Oct. 29, 2020 issue 02 Loquitur

YOU SPEAK WE LISTEN

CABRINI UNIVERSITY THELOQUITUR.COM

VOL. LXII, ISSUE 2

THURSDAY, OCT., 29 2020

EDITORIAL

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WE ARE THE

LOQUITUR 2020-2021 Editorial Staff

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

D-Day: America needs an FDR moment; has Joe Biden’s life made him the man to deliver?

BY FAITH PITSIKOULIS MEDIA EDITING MANAGER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARIA LATTANZE WRITING MANAGING EDITOR MEGAN FEE MEDIA MANAGING EDITOR FAITH PITSIKOULIS NEWS EDITORS GABBY CELLUCCI AMERICA LOPEZ-SANTIAGO SPORTS EDITORS TY DAUBERT KEVIN MCLAUGHLIN LIFESTYLES EDITORS LAYAL SROUR PERSPECTIVES EDITOR LAUREN KELLEY SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER FAITH PITSIKOULIS LAYOUT AND DESIGN EDITOR MIRANDA SMITH 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. Loquitur Media provides a forum of free expression. All members of the university community may submit work to the editors for possible inclusion. Publication is based on the editorial decision of the editors.

Vice President Biden at joint headquarters named in honor of his son Major Beau Biden III on May 30, 2016.

American democracy is experiencing its most dangerous moment since World War II. • A worldwide pandemic that has hit the United States harder than any other country.

• A stumbling economy on the verge of a recession, matched with a downpour of evictions and high unemployment.

• Americans lining up for hours outside of food banks.

• Racial killings exposing centuries of systemic racism, sparking protests across the country.

• Climate change making the wildfires on the West Coast worse and increasing the frequency and strength of hurricanes to decimate towns in Southern states.

• Philadelphians seeing the sky turn orange from wildfires across the country.

• The death of a beloved Supreme Court Justice.

• Citizens plotting to kidnap and kill their own elected officials.

• Election interference from Russia and Iran • An unprecedented lack of commitment to a peaceful transition of power from the sitting president of the United States.

The last time America found itself at such a crossroads, Franklin D. Roosevelt took office amid a great depression and a rising Nazi Germany led by Hitler. FDR’s New Deal provided jobs, constructed public infrastructure, stimulated the economy, protected the environment and aided farmers and other hard-hit workers.

The major crises we listed show a great need for effective leadership.

Donald Trump has been in charge of our country’s response to these challenges in his first term, so we know his record well. How would Joe Biden respond to these same challenges? Biden’s long record allows us to try and determine if his experience has prepared him for these major challenges. Does Joe Biden have what it takes to build us back better? Let us examine his experience, and you can decide on your own.

COVID-19 Biden experienced multiple pandemics as vice president during the Obama Administration. In 2014, the Obama administration deployed U.S. troops and medical personnel in West Africa to build treatment centers and provide assistance during the Ebola pandemic. Before leaving office, the administration left President Trump a global health infrastructure plan with lessons they learned, mostly designed by one of Biden’s top aides.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Loquitur accepts letters to the editors. The letters 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 sent via email to loquitur@cabrini.edu

Economic Crisis In 2009, he was put in charge of unifying Democrats and Republicans to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It became the biggest economic recovery plan in U.S. history, ending the Great Recession and saving the American auto industry. A couple years later, Biden brought both parties together again and avoided a government shutdown by passing the Budget Control Act of 2011. He fought for votes in Congress to pass the Affordable Care Act, guaranteeing protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and access to affordable healthcare for more than 20 million Americans.

U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD PHOTO BY TECH. SGT. BLAKLEY/ RELEASED

Systemic Racism After earning his law degree from Syracuse University, Biden became a public defender for underrepresented minorities in East Wilmington. He later ran for County Council to combat housing discrimination. In the 1980s, he gave a well-known speech against apartheid in South Africa, condemning the neutrality of the American government. After the Obama-Biden Administration, life expectancy and high school graduation rates had reached historic highs for Black Americans. The incarceration rate for African-Americans decreased every year during their administration. If elected president, Biden will have served with the first Black president and the first Black, Asian American woman vice president.

Climate Change Biden introduced the Global Climate Protection Act in 1987 - the first climate change bill in the Senate. The act developed a national plan to combat climate change and created a task force on global warming. As vice president, he traveled the country and met with leaders of both parties to effectively implement the largest investment in clean energy in U.S. history. Included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the plan spent more than $90 billion investing in clean energy, promoting job creation in manufacturing and deploying low-carbon technologies.

Personal Experiences The United States is severely divided. America needs a leader who will bring unity, listen to science, restore relationships around the globe and stop the deaths of innocent Americans at the hands of COVID-19. Do you think Joe Biden’s experiences will help him meet this moment? He is a kid from Scranton who grew up in a Roman Catholic, working class family. He was a decent football player at a university that was not a prestigious Ivy League school. Will those experiences help him lead at a time when religious tensions are high, families are struggling to pay their bills and college students are so badly in debt?

A month after winning his Senate seat in 1972, Biden’s wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. The young senator took his oath of office in a hospital room where his two sons were recovering from severe injuries. Biden took an Amtrak train from Washington, D.C. back home to Wilmington every day, so he could tuck his sons into bed each night after work. Will those experiences help him lead at a time when thousands of families have lost loved ones, and many Americans are now the only source of income for their households?

Biden’s oldest son Beau served in the U.S. Army and deployed to Iraq for a little over a year. In 2015, Beau passed away from brain cancer. Before leaving office in 2016, Biden launched the White House Cancer Moonshot initiative. The plan is a strategy to transform cancer research and double the rate of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Will those experiences help Biden lead as Commander in Chief of the military and determined to reach scientific breakthroughs?

Future of America Biden’s past is no guarantee for the future, but the former vice president has experienced so many of the challenges that Americans are currently seeing ripple through their communities. He has spent his entire life repairing his own family, faith and future. If elected, will he be able to repair the future of America?

We have had four years to see Donald Trump’s response to these challenges. Are you satisfied with the job he has done? Do you think Joe Biden would do a better job? You will have your chance to answer on Nov. 3.

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a PHOTO ON WIKI COMMONS

President Obama and Vice President Biden meeting with U.S. Mayors in 2009

California Wildfires

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NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

THELOQUITUR.COM | 3

Biden vs. Trump: Where do they stand on political issues?

BY GABRIELLE CELLUCCI NEWS EDITOR

Joe Biden’s Political Position

Donald Trump’s Political Position

Plan for COVID-19 Pandemic Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ seven-point plan includes ensuring all Americans have access to COVID-19 testing, fixing problems regarding personal protective equipment like face mask production, providing national guidance and resources based off of evidence for communities and resources for schools and small businesses, planning for treatment and vaccine distribution, protecting high-risk Americans such as the elderly, rebuilding and expanding defenses to predict, prevent and mitigate pandemic threats and implementing mask mandates across the nation. Biden supports reopening schools during the pandemic as well and does not want to withdraw from the World Health Organization.

Plan for COVID-19 Pandemic Trump does not support a mask mandate across the nation. Trump does support expanding federal action for COVID-19 testing, safely fast-tracking the development of an effective vaccine for COVID-19 in order to end the pandemic, reopening schools during the pandemic and withdrawing from the World Health Organization.

Plan for Criminal Justice According to Trump’s campaign website, he and his administration have worked with local law enforcement to protect American communities, protected all American’s rights, worked with the Department of Justice to confront organized crime, reshaped the American courts and addressed school violence. Trump does not support defunding the police, ending qualified immunity for police officers, legalizing recreational marijuana on a federal level and ending cash bails. Trump supports lowering the mandatory minimum prison sentences, the death penalty and privatizing prisons.

Plan for Criminal Justice Biden’s plan for criminal justice reform includes reducing the amount of people incarcerated, rooting out the racial, gender and income disparities in the criminal justice system, focusing more on rehabilitation and stopping those who profit off of the criminal justice system. Biden does not support defunding the police, the death penalty or privitizing prisons. Biden does support ending cash bails. Biden would reform qualified immunity for police officers, which currently protects them from lawsuits. Biden said that he would eliminate mandatory minimum prison sentences.

However, according to the Washington Post, Biden has a history of supporting legislation for mandatory minimum prison sentences during the 36 years that he worked in the Senate. Biden does not support the legalization fo marijuana but would decriminalize it.

Plan for Economy According to his campaign site, Trump’s administration lead “congress passed historic tax cuts and relief for hard-working Americans.” Trump’s campaign site reads that the United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth increased, though it does not say anything about the economy since the pandemic has started. Trumped signed an executive order that expanded federally funded apprenticeships and on-the-job training. Trump supports the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal, “Made in America” policies, eviction moratoriums amid COVID-19 and tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump does not support the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which he withdrew from during his time as president, or allowing the Federal Reserve to work separately from political pressure. It is unclear whether or not Trump supports raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. According to the Washington Post, Trump supports funding up to 12 weeks of paid leave for Americans, but there would be limited action set in place.

Plan for the Economy According to Biden’s campaign site, Biden plans to provide state and local governments with aid to prevent educators, firefighters and other essential workers from losing their jobs, extend COVID-19 crisis unemployment insurance and provide packages for small businesses that were affected by the pandemic. Biden supports raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal, “Made in America” policies, the Federal Reserve to operate separately from any political pressure, eviction moratoriums during COVID-19 and provide funding for paid family leave for up to 12 weeks. Biden plans to negotiate parts of the TransPacific Partnership trade deal and re-evaluate tariffs on Chinese goods.

Plan for Immigration Biden plans on modernizing the United State’s current immigration system and welcoming immigrants, asylum-seekers and refugees into communities. According to his campaign site, Biden also plans to deal with “the root causes of irregular migration” and “implement effective border screening.” Biden does not support families being separated at the border due to the “zero tolerance” policy, building a wall on the United States-Mexico border, banning sanctuary cities and less than 50,000 refugees being accepted in the United States per year. According to the Washington Post, Biden supports a moratorium on deportations. Biden wants to increase the number of high-skilled immigrants, but after the system has been reformed.

Plan for Immigration Trump’s campaign website says that Trump has enforced immigration laws in order to protect the American people, their communities and their jobs, especially enforcing U.S. border security. Trump supports “zero tolerance” policies, banning sanctuary cities and having less than 50,000 refugees being accepted into the United States per year. Trump does not support moratoriums on deportations. Trump does support having more high-skilled immigrants coming to the United States but not during the pandemic.

Contnue Reading Online

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Diversity speaker says ‘It’s hard to hate close up’

BY SOPHIA GERNER STAFF WRITER

“It’s hard to hate close up,” Nydia Han, 6ABC News anchor and Emmy award-winning journalist, said.

On Oct. 7, the Office of University Diversity Initiatives, Black Student Union and Pura Vida hosted Nydia Han in a virtual discussion that invited the Cabrini community to join in on. Han talked about Xenophobia and racism in America. Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of those who are foreign. Han talked about the hardships that came with growing up as an Asian American and how life has become harder with people blaming all Asian Americans for the coronavirus.

Han went on to talk about an altercation she had with a driver while she was walking across the street one day. She explained during the event how the driver proceeded to yell out of the car window, “This is America.” This moment sparked a discussion and is what made Han want to dig deeper into that comment. She described what the feeling of not belonging and what “not as American” felt like to her.

“After 20 plus years as a journalist, I had hoped people would see me as an American journalist,” Han said.

Han decided to turn this situation into an opportunity to have a conversation with all different types of people. She started interviewing anyone she could and ended up creating a documentary series called “This is America” with the hopes it will lift each other up and help make this country an inclusive place.

Han described how, especially right now, so many different communities are hurting and the only way to fix that is to come together and help each other. “No one community can do this alone,” Han said. “And it all starts with a conversation.”

“America is always a working project, it’s never finished,” Han said. She left us saying this experience has made her come to realize that the more she embraces who she is, the happier of a life she lives. She hopes if we can remember anything from her talk, that is the message we leave with.

Naiser Warren-Robinson, sophomore communications and Black studies major and president of BSU, was one of the many who attended Han’s talk. As one of the sponsors of this event, BSU strives to have a positive influence on the community and were excited to take the opportunity to be one of Han’s sponsors.

Warren-Robinson talked about how Han’s discussion directly and indirectly affects the world we are living in today and said it was an obvious answer to say yes when they were given the opportunity to sponsor it. He said, “Struggling and racism is universal and it requires the unity and the voices of everyone to ensure that everyone is treated with the same equality in this country and in this world.”

Another one of “Xenophobia in America” sponsors was Pura Vida. Pura Vida members hold meetings about the social injustices in the community.

Hawirk Munoz, junior international business and political science major and social media coordinator of Pura Vida, said the group wants to continue to sponsor as many events as they can to keep the name fresh in the community’s heads so students know there is a group that is welcoming and there for them.

When asked what message she thinks people should take away from this discussion Munoz said, “You are a part of the beautiful culture that we have on campus, it’s something made for the campus to know that we’re growing in diversity.”

“Xenophobia in America” ended with the message telling everyone to reach outside of his or her own bubbles and to have conversations to actually get to know each other. “It starts with a conversation.

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6ABC News Anchor Nydia Han

NYDIA HAN

NEWS

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council initiated at Cabrini University

BY MARIA LATTANZE, MEGAN FEE AND FAITH PITSIKOULIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WRITING MANAGING EDITOR, MEDIA MANAGING EDITOR A new advisory council entitled “Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity,” or DEI Advisory Council, has started at the University. The co-chairs of this new council are Eric Tidwell and Dr. Ronald Whitaker.

About the Co-Chairs Tidwell is an alumnus, class of 1996, a member of the Cabrini Alumni Board, part of the Cabrini Athletic hall of fame and member of the Board of Trustees. As a member of the Board of Trustees, Tidwell is able to see things at different levels and different perspectives.

Ultimately, the students are his passion. Going to most, if not all of the events Cabrini holds, he enjoys talking to the students and understanding, from their standpoint, what is going on and how things are run on a day-to-day basis.

“My passion came from understanding that these issues are happening and knowing that these issues are happening at Cabrini,” Tidwell said.

“It was time to be involved, not so much as from a trustee member, but time to get my hands involved and be personally invested in to address these issues.”

Whitaker was recruited six years ago to grapple with issues relating to diversity, equity and inclusion as well as culturally responsible pedagogy in the school of education during that time. The courses that Whitaker teaches at the university as well as the articles such as journals, book chapters and op-eds that he writes all grapple with the such issues including issues around race and racism. Additionally, he went deeper in his training and knowledge by completing a graduate certificate at Cornell University in diversity and inclusion.

“Once this council came about, Eric reached out to me about how we want to introduce some deep-rooted initiatives that will lead to long term change,” Whitaker said. “That way, in 10 years from now, we have an inclusivity infrastructure in place that really values all of our stakeholders and, primarily in this context, our students.”

Background One of the main responsibilities of the Board of Trustees is to uphold Cabrini’s mission statement, upholding social justice. The Board of Trustees must make sure Cabrini abides by the mission when looking at different types of issues on campus (past and present) and currently in society.

“The board knew it was time,” Tidwell said. “The board said that we need to be able to give more focus to this, more focus than it would get in the past. It was time for the Board of Trustees to be accountable and this gave them the ability to work with everyone at the university.

From staff to students, to have everyone work together to address these issues.”

a top-down approach meaning there is no set structure within the board and no hierarchy.

“We want to make sure that we had diversity in terms of representation on the council that they can share from their unique vantage point,” Whitaker said. “We want to make sure we had representation from a staff perspective, those key areas such as the admissions, athletics and residents. We needed to make sure that everyone was a part of this because no one is an expert in terms of DEI for the entire campus because we are all looking at it from different perspectives.”

The second and most biggest aspect of starting this advisory council are the students. The students have to be involved through student voice.

“The students are so key to this,” Tidwell said. “We got to see things through their lens. The students are the main drivers behind this.”

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Goals According to their mission statement, the council’s goal is to make Cabrini a more welcoming campus for all, especially BIPOC students, Latinx students, LGBTQIA+ students, first generation students and international students.

Their mission statement explains that the council “seeks to provide recommendations, goals, outcome indicators, and accountability measures to the Cabrini University senior leadership team with the hopes of advocating for true equity for students and a robust inclusivity infrastructure, in which everyone feels a sense of belonging at Cabrini University.”

Their main goals are to address current practices and provide equal access to all students on campus, especially those who were excluded or marginalized or belonging to minority groups in the past. They want to give all students a sense of belonging. They plan to proactively educate everyone on campus to prevent racial insensitivity and discrimination and will identify current and past issues and develop responsive strategies. They aspire to create processes whereby confirmed or suspected cases of discrimination will be reported, investigated and addressed.

Both Tidwell and Whitaker agree that transparency, accountability and sustainability are crucial to this operation and in implementing their goals.

“Everyone has to be accountable,” Tidwell said. “The expectation is how we make it the best experience for the students and that’s what we are here for. We need to make this happen.”

Originally named the DEI Taskforce, it was changed to an advisory council.

He went on to explain that he wants everyone, including alumni, to feel proud of our institution.

“We decided not to go with the task force name,” Tidwell said. “The DEI task force mainly means short term and deals with a single issue and the issues we are dealing with are not short term.”

“The community is holding us accountable, it is not some sort of acute plan that lives in the mansion that no one has access to...,” Whittaker said.

Who is involved There are currently 25 members within the DEI advisory council, and all are welcome. There are two key aspects when starting this advisory council. First, it has to be a diverse group. The advisory council is not

Tidwell explained that their implementation strategy will be sustainable and measurable and that they will share the steps they take.

Both Tidwell and Whitaker explained that they felt “a sense of

GRAPHIC BY MEGAN FEE

A new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Council has started at Cabrini in order to to give a voice to students, faculty and alumni.

responsibility” and expect this council to be a voice on campus that creates change in the community and academics. They explained that this is not just an issue at Cabrini, as these issues are deeply rooted in the current system in the United States and that they intersect into organizations.

“This is not a once a semester thing,” Tidwell said. “...No longer can we accept these results that have been happening for generations,” Whitaker added.

“We can’t fail,” Tidwell said.

Hitting Close to Home Tidwell received a text message from a Cabrini alumus when he found out about the black@cabrini Instagram page that was created over the summer. The page’s posts describe incidents of racism and discrimination experienced by Cabrini students and faculty, past and present. Tidwell’s immediate reaction was anger, not at the posts themselves, but as a member of a community responsible for fighting injustices to seek a better environment for all. His anger quickly transpired into frustration for those who came forward with experiences of discrimination and intolerance.

“It really hit home,” Tidwell said. “It hit here [pointed to his heart].

Being a Black person, a Black man, being a Cabrini alum, knowing that what more could I have done to help any of those students, alumni, current students…who had incidents, to prevent those?”

Whitaker had mixed emotions about the page and expressed that faculty and staff at Cabrini underscore exactly what students go through on campus.

“It shouldn’t have been surprising, because unfortunately, whether we’re talking about faculty and staff of color, or faculty and staff that are part of the LGBTQI community, many of them have shared the same things in conversation,” Whitaker said.

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Whitaker warned that if Cabrini continues to ignore these incidents, the social justice aspect of its mission will become “watered down.”

He compared it to the “soup of the day” - everyone talks about it like it is special, but we do not view social justice as the main portion at our institution. When talking about the role of faith in the DEI Advisory Council, Whitaker spoke of the prophets in the Old Testament who warned that if the community did not repent for its sins, there would be destruction from within. This council intends to hold campus accountable, to right its wrongs and to change in solidarity with one another.

The DEI Advisory Council is aiming for a “holistic approach” to curriculum changes. Average history classes that include Black studies, Latinx studies and LGBTQI studies on a regular basis. The council has different working groups that are addressing specific topics across campus like integrating these studies into the core curriculum.

A significant motivation behind the creation of the DEI Advisory Council stems from the most important role both men play in their own lives.

Tidwell described his young daughter’s reaction to the Breonna Taylor verdict in Louisville, Kentucky. He was amazed how his little daughter knew right from wrong like it was just common sense. He believes most of the answers to Cabrini’s problems lie with the young students too.

“As a father, I realize how smart children are and how they see things the right way, and I feel students, at least the students I’ve interfaced with at Cabrini, have the same mindset.”

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LIFESTYLES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

THELOQUITUR.COM | 5

A first time voter’s guide to the 2020 election

BY MAX SILVERMAN STAFF WRITER

With the election right around the corner, many young and first-time voters are getting overwhelmed with how to vote and what to bring to the polls.

Additionally, corona virus protocols add more complications to this process. Here are some tips on how to vote and what is needed at the ballots. In order to be able to vote in-person in an election, a person must be at least 18 years old and be a resident of that state you plan to vote in. If someone is out of state or the country, they can apply for an absentee ballot and send their vote by mail.

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When registering to vote, you will also need to choose your county you will be voting in and the polling place you will be going to.

Choosing the right county is important so that votes can be tallied more accurately. The Pennsylvania State Department has a tool that can help find nearby polling places in a county.

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Once someone registers to vote, they should then research the candidates that will be on the ballot. While many people vote along party lines, it is important to see what candidates hold the values that you do.

Voting is one of the main ways we can influence change, so it is important to vote for people that holds viewpoints similar to yours.

Some websites will be able to tell what candidates will appear on your ballot such as Ballotpedia.

Before going to the polls, remember to know their hours. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. However, if there is a line when the polls close, those people can still vote. When standing in line to vote, there is a good possibility that you will be waiting for a few minutes to a few hours, so you should bring some snacks and water in case you get hungry or thirsty. In addition to bringing food and water, bringing a beach chair might be nice if there is a long line.

PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM

One crucial item needed to be able to vote for your first time is your ID. Almost any form of ID is valid.

A driver’s license, school ID, employee ID and even a US passport are all admitted.

Another important item to bring is a pen and a mask.

Because of COVID-19 protocols, polling places will not allow people to enter if they do not have a mask. VotesPA recommends voters to bring a pen to limit exposure with shared objects. Additionally, many polling places may not have pens to fill out a ballot.

When filling out a ballot, be sure to make your marks legible so that your vote can count. You must use a blue-ink or black-ink pen when filling out the ballot. Make sure that nobody else can see your ballot when handing it in.

After voting, be sure to watch the results on TV. Major broadcasters such as Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN will be televising this important event. However, due to the large amount of mail-in ballots this year, there is a good chance that the results of the election may be delayed.

While the voting process may seem overwhelming to new voters, it is relatively straightforward. Follow the polling place’s instructions, and just get out and make your voice count.

MJSILVERMAN2@GMAIL.COM

PHOTO BY TIM BROWN

Since lines for polling places may be long, bring food and water incase you get hungry and thirsty

Influencers are encouraging people to make a difference and GO VOTE!

BY LAYAL SROUR LIFESTYLES EDITOR

Go Vote! With the Nov. 3 election coming up, that’s the message many celebrities and social media influencers are sending out, using their voice and their platform to encourage people to go out and vote.

These influencers have a large following and are urging the younger generations to use their voice.

Celebrities such as Camila Cabello, Lizzo, Demi Lovato, Zoe Saldana, Meghan Markle, Kevin Hart, Shawn Mendes and many more creatively used their platform to get out the vote.

Celebrities Encouraging to Vote Zoe Saldana, the actress from “Guardians of the Galaxy,” partnered with the Vote Like a Madre campaign. This campaign encourages Latinx mothers, like herself, to vote for the candidate who supports action on climate change. In an Instagram video, Saldana said, “Pinky promise your kids that this election, you’ll Vote Like A Madre. That you will choose candidates with bold plans to fight climate change.”

Camilla Cabello took to her Instagram to encourage her followers to send in their ballots. She posted a photo of herself next to a ballot mail box for people who are voting by mail. The photo of Cabello showed her wearing a mask that said “VOTE” on it, as well. In the caption, she listed a few tips for voting by mail.

In the Billboard Awards on Oct. 14, Lizzo wore an off-shoulder black dress with the word “vote” all over it, as well as on her nails.

Then, she also had a conversation with Kamala Harris on Instagram with the caption “A conversation with Kamala Harris. Let’s go #vote.”

“I think it is very impactful to see a lot of celebrities, like Lizzo, influencing the importance of voting,” Ixchele Ortiz, junior early and special education major, said. “A lot of celebrities are truly becoming leaders that provoke change.”

Meghan Markle, duchess of sussex, appeared at a virtual event to encourage women to vote. In this event, When Women All Vote, Markle said, “We can and must do everything we can to ensure all women have their voices heard. At this juncture, if we aren’t part of the solution, we are part of the problem.” This event occurred when there was 75 days until the election, where she also discussed the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Her caption following the video said, “ Let’s put out the dumpster fire that is 2020. Text VOTER to 26797 or click the link in my bio to check your status and vote early.”

TikTok’s Take on Voting Aside from Instagram, many creators turned to TikTok to encourage people to vote. TikTok has created the “Tok the Vote” campaign to encourage users of the platform to post a video using the hashtag and including the link to get users to vote.

TikTok creator Colton Hess created this campaign. Hess said, “The campaign endeavors to use this online platform to drive social change.

It empowers them to be leaders in the fight for progress.” On the site, it allows people to see their registration status, a form to register if they have not and a week of action. The week of action includes a different activity to take part in every day of the week.

Johnsey Hackney, sophomore psychology major, said, “I see celebrities using their platforms as a positive idea because social media is mainly used to make people aware of situations that are occurring.”

“It is very interesting to see how their influences are shaping the society we live in,” Ortiz said.

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More Celebrity Takes on Voting Kevin Hart took to Instagram to share with his followers that he has voted. In the video, he said, “I got up. I voted! Don’t just talk about it, be about it. Go make your presence felt.” Alongside the video, he captioned his post with “Go Vote!”

Shawn Mendes and many other celebrities joined a voting campaign called Just Vote. With this campaign, it gives fans the chance to win rewards and experiences from these celebrities. By filling in the form on the site, it shows people their registration status.

The reward people can win from Shawn Mendes and the other celebrities is “ an autographed Shawn Mendes Foundation signature Fender electric guitar.”

Jennifer Aniston turned to Instagram to encourage her fans and followers to vote. She posted a video of her and Jimmy Kimmel during the Emmy Awards, where she was seen putting out a fire.

Lizzo at the Billboard Awards

PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM

You can vote by mail or in person.

PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM

6 | THELOQUITUR.COM

LIFESTYLES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 20

‘GIVE HOPE. SAVE LIVES,’ WEAR PINK

BY FAITH PITSIKOULIS MEDIA EDITING MANAGER

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a campaign to raise awareness and fundraise for treatments against breast cancer each October.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. It is also the second most common cancer in women (behind skin cancer) in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it the most common form of cancer in women worldwide with 2.1 million women affected each year.

Even though it occurs almost 100 times more often in women, the National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates around 520 deaths for males in 2020 due to breast cancer.

This form of cancer can be genetic or environmental. There are many products/behaviors Americans perceive as risky when it comes to being diagnosed, but most are really just myths. If a family member has been diagnosed with breast cancer, then you have a higher risk of a diagnosis.

Your age is another defining factor as two out of three women with invasive breast cancer are diagnosed after the age of 55. An inactive lifestyle, poor diet or obesity can increase your risk, along with a consistently high intake of alcohol. Screening mammograms are administered annually to women for early detection. These x-rays closely examine breast tissue for lumps or any other abnormalities.

months until she was declared cancer-free.

“We had to keep positive for her to continue battling and everything.

My dad, most of the time he had to like drive her and bring her back, because chemo and radiation was really aggressive. She was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, so it was very aggressive.”

Munoz now has to be extra cautious about her health. She has to check herself for abnormalities more frequently and get screenings at an earlier age due to the genetic nature of the cancer.

She says it is very difficult to have that added stress in her life.

However, the scariest part of her mother’s treatment was the prescription medications she had to take. They had severe side effects.

Her mother struggled at work as a result, but tried to hide it from Munoz and her siblings.

“She was like superwoman to us. My mom had a good support system back at home. She knew she wasn’t alone in this. It’s just that most people have to understand that it’s just not a cough or anything, but you know inside it’s a battlefield, and you willingly have to make your body beats it.”

She feels that her mother’s age might have been an advantage, because her body had enough strength to undergo the treatment.

“I have younger brothers, so we were going through the same hurt at the same time,” Hawirk Munoz, junior international business and political science major, said.

Even though a cure has yet to be discovered, chemotherapy has proven to be effective just as it was for Munoz’s mother. Chemotherapy uses a combination of drugs to destroy, or slow down cancer cells.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill the cells located in the specific area of the body that is affected. Radiation can also destroy mutated cells. Clinical trials continue to discover ways to improve these treatments as well.

Munoz was around 9 years old when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38. She underwent treatment for for 18

Sports teams, organizations, universities and various other institutions are dedicated to bringing awareness during the month of October.

One student at Cabrini knows all too well how breast cancer can affect an entire family.

PHOTO BY FAITH PITSIKOULIS

Breast cancer Lokai bracelet give $1 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for each purchase

The National Football League (NFL) has teamed up with the American Cancer Society for their Crucial Catch campaign since 2009 and have helped raise around $22 million to improve treatment for all forms of cancer. The American Cancer Society is dedicated to helping Americans with all forms of cancer year round. Go to their website to donate now during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

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Domestic Violence Awareness Month

BY KEVIN MCLAUGHLIN SPORTS EDITOR

For every minute that passes, there are nearly 20 people who are physically assaulted by an intimate partner.

On average, this equates to just over 10 million people per year.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1800-799-SAFE(7233) if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence.

Also, the 66 percent of the 10 million people every year who are physically abused do not receive medical care for the injury results. This has lead nationwide hotlines to receive over 20,000 people calling in everyday.

Identifying abuse Domestic violence occurs in different forms. Regardless of someone’s age or sexual orientation, many fall victim to both physical and emotional abuse. Physical abuse can be defined as any form of touching that is considered inappropriate or harmful in anyway by the victim. Emotional abuse can be identified through several different ways. Manipulation is mentioned as one of the key factors in this form of abuse. Making an intimate partner feel guilty, or pressuring them into something they are not comfortable with would be a form of manipulation.

Ryan Calderaro, junior business management major, commented on what domestic abuse is. “To me, it is a partner who causes some form of harm to a person they are in a relationship with,” Calderaro said.

Making this type of abuse known to everyone is what Calderaro believes needs to happen to reduce the number of victims who experience this. “I would make sure people understand how serious this is, and to provide resources for those who need it,” Calderaro said.

Grace Fox, junior communication major, believes that domestic abuse does not get talked about enough. “I believe that domestic abuse happens more often than what we hear,” Fox said. “People are very scared to talk about this issue,” Fox said.

A solution to the issue, according to Fox, is to help any victims that people know personally. “I think people need to speak up and seek help for victims who’ve suffered,” Fox said.

The hotline for national domestic abuse has provided assistance for those in need of serious help. The organization’s website provides information on identifying abuse, strategizing for safety and supporting victims.

Photo of a woman with a domestic abuse message on her back

PHOTO BY IORAK PHOTOGRAPHY

Strategizing for safety This hotline allows for strategizing how to improve both physical and emotional safeties. There are tips on how this can be done when an intimate couple has children or pets. Protective orders and other legal resources are provided by the hotline incase issues become worse.

Supporting victims Domestic abuse is a battle that can be won with support and assurance. Helping victims understand that whatever transpired was not their fault is key. Supporting the decisions that were made by domestic victims on leaving their abuser is a major component to the healing process. Patience and honest conversations can provide a comforting feeling which shows that no victim should ever fight alone.

KHMCLAUGHLIN25@GMAIL.COM

Photo of a woman who has endured physical abuse

PHOTO BY KAT JAYNE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

PERSPECTIVES

THELOQUITUR.COM | 7

Taking breaks is necessary in order to avoid zoom fatigue

BY MEGAN FEE WRITING MANAGING EDITOR

Students are experiencing Zoom fatigue but that can be fixed with self-care.

After about eight weeks into the semester I feel burnt out, irritable, mentally and physically drained and exhausted from work and stress. I opted to stay home and attend the majority of my classes online this semester.

Being in my junior year of college is already challenging enough. Being in junior year during a pandemic while taking courses online is a whole other ballgame that brings on challenges of its own.

“Zoom fatigue” is the exhaustion, stress and anxiety that students feel from excessively using virtual and online applications. Psychology Today explains that Zoom meetings are “mentally exhausting” due to the abnormal nature of communicating online as nonverbal social cues such as facial expressions, tone of voice and body language get “lost, distorted or delayed.”

In my experience, I have left many online classes feeling tired with blurry and foggy eyes and sometimes headaches from staring at my screen for so long. I feel like the workload has become heavier because everything is online and that is not a familiar learning style. My energy is drained so much quicker compared to how it would be during a traditional class setting.

Zoom and social cues Learning in this new format can also be challenging at times as it may be harder to focus, pay attention and retain information. According to Psychology Today, this is due to the unnaturalness of having prolonged eye contact with faces up close on a screen as it is not regular human social nature. Even Zoom social outings can feel like a chore or work.

According to an interview done by BBC Worklife, Gianpiero Petriglieri, an associate professor at Insead, claims that video calls require more effort and concentration compared to normal face-to-face conversations. He explained that it takes more out of us because we have to compensate for social cues that are missing. This takes up a large amount of our energy.

“Our minds are together when our bodies feel we’re not,” Petriglieri said. “That dissonance, which causes people to have conflicting feelings, is exhausting. You cannot relax into the conversation naturally.”

Another factor is that people may be too focused about being on camera, which can quickly become mentally exhausting.

This is something that I struggled with a lot at first.

It took a lot of time to get used to being on screen.

Knowing that I could be seen on my peer’s screens while looking at several faces all at once was overwhelming. I was more worried about being on camera and I became hyperaware. This made it harder to focus on the actual task at hand and made me more exhausted.

Screen usage Between classes and homework being online, using my phone to stay in touch with friends and other purposes and occasionally watching TV, I estimate that I am staring at some type of electronic device screen for at least 40 hours a week and it is taking a toll on me.

According to the Mayo Clinic Health System the average time spent on screens before the pandemic ranged from seven to 10 hours a day while the recommended amount of screen time is one hour per day for children aged 2 to 12 and two hours per day for teenagers and adults.

This year is an exception though, as these recommendations are not as achievable now that everything has essentially gone virtual. While this screen time “new normal” has become a function of our daily lives, the negative impact still remains.

Zoom fatigue is real and needs to be recognized.

We all need to take care of ourselves now more than ever. This is why it is important to take breaks away from electronic devices. It is important to take part in stress-relieving activities such as exercising, reading and napping in order to refresh yourself.

MEGANFEE17@GMAIL.COM

PHOTO VIA PIXABAY

Classes online can drain your energy

My grandmother didn’t catch the virus, the virus caught her

BY PRYCE JAMISON STAFF WRITER

In the wake of COVID-19, we weren’t only worried about our own safety and the risky interactions we had with other humans. It forced us to also worry about the family and friends that live a significantly long distance from us. Something that can further trigger these thoughts and the higher possibility of the situation even occurring, would be if that family member lived in a heavily populated region where the virus has seemed to spread rather quickly.

On May 30, the CDC came out with key updates on the status of the pandemic in our nation that helped paint a visual on how impactful and unprecedented it was for those first few months. On that day they said that up to that point, there were about a total of 1,761,503 U.S. cases of COVID-19 and 103,700 associated deaths reported to the CDC, as well as it was common knowledge that the virus affected older people and people with underlying health conditions even worse.

This was the case for me when my own grandmother had her fair share of experience with the virus back in May as the virus swept through the city of New York. If you ask me, there’s very little that can mentally and physically tear down my grandmother, Harriet Tanksley. There’s very little things that can even keep her in the house in general, back when without a doubt, she should’ve been staying in the house. That’s when her strong will is most visible, when walking everywhere for daily purposes and continuing to attend her group gatherings can’t be hindered by anything.

At the time, New York had a large portion of the COVID-19 cases in the United States with approximately 160,000 cases and 40,000 of them in the Bronx. My mother and I didn’t know that exact number at the time.

All in all, my grandmother, being the former nurse she is, made me even more comfortable with the calmness of her tone during the phone conversations. I knew if anyone could beat such a virus, my grandmother could.

Little did she know, each of the boroughs were being hit worse than anyone expected. She was highly at risk being a resident of the Parkchester area of the Bronx.

“After about a week, I started losing my taste and smell,” Tanksley said. “I couldn’t taste a single thing.”

That didn’t appear to be reported as a common symptom ironically until a week later, so at the time we didn’t really grow too worrisome over the loss of her senses.

I can still remember my mother, Monet Tanksley-Jamison, trying to get through to her, telling her to “stay inside” and even “stop attending church for a little while,” as well as the community walks she participates in where her and an enormous group of friends from the same area walk for miles. My grandmother said after attending church in Harlem one Sunday, she started developing a dry throat and a cough by Wednesday that really started to raise the concern of COVID-19 arriving.

Vitamin C and D were essential according to her. During her two week quarantine period, she began just riding it out by simply taking cold medicine. One thing she said she started doing routinely was taking vitamin C in the form of Emergen-C. Although she tested positive with symptoms, it was nothing too fatal and concerning that really worried her and us as her family, or that needed intense medical treatment.

My grandmother contracting the virus was the first time the pandemic hit me personally and truly seemed real that my loved ones can come into contact with. At first like many people, I talked down on the virus because of how statistics showed it to be not the most fatal, transmissible illness mankind has came across.

In reality, it was simply me hoping for things to not get worse for the world population and trying to stay positive, so the experience of a family member getting it put it into perspective for me. The perspective of not letting my optimistic skew my view on what’s really going on, and made me feel for everyone else that has a family member who experienced it and developed a variety of different symptoms. It’s really about just being safe and aware of where this virus can reach. Don’t underestimate the severity of this virus, because it’s a mistake a lot of individuals have made, including me several months ago.

PJAMISON3@GMAIL.COM

THANKS TO All THEHE PERS PHOTO BY PRYCE JAMISON

SPORTS

8 | THELOQUITUR.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

Cavaliers get involved in political process ahead of election

BY TY DAUBERT SPORTS EDITOR

Cabrini athletes are getting involved in the political process ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.

Softball player Kadirah Williams, men’s basketball player Keith Blassingale and Ashley Tutzauer, a member of the women’s soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams, are all voting in the upcoming election, and have voiced their thoughts about the issues that matter to them.

“I think athletes getting involved politically is very important,” Williams, a junior mathematics major, said. “Spreading the importance of voting is key within today’s society.”

Williams said that she has taken the time to vote herself, and has also tried to get those around her to participate in the 2020 election.

Blassingale, a senior marketing major, is voting by mail to make sure he has a say in who is elected to positions of power.

“I had my ballot shipped to my house so I can vote,” he said.

“And it is important because there are a lot of negative things going [on] that we need to see changed and the people in power are not doing it.”

This is the first presidential election that Tutzauer, a senior education major, is able to vote in, she said, and she is making sure to participate because of the ramifications it will have on so many people’s lives.

Each athlete has a certain political issue that they are most passionate about during this election. Blassingale emphasized police reform, mentioning the police shooting a Black man in nearby Philadelphia on Monday as an example of why it is needed. Williams is voting with a focus of fighting for equality for African-American and LGBTQ+ people. Tutzauer said her most important political issues are Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights.

All three are in agreement that athletes at both the amateur and professional level should be politically active if they have certain issues that they are passionate and informed about.

“I think it’s good that athletes at all levels get involved because we are all people,” Tutzauer said. “[We] have a voice and the right to contribute.”

Williams especially pointed out the impact professional athletes can have politically due to their large platforms and publicity.

“Pro athletes have such an impact on people,” she said. “They can change the world one step at a time.”

This goes against what some have said about athletes voicing their political beliefs. Certain fans and media personalities alike have spoken out against athletes being politically active. A prominent example came in 2018, when a conservative media personality told National Basketball Association superstar LeBron James to “shut up and dribble.”

Williams, Blassingale and Tutzauer do not believe in that phrase, instead thinking that sports players can and should do their best to do what they think is right.

“People who say ‘shut up and dribble’ are not being inclusive to everyone, and they are in fact the reason why the country is split by the things they say and do,” Tutzauer said.

Blassingale made the point that athletes should be free to participate in activism like any other person in the country.

“Athletes are hard-working citizens, too,” he said, “and are entitled to their own opinions.”

TYDAUBERT@GMAIL.COM PHOTO VIA CABRINI ATHLETICS

From top to bottom: Kadirah Williams, Keith BlassWingale and Ashley Tutzauer

Major league stadiums serving as polling sites for 2020 election

BY KEVIN MCLAUGHLIN AND AMERICA LOPEZ-SANTIAGO SPORTS EDITOR, NEWS EDITOR

During the presidential elections, there are many places where one can go vote. Some places might be schools and libraries. However, the polling places may look a bit different due to COVID-19.

This year for the 2020 election, stadiums are being used for polling sites. The reason several leagues are turning their stadiums into polling sites is because of the 2016 election turnout. According to Pew Research, only 55 percent of eligible voters voted for the general election in 2016. Many people are still unsure how the turnout will look for this election.

There are over 40 sports venues across 20 states that will be serving as polling sites. Leagues are hoping to boost the turnout this year include the NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA, MLS and NHL. David Hare, junior digital communication major, was unaware of this type of voting setting. “I did not know that this existed, but I could see it being beneficial for people because they will be able to socially distance themselves,” Hare said. Hare believes people will take advantage of the situation. With that said, he believes it might take awhile to get your vote in. “I think it will take a lot longer than others think, but I could see a decent amount of people taking advantage of this,” Hare said NBA The Golden State Warriors outside area surrounding the Chase Center is being used as just a ballot drop-off location. Simultaneously, the Kaiser Permanente Arena and Warriors’ Oakland Facility will both be used as polling sites and ballot drop-off locations. The three locations are being opened from Oct. 31- Nov. 3.

NFL Home of the Super Bowl champion, Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, will be used as an Election Day polling place for the residents living around Kansas City in Jackson County.

“You can have different opinions. You can vote for different people. But vote,” Mark Donovan, Chiefs president, said.

Carolina Panthers announced on National Voter Registration Day that they are using the Bank of America stadium as a polling site. They opened on Oct. 15 for early voting and will be open until Oct. 30.

Jafet Velez, junior criminology major, was unaware of stadiums being the setting of voting. “I’ve never heard of anything like that; I’m not sure how that will work,” Velez said. Velez agreed that this will lead to more people coming out to vote. “It’s a different kind of environment and I think a lot of people will come out, it’s better than mailing in a ballot,” Velez said.

Michael Lelli, junior business management major, was aware that stadiums were opening for this purpose.

“I did know about this, and I think it’s a smart idea to try and make people feel more safe,” Lelli said. Lelli, like Velez and Hare, believes this will initiate many people to leave their home and utilize this opportunity. “I think there will be a lot of people who will come out and vote this year,” Lelli said.

As of Oct. 23, there are approximately 50 million voters who have voted already.

The Staple Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, will open Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, for an in-person voting site.

Not only will it be used for an in-person voting site, but it will also be serving as a vote-by-mail drop box location.

Photo of Oracle Arena

PHOTO VIA NBA

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Photo of Arrowhead Stadium

PHOTO VIA FLICKR