The Maroon May 5, 2023 Issue

Heath feels dismissal was targeted

By Macie Batson mmbatson@my.loyno.edu @maciembats

As Loyola University’s only Black English professor continues to fight for reinstatement, many faculty and students are drawing attention to broader institutional issues, including a lack of diversity among professors and concerns regarding contract renewal policies.

Scott Heath, a tenure-track professor who is also the director of Loyola’s African and American studies program, said he was not provided with prior notice of a contract renewal vote.

Contracts for non-tenured faculty are reviewed on an annual basis, according to university spokeswoman Rachel Hoormann. Periodically, non-tenured, tenure-track professors are required to submit a letter similar to a job application for review.

Once that application is submitted, the department’s tenured professors must review it along with their performance and vote on whether or not their contract should be renewed.

Heath failed to meet the deadline to submit the application.

An emergency trip

Shortly before it was time for the English department to review his contract, which took place in October of last year, Heath’s lifelong best friend unexpectedly died. Heath said he remained in North Carolina for two weeks in September to take care of his best friend and make funeral arrangements.

As soon as he learned of his friend’s death, Heath said he called the English Department to inform them of the situation and emailed his students he would have to cancel class due to an emergency.

“Everybody knew where I was going,” he said. “And I know the English Department knew because they sent flowers to the funeral home.”

During his two-week emergency trip, Heath said he still remained engaged with his students and kept them updated

on how long he would be there.

“I would email them and say, ‘alright y’all, I’m gonna be here longer than I thought, so read this so that we can stay on schedule.’ We’ve been taught to work remotely anyway,” Heath said. “I never actually took time off. I was still teaching my class.”

Heath said he was contacted by the chair of the English Department, Tim Welsh, asking if Heath would like an extension on the deadline to submit his application, which he was granted. Heath said he was given no specific deadline and did not know how long the extension was going to be.

But Heath said at some point, a vote on his contract renewal happened.

“I say at some point because I was not aware of this meeting; otherwise, I would have quickly put together my letter,” he said.

Heath said he presumed that the lack of materials available for the department to review led to an automatic decision not to renew his contract. Since then, Heath and two of the five professors who voted on his contract have been trying to reverse that decision.

The Maroon reached out to the English Department for comment regarding Heath’s situation, but Chair of the English Department, Tim Welsh, declined to issue any formal statement.

Three-fifths majority

Tenured English professors and co-directors of the Center for Editing and Publishing, Mark Yakich and Christopher Shaberg, were the only two professors who voted to renew Heath’s contract, according to Yakich and Schaberg.

But even as they were voting, Schaberg, who was a part of the committee involved in hiring Heath, said neither he, nor Heath, fully comprehended the severity of the situation at that time.

“It was a very confusing meeting,” Schaberg said. “But I don’t think anything he did warrants him losing his job.”

Schaberg expressed deep concerns with the meeting, noting that without Heath present and lacking any relevant

documents to review, the situation was “deeply problematic” in his view.

“There have been so many junctures where we could have rerouted and stopped this,” Schaberg said.

Schaberg also recalled a portion of the meeting where Yakich asked them to imagine how it might feel to be a Black man surrounded by white colleagues — in a university and bureaucracy built by whites — and how that might affect one’s ability to ask for help.

“That’s a position none of us will ever know,” Yakich said.

Yakich said that this situation brought to light certain aspects of the university’s contract renewal process that have been previously overlooked.

“[Heath’s] case has put into question how university policies and procedures have failed a faculty member and how the system of ‘shared governance’ itself should change, particularly as tenured faculty numbers dwindle and the university relies on ‘contingent faculty,’” Yakich said.

SGA cabinet confirmations on hold until fall

By Kloe Witt kgwitt@my.loyno.edu @kloewitt22

“It’s a shit show,” is how the Student Government Association’s senator for the College of Music and Media, Chloe Bernier, described the current climate of the SGA here at Loyola after they have delayed the confirmation of the cabinet for the 2023-24 school year.

Only three out of the seven candidates were confirmed by the senate in late March. Four of the seven cabinet candidates lost their nomination and failed to reach the minimum vote threshold. An emergency senate meeting scheduled for April 16 to address this issue was later canceled.

Voting pressure

To confirm candidates, each member of the senate has three options: yay, nay, or abstain. To be confirmed, candidates must receive yays from twothirds of the senate.

“What made it different this year is that since it was the last senate of the semester, there was a lot of people that were absent as well as there were a lot of abstention from voting, so it wasn’t a full voting count,

which is why we had to call a last-minute senate session,” said SGA President Makayla Hawkins.

Among the unapproved cabinet was the 202223 president Stephanie Oblena, who ran to serve as the Director of Equity and Inclusion.

However, an email sent by the incoming SGA Vice President, Sydney Randall, on April 14 told senators they were not allowed to abstain from the vote, and if they wished to vote no, they had to prepare a reason why in the emergency meeting.

See CABINET, page 2

Contingent faculty are faculty members who do not have the authority to vote on contract renewals or promotions.

Yakich said that Loyola has a responsibility to support its faculty and staff in the same way that it supports its students.

“Although I voted to renew Dr. Heath, I know that I failed him,” Yakich said as he recalled not reaching out to Heath when his friend died and later when his contract was being reviewed. “But I could also say that I was indolent, or that I assumed everything was okay, or that I thought the system would usher him along just fine. I was wrong.”

Heath said he felt like his dismissal was planned, and it seems like a few members of the English Department took the opportunity to remove him while he was at his most vulnerable.

Schaberg said that the decision not to renew Heath’s contract has caused division within the English Department.

The other tenured professors who

were involved in the voting process, Hillary Eklund, Sarah Allison, and Tim Welsh, all declined to comment.

Students rally for Heath

Since the decision, Heath said he has gone through many hoops to try and keep his job, including what he described as a lengthy appeals process, which has not yet resulted in any progress.

Heath said the process has felt “ isolating, alienating, humiliating, and stigmatizing.”

After weeks of waiting around and hearing nothing, Heath said he felt like he was buying into a “culture of silence.”

“When students began to ask about next year, I realized that it would be unfair of me, and even unprofessional of me, to just secretly disappear from Loyola without students knowing what was going on,” Heath said.

See HEATH, page 9

Farewell to beloved professor

By Jackie Galli jegalli@my.loyno.edu @Jackie_Galli

During one of history professor Behrooz Moazami’s classes, the room was having a group discussion, something very typical for his style of teaching. The students were talking about the writer’s argument for an assigned reading. Moazami asked Jennifer Hunt, a double major in history and women’s studies at the time, a question. After her answering, he then told her something that would strike fear in many students’ hearts: “Now go stand up at the front of the room. They’re going to start asking you questions.”

“Without warning, prompting, preparation, anything, he made me stand up at the podium in front of the room and just defend the perspective of this writer to, like, 20 of my classmates,” Hunt said.

After she was done, the class broke into cheers.

“I killed it,” Hunt said. “I would have never expected it out of myself. I would have never done it for myself.”

Following her time at the front, Hunt said she looked over to Moazami.

“He just had the proudest look on his face,” Hunt said. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh, he knows something about me that I don’t know.’”

See BEHROOZ, page 2

Scott Heath teaches Black cinema course on May 2, 2023. Heath is the only Black English professor. Hannah Bauer/The Maroon

Behrooz: Retiring professor will be missed

Loyola's nursing school sees positive results

By Macie Batson mmbatson@loyno.edu @maciembats

Nestled between Marquette and Bobet Hall and concealed by the West Road Garage, lies Stallings Hall, the home of the College of Nursing and Health. Stallings Hall is easy to miss, but it serves as an important location for Loyola’s nursing students to achieve their academic goals.

From students racing to the finish line of their 17-month accelerated nursing programs to pursuing the country’s second dual program in nurse anesthesia and adult-gerontology acute care, there's no shortage of work to be done at the School of Nursing.

Continued from page 1

Hunt, who graduated from Loyola in 2011, isn’t alone in being inspired while a student under Moazami.

She also isn’t alone in being sad to see him retire from the university after 16 years of teaching at Loyola.

In his time on campus, Moazami started the Middle East peace studies program. It is one of the few programs to focus on studying peace in this region at the undergraduate level in the U.S. He also helped start the Loyola University Students Peace Conference, which he has continued to support and promote annually since it began in 2008.

As Moazami moves on from Loyola, Hunt said she hopes he gets the rest he deserves.

“He has given a lot of people so many things, and I think that he deserves to go spend afternoons in the garden with his wife,” she said.

But resting does not come naturally to Moazami.

“I am leaving for the same reason I came to Loyola: politics,” he said to one of his classes.

Check out The Maroon website to read the full story online.

Maroon journalists win big

The Maroon received multiple awards at the Society of Professional Journalist Region 12 Mark of Excellence awards. The Maroon won the Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper and Best Affiliated Website.

“Solid reporting, good writing and clear design make for a newspaper that would seem to be both required and desired reading for students,” said the judges reviewing the newspaper.

Several Maroon reporters and artists won awards as well, including Ava Acharya in General News Reporting, Ver Lumad in Cultural Criticism, Domonique Tolliver in In-Depth Reporting, and Patrick Hamilton in Illustration.

The Maroon also took hold of many finalist sports including Maleigh Crispo for Editorial/Opinion Writing, Rae Walberg, Domonique Tolliver, and Brendan Heffernan in Podcast, Gabriella Killet in In-Depth Reporting, Domonique Tolliver and Jackie Galli in Breaking News Reporting, and Kloe Witt and Macie Batson in General News Reporting.

All of the individual winners and the newspaper itself will now move on to the national competition.

Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Michelle Collins and Director of the School of Nursing Cherie Burke said the school’s in “growth mode” right now, with hopes to make the Loyola community more aware of all of the opportunities the School of Nursing has to offer.

The traditional route

Loyola began the traditional bachelor in science and nursing in the fall of 2021, but with new additions to the program, like the simulations lab, students are starting to have more opportunities to experience things Collins and Burke say are unique to Loyola.

Nursing junior and member of the Student Nurses Association Kayla Whitfield said that this program has allowed her to stay at Loyola rather than transfer to Louisiana State University Health to finish her nursing degree. She has planned to be a nurse ever since she was little.

CABINET: Senate frustrated with nominees

Continued from page 1

Incoming 2023-24 senator at large Kaley Delker said she felt as though this decision impeded on their rights as senators and was unjust.

“Voting is obviously personal and political,” she said. “You try to keep it as political as possible, but I wanted to vote no on a few people, and I felt very uncomfortable for giving my reasons why.”

Bernier, who was a senator for the College of Music and Media this last school year, also said she felt that this new rule – an authority not granted to the vice president by the senate bylaws – was improper.

"You’re asking someone to explain why they want to say no, and I guess, maybe, they’re entitled to ask that, but you shouldn’t force them," she said. "It’s a lot of pressure, and it doesn’t feel right for them to have to do."

There was little to no communication or explanation for why this new guideline was set just days before the emergency meeting, according to Bernier.

“There wasn’t like any talking, from what I’ve seen, about ‘yeah let’s not have the option to abstain,’ or like ‘yeah you’re gonna have to explain yourself if you wanna say no,’ so I didn’t see any negotiation or reasoning about that. Probably because the reasoning would’ve sounded like bullshit,” she said.

“I have gained so much experience and knowledge through this program,” she said. “Before starting nursing school, I couldn’t tell you what it entailed to take care of a patient.”

Whitfield said the program has helped her understand the world of nursing better.

“Healthcare is forever changing, and

Poor communication

This last-minute senate session, however, never happened. On April 15, through email, 2022-23 vice president Viviana Alveraz informed the senate the meeting was canceled.

According to Hawkins, the emergency meeting did not reach the necessary quorum, leading to an even longer delayed vote, which is set to happen at the first senate meeting next semester.

“The decision was made by me, the vice president, and the advisors to just go ahead and doing a conformation in the fall,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins admitted there was no communication among cabinet members.

“There was no discussion had. That was another reason we called for an emergency senate session in order to have more of a discussion to understand what was going on,” she said.

Who are these people?

After submitting applications through Howl Connect and interviews with the president, vice president, and advisors, cabinet appointees are selected based on a rubric score before being voted on by the senate, according to Hawkins.

Delker and Bernier said this year's confirmation meeting faced various issues, such as insufficient information on multiple candidates.

On top of that, most of the nominees didn’t show up to the meeting, giving no room for senators to ask questions before voting.

“This is the issue. There was no way to prepare for it. They sent us the agenda the day of, and it was like there’s not anything on these candidates. It's just their names. Like what am I supposed to do, look up their Instagrams and be like,

as nurses and nursing students, we have learned to be flexible with changes,” she said.

Highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, Burke and Collins explained that Loyola offers students the opportunity to work in a hospital during the first semester of their sophomore year, in contrast to other universities that

‘yeah this is who I’m gonna vote for?’” Bernier said.

Former president voted off

Among the unapproved cabinet was the 2022-23 president Stephanie Oblena, who ran to serve as the director of equity and inclusion.

In order to pass, cabinet candidates had to receive 11 yays from the 16 senate members who were in attendance. Oblena only received eight, with five abstentions and three nays, making her the second most voted-against nominee.

Bernier and Delker voiced their displeasure with Oblena's nomination as director of equity and inclusion, citing their concerns about her performance during her time as SGA president.

One reason they did not agree with Oblena's nomination as director of equity and inclusion was due to her vetoing bills aimed at increasing accessibility on campus, including a bill drafted by Delker.

“Personally, I don’t think someone who vetoes accessibility bills really deserves to be the equity and inclusion chair,” Delker said.

Bernier recounted an incident where the senate attempted to provide fidgeting tools, such as fidget spinners, pens, and papers for doodling, to help students focus, but Oblena vetoed the bill.

“It’s something so small that we can offer, and it was just like weird to us on why it was being fought against so much,” Bernier said.

Legislative drama

Delker and Bernier mentioned that they felt the SGA had become cliquey over the past year, especially after the flea market veto last semester.

often provide it in the third year.

“Instead of two years of clinical experience, we have three. That extra year will allow not only for more time in a learning environment, but allow for students to gain more confidence,” said nursing first-year and transfer student Christine Bridger.

See NURSING, page 9

Delker expressed her concern about the possibility of the trend continuing into the next year, particularly in light of the events that took place during the failed cabinet confirmations.

“I think someone’s bullying someone. And I can’t tell if it’s pro staff or if it’s just Makayla trying to bully the rest of us into just getting her cabinet through, but she just realized it wasn’t going to happen,” Delker said.

The future of SGA

The revote and delay of confirmation until September also means that candidates who were confirmed during the initial meeting will have to undergo another vote.

“Due to the fact that that emergency Senate did not reach quorum, all of those votes were rendered null in void, which is why we have to do a reconfirmation during the next senate,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins said she isn’t concerned about the effects of the cabinet confirmation being pushed to the fall.

“I feel like it just opens more room for communication between the executive cabinet and the senate. I don’t think that it really affects how we’re gonna be running overall,” she said.

Bernier will be abroad for the fall semester, not allowing her to take a proper role with SGA in that time, though she plans to return in the spring.

She said she is hoping for an easier and more productive year for the new senate.

“That’s just the hope. That things will run smoother. Cause when things don’t run smoothly, nothing gets done,” she said.

Nursing students practice taking vitails on a medical test dummy in Monrue Hall on Aug. 25, 2022. Gabrieille Korien/The Maroon

ACROSS

1 Jerry or Shari

6 "__ Rise"

9 Foreign farewell

10 "__ Grows in Brooklyn"

12 Wavy line over an "n"

13 Mr. Kutcher

14 Snakelike fish

15 "All in the Family" role

16 One of the Simpsons

19 Flows back

23 Sherman Hemsley series 24 Witty remark

25 "The __ of Buster Scruggs";

DOWN

1 "__ Night with Seth Meyers"

2 Actress Falco

3 Role for Nick Gehlfuss

4 Suffix for bull or jell

5 Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named

6 Mr. Linkletter

7 Actor __ G. Carroll 8 Goodman or Cariou

10 "__ This Old House"

11 Queen Latifah series

20 Olive Oyl's hairdo

29 Wide-eyed bird

31 "__ Believer"; hit for the Monkees

New city office to address homelessness crisis

By Aidan Whittle avwhittl@my.loyno.edu

Despite New Orleans’ homelessness rate having dropped 34% since 2020, the visibility of homeless encampments has led to the creation of a new Office of Homeless Services and Strategy to address the issue.

The office’s director, Nathan Fields, said he believes that rising housing and insurance costs are to blame for homelessness in New Orleans.

“If we can’t get persons who currently own homes to be able to be comfortable paying for their insurance and mortgage, how do we expect persons who are experiencing homelessness to get housing if they can’t afford to pay rent?” Fields said.

Flood insurance rates are projected to rise 134% on average across Louisiana, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This could lead to increased rents as landlords face higher costs.

“In order to address homelessness, we have to address housing insecurity and income,” Fields said.

However, Fields said he believes that addressing homelessness will be a matter brought up to the state, and not just involve continuous work from city council.

In the meantime, Fields said he wants to address the shortage of manpower in homeless shelters. According to Fields, some of the shelters “don’t have the ability to get [homeless] people to and from locations or aren’t able to hold spots for

them all year long.”

Increasing wages for shelter employees would help solve the manpower shortage so homeless people can access housing, employment assistance, and get government-issued IDs, according to Fields.

“The city is working on ways that we can increase the wages for persons working at shelters with the hopes that other [private] shelters will join us in collaboration,” Fields said.

Fields said he thinks that the influx of short-term rentals in New Orleans is sure to exacerbate already high housing costs. In March this year, the New Orleans city council adopted new limits to curb short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. At the same time, the council provided a pathway for exceptions to the new caps on permits, according to the city council website.

“I do realize that 7,000 short-term rentals have helped drive up the housing costs. If we can reverse that and change what housing costs look like, we can also change the sustainability for individuals who are experiencing homelessness and persons who are currently housed,” Fields said.

Fields said he wants to let homeless people in New Orleans know that there is help for them.

“We’re not marketing where to go for homeless services. My goal is to do a campaign around what to do if you become in crisis,” Fields said.

This crisis support program will support housed people struggling with rent or unemployment as well.

Pope allows women to vote in bishops’ meeting

By Ecoi Lewis ealewis@my.loyno.edu

History was made this week in the Catholic Church with Pope Francis’ decision to give women and nonordained church members the right to vote at the bishops’ meeting.

This move is a part of his vision to give women a greater position in church affairs that have previously been left to clerics, cardinals, and bishops, according to the Vatican. Five religious sisters will join five priests as voting representatives for religious orders, and 70 non-bishop members of the synod were appointed to the voting process.

Half of the laypeople will be women. The meeting, scheduled for Oct. 4 to 29,

is going to be focused on making the church more reflective and responsive to the laypeople, which the pope has advocated for for years. Catholic women’s rights groups, like the Women’s Ordination Conference, say it’s a step in the right direction, but there is more to do.

When asked about this decision, Loyola Rev. Gregory Waldrop said it shows the coexistence of tradition and modernity.

"I hope it will be encouraging to people, including at Loyola, that the Church, the world's oldest continuously operating institution, can be true to its ancient traditions, yet responsive to modern initiatives,” he said. “To me, it's evidence of the Holy Spirit on the move in our time."

Fields said that his office approximates there are “around 425 or more [homeless people]” in New Orleans. This is an increase from the previous count of 365 homeless people in January 2023, but it is impossible to know for certain how many there are.

The actual number of homeless people in New Orleans is likely much higher. This level of homelessness exists while 25,000 to 30,000 homes remain empty,

according to code enforcement officials in 2019.

Jesuit Social Research Institute executive director, Annie Phoenix, has a different theory. She argued that “people with a criminal conviction often face discrimination in both housing and employment based on their conviction, which can lead to homelessness.”

Additionally, she highlighted the significance of the data.

According to the 2020 Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, there are 1.9 million Louisiana residents – nearly half of the state’s population – with a criminal history. In Louisiana, 75% of formerly incarcerated people are jobless for up to a year upon release. That is why Loyola’s JSRI has a prison education program to support currently and formerly incarcerated people on and off campus, according to Phoenix.

Loyola student impacts civil rights division of District Attorney's office

By Ava Acharya aaacharya@my.loyno.edu @avaallene

Loyola students have the opportunity to impact legitimate criminal justice reform through the civil rights division of the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office.

Molly Sullivan, a Loyola sociology and Spanish senior, said that her involvement with the civil rights division “profoundly” altered the way she views criminal justice and heavily influenced her future career path.

Issues of criminal justice have a much greater impact than most people realize, she said, often perpetuating historical injustice and inequality.

“It bothers my soul,” she said. “It's not something that sits well with me.”

Sullivan began working with the civil rights division in August 2022 and currently works for the Vital Projects Fund, an organization centered around criminal legal reform.

Sullivan added that she hopes to continue to work in the field after graduation.

“Now that I know that it's going on, it's not something I can not do something about,” she said.

Sullivan first became involved with the civil rights division at the recommendation of her sociology advisor, Marcus Kondkar, the chair of Loyola’s sociology department and director of the prison education program.

Kondkar said that students have the opportunity to learn about the history of sentencing in Orleans Parish, as well as research the cases of people who are currently incarcerated.

This program includes instances where children have been tried and

convicted as adults, people have been convicted under non-unanimous juries, and convicted individuals have received unfair sentencing or faced wrongful convictions.

Bidish Sarma, an assistant district attorney in Orleans Parish, said that he has been able to supervise Loyola undergraduate student interns at the district attorney’s office through his position as

a fellow with Loyola’s Jesuit Social Research Institute.

Kondkar added that these internship opportunities are paid, thanks to an external grant.

“The student interns have been a great asset to the civil rights division, and I'm proud that Loyola is involved in this effort in this very concrete way,” Kondkar said.

Underbridge where homeless people frequent for shelter. The new Office of Homeless Services and Strategy seeks to address the homelessness crisis. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

Pope Francis delivers his blessing at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Environmental portrait of Loyola sociology senior and CRD intern Molly Sullivan. She began working with the civil rights division last August. Ryan Talley/The Maroon

Jazz Fest welcomes its audience for the first weekend of festivities. The second weekend will commence on May 5, 2023.

All Jazzed Up

Jazz Fest wraps up its first weekend

By Gabrielle Korein gfkorein@my.loyno.edu

This years’ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, also known as Jazz Fest, featured artists from local favorites like Big Freedia to international stars like Lizzo.

Jazz Fest is one of the most iconic cultural events in New Orleans. This annual celebration of music, food, and art attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world to the Fair Grounds Race Course.

The festival's opening day is always

highly anticipated, and this year was no exception. Despite some early concerns about the weather, the day started off with clear skies and warm temperatures, setting the stage for a fantastic day of music and revelry.

Another New Orleans legend, Tank and the Bangs, took to the stages to perform their unique styles of New Orleans music, drawing large crowds of enthusiastic fans. The festival's opening day showcased prominent artists such as Robert Plant, and Alison Krauss, as well as Wu-Tang Clan featuring The Soul Rebels.

Of course, no festival experience would be complete without indulging in the local cuisine. However, the long lines for food were a bit of a slow-moving obstacle, as hungry festival-goers waited for their turn to savor some of the city's signature dishes.

The implementation of the new cashless system by the festival was cited as the cause of these challenges, as the long queues for food extended into the walkways.

On Saturday, the weather took a turn for the worse. Rain began to pour down on the fairgrounds, but that did not

New Works festival creates "safe space"

By Arianna D'Antonio asdanton@my.loyno.edu

This week marks the first anniversary of the Theatre and Dance Department’s New Works Festival, and new student pieces will be featured as the festival lives on.

Theater major Steven Pendleton and theater department alumnus Bridget Boyle founded the New Works Festival last year with help from the department’s artistic director and professor Sal Mannino.

Pendleton said they both had dreams of bringing the theater department together to give life to student-written, student-created, student-produced, and student-loved work. He added that the passion carried on by other students has helped the department bring the festival back again this year. The festival began on May 1 and will end on May 6, featuring student play readings and performances in Monroe Hall and finishing with a prom

celebration in the Lower Depths theater.

Musical theater sophomore Elise Bourg will be presenting their original poems during the festival.

“It is so incredible to see my peers present work that they have poured their hearts into,” they said. “It’s just amazing to see the art people create in their free time, despite the craziness of school and life.”

From their poems, Bourg said they hope that people can find some sort of solace or relatability.

“Poetry is a wonderful emotional release for me, and I hope anyone who hears it can experience the same,”

Bourg said.

Bourg said they hope that the festival will become a staple of the department, and students gain confidence and inspiration to present creations of their own.

Musical theater first-year Christiana Teddi created the only dance piece featured in this year’s festival, and said she hopes her piece promotes a community experience with the audience.

“Between believers and non-believers, everyone deserves a community of people who support them and are on this journey with him,” she said. “I hope people leave my show knowing a piece of who my God is, and the community that surrounds him, and that people feel the love and peace surrounding my piece.”

Teddi said she sees the festival as a safe space for people to find their artistic voices and create, just as she has.

Pendleton said they hope that the festival would give joy and pride to everyone in the department as well as at Loyola for years to come.

“Ideally, this festival becomes a legacy of freedom, community, joy, and creation, and its lifespan far surpasses mine,” they said.

dampen the spirits of the festival-goers who braved the inclement weather to experience the diverse lineup of performers.

One of the standout performances of the day was from Grammy Award-winning singer Angélique Kidjo, who delivered an electrifying set that had the audience dancing and singing along. Jazmine Sullivan, another talented artist, also took the stage, captivating the crowd with her soulful voice and powerful lyrics.

After a rainy Saturday, the weather cleared up on Sunday, returning to sun-

ny blue skies. The day's lineup included performances by Cha Wa, Jill Scott, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, among others.

As the festival continues on, visitors can look forward to a packed schedule of performances from local legends and international stars alike. Jazz Fest truly is a celebration of the unique culture and spirit of New Orleans, and the 2023 edition promises to be another unforgettable experience for all who attend.

Untitled collective showcases student artists on campus

By Maleigh Crespo mccrespo@my.loyno.edu

Senior Nova Cuiellette began her freshman year at Loyola as a studio arts major, but since the program’s discontinuation and merger with the School of Communication and Design’s design program, she became president of a visual arts collective on campus to fill the void.

Cuiellette said her goal is to make the collective, Untitled, widely known around campus and continue to provide the space for artists that was once served by the visual arts program.

“It's really important to have the creative space and the ability to network, even if it isn’t technically your major,” she said.

One of the ways the collective aims to do that is through its annual exhibition, Clusterfunk.

Cuiellette said the exhibit is entirely

student-curated, which allows artists to gain professional experience curating galleries and serves as a resume builder.

Sociology junior Katie Rose Hogue, whose work was exhibited at the show, said it's important for artists to see their art displayed, and it’s empowering to have the community support their work.

“Since they’ve ended the visual arts program, we don't have a lot of space and resources from the community,” she said. “So coming together and being able to create our own, even if it's self-made, is still important and beautiful.

The event showcased over 80 works of art from students across majors in both traditional and digital media formats.

The reception also featured musical performances by Loyola musicians Maddie Gartland, Mynthia, and Royale.

“Beautiful things happen when we come together,” Hogue said.

Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

“It is so incredible to see my peers present work that they have poured their hearts into.”

— Elise Bourg Musical theater sophomore

“Beautiful things happen when we come together.”

— Katie Rose Hogue Sociology junior and artist

“Ideally, this festival becomes a legacy of freedom, community, joy, and freedom.”

— Steven Pendleton Theater arts junior

Wolf Pack chess club holds first tournament

By Abigail Schmidt acschmid@my.loyno.edu @AbSchmidtNews

The Wolf Pack chess team is back and just completed its first tournament since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament began on May 2 and ended on May 5. There were eight competitors, according to marketing and accounting junior Ki Huynh. There was also a grand prize of $40 for the winner.

“We tried to encourage beginners to compete, although most of the people that showed interest at our tabling event said that they don’t think they are up for competition yet,” Huynh said.

Huynh has been playing chess for almost a year and already has the vice president and event coordinator title for the Loyola chess team.

The team has been preparing for this tournament since the beginning of March, with the help of club sports advisor Kyleah Bell, according to Huynh.

“Planning the tournament felt like it took a village,” said English senior and club president Blair Anderson.

They said there were issues with signups, tabling, and finding a location. But with the support from their team, they were able to set up the tournament.

Anderson boasts a chess background going back to second grade. They competed through middle school and picked it up again in the fall of 2022.

The team spent the last two weeks tabling outside in the Peace Quad, equipped with a full board ready to show off their skills.

“Tabling for the event helped more people become aware of us, so however this goes, I’ll consider it a success,” Anderson said. “Playing in a tournament is a fun bonus that I’m glad our members will get to experience.”

Huynh said the team is eager to compete and hopes to broaden its players and make it feel open to everyone.

“It is supposed to be a fun experience for those who have never competed before,” Huynh said. “The goal of our team is to spread the enjoyment of playing chess to female students, students of the LGBTQ+ community, and to people out there who want to play chess, but were discouraged because of the stereotype of chess players being white males.”

Women's tennis makes first SSAC final in school history

WHAT'S UP NEXT

MAY 12

Track & field at Dillard University Invitational

MAY 15

Baseball at NAIA National Championship Opening Rounds

By Matthew Richards mlricha2@my.loyno.edu

The women’s tennis team reached the finals for the first time since joining the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2010.

No. 15 Loyola lost to No. 16 William Carey in the final, which was held in Montgomery, Alabama.

“We would have loved to take the title, but we’re super proud that we made Loyola history by making the final,” said junior advertising major Lucy Carpenter, who competed in the No. 1 spot in both singles and doubles competition.

Head coach Matthew Llewellyn was proud of the team winning in the semifinals against the No. 12 University of Mobile.

“We had lost to Mobile in the regular season and knew we did not play our

best match then, so we had a lot to prove to ourselves and the conference that day,” Llewellyn said.

Because of their successful run, the women received an at-large invitation to participate in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women’s Tennis Championships later this month again in Mobile.

“We received one vote to win the tournament from the conference coaches' poll earlier this year, and that was from me,” Llewellyn told Wolf Pack Athletics. “I believe in this team so much, and we still did not even come close to what we are capable of, so it will be fun to bring this group back for one more run together.”

The team posted a record of 13 wins and seven losses, and outperformed their projected third place finish in the spring preseason polls.

Women's golf takes home second place at conference finals

By Matthew Richards mlricha2@my.loyno.edu

The women’s golf team had their best finish this season since 2019, with a second-place finish at the Southern States Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championship in Greenville, Alabama.

Head coach Cory Amory said despite the disappointment of second place, the team played a great tournament, which will give them confidence moving forward.

“We were beaten by a team that broke multiple scoring records in the tournament, and we can't control anything outside of our own habits, attitudes, and decisions. The players did everything possible during and leading up to the event to play their best golf,” Amory said.

The Wolf Pack was led by mass communication senior Emma Smithers, who finished the tournament in third place on the individual leaderboard with a score of five over par. The top five finish was the eighth of Smithers’ career and places her fourth all-time in program history in that category.

“This is the hardest I think I’ve ever worked during a season, so it was nice to see the hard work finally starting to pay off,” Smithers said. “This spring has been

really frustrating for me, so it was really fun to hit the ball where I wanted to, and finishing where I did gave me some added confidence knowing that I can compete with other really talented players, and there is no reason I can’t compete with everyone at nationals.”

The conference tournament represented a strong close to the regular season for the Wolf Pack, who also gained recognition at the conference level, with Smithers, Laney Cristan, Blair McKenzie, and Catherine Singletary all being named to the SSAC All-Conference Second Team and junior biology and pre-dental major Kaitlyn Montoya being named SSAC Newcomer of the Year.

“I am extremely honored to be named the SSAC Newcomer of the Year,” Montoya said. “This was one of my goals for the season, and to be able to check it off my goals list felt very reassuring.”

The team will now be turning their focus toward the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championship, which will take place May 23 through May 26 in Silvis, Illinois.

“I believe that this team can finish really well at nationals and into next year,” Smithers said. “I think our confidence is just going to continue to grow.”

The team was led in victories by freshman international business major Micaela Ponce, who had 22 combined match victories this season with 10 in singles and 12 in doubles. For her efforts, the Ecuadorian was named to the SSAC All-Conference team as well as SSAC Co-Freshman of the Year.

“It was a surprise because I knew I had a great season, but I wasn’t expecting the nomination,” Ponce said. “But it felt really good and was a rewarding feeling. And having the team there felt nice, knowing that all the hard work and early training was for something big like this.”

Second on the team in total victories and also named to the All-Conference team was Carpenter, who finished the regular season on a four-match winning streak and was named NAIA National Player of the Week for the week of Apr. 5th.

“It’s very rewarding to be acknowledged among the entire NAIA,” Carpenter said. “I had a great result that week, so that was super exciting.”

The successful run to the finals has Llewellyn excited for the future of the program.

“The ladies are all in on winning,” he said. “They are committed to our program, believe in what we are doing, trust our vision, and love the college tennis experience.”

Llewellyn also said the team had two freshmen named to the All-Conference team this year, Adele Fereres and Ponce, which he said is an “incredible achievement and a testament to where the program is heading.”

“They relentlessly compete and play for each other, and I’m very proud of them.” he said.

The women's tennis team stands for a group photo during their match against Jones College at City Park Tennis Center on March 22, 2023. The team posted a 13-7 record and had three All-Conference selections this season. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

Senior Emma Smithers watches her shot at the Wolf Pack Invitational on March 6, 2023. Smithers would finish third at the SSAC Championships, her eighth top five finish of her career. Courtesy of Wolf Pack Athletics

HEATH : Students upset over dismissal of only Black English professor

Continued from page 1

So, Heath said he decided to email any of his students who he was close to as a mentor, instructor, or advisor to explain his situation. Shortly after his email was sent out, Heath’s students, Crow Carson and Camilla Johnson, began to make other students aware of the situation. Carson, an English major, was one of the students who asked Heath if he was leaving because his courses weren’t on the catalog for next semester.

“He is my favorite professor in the English Department. He’s made such a great impact on me,” Carson said. “He's really filled a void of knowledge that I've always wanted and needed.”

Similarly, Johnson said that Heath has played a crucial role in expanding her knowledge and understanding of her own culture.

“His classes have been highly informative and transformative in my way of thinking and the ways that Black people navigate existing in this world,” she said. “Without his classes, I just would be less well-rounded.”

Carson and Johnson reached out to the president of Loyola’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, Carson Cruse. They informed him of what was happening and asked if they could help.

Cruse said that the chapter recently held a demonstration protesting House Bill 999 that passed in Florida that would ban, among other things, African and African American studies.

“Bills like it are already being created

in Louisiana, so seeing Loyola fire an indispensable member of the program was quite alarming,” Cruse said.

Cruse said that he, Johnson, and Carson wrote a letter to the university, demanding that Heath be reinstated. He said that the Loyola chapters of Young Democratic Socialist of America and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People published the letter in a joint Instagram post that got over 1,600 likes and over 600 signatures on the letter between a Google Form and chapter tabling.

Cruse said when the university did not respond to this letter, it sparked the protest that took place last week. The two Loyola chapters and many of Heath’s students participated in the demonstration that advocated for Heath’s position at Loyola.

Following the protest and a conversation between a few students and Interim President, the Rev. Justin Daffron S.J, Daffron sent out an email stating that he couldn’t reveal certain details about Heath’s case but the appeal is currently being reviewed by him.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Like Cruse, many students have expressed that not only are they upset that one of their favorite professors is being let go, but that the African and American studies program would go along with him.

“The university can say whatever they want, but his dismissal is part and parcel of a larger war on Black studies

and DEI departments nationwide,” said Turner Wolffe, a history major currently enrolled in Heath’s Black American Film course. “His firing is disgusting and demonstrates that the administration sees diversity as a trophy and, to quote Dr. Heath, “black faculty as disposable — replaceable.”

Sociology junior Malaika Saleem said that the reason Heath’s dismissal has struck such a chord with students is because of “his ability to connect with students, his excellence as a professor, and his being the only Black professor in the English department.”

“This is unacceptable and deeply unsettling,” Saleem said.

Many students, like Johnson and Carson, have shared their learning experiences with Heath.

“For what my experience as an English Literature major is worth, Dr. Heath seems to me nothing short of an exemplar for English professors as a whole,” said student Lawrence Bourgeois, who has had Heath as a professor for three semesters. “Dr. Heath is one of the professors I most fervently wish for our university to retain.”

Heath said that though he feels beaten down, he is humbled and honored by the students for speaking out for what they want in a Jesuit education.

“Not only do they care about my situation, but they care about their situation,” he said. “They are taking the institution to task for what it says about diversity.”

Heath’s dismissal, according to Saleem, makes it much more likely that a Loyola student could spend an entire

NURSING: Nursing program addresses nurse shortages

Continued from page 2

The School of Nursing partners with Ochsner Health, which Burke said gives the program a leg up with priority for clinical placements, since there are about five nursing schools in the New Orleans area. Clinicals allow student nurses to work with patients while being supervised.

“Clinicals are really the blood of the programs,” Burke said. “You need to get into the hospital.”

What sets the faculty apart?

Not only do students need to be in the hospital, but Burke and Collins also believe that teachers should be practicing as well, which they refer to as the “practitioner teaching model.”

“You'll be hard-pressed to find a school nursing director and a dean that actually are still working clinically, and we both do,” Collins said.

With healthcare forever changing, as Whitfield said, Burke agreed that for professors to connect with students properly, they must continue to work. Burke said that every faculty member in the program still practices.

“It adds a real, multifaceted layer to our teachings, being able to tell our students those anecdotal stories that we carry with us from practice,” she said. “That's awesome in the classroom.”

Burke said that as the School of Nursing expands, it is also dedicated to enhancing diversity and inclusion.

“We've been very intentional in our hiring,” she said. “We want people teaching our students who look like our students, who understand their culture, and who speak their language.”

Impact and Jesuit values

The School of Nursing is all about making a change, and Bridger said that

they are already achieving that by having a diverse group of students.

“Creating programs such as nursing in a culturally diverse area allows for the involvement of more than one subset, which opens the door for more people within the community to feel more welcomed when attempting to access care.”

Freshman nursing major Ivan Parker said he hopes his impact is lifting up the community that often goes unseen.

“It is my goal to expand healthcare to those who are less fortunate than I am,” he said. “I want to be their voice and their advocate because, for far too long, they have been written off and ignored.”

As a first-generation college student, Parker said he wants to make a difference by giving back to the community and presenting himself in a way that shows anyone can make “something out of nothing.”

“New Orleans is a city with a clear economic and healthcare divide,” he said. “We saw during the pandemic that Black people and other underserved minority communities were at more risk to die from a lack of healthcare.”

The new generation of nurses has seen the dire need for the expansion of healthcare amongst minority groups, Parker said.

“Being in the nursing program has shown me things about myself and the world that I never would have imagined,” he said. “Incorporating Jesuit values, specifically those about caring for the poor and oppressed, will help me to become an amazing nurse. It will allow me to put myself in a mind and spirit to be able to see those who aren't seen in healthcare.”

The college also just started the Student Nursing Association, which is an organization through student government.

Burke said to be on the lookout for the school’s nursing students, as they have things planned in order to integrate them more into the Loyola community.

“Our student nurses really want to help educate their colleagues and class-

four years and graduate from the university without ever having a Black professor.

“This fight is about Dr. Heath, but I’m also thankful that the reaction from the community and beyond has illuminated the broader issue of the scarcity of Black professors–and others with marginalized identities — in academia.”

Heath said that in his short time at

Rachel Hoormann, vice president of Marketing and Communications for Loyola’s statement:

Loyola University has a well documented process for managing and evaluating faculty. Contracts with non-tenured faculty are reviewed on an annual basis. Contracts are renewed or canceled by mutual consent annually, except in circumstances where specific cause for termination by the University exists. The Faculty Handbook explicitly outlines scenarios where cause exists. When such cause is determined, the University follows a specific notification process, which mandates:

No later than three months prior to the completion of the first academic year of service;

No later than six months prior to the completion of the second academic year of service;

No later than twelve months prior to the completion of any academic year thereafter.

Loyola, he has already seen several Black professors depart, and knows two who have said they are leaving after this school semester.

“What's happening to me is indicative of what's happening and what happens to a lot of Black faculty,” he said. “And sadly, it's indicative of what's happening to Black studies across the country.”

All faculty members have the right to appeal any finding of cause by requesting a review by the University Conciliation Committee (see section 4-8 in the Faculty Handbook). The Committee will review the claims. The Committee may request reconsideration, indicating the ways in which they believe that the initial consideration may have been inadequate or it may affirm the original decision. The Committee's findings will be presented to the faculty member, the President, and any other administrative officer or faculty body that made the original decision for their final determination.

After a thorough review by Dean Maria Calzada and the Provost, a decision was made to notify Professor Heath that his contract would not be renewed. This notification took place within the timeframe and process outlined in the Faculty Handbook. Dr. Heath has exercised his rights to request that the University Conciliation Committee review this decision.

mates, so we have a lot of things planned,” she said.

Tips and tricks

Although the life of a student nurse, or nurse, comes with a huge payoff, students warn that it takes a lot of commitment and willpower to do what they do.

While studying doesn't dictate a nursing student's life, it does take up a significant amount of time, according to Bridger.

“Nursing students know the amount of time and effort it takes to be in the program, and therefore they know how much of their time they should be dedicating.”

Parker suggests nursing students should take two to three hours a day to study.

“Passive studying does not work with a major like nursing,” he said. “You must attack the material head first without hesitation.”

Bridger added that students should get comfortable with the idea of being adaptable and know how to self-advocate, as hand-holding isn’t a practice at the School of Nursing.

“Things are constantly changing, and if you aren't willing to go with the flow, it's going to be hard out in the world as well as in the program,” she said.

With all of the stress and endurance that it takes to be a nurse aside, Parker said it’s all worth it in the end.

“Sometimes you will cry or feel overwhelmed, and you will have to learn to ask for help for yourself,” Parker said. “But this career and life is rewarding. You can go to sleep knowing that you are putting good into the world.”

A letter to our future president

Dear Incoming President Cole,

You haven’t been given an easy job, and we commend you for stepping up to the plate. We know there will be a lot of people in your ears, but we want to encourage you to remain steadfast in your goals as president of Loyola University. We would like to highlight the values that you have expressed as important, which we believe are particularly relevant to keep in mind in the upcoming weeks.

Communication

You discussed weekly or monthly emails that contain your vision and direction when you spoke with The Maroon, which we look forward to receiving. But more importantly, you spoke about the value of in person interaction, and we couldn’t agree more. We hope to see and get to know you, and in turn we hope you come to know us.

This semester, there was a strenuous battle for transparency due to circumstances that could have been resolved through proper communication from the administration. With the abrupt and unjust dismissal of a professor, the punishment of a student journalist for doing their job, and the delays in the construction of the new chapel, we look forward to seeing the changes you will bring.

Serving Students

You said to us the reason you work in higher education is because of your love for serving students. We are going to be honest and say we often do not feel like we are at the forefront of what Loyola cares about. As Loyola comes out of a

period of financial hardship, we hope that we can regain the focus of the university on serving students. The time for cutting corners should come to an end.

There are several concerning signs at this university regarding where it puts its efforts, including the cutting of the arts degree, a lack of course offerings for certain majors and minors, and poor staff retention, even for beloved professors.

This involves prioritizing majors and course offerings that prioritize making a positive impact, rather than just generating profit. We want greater attention to be given to incorporating students' viewpoints in the decision-making process at the administrative level. That includes getting opinions beyond the Student Government Association, which time and time again has proven to not accurately represent the student body.

Expanding on Our Uniqueness

You said that you see Loyola as a university and as a Jesuit institution to be unique. We couldn’t agree more. We are not Tulane. We are not UNO. We are not LSU. We are an institution that wants to create good humans, not just good students. The Jesuit mission is not something that should be taken for granted, or considered empty promises – and we are optimistic about your dedication to our mission.

Part of that mission is caring for the oppressed. Without a diverse faculty and staff and without programs to educate students on the issues facing certain communities, this university cannot effectively achieve that goal.

Justice is another integral value within the Jesuit mission. We have seen, as of

late, many instances where justice was negated by actions on campus and by the administration. This has been a semester fraught with student issues with LUPD, Residential Life, and Sodexo.

You also discussed how low wages for faculty and staff not only harms our ability to get and maintain the best people in the classroom, but also goes against our value of justice and ensuring a good standard of living for Loyola’s employees.

As more professors speak out, and or leave, because of this issue, we hope to see real changes moving forward.

We are rooting for you

You have said to us that when others shy away from difficulty, you lean in. That is something we admire and hope stays with you as it will get difficult during your presidency.

As future alumni of Loyola University, we want to see this institution thrive and continue to uphold the values and mission that have shaped us during our time here.

We are often seen critiquing decisions or actions made by the university in our editorials, which may lead some to think we are against the university at The Maroon. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Everything we do is in service to this community through truthful and honest reporting. We root for this institution. We root for the administration. And we will be rooting for you.

Sincerely, The Maroon For a Greater Loyola

HOWLS & GROWLS

HOWL to graduating seniors

GROWL to finals

HOWL to the dynamic EIC duo

GROWL to not responding to emails

HOWL to baby's first buzz

GROWL to 3 a.m. emergency room visits

HOWL to buying ink by the barrel

GROWL to global warming

EDITORIAL BOARD

Pádraig Hamilton

Editor-in-Chief

Blakeley Cathey Managing Editor for Print

Dajah Saul Managing Editor for Digital

Sophia Maxim Design Chief

Anna Hummel Photo Editor

Kloe Witt News Editor

Natalia Silva Life & Times Editor

Jacob L'Hommedieu Worldview Editor

Maleigh Crespo Sports Editor

Mark Michel Opinion & Editorial Editor

Melody Newsome Breaking News Editor

Mia Oliva Reviews Editor Equity & Inclusion Officers

Victoria Hardy

Ava Acharya Senior Staff Writer

Gabrielle Korein Senior Staff Photographer Copy Editors

Macie Batson & Jackie Galli

Bella Kelley Social Media Coordinator

Maria DiFelice Assignment Editor

EDITORIAL POLICY

The editorial on this page represents the majority opinions of The Maroon’s editorial board and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Loyola University.

Letters and columns reflect the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of The Maroon’s editorial board.

The Maroon does not represent the opinion of administration, staff and/or faculty members of Loyola.

Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and style. Please limit submissions to 400 words. Submissions are due no later than 4 p.m. the Sunday before publication.

Please send all submissions — The Maroon, 6363 St. Charles Ave., Box 64, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Email us your letters — letter@ loyno.edu.

Submissions may also be made online at www.loyolamaroon.com.

The union racket: How they're ripping us off

Unions are like racism, a relic of the past

PATRICK HAMILTON Political science junior pthamilt@my.loyno.edu

The founder of the American Federation of Labor, Samuel Gompers, once said: "We want more schoolhouses and fewer jails; more books and fewer arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures."

Another bleeding heart liberal who didn’t understand the value of punishment and material wealth. How absurd!

What’s the point of all these schoolhouses if we aren’t teaching our kids how to be successful in the cutthroat world of commerce? We need more businessmen and fewer scholars and supposed “experts”. And let's be honest, who needs leisure time when you could be grinding away at your job and climbing the ladder of success? As for justice, I think we all can agree that revenge is much more satisfying.

There’s a good reason for union membership being at an all-time low in our society. We have the most educated, literate, and technologically advanced generation in history. Times have changed since the 19th century – thanks in great measure to unions of the past. Racism’s gone (according to our honest and open-minded Supreme Court), corporations are people, guns don't kill people, and unions are outdated.

We ought to romanticize the past from which we came. We all stand on the shoulders of the brave men who birthed us. Growing income inequality and attacks on workers’ rights are simply a result of a lazier and lethargic workforce asking for better treatment.

The allegedly job-creating and de-

monstrably tax-evading patriots that make up America’s oligarch class often call unions too powerful. And they may just be right – after all, unions hold economies hostage and make it impossible for businesses to thrive. Unions are simply too effective at stopping the 1% from exploiting their workers and lining their own pockets.

All the while, when unions negotiate for so-called “living wages” and “benefits,” they’re putting more money in the hands of working people who will spend it in their own communities and stimulate their local economies. Don’t be fooled, this only helps the other 99% of Americans – which is simply unfair to those who have the most money.

Not to mention, unions have a grand history of corruption and are often just fronts for organized crime. It's not relevant that the Center for American Progress found that "states with stronger unions have lower levels of corruption, as measured by the number of federal convictions for corruption per capita."

Communists like Bernie Sanders will be the first to admit there are a few bad apples in the labor movement, but somehow believe the same can be said for the entire capitalist system.

Unlike the oligarchal pyramid scheme that we’ve come to love in this country, unions seek to disrupt our unbalanced power dynamic with democratic structures in place to “hold leaders accountable” and ensure that the needs of their members come first. They even vote on issues affecting their members, like contracts and strikes.

But what have unions ever done for the middle class? Middle-class earners like Mitch McConnell are right when they say that “unions pose a significant problem for the country.” Likewise, former Governor Gridlock, Chris Christie, was onto something when he said that labor unions were not for the people, but out for themselves. And they’re both hitting on something (besides the Koch brothers): just because you work hard

every day doesn’t mean you get to band together and demand fair treatment. It makes you lazy, not smart. And it's beneath the 1% to allow this.

Plus, why would you want to give up your precious right to be underpaid and overworked? Do you really want to deny the One Percenters their rights to make you work mandatory 12-hour shifts, prohibit vacation days, and have you working on weekends? Of course not! Imagine how much more efficient – and profitable – companies would be without these union-mandated restrictions.

This is exactly why we need to protect our beloved corporate CEOs and keep these dirty unions at bay.

Look at the stats, in this day and age, when jobs are more automated than ever, unions seek to increase wages, secure health insurance, and provide retirement plans. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unionized workers make, on average, 23% more than non-unionized workers. So much for pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.

Just because communities thrive when unions thrive, doesn’t mean there

isn’t space for you here in the God-fearing, gun-loving, anti-union right-wing lunatic fringe. While we watch our comrades enjoy their union contracts, we can flip burgers for a decadently high $7.25, courtesy of a weakly regulated capitalist structure that encourages you to vote against your own best interests. Forget solidarity and collective bargaining – do something meaningful. Do something for yourself and help the richest Americans get richer. Please stop trying to hold those in power accountable for their actions.

The outgoing Editors in Chief have a lot to say

MACIE BATSON Mass communication & English senior

mmbatson@my.loyno.edu

As we served as Editors in Chief of The Maroon, we thought our final opinion should be a joint production. And as two people with lots of opinions, we have decided to be unconventional in our approach. Below is a short list of some of our opinions that have been nagging on us. We will do no further explanations here, so save your questions for our email inbox.

1. The term “mid” is mid.

2. Journalism is the backbone of our democracy.

3. Save America’s wetlands.

4. The Maroon is not scary.

5. But we are intimidating.

6. There is no such thing as an ethical billionaire. Even if we like them.

7. Wear what you want. Eat what you want. Be who you want.

JACKIE GALLI Mass communication senior

jegalli@my.loyno.edu

8. If you’re not sure what to say, your mom is the best answer.

9. University professors need to remember that many students have jobs and lives outside of their classes.

10. Wolf Bucks should roll over each school year.

11. Exclamation points weaken any sentence they end.

12. Never put a date in the lede.

13. Crime reporting has lost its course.

14. We need better food options at Loyola.

15. Why sleep when Igor’s is open 24-hours?

16. Declawing cats is mutilation.

17. It is always quote, comma, name, said.

18. Education is a privilege.

19. Free speech doesn’t stop where your values start.

20. You can’t make everyone happy, so prioritize yourself.

21. Loyola has lost its focus on some of its Jesuit values.

22. No Giusti, no Maroon.

23. Being co-Editors in Chief was one of the best decisions we ever made.

24. The Maroon is one of the best things we have been a part of.

25. We love all our Maroon family, and will miss you all so much.

Patrick Hamilton and Sophia Maxim/The Maroon

Illustrations by Macie Batson and Jackie Galli/The Maroon