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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Selma March: 50 years later, remembering the role of student activism for civil rights

By TIM WILHELM News Editor

The University News archives

Courtesy Michelle Peltier

Disembarking: Top: SLU students boarded buses on West Pine that would take them to Montgomery, Al., to march with civil rights activists. Bottom: The street itself no longer exists, but students pass by Pius throughout the day.

Billikens After Dark: New leadership seeks growth

By JACKIE STACHIW Staff Writer

The spring semester ushered in a new wave of changes at St. Louis University.

For one club in particular, this means the implementation of a new executive board. Known as Billikens After Dark (BAD), this organization hopes that with the new board, the club will be more effective.

Gwen Dailey, the organization’s graduate assistant, said that the club’s overall goal this semester is “to increase campus wide participation as well as promote growth within the organization.” The new executive board, which contains positions like events chairman and public relations, hopes to accomplish the group’s objectives.

Founded in 2007, SLU started the organization as a late-night, alcohol-alternative programming initiative for students. Rising in popularity since, the group offers a wide range of activities, such as outings to Sky Zone, movie premiers, and even a Pinterest Party.

Josh Ferrante, the group’s student intern added, “BAD

is always thinking of new ways to get the student body involved. For example, this week we are going laser tagging, something we haven’t done before.” While the off-campus events always run out of spots, the group sometimes struggled with on-campus participation events in the past.

However, the new executive board is making strides to increase participation. At the annual “Treat Yo Self,” two weeks ago, student participation was at its highest yet. The event, which featured a movie showing, massages, food, and other relaxing activities, attracted students from all around campus.

“I would definitely attribute this growth in participation to our new executive board. By marketing more aggressively and getting things done more efficiently, we are seeing more and more people come out,” added Dailey.

Nonetheless, BAD still wants to see growth. The point of the organization is to provide late-night alternaSee “BAD” on Page 3

50 years ago, West Pine bisected campus as we know it today. This thoroughfare served as the point of departure for more than 100 SLU students and faculty who boarded buses bound for Montgomery, Alabama.

Destination: the Selma-toMontgomery marches undertaken in the name of the decade’s tumultuous civil rights movement.

Writing for The University News at the time, James Lutz gave an eyewitness account of the bus ride and march.

“Morale was high throughout the trip down, but tension increased considerably as we advanced south,” he said. “We were advised to remove all sharp objects from our pockets including ball point pens in case of search by police. The all too familiar instructions on how to curl up in case of attack heightened trouble on the way down as much as on the way back. Our spirits were undampened by the rain which accompanied us most of the way. Songs and lively conversation helped create a group unity which, we were told, was important for our own protection in Dixie.”

The high spirits persisted into the march through Montgomery.

“The color line ended at the curb for all of us here.

A sense of brotherhood was overwhelming. It was something like the liberation of Paris, the same welcome, kids grinning at you, plenty of waving and handshaking along the way. Green helmeted state troopers guarded the front of the Capitol building, but government

troops were well dispersed throughout the city. There was little fear among the marchers while we were in the city.”

However, the violence that erupted between police and marchers produced some of the most enduring images from March 1965.

Its aftershocks reached SLU, where 11 law professors drafted a “Selma Statement” condemning the “near barbaric dispersal of the protest marchers in Selma” that “must evoke in everyone but the most insensitive human beings a sense of utter outrage and frustration.”

“There are no circumstances mitigating enough to render inculpable the offenders in Selma,” they asserted. “Until even the idea of considering the color of a man’s skin in the evaluation of him as a human being is completely eradicated, America is a failure both as a democratic experiment and as a human society.”

That SLU students joined the struggle in the South appears, in retrospect, as the result of historical events on campus. Fr. Claude Heithaus, S.J., gave an impassioned homily in 1944, urging the University to welcome black students.

Although his opinions brought opposition from Archbishop Glennon, Heithaus’ convictions, backed by a faction of black Catholics, were realized later that same year.

Manifestations of the 1960s civil rights movement on SLU’s campus were actually fruits of numerous tensions boiling beneath the surface. Expansion of area interstates facilitated the flight of white St. Louisans to the suburbs, in response to

See “Selma” on Page 3

BSA hosts Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

Ryan Quinn / Photo Editor

Presentation: A professor of African American studies, Hill is also a political contributor to multiple news outlets.

By PAUL BRUNKHORST Associate News Editor

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, as part of SLU’s recognition of Black History Month, the Black Student Alliance, in collaboration with the Great Issues Committee and the Cross Cultural Center, hosted speaker Dr. Marc Lamont Hill in the Center for Global

Citizenship.

Hill, who is a professor of African American studies at Morehouse College – and a political analyst for organizations like Huffington Post and CNN – gave a talk titled “The State of the Black Community: Discussing the state of the black community in light of the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO and

the challenges America faces in the post-Obama era.”

In fact, Hill referred to the current state of American social and political affairs – namely those dealing with race relations – as the “age of Obama.”

“When I say ‘age of Obama,’” he said, “I’m talking about the entire arrangement of power that we’re

negotiating right now. I’m talking about the organizations that are running things … I’m talking about the ways in which black folk are arrayed and aligned in American life right now … I’m talking about a particular moment when I say ‘age of See “Hill” on Page 3

2

NEWS

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Let Us Introduce You: Summer Albarcha SLU blogger at the intersection of modesty, fashion modeling a green, anklelength skirt.

It was not a question of modesty that made the Instagram post so controversial, but rather it was the designers of the skirt: Mimu Maxi, an Orthodox Jewish clothing boutique.

The company took notice of Albarcha and her style of modest fashion. With similar goals regarding fashionable modesty, Mimu Maxi contacted Albarcha and asked if she would model one of their pieces on her blog. “They sent me the skirt and I didn’t think twice because they were Jewish or Orthodox Jewish, I thought, ‘we both want to send the same message,’� said Albarcha.

But when Mimu Maxi reposted “Hipster Hijabis’� picture on their company’s Instagram, it created an issue for some of their followers. “This happened during the Palestinian and Israeli conflict in Gaza during the summer of 2014, so there had been a lot of tension,� said Albarcha.

Some of Mimu Maxi’s Orthodox Jewish clientele said the boutique had been “insensitive� during that period of tension. “Some people commented on (Mimu Maxi’s) post asking, ‘Why are you promoting terrorism?’ or ‘Why are you posting this in a time where we should be sticking together?’� said Albarcha.

The controversy gained a lot of attention after several media outlets, such as Daily Mail and HuďŹƒngton Post, reported on the backlash.

Mimu Maxi spoke out on their Facebook page, saying

By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Staff Writer

Summer Albarcha believes that showing modesty and participating in the latest fashion trends can go hand in hand.

The freshman-business student has demonstrated her conviction on her popular fashion blog and Instagram account, titled “Hipster Hijabis,� where she models various trendy outfits, always paired with a head scarf, in order to pertain to the rules of Islam. “I kind of combined the two words, ‘hipster’ and ‘hijabi,’ thinking someone who kind of bends the rules with fashion, but at the same time takes part in her religious views,� said Albarcha.

Albarcha started the website when she was 16 years old as a way to show her friends dierent styles and where to buy certain clothing. Three years later, her Instagram account has more than 50,000 followers, she’s been featured in major publications including the HuďŹƒngton Post and she’s been asked to speak at fashion shows across the world.

Not only has her popularity and recognition grown over time, but her mission for blogging has as well. “Being modest doesn’t mean you can’t take part in social norms, or just because you choose to be conservative doesn’t mean you can’t be social, approachable and ultimately, look cool,� said Albarcha.

Although “Hipster Hijabisâ€? had been steadily growing since its creation, the site took-o when a controversy sparked after the blogger posted a picture

that they supported their reposting of Albarcha’s photograph. “In times of upheaval, our unity and shared values-wherever they DO exist-should be highlighted and celebrated,� the company wrote in a statement.

Overall, Albarcha took a positive message from the controversy. “It became a symbol that we both have the same mission, we’re not trying to outcast anyone just because of their faith, we both have a lot more commonalities than we do dierences,â€? said Albarcha.

As a result of the controversy, Albarcha received an invitation to speak at the event, “Fashion Forward,� in Dubai this past October.

Albarcha served on a panel with Middle Eastern fashion designers and other emerging fashion bloggers, and spoke about the role of modesty in modern fashion. “I met a lot of really cool people and I learned a lot of things at the conference they had, like how to increase your blog views, how to become a designer, how to get your stu out,â€? said Albarcha.

After attending “Fashion Forward,� Albarcha landed a job with the Dubai-based fashion company, Miella, contacting and advertising with other fashion blogs.

In the future, Albarcha hopes to be a fashion designer and run her own company. But until then, she continues to spread her message on “Hipster Hijabis� that one doesn’t need to sacrifice fashion in order to maintain modesty.

EXPLORE SUMMER

AT MARQUETTE.

Images courtesy of Summer Albarcha, via https://instagram.com/hipsterhijabis/

Hipster Hijabis: Above are some examples of the fashion ensembles Albarcha shares with her 50,000 Instagram followers. The freshman business major maintains that fashion sense and religious convictions can coexist and even flourish.

FAST ON OUR

FEET (NOT ON THE STREET)

Summer is a great time to be in Milwaukee. It’s also a great time to take a class at Marquette. Campus is just minutes from Lake Michigan, as well as great neighborhoods, restaurants, sporting events, theatres, biking trails — and Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival. And we’re just scratching the surface. Enjoy it all while getting six weeks closer to graduation with our accelerated classes.

Registration begins March 19. marquette.edu/summer

SERIOUS DELIVERY!

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I’m Father Jacques Marquette, a 17th-century explorer, Jesuit missionary and the university’s namesake. Summer is the best time of year to be at Marquette, mes amis. Centuries later, it never gets old.

Follow my adventures on:

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Š2014 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

NEWS

Hill: Professor on the state of the black community, how Americans address poverty and social issues

3

BAD: Revamping fun Junior Mari Kerwin, the club’s PR chairman, said, “This process takes time and tives for students to enjoy hard work, but we think the time with friends doing fun, benefits will be worth it. By alcohol-free activities. Getstrengthening our campus ting students to come to presence, more and more these events rather than “go people will come to our out,” continues to be a strugevents.” gle. By adding the new board Midterms are approachand providing innovative, ing and the semester is alexciting activities, there is most halfway over, but BAD an expectation for increased has many participafun things in tion. store for the In adThis process takes student body. dition to time and hard With a trip to growing Sky Zone, an participawork, but we think “Av e n g e r s ” tion, BAD movie showwants to worth it. ing, trivia see more and a few participasurprises, the tion within -Mari Kerwin, organization the group. thinks this Made up SLU junior semester will of around be its best 20 stuyet. dents, the Whether organizaincreasing campus-wide tion wants more cohesiveparticipation or strengthenness within the group and ing the group from within, to function as one unit. By BAD is attempting to target eventually implementing new students to come out. committees and more reWith a lot hard work, and a sponsibilities for members, little bit of being “bad,” the BAD believes students will group will surely succeed. feel more connected to the club.

Continued from Page 1

tative of the ‘age of Obama’ than Michael Brown?” he said. “That image is not just Obama.’” the image of one particular Hill emphasized that this person who was occasioned “age of Obama” is seductive; by state violence. That’s a we do – and should – feel metaphor for America, how good about his election, he we render populations dissaid. But, as a country, we posable.” still face myriad problems: To fight these destrucignorance of poor people, tive forces, Hill admitted, is racial discrimination, viochallenging; oftentimes peolence beple who cause of fight for sexual change or ient af i n d tion, and themp over ty, selves among alone, others. without “The support, richest and burempire dened by in hu-Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, what Hill man hiscalled speaker tory and an obchildren session go to bed with selfhungry reference that doesn’t allow every single night,” Hill said people to hear the voices of in reference to some of the others – especially the most challenges America faces in vulnerable. the “age of Obama.”

“We’ve created a world And, Hill said, a gauge of where poor voices are not this age is one that hits close being heard,” Hill said. to home for people in St. “The biggest problem in Louis and the surrounding the world today is that there area: the death of Michael are too many people who Brown. don’t do anything,” he added “What’s more represen-

later.

This being said, Hill emAs an academic, though, phasized that society should Hill sees part of his job as not be afraid to imagine examining, understanding a world where things like and fighting the deeply enprison do not exist. If we trenched forces that perpetcan rethink how we go about uate both cultural problems working for justice, then we and social indifference. can live in an entirely new One such area of his proworld, he said. fessional work is the coun“What I’m saying is there try’s justice system. If we can might be a way to imagine reimagine what justice is, the world outside of prison, Hill said, o u t then we side of can begin whiteto work ness, against outside socially of masdestrucculintive probity, outlems that side of are not hy p ersolved capiby incartalism,” -Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, ceration he said. alone. “ Th e re speaker might “ M y be a work as way of a scholar,” he said, “and my reimagining the world that work as an activist, ultiwe haven’t considered and mately hovers around this my job … is to use anything commitment to making a I have in the service of that world that is more just, more because that’s my freedom fair, more whole by offerdream; that’s how I see the ing dangerous, at times, and world getting better; that’s hopefully counterintuitive, how I see change happenanalyses and solutions to the ing; that’s how I understand public and its problems.” justice.”

Selma: Campus provided a homegrown zeitgeist

Center for Global Citizenship hosts live debate between SLU, Afghan students

desegregation measures. Integration of the Fairgrounds Park pool faced pushback; a Grand Boulevard Woolworth’s was the site of a sitin; and activist Percy Green scaled the Arch in July 1964 in response to black workers being barred from unionization.

“Part of the zeitgeist at the time was young people understood that things could no longer carry on as they had been,” said Dr. Stefan Bradley, professor of African American studies.

“So this idea of delivering freedom rights and voting rights to African Americans was very popular amongst college students across the nation, including St. Louis University. So it would have been par for the course for St. Louis University students and those right-minded faculty and staff members to support the movement.”

“The people who participated in the movement were in the minority, and that’s because most people just wanted to get on with their lives, and they didn’t want to necessarily rock the boat,”

“

Continued from Page 1

said Bradley. “They might have been sympathetic and that sort of thing, but they certainly didn’t want to do anything that could potentially cause problems. That’s why it’s fairly significant, the people who did decide to participate, because they could have very well, very easily, not done anything and then rewarded for it.”

What made SLU such fertile ground? Bradley offered three explanations: “One, younger people are more open to ideas, and that’s one of the beauties of youth; two, African Americans had been attending SLU since ’44, so in some ways it kind of normalized the idea; and then, three, is we’re in a space where … we think about our fellow man … So with all those things combined, it paves the way for some action to take place … It just shows the power of youth, though … If you were to base it on the older generation, then things might have stayed the same for another fifty years, but these young people really pushed the issue, and that’s the saving grace of the nation.”

“

today is that there are too many peoanything.

By CHAD MAXWELL Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the Center for Global Citizenship, a live feed connected St. Louis University with Kabul, Afghanistan for the second-annual Black History Month debate between SLU students and students in Kabul. The students discussed the contradictions between civil rights laws and the real life experiences of marginalized groups.

The rationale for the inclusion of an Afghan debate team was that women in Afghanistan face many of the same civil rights issues as African-Americans in the United States, and while civil rights movements have occurred for both groups in their respective countries, the real-life experiences of these groups do not always match what the law has mandated.

Afghan women face fewer job and educational opportunities than their male counterparts. Similar situations can be found in the United States for black citizens. Many predominant-

“

ly black communities are the importance of underplagued with overcrowded standing root issues related and underfunded public to social inequalities. This schools in comparison with included discussing the crewhite Americans. Governation of collective identities ments from both countries and shared meanings in orhave worked to fix these isder to promote social change. sues in their communities, The opposition groups spoke although sometimes with on implementing to promote mixed results, which formed definite change. the basis of the criticism of Mueller stated that the government opening govactions. ernment team Accordfrom Kabul ing to Dani“kick-started” elle Mueller, the discusthese groups do a participant sion by speakin the debate, ing about the the speakers deaths of Miengaged in chael Brown mandated. the dialogue and Trayvon were very Martin in the passionate United States. while still The Kabul being, in her team spoke of words, cordial. Mueller said the safety concerns and disthat after the debate, both parity in education for womteams complimented each en in Afghanistan; those parother’s strengths and disticipating in the clock-tower cussed the weaknesses each discussion this past fall used team had in their arguments. similar speaking points.

The debate consisted of Situations, like those in four teams, two from Kabul Missouri, Ohio, New York and two from St. Louis. Of and Florida, are similar to the four teams, there were events that happen to womtwo government teams and en in Afghanistan. two opposition teams. The In August 2009, the Afgovernment teams spoke of ghan government enacted

“

Thin Blue Line: Tensions over law school speech

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voices are not being heard.

The biggest prob-

“

“

We’ve created a

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Continued from Page 1

the Elimination of Violence Against Women Act: criminalizing child marriage, human trafficking, and assault among other violent acts. In 2012, major protests spread through Kabul after a video of a woman who was publicly executed, due to being accused of adultery, was released.

The debate finished with rankings for the four teams; SLU took second and third out of the four places. The SLU team of Roya Massoudnia and Danielle Mueller took third, while the SLU team of Amelia Meigs and Connor Williams placed second. The Kabul team for the closing government position took first.

7,208 miles and a tenhour time difference separated the students of Kabul from the students at SLU. Completely different cultures and governments; however, both groups found themselves discussing problems facing their home countries. Discussions like these help bring up the struggles marginalized Americans and Afghan face, and increase the understanding of what it means to have civil rights.

THE SLU SCOOP All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety

On Feb. 20, the studentled SLU Public Law Review hosted its annual symposium, which is a topic of “great local interest,” according to law school dean Mike Wolff.

The topic of this year’s symposium was “Policing Post-Ferguson,” and it contentiously included St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch as its opening presenter.

SLU President Fred Pestello defended the student group’s decision to host McCulloch in an email on Feb. 9, stating, “we have committed ourselves to facilitating dialogue about race, diversity, inclusion, peace, and justice ... the law school’s symposium aligns with that commitment. “ Before the event, Wolff added, “We’re hoping to have a good, spirited discus-

sion.” encouraging “the collaboraDespite these assertions tion between federal governfrom Pestello and Wolff, ments.” He also stated that many members of the SLU the “job of the prosecutor is community had reservations to see that justice is done.” regarding McCulloch’s presFinally, McCulloch concludence. Dr. Stefan Bradley stated by stating that his people ed, “A lot of people are still were not wrong in their hanhurting ... dling of [T]he idea the case that Mcand that We have committed Culloch has the outbeen invitcomes ed to speak of the on this pargrand juticular camries were sion, peace, and pus, during “not an justice.

Black Hisoutcome tory Month, that you is disconlike, but -Fred Pestello, certing to a it’s the SLU president lot of peor i g h t ple.” o u t After an come.” opening inIn the troduction of Dean Wolff, three separate interruptions, McCulloch gave a lengthy around two dozen protesters – and thrice interrupted – registered to the event held speech regarding the grand a “trial” that found McCulljury proceedings. In his preoch guilty of obstruction of sentation, he said he found justice; chanted “black lives

“

“

By RYAN McKINLEY Opinion Editor

matter”; and sang “Requiem for Mike Brown,” holding gravestones of black people killed in police shootings since Aug. 9, 2014, the day Brown was killed.

McCulloch incited “boos” on a number of occasions, especially after he responded to “black lives matter” chants by saying, “I’m pretty sure all lives matter.”

Throughout most of the disturbances, McCulloch attempted to speak over the protesters. Eventually, all of the participating demonstrators were removed from the symposium by a combination of officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and SLU’s Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

After the event, Brendan Roediger, a professor at SLU Law, concluded that “the [student] disruption was to be expected, I’m glad it happened.”

Friday, Feb. 20

12:42 p.m. CHEMICAL SPILL

Poisonous Permeation: Water from a clogged floor drain on the third floor dripped onto the lobby stairs below, damaging several ceiling tiles.

Maintenance unclogged the drain and housekeeping cleaned the water from the stairs. The building manager was notified. It was later reported that the water that dripped may have contained various chemicals, and this is being investigated by Environmental Safety personnel; however that department advised that at this time there is no reason to suspect that anyone was exposed to the chemicals and that maintenance and housekeeping personnel would have had protective covering when cleaning the liquid.

Be a Responsible Billiken STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000 witness.slu.edu dps.slu.edu

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Arts Entertainment SLU production pokes fun at wealthy elite

February 26, 2015 arts@unewsonline.com Maggie Needham, Arts Editor Katherine Kelliher, Assoc. Arts Editor

leaves a lot to the tening to “Smoke + Mirrors” can help us find relief in the precision of the lyrics that dig into memories, hopes, fears, frustrations and realiOn Feb. 17, Imagine ties. With songs like “TrouDragons released their ble,” “Shots,” “I’m So Sorry,” long-awaited second album, “Smoke + Mirrors” and “It “Smoke + Mirrors.”

Comes Back to You,” ImagIn the midst of the rise ine Dragons asks their audiof British alternative rock ence members to confront bands’ success in recent multitudes of jarring emoyears, the Las Vegas founded tions to reveal the audacity band upholds the reputaof our exquisite human imtion of American rock muperfection. sic with powerful emotion The illusion of the aland a sound that embraces bum’s title, smoke and mirstrong rhythms and reaches rors, presents a contrast and out to audiences. The band’s metaphor which is captured first studio album, “Night in Imagine V i s i o n s ,” Dragons’ released sound. in 2012, The illusion of the A sharp reached album’s title, smoke and shining double platobject proinum status, and mirrors, presvides an imand “Smoke ents a conrast and age, which + Mirrors” a fleeting holds as a metaphor which is and vague much pocaptured in Imagine substance tential. distorts, beWith the Dragons’ sound. fore drifting help of muaway, leaving sic producer only a lingerAlex da Kid, ing scent in hair or clothing Imagine Dragons has gifted and the haunting memory of fans with their newest crethe blurred reflection. ation, a 13-track album with The things we cannot a potent rawness that gives physically see are often the way to tender revelations. most intoxicatingly real inThe night before the reside our heads; it’s all smoke lease, the band shared some and mirrors. of the new lyrics with their The deception prompts 2.19 million Twitter followfurther consideration: the ers as a taste of what to exquestion of our purpose and pect from the album. Lead our impact. In the past, as singer Dan Reynolds also listeners, our night visions posted a poignant note to were plentiful. They left us fans describing the album’s with convictions and unbursignificance. dened our sorrows, and now He explained in a Tumwe look through inevitable blr post that the band’s new smoke and mirrors to find album tells “the story of my meaning, the truth, and we life. my thoughts. my fears. bring with us an unfailing my anxieties. my joys. my hope for clarity. loves. my flaws. I wrote it Smoke and mirrors: mysin hopes that someone puts terious and infuriating, but on their headphones late at also revealing and eventualnight and feel something ly satisfying. Imagine Dragwhile they listen to it.” ons’ second album captures In a world where we often these human complexities cast aside the significance and leaves with us the linof words and strive so as to gering, penetrating effects of not let ourselves be affected “Smoke + Mirrors.” by the events around us, lisBy MEREDITH HARGIS Staff Writer

Funny Imitations: (above) The new University Theatre show, “Rumors”, depicts the lives of several upper-class couples living in New York, afraid of losing their elite reputation. The cast of the show poses on the set in Xavier Hall. (below) The silly spectacle will run on Feb. 27, Feb. 28. and March 1.

By SAMANTHA SUDDUTH Staff Writer

On Feb. 20 and 21, the University Theatre debuted its newest show, “Rumors,” with shows at 8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights.

The play, written by famous American playwright Neil Simon, occurs during a dinner party for well-to-do couples in New York. Upon arrival, the first guests discover that their host is bleeding and that his wife has disappeared. In an attempt to avoid scandal, the host’s lawyer concocts an elaborate story to conceal the assumed truth. As the night progresses and more guests arrive, the evening spirals further and further out of control. A series of white lies and attempted cover-ups ultimately leads to a hysterical and absurd ending.

Each of the characters in this show seems to be a caricature of the rich, snobbish type. Tennis clubs and luxury cars are hot topics of conversation within the social group. They collect

status symbols such as designer dresses – dresses they label according to the fundraiser to which they were first worn. The characters’ inflated egos and haughty attitudes conflict humorously with the chaos of the show’s plot.

This smart, farcical comedy highlights the absurdity of attempts to keep secrets and maintain appearances.

The play’s pacing is fast and frantic, never allowing the audience to become bored.

The expertly layered plot allows it to grow in hilarity as the show progresses, and the hysterical, fast-paced dialogue bounces effortlessly from one conundrum to the next. The opening-night audience was receptive to the show’s silliness, and the cast’s performance delivered laugh after laugh.

In a production of this highly character-driven play, a good cast is essential in order to capture the story’s true essence. This play’s witty dialogue could easily fall flat if not delivered properly.

With this particular produc-

Eric Woolsey / University Theatre

tion of “Rumors,” however, faulty delivery is a non-issue.

A talented and animated cast expertly brings out the full force of Simon’s comedic dialogue.

The show will be performed again at 8 p.m. on

both Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28. There will also be a performance on Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m. Do yourself a favor and stop by. The University Theatre’s production of “Rumors” is not to be missed.

“

“

Eric Woolsey / University Theatre

Father John Misty album not meant for church While scanning through iTunes’ new releases, I noticed the new Father John Misty album, “I Love You, Honeybear,” then quickly scrolled past it. Seeing “Father” made me assume that he was a religious artist. No offense, but I was not looking for that. Later that week, one of his songs came up in my recommendations, so I decided to give it a chance.

After checking out the track list for the album, I understood how wrong my first judgment was.

The song titles alone are much too risqué to come from a religious musician.

They would also probably scare off a lot of potential listeners. However, the titles are what intrigued me. I figured that a guy using the name Father John Misty would have to be outrageously satirical – and I

was right. Two of my favorite derstanding of these stories titles are “I Went to the Store makes their vulgarity reaOne Day” and “The Night sonable. Real life is dirty, but Josh Tillman Came to Our at least Father John Misty is Apt.” They give a glimpse of able to present a humorous Father John Misty’s odd, dry approach. I actually found humor. myself laughing but sadly Aside agreeing from the with most artist name of what he [Father John and the sang. song titles, T h e Misty] tells stories the lyrics a l b u m’s of corruption in are unique. genre is The listener tough to love, friendship has to use d e t e r and all other di s c re tion mine. After because Falearning aspects of life. ther John that Father Misty is John Misty i n c re d i b l y had been in vulgar. Alfolk bands, though the lyrics are quite like Fleet Foxes, that is what lewd, they are witty and truly I expected here. He chose make the listener think. a couple different routes They aren’t like many though. Some of the songs, songs that repeat familiar like “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C ideas or phrases. These lyrfor Two Virgins),” showcase ics are telling stories. He a classic rock sound. (Think tells stories of corruption in less Led Zeppelin and more love, friendship and all other Creedence Clearwater Reaspects of life. The raw unvival.) It is peaceful and

“

“

By CELIA HALL Contributor

emotional.

Then other songs, like “True Affection,” pull techno into the album. Some songs do incorporate the anticipated folk. It is an eclectic group of tracks, but it makes sense. Father John Misty just seems to do what he feels is right.

Overall, “I Love You Honeybear” is excellent. It seems rare to find an artist as different (in a good way) as Father John Misty. His interpretations of life are dark, but accurate. The way he showcases these interpretations in each song keeps them interesting.

Even if his lyrics were not entertaining, the songs would still be nice to listen to. Both his voice and the melodies are charming. I would recommend this album to everyone except the easily offended. This music is an acquired taste, but anyone with an obscure sense of humor will definitely be pleased with it.

Courtesy of Father John Misty website

Satirical music: The cover of Father John Misty’s new album, “I Love You, Honeybear,” conveys the bizarre, yet humorous nature of his music.

6

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

OUT

X Ambassadors outshine the lights

On The

TOWn ArTs ediTOrs’ Picks

Music Milo Greene Blueberry Hill March 1, 8 p.m.

Theater Million Dollar Quarter The Fox Feb. 27 - Mar. 1

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Powell Hall Feb. 28, 8 p.m.

Alanna Pachl / Contributor

Phantom of the Opera The Fox March 4 - 15

SLU Events “Religion, Conscience, and the Public Square: Thirty Years After Cuomo’s Notre Dame Speech�

CGC Feb. 26, 6 p.m.

Stonewall: The Evolution of the LGBT Movement CGC Feb. 26, 6 p.m.

Rumors Xavier Hall Feb. 27, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. and March 1, 2 p.m.

Global and Local Social Justice Student Conference CGC Feb. 27

Saint Louis University Invitational Exhibition Cupples House Through March 31

well: Casey Harris (Sam’s brother) on keyboard, Noah Feldshuh on guitar and Adam Levin on the drums.

I couldn’t help but dance along and I was sad to see them go. Thankfully, all of the new groupies and I can look forward to their new record, which will be released sometime this year.

Following the first half of the show, Lights (born Valerie Anne Poxleitner) a Canadian artist known for her techno-pop sound, took the stage. It was fairly clear that maybe a third of the audience was there for the X Ambassadors and the other two-thirds for Lights. Lights and her band began their set to a frenzied, intoxicated and very excited crowd of screaming people.

Her first song—and I would later learn, most of her songs—exemplified a techno beat with lots of beeps.

Lights’s voice did have power and a swooping range, and she held her own in both her loud, quick songs and her softer, slower ones, but it still felt generic to me—a nasalized, breathy sound,

By NATALIE RIOPELLE Contributor

Performing for a small crowd: Sam Harris of the X Ambassadors performs at the Ready Room on Feb. 18. The band opened for Lights.

Royal cast in ‘Kingsman’

By ABBEY NORTON Staff Writer

“Kingsman: The Secret Service� is an absolute hit.

Starring newcomer Taron Egerton as Gary “Eggsy�

Unwin, this film is a mustsee.

The film was released Feb. 13, with a rating of 8.3/10 from IMDb. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the film stars Colin Firth (Harry Hart); Samuel L. Jackson (Valentine); Michael Caine (Arthur); and Sophie Cookson (Roxy). The film centers on the secret service group- “Kingsman�- and their duty to their country, England.

In particular, though, “Kingsman� shifts its focus to a former Kingsman’s son, Eggsy Unwin. Eggsy is a typical young Englishman.

He swears quite often, has a crude sense of humor and gets into trouble often.

My favorite aspect of the movie is Eggsy’s ability to attract trouble. Eggsy’s constant struggle drives the film to the very end. He engages in various fights with boys in the neighborhood, which eventually lands him in jail. Wherever he may be, trouble follows him.

However, Eggsy’s troubles led him to Harry Hart (Firth), whom later mentors and cares for Eggsy.

Harry Hart, my favorite character, is a spectacular man and spy. Not only is he incredibly cunning and intelligent, he is a generous and kind. He takes Eggsy under his wing and acts as the protagonist for most of the film. But, as usual, every protagonist has an enemy or villain. The film’s villain (Jackson) leads to Harry’s eventual downfall. Harry’s gullibility stunned me; one minute Harry is showing-o to Eggsy and easily “taking down the bad guysâ€?, and

On Wednesday, Feb.18, the Ready Room in the Grove hosted the X Ambassadors, the musician Lights and maybe 60 excited concertgoers. For those who haven’t been to the Ready Room, it’s a modest space with a full bar separated from the stage area by a partial wall. It’s perfect for more intimate shows, but still features a lighting system that could easily find a home in a big-budget venue.

Opening for Lights, the X Ambassadors, an indie rock group of four, led by singer and front man Sam Harris, started the night o with gusto. They began with some of their more bass-heavy stu, “Free and Lonely,â€? and “Love Songs Drug Songs,â€? to get the crowd hyped. Then, they seamlessly transitioned into their newer singles, like “Nakedâ€? and “Lowlife,â€? and culminated with possibly their most well known song, “Jungle,â€? which Jay-Z did a remix of last June.

I’ve got to say, I was very impressed. Harris’ voice resonated throughout the room with a raw power that immediately turned most of the room into groupies (well, that’s just an educated guess). He also contributed some rhythm guitar and some hefty saxophone solos, not to mention his impeccable falsetto. Perhaps most importantly, his energy level could’ve put a power plant to shame.

Of course, the rest of the band played excellently as

in which I couldn’t find any depth or individuality. I’d tell you what songs she sang, but I couldn’t for the life of me tell them apart; I did tap my feet and sway, but it felt more obligatory than natural.

However, she did do an impressive job of engaging the audience—even taking some on-stage selfies with the crowd with a few fans’ cellphones—and she really seemed to be enjoying herself.

Overall, I was just too distracted by the over-thetop light flashing and the momentary blindness that hit with every beam. Or perhaps, I was too bemused by the two clearly uncomfortable dudes bobbing up and down in synchronization beside me, or because I couldn’t understand a single word she sang, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

Lights and her threemember band played an hour long set before they left the stage.The night belonged clearly to the X Ambassadors and, no matter how flashy, Lights just couldn’t take that night away.

The X Ambassadors Place of origin: Ithaca, N. Y. Members: Sam Harris, Casey Harris, Noah Feldshuh, Adam Levin Peak chart position: Their EP “The Reason� reached number seven in the Heatseekers Albums chart.

Fun fact: Their song “Unconsolable� was featured in the video game “Need for Speed: Most Wanted.�

the next minute, he is easily tricked by Valentine (I won’t give away what happens- you will have to see it to find out).

The notion of how easy it is to deceive people remained a constant theme throughout the entire film and involves more than just the villain Valentine.

ÂŽ

‘Kingsman’

A-

THE GOOD Excellent cast and unexpected plot. Keeps you on your toes!

THE BAD Not comparable to the 007 films.

THE VERDICT Worth your money, will have you laughing in minutes!

Finally, the last aspect of the film that I thoroughly enjoyed was the crude humor. The humor was what really “made� the film.

It added the extra zing that made it stand out from any other spy-oriented film.

From awkward moments, to cute dogs, to Eggsy’s constant swearing and bumbling, this film will have you laughing in no time. “Kingsman: The Secret Service� is an actionpacked, humor-filled film that will leave you wishing to travel to London and be a “Kingsman�. Taron Egerton certainly made his mark in the film industry this year and hopefully, we will be seeing him again! Ultimately, I give this film a 4.5 out of 5 stars and advise others to see it; it is well-worth the time and money.

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For continued multimedia coverage of Billiken sporting events, visit unewsonline.com or follow us on Twitter @TheUNewsSports

February 26, 2015 sports@unewsonline.com Kyle Smith, Sports Editor Lexie Vasos, Assoc. Sports Editor

A-10 meet for swimming, track McCoy tops podium, twice

By VIVEK GORIJALA Staff Writer

Saint Louis University’s swimming and diving team wrapped up its season with the 2015 Atlantic-10 Conference Swimming and Diving Championships that began on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and ended on Saturday, Feb. 21.

The men’s team finished in fifth place, earning 419 points, while the women’s team finished in eighth place, with a score of 189 points.

The biggest individual accolade went to freshman Ryan McCoy, who was named the Atlantic-10 Rookie of the

Meet for finishing as the highest-scoring freshman, while winning two total gold medals. McCoy is the first Billiken to ever win the award.

Many Billikens also set school records and won A-10 records over the four-day championship meet, beginning with the very first event on the first day. The women’s 200-yard medley relay team, which was composed of Maggie Sheean, Melanie Bataglia, Morgan Peterson and JaLynn Gieseke, set a school record with a time of 1:44.08. The SLU record was good for eighth place overall in the

event.

The women continued their strong performances in the 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 7:35.93, the second-fastest time in SLU history. The team consisted of Abbey King, Alexa Gross, Mina Glenesk and Whitney Gould.

The men’s team in the 800yard freestyle relay, which consisted of McCoy, Brendan Huselman, Nick Jessee and Patrick MacArt, demolished the old school record by eight seconds, with a time of See “Swim” on Page 8

Atlantic 10 Conference

By CHAD MAXWELL Staff Writer and KYLE SMITH Sports Editor

Indoor: A crowd of runners round the curve in a long-distance event. Several Billikens placed this weekend.

Feb. 21 and 22 saw the Billiken men’s and women’s track and field teams competing in Rhode Island for the Atlantic 10’s indoor track conference meet. The women’s team placed ninth out of the 13 teams competing, with 39 points, and the men’s team placed eighth out of nine, with 29.

Despite the lackluster team performance, some individuals finished strong.

Sophomore Neal Fitzpatrick took third in the 5,000-meter race on Feb. 21 with a time of 14:49.25, in a shocking turn

of events. Fitzpatrick was projected to be on the edge of scoring in the race (seventh or eighth place); however, he was able to take advantage of a shift in the pace of the pack in which he was running.

“I felt pretty tired but I saw the chance to score and get top three, so I put the pain behind me and finished as strong as I could,” said Fitzpatrick.

Junior Albert Marban took fourth in the 1,000-meter race on Feb. 22 with a time of 2:31.35. Marban, who had qualified for the finals during a physical preliminary race

on Feb. 21, ran with his leg patched up, as he had been previously spiked.

The men’s 4x800-meter relay team placed fourth during its race at 7:49.91. The team, consisting of Marban, freshman Patrick Sheil, junior Ryan Noonan and sophomore Andrew Sloan, was able to pass Fordham after Fordham’s third and fourth leg of the relay dropped the baton during the handoff. The Billikens were able to capitalize Mark Stahl / Atlantic 10 Conference

See “Track” on Page 8

Freestyle: The swimmers reached for gold in the four-day A-10 Championship meet.

Softball 1-3 Men end four-game losing streak in Mississippi

By LAUREN TONDL Staff Writer

The weather may have caused cancellations at Western Kentucky’s Holiday Inn Hilltopper Spring Fling this past Thursday, Feb. 19, and Friday, Feb. 20, for the Billiken softball team, but it didn’t stop them from competing.

The women found an alternative tournament further south with the Jackson State Tournament in Jackson, Mississippi, and earned a win and two losses. SLU played Northwestern State, Jackson State and Belmont over the course of two days.

SLU fell early in a 4-0 loss to Northwestern State, with only four hits and dropping runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

Mackenzie Peter, Elizabeth Everingham and Emma Buckles recorded a double and two singles, respectively, but the women could not execute in the end.

However, things turned around later that afternoon as the Billikens squeaked out a 9-8 victory over host Jackson State. SLU left the Tigers in the dust with a 9-2 lead in the fourth inning.

Lindsey Friedman and Everingham had doubles in the first to propel the Bills to a 2-0 lead. Allie Macfarlane

CHEER

kept the ball rolling with her first-career homerun to make it 3-0. As a freshman, this was a big moment for Macfarlane.

“We had just lost to Northwestern State and we wanted to start the next game [Jacksonville] strong,” she said.

“We were winning 1-0 and I wanted to get on base to help the team. The ball just ended up over the fence and it was such a great feeling.”

By the end of the third, SLU had the lead, 6-2.

The fourth inning sealed the deal with three unearned runs for the Billikens, but Jackson State fought back in the end to give SLU a run for their money. The Tigers earned three runs in the fifth inning and another three in the seventh inning, making it 9-8, but Laney Kneib cut them short on the mound, despite loaded bases for the Tigers in the final inning.

The final matchup on Friday against Belmont placed the Billikens in a role-reversal.. By the fifth inning, Belmont took the lead, 6-0. The Bills attempted a rally with a home run by Everingham in the sixth (her first of the season) and another run in the seventh, but the deficit was

JEER

See “Softball” on Page 8

Michael DiMaria / Staff Photographer

Going up strong: Sophmore forward Reggie Agbeko drives to the basket against a La Salle defender. Agbeko added four points and grabbed three boards in the 68-64 overtime victory.

By LEXIE VASOS Associate Sports Editor

The men’s basketball team played La Salle in one of its last home games of the regular season, on Sunday, Feb. 22.

SLU gained an early 4-2 lead in the first, with baskets from both redshirt junior guard Ash Yacoubou and freshman guard Miles Reynolds. This was the only lead in the first half for the men’s team, as

La Salle put together an 18-5 run that gave it a 20-9 lead.

The Billikens responded with an 8-2 run of their own and pulled within 5 points of La Salle, which had a 25-19 lead going into the half.

SLU continued to make up ground in the second, coming within one basket of the Explorers four different times. Freshman guard Marcus Bartley hit a 3-pointer that cut the deficit even further,

FEAR

WHO TO CHEER: MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH The Mount Saint Joseph’s women’s basketball team chose an unusual venue for their end-of-season banquet: a hospital. This was to be with their teammate, Lauren Hill, who has inoperable brain cancer. Hill made headlines earlier this season when the NCAA granted an exemption, moving the team’s first game forward, so that Hill could fulfill her dream of playing college basketball.

and the Billikens found themselves down by only one point, 49-48. La Salle stretched the lead to 53-48, but freshman guard Davell Roby buried a trey to make it 53-51. Unfortunately, free-throw precision by the Explorers once again gave them a five-point lead.

After a 7-2 run and quick turnover, the Billikens tied the game at 56. Yacoubou took advantage of another La Salle mistake to give SLU its first

lead since early in the first, but he was unable to convert the three-point play at the foul line. La Salle was fouled on the opposite side of the court and hit both free throws to tie the game at 58. Although SLU had the opportunity to secure the win, the shot was off the mark and the game proceeded into overtime.

SLU dominated early in overtime due to Roby’s shooting performance and had gained a 63-58 lead before going cold, which allowed La Salle to pull within one point.

Roby went 1-of-1 at the freethrow line to put the Bills up by a basket. SLU took possession on the next drive after a La Salle 3-pointer was trapped between the rim and the backboard.

Having no other choice, the Explorers fouled sophomore guard Mike Crawford, sending him to the line for two shots. Crawford converted on both attempts, but a mistake foul by the Billikens led to La Salle hitting two from the line with 5.8 seconds left in the game. Crawford was fouled on the inbound pass and once again came up big for the Billikens at the line.

SLU won the game 68-64 and in turn snapped a four-game losing streak.

See “Men” on Page 8

BY KYLE SMITH, SPORTS EDITOR WHO TO JEER: LEBRON JAMES In the world of athletic sponsorship, money talks–until athletes have their say. Lebron James recently mentioned he’s improved his health habits over the years by eating less McDonald’s– before recalling that they’re a major sponsor of his. James then tried to recover, claiming he ate Mickey-D’s, “Every day. I just had it this morning. Got me a good egg and sausage McMuffin.”

WHO TO FEAR: CHICAGO BULLS’ FUTURE Losing a star athlete to injury is never a good sign, but for the Bulls, Derrick Rose’s torn meniscus might just be a death sentence. On Twitter, SportsCenter showed pessimism for Chicago’s future, pointing out that in the last four seasons, the Bulls had a .695 win percentage with Rose and a .589, without.

Stephen A. Smith says, “They’re no longer part of the championship equation.”

8

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

This week in sports Tweet of the week @JimmyButler

“my point guard. my brother.”

Scores from the week Women’s Basketball Saturday, Feb. 21 George Mason Billikens

59 82

Men’s Basketball Sunday, Feb. 22 La Salle Billikens

64 68

Wednesday, Feb. 26 Duquesne Billikens

79 66

Baseball Friday, Feb. 20 Troy Billikens

1 2

Saturday, Feb. 21 Souther Miss Billikens

1 2

Sunday, Feb. 22 North Florida Billikens

8 6

Softball Thursday, Feb. 19 Northwestern State Billikens

4 0

Jackson State Billikens

8 9

Friday Feb. 20 Belmont Billikens

6 2

Player of the week Davell Roby Basketball

SPORTS

Swim: School records broken Continued from Page 7

6:35.37, and finished third overall in the event. In addition, McCoy led the 200yard freestyle, with a time of 1:37.47, meeting an NCAA “B” cutline.

Day two continued with another impressive performance from McCoy, who finished the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:26.59, a school record time, placed third in the event.

The men’s 50-yard freestyle swimmers, Zach Billingsley and Huselman, both placed in the championship heat. Billingsley finished third with a time of 20.26 seconds, while Huselman tied for seventh with a time of 20.93 seconds.

Meanwhile, the women’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of Peterson, Olivia Garrett, Sheean, and Gieseke swam the event in a school-record time of 1:34.57, finishing in seventh place. Peterson then swam for second place in the women’s 200-yard IM with a time of 2:01.88.

SLU finished the second day of the conference championships with the men’s 200-yard freestyle team of Pat May, Billingsley, MacArt and Hulseman, whom finished in a time of 1:20.49, breaking a school record they had previously set and placed second in the event.

Day three began with SLU’s first points coming from Austin Nguyenphu, who finished fourth in the 400-yard IM with a time of 3:57.14.

Peterson continued the pointscoring trend with a sixthplace finish in the 100-yard butterfly, with a time of 55.47.

McCoy then swam for his first gold medal, in the individual 200-yard men’s freestyle, with a time of 1:37.11.

He broke the school record and met the NCAA “B” cut.

McCoy’s win in the event

marked the first time a Billiken freshman had ever won an A-10 gold medal in an individual event.

Hulseman also made the championship heat of the 200yard freestyle event, finishing seventh with a time of 1:39.20.

Stephen Hansen fell just short of a three-peat in the men’s 100-yard breaststroke, finishing third with a time of 54.96 seconds. Billingsley, in the 100-yard breaststroke, finished sixth with a time of 55.01.

May finished the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 49.91, finishing in eighth place. The men’s 400-yard medley relay squad of May, Billingsley, Hulseman and McCoy finished third, with a time of 3:16.69.

Day four began with a fifth place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke for Grant Alef, who clocked in at 1:47.61. Billingsley broke his own school record in the men’s 100-yard freestyle with a time of 44.31, good for second place. May took sixth in the same event, with a time of 45.31.

In the women’s 200-yard breaststroke, Peterson finished second and hit the NCAA “B” cutline with 2:15.43. In the men’s event, Nguyenphu touched the wall in 2:01.46, setting a SLU record by just .06 seconds.

McCoy finished fifth in the men’s 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:48.77, shattering the old school record by three seconds. McCoy SLU finished the meet with a strong performance in the men’s 400-yard freestyle relay, with the team of Billingsley, May, Hulseman and McCoy winning the event and setting a school record with a time of 2:56.99. The gold medal was McCoy’s second of the meet.

SLU will look to build on this performance next season, which will begin in late September.

Softball: Team heads to Louisiana

Saint Louis Athletics

On base: Sophomore catcher Hailey Weavers rounds the bases against Jackson State. The Billikens caught an early lead and held off a surge by the Tigers for a 9-8 win.

Continued from Page 7

too large.

Macfarlane commented on the weekend in retrospect and for the team moving forward.

“The team’s overall goal going into the weekend was to be aggressive and to come out strong to get three wins,” she said. “Overall it was unsuccessful, but it reminds us that we have a lot of improving to do and we need to work hard to be a winning team.”

Northwestern State, Jacksonville and Belmont all had their work cut out for them this season with strong schedules and talented team members, therefore all three teams were ready for the Billikens this past weekend.

“Northwestern is a solid

Track: ‘Well-positioned’ to improve in A-10 standings

Billiken Media Relations

Freshman guard Davell Roby was the leading scorer for the Billikens in the Feb. 22 game against A-10 opponent La Salle. He had a career-high-tying 16 points and made 50 percent from the field.

Roby combined with Crawford in the second half for a combined 26 points in a comeback that snapped a four-game losing streak for the Billikens and advanced their record to 11-16 overall and 3-11 in the A-10 conference. He also contributed 3 rebounds and 2 assists in the win. Roby is currently third on the Billiken roster in points per game with 9.1 and leads the team with 51 assists for the year.

Games this week , Feb. 26

, Feb. 28

, Mar. 1

, Mar. 4

Saint Louis Athletics

Outdoor: Head coach Jon Bell said he was “satisfied” with SLU’s results in the A-10 meet and expressed optimism for the outdoor season. SLU will return to the track March 20-21.

Continued from Page 7

on the mistake.

“Neal Fitzpatrick and our middle-distance runners led the way for our young men’s team. They put together some great races. We are encouraged by the talent of our team and are already looking forward to the outdoor season,” said SLU head coach Jon Bell.

On the women’s side of things, Annika Gomell placed second in the 5,000-meter race and fourth in the 3,000-meter race. Gomell earned second-team AllConference honors for her 5,000-meter performance with a time of 16:44.99. This placed her over third-place finisher Erin Osment from Davidson by less than a second, while her 3,000-meter performance was only two seconds separated from third

place.

Along with Gomell, Jessica Hoefert was also able to score for the Billikens in the 3,000-meter race with a seventh-place finish and a time of 9:58.34.

Another group of athletes that was able to score was the women’s 4x800-meter relay team. The team, consisting of senior Jamee Holmes, senior Madie Alexander, freshman Alex Groene and sophomore Lauren Anderson, took fourth in the race with a time 9:15.08, edging out the University of Massachusetts by one second.

“For our women, our seniors clearly led the way. Jessica, Annika, Isabel, Jamee, and Madie all made significant contributions to our team this weekend. It was a great way for them to end their indoor careers,” said Bell.

Off the track, senior Stephanie Urich took fourth place in the pole vault and fourth in the high jump, with jumps of 3.45 meters and 1.60 meters respectively.

“I am satisfied with our men’s and women’s results this weekend,” said Bell. “As a staff, we knew before the season started we would have challenges this season due to our youth. I feel as if we met a lot of those challenges this season and we are well-positioned to climb up the A-10 standings.”

Billikens track and field is looking forward to the future, as most competing athletes were underclassmen, who received important competitive experience, which should help the future of the program.

SLU’s runners will return to the track for the outdoor season March 20-21 for the Billiken Kickoff.

team who has played a thorough schedule so far,” Macfarlane said. “Overall, all the teams were good competition with strong pitchers.”

However, the Billiken offense looked strong, as they out-hit Belmont 11-6. Peter had three hits; Alex Nickel and Brianna Lore each had two; Friedman, Macfarlane, Peter, Nickel, and Lore all doubled; and Alyssa Tarquinio had a single.

“We have a few more nonconference tournaments coming up, but then we have our conference series in March,” Macfarlane said. “We’re continuing to play and progress to being in the A-10 Championship.”

The women were scheduled to play closer to home this weekend at the All-Mis-

souri Classic in Springfield; however, due to inclement weather this tournament has been cancelled. This is the second time this season that SLU has been forced to reschedule.

The team will instead travel to Louisiana for the Southeastern Louisiana’s Lion Classic Scramble in Hammond, La. Their first opponent will be Arkansas and will take place Friday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m.

SLU will go to face intrastate rival Southeast Missouri State immediately after at 5 p.m.

Play will continue on Saturday with two more games, one against host Southeastern Louisian at 10 a.m. and the second against Arkansas at noon.

The tournament will wrap up on Sunday with a game against UT Martin at noon.

Men: Victorious in OT Continued from Page 7

Roby and Crawford combined for 26 points in the second half and played crucial roles in the victory. Roby also tied his career-high in scoring with 16 points.

The men’s team then traveled to Pittsburgh to play Duquesne on Wednesday, Feb. 25. SLU was down 19-6 with 13:13 left in the first before going on a 27-14 run to tie the game at 33 at the 2:44 mark. The Dukes increased their lead to seven, ending the half with a score of 40-33.

Duquesne opened the second half with 15-5 run over eight minutes. The Billikens would only come within eight points of the Dukes, with 5:58 left in the game. Duquesne pulled away from the Billikens after that and SLU fell 79-66, even though the team hit five of its last six shots.

The Billikens dominated Duquesne in shooting per-

centage from the field, 61 percent to 38 percent. Freshman forward Milik Yarbrough was the leading scorer with 20 points, and freshman guard Marcus Bartley contributed 16 points and five rebounds.

Sophomore Reggie Agbeko dominated the boards with seven rebounds, and freshman center Austin Gillmann had four assists.

The Billikens return home Saturday night at 6 p.m., when they host George Mason at Chaifetz.

At the game, SLU Law Clinic will hosting a T-shirt exchange. Fans who donate a piece of clothing from another university before the game will recieve a free Billikens T-shirt, and the clothing will be distributed to the St. Louisarea homeless community and homeless veterans. In addition, participants will be entered into a drawing to shoot the Royal Banks Shot for Cash to win 500 dollars.

Michael DiMaria / Staff Photographer

Baseline: Freshman forward Miles Reynolds scored six in the win that snapped the losing streak.

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Opinions Editorials

February 26, 2015 opinion@unewsonline.com Ryan McKinley, Opinion Editor

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On Feb. 11, the House of Representatives voted 270-152 in favor of a bill to authorize the building the Keystone XL pipeline, a bill which passed in the Senate in January. The bill was then sent to President Obama, who vetoed it on Feb. 24.

In this bill, both houses of Congress acknowledged the reality of climate change; however, the condition in the bill that would have recognized human activity as culpable of exacerbating climate change was voted down in Senate before even reaching the House.

Even with a formal non-recognition of human culpability in climate change, for many this bill could be seen as a welcome departure for many Republicans in Congress who had previously denied the existence of climate change.

These stragglers to the scientific certainty of climate change encouraged us to have our own poll about who believes in climate change that has been partly a result of human activity. The good news? We’re better than Congress; the entire editorial board believes in human-influenced climate change. The less good news? We do not have much idea of what to do about it.

So we decided we would talk more about the Keystone XL pipeline and climate change more generally to hopefully inform our opinions and push us towards more action.

First, we discussed the ways in which acknowledging, and then acting on, climate change is increasingly difficult, despite its necessity. We first talked about how traditional media sources often paint this debate in an equal manner: one scientist versus a person as adamantly disbelieving of climate change as of the rock he or she lives under. Equality in this debate is a complete fabrication.

On “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” the host notes that a survey of scientific papers on climate showed that 97 percent of scientists believed that humans have caused climate change.

He illustrates this point by hosting a “statistically representative climate change debate,” which pitted three climate change deniers against 97 scientists.

Even if one gets to the point that humans have caused climate change, which we all have, there is still the question about what to do to correct it. The difficulty arises because people are now delving into political and economic issues rather than purely factual ones.

Often, the U.S. blames developing countries for their extensive use of coal to fuel their own emerging industrialization.

While it is important that countries who are using more clean energy to advocate others to do so, we deemed it a little hypocritical for the U.S. to tell countries they can’t do something when the U.S. was doing those same things fewer than 100 years ago.

Some have heard about Peabody Energy blocking ballot initiatives for state tax incentives through Mayor Slay’s office.

Other editors pointed to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, who released his patent on his electric car, a tactic that other car manufacturers are not pleased about. However, the vast majority have not heard about many of these examples. The political knowledge, and the subsequent will to change the status quo, simply do not exist in many places at this point.

The other difficulty is a little bit of laziness regarding personal consumption of resources. One editor shared a story about how nobody wants to use public transportation despite supporting initiatives promoting public transportation.

Acknowledging human-induced climate change should be easy. What is more difficult are the next steps. At the moment, it seems most of us are more willing to talk about the problems than seriously do anything about it. What will change that calculus?

Selecting Stewart’s successor Several of us on the editorial board, and likely many of our readers, have been devastated in recent months by the announcements of two important departures: Stephen Colbert from “The Colbert Report” and Jon Stewart from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” “The Colbert Report” has officially ended its run, as of December 2014, but “The Daily Show” has not yet announced a date of departure for Jon Stewart, saying only that his tenure will end during 2015.

Colbert, recently rocking a delightfully overgrown beard, will be taking over for David Letterman on CBS’ “Late Show,” while Stewart has not yet announced any future plans.

Each of their departures leaves a massive hole to fill for their respective time slots. Relatively quickly, Larry Wilmore, formerly the “Senior Black Correspondent” on “The Daily Show” replaced Colbert’s Comedy Central timeslot with the newly titled “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.”

Stewart’s replacement has not yet been decided, which caused us to debate who we would like to see take his place, or if we even want the show to continue

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without him.

To many fans, Jessica Williams, a correspondent on Stewart’s show, quickly emerged as an option to replace Stewart.

Unfortunately for her supporters, Williams threw water on that rumor with a series of tweets, saying: “I am extremely under-qualified for the job.” While some thought that she was underestimating herself, we believe it is safe to assume that she knows what she is talking about.

We discussed the potential of a woman taking the place that Stewart has left and many of us feel that it’s about time a woman gets a late-night show, slots that have been almost exclusively reserved for white men.

Some initial names thrown out were Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer, all of whom could be good fits. Samantha Bee could also very well be in the running, as the longest-tenured correspondent of “The Daily Show”; she debuted in July 2003.

We discussed that Poehler, Fey and Rudolph seem to be part of the older guard – although Fey, the oldest of the three, is only 44 – and are already so

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Quote of the Week

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Dr. Stefan Bradley, Professor of African American Studies, Page 3

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A talented and animated cast expertly brings out the full force of [Neil] Simon’s comedic dialogue [in “Rumors”]

Samantha Sudduth, Contributor, Page 5

established that it would be unlikely for Comedy Central to choose one of them to host “The Daily Show.” Indeed, Comedy Central seems to pick up-and-comers more often than already established stars. Schumer and Silverman could be chosen, as we argued that they are less established on television, though both either have or had shows on Comedy Central.

We believe that a woman should not be chosen as the new host for the sake of political correctness, but Comedy Central should acknowledge the wealth of female comedic talent right now and consider it while choosing a successor.

We finally discussed the legacy of the shows. We considered that Fox News may not be as laughable to such a wide audience if not for these two leaders, but do we need someone like that anymore?

John Oliver has carved out a niche for himself with “Last Week Tonight.”

Perhaps we need someone to forge a different path than what “The Daily Show” has provided so far. Maybe that new path will include Amy Poehler or Amy Schumer; we’re excited to find out, regardless.

The team’s overall goal going into the weekend was to be aggressive and to come out strong to get three wins.

Allie MacFarlane, Freshman Softball Player, Page 8

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The things that get our attention these days are, sadly, obscenity and evil.

Paul Brunkhorst, Associate News Editor, Page 10

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”

It just shows the power of youth, though … If you were to base it on the older generation, then things might have stayed the same for another fifty years, but these young people really pushed the issue, and that’s the saving grace of the nation.

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Climate change: What next?

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Jessica Park / Chief Illustrator

Correction: On Page 3 of last week’s SGA rundown, we incorrectly flipped the answers made by VP for Diversity and Social Justice candidates Emily Bley and Kala Chinnaswamy.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2015

OPINION & EDITORIALS

Pestello continues legacy of courage As Yogi Berra, that great St. Louis baseball legend from The Hill would say, “It’s like déjà vu all over a g a i n .”

The rec e n t outrage over the Clock To w e r Accords, which Kenneth Parker Presid e n t Fred Pestello agreed to in October 2014, is nothing new for Saint Louis University. Time and time again, this university community has found itself at the nexus of change in this city’s checkered history in race relations.

71 years ago, on Feb. 11, 1944, St. Louis newspapers reported shocking news: a Jesuit priest called for the integration of Saint Louis University. One reporter observed, “Startled students of St. Louis University at the regular students’ Mass heard Rev. Claude Herman Heithaus, S.J., make an impassioned plea yesterday for them to rid themselves of race prejudice and make a pledge ‘never again to have any part’ in the wrongs white men have done to Negroes.”

Fr. Heithaus began his homily with a statement that reads as a diagnosis of a social ill that is as real today as it was in 1944: “It is a surprising and rather bewildering fact, that in what concerns justice for the

Negro, the Mohammedans [Muslims] and the atheists are more Christ-like than many Christians. The followers of Mohammed and of Lenin make no distinction of color; but to some followers of Christ, the color of a man’s skin makes all the difference in the world.”

In 1944, racial segregation in public institutions of education was mandated by law in the state of Missouri.

Popular – albeit erroneous – belief held that private institutions, such as SLU, were also legally barred from attempting integration. Tensions surrounding the issue could run high.

The previous year, as reported in the AfricanAmerican newspaper, The Chicago Defender, a protest against segregation at Washington University, involving around 500 students, had been dispersed “and ringleaders expelled.” The day of Fr. Heithaus’ homily, SLU President, Rev. Patrick J. Holloran, S.J., observed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “I’m surprised Father Heithaus spoke publically on his personal opinion in the matter at this time.”

After 71 years – as a region and even a SLU community – we continue to be challenged by racial attitudes Fr. Heihaus sought to confront, and fail to respond with compassion to the needs of those who have been, and continue to feel, marginalized in our society.

That is why, since February 2013, Saint Louis University’s Campus Ministry

has sponsored an annual reenactment of Fr. Heithaus’ homily at the Sunday evening Mass near the anniversary of his historic challenge to our university community.

Saint Louis University has the “distinction” of being the first historically white university in a former slaveholding state to admit African-American students – a total of five – in the summer of 1944.

Some considered that decision a capitulation to agitators and an invasion of our (all-white) campus. The students’ arrival on campus was the beginning of a process of claiming a crucial part of our mission as a Catholic, Jesuit university. But it was only a beginning.

In truth, Saint Louis University cannot boast of that moment in our past. We must bear the shame of not having lived out the gospelimperative, found in Matthew 25, since our founding in 1818. Yet we continue to struggle toward becoming what we aspire to be: a university “dedicated to leadership in the continuing quest for understanding of God’s creation and for the discovery, dissemination and integration of the values, knowledge and skills required to transform society in the spirit of the Gospels.”

It was a remarkable moment in SLU’s history when, just weeks after becoming the first lay president of Saint Louis University, Fred Pestello had the courage to live out that Catholic, Jesuit mission, and provide a

space at Clock Tower Plaza for peaceful students and concerned members of our wider community to spend several days reflecting on the reasons for racial tensions in our region, and to explore how this university could be part of much needed solutions. As the first lay person to be entrusted by the Society of Jesus with the apostolic work at Saint Louis University, President Pestello acted with compassion in a time of crisis and lived up to the gospel ideals we aspire to embody as a university community.

I am grateful for President Pestello’s leadership. I stand with him because his visionary leadership looks toward a future in which we live our mission more truly.

My hope is that in the future, others will look back at this time and take courage from his resolve, when they face the ongoing struggle to live out Fr. Heithaus’ prayer: “never again to have any part in [racially prejudiced acts], and to do everything in our power to prevent them.”

Perhaps in those times they will feel a connection with SLU’s ongoing struggle against racial prejudice and be inspired by the actions of people like Fr. Heithaus and Dr. Pestello. I hope they can say of the righteous actions of their leaders, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”

Portions of this article have been cut due to space concerns. For the full article, visit www.unewsonline.com/ category/oped/

Americans and war

Cpl. Damien Gutierrez / Wikimedia Commons

Selling War: Navy Seal Sniper Chris Kyle signs a copy of his book, “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History,” for a soldier at Camp Pendleton, in California.

Except for a few details Jesse Ventura, recently won regarding the author’s own a defamation lawsuit against life, all incidents, names, and the Kyle estate). Kyle was uncharacters are imaginary,”) it deniably a good soldier – the is clear that O’Brien uses his military confirmed him as fiction-writing talents to asAmerica’s most deadly snipsert the truth - that war, in er – but what does it mean all its flavors, is evil. that his story, the complete This being said, why does truthfulness of which is it seem that people are obcoming under question (see sessed with the glorificathe Ventura case), has made tion of war? Video games, so much money at the theTV shows, movies: Ameriaters? Is this not a glorificacan culture is tion of fascinated by war? Are the grotesque members and gruesome, of Amerieven though can speIt is clear that those who cial opO’Brien uses have actually erations experienced forces such terrible not supwriting talents things, such as posed to O’Brien, conbe quiet, to assert the stantly warn us unsung of their evils. heroes?

Today, this A l l American faskilling – cination with even that war can best in war, be exemplijustif ie d fied in the sucunder the cess of the movie “American American flag – is a tragSniper,” which, according to edy. If killing and war have the website boxofficemojo. to happen, then we should com, has grossed well over work to vanquish them and $300,000,000 domestically, establish peace, not condone as of Feb. 20. them with popcorn and soft I saw the movie, and the drinks. Kyle fought for this story of Chris Kyle intrigues country and deserves its reme (mostly, admittedly, bespect, but war is not somecause I am a Minnesotan, thing to be sensationalized, and our former governor, made into entertainment

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I recently finished Tim O’Brien’s novel “Tomcat in Love,” which, like his other books, has – at least as an undertone – elements of the Vietnam War driving the main p l o t .

O’Brien Paul Brunkhorst h i m s e l f is a Vietnam veteran, and his stories, it could be argued, have helped him cope with the horrors he experienced as a soldier. Indeed, in “Tomcat in Love,” the main character, Thomas, has to deal with mental instability years after leaving the war. As a soldier, he called in an airstrike on his own men, and he has to deal with the psychological effects of this action – for which he has never been punished (besides the fact that his wife leaves him and is somewhat crazy herself; it’s a complicated story).

O’Brien is a brutally honest writer. Although most of his books begin with a disclaimer (for example, “The Things They Carried” starts: “This is a work of fiction.

and celebrated.

In the book “The Things They Carried,” O’Brien writes, “A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always done. If a story feels moral, do not believe it. If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made a victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude. There is no virtue. As a first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil.”

The things that get our attention these days are, sadly, obscenity and evil. America, perhaps to justify its military practices, props up war onto a pedestal of nobility. Yes, war can be a last resort necessity – to save people, to end tyranny, to liberate minority groups.

But all wars, even those with justifiable ends, are ugly and obscene. Let’s fight wars quietly, respecting the men and women who die to protect our freedom, but keep war’s glorified form out of the movie theaters.

The forgotten St. Louis During my two and a half by creating educational opyears at Saint Louis Univerportunities for myself both sity, as an American studies inside and outside of the and soclassroom. I began walking ciology the streets that I studied in double classrooms and learning the m a j o r, names and remembering the I have faces of the people that make spent up the statistics and demohours graphics in my textbooks. I reading wanted to be an agent of soabout, cial change in St. Louis, and listenI thought that the best way ing to to do this was to humanize lectures the theories I learned and Sarah Nash on and the research I did by being studypresent to the people and the ing the many different politiplaces that I studied. Howevcal, social and economic facer, like the rest of St. Louis, tors that have contributed to I washed my hands clean of the formation of what some East St. Louis. scholars call the “two St. That was until five weeks Louises.” ago when I exited I-64 in East The striking disparities St. Louis for the first time. between North and South Fear was still there, but this City are quickly apparent time, it was different, and the moment one looks at immediately, I recognized St. Louis’ demographics or it. I feared having to face my walks just a few blocks north own failure, my own inabilof our inner-city campus. ity to put into practice what I Neighborhoods are segrereally and truly believed begated; school districts are cause of my own prejudices. unaccredited; urban “renewAs I started spending days al” projects and weeks are displacinterning at ing predoma family ceninantly lowter in East income, St. Louis, m i n o r I came to East St. Louis ity residents; realize that has ... a history and the East St. criminal Louis is a that requires [in]justice real place, thoughtful system diswith real proportionpeople and contemplation ately tarreal stories and analysis. gets young to be shared. women and I also came men of colto realize or. There are that East St. most defiLouis is one nitely two of the most distinct St. Louises. stigmatized and ignored citBut what about East St. ies in the United States.

Louis?

East St. Louis has a hisIf the proverbial “SLU tory: a history of racism, bubble” exists to discourage corrupted politics, deinSLU students from wanderdustrialization and white ing north, there seems to flight; a history that requires be a “St. Louis bubble” that thoughtful contemplation exists to deter people from and analysis. In mainstream crossing the Mississippi. and academic discourse, Even though I was not East St. Louis is, at best, a aware of East St. Louis until dangerous place that needs I moved to St. Louis in 2012, immediately assistance, and, I quickly learned from my at worst, does not exist. peers, my professors and St. As “men and women for Louis natives that I should and with others,” it is imdo everything in my power perative that we recognize to stay on the Missouri side and value the inherent huof the river. man dignity of each and evAnd I did. ery human person. We fail to For two and a half years, do this when we dehumanthe extent of my contact with ize and stigmatize East St. East St. Louis was driving on Louis.

I-64 to and from my homeIt is a community of peotown of Louisville, Kentucky. ple, people who have been I kept my windows rolled up silenced, who want to be and eyes on the road, refusheard, and people who have ing to look at the city I was been invisible, who want to driving through. I was fearbe seen. ful of something, but of East St. Louis is St. Louis, what? I was driving in my and it’s time that we as Bilcar, on a highway, with the likens act as such instead of windows rolled up and the falling into easy patterns of doors locked. Yet I couldn’t othering and exclusion. So force myself to even look to look out your window when my left or right as the Gateyou drive on I-64; read about way Arch disappeared in my the history of East St. Louis; rearview mirror. be present to the people who I tried to convince myself call it home; and, most imthat I was doing enough; that portantly, use these experiI was fully integrating my acences to become an agent ademic studies with my pasof social change to eliminate sion for urban social justice divisions with our city.

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Wikimedia Commons

Remembering the East: In New York City, in 1917, children protested against the violence against African-Americans in the East St. Louis Riot.

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