The Maroon Sept. 9, 2023 Issue

Saltwater wedge threatens NOLA

By Kloe Witt kgwitt@my.loyno.edu

A saltwater wedge from the Gulf of Mexico is snaking its way through the Mississippi River, risking all drinking water in the New Orleans area, according to a press release by the Louisiana’s Governor Office.

On Sept. 25, Gov. John Bel Edwards requested a Federal Emergency Declaration to President Joe Biden over the saltwater intrusion.

Droughts across the Mississippi River Valley have caused the river to reach low levels allowing for the saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to infiltrate the freshwater from the river.

According to the governor’s office, Plaquemines Parish has already been affected and in October, Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard Parishes will also see the effects.

In some areas, the amount of salt in the river is forecasted to be over the Environmental Protection Agencies maximum standard of 250 milligrams/ liter.

According to the governor’s office, this is impacting public water symptoms and brings about risk to water distribution systems, machinery, and appliances.

Students struggle to find parking

By Kloe Witt kgwitt@my.loyno.edu

Traffic was backed up across the Loyola campus as students and staff returned for the first day of the semester. Now, nearly halfway through the semester, frustration with parking availability remains rampant among students on campus.

On Aug 21, Assistant Director of Support Services Rachel Bobadilla sent an email to students, faculty, and staff informing them that two days later, parking permits would be enforced due to the challenges faced on the first day. Last year, the grace period before enforcing parking passes was two weeks longer, not beginning until Sept 7, 2022.

Even with enforced parking, students are still frustrated with the situation.

Journalism sophomore Alle Givens said last semester, she had no issues getting a parking pass and the process was simple. This year, however, it wasn’t so easy.

“I ended up getting a parking pass but it was like this whole process. It took a very long time for it to go through. And the whole time, I was worried about getting a ticket or being fined,” Givens said.

Junior psychology student Tessa Valcarcel commutes from her house to Loyola’s campus each day. She said she still struggles to find parking in the garages at times, even with the enforcement and having a pass.

“Some days when I don’t want to find parking, I’ll just wait and I’ll walk,” Valcarcel said.

Not only does the lack of parking affect Valcarcel’s choice to drive to campus, but it also caused her to adjust her schedule so she could be on campus early enough to find parking before it’s all filled.

“I now have to get [to school] early and then either sit in my car or find somewhere to hang out on campus before class,” Valcarcel said.

The possibility of not finding a parking spot and having to park on the street is one Givens said she wishes wasn’t a reality.

“I don’t want to pay that much money for a parking pass so if I’m going to pay it, I better be able to park,” Givens said.

Parking passes for on-campus students are $400 and commuters are $340 for the 2023-24 year, according to Parking Services.

Givens said without being able to park in the garages, students are forced to resort to street parking on surrounding streets, which easily become crowded and unsafe.

“It’s frustrating because there’s no other option really. There’s nowhere else to park unless you’re parking on the street but that’s just not safe,” Givens said.

In an email on Aug 15 by Chief Operations Officer and Senior VP of Finance Carol Markowitz said they would be providing less parking for nonLoyola community members.

Still, providing parking at all for nonLoyola students or faculty is something Givens feels is not right when not enough parking for such is available.

“Loyola students should be prioritized. We’re the ones that are paying tuition to come so if you can’t provide parking that we’re asking for and we’re paying for, I think that’s an issue,” Givens said.

Parking Services did not respond after several calls and emails for this story.

Maria DiFelice, Mabel RegaladoHernandez, and Frankie Estevas also contributed to this story.

Beignet fest returns to New Orleans

Sodexo continues union negotiations

By Eloise Pickering ewpicker@my.loyno.edu

Amidst cooking, dinner rushes, and cleaning, Loyola’s Sodexo workers are continuing their negotiations with Sodexo following the establishment of their union last May after reaching the petition majority.

In November of 2022, Loyola’s Sodexo employees moved to unionize as working conditions and staffing decreased, frustrations increased, and pay remained stagnant. The following April, workers received a marginal raise, which reinforced grievances.

Discussions between employees and the company have been underway since May to transform the work environment for Sodexo employees. This unionization marked a significant moment for the workers.

Past developments have propelled negotiations focused on better wages,

healthcare, insurance, and fostering a workplace atmosphere of respect and dignity, including a 3% wage increase in April,which was equivalent to around an extra 30 cents per paycheck.

Cody Melcher, an assistant professor of sociology at Loyola, highlighted the importance of workers receiving better treatment and pay for the work they do.

According to Melcher, full-time Sodexo employees at Loyola, some of whom have been working with the company for over 20 years, make just $13.75 an hour, with little to no health benefits.

Many Loyola students have stood in solidarity with Sodexo employees, who work to support the students by providing essential food services on campus. Students have expressed their support vocally through actions such as a sticker drive hosted in the previous spring to raise awareness toward the issue.

See UNION, page 3

Sophia Renzi/The Maroon

Saltwater could contaminate New Orleans waterways through the Mississipi River. Anna Hummel/The Maroon

Tulane Law student, Bruna Vieira blows powdered sugar off beignet from Loretta’s Authentic Pralines.’ Beignet Fest took place on Saturday Sept. 23 on the Festival Grounds at New Orleans City Park. Anna Hummel/The Maroon

2

STAFF

Assistant Editors: Chris Maldonado, Sunny Bedford, Grace Knight, Eloise Pickering, Taylor Falgout, Sophia Maxim, Max Schweikarth, Kira Phillips!

Comics Editors: Sofia Johnson, Grace Knight, Taylor Falgout!

Associate Producer for The Maroon Broadcast:

Chloe Caudle, Sunny Bedford, Matthew Richards, Francisco Esteves, James Hufnagel, Christopher Nesbit, Leonard Jackson III, Mabel RegaladoHernanzed!

Staff Writers and Photographers: Liz Snow, Tiarra Perrie, Guelan Zaour, Pharell Every, Nadir Benslimane, Laci Barrow, Rodrigo Delgado, Ashlyn Bobb Collins!

Adviser: Michael Giusti

CONTACT US

Main Office (504) 865-3535

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Send Sept. 29, 2023

Loyola ranks high in economic diversity

Loyola University has been listed as one of the top U.S. colleges with economic diversity by the New York Times.

e university is tied with King University in Tennessee for the 21st spot on the list of 286.

e New York Times measured diversity by taking the number of students who received the Pell Grant, the grant typically given to students with lower income.

Iggy's Cupboard offers online ordering

Iggy’s cupboard is now o ering online ordering for students, according to an email sent by Department of Student Life and Ministry spokesperson Jacob DeRusha.

e cupboard o ers food, school supplies, kitchen supplies, and hygiene products to students free of charge and anonymously.

e online ordering is available so students can get what they need at a time more convenient for them. Students will receive an email when their order is ready and are asked to pick it up within three business days.

e form to receive online ordering was sent to students emails on Sept. 27.

Banned Book week events at Loyola

Loyola is hosting a week of events open to the entire Loyola community in honor of Banned Book Week to celebrate the freedom to read.

ere are daily events throughout the week of Oct. 2-5 aimed at discussion bans which are targeting people of color and those a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Sarah Allison, a professor and director of composition at Loyola, said there will be a panel discussing the banning of books in Louisiana to address how book banning will a ect schools, libraries, and legislature in the state. ere will be four speakers to answer questions and provide insight into the topic.

e week will wrap up with a trivia night competition with prize winnings available. In hosting trivia, Loyola professor Julia Miller said she hopes to “shed light on this important issue in an engaging way.”

10/2 American Psycho Film Screen

• 6 - 8:30 p.m. – 402 of Communications and Music Complex

10/3 Queer Lit Read-In

• 12:30- 2p.m. – Peace Quad

10/4 Banning Books in Louisiana

Panel Discussion

• 4 - 5:30 p.m. –Whitney Room in omas Hall

10/5 Banned Books Trivia Night

• 6 - 7:30 p.m. – Claiborne Room in the Danna Center

Wolfdeck app receives critiques from students

By Tiara Pierre writeremail@loyno.edu

A new app has made its way on campus from Loyola but some students aren’t nding it as useful as they hoped.

Loyola University announced the launch of the new Wolfdeck app on Aug 24. e app, which is available for both Android and Apple users, was designed to allow students to access important university information easily from their mobile devices.

According to Alan Schomaker, Loyola’s chief information o cer, the app exists as an extension of Ellucian. Ellucian is the new system which replaced Loyno Single Sign-On and provided new programs and features such as Loyola Self-Service.

“ e app is another tool that students can choose to help them bookmark and gain access to regularly viewed content.

Plus it’s mobile friendly,” said Schomaker.

Schomaker said the app was tested by student volunteers throughout its development for the purpose of receiving feedback and adjusting the app accordingly.

Despite these attempts, some students have still felt let down by the nal product.

Journalism sophomore Kaliegh Barrileaux said she was initially excited by the idea of having an easier avenue to access all of her university information.

Unfortunately, the app did not live up to her expectations.

“ e app, for me at least, was a major

letdown,” Barrileaux said.

Instead of streamlining the process of reaching important student information, Barrileaux said the app included even more barriers to access than the regular browser function.

“It actually made things much more complicated,” said Barrileaux.

According to Barrileaux, the app did not live up to its original purpose of making Ellucian’s vital university features more easily accessible to students. She even argued that it has had the opposite e ect by making students jump through dozens of hoops just to access features such as Loyola’s Single Sign On, or Loyola Self-Service.

Barrileaux said her biggest issue was that she would have to sign in every time she opened it instead of saving the login information.

“I feel bad because I know it takes time to set up an app like that. However, I don’t see anyone seriously using it over just a browser,” said Barrileaux.

However, there is still hope for improvements to be made. According to Schomaker, the app was designed to include a feedback card for students to suggest ideas to make the app more user-friendly. is card is monitored daily by Loyola sta so that the app may be adjusted according to student responses.

Barrileaux said even with the app's downs, she still holds hope for its future.

“I do look forward to more updates in the future, the app does have potential to be great,” said Barrileaux.

UNION : Giving workers a voice

Midwifery program aims to help women of color

By Natalia Silvia and Grace Knight nssilvia@my.loyno.edu gaknight@my.loyno.edu

Loyola’s new masters program in nurse midwifery has started the semester teaching people there is much more to midwifery than just intrapartum help. From its initial development in January of 2021 to its launch in the fall semester of 2023, the program o ers skill sets within the practice of midwifery to Loyola graduate students.

Certi ed nurse-midwives are advanced practice nurses. To become a midwife, a person would need a master’s in nurse-midwifery and an undergraduate degree in nursing.

Dr. Jamie Pelaez, director of the program has previously served as a preceptor in nurse-midwifery for women’s health practitioner students and emergency room residents.

Pelaez said she aims to improve maternal health outcomes in Louisiana and address healthcare disparities by growing and diversifying the midwifery workforce, something she carries with her at Loyola.

Continued from page 1

UNITE HERE is a labor union that represents working people throughout the U.S. and Canada in organizing workers to advocate to their employers for fair working conditions and pay. At Loyola they’ve played a critical role supporting the Sodexo employees during these negotiations.

Leah Bailey, a research representative with UNITE HERE, is negotiating with the company on behalf of the Loyola Sodexo employees.

“ ey're sitting down with us, and we're sitting, and we're negotiating with them, which is what the workers really

want,” Bailey said.

Sodexo's willingness to engage in discussions and negotiate terms, despite their initial resistance, demonstrates a step forward in cultivating a workplace that values respect, dignity, and fair treatment for every employee. e employees are working towards a contract that works well for all parties, which excites them, according to Bailey, who believes negotiations are still possible.

“ e union means essentially everything to workers. It's the only way by which workers have a voice,” Melcher said.

“We o er a variety of classes both online and in person ranging from Primary Care of Women rough the Lifespan for Nurse-Midwifery to Intrapartum and Postpartum Care for Nurse-Midwifery, which are just two of the many classes in the master's degree program,” Pelaez said.

Dean and professor for the College of Nursing and Health, Dr. Michelle Collins has worked on this program since its rst developments in January 2021. Previously, Collins was a registered nurse for 17 years and has been a certi ed nurse-midwife for 21 years.

“Certi ed nurse-midwives care for

the women through the lifespan. We take care of women who need contraception, who need to have annual exams, who need a pap test, who are pregnant, women who go through menopause, who have depression. [And] also for newborns for the rst 28 days of life,” said Collins

According to Collins, Louisiana is most in need for programs such as this because of the high maternal mortality rate in the state.

“Louisiana is a state with the worst maternal outcomes. at means more women die in pregnancy and childbirth here than any other state,” said Collins.

People of color have the highest maternal death rates from years of institutional racism and biased structural racism, according to Collins.

Collins said when a woman of color has symptoms of very serious complications in her pregnancy, they are more likely to face neglect from their providers which limits their access to necessary care.

However, Collins suggests this institutional problem can be improved by increasing diversity of nursing sta .

“When people are cared for by people who look like them or are from their culture and who speak their language, they have better health outcomes,” said Collins.

According to Pelaez, she aims to improve maternal health outcomes and address healthcare disparities by growing and diversifying the midwifery workforce with the implementation of the program.

Only 9% of certi ed nurse-midwives are Black, and according to Collines, one of the big goals in establishing this program is to educate and graduate more midwives of color.

Photo illustration by Sunny Bedford/The Maroon

Photo illustration by Liz Snow/The Maroon

ACROSS

1. Voice of Boss Baby Actor ___ Baldwin

5. Domineering

10. #1 College Bar in America

14. Carmie’s restaurant name: e

15. Father of psychoanalysis

16. One thing you might catch from e Palms’pole

17. e foundation

18. Zach Gali anakis “Between Two ___”

19.One of the names of the Norse god or

20. A corn pancake that is eaten in Venezuela and Columbia

22. Located in the rst oor of Monroe for all Stem majors

23. An appeal to ethics

24. A nestling hawk or falcon

26. Second-most di cult ice skating jump

28. Strategic Defense Initiative abbr.

31. Group of cold-blooded individuals

33. Football stats

36. ___ Barton from “ e OC”

38. Parade’s slogan “ row Until It Hurts”

40. Emmy winner Falco

41. Mom in Bob’s Burgers

43. Shoe store in Lakeside Shopping Center

44. A word of opposite meaning

46. Marie Laveau practiced this

48. Research triangle located in North Carolina 49. Common drug for relieving pain 51. “ e sixth sense”

52. Mummy character in Monster

High

53. Vegan skincare option for crepey skin

55. A humming instrument

58. Campus organization with its hub in the basement of Danna center 60. What sound is amazingly sweet? 64. e capital is Tehran

DOWN

1. “Dancing Queen” group

2. Shakespearean king

3. Stress-free state

4. Sweet food of choice neighboring the Boot

5. Really good friend

6. End of a threat

7. Plural form of serum

8. Canopy made of canvas to shelter people from the sun 9. Yards, abbr. 10.

32. Nickname for Angelic Upstairs

vocalist

33. Spanish accent sign

34. Extinct birds

35. Mr. Dogg

37. Top exec.

39. Chairman ___

42. Suspicious individual in the game “Among Us”

45. Jamaican Author Hopkinson

47. One grand

50. Respond to with loud laughter

52. Short adventure tale

54. First astrological sign in the zodiac

55. Pseudonym for “Light Yagami”

56. Person from the middle east

57. Amusingly odd

59. Who wore a meat dress for the MTV awards

61. Straight as _ __

62. “You can’t see me” wrestler

63. Right on a map

65. “Choose Your Fighter” from Barbie soundtrack by singer Max

67. Orbiting lab, for short

Crosswords by Max Schweikarth & Kira Phillips

Loyola SDS continues protests for 'Tampa 5'

By Sabrina Huynh sthuynh@my.loyno.edu

In the vibrant city of Tampa Bay, Florida, a recent protest against the defunding of DEI programs has captured the nation's attention. A rally was held at The University of Florida's campus on March 6, demanding to meet with president Rhea Law and seeking her support against Gov. Ron DeSantis's proposed law to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in all Florida public colleges.

In recent months, Gov. DeSantis and his administration have taken measures such as defunding DEI programs in all Florida public colleges and universities, banning classroom discussions on gender identity and sexual orientation, and approving concealed carry of firearms without a permit. These measures have sparked widespread dissent and ignited passionate activism among students and progressive groups.

After an alleged physical altercation between protestors and campus police, three members of the Tampa Bay Students for Democratic Society and a faculty member were arrested for initiating the assault and pushing an officer to the ground, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The fifth person involved voluntarily turned herself in after receiving a warrant from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department.

These five individuals are now collectively referred to as the "Tampa

Five," comprising Gia Davila, Jeanie Kida, Laura Rodriguez, Lauren Pineiro, and Chrisley Carpio. If found guilty of felony charges of battery of law enforcement, they could each face between 6 to 11 years in prison. All five protesters pleaded not guilty during their arraignment on May 17.

While the charges against the Tampa Five remain unresolved, Students For Democratic Society chapters across the nation have rallied in solidarity.

Loyola Students for Democratic Society, previously Young Democratic Socialists of America, in response to the arrest of the Tampa Five, initiated a three-week long campaign to draw attention to and inform the public of these perceived injustices. When the charges were not dropped, Loyola's SDS escalated their actions, staging multiple protests in solidarity.

Carson Cruse, the president of Loyola's SDS, has been a vocal supporter of the Tampa Five's stance. They have emphasized the importance of students standing up against what they see as attacks on education, saying students should view it as a direct assault on their livelihoods. Cruse's reaction to the video footage of the Tampa Five protest was one of anger and shock as he witnessed women being subjected to brutality and inappropriate behavior by the police.

When asked about the duration of the protests, Cruse responded, "We will continue to protest until the charges are dropped."

Man sues over misuse of facial recognition in arrest

By Sudhin Thanawla Associated Press

Randal Quran Reid was driving to his mother's home the day after Thanksgiving last year when police pulled him over and arrested him on the side of a busy Georgia interstate. He was wanted for crimes in Louisiana, they told him, before taking him to jail. Reid, who prefers to be identified as Quran, would spend the next several days locked up, trying to figure out how he could be a suspect in a state he says he had never visited.

A lawsuit filed this month blames the misuse of facial recognition technology by a sheriff's detective in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, for his ordeal.

"I was confused and I was angry because I didn't know what was going on," Quran told The Associated Press. "They couldn't give me any information outside of, 'You've got to wait for Louisiana to come take you,' and there was no timeline on that."

Quran, 29, is among at least five Black plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against law enforcement in recent years, saying they were misidentified by facial recognition technology and then wrongly arrested. Three of those lawsuits, including one by a woman who was eight months pregnant and accused of a carjacking, are against Detroit police.

The technology allows law enforcement agencies to feed images from video surveillance into software that can search government databases or social media for a possible match.

Critics say it results in a higher rate of misidentification of people of color than of white people. Supporters say it has been vital in catching drug dealers, solving killings and missing persons cases and identifying and rescuing

human trafficking victims. They also contend the vast majority of images that are scoured are criminal mugshots, not driver's license photos or random pictures of individuals.

Still, some states and cities have limited its use.

"The use of this technology by law enforcement, even if standards and protocols are in place, has grave civil liberty and privacy concerns," said Sam Starks, a senior attorney with The Cochran Firm in Atlanta, which is representing Quran. "And that's to say nothing about the reliability of the technology itself."

Quran's lawsuit was filed Sept. 8 in federal court in Atlanta. It names Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto and detective Andrew Bartholomew as defendants.

Bartholomew, using surveillance video, relied solely on a match generated by facial recognition technology to seek an arrest warrant for Reid after a stolen credit card was used to buy two purses for more than $8,000 from a consignment store outside New Orleans in June 2022, the lawsuit said.

"Bartholomew did not conduct even a basic search into Mr. Reid, which would have revealed that Mr. Reid was in Georgia when the theft occurred," the lawsuit said.

Reached by phone, Bartholomew said he had no comment. A spokesman for the sheriff's office, Capt. Jason Rivarde, said the office does not comment on pending litigation.

The detective said he was advised by a "credible source" that one of the suspects in the video was Quran. A Department of Motor Vehicles photograph of Quran appeared to match the description of the suspect from the surveillance video, Bartholomew said.

Starks believes the source Bartholomew cited was facial recognition technology, making the affidavit "at best misleading," he said.

A January email from Jefferson Parish Deputy Chief Dax Russo to the sheriff is further evidence of that, according to Starks.

The email explaining the events that led to Quran's arrest said members of the force were told again that they need additional evidence or leads when using facial recognition technology for an arrest warrant, according to the lawsuit.

The suit accuses Bartholomew of false arrest, malicious prosecution and negligence. Lopinto failed to implement adequate policies around the use of facial recognition technology, so he, too, should be liable, the lawsuit contends. It seeks unspecified damages.

As Quran sat in jail, his family hired an attorney in Louisiana who presented photos and videos of Quran to the sheriff's office. The person in the surveillance footage was considerably heavier and did not have a mole like Quran's, according to his lawsuit.

The sheriff's office asked a judge to withdraw the warrant. Six days after his arrest, sheriff's officials in Georgia's DeKalb County released Quran.

His car had been towed, and the food at the jail had made him sick, he said. Quran, who works in transportation logistics, also missed work.

Nearly a year later, the experience still haunts him. He wonders what would have happened had he not had money to hire an attorney. And he still thinks about that police stop on a Georgia interstate.

"Every time I see police in my rearview mirror, he said, "it just flashes back my mind to what could have happened even though I hadn't done anything."

Max Schweikarth and Olyvya Boatwright hold sign during protest for the 'Tampa 5' with fellow members of Loyola Young Democratic Socialists of America on Mar. 28, 2023. At the time of the photo, only four of the five had been arrested. Maleigh Crespo/The Maroon

Randal Quran Reid poses for a portait at his attorney's office, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in Atlanta. Reid says the use of facial recognition technology by a sheriff's detective in Louisiana led to his arrest for crimes he did not commit. AP

Photo/John Bazemore

Powdered Doughnuts & Pocketed Memories

For my mama

By Maleigh Crespo

People carry memories in their pockets, like lint or empty gum wrappers; things that, in the moment, feel insignificant, yet these seemingly insignificant memories make us who we are.

When I was a little girl, my mother would pick me up from preschool every afternoon and take me to the gas station. I thought this was simply to get my afternoon snack, but it was for her to get her daily nicotine fix.

Nonetheless, we left the store satisfied with our purchases.

I would get mini powdered doughnuts (sometimes the chocolate ones, on a bad day), and Mama would get her Doral shorts in the gold box. On the ride home, I'd ask her the same question: “Mama, how are doughnuts made?” She’d answer with a story about the doughnut makers at the doughnut factory.

This was our routine.

Mama stopped smoking years ago, and my doughnut eating days are behind me, but those days made me who I am. I am someone who hates the smell of cigarettes and has struggled with her weight her whole life.

This is one of those memories that resides in my pocket, tucked neatly in the corner, like lint or an empty gum wrapper, seemingly insignificant yet profound.

Maleigh Crespo is a junior English writing major, journalism minor on the educationtrack.Shehasbeenwritingforaslongasshecanrememberandcouldn'tsee herselfdoinganythingelse.Whenshe’snotwriting,shecanbefoundblastingTaylor Swift,onlineshopping,orfeedingthesquirrelsinAudubonPark.Youcanreachherat macrespo@my.loyno.edu.

Untitled Malu Sanchez

Annual Beignet Fest is back in town

By Piper Demman pldemman@loyno.edu

The heart of New Orleans was filled with warm pastries and smiles at the return of the annual Beignet Fest in City Park on Sept.

23, drawing in thousands of food lovers and tourists from across the nation.

This festival features a variety of vendors, each selling their own unique version of the classic beignet. The sweet smell of powdered sugar filled the air as locals and visitors treated themselves to a diverse assortment of beignets.

Sherwood Collins, the event producer of Beignet Fest expressed his excitement in the expansion of the festival this year. “We have over 20 food vendors, doing 80 different food items, and over 50 different beignets, there’s just a prith of wonderful things going on,” said Collins.

While Beignet Fest is all about indulging in delicious foods and celebrating New Orleans culture, it is also known for its loyalty to supporting the community. This year's festival was presented by Children’s Hospital of New Orleans and all proceeds went to the Beignet Fest Foundation.

“Beignet Fest Foundation is a non-profit that we created with Beignet Fest that takes the proceeds and helps to celebrate, embrace, and enhance the lives of kids with autism and their families,” Collins said.

Collins stresses the fact that Beignet Fest is a family oriented event, “we want to create an atmosphere where kids can come out, feel included, feel safe, and have a good time while enjoying a festival atmosphere and having something really good and fun to eat,” he said.

Every bite of the delicious beignets contributes to a greater cause. The charitable efforts of Beignet fest brings people together with a purpose and entails the positive impact the community strives to make.

Festival-goers and Loyola Law alumni, Darlene Peters and Jeaneen Johnson attended Beignet Fest this year, expressing their love for the music, atmosphere, and charitable aspects the festival has to offer.

“I appreciate that they are raising funds for autism in the Children’s Hospital. I'm just excited that we're here together for a good cause and that the crowd seems to be a good turnout,” said Peters.

Besides sweet treats and smells, the festival offers local jazz bands to provide music for the New Orleans residents.

Artists featured at this year’s festival included Black Magic Drumline, Imagination Movers, New Soul Finders featuring Marilyn Barbarin and Marc Stone, Mia Borders, Flow Tribe, and Flagboy Giz.

Another highlight of this festival is the culinary creativity displayed by local chefs.

Visitors see everything from savory, sea-

food-stuffed beignets to sweet, praline-filled pastries.

Favorites amongst visitors this year included the “pear and brie” beignet from The Vintage NOLA, the “blackberry cloud” beignet from Old School Eat’s, and Loretta’s Authentic Pralines’ famous “crabmeat” beignet.

This celebration of the traditional New Orleans powdered sugar pastry has a way of bringing the community together and creating a vibrant atmosphere, while also helping local businesses create a name for themselves.

Preston Wyatt, an employee at Ruby Slipper Cafe said Beignet Fest has always had a positive impact on their business. “We are a really big family culture, at Ruby Cafe we try to inspire a culture of belonging,” Wyatt said, “We get to meet all kinds of new people and let them know who we are.”

Through the numerous flavors, rhythmic jazz beats, and generosity of this event, it is evident that Beignet Fest is a true reflection of New Orleans spirit. This celebration of tradition and innovation reminds us how important it is to come together as a community to build a brighter future for those in need. As we wrap up another delicious year, we impatiently await for the next chapter of this sweet and a savory journey that is Beignet Fest. Don’t miss out, and mark your calendars for Beignet Fest in September 2024!

By Kaitlyn Gress kegress@loyno.edu

Last weekend, Beignet Fest returned to the New Orleans Festival Grounds from 10-6 on Saturday, bringing over 50 kinds of delicious beignets with it. For only $20 a person and free for children 12 and under, Beignet Fest is well worth the price. The cost of beignets at the festival ranged from $5-15, including vegan and gluten-free options. Guests could vote for their favorite beignet in categories such as savory, which included “crawfish and corn beignets” from Any O’Cajun, and sweet, which included “very berry lemon beignets” from Ruby Slipper Cafe. Vendors also offered other food items such as fries, pasta, gumbo, jambalaya, wings, ice cream, and plenty of drink options. Food could be enjoyed at picnic tables close enough to the stage to hear the various performers. The performances were family-friendly and kept guests entertained by bringing out special guests and activities. Some musicians offered merch for around $20-25. Guests could also buy handmade creations at the artist’s market, a collection of tents set up in a row on the field. With vendors selling clothing, paintings, candles, crystals, coasters, postcards, ornaments, and many more, there were plenty of options to choose from. And with all the areas clearly marked, it was easy to find.

Beignet Fest was an overall great success and the large crowds it drew will help the Beignet Fest Foundation continue to do good in our community. Hopefully, it will return next year with even more delicious flavors of beignets.

Brewstock Fest serves homebrew

By Ava Acharya aaacharya@loyno.edu

Brewskis, puppies, and good company; New Orleans second annual Brewstock Fest celebrated all three with the help of local homebrewers and the Louisiana SPCA.

The festival hosted 34 locally based homebrewers, sampling over 100 home brewed beers, said Oliver Codner, the festival’s main organizer and the owner of Brewstock Homebrew Supplies, located in New Orleans.

Brewstock Fest aims to give New Orleans homebrewers an opportunity to showcase their passions and hard work, Codner said. And, he added, it was this same passion that originally inspired him to buy Brewstock Homebrew Supplies and host the festival.

“I want to give them an outlet and a platform to serve their homebrew,” Codner said.

Other participants and attendees, similarly, voiced their love for beer and excitement for the whole event.

“This is one of those things that you wake up for, and you sweat your ass off, but you don’t even mind,” said Josh Hudak, who started Brudak’s Cult of Malt and showcased his own home-brewed beers at the festival.

Michael Giusti, a Loyola journalism professor and New Orleans home-brewer said that Brewstock Fest offers him a rewarding opportunity to showcase his brews to people outside of his circle of family and friends.

“When you’re actually out and able to serve the public, who doesn’t owe you anything, and they give you a compliment it tells you ‘ok, maybe I’m doing something right,” Guisti said.

In addition to encouraging local passion and talent, Brewstock Fest partnered with the Louisiana SPCA.

Authentic Praline fries beignets. Anna Hummel/The Maroon

Fest attendess enjoys festival eats on Saturday, Sept. 23. A fully activated and sensory friendly Kids Village created by Children’s Hospital New Orleans offered a oneof-a-kind experience for all children.

Codner said that the SPCA has been a longtime supporter of New Orleans based homebrew, as they have previously sponsored Nola On Tap. Representatives from the SPCA brought puppies to the event, all of which were available for adoption.

By Dexter Earley daearley@loyno.edu

“Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour,” an ongoing exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art, highlights the development of high fashion western workwear, streetwear, and more to showcase Black, queer, Native, and immigrant contributions to American culture.

a shared history – exhibiting a plethora of designers, past and present, whose work gives their own interpretations of being an American.

designers representing the forward path of fashion.

The New Orleans Museum of Art showcases their "Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour" exhibit.

In America, styles have come and gone, shifting organically just as much as they're influenced by those big names of fashion. The exhibition aims to show how all of that is woven together to form

The "Glamour" section was graced by garments that have made their way across stages and runways. This contrasts with the “Grit” section in which designs are akin to a “hardworking outdoor culture that produced denim and western wear.” With no chronology, patrons wafted through the NOMA’s space. The exhibit’s ideas were tied around its sections, which also included “Streetwear”– Dapper Dan to Virgil Abloh, “Intimates,” and “Fashioning the future”– contemporary

Though big names could be found amongst the hand-stitched dresses and fast-fashion pieces, the curators cleared the runway for designers who might be lesser-known.

“Stories and voices from the historical margins, including those of immigrants, women, and designers of color,” the curators wrote, “spotlight how the multifaceted American experience is reflected in fashion.”

Under a matching set of fringe suits with intricately stylish piping, the inscription for Anna Sui’s “Cowgirl

and Cowboy” Ensemble spoke for the designer– “I am an American, born in suburbia… I sucked up everything that the mass media could unleash on me. Optimism and romance– they’ve always colored my americana.”

At the same time, a sunset and violet colored dress represented Henry “Kiva” New. “During New’s tenure as the head of the Institute of American Indian Art between 1961 and 1978, he trained multiple generations of Native designers.”

At the exhibition, Native designers were represented in almost all the sections, and multiple time periods.

But should you focus on the work of

Rudi Gernreich– a pioneer of genderless clothing and partner to controversy, who designed mini-skirts for both men and women in the 60s? Or perhaps on “Quinceañera Dress” by Carlota Alfaro, known as Puerto Rico’s “grande dame of fashion?”

America’s fashion has a legacy of its own. It’s constantly being created, and the stories of those who help create it express history as much as their work expresses style.

For those who appreciate fashion or favor an interesting view into the past, the NOMA will be an attractive place to be until Nov. 26.

THE WEEKEND HOWL

FOOD

Fried Chicken Festival is an annual festival celebrating the love of crispy, fried chicken.

Mia Borders musician and Loyola professor of popular and commercial music, is performing in the Friends of Cabildo series.

NOLA Jazz Museum is hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month series featuringvarious artistseach weekend. This week's artist is Jaleo Flamenco.

Fall Film Fundraiser, will feature a screening of "Scream," at 7P.M., along with an art market at 3P.M. to support Loyola filmmakers.

NOMA presents: "Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour" as symbol for culture

A Loyola alumna serves beignets with a smile for Loretta's Authentic Praline. The team won "crowd favorite, best savory" for their crabmeat beignet. Anna Hummel/The Maroon

Flagboy Giz and Flow Tribe sing and headline the entertainment. Additional performances include Black Magic Drumline, Imagination Movers, New Soul Finders featuring Marilyn Barbarin & Marc Stone and Mia Borders. Laci Barrow/The Maroon

Ruby Slipper's workers prepare beignets to serve to customers. All proceeds go to the Beignet Fest Foundation, embracing children with autism and their families. Anna Hummel/The Maroon

Beignet

Anna Hummel/The Maroon

Ashlyn Bobb Collins/The Maroon

Loyola professor, Michael Giusti chats to customers. Giusti brews his own beer and wanted to share with everyone. Maria DiFelice/The Maroon

Loretta's

"The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess"

Chappell Roan is the next queer pop princess

By Maleigh Crespo macrespo@loyno.edu

Rising pop princess Chappell Roan dropped her debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” on Friday. While the 14-track record is Roan’s first full-length album, 10 of the album’s songs are already fan favorites that were previously released as singles.

The album only featured 4 never-heard-before songs, which included “After Midnight,” “Coffee,” “Picture You,” and “Guilty Pleasure.”

The songstress’ sound mixes the queerness of FLETCHER and the signature bubblegum pop of MARINA (formally Marina and the Diamonds). And her no-holding-back lyricism may be familiar, as many of Roan’s songs are co-written and produced by Dan Nigro, who’s known for producing Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR (2021) and GUTS (2023).

Femininomenon– 10/10

This is the ultimate “girly-pop” song. For the uninitiated, Urban Dictionary defines this term as someone who is “constantly slaying and has everyone captivated with every move,” and this song does that. It’s a fuck-you to the patriarchy in the most upbeat way.

Red Wine Supernova – 9.5/10

This song was released mid-summer, and it quickly became my summer anthem. It also has one of the most iconic lines: “I heard you like magic / I got a wand and a rabbit.” And if you don’t get that line, Roan is probably not the artist for you.

After Midnight – 7/10

“After Midnight” is a brand-new song and sound from Roan. It’s a feel-good song about what can happen after midnight that feels straight out of the 80’s with its eccentric sound and synth-fueled backdrop.

Coffee – 7.5/10

Roan is one of the few artists who can do it all. While she triumphs in hyperpop, her incredible voice lends itself to equally triumphant ballads and catchy, in-yourfeels songs. “Coffee” is one of those songs, and you can’t help but fall in love with Roan’s unforgettable, indescribable vocals in that song.

Casual – 9/10

One day last fall, this song found itself on my Spotify recommended list, and I’ve never been more grateful. This song introduced me to Roan, and I’ve been her biggest fan since. When I say “noholding-back lyricism,” this song is what I mean. It’s one of the most beautiful songs on the record, yet simultaneously, one of the most salacious.

Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl –

“What We Do in the Shadows”: Humanity through unhuman relationships

By Ava Acharya aaachary@my.loyno.edu

Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement’s mockumentary-style dark comedy returned for a fifth season this past summer. And, along with all of the classic vampire hijinks and absurd idiocracy the television show is known for, it brought heartfelt discussion on the nature of love, commitment, and friendship.

The season follows the same mismatched vampire roommates, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Lazlo (Matt Berry), Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and their familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), as they struggle their way through fitting in, and possibly taking over, both human and vampire society around their home in Staten Island, New York. However, this season comes with a new twist. Guillermo, unbeknownst to the vampires he lives with, has taken it upon himself to fulfill his life-long dream of becoming a vampire by whatever means necessary. This means being turned by someone other than his master, Nandor, an action akin to treason within their community.

9/10

This song feels very “2010 Lady Gaga” in the best way. Roan has proven time and time again that she’s an artist for the girls, the gays, and the theys. And she speaks for all of us when she says we’re tired of the super mega bummer boys. We do want super graphic ultra modern girls.

HOT TO GO! –

10/10

I’d be lying if I said I haven’t listened to this on repeat since its release in Aug. and practiced the YMCA-style dance that goes with it for Oct. 28 when Roan makes her star-studded entrance in New Orleans at the Joy Theater. “HOT TO GO!” is truly a cheerleader song for the girl on the bleachers.

My Kink is Karma – 10/10

There’s no doubt about it: this is a bad bitch song. It’s a song about reclaiming your power after being screwed over by an ex and watching them crumble while you’re killing it. It completely validates the age-old saying that “karma is a bitch.”

Picture You – 10/10

*Sigh* – that’s how this song opens, and that’s exactly how it feels to listen to

it, like a sigh after a long day. It’s poetic, utterly masterful, and gives me all the feels.

Kaleidoscope – 8/10

This song was hard to rate. It’s the most gut-wrenching story about unrequited queer love, penned solely by Roan. She introduced the song on her Naked in North America tour in the spring by telling the audience that the song was about her first time falling in love, adding that she had fallen in love with her best friend, and it didn’t work out. Roan didn’t go into details, but it’s a story that many queer folks know all too well.

Pink Pony Club – 10/10

“Pink Pony Club” is arguably one of Roan’s best songs. Roan says this song is about embracing her queerness and an homage to drag culture, which she further supports by having drag queens at all of her shows, despite drag bans in certain states. Roan released this song in 2020, before being dropped by her label, Atlantic Records.

Naked in Manhattan – 10/10

In the height of the pandemic, after being dropped from her record label, Roan worked odd jobs and contemplated leaving the music industry. But Roan, being the pink pony girl that she is, continued to write music. Fortunately, for us,

she later signed a publishing deal with Sony and teamed up with Nigro again to release this queer anthem. “Naked in Manhattan” is a song that never fails to make me want to dance. It’s an anthem for WLW.

California – 9/10

This may be an unpopular opinion –sound off in the comments – but I love this song. It’s about Roan’s struggles being in Hollywood, trying to make it in the music industry where she feels she let her hometown (and herself) down by not making it in California. But if you ask me, staying in California paid off for this red wine supernova.

Guilty Pleasure – 9.5/10

This song feels crass, and I’ll admit: I wasn't a fan at first. But after a few listens, I realized that it feels crass because that’s exactly how guilty pleasures feel. And this song is my ultimate guilty pleasure.

“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” took me on the most magical, exhilarating journey. It made me want to dance, cry, and left me with the most immense queer joy. Roan is the next queer pop icon, and I’m just happy to be along for the ride, as she takes the music world by storm.

Overall Rating: 10/10

As Guillermo adjusts to this, albeit incomplete, transition, he is forced to confront the reality of his actions as each member of the group individually discovers what he has done.

Let’s be honest, this show isn’t for everyone. But, for those of us who find humor in the absurd and taboo, such as anthropomorphic animal hybrids and centuries-old vampires losing their roots while living in American suburbs, there is nothing better.

I particularly enjoyed the vampire roommates' unconventional, and often gory ways, of expressing love and care towards each other. Although this affection is generally undercut by their own stupidity and selfish lack of humanity.

While this season’s final episode felt lackluster and diminished the stakes (pun intended) set up earlier in the season, I cannot wait for more episodes and more ridiculous shenanigans only a group of oblivious vampires could get into.

"What We Do in the Shadows" is available on Hulu

Rating: 8/10

Hoping

a miraculous cure,

Courtesy of Island Records

“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” took me on the most magical, exhilarating journey.”

— Maleigh Crespo

A hit man teams up with an art dealer for a moneylaundering scheme that unwittingly turns him into an avant-garde sensation.

TaylorFalgout/TheMaroon

Athena Marks/ e Maroon

Grace Knight/ e Maroon

Lack of parking: The real pandemic

HOWLS & GROWLS

HOWL to the Gub & his BIG green hand

GROWL to hangovers

HOWL to queer pop princesses GROWL to big pharma

Parking sucks. For commuters, on campus students, faculty and sta , and everyone who works at or attends this school –parking sucks (unless, of course, you have your own reserved spot in front of the university).

Students, whether on-campus residents or commuters, are no strangers to the parking problems plaguing Loyola. Whether it’s waiting in lines that run out of the parking garages in to the street in the vain hope of snagging a spot, hoping to catch someone backing out of their spot, or nding a space on Calhoun big enough for the arduous task of parallel parking, parking is a game students are forced to play every morning - a game that wastes their time, money, and sanity. Whether in West Road or Freret, on Calhoun, Palmer, State, or even those stuck on Nashville, parking on and around campus is a labyrinth that no

one can escape from truly unscathed. Loyola would be doing something right by inscribing “Abandon all hope all ye who enter here” on the front of the parking garages. It might count as false advertising if they don’t. ere are many issues with parking the school could x if they weren’t so busy selling our parking spaces to Tulane students, and whoever else they justify selling our spaces to when they sell a spot to a “non-Loyola community member.”

With only 1,500 parking spots on a campus of more than 4,000 students, plus faculty and sta , and other noncommunity members, Loyola isn't properly providing parking.

When they closed the Mercy Hall lot, Loyola did a huge disservice to its community. By not ensuring that there were proper alternatives to parking in Mercy, Loyola left people stranded

having to nd parking on streets that are too full, in spots that are too busy, and risk facing innumerable tickets when there was a “no stopping sign” someone didn’t see.

Making students shell out $400 annually for a parking pass on a campus with so few spots – in an area as busy as Uptown, and with as many issues our streets already face – is an insult to we the students and a drain on our wallets. Last year Loyola didn’t enforce parking passes until Sept. 7. But now they’ve decided that parking on campus didn’t cause us enough issues as is and began ticketing and booting cars two weeks earlier this year, on Aug. 23, right as our bank accounts hit $0 after paying for tuition, housing, rent, gas, and every other nancial burden on our plates.

On Aug. 15th, an email was sent out stating that Loyola would be providing

fewer parking spaces to “non-Loyola community members.” at is not a solution and it does not show a rm commitment on the part of Loyola to make necessary changes in order to provide for its students. e university needs to understand that it must be rst and foremost committed to providing for its students, for those who live both on and o campus, and not selling our resources away to “nonLoyola community members.”

Maybe a potential solution could be to ban faculty from parking on campus, that way professors actually have an excuse as to why they’re always late to class.

Until the university starts coming up with viable solutions to the epidemic that is the lack of parking on campus, we can all remain united in our simple problem: parking sucks.

LETTER: Loyola's music ensemble access

To the editor:

Loyola’s School of Music & eatre Professions boasts national recognition for its creative arts curricula, which is dedicated to an incredibly wide array of musical and theatrical disciplines/ genres. We are proud of our status as a destination to learn alongside our faculty of world-renown musicians.

Naturally I, as the director of this school, was dismayed to read last week that a student had not been given the correct information in order to tap into our rich world of music-making experiences within the school and wanted to make sure our campus community

knew just how welcome they are in our musical groups and productions. We do, in fact, allow non-majors into our ensembles like: concert band, orchestra, wind ensemble, big band, hip-hop ensemble, Crescent Collective -vocal jazz ensemble, and pop contemporary ensembles. At present, we have a great many non-music majors in our groups and even more students from across campus partaking in private lessons each semester as well as jumping into our fantastic plays and musical theatre productions.

Students of all Loyola majors (even our cohorts in master’s and City College programs!) are welcome to join in what

we do in the SMTP and all it takes is registering for one of these experiences listed in the LORA Course Catalogue. Even more to the point of wanting to include all Loyola majors in what we do, we work to o er non-major scholarships that fund students who play needed instruments/voice parts a chance to join our large ensembles, an o er that we have extended to our dear op/ed-writer. ere is a lot of data around the general bene ts of playing music, but making music with others is an incredibly special and unique gift, of which those who partake can attest. As an ensemble director myself, I see the special bonds formed when people join together to

HOWL to platform Converse GROWL to the lack of parking

HOWL to the Beyhive GROWL to the Saints losing

HOWL to Giusti's brewskis

EDITORIAL BOARD

Patrick Hamilton Editor-in-Chief

Maleigh Crespo Managing Editor for Print

Addison Laird Managing Editor for Digital

Ayana Thomas Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion O cer

Daniela Martínez Maroon Broadcast Executive Producer

Maria DiFelice Maroon Broadcast

Operation Manager

Sophia Maxim Design Chief

Anna Hummel Photo Editor

create something artistic for the greater good, and how much closer to the Jesuit mission could we get?

I personally met my lifelong best friends in ensembles throughout my educational experiences and truly love folding new people into this (often) life-changing experience, regardless of major. Our choir/band/stage doors are open to you, Loyola, so I look forward to seeing more of you in our future concerts and productions!

Kate Duncan, Director - School of Music & eatre Professions

Kloe Witt News Editor

Melody Newsome Breaking News Editor

Natalia Silva Life & Times Editor

Jacob L'Hommedieu Worldview Editor

Sofía Johnson Comics Editor

Athena Marks Chief Visual Artist

Mark Michel Opinion and Editorial Editor

Mia Oliva Reviews Editor

Taylor Falgout Senior Sta Photographer

Ava Acharya Senior Sta Writer

Ecoi Lewis Content Editor

Heather Rabassa Copy Editor

Chris Maldonado Chief Executive Assistant

"Loyola students should be prioritized. We're the ones that are paying tuition to come so if you can't provide parking that we're asking for and we're paying for- I think that's an issue."

- Alle Givens, journalism sophomore on parking

Athena Marks/The Maroon

9/11 destroyed country music as a genre

I grew up hearing new-wave country music around the house. Artists like Luke Bryant, Morgan Wallen, Dierks Bentley, and Miranda Lambert. Just like most Southerners, I have a personal history with country music. As I got older I began to take a deep dive into different genres. When I stumbled upon older country and folk tunes, I realized they sounded nothing like what we hear today. Since 9/11, country music has shifted into an overly commercialized jingoistic genre.

Let's take a step back into history. Country music prior to 9/11 targeted working-class struggles and familial bonds. Artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Tom Waits, and Dolly Parton all wrote about the struggles of being a working-class American. For example, we can look at a verse from “Coal Miner's Daughter” by Loretta Lynn:

Well, I was borned a coal miner's daughter

In a cabin, on a hill in Butcher

Holler

We were poor, but we had love

That's the one thing that daddy made sure of

He shoveled coal to make a poor man's dollar

In a research paper done by Sarah Lamoid at Northeastern University, she examines the lyrical change in country music from 1950-2000 and 2002-2020. She found that in modern country music, some of the most common words are: family, fight, peace, Vietnam, bloody, slinging, generation, trash, and malls.

We can see a division begin to start

with famous conservative singer-songwriter Toby Keith. His song “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” was a tribute to 9/11. In this song, he embodies the stereotypical diehard American patriot. He managed to sing highly creative phrases such as “Mother Freedom ringing her bell” and “the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist”. Toby Keith, who cosplays as a working class American who has served

in the army. He amassed over 40 million sales of his first album and has an estimated net worth of around $300 million. Not to mention, he's never served. He doesn't speak for the people and his art simply lacks any sign of emotional intelligence or depth.

Artists clung to this kind of music. Aaron Lewis co-wrote “Am I the Only One,” singing about his devotion to America, that this generation seems

to lack, and his disgust with the tearing down of confederate statues. Jason Aldean sang “Try that in a Small Town” as a reaction to the BLM movement in 2020. In his music video, he sings in front of the Maury County Court House where a young man named Henry Choate was lynched in 1927.

Now country music has become associated with Bud-Light, raised trucks, and good church-going

conservative families that shop at Walmart. People pushed out artists like the Chicks and let ignorant artists like Toby Keith rise to prominence. I truly enjoy country music, but today I can't listen to the capitalistic propaganda winning awards at the Academy of Country Music. There is no artistry, no unification, no diversity. Instead, it's dominated by rich men obsessed with murder and incorrect civil war history.

Our writers vs. Hollywood: The industry's greatest brawl

CHRISTINA STERLING Film junior cmsterli@my.loyno.edu

We've had a great lineup of films so far this year. From box office hits such as “The Super Mario Bros” and “The Little Mermaid” to the cultural phenomenon “Barbenheimer”, there is no doubt audiences are anticipating the next one. Or maybe you’re wondering about that favorite show of yours with the major cliffhanger. Will they end up together?

Are they going to die? Good news! You don’t have to wait much longer. After an unexpected 5 month fight at the picket lines, the writers of Hollywood have decided to pick up their pencils again. While this is exciting for audiences and writers, what exactly does this mean for the future of film and television?

The dispute began on May 2, 2023 surrounding the issue of payments. The Writers Guild of America claimed that studios have cut much of their residuals compared to past years. The aftermath of COVID-19 has left fewer employees in the workplace and led to the cancellation of several film and television show productions to

compensate for basic residuals and music licensing costs. There is also an argument that artificial intelligence is attempting to replace writing positions rather than act as a tool for generating script ideas.

I commend them for their efforts. Writers are the foundation of any film or television production at hand. Yes, film and television production is a collaborative effort. You can’t have a character without an actor the same way you can’t film a scene without a camera. But without a script, there is absolutely no movie or show. Studios should not become dependent on AI for several reasons, the main being the lack of emotional provocation that a computer simply can’t accomplish. Sure, it can write a scene with basic emotion, but authenticity is where the best writing derives from. Only actual writers deserve the right to do the job in this way. It's human nature. It is only fair and reasonable that our writers receive appropriate wages for their creative endeavors.

As a current film major and aspiring screenwriter, my initial response to this occurrence was daunting. I couldn’t imagine the new writers who were just breaking into the industry waiting to have their script read only to find out that their plans were put on hold.

I became so discouraged to the point where I began to question my own

career choices. I knew I wasn’t alone on the subject of the matter. This has become a relevant conversation in the film and television community. However, I realized all hope was not lost. Independent filmmaking seems to be becoming more of a trend. With successful receptions from “Moonlight,” or “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once,” it seems that audiences have started to find enjoyment in them. Why could this be? Nowadays, most Hollywood film studios have become focused on creating the next biggest blockbuster. This is especially evident in Hollywood's dominance of movie franchises such as Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fast and Furious, and Jurassic Park. Studios spend excessive amounts of dollars on props, visual effects, and other components than they really need to, ultimately not making a large profit if any. The recent release of the latest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, “Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny,” is a great example of this flawed concept. Let’s be honest: Did audiences really want to see another Indiana Jones film? Not to mention, there are fewer movie-goers postpandemic. It was a “box office bomb”, and Disney saw a loss of $100 million. Indie films have to work around the idea of being incredibly flashy and showy. Due to having a smaller budget,

expect to see production of projects resume soon. Our writers deserve to get paid and live in decency. However, the actors of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are still stuck at the picket lines. We can only hope the strike lives up to the fate of our writers very soon. Until then, the writers will no doubt continue to support the people that bring their scripts to life. I truly hope we see a trend of more independent films in the near future. It’s what the people what, and personally what I am looking forward to. As for the future of Hollywood, I hope it can repair itself and become a better industry. But with the recent release of the billion dollar box office hit, “Barbie,” there is a possibility for a wave of another overly expensive budget movie franchise with Mattel. There is a possibility that the harmful trend continues. Could Hollywood learn from their mistakes, or will it plummet

Athena Marks/The Maroon

Grace Knight/The Maroon

BLU DIMARCO History education sophomore mddimarc@my.loyno.edu