the team are making the most of their time that they get playing including DeLuca.

DeLuca was able to break his way into the starting line up as a freshmen, recording his first big defensive play in their home opener against Haverford.

“I think we did really well in our first few games,” DeLuca said. “We had a long spring break trip with a lot of time on a bus but we stayed focused the entire time and managed to play as hard as we could’ve each game.”

The boys grabbed their first away win against Lynchburg College, crushing the Hornets 13-7. DeLuca caused two turnovers to add to his previous two against Haverford.

Downey is starting off his senior season on fire with 10 goals in the first four games.

“The season looks bright for us we have a lot of

returners on the offensive side of the ball,” Downey said. “Our defense is young but are very talented.

We have a tough out of conference schedule that should prepare us a lot come may for the NCAA tournament.”

The season is looking promising for the team and they are eager to head towards the NCAA tournament. They are working on staying healthy and continuously practicing in order to grab more wins.

“Every year we prepare to win a national championship,” Ricci said. “Obviously you want to win a conference championship and you want to make a run in the NCAA tournament, so ideally we want to get a home game in the first or second round in the tournament and go from there.”

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HOPE DALUISIO / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

The Cavs are looking to capture a 17th straight conference title.

March Madness: The history, tradition and odds of winning

BY JESSICA FERRARELLI Staff Writer

It is March and sports fans know what that means: basketball. Participants are excited and have their brackets handy as they watch their picks win or lose. But where did this popular competition originate and what are the odds of creating a perfect bracket?

History and Tradition March Madness originally began in Illinois. It started out as a state-wide high school basketball competition sponsored by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in 1908 and grew to over 900 schools in the late 1930s. It became so big by 1939 that it sold out the University of Illinois gym.

On March 27, 1939, University of Oregon won against The Ohio State University to become the first NCAA men’s basketball tournament champions.

The phrase “March Madness” came from Henry V. Porter, an executive from IHSA, who wrote about it in a letter entitled “March Madness.” The name stuck with the media and was officially trademarked by IHSA in 1989.

The term was picked up by the NCAA in 1982.

For the first 12 years of the men’s tournament, only eight teams played. It grew steadily to the 68 teams we have today. The first NCAA women’s tournament was held in 1982.

Fans today love it for the fast-paced action and unpredictability of who is going to win.

“I love the spontaneity and the speed of it all. The match-ups are thrilling because it is rare to see a very competitive game between a number one seed and an unknown team. I love seeing the underdogs win or even just give the team a run for their money,” Anna Russo, a sophomore sociology and criminology major with a minor in leadership, said. Russo has been following March Madness since high school.

Fans also love it for the few weeks of constant games and action.

“All day, every day is basketball” Sean Dailey, a sophomore human resource major, said.

Brackets To make a bracket, it is common for people to do research on the teams and players. Checking their statistics and how they’ve done in the past combined with a knowledge of basketball increases the odds of a team winning.

For Cabrini students there is a bias toward local teams, specifically Villanova. However, Villanova was recently eliminated from the competition after losing against Wisconsin.

“I am really sad that Nova got knocked out this early but their match-up was pretty tough for the second round. It was a hard-fought game but still disappointing,” Russo said.

However there are other popular teams that students are rooting for.

“There is a bias toward North Carolina because they are always consistently good and I predicted them winning,” Kyisha Bright, a junior criminology and philosophy major, said.

The NCAA Tournament kicked off this year on March 14.

Betting and The Odds “March Madness is complicated. If you’re going to do it be careful. Don’t bet too much money on it because you could lose a lot,” Dailey said.

It is estimated by the American Gaming Association that 70 million brackets will be filled out this year. The number of total bets is estimated at about $10.4 billion, up 13 percent from last year.

“To create a perfect bracket it’s like one in a billion, it’s next to impossible,” Dailey said.

The actual odds of creating the perfect bracket is one in 9.2 quintillion. It is incredibly unlikely but not impossible.

However a math professor from DePaul University argues that having knowledge of the sport increases the odds of winning to one in 128 billion.

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SPORTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

THELOQUITUR.COM | 15

Attacking the stigmas of men’s lacrosse

Cabrini men’s lacrosse team celebrates as a team after a huge win.

BY RYAN BRONG Assistant Sports Editor

There is a common argument among sports fans about what the most popular sport in America is. One sport is always sorely overlooked, which happens to be the country’s oldest sport.

Lacrosse has been around for centuries. Known as the “Creator’s game,” it was played by Native Americans in the northern parts of what is now the United States, as well as in parts of Canada. The game was played by Native Americans as a healing game, and was played for the Creator’s enjoyment.

Although lacrosse is not the most popular sport, there are many stereotypes and stigmas that surround the game and its players, much like any other sport.

Lacrosse’s most prominent platform is in the NCAA at the division I level with almost 70 men’s programs throughout the country, however, across all levels of play, a stigma follows the game.

The fact of the matter is lacrosse is perceived as a predominantly “privilegedwhite” sport. According to a 2010 study by the NCAA, just over 90 percent of division I male lacrosse players are white.

But the other fact is that lacrosse is the fastest and largest growing sport in the country. In another study done by the NCAA, lacrosse has increased more efficiently than any other sport. Compared

to more widely popular sports whose participation numbers fluctuate and ultimately plateau, lacrosse has seen a steady increase over the past decade.

With that growth, lacrosse has seen some increases in diversity as well.

According to NCAA demographic research, when the diversity study was done for the 2009-10’ season, there were almost 10,000 total male lacrosse players in the sport of lacrosse throughout all divisions. Of those athletes almost 91 percent were white and under one percent of players were African American.

When the same study was conducted for the 2015-16’ season, there were over 13,000 male lacrosse players in the country throughout all divisions. Of that only about 85 percent of players were white and almost four percent were African American.

Though the numbers are not very significant, progress is nonetheless shown. But diversity progress in the game of lacrosse can be seen in other ways.

Tommy DeLuca, freshman defender for Cabrini, relates the stigma to cost of lacrosse.

“I think combating the stereotypes comes down to expanding the game to minority areas and spread it from its secluded popular areas,” DeLuca said.

“Also supplying equipment where its needed.”

Programs like Harlem Lacrosse are

HOPE DALUISIO / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

popping up all over the country, and helping underprivileged high school students be engaged in school and create a positive future.

The Harlem Lacrosse programs demographic is 92 percent AfricanAmerican, Latino or multiracial.

Another sign of diversity can be found at Hampton University. The Hampton University men’s lacrosse team became the first all-black team to play at the Division I level in 2016.

But within the locker rooms and among the players, a much different stereotype is present. The idea of the “lax bro,” has plagued the sport of lacrosse in more recent years. The players who flaunt their long hair and flash their stick skills whenever they get the chance.

But is this really who lacrosse players are?

Cabrini’s most successful sport over the past two decades has been men’s lacrosse.

The Cavaliers have won 16 straight conference championships. Under the guidance of head coach Steve Colfer, the Cavaliers have title number 17 in their sights.

Senior defensive midfielder, Colin McGavin, from Springfield, Va., and has been playing lacrosse for 11 years.

McGavin believes that social media has skewed the image of what lacrosse players really are.

“I think the generational wave of long-

haired players who wear bright-colored uniforms and apparel,” McGavin said. “It’s connected the modern lacrosse player to the hippy culture that engulfed the United States in the mid 1960s to the early 1970s.”

McGavin believes that the parallels drawn between the two cultures, associates both good and bad aspects with each other with is not the case. McGavin’s example is the laid back culture of the hippy era and the reliance on drugs, like marijuana, becomes meshed with the lifestyle of a lacrosse player when it in fact is not the case.

McGavin’s teammate, sophomore midfielder, Billy Morgan, agrees that the stigmas come from social media and media portraying players in a negative light, specifically referencing the “Ultimate Lax Bro,” video.

“I’m guilty of the long hair,” Morgan said. The idea that he lives a lifestyle only based on the length of his hair is not true at all.

The truth of the matter is that perceptions of lacrosse players are not always accurate. The idea that all lacrosse players behave a certain way based on a minority of players in the sport is unfair to those trying to promote and enjoy a growing sport.

RJBRONG@GMAIL.COM

Diamond in the dugout, Cabrini’s new head coach

BY KAITLYN D’AMBROSIO Assistant News Editor

Cabrini University is starting baseball season with their new and first head coach Nick Weisheipl.

Weisheipl has been coaching baseball for 14 years working with college teams all over the country.

First he started out coaching at Clark College, CABRINI ATHLETICS which is now a Nick Weisheipl University, in Dubuque, Iowa. Then continued to The University of Wisconsin of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis. After the University of WisconsinStout, Weisheipl was assistant coach and moved up to head coach in Notre Dame College in Cleveland, Ohio. He then came to Pennsylvania working with Villanova University and West Chester University for

two seasons each before taking on head coach here at Cabrini University.“My professional playing career ended so I wanted to stay in the game and I always wanted to be in the teaching aspect of the game,” Weisheipl said.

“Then coaching was a natural fit.” Weisheipl stated that his favorite part about coaching is “seeing somebody accomplish something that they previously struggled with.”“Maybe a hitter was having trouble with a certain part of their swing and to be able to work on it over and over so they would finally be able to grasp the concept of doing it right,” Weisheipl said. “Then going into a game and them be successful with it is the most rewarding part of coaching.”

Weisheipl has been playing baseball long before he started coaching.

“I played baseball ever since can remember,” Weisheipl said. “It started out with tee ball back in my hometown back in Wis. I played all the way up through high school, college and professionally.”

Weisheipl played baseball for Beloit College as a young adult. “It’s a small D. III school in Southern Wis. a little bit smaller than Cabrini,” Weisheipl said. “A similar type of school to like a Swarthmore higher academic school.”

He then continued playing professionally in Germany for Regensburg Legionaere.

When he’s not coaching, Weisheipl plays baseball on the side for the Greater Philadelphia Men’s Adult Baseball League. “We play in the Philadelphia area and it’s a men’s 35-older league,” Weisheipl said. Weisheipl has future plans and hopes for Cabrini Baseball.

“Getting the best players possible but not only from a talent standpoint but also from a makeup standpoint.

Guys that are good citizens on campus that want to be involved in campus clubs, intramurals and things beyond baseball,” Weisheipl said. ”That’s what’s going to put Cabrini baseball on the map in a bigger way so winning games with great players but also getting the type of players that want to be what Cabrini is all about not just being here to play baseball.”

Thus far, Weisheipl has enjoyed his time at Cabrini.

“The coaches are all open-door type coaches, which fits me,” Weisheipl said. “It’s a very easy-going atmosphere here in the department where everybody is always pulling for each other and helping each there out so my experience has been nothing but great.”

KDAMBROSIO97@GMAIL.COM

SPORTS

THURSDAY, MARCH , 2017

THELO QUITUR.COM | 16

Cabrini Athletics welcomes a new face to its team

PHOTO BY CABRINI ATHLETICS

Example from Trent Brown’s work.

BY RAHMERE GRIFFIN Staff Writer

Cabrini has recently named a new Athletics Communication Director in David Howell. With Howell in charge he had the responsibility of supervising the new assistant athletic communication director, Trent Brown.

Brown is the first person to have this position in Cabrini’s history.

Being the assistant athletic communication director requires a lot of an individual. Some of the day to day tasks include, maintaining public relations for the Cabrini Cavaliers, keep up and updating the Cabrini Athletics website, coordinating all game day sports information operations and having a good social media presence.

They also have to develop short and long-term strategic media relations plans for athletic events. Not to mention they have to utilize multiple platforms of communication to promote Cabrini’s sports programs through things like press releases, social media, websites and personal contacts. There are a lot of responsibilities that come with being assistant athletics communication director but there is no doubt that Trent Brown is the man for the job.

“Everything you see on the website comes from myself and Dave (Howell),” said Brown.

Before Brown came to Cabrini he worked for the Middle Atlantic Conference office. He was the Administrative Assistant Director there where he had an array of responsibilities. He assisted in the organization and administration of all the championship events that the league held. This included taking inventory of all the products and designing all of the banners and programs.

He was also very involved with the Middle Atlantic Conference social media imprint and worked on special segments for thing including Play of the Week.

Before working at the Middle Atlantic Conference office, Brown was participated in an internship

with Messiah College, a private Christian college in Mechanicsburg, PA. There he was widely involved in their athletic communication office. Brown took part in their post game recaps, web management, photography and other media projects. Brown graduated from Bowling Green University back in 2015 with a degree in sports management and a minor in marketing.

Now Trent Brown is here to bring all of that experience to Cabrini. With Brown here Cabrini can expect a new, revamped athletic communication department.

The evolution of social media allows the athletic communication department to have an opportunity to implement new innovative ideas. One noticeable accomplishment that has been done since Cabrini brought on the new additions is that Cabrini’s athletics website was greeted with a new facelift. The website is now easier to navigate and features more outlets to Cabrini athletics other social media platforms including Instagram, Youtube and Twitter. This is one of many changes that is bound to come with Trent Brown as assistant athletics communications director.

“I have taken on all of the graphic design stuff and all of the smaller tasks get split on a day to day basis, just whatever needs to be done.”

RAHMEREJDGRIFFIN@GMAIL.COM

Baseball team catches the eye of perspectives students

EMILY ROWAN / PHOTO EDITOR

Freshman second baseman Lee Smith watches on during a game at the Cavs brand new turf field.

BY JESSICA FERRARELLI Staff Writer

The players on Cabrini University’s first baseball team are gearing up for their first season. The decision to add baseball has attracted students from all over the country who may not have considered Cabrini if it was not for the new team.

Ryan Givens, a junior communication major, graphic design minor and pitcher for Cabrini’s baseball team, is originally from Florida and transferred from a college in Chicago. He has been playing baseball since he was 2-years-old.

While looking at colleges to transfer to, Givens received a call from Cabrini’s coach and took a tour of the campus. When he saw the trophies and banners in the Dixon Center he knew he wanted to make history by being a part of Cabrini’s first baseball team.

“For me coming to a first-year program what I thought would be cool was to be the first one to do that and to be the first member, first team to put up a baseball banner or baseball trophy. I thought that would be bigger than winning a national championship,” Givens said.

Most players on the new baseball team, like Givens,

would not have attended Cabrini if the team was not added.

“The guys on the team are baseball players through and through so had there not been an opportunity to play here at Cabrini 99 percent of the guys would have gone on to play at other institutions, in my opinion,” Nick Weisheipl, head coach of baseball, said.

Jake Dohar is a freshman human resource management major. He is originally from Ohio and has been playing baseball for 13 years.

“I think baseball just brings that summertime sport together and there is just something about it that is special,” Dohar said.

He is currently an outfielder and pitcher on the new team and is part of that one percent described by Weisheipl that would have attended Cabrini even without the baseball team.

When looking for schools, Dohar fell in love with the small, beautiful campus. Unlike Givens, baseball was an element that Dohar was looking for in a college but it was not a determining factor for him and he may have still come to Cabrini if he could not play.

“It was important to me because I still love playing the game but it was not the end of the world if I couldn’t,”

Dohar said.

Cabrini decided to add baseball for a number of reasons, according to Weisheipl.

“A recruiting and enrollment vehicle for the institution, another positive opportunity for students to get involved in campus activities and to create another engaging group to promote the mission of the University in the local community and beyond. It’s been a wonderful addition to an already exciting department and University,” Weisheipl said.

Adding a new sport to a college can be difficult and a large challenge to tackle but the enthusiastic community at Cabrini made it a whole lot easier.

“With our facilities, coaching staff, vision, incredible winning tradition of the department and gorgeous campus, it doesn’t take a whole lot extra to get folks on board with Cabrini baseball and the University as a whole,” Weisheipl said. “Being a part of something brand new actually was advantageous for us.”

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JFERRARELLI215@GMAIL.COM