The Maroon Aug. 18, 2023 Issue

VP of Equity and Inclusion departs Loyola

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

An excavator continues the destruction of Mercy Hall after a month of construction on Aug. 14. Mercy Residence Hall will replace the building in Fall of 2025. Anna Hummel/The Maroon

Students return to construction

By Lizzy Hadley

ehadley@my.loyno.edu

As students return to school this semester, they’re being greeted by two large construction sites.

The construction in progress includes the Chapel of St. Ignatius and the Gayle and Tom Benson Jesuit Center, and a new residence building that will sit where Mercy Hall once was.

The chapel, which Loyola began constructing in the summer of 2022, has had several delays. As this new semester begins, little progress has been made.

Simultaneously, the university announced and began the construction of the new residential hall.

University spokesperson, Rachel Hoormann, said some issues that prevented the continuation of the chapel construction included coordinating with subcontractors and procuring materials to get ahead of any supply chain issues.

As well as installing underground services like power and chilled water, and creating the frame for pouring the foundation.

Hoorman said the lack of construction workers was due to concrete having to be set.

“This was more complicated than for other construction projects due to the

circular shape. It takes time for concrete to set, so there were periods while it was setting where there was less visible activity on the site,” said Hoorman.

Hoormann also said that the chapel is on track to be completed in late spring of 2024, as past university interim president Justin Daffron told the Loyola community earlier this year.

The construction of the new residence hall does not interfere with existing projects, Hoorman said. She added that there are different project managers and construction firms for each project.

Hoorman said the impact of the dorm construction will be minimal with regard to campus operations, andthat construction will primarily occur on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but there may be some work on Saturdays.

Both of these new buildings offer chances to help benefit students' experience at Loyola, Hoorman said.

“The chapel will become the hub for spiritual life on campus and will be an inspirational space for people of all faith traditions,” Hoormann said.

The new residence hall will have benefits to student life as well by offering the opportunity to renovate older halls and provide an apartment style living while still remaining on campus, which are in high demand, she said.

“Both projects – the new residence

Construction site of the Chapel of St. Ignatius on Aug. 14. The construction resumed after a year of sitting. Anna Hummel/The Maroo hall and the Chapel of St. Ignatius and the Gayle and Tom Benson Center – are

tremendous steps forward to enhancing the student experience,” Hoormann said.

Some Loyola students were left devastated when news broke that Vice President of Equity and Inclusion Kedrick Perry would be ending his tenure at Loyola.

Perry officially left the university Aug. 15 for a new position as Chief Equity Officer at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard after serving almost three years at Loyola, according to an email sent by University President Xavier Cole on Aug. 10.

“It’s an exciting new adventure but one that I’m ready for, and that I thank God for,” Perry said.

Even with the excitement of this new journey for Perry, he still holds Loyola dear to him, making his departure one of mixed feelings.

“I love my students here, I love the colleagues I have worked with here, and I love the spirit of the University. So leaving is a very hard thing. But I’m also excited for the next stages of my career,” Perry said.

In his time at Loyola, Perry set and accomplished many goals, including the creation of the Multicultural Resource Center at Loyola, a social justice J-term study abroad opportunity in Mexico City, and increasing the faculty of color at the university.

“I hope that my legacy here is that we have expanded diversity, that we have maintained inclusivity here,” he said.

Marketing and finance junior Ari Jackson was among the students who were left upset by this news.

Jackson said Perry held an important role in making her experience as a person of color at Loyola better.

“Being at Loyola, black students and multicultural students, we don’t have that many people that look like us in admin and professors that we can rely on and who relate to us just on being a minority here,” she said. “Just having [Perry’s] face and knowing that he is here for us and the students has made, in my experience, me feel more open in spaces that I take up.”

Jackson said Loyola won’t be the same for her without Perry. She began tearing up speaking about his departure.

“He really advocated for us and what we needed, especially for being a minority on campus,” she said. “He was basically an outlet for us.”

Perry said his relationship with students is something he cherishes and will bring with him to The Broad Institute.

“I’m definitely bringing all of the things my students have given me because it’ll always remind me that Loyola is always a home for me,” he said.

Jackson said this news was even more devastating after the firing of Scott Heath, the head of the African American studies program, last semester.

See PERRY, page 3

2

Athena Marks/The Maroon

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August 18, 2023 THE MAROON

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Students frustrated with lack of support in minority interdisciplinary minors

By Maleigh Crespo macrespo@loyno.edu

Students return to renovated dorm halls Over the summer, Loyola began renovating existing dorm buildings while beginning the construction of the new dorm hall where Mercy Hall once sat.

According to a post by @loyola_nola on Instagram, these renovations include repairs to the lobby and elevators in Biever, Francis, and Cabra Halls, new paint and in Biever, vertical plumbing pipers and new sinks and vanity cabinets in Buddig, improvements to shower basins and new resilient flooring in all rooms in Francis, new laundry facility and storage areas and a music practice room in Cabra, and window replacements on the 3rd and 4th floors of Founders.

The post also said all five residence halls were pressure washed.

Recent Loyola graduate Brendan Heffernan said he was drawn to Loyola for its diverse course offerings and liberal arts education. However, looking back on his college career, he said the humanities were underserved, and “a little disappointing.”

Heffernan wanted to pursue an interdisciplinary minor in African-American studies, but said it was too difficult due to the lack of course offerings.

Course offerings are planned and scheduled by departments, not the di-

dissatisfied with what the minor offered.

So, she settled on only taking a few classes within the minor instead.

Toney said the discrepancies in support among interdisciplinary minors shows where the university’s priorities lie.

“The [African-American studies] minor deserves just as much attention, care, prioritization, funding, professors, and education as any other minor program at Loyola,” she said. “It’s just as significant and important because we need students to have a diverse learning experience in the classroom.”

There are students who are invested

SSO changes for students Loyola’s Single Sign On portal was moved over the summer, according to an email sent by Director of Client Services Paula Saurage-Ruiz.

SSO now moved to Microsoft Single Sign On, which allows students to make groups of their most used apps for easier access, according to Saurage-Ruiz.

Saurage-Ruiz said if any assistance is needed to contact support@loyno.edu.

Tuition dues extended until September Data compiled from Loyola University website.

The Financial Aid office will be holding off on late charges until September.

On July 31st, they sent out an email saying they are aware that families are having trouble viewing their financial aid on their accounts. 431 students have been identified having issues with getting the aid.

Originally, the Director of Student Financial Services Mary Musso said everything will be resolved by Aug. 9, though problems remained. On Aug. 10, Musso sent an email informing tuition dues have been extended to hold off until the first week of September due to these issues.

Email fiaid@loyno.edu if you have any questions.

Dean of Libraries says goodbye Dean of Libraries Deborah Prosser has ended her tenure at Loyola to pursue a position as Director of the Hunt Library at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, according to an email sent to faculty by university president Xavier Cole.

Dean Michael Capella will serve as the interim dean of libraries while the university begins the search for a new leader of Monroe Library, the email read.

rectors of interdisciplinary minor programs, according to University Spokesperson Rachel Hoormann.

Currently, Loyola offers 10 interdisciplinary minors; however, many of them lack search options and information availability on the website and on LORA Self-Service, Loyola’s online records system, for students to find.

For the fall 2023 semester, there are two African-American studies classes being offered, according to LORA Self-Service.

Most interdisciplinary minors require up to 21 credit hours to complete the program.

“There's a much greater demand than there is availability for a lot of cultural studies courses, so it was very difficult to have a minor in that,” Heffernan said.

“I just think that there weren’t enough classes to properly serve people interested in pursuing that.”

Heffernan attributes the lack of diversity in minor studies courses to limited faculty.

“There's a limited amount of tenured opportunities, specifically in the humanities,” Heffernan said. “And, our compensation for humanities professors is well below average, even compared to schools that are at a similar size to us.”

Psychology senior Akilah Toney also wanted to pursue a minor in African-American studies, but said she was

Tanesha Taylor/The Maroon

in learning about African-American experiences and cultures – students who aren’t even African-American, Toney said.

“We don’t deserve courses just put on LORA to fulfill a credit,” she said. “People deserve to feel seen, heard, and to have the opportunity to learn about experiences that are outside of themselves.”

Mass communication senior and women’s studies minor Domonique Tolliver said the women’s studies minor has variety in course offerings, yet no one is teaching them.

While the women’s studies minor has 22 participating faculty members, that is not indicative of the number of courses likely offered.

Hoormann said that membership on these committees is voluntary and that program directors are responsible for recruiting faculty. And serving as a committee member is not a necessary condition of offering courses that count as part of a specific minor., she said.

Heffernan said that not only is there a lack of courses to get credits for your degree, but there's also a lack of depth and focus in some of the classes.

Medieval studies Program Director Alice Clark said that interdisciplinary minors faculty are individually and collectively spread thin.

“There's not a lot we can do without much support, and we're all doing the

best we can,” she said.

Program directors don’t have much pull, and interdisciplinary studies minors rely heavily on Loyola Core and other courses that are offered regularly, Clark said.

Clark said she has never been able to offer many courses that fit the medieval studies minor because courses required for majors have been needed.

“It's easy to say that more money would solve everything, but it's not that simple, and it's not going to happen,” she said. “In the end, those of us who are part of interdisciplinary programs continue to offer a range of courses that will fit all our programs and provide student choice and flexibility as best we can with what we've got because we believe those connections across disciplinary boundaries makes our own work, and our students' experience, richer.”

The most effective directors of interdisciplinary minors collaborate with departments to ensure that there are enough courses for the students in their programs, Hoormann said.

She also said the women’s studies program, which is offering eight courses in the fall, is a great example.

Still, Tolliver believes the women’s studies program has room for improvement.

“There's gender studies departments across the country that are powerful.

They reach across campus, they connect students, and I feel like we're trying to get there,” she said. “We have ideas and plans, but they haven't actually been implemented, so they aren’t attracting as many students or incoming students as they can be. But I think that if they strengthen the department, they'll definitely strengthen the diverse people who want to come here.”

Hoormann said diversity, equity, and inclusion are central values of the College of Arts and Sciences and Loyola University as a whole, and both the college and the university have made great efforts to recruit and retain more faculty of color.

“We can have a commitment to Jesuit values, equity, and inclusion, but it’s not helpful if it’s only displayed on a website, if it’s not implemented in proper faculty, proper courses,” Toney said.

In the English department, tenure-track candidates in the fields of hemispheric American/Latinx literature and African-American literature are being evaluated, according to an email sent

by English professor Hillary Eklund. This evaluation process comes in the midst of the controversy regarding professor and African-American studies program director Scott Heath’s tenure.

Toney said while she appreciates the effort and would never dispute adding more diverse faculty members, departments need more than placeholder classes and professors.

“It’s still not enough when we still might have only one Black person in the entire English department,” she said.

The African-American studies minor currently does not have a program director after it was determined Heath would not be reinstated, leaving only two participating faculty members, neither of which are Black.

Heffernan said that recognizing the demand for cultural studies, even for students who don’t necessarily want the minor, is the first step to addressing the issues in the programs.

“I'm sure they have other metrics to decide these things, but from my perspective, there is a really strong demand for a better-supported framework of different cultural studies,” he said.

Freshman roundup New Loyola President Xaiver Cole is beginning his first year as president after a long search from November to February of last year.

Last semester, Loyola’s student government association failed to vote in the SGA president's cabinet.

Former head of Loyola’s African and American studies program Scott Heath was terminated, causing protest from students and faculty around campus.

Loyola’s food service, Sodexo, received enough votes in favor of beginning their union after a long fight.

More information can be found on The Maroon app, available on the app store and play store, or on our website www.loyolamaroon.com.

PERRY: Off to new adventures Continued from page 1 “It just sucks that we’re getting a little bit limited on staff that kind of advocates for students - especially black students and students of color,” she said.

Jackson said she hopes the university will find someone who can fill the “giant shoes” Perry is leaving, as this position is one that is important on campus.

“It just means that we’re seen and we’re heard. It puts us one step closer to the admin and the president and you know everyone who doesn’t have contact with us everyday. [That position] is our voice,” she said.

The students are what Perry is most grateful for at Loyola.

“I’m very blessed to have come to Loyola and work with so many faculty [members] but I’m especially blessed to work with students who I cherish and will continue to pray for,” Perry said.

PUZZLES

4 Across 1 Foot-in-mouth incident 6 "__ goodness" 11 Airport near OAK 14 Spanish "so long" 15 "It's an __ just to be nominated" 16 Anti-racism movement since 2013, for short 17 Stretch of a blowout game when bench players come in 19 Summer mo.

20 Ball club execs 21 Ocean State sch.

22 __-pants 24 Back muscles, briefly 26 Citrus grove inhabitant 29 Break things off 31 Opposite of NNW 32 "Bonanza" brother 33 Ruckuses 35 Superman's birth name 38 Sulu player before John Cho 41 Hit the slopes 42 __ dish: lab container 44 Minor dispute 47 Assistance 49 Some designer gowns 51 Book that's hard to put down 55 Tech tutorials site 56 Frozen treat 57 Nonstick spray brand 59 Tax prep pro 60 18-wheeler 61 Informal meeting, and what can be found in 17-, 26-, 38-, and 51-Across?

65 De Armas of "Blonde" 66 Egypt's Sadat 67 Bagel variety 68 Cut (off) 69 Sly sound or sty sound 70 Vehicles for hire that once sported fuzzy pink mustaches Down 1 __ of geese 2 Inflexible 3 Informal title for a pet such as Major Biden 4 Key __: car unlocker 5 Genesis twin 6 Nonbinary possessive

7 Trendy 8 Nickname in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy 9 Claim on some food packaging 10 Krispy __ 11 Food court pizza chain 12 Champagne glasses 13 "lol of course" 18 Miracle-__: garden brand 23 Good at sports 25 Dodge 27 Didn't leave waiting at the door 28 "No ice" or "Noice!"

30 Ran off with 34 __ Lanka 36 Track unit 37 Barely managed, with "out"

39 Drive or park 40 Cooking competition series that originated in Japan 43 "Once more ... " 44 Like some space-saving staircases 45 Al of "Scarface" 46 Generational divide 48 Kick out 50 Kicks off 52 Roman garments 53 Philly Ivy League sch.

54 Many an old tee 58 Cry weakly 62 Pair 63 La Brea __ Pits 64 Biblical possessive

Aug. 18, 2023 THE MAROON

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WORLDVIEW

5

Michelle Wilkerson, a representative from Sankofa, shows off the outdoor classroom setup at Sankofa Wetland Park & Nature Trail, Wednesday, August 16. The non-profit organization will be hosting a children's educational program to inform about local wildlife and their ecosystem. Jacob L'Hommedieu/The Maroon.

Sankofa prepares wetlands for education

By Ava Acharya aaachary@my.loyno.edu

As Southeastern Louisiana continues to face threats of natural disaster, Sankofa Community Development Corporation aims to address these issues through education and land restoration.

Sankofa is building a children's educational program based in the Wetland

Park and Nature Trail, located in New Orleans, LA. This park, originally, was used primarily as an illegal dumping site before being rehabilitated in 2014.

Wetlands play an important role in Southern Louisiana’s native ecosystem, Karen Marshall said, an Environmental and Earth Science Education Consultant working with Sankofa’s new program.

Marshall added that the wetlands

aid in water retention, which in turn decreases flooding risk.

This program offers children handson experience with the native ecology which surrounds them, as well as an opportunity to discuss and discover solutions to the environmental issues plaguing Southeastern Louisiana, Marshall said.

And, this program is directly connect-

ed to Louisiana’s Next Generation Science Standards, Marshall said.

“I myself am a firm believer that the answers to a lot of those problems are in someone’s classroom somewhere,” she said.

Keith Craft grew up exploring the wetlands surrounding his home in New Orleans’ ninth ward. Now, he is a Sankofa Wetland Park Ambassador.

Craft said that his experience growing up impacted the form in which this program took.

“We learned a lot on our own, just being outside experiencing life,” Craft said.

“It's beautiful to see it coming back.”

Biden urges pursuit of racial diversity without affirmative action

By Collin Binkley AP Education Writer

New guidance from the Biden administration on Monday urges colleges to use a range of strategies to promote racial diversity on campus after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in admissions.

Colleges can focus their recruiting in high minority areas, for example, and take steps to retain students of color who are already on campus, including by offering affinity clubs geared toward students of a certain race. Colleges can also consider how an applicant's race has shaped personal experience, as detailed in students' application essays or letters of recommendation, according to the new guidance.

"Ensuring access to higher education for students from different backgrounds is one of the most powerful tools we have to prepare graduates to lead an increasingly diverse nation and make real our country's promise of opportunity for all," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

The guidance, from the Justice and Education departments, arrives as col-

leges across the nation attempt to navigate a new era of admissions without the use of affirmative action. Schools are working to promote racial diversity without provoking legal action from affirmative action opponents.

In its guidance, the Biden administration offers a range of policies colleges can use "to achieve a student body that is diverse across a range of factors, including race and ethnicity."

It also offers clarity on how colleges can consider race in the context of an applicant's individual experience. The court's decision bars colleges from considering race as a factor in and of itself, but nothing prohibits colleges from considering "an applicant's discussion of how race affected the applicant's life," the court wrote.

How to approach that line without crossing it has been a challenge for colleges as they rework admissions systems before a new wave of applications begin arriving in the fall.

The guidance offers examples of how colleges can "provide opportunities to assess how applicants' individual backgrounds and attributes — including those related to their race."

"A university could consider an applicant's explanation about what it means to him to be the first Black violinist in his city's youth orchestra or an applicant's account of overcoming prejudice when she transferred to a rural high school where she was the only student of South Asian descent," according to the guidance.

Schools can also consider a letter of recommendation describing how a student "conquered her feelings of isolation as a Latina student at an overwhelmingly white high school to join the debate team," it says.

Students should feel comfortable to share "their whole selves" in the application process, the administration said.

The administration clarified that colleges don't need to ignore race as they choose where to focus their recruiting efforts. The court's decision doesn't forbid schools from targeting recruiting efforts toward schools that predominately serve students of color or low-income students, it says.

The guidance arrives as colleges work to avoid the type of diversity decline that has been seen in some states that previously ended affirmative action, includ-

ing in California and Michigan. Selective colleges in those states saw sharp decreases in minority student enrollment,

and some have struggled for decades to recover.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland makes a point as he speaks to members of the house of delegates of the American Bar Association at the group's annual meeting, Aug. 7, 2023, in Denver. New guidance from the Biden administration on Monday urges colleges to use a range of strategies to promote racial diversity on campus after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in admissions. AP Photo/David Zalubowski.

LIFE & TIMES

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AUG. 18, 2023 THE MAROON

Film • Arts • Food • Music • Leisure • Nightlife

Loyola artist creates sustainable art for community

By Maleigh Crespo

ment because being able to take a class like that was crucial,” she said. “It really changed my life.”

And in an age of social distancing Psychology senior Electra Pelias found solace in an unexpected way and limited human connection, social in early 2020 ,making and selling face media became an integral part of Pelias’ masks to her peers, – in the height of the platform.

Under the handle @electramakes on pandemic.

What started as a temporary proj- Instagram, Pelias promotes and sells her ect quickly grew into something much ceramics and handmade jewelry online and through pop ups greater than Pelias at Audubon Park and had anticipated, de- “I wouldn’t be able to local businesses. spite having received create art if it weren’t Pelias said the feedback and supmission behind @ port by the Loyola for the support from the electramakes is suscommunity, she said. tainability and giving As a born and Loyola community.” back to the commuraised New Orlea- — Electra Pelias nity. nian, Pelias said art Creator of Electra Makes All of the materials has always been omused in her creations nipresent in her life, and her creativity has always found itself are recycled or found items. And 20% “pushing the bounds of acceptable be- of proceeds go to local organizations in need. havior as a child.”

In 2022, Pelias raised $1,200 for local However, once mask restrictions were lifted, Pelias needed to find a new nonprofits, including House of Tulip, way to express that boundary-pushing New Orleans Abortion Fund, and No/ Aids Task Force. creativity.

“It’s important for me to stand up for Upon discovering co-enrollment opportunities at Tulane University, Pelias what I believe in,” she said.

Pelias gives much credit to the Loyola began taking an elective ceramics class, where she said she fell in love and found community for the success of her platform. her one true passion.

“I wouldn’t be able to create art if it “I’m glad that Loyola offers co-enroll-

macrespo@loyno.edu

weren’t for the support from the Loyola community,” she said.

Loyola artist Electra Pelias talks with patrons at art pop-up on Aug. 16, 2023. Pelias often donates 20% of proceeds to local nonprofits. Anna Hummel/The Maroon

The Writing Wall fosters student creativity on campus

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

Singer/songwriter Cason Taite performs at an open mic event hosted by The Writing Wall. The club hosts open mic events once a month. Courtesy of Maleigh Crespo.

Juniors Addison Laird and Maleigh Crespo started a new student organization that encourages creativity in all forms because they felt Loyola lacked such.

The Writing Wall came to Loyola last semester as an official student organization and, unlike the name, this club is for more than just writers. In their short time at Loyola, they’ve had screenplays read, tarot card readings, and song performances.

Crespo said the creation of this club came after feeling as though there weren’t any places that fit her needs on campus.

“I felt like I needed something that was no stress, no pressure, you just come and share a piece of yourself with someone else,” she said.

This feeling, Crespo said, was one she worried wouldn’t be what many others felt a need for or would be interested in.

“I was honestly terrified to do it because I thought it wouldn’t be received well by the community,” Crespo said.

Despite Crespo’s fear, members Cason Cottrell and Tanesha Taylor spoke highly of the organization, and its availability to students on campus.

“I’m always overwhelmed when it

comes to going to events and having to creatives and just see what it would be like speak and stuff like that so the writ- like to create in a group and share with ing wall, I never really spoke but like it others,” she said.

Crespo said this club was for somewas comforting to know that I didn’t even sign up. I could just show up and thing bigger than just herself, but it is speak and people would listen,” Taylor also for anyone who feels they could benefit from this in said. any way.

Cottrell, a pop- “Creativity is this crazy art “It was for the ular and commerperson who, in cial music junior, form that’s so hard to untheir freshman joined the writing derstand and so to be with a year, was crywall on a whim ing themselves and immediately group of people who are also to sleep at night, fell in love with the working to understand it didn’t know who environment that themselves creates an awethey were, didn’t had been set withsome safe space where we can know what they in the club. wanted to do. It “Creativity is all share and give feedback was for that person this crazy art form and those people that’s so hard to and be honest but also kind” who needed that understand and so community,” she to be with a group — Cason Cottrell said. of people who Member of The Writing Wall To join the club, are also working you only need one to understand it themselves creates an awesome safe thing, according to Crespo and Taylor, space where we can all share and give and that is to be yourself. The Writing feedback and be honest but also kind,” Wall is accepting of anyone and anything, they both said. she said.

“Come completely as you are. And Cottrell said the organization helped her in more ways than just being that I’m saying that so honestly. Come exactly as you are. You don’t have to prepare safe place.

“I’m a songwriter so I was feeling re- anything. You can just sit the first time, ally blocked creatively and it felt like a and if you have something to say mid very awesome way to be around other meeting, say it,” Taylor said.

Weekend Howl UPB Trap Bingo

Iggy Vols Flea Market

Movies in Magis

First Year Retreat

7:00 pM - 8:00 PM

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM

12:00 PM - 2:00PM

9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Aug. 18th St. Charles Room

Aug. 24th St. Charles Room

Aug. 31st Magis Lounge

Sept. 9th Off-campus

Aug. 18, 2023

THE MAROON

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REVIEWS

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Aug. 18, 2023 THE MAROON

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How a metaphysical matriarchy aggrieved a petulant patriarchy

10

Sophia Maxim/The Maroon

By Mia Oliva mfoliva@my.loyno.edu

In spite of being long overdue, Greta Gerwig has become the first female director with a billion-dollar film under her belt.

“Barbie” has been the highlight of the summer, drawing discourse from far-right and leftist media platforms alike. While some claim it was “anti-man” feminist propaganda, others believe it was an existentialist commentary on the transition from girlhood to womanhood. I can wholeheartedly say that I’m in complete agreement with the latter viewpoint.

Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives her pristine day-to-day life in Barbieland with Ken (Ryan Gosling) and a myriad of other Barbie and Ken variants. From one day to the next, Barbie develops an awakening desire for purpose and self-fulfillment.

She makes a visit to Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), who informs her that she must visit the real world in order to uncover the truth she seeks.

Even though I went in with a preconceived notion of the film’s excellence based on Gerwig’s previous work, “Barbie” exceeded my expectations in every way. Gerwig’s ability to weave and intertwine elements of the human experience through the lens of female autonomy never ceases to amaze me.

Gerwig presented audiences with a light hearted, sentimental depiction of what it is to be a woman and how inherent societal structures and ideologies often limit us.

Nonetheless, “Barbie” received backlash for all sorts of reasons.

Primarily for its feminist themes and commentary on patriarchy. However, it seems those who were vexed by this film lack a fair amount of media literacy.

“Barbie” turns the table in terms of narrative and in regard to gender roles throughout the history of cinema.

“Women in Refrigerators” is a trope that was generated by writer Simone Gail which places emphasis on the recurrence of female characters being portrayed as assets to their male counterparts. A student writer for the Women’s Center worded it best; “Utilizing female characters as assets to their male counterparts contributes to the sexism women are subjected to their entire lives. Young girls or women who consume this media get the impression that they are only a mere accessory to the plot rather than an influential factory in the story."

All “Barbie” did was flip the script, yet men with fragile masculinity still managed to be upset with the film and its premise. Imagine how tired we are, as women, who have been complacent and have kept silent for decades when we’re depicted as nothing more than a looming shadow, a supporting character.

Ken stands as a metaphor that patriarchy fails to uplift men and women all the same.

While it's more transparent as to how it affects women, it's still dismissive of men by subconsciously insinuating that boys don't need a doll to show them that they can be astronauts, doctors, politicians, authors, and so on. They have historical figures, status quo, and the upper hand in one of the world’s most dominant countries.

For over three centuries, the head of the country has been a male. Not once has a woman been granted this utmost position of power.

The issue is that most men would rather be perceived as immoral than subsidiary, and that is the poison that the patriarchy has perpetuated since the beginning of time. As the saying goes, “when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression”.

All in all, “Barbie” was a candycolored masterpiece with a stellar cast, phenomenal writing, and an intricate narrative that appeals to audiences of all ages. There’s talk of a sequel and I couldn’t be more delighted to see what Gerwig makes of it.

“Barbie” is now playing in theaters.

The answer is yes.

Cillian Murphy, known for several other Christopher Nolan films such as “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight,” brings this film home with extensive character research and stellar acting choices. In an interview, Murphy said that he learned at least 30,000 words of Dutch for a single scene in the film. He also lost an immense amount of weight to appear more like the real J. Robert Oppenheimer.

As with any Christopher Nolan film, “Oppenheimer” is fleshed out and detailed. Nolan is known for aptly focusing on his starring roles and captivating audiences with the depiction of their internal thoughts and feelings.

This is best shown in “Oppenheimer” as we see Murphy experiencing severe internal anxiety and moral dilemma from the decisions he, as Oppenheimer, has made. The clapping audio that increasingly intensifies is later revealed as the crowd clapping for Oppenheimer while he gives a speech following the Japan bombings.

This film’s subtlety is just as compelling as its story. A good example is how the film – like the book its is based off of – recounts the bombing announcement through the radio, rather than with visualization of the bombings. The only visualization we are given is much later in the film during Oppenheimer’s major hallucination during his speech, where he sees a burn victim and a young woman mourning over her dead partner.

The destruction being represented this way was more impactful than multiple shots of mass death could ever

Whose Side Are We On?

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

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tA star-studded cast, backed by Christopher Nolan, had audiences expecting a box office success. But what sets this film apart from the rest of the biopics that have been taking over the industry in the past few years?

“Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” both premiered on July 21. However, nothing really ties these two films together besides the fact that their portrayals are polar opposites. This phenomenon led to over $235 million in sales for domestic box offices, helping movie theaters make the ultimate comeback ever since their decline during COVID-19.

But could “Oppenheimer”, an intense 3-hour film about the Father of the Atomic Bomb, compete with a philosophical, cult classic-type like Barbie?

be, for we see the perspective of those alive who are experiencing this event, rather than an objective view. Plus, witnessing gory detailed shots of nuclear victims doesn’t fit the tone of this film and would be ultimately jarring for audiences in this case.

Another example of subtlety is the first conversation between Oppenheimer and Einstein (Tom Conti) witnessed by Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.). We, like Strauss, are unable to hear what the two are conversing about. But, this scene launches the catalyst of distrust that Strauss has for Oppenheimer, following the smart comment Oppenheimer made about Strauss’s upbringing.

By the end of the film, we find out that this conversation had nothing to do with Strauss, but are we as an audience feeling the way Strauss felt?

Now that we understand what was being said, do we have more trust for Oppenheimer?

The perspective changing between black-and-white and color was one of the most apparent aspects of the film. The black-and-white represents objective perspective whereas the color represents subjective. We see this difference reflected in the characters as well. Strauss sees the world in black and white, whereas Oppenheimer sees the possibilities of the world in a more colorful perspective. The fact that audience members can go home and debate the meaning of the use of black and white versus color only adds to the subtle flavor that Nolan weaves throughout this film.

By the end of the film, are we on Oppenheimer’s side? We have witnessed several perspectives that allow us to sympathize with him and others that make us question his motives.

Read more at loyolamaroon.com

Aug. 16, 2023

THE MAROON

On it.

Ending racial injustice requires all of us to work together and take real action.

What can you do to help?

Educate yourself about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist. Educate yourself

about the history of American racism, privilege and what it means to be anti-racist.

Commit to actions that challenge injustice and make everyone feel like they belong, such as challenging biased or racist language when you hear it.

Vote in national and local elections to ensure your elected officials share your vision of public safety.

Donate to organizations, campaigns and initiatives who are committed to racial justice.

Let’s come together to take action against racism and fight for racial justice for the Black community.

Visit lovehasnolabels.com/fightforfreedom

9

OPINION

August 18, 2023 THE MAROON

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An open letter from an immigrant PABLO ZAVALA Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latin American studies pmzavala@loyno.edu

I’d like to share an anecdote that I hope will comfort and empower those who have had similar experiences. I recently received an unsolicited email from someone I don’t know, a retired dean and professor at Tulane University.

We’ll call him “Dr. X.” The message is cruel, insensitive, and ill-informed.

It is in reference to an interview I gave to the Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate which was published on July 8, 2023. The article is about how I am personally affected by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn President Joe Biden’s executive order to forgive a fraction of student loans. I tell the interviewer that I have loans, and that I am saddened by the decision because I’ve struggled financially since I was young.

I also told him I came to this country when I was in elementary school. It is a very personal interview given during a time of great uncertainty.

A day later, I received a message from Dr. X in my professional inbox. He signed it with his name and his professional titles. Here is a paragraph verbatim in which he addresses me in the second person singular, in capital letters: “The United States Supreme Court ruling did not ‘make you responsible for an extra $200 a month in loan payments’.

YOU made yourself responsible when you signed the loan (contract) agreement and gave your word to repay it. I borrowed money in 1969 to go to college and I paid it off in full after 10 years. I had a wife, rent, car, food, etc., but I made it work and never expected my loan to be

Leslie Williams Nursing junior

"The best part is being back on campus seeing all these fresh new faces and knowing that new communities are about to be born.

All these new people about to join the wolfpack. I don’t see a bad part but if I had to pick one I would say the heat."

‘forgiven’ when my brothers got jobs out of high school and never went to college.

As adults, we have the right to seek loans to pay for many things but with that right comes the duty (and honor) pay off the loans as stipulated in the required legal contract we sign.”.

A 2021 Brookings Institute study found that the lowest-income students borrow more, and that student loan practices in the U.S. “reinforce the racial wealth gap.” According to the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, the average White family, at $188,200, has five times the wealth of the average Hispanic family. In other words, despite the fact that a college degree is needed to imagine upward mobility, college debt can contribute to financial instability. Additionally, minority folks like Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native fare worse than White people across several measures of health and health care, according to a 2023 study by the Keiser Family Foundation. The CDC has also recently categorized racism as a serious threat to the public’s health.

I suspect the following upbringing will resonate with many of my readers; I am an immigrant from Mexico, first generation, who grew up poor. Our food stamps were still on a physical booklet, whose paper coupons you’d give the cashier, like some sort of dystopian game.

Statistically, I should not have a PhD and I should not be a professor, but I’ve followed a gossamer American Dream like, I presume, many of you.

I still believe that this country is the holder of many valuable principles worth fighting for. But, I do think that Dr. X’s message represents a racist and xenophobic worldview, even though he may not be aware of that. The situation comes across as an extremely privileged White man yelling at a Brown immigrant to pay the system, without acknowledging inequities that cut across racial and class lines. We now know that privilege

often translates to inherited wealth, social advantages and benefits. The person is born with these characteristics, not earned.

Normally, I would ignore such a message, but I think his position of power makes his diatribe that much more insidious and worth addressing. He is well known for his views. My interview represents a moment of vulnerability meant to evoke humanity, not viciousness.

There is certainly a place for dialogue about student loans and what we owe to each other, and a place for dialogue about the economic whims of processes like inflation, global recessions, and devastating pandemics. But, Dr. X’s analysis disregards phenomena like these. I think that those conversations are important to have, but unfortunately that is not what happened. His intention was not to engage in meaningful debate. The result of this metonymical event exemplifies a fortuitous opportunity to expound succinctly on relevant systemic concerns.

Understanding these power dynamics, some steadfastness, and a little bit of kindness are needed to rectify socioeconomic inequalities especially as governmental leaders – at the local, state, and federal levels – continue to modify and uphold the law in order to prolong oppression against the most vulnerable.

And while the latter consists of a heterogenous gender, race, and class spectrum, the common denominators lie in the gaps between the power holders and the people.

Colonialism and imperialism, as Frantz Fanon argued in “The Wretched of the Earth”, are deeply rooted in the Western bourgeoisie’s racism as an ideology that perpetuates their power. Capitalists are like “war criminals” who defer to practices like “deportation, massacres, forced labor, and slavery” to establish and maintain their wealth. The economically powerless are at the whims of the ruling classes.

Melany Ramos Biochemistry freshman

"The best part was meeting people and the worst part was the elevator."

What are the best and worst parts of move-in?

Opinions/Letters to the editor The Maroon actively promotes the inclusion of a wide range of perspectives and opinions within our letters section.

Opinions should preferably be around 500 words Letters should preferably be 150-200 words Letters should refer to an article that has appeared within the last two weeks.

Opinions/letters must include the writer's name and major.

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Yet to disdain immigrants’ contributions to this country is to ignore reality.

Anthony Bourdain once said that the entirety of the restaurant industry in the U.S. would collapse overnight if it weren’t for immigrants working hard in the back of the house. Agricultural fields have been worked by immigrants for decades, laying the foundations for indispensable farm produce production and consumption all across the country. Nonetheless, field harvesters and cultivators historically have had scarce wages and benefits, leaving the fight for these rights up to them by unionizing, striking, and boycotting. We tend to criminalize their worth.

As Cuauhtémoc César García Hernández put it, the U.S. has an obsession with locking up immigrants. Day laborers have built a myriad of houses in practically all the major cities for pennies on the dollar, leaving Florida construction companies scrambling when Governor Ron DeSantis signed off on Senate Bill 1718 in 2023 targeting undocumented workers. What is more, even those hypocritically advocating intolerance rely on this crucial force. Donald Trump’s businesses, as The Washington Post has reported, have hired undocumented workers as waiters, groundskeepers, and housekeepers for years, belying his public chauvinistic rhetoric disguised as patriotism.

Across the globe, a lack of concern for immigrants seeking shelter and a better life has resulted in unnecessary deaths that the media ignores. DeSantis and Trump represent leading conservative voices today in the U.S. that have influenced a radical right-wing shift in the country incapable of embracing difference. They portend a dark future for many of us, especially in the face of looming elections. But, power concedes nothing, as Frederick Douglass once wrote.

Why am I writing this open letter?

I want to put people like Dr. X and the oppression he represents on blast. I consider Dr. X’s remarks nothing short of an act of microaggression, maybe vehement animosity, not only towards me – something I, like many of you, have experienced for a long time – but towards most of the country. I publicly denounce his disrespectful and inappropriate message.

I don’t mention his name simply because it is the behavior and rhetoric I wish to condemn. The aggressive narratives I’ve just written about threaten U.S. democracy to the extent that we value human rights. Furthermore, to my reader: if you are Brown, Black, LGBTQ+, Latinx, indigenous, poor, an immigrant, or a woman, you are not alone. I am sorry if you have been treated in a similar fashion and continue to be treated that way by our leaders.

We need to stay the course on breaking down structures of economic, political, and social subjugation, the same kind represented by the Confederate statues taken down in New Orleans a few years ago. Resistance – including allies – has proven to be intersectional in the fight for the Jesuit tenets of social justice, solidarity, and kinship. The values this country can represent in many ways to many of us are still those of kind heartedness and inclusion, embedded within those sacred foundational words: “We the People.” If we want a new reality, full of equity, equality, socio-economic justice, liberty, and a real shot at the pursuit of happiness, then we must continue to fight and have the hope that it can be done.

In solidarity, Pablo Zavala

Cameron Dolecki & Zoe Schmit Marketing & Biology freshmen

Skylar Salles Design freshman

"I liked decorating my room and the worst part was taking the stairs because the elevators were too full and that was rough.

The best part is being done and seeing the room all finished and complete. The worst part was lugging everything up the stairs"

"The best part was definitely decorating the dorm and the worst part was waiting in the line."

Quote of the week "We can have a commitment to Jesuit values, equity, and inclusion, but it's not helpful if it's only displayed on a website, if it's not implemented in proper faculty, proper courses."

- Psychology senior Akilah Toney on lack of support in minors.

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EDITORIAL

August 18, 2023 THE MAROON

HOWLS & GROWLS HOWL to 100 Years of The Maroon GROWL to the HEAT HOWL to indictment season GROWL to Austrailian beach worms HOWL to Aron Boehle Sofia Johnson/The Maroon

The Student Government Organization here at Loyola continues to prove themselves as an organization that is fundamentally disconnected from the people that it serves. In last semester’s election, out of the thousands of full time students that attend Loyola, only 92 people voted in total – 83 voting for the current president - the only candidate and nine people abstaining.

When last year’s elections were taking place, only two emails were sent out. One was sent the day before the election, and the other was sent the day of. Combined with the fact that fewer than 100 people voted for our current SGA administration, the lack of transparency in our student government shines bright in a stark light.

The purpose of the student government is to be the student body’s representative on campus. Specifically, they are our representation to the Board of Trustees, the highest level of authority on campus. Student participation in student government elections is crucial to having our voices be heard by those who have the power to drive change. If our student government is not truly representative of the student body then we, as a student body, lack a voice in one of the places where we need it most. It is impossible for the student government to be truly representative of the student body when so few people participate in the voting process.

It is negligent on the part of the student government to not ensure that students are aware of elections when they happen and how students can participate.

The student body needs to have faith that their student government represents them. Article 2, Section 1, Clause 3 of the

SGA Constitution states that their purpose is “to act as the principal representative voice of the student body to the Loyola University.” The SGA does not understand its own purpose as our representative.

It also proves that the student government needs to improve people’s understanding of what the student government is responsible for, especially in regards to funding.

Along with the primary responsibility of being the “principal representative voice” of the student body, in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the SGA Constitution, it is stated that one of SGA’s responsibilities is “to budget and allocate the revenue received from student fees for student services and organizations.”

This puts the student government in charge of hundreds of thousands of dollars. These funds come out of our tuition.

In the fall of 2022, SGA was given $125,000 to allocate to students in the forms of events, clubs and club sports, grants, and travel funds. How this money is spent matters because it is ultimately our money.

And, when less than 100 people decide who gets the checkbook, then we cannot be sure they would spend that money in our best interests.

The student government needs to do better and foster better elections and act as better representatives for our student body. Because of their negligence, they have failed to fulfill their responsibilities as “the principal representative voice.” The funding we as students receive for events and organizations should not be decided by a cabal of individuals led by someone chosen by less than 10% of us.

GROWL to umbrellas HOWL to the RICO Act GROWL to authoritarian governments HOWL to enviromental justice

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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.

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THE MAROON

Aug. 18, 2023