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Incoming
President Edward Feser inherits a complex situation, with budget concerns and enrollment uncertainty
Saint Louis University’s Board of Trustees elected
Dr. Edward J. Feser as the 34th university president, an experienced higher education administrator who will take office on July 1, 2025.
Feser comes to SLU as the second non-Jesuit president in the university’s 207-year history, after his forerunner Dr. Fred Pestello’s decade-long tenure. His campus visit in January sparked conversations and comparisons with his predecessors across campus.
“What I’m hoping for is that we will see an increased presence, and then a return to that very visible and accessible university president. That’s what marked the earlier years of President Pestello’s tenure,” Ruben Rosario-Rodriguez said, SLU Faculty Council and Assembly Leadership representative for the College of Arts and Sciences.
A Roman-catholic, Jesuit educated and experienced administrator, Feser comes to St. Louis after an impressive eight years as provost at Oregon State University (OSU). Feser was also an accomplished academic before transitioning to administration, serving as the department leader of urban and regional planning and Dean of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Feser comes to SLU after an extensive search process
As provost of OSU, Feser helped combat some of the public university’s enrollment challenges, an issue SLU and many other universities face.
His leadership saw growing enrollment, increased student diversity, progressive budget policy reform and the oversight of a $213 million Collaborative Innovation Complex that will support the technology industry in Oregon.
Feser inherits a complex situation at SLU, with budget concerns, enrollment uncertainty and ongoing graduate student union negotiations.
After a large decrease in international student enrollment, SLU has been facing a $20 million budget deficit since the start of the 2024-25 academic year, which has forced all divisions to cut spending by 4%. A university-wide hiring freeze was implemented and scheduled faculty raises were delayed. After 130 open positions were eliminated and 23 staff were laid off last October, anxiety has been spreading among some professors and other faculty.
“He’s going to be a university president who, rather than letting his vision guide our spending priorities – we’ve already set the spending priorities – which are mostly cuts,” Rosario-Rodriguez said. “This could be a great opportunity for some real visionary leadership.
Jack Cipfl, Assistant News Editor
years. At the moment, people are kind of in shock (about the budget).”
Eileen Schaub, a teaching assistant for introductory biology and ecology labs and member of the graduate student workers union, expressed a similar view. She said that the achievements of the past administration under
Pestello should be a reference for the expectations under Feser. Graduate student workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionizing in Nov. 2024, establishing the
ReadmoreonA2,Feser
Kaia Monaco, OpinionEditor
Restoring the country to its “previous greatness,” purging the nation of those who undermine its “traditional values” and encouraging discrimination and hate speech — all tenets of both fascism and President Donald Trump’s current agenda.
The overlaps are concerning, but a movement so antithetical to democracy could not possibly happen here in the United States, could it? It already is.
I once believed that fascist takeovers were inherently violent and blatantly obvious. While, typically, these takeovers do involve violence, they are not always obvious. They arise subtly, through existing political systems, and are only noticed once it is too late.
This happens because fascist dictators are experts in appealing to the common man. They emerge at a time when the people are deeply dissatisfied with their weak, unstable and broken country. Two of the most wellknown fascist dictators of all time — Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler — capitalized on this dissatisfaction, making it the center of their campaigns.
Mussolini recognized the economic disparity overtaking Italy as a result of World War I and promised to fix it. Hitler saw how angry the German people were with the government for their handling of the war and assured them he could be the leader they needed.
Romanticizing the past and promising to make the country great again is a common tactic used by fascists. They claim they are the only person who can save the rapidly declining nation. This decline is attributed to new ideas and certain groups, making the already privileged believe they are now the victim.
In the 1930s, Hitler reduced the new forces overtaking Europe — capitalism and communism — to nothing but “Jewish conspiracies” and scapegoated the Jewish people as the root of all the problems Germany was facing. The Christians then believed they were victims of the Jews.
As an American, this strategy of campaigning on people’s dissatisfaction, claiming you are the only one who can fix it, and otherizing certain minority groups feels all too familiar. This is exactly how Trump gained his following. I hesitate to outright call him a fascist, as that is a dangerous word to throw around, but he has shown fascist tendencies. Trump is reaching the height of his popularity at a time when the U.S.’ economy has been down and bigotry is up.
Hatred toward nearly every minority group has been running rampant. Trump and his administration have labeled the LGBTQ+ community as “dangerous to children,” Muslims have been branded as “terrorists” and Latino immigrants “criminals.” This has effectively duped the white, straight Christians into believing they are victims.
Should I stay or should I go?
CommuterssaytheyareatriskwhenSLUremains openduringwinterweatheradvisories.
pose are health hazards such as frostbite and hypothermia; driving hazards such as reduced reaction time and car battery/engine failure; and public transportation delays, cancellations and more.
Caitlyn Borst, a junior commuter student said she struggled with the decision to stay home or commute when she woke up to
ForICEit’sLatinehuntingseason
Gabriel Olmiro de Castilhos, Contributor
Bad Bunny released his sixth solo studio album, titled “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” on Jan. 5, which translates to “I should have taken more pictures.” On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump took office and launched a federal effort aiming to track, arrest and ultimately deport immigrants without legal status.
These two occurrences create a visual dichotomy in the United States and all of Latin America. The Boricua artist displays pride in his culture and his Latinidad and asserts to everyone that he remembers people who were assassinated in Puerto Rico for displaying the Puerto Rican flag, but despite that, or even because of that, he carries his flag wherever he goes. On the other side of this prideful stance, the president of the country with the largest army in the world, the largest economy and the most influential culture worldwide, worsens the treatment of Latine immigrants in the U.S.
Currently, according to a College Factual report, Saint Louis University’s Latine population is under 800 students, representing around 6.1% of the total student population. By Feb. 5, Trump’s administration had deported over 4,700 people, which means that at this rate, statistically, it is certain that at least one SLU student will be deported by the end of the year. It would not be the first time SLU students are affected by immigration laws not being applied constitutionally, as written by The University News (Graduate Students bound for SLU Denied Entry, Barred for Five Years).
It would be one thing to have this discussion if Trump’s administration were exclusively targeting people with convictions, but there have been multiple reports that this is not the case. Illegal immigrants without any convictions, undocumented immigrants who were going to work and were surprised by a task force from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest them, and immigrants and refugees with lawful permission to stay in the country, all have had reports of arrests and deportations.
There are also alarming reports of Trump’s administration requesting daily arrest quotas of 1,500 arrests for ICE agents. This has led to the arrest of documented immigrants who were completing their duty and reporting their lawful documentation and permissions to ICE stations, despite their papers being in order. Families are being separated, kids are being left without parents, studies are being interrupted, as well as dreams of a better future.
Bad Bunny’s lyrics in “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” did not shy away from criticizing the controversial ways in which the U.S. has conducted its affairs in their annexed territory. Although starting the album by praising the city of New York with the song “NUEVAYoL,” later in the record he starts creeping towards his main point. At first, with “TURiSTA” he draws a parallel between a toxic relationship in which someone does not care
Americans have been deeply divided and dissatisfied, so Trump painted himself as the only person who could save them by ending inflation, enacting mass Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Land of the free or land of the fascist?
Owen Herdrick, Arts & Life Editor
St. Louis is, if absolutely nothing else, a sports town.
St. Louis Blues and St. Louis City merchandise fill the city even when either sport is in the offseason. Busch Stadium is one of the first things seen when driving across the Mississippi River into the city. No thrift store is complete without a surplus of St. Louis Rams jerseys donated with resentment that practically radiates off the rack. So, then, where is the love for the sport that has been around since the country’s founding? That is, of course, good old American boxing.
A reignited love for boxing is exactly what USA Boxing and matchmaker/promoter Earl McWilliams hopes to bring back to St. Louis with Uptown Saturday Night Fights (USNF). The most recent event, the 8th in the series, occurred on Jan. 25.
“Amateur boxing used to be glamourized,” McWilliams said. “The Golden Gloves used to be held at the Checkerdome, which held 20,000 fans; I want to help try to bring it back to that peak level.”
While good seats at St. Louis’ professional sports events can cost a pretty penny, USNF provides a cheaper and much more intimate experience, albeit at the cost of an amateur talent pool. Every ticket, starting at $20 a pop, has a good seat with a direct view of the action.
One can expect to watch over a dozen fights, (around 16-18), ranging wildly in gender, weight and age. In their last event, fights ranged from the 60 lb mark (a children’s bout to open up the evening) all the way up to a 203+ heavyweight main event.
What these fighters lack in professional talent, they make up for raw passion and energy. Many open their matches full-steam-ahead. While one could imagine their tank would subsequently run out of gas, they often treat each round with this degree of intensity, exerting every ounce of power they have.
Attendees will also save a significant amount on concessions, as USNF does not follow the big-venue obsession with ridiculous markups. Their menu features $3 hot dogs, $5 nachos and a $12 chicken dinner with wings and fries.
For the cost of what one could easily pay for parking and a water bottle at a Cardinals game, USNF provides a few solid hours of entertainment bursting with energy and passion from the crowd. Uppercuts are met with loud cheers from one corner and viscous “constructive criticism” from the corner on the receiving end of the abrasive hit.
Every fight looks entirely different, with the heavyweights delivering powerful strikes while their lighter weight contemporaries dance around the ring placing more methodical hits. With a pool of talent as large as this, the viewer is also almost guaranteed a range of fights from a razor thin talent disparity to an outright stomping, no matter which kind they prefer.
USNF’s next event is scheduled for April 19 and promises to be an enjoyable evening for those looking for a change of pace from St. Louis’ usual sports scene.
“It’s gonna be the best show I’ve ever done,” McWilliams said.
the difficult decision to come to class or stay home for their safety. Some students like Borst also had to weigh their options of taking a loss in attendance points or risking their safety to get to class.
“As someone who holds a high academic standard, this question can be very challenging to answer and leaves me with a headache,” said Borst. “I believe some of my professors may think that I’m using the weather as an excuse to get out of class, but that simply isn’t true and frustrates me.”
On Tuesday, students also took to YikYak, the anonymous discussion threads app, to post their grievances about the university not closing.
One user parodied SLU’s motto by saying “‘Caring for the whole person’ while my whole person is pushing cars out of the snow right now.”
Some users posted similar messages throwing SLU’s “serving the greater good” back at the university. Others complained about the university’s and specific professors’ attendance policies.
“When this happens, I feel a lot of pressure in needing to attend,” said Borst.
Missouri Department of Transportation officials urged St. Louis drivers to get home early and stay off of the roads.
Another user wrote, “This is f**king unbelievable. I commute roughly 40 minutes. The highways are terrible, side roads even worse. I made it… but I still had several close calls. Just unacceptable.”
Junior Brady Loehr had a similar experience from his Tuesday morning commute.
“As soon as I get into the city, the quality of the roads decreases tremendously as they are slippery and unsafe,” said Loehr.
Chuck Graves, an earth and atmospheric science professor, said last October that the biggest flaw in SLU’s weather preparations is pre-event planning. He said there is not enough communication between the department of public safety and students before severe weather strikes.
“SLU is reactive rather than proactive,” Graves said. “The most important piece is an established line of communication. But since we are getting a lot more impactful weather events, the need to communicate that to faculty, staff and students becomes essential.”
A user asked on YikYak “Why is the office of the Dean of Students closed, but we still have class?”
To confirm this, The University News called the office, and no one picked up.
Loehr shared some of his thoughts about how SLU can do better in times of inclement weather.
“I would like to see a bit more consideration when it comes to the thousands of students that commute every day,” Loehr said. “Especially since I know there are people who have it a lot worse than me.”
Borst shared a similar sentiment saying “SLU could help commuters by implementing a plan where if conditions are favorable for hazardous weather, they can have a campus-wide virtual learning day.”
This would keep anyone who travels to campus safe from dangerous roads and allow for learning to continue, Borst said.
Additional snowfall hit the St. Louis region late Tuesday night and early morning Wednesday with no communication from the university about class cancellations for Wednesday.
Continued from A1 Feser
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Graduate Workers of Saint Louis University UnionUAW. The United Auto Workers-backed effort represents over 500 graduate workers on SLU’s campus.
“They did increase our stipends with a three-year plan, and that’s great. But we are still well below the living wage for St. Louis. What’s very important for us is to make sure that we are able to meet the changing cost of living, so we are only stressed about research,” Schaub said.
Regardless of the many challenges the institution faces, Schaub said the board’s announcement of Feser sparked a sense of hope for her and others in the graduate student workers union.
“We are very much looking forward to working with the new administration. We’re hopeful that we can have a process that is fair to all parties and have an outcome that is fair,” Schaub said.
Student reactions have been mixed, with many not having an opinion or enough information to make one. In a University News Instagram poll conducted in January with over 150 responses, 40% of respondents had ‘no opinion’ on the incoming president and 35% had ‘mixed feelings.’ Just 12% said they felt negatively.
Arulanandam said from her view, Feser’s campus visit on Jan 13- 14. was met with enthusiasm from the student body.
Feser and his wife Kathy met with students and faculty from both North and South campuses, and hosted events at the medical and law schools.
“I think people are just really excited,” Arulanandam said. “Everyone I’ve interacted with that got to meet him and his wife have had positive things to say.”
Arulanandam and several other members of SGA’s executive board also had lunch with Feser in Grand Dining Hall during his visit. She said they discussed issues important to SLU students including diversity, disability services, academic resources and campus activism. Arulanandam said that she was impressed by his attention and questions. Legacy of SLU’s past presidents
Feser’s announcement also sparked comparisons with the president’s that he will succeed. His tenure comes after those of two distinct and very different university presidents, Father Lawerance Biondi and Pestello.
Biondi’s tenure saw great advances in funding and spending but was also marked by controversy. Biondi’s unpopular support of Vice President of Academic Affairs Manoj Patankar, his aggressive leadership style and his questionable faculty-evaluation policies sparked multiple votes of no-confidence in the faculty senate, and ultimately led to his resignation and retirement in 2013.
Pestello succeeded Biondi in 2014 and brought a much different vision to SLU. Pestello oversaw large advancements in research, including achieving the coveted R1 status in January 2025, assisting in a $550 million partnership with SSM Health and helping establish the Taylor Geospatial Institute. Under Pestello’s leadership, SLU saw historic levels of fundraising and alumni donations.
His peaceful handling of the six-day-long student protest in 2014 and the resulting Clock Tower Accords
SLU public health majors and faculty are worried about U.S. health under Trump administration
Students and professors at Saint Louis University’s Doisy College of Public Health and Social Justice say they fear that U.S. Secretary of Health and Humanitarian Services Robert F Kennedy Jr. will negatively change the public health landscape in the coming years.
RFK Jr. is infamous for his unconventional stances on various health policies, including on vaccines and the existence of the Food and Drug Administration. His beliefs are controversial, with some health professionals labeling them as conspiracy theories because they push dangerous rhetoric and challenge well-researched health regulations. RFK Jr. has also been known for his peculiar persona, with everything from his gravelly voice to the worm that used to live in his brain.
After RFK Jr. was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 13, Brian Mander, a sophomore studying public health, said he was in disbelief. It seems like an almost satirical nomination, he said.
“It doesn’t feel real looking at the announcement… All the jokes made me think it could never happen,” Mander said.
Initially an independent presidential candidate, RFK Jr. dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in August following a slew of controversies, including his opposition to vaccines. He then endorsed President Donald Trump.
RFK Jr. started an anti-vaccine group, Children’s Health Defense, which gained major traction during the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed hesitancy about routine vaccinations, specifically ones that target diseases like influenza and Hepatitis B. This stance caused him to lose traction among some independents until he backtracked and stated that he wouldn’t ban vaccines, but would make them optional.
Abolishing the FDA is also on RFK Jr. to-do list. The regulatory agency, RFK Jr. claims, has been under the
Aditya Gunturu, Senior Writer control of Big Pharma and other large corporations, a situation he said he wants to rectify.
In addition, he is in charge of agencies that run important programs like Medicare, Medicaid and healthcare research. With his plans to reduce these groups’ power and reach, funding and job security will be at risk.
That worries public health professionals across the country like Keon Gilbert, a professor who teaches health equity in the Doisy College. Gilbert said he is concerned about RFK Jr. leading the top U.S. public health office, saying he might not be the right man for the job.
“I think that he’s just sort of another example of one of those folks who could be the wrong messenger for public health in a lot of different ways,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said that RFK Jr. will have a lot of power in his new role and the potential to make widely influential decisions.
“That’s always a dangerous position because of the microphones of people like the president, the surgeon general… They’re a lot bigger than your local health department,” Gilbert said.
In a state like Missouri, which ranked 38th out of 50 in the Commonwealth Fund’s healthcare standards, these changes could be even more harmful.
Spring Schmidt, executive director of the Missouri Public Health Institute (MOPHI), said some of Missouri’s public health systems are already struggling, which is shown by the increasing disparities in health outcomes between white and Black Missourians.
RFK Jr.’s sweeping changes could prove to have lasting consequences on the public health landscape in Missouri, Schmidt said. Federal public health agencies with offices in St. Louis like the CDC and the National Prevention Information Network could also see layoffs and budget cuts.
“Many in our state rely on these organizations, including ours, for help and education… We could be losing a lot of that in the next few years,” Schmidt said. Health Management graduate student Chandra Reddy said he also feels apprehensive of the new administration.
“My friends and I were shocked to see him in the senate hearings,” Reddy said. “His confirmation is unreal.”
While Reddy already has a job lined up, he feels empathy for his fellow public health classmates who are unsure of the future landscape of this field. A common consensus within the Doisy College is a feeling of uncertainty, which is amplified by other decisions from the new presidential administration.
“A lot of my friends don’t graduate until 2026… Who knows how many changes [RFK Jr.] could make before that?” Reddy said.
Some students are also worried about securing jobs in the field after graduation.
“Graduating now is just plagued by a fearful future,” said senior public health student Jessica Bouman. “[RFK Jr.] doesn’t seem at all qualified for the job.”
For students feeling nervous about the future, Schmidt said she encourages them to focus on the present.
“It’s gonna take a while for these seismic shifts to show up… I’m focusing on what I have control over,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt also said that despite the uncertainty, she believes there will be a future for graduating public health students.
“You need to look at what will always be needed,” Schmidt said. “There will always be a need for infectious disease specialists, community health managers… what’s important is seeing where people are needed.”
Three SLU Indian dance teams compete in national circuits with unprecedented success
For the first time, three Indian dance style teams at Saint Louis University are competing on multiple national circuits at the same time.
Though the teams, Omkara, Raas and Shakti, have been on campus for more than 10 years, circumstances like lack of members or funding have consistently kept them from performing nationally. Until now.
The groups are also connected on campus, with teams normally performing at the same events at SLU and supporting each other at their competitions and showcases.
“Whenever one of the teams has a showcase or performance on campus, we’ll all go as a team… To show our support,” Shakti captain Suman Behera said.
“Whenever one of us wins, it feels like a win for all of us.”
Shakti has consistently been successful in their circuits, regularly making podium appearances, but the same amount of success hasn’t been achieved by the other two teams until this year.
SLU Raas is the university’s premier competitive raas team, dancing in the traditional Northern Indian styles of garba and raas. Following a rebuilding season without competing last year, the team recently had their second competition of the semester, competing in the U.S.’s largest collegiate raas circuit, Raas All Stars.
“We kind of focused more on rebuilding the team, and I think it made us stronger… We have a good mix of more experienced dancers and new members now,” junior Vrushi Patel said, one of the team’s captains.
Their set this year follows the story of Spiderman as he battles against his archnemesis, the Green Goblin and saves passersby from runaway cars. The entire performance runs around seven minutes with multiple segments including one for women and another for men. The performance also incorporates different dance styles, like garba, which uses long sticks of wood called dandiyas.
Sophomore Aasvi Patel said the set this year is a powerful combination of modern and traditional dance elements. Having joined the team last year, this is the first time she has performed this type of elaborate dance competitively.
“I feel like it’s really interesting because it’s not completely Gujarati and we add elements of our theme… It’s how we combine our identities together,” Aasvi Patel said.
The team was excited to be back competing after a year away, with captain Diya Patel saying SLU Raas feels stronger than ever after their recent competition at UNC Chapel Hill.
“It honestly felt amazing, just dancing on stage… You just have like an energy and adrenaline where everything just feels great,” Diya Patel said.
SLU hosted its annual raas competition called Gateway to Raas on Feb. 15. The competition saw university teams from around the country coming to St. Louis to compete against each other. The teams were graded on execution, artistic elements and choreography, with Virginia Tech’s Dhamaal taking first place at the end of the night.
Each Indian dance team is part of competitive circuits where they apply to different competitions and score points based on their performances. The teams that end their season with the most points will compete in group finals with the hopes of leaving with gold. Each team follows this process but focuses on a very different dance and format.
Omkara is another Indian dance team at SLU that focuses on dance in Indian classical styles, mixing old techniques from all around the Indian subcontinent, like Tamil Nadu’s Bharatanatyam and Uttar Pradesh’s Kathak. Their current competition piece follows the story of Victor Frankenstein, mixing different dance styles and traditional Indian songs to portray a beautiful interpretation of the classic novel.
was praised by students and the board alike, despite pressure from parents and alumni at the time. Pestello achieved a rare balance of popularity among students, faculty and the board, and his announcement to leave SLU in 2024 was met with bittersweetness.
Campus concerns about Feser
The board’s announcement of Feser as the next president has, also, sparked some concerns and criticisms.
“Will the success he had at a large, land-grant
Aditya Gunturu, Senior Writer
“We’re following the main characters of the scientist and the monster throughout, and the big question we’ve based the piece around is ‘who is the real monster?’” cocaptain Arya Ramdas said.
This new performance is much different from their set piece last year, which followed the story of an Indian princess who became a freedom fighter.
The team spent the last seven years as an exhibition team, meaning they didn’t perform on a competitive circuit. But following a transition, the team is now in its second year competing in the Origins Championship with the season fittingly being called “Omkara 9.0.”
“We used a lot of inspiration from teams we’ve seen compete in the past and that shaped how we wanted to build our group this year,” co-captain Saachi Kumar said.
The switch has been successful, with the team placing second at their first competition of the season, Navarasa at North Carolina State University.
“It’s our first award ever…and just the opportunity to perform alongside these other teams marks the achievement so we’re really grateful to have come this far,” senior co-captain Jessica Michael said.
Currently fourth in the Origins ranking, the team will likely make this a successful season.
Shakti is the third Indian dance team at SLU, dancing on the U.S.’s most popular Bollywood-fusion circuit, Desi Dance Network (DDN) Legends. The teams in this competition combine classic and modern Indian dance styles with a mix of American and Indian music to deliver a passionate story through movement. Shakti’s set this year follows a “Night at the Museum” style performance with different historical figures coming to life.
Following a string of high-ranking wins and podiums in previous years, the team is hoping to continue their streak, and so far the results have been speaking for themselves. At a recent competition in a different circuit, the National Desi Dance League, Shakti placed 3rd at Tar Heel Taal at UNC.
“There was such an adrenaline high from all of us and we were all so hyped, like we couldn’t keep our excitement down,” Behera said.
Behera said the team had gone through a rough patch, running into logistical delays and issues leading
university transfer to a private, religious university?” Rosario-Rodriguez said.
While Feser has a proven track record at OSU and the UIUC, his presidency at SLU will be his first experience at a private research institution.
The board’s announcement in December also resurfaced a 2023 lawsuit against OSU alleging claims of discrimination and retaliation, in which Feser was named as a defendant. The lawsuit resulted in a jury verdict against Feser and OSU, awarding Pharmacy
up to their competition, so the podium was rather unexpected.
“We were more proud than anything when we heard our name because we as captains had to pull everything together so fast, but all the dancers quickly rose to the challenge,” Behera said. All the dancers on these teams are dedicated to their crafts, attending practices almost daily, and for hours at a time.
“Usually we’ll have four practices a week… Where we just focus on complex performances, cleaning our set and taking critiques from previous [competitions],” Diya Patel said.
A common sentiment among all the dance teams is the feeling of family. These groups spend hours together every day, training, learning and competing. This collective time forges strong bonds between the dancers. And while on campus, dancers go to classes with one another, they eat with one another and these bonds tie them together.
“I know I met some of my best friends from this,” Januly Fernando said, a new dancer with The Raas team. Fernando said it is these connections that make the team special. “Especially coming in as a freshman… It’s just been really nice to have those people you know you can always go to.”
Each team started its competition cycle last semester by recruiting new members and teaching them choreography. A strategy each group used to find dancers was hosting intro workshops.
“The sessions really helped me get my foot in the door… I really liked all the girls too, so I wanted to join the team,” sophomore Preeyom Govind said.
The next few weeks for the teams will be filled with thousands of miles of traveling, days and days of practicing and many moments on stage showcasing their craft for hundreds in person and thousands more online.
The dancers say they welcome spectators at various showcase events taking place this semester. The dates can be found on Instagram at @slushakti, @sluraas and @omkaraslu.
“We appreciate any support we get on campus, and we usually perform at a lot of events here,” Aasvi Patel said.
Dean Grace Kuo $600,000 in damages. Schaub, the graduate teaching assistant, said that while the lawsuit is concerning, she believes it speaks more to the state of higher education rather than anything about Feser himself.
“I think it is more of a symptom of problems with academia than with him specifically. It seemed like he had tried to do the right thing, and then the donors and alumni outside of the university retaliated quite strongly,” Schaub said.
Retired groundskeeper Tommy Wessel wants you to appreciate SLU’s landscape — and those who care for it
During his final week working on campus, Tommy Wessel digs a few inches into the frozen soil, pressing his shovel and piercing through the rocky, clay layer.
“Found a rock here. What do you think? I say ancient Cahokian,” Wessel jokes with his ‘work husband.’
“Ancient artifact discovered… We’re shutting the place down,” replies groundskeeper Clint Tucker, who worked closely with Wessel for over a decade.
They laugh as they place a young crabapple tree inside the ground near Morrissey Hall. It’s one of several hundred that Wessel has planted on Saint Louis University’s campus during his 18 years as a groundskeeper.
“I do love trees, and I do love planting them,” Wessel said. “It brings me peace.”
But some of the trees and the grass fields that line SLU’s 273-acre campus in Midtown are invasive species that are “too manicured,” he said. While beautiful to the human eye, Wessel said the landscape is boring, even harmful, to the birds and insects that live in it.
“There is a lot of harm that’s done to the Earth [so] that we can sit here and enjoy the green grass, the very formal look,” he said. “It’s important for people to realize that we’re not the only beings on this planet.”
That is part of why when he turned 40, Wessel decided to leave SLU and pursue his passion: restoring native habitats in Missouri. His last day on campus was Jan. 31.
“I’ve always been very aware of the passing of time, and I feel the need to do something that benefits the Earth,” he said.
“Glue” that kept the grounds crew together Wessel’s long reddish beard meant he was easily recognizable on campus, and his boisterous personality made him likable among the grounds crew. While on the job with his co-workers, he was loud, energetic and always ready to crack a joke.
He and Tucker even developed a goofy game they played together in between tasks. On a sunny January day, they moved toward a busy walking path to demonstrate. They talked loudly, Wessel changing his regular deep voice to a high-pitched tone. The contrast of a “big guy with a beard” talking silly like a kid usually elicits a few laughs from passersby, Wessel said.
“He’s fun to work with,” Tucker said. “You got to have somebody at work to make it a little more pleasant, you know, can’t always be serious.”
But Wessel also values quiet, contemplative moments, too. During his lunch break, he would find a corner outside and sit alone with a book, usually poetry or New England Legends and Folklore.
“Sometimes I’ll read a chapter, and I was like, well, that’s a good chapter. And so I’ll go back and read the same chapter two or sometimes three times, or a passage. I’ll read it half a dozen times,” said Wessel, who got his avid love of reading from his parents.
When it came to his work responsibilities, Wessel often had a “let me do that attitude,” said Don Weindel, who supervises the grounds team.
“He is always more than happy to help out the fellow co-workers when needed, always,” Weindel said. “We’re gonna be sorry that he’s gone because he was definitely kind of the glue that kept things together.”
Wessel is also trustworthy, said Dave Eaton, a groundskeeper at SLU for nearly 16 years. When the service employees’ union and SLU were negotiating contracts last year, Eaton said he would count on Wessel to relay messages or find out what people were thinking. Eaton also leaned on Wessel for personal support.
“If you have issues at home or if you have questions about something not related to work, he’s always there
Ulaa Kuziez,
News Editor
to answer those questions or kind of give you ideas or suggestions,” Eaton said.
For Tony Sabat, a SLU distribution services employee, working with Wessel meant good company — and gifts.
“When I worked with Tommy one year, I got so many Christmas gifts because he was my partner, and not too many employees get Christmas gifts,” Sabat said.
“He’s gonna be missed so much. Especially [by] me.”
Little appreciation and a ‘shrinking’ department
In just the last two years, around six people left the SLU Grounds Services department, leaving the team understaffed.
An outdated paragraph on the SLU Grounds Services website says 23 people care for campus grounds, which workers say is the ideal number for getting the job done. With Wessel marking the latest exit, however, just eight people are now responsible for mowing, irrigating, planting, mulching and plowing north campus.
“Our department, it’s really shrinking,” Tucker said.
With a $20 million budget deficit that is largely due to lower student enrollment, Tucker said SLU should reinvest in the grounds team.
“When people come to tour, campus is one of the reasons they chose SLU because it looked nice, the flowers and everything was, you know, looking sharp. How are we going to do that [with less workers]? That’s not going to help recruit more people,” Tucker said.
Weindel agrees that creating a campus aesthetic and a “curb appeal” is important, especially for incoming students.
“I want people to walk on the campus and enjoy, you know, think they’re in an oasis,” Weindel said.
However, a university-wide hiring freeze implemented last semester because of the deficit
means there is not enough money to hire additional staff, Weindel said. Last fall, the department moved the remaining few groundskeepers from south campus to north campus, and brought on contractors to work as needed on the former.
Outsourcing jobs is a worrying sign, some of the remaining groundskeepers say.
Part of the reason so many grounds workers have left in recent years is low pay. Last April, grounds workers, janitorial and maintenance employees protested a wage package offered by the university.
After rejecting the proposal four times, a contract was passed in May that gave all service workers a $3.15-an-hour raise over four years. Previously, pay for groundskeepers started at $18.55 an hour. The contract also included better job protection language such as a 60-day notice if the university plans to subcontract work.
It is not just low pay that pushed Wessel and several others to leave their jobs. Another major factor was a lack of appreciation.
“It’s nice to be told , ‘Hey, we really appreciate what you guys are doing,’ and that just evaporated over time,” Wessel said.
Just three weeks into his new job, Wessel said he has felt more valued and heard more words of appreciation than in his 18 years at SLU.
“This ship’s sinking,” Wessel said, referring to the grounds department. “I’m like one of the rats. When the ship goes down, they say the rats are some of the first to jump because they’re down in the belly of the ship when the water comes.”
A little plot filled with life
During his time on campus, Wessel introduced more sustainable practices, encouraging his team to use less fertilizer and plant native plants that require less
maintenance. His co-workers appreciated his ideas, but Wessel said there were limits to what he could do. There was one place, however, where Wessel made an impact he’s especially proud of.
Nestled behind Hotel Ignacio near a universityowned parking lot on Locust Street was a gravel plot that for years was sprayed with herbicide to kill the persistent weeds.
But a few years ago, Wessel did something different. He planted penstemon and buttonbush, colorful native plants that don’t need irrigation and can sustain themselves.
Now, the little plot is filled with life, including bees, birds and butterflies.
“That makes me quite happy,” Wessel said.
If it were up to Wessel, more of SLU’s campus would be an oasis for native plants and creatures.
“If this were all native stuff,” he said, pointing to the grass field between Morrissey Hall and Chaifetz Business School, “You’d see so many more birds, you’d see so many more insects.”
Still, he hopes students, staff and visitors who walk across campus appreciate the existing nature on campus.
“Too many people come out and sit, but then they don’t really look around them and don’t really pay attention. If you’re gonna go out to nature, sit down in one spot, use all five senses, and be quiet and just think. And then, you know, everything gets better.”
And while sitting to read a book or rest on a hammock, Wessel also wants the SLU community to also appreciate the workers who shape the campus’ look and feel.
“Understand just the amount of hard work that goes into everything that we have done over the years. Understand and give thanks even if you don’t know who we are,” Wessel said.
From stage to classroom: How Rob Boyle’s music course is redefining innovation education at SLU
On a fall evening in 2022, the seventh floor of Grand Hall was loud with music. However, it was not a stereotypical dorm party nor a drunk karaoke scene. Instead, a group of business students were neatly huddled around a middle-aged man strumming an acoustic guitar.
He candidly sang folk and bluegrass covers of mainstream ballads. Between each song, he would humbly interject with a fascinating musical anecdote or impactful business lesson he had learned throughout his playing career.
The man was Rob Boyle, a singer-songwriter turned professor.
A distinguished associate professor of management at Saint Louis University, Boyle brings a unique blend of musical and academic expertise into the classroom. With five studio albums and over two decades of
Brendan Brunette , Senior Writer
teaching experience, Boyle’s career has spanned major shifts in both the music industry and higher education.
A native of Maine, Boyle’s musical journey began in his youth, playing guitar and performing in bands throughout high school and college. He signed his first record deal at age 25. This early experience, according to Boyle, “breathed momentum into my [his] music journey,” and resulted in three albums written while living out of Wisconsin and Toronto, Ontario. Over the years, Boyle has continued to record and perform, regularly playing weekend gigs and writing songs.
This combination of real-world experience and teaching command, culminated in the Fall 2024 semester, when Boyle introduced a new course, Rhythms of Innovation: Charting the Course of the Music Industry (MGT 3930). A recent addition to the university’s Collaborative Inquiry Core requirement,
the course explores groundbreaking changes in the music industry while equipping students with tools and discourse to analyze contemporary innovation across various fields.
“Music has given me the gift of a nice side hustle, a lot of great friends and the catharsis of a side identity where I can shed my professional day job and become a musician at night,” Boyle said. “Music is such a universal language... I feel fortunate that it’s my avocation, which resonates with people and allows me to draw it into the classroom.”
Along with his musical pursuits, Boyle has built a longstanding academic career. With two master’s degrees in Administration and Organizational Management, along with a Ph.D. in higher education, he has found a passion for teaching while consistently incorporating his expertise. Before joining SLU, where he has been teaching for 20 years, Boyle held administrative positions at several institutions, including the University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point and the University of Missouri.
Boyle’s research largely provided the foundation for the new course. In 2022, he was asked by publishing company EBSCO to write a chapter on innovation for a book covering various business concepts. Drawing on his music industry experiences, Boyle crafted a case study exploring the shift from analog to digital production and the rise of streaming platforms.
Rhythms of Innovation, first offered following Boyle’s selection for an external faculty fellowship program, primarily examines the evolution of music creation and distribution. Beginning with a historical foundation, students ultimately analyze contemporary innovations such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the metaverse before applying them to their own respective fields of study. The course is housed within the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business.
“It’s been partially my experience, my age and the idea that I had this [topic] researched on,” Boyle said. “When the fellowship program came in saying, ‘We have a little bit of funding if you’d be willing to develop a course,’ and I’m very grateful that it happened.”
In a class of about 20 students, Boyle’s administrative background helped foster a tight-knit, collaborative community among students from diverse majors and colleges. Each week, students engaged in discussions, analyzed guest speaker insights and shared ideas in pairs or small groups. Some memorable guest speakers include musician and educator Scotty Huff, singer Steve Ewing and songwriter and producer Nicole Witt.
“If you are patient with the diversity that you have in your arsenal, it ultimately pays off in my experience,” Boyle said.. “It’s [diversity] got to be facilitated well, but
it ultimately pays off.”
Students praised the course for its creativity and inclusivity. Senior Lily Kinnison, a marketing major minoring in music, said Boyle’s teaching style encouraged open dialogue. A musician and performer herself, Kinnison said she was initially drawn to the class because of the intersection of music and business. She also said the course would inform her future work.
“I think a lot of classes can be very lecture-heavy, but this one was so interactive,” Kinnison said. “From day one, Rob was clear about creating a comfortable environment where no ideas were bad ideas. That made it easier to contribute my ‘half-baked ideas’ without fear of judgment.”
Arthur Simões, a senior majoring in international business and minoring in marketing, appreciated how Boyle’s structure encouraged meaningful connections among classmates.
“I appreciated the way Rob put everyone together every single day to speak with someone different,” Simões said. “It was really cool how we could share our experiences with other students. I definitely think that his class is one every SLU student needs to take at least once.”
The course’s emphasis on creativity and innovation resonated with Brandon Truong, a senior studying international business along with leadership and HR management.
“Rhythms of Innovation with Professor Boyle was one of the most inspiring classes I’ve ever taken,” Truong said. “The collaborative environment made us feel like we were truly contributing to the future of the music industry — not by shying away from unfamiliar technology, but by embracing it and using it to our advantage.”
For Boyle, the course is about more than just the music industry. It’s a lesson in how innovation can shape yet disrupt any field. Each class offered insights into contemporary challenges, particularly with the integration of AI in daily life, from generative search engines to AI-driven customer service systems.
“One of the greatest ways to honor one’s past is to teach. You walk into a classroom and say, ‘This is how it worked for me,’ and share your story. All the things that shaped me as a musician since I got signed to that record deal in 1995 — I can bring so much of that into Management 3930 and offer it back. It feels incredible to share my experiences and say, ‘Here’s what I’ve learned,’” Boyle said. “It’s truly fulfilling in that sense.”
Editor’s note: This article’s author was a student in Rob Boyle’s Rhythms of Innovation in 2024.
NCAA’s transgender athlete policy sparks national debate
In response to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” the NCAA has announced a significant change to its transgender student athlete participation policy. Effective immediately, competition in women’s sports is restricted to student athletes assigned female at birth. This policy shift aligns the NCAA’s regulations with the federal directive, aiming to establish a uniform standard across collegiate athletics.
NCAA President Charlie Baker emphasized the importance of consistent eligibility criteria, stating that a clear national standard is preferable to a “patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions.” The updated policy also permits student athletes assigned male at birth to practice with women’s teams and access associated benefits, such as medical care, while practicing. However, trans women athletes are prohibited from participating in official women’s competitions.
This development follows the Department of Education’s directive urging the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations to revoke records, titles and awards previously earned by transgender women in female categories. The department asserts that these accolades were “misappropriated by biological males,” and their action seeks to restore recognition to cisgender female athletes.
The executive order and subsequent policy changes have ignited legal challenges. Notably, two transgender teens, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, contesting the constitutionality of the executive order. Represented by GLAD Law and the ACLU of New Hampshire, the plaintiffs argue that the order discriminates against transgender individuals and infringes upon their rights.
The NCAA’s policy shift is part of a broader pattern of actions by the Trump administration that have targeted transgender individuals. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly framed transgender rights as a threat to traditional values, particularly focusing on athletics as a battleground for what he calls
Mariya Yasinovska, OpinionEditor
“fairness in competition.”
However, many advocacy groups argue that this focus is disproportionate given the small number of transgender athletes competing at the collegiate level. The Williams Institute estimates that transgender individuals make up only about 0.6% of the U.S. adult population, and an even smaller percentage compete in organized sports.
Critics argue that this executive order is less about preserving competitive fairness and more about fueling a culture war against an already marginalized group.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Campaign and other civil rights organizations have condemned the policy, stating that it fosters unnecessary hostility toward transgender athletes and ignores existing research that suggests transgender women do not inherently have an unfair advantage, particularly
after undergoing hormone therapy.
Despite these criticisms, the policy has gained support from conservative lawmakers and organizations that claim it protects the integrity of women’s sports.
Supporters argue that allowing transgender women to compete against cisgender women undermines the spirit of fair competition.
As the debate continues, the NCAA has committed to assisting member schools in fostering respectful and inclusive athletic environments, in line with its constitutional commitment to support the mental and physical health of all student athletes. However, with pending lawsuits and growing national outcry, it remains to be seen how this policy will evolve and what long-term effects it will have on collegiate athletics and transgender inclusion in sports.
SLU alumni bring infrared fitness to Midtown Ismael Domin, SportsEditor
Marlowe and Malena
purchased their first HOTWORX
in January 2023. In December 2024, the couple purchased a second franchise a
away from their alma mater. The Valdeabellas are committed to giving back to
SLU community and believe HOTWORX is an effective way to do it. HOTWORX combines yoga with infrared sauna heat for a unique and effective workout. Founded in 2017, the company differs from traditional hot yoga by using dry heat via infrared heating as opposed to the traditional humidity commonly found in hot yoga saunas. The Valdeabellas explained that the added heat encourages sweat, helps remove toxins and aids in calorie burning.
The Valdeabellas have set up shop only a block away from SLU, across the street from the student-favorite, Alamo Drafthouse, and have been using their business’ proximity to campus to stay involved in the community.
Before graduating in 1995, Marlowe was a member of SLU’s Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) fraternity as well as the Filipino Student Association (FSA). He now acts as Pike’s Chapter Advisor and hosted their 24-hour Pike
on a Bike Cycle-a-thon for their philanthropy week. He has also donated a gift basket and a free month-long HOTWORX membership, which would normally cost about $80, to the FSA’s upcoming showcase raffle.
Marlowe spoke on how he felt about using his business to give back to the organizations he was a part of as a student.
“It was fantastic. I call it the serendipitous collision,” Marlowe said. “Supporting a chapter I had grown up in and had a good affiliation with at a university both my wife and I graduated from. It really was putting all these things together that really was the right place and the right time and the right moment.”
Malena graduated from SLU in 2001 and shares Marlowe’s ideal of giving back to the SLU community. She was a member of SLU’s Kappa Delta sorority and is hosting a sisterhood event for the sorority in the HOTWORX studio this weekend.
HOTWORX St. Louis currently serves over 160 members of all ages, with membership expected to rise in the coming months.
Nora Kotnik, SportsEditor
game they love. And for the kids, they are given valuable instruction as well as an athletic mentor.
“We want to serve our student athletes and we also want to serve the kids, too,” Kouadio said. This upcoming spring, Saint Louis’ Top Tier Lessons plans to continue growing, especially in its soccer presence. Taking advantage of Saint Louis’ robust soccer community, on Feb. 23 Top Tier Lessons will host a Soccer Clinic on SLU’s Vandeventer Field. There are also soccer clinics scheduled in Brentwood during March and April. In addition to soccer, Top
the second time in two games – persisting throughout the entire song despite the arena announcer’s plea for respect. This blatant disrespect evidently did not sit well with the American bench – igniting three fights within the first nine seconds of play.
Two of the fights were started by Matthew and Brady Tkachuk – Chaminade College Preparatory alumni and sons of St. Louis Blues star Keith Tkachuk – amplifying the already deafening crowd. Ironically enough, Keith Tkachuk dropped the mitts in international play against Claude Lemieux 20 seconds into a World Cup of Hockey matchup against Canada in 1996.
“We’re one of the only sports that still has fighting in it. It’s a war out there,” said Canada forward Travis Konecny.
Despite serving as an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers – one of the most passionate fan bases in all of professional hockey – Konecny commented on how the fights set the tone for a different type of night.
“It’s funny: You put the flag behind the meaning of something and guys’ switches just kind of flip,” Konecny said. The rest of the game proved to be just as exciting as its opening moments. Even after jumping to a 1-0 lead after a splendid transition goal by alternate Canadian captain Connor McDavid, the U.S. knotted the game when a Jake Guentzel shot found its way through goaltender Jordan Binnington’s legs. At the 13:33 mark in the second period, center Dylan Larkin scored on a blistering wrist-shot that provided a lead the Americans would never relinquish. Guentzel secured the win with his second goal of the night in an empty Canadian net with less than two minutes to play in regulation. A stifling
Brendan Brunette, Senior Writer
Yankee defense, a brilliant goaltending performance by Connor Hellebuyck, and an unwavering refusal to cater to Canada’s transition-heavy style all played key roles in the upset. With the win Saturday night, the U.S. secured its spot in the championship on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Following the loss, Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper said, “The game is in a better place because last night’s game existed,” reflecting on a night that ended Canada’s
26-game winning streak with superstar Sidney Crosby as captain.
As the NHL strives to remain relevant among the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL) and even Major League Baseball (MLB), innovative events like the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament can help grow the game’s excitement and appeal in the American sports landscape.
It’s hard to disagree with Cooper – as the television ratings back up the mastery that was laid out on the ice for all sixty minutes. At its peak, 5.4 million Americans watched the game, with a steady 4.4 million viewers throughout. Nielsen Fast National data showed a 473% increase from ESPN’s 2016 World Cup of Hockey matchup and a 369% rise compared to ABC’s NHL average this season. Moreover, it served as the mostwatched non Stanley Cup Final hockey telecast since 2019.
The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, which is temporarily replacing NHL’s annual All Star Game, consists of four nations: the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden. Due to a greater trend in the NHL, NBA and NFL of players not giving full effort in these events, the NHL took a bit of a gamble – and was a massive success. Thus far, the exciting tournament has not only filled the void left by the absence of the World Cup of Hockey since 2016 but also marks the return of elite, best-on-best international competition that largely defined the sport in the mid20th century.
Despite facing potential elimination in the tournament, Canada pulled out a surprisingly close win against Finland on Monday, Feb. 17. Poetically, the Americans will face the Canadians Thursday night in Boston at the TD Garden at 7 p.m. CST on ESPN. In what will no doubt be an emotionally compelling and fiercely patriotic rematch, the outcome will not only bring immense pride to the winning country, but regardless serve as a massive win for the sport of hockey.
Is the Cardinal way dead?
Jackson Luster, Contributor
The battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy began on Sunday, Feb. 9, at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Here, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs met to face off in Super Bowl LIX, each team with their own motivations for this win.
Although the Super Bowl is always a highly anticipated contest for both fans and players, this game seemed to hold more weight. The Eagles and the Chiefs met two years ago to play in Super Bowl LVII, where the Eagles fell just short of claiming the title with a final score of 38-35. In this year’s Super Bowl, it was obvious that the Eagles came out of the tunnel with the determination to redeem themselves and create a score gap that would ensure they went home with the trophy. On the other hand, the Chiefs came into the game seeking the title of “three-peat” Super Bowl Champions, as they have already claimed rings in the two most recent championship games. Kansas City head coach, Andy Reid, has previously stated that he did not talk to the team about this possibility throughout the season, nor did he use it as motivation for the success of his team. Yet, it seems almost inevitable that the team was not playing with these hopes in mind during the game.
The Eagles ultimately claimed the title of Super Bowl LIX Champions, with a final score of 40-22. While this may seem like a pretty big score differential for such a highly competitive championship game, it does not accurately reflect how far behind the Chiefs actually were throughout the entire game. At the end of the
first half, the Chiefs were down by a score of 24-0 after multiple turnovers and an underwhelming offensive showing.
Things did not change much in the second half, as the Eagles’ defense continued to dominate their opponent. By the end of the game, the Eagles sacked the Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, six times, forced a fumble and recorded two interceptions. While the Eagles offense also had a stellar game, this win is ultimately credited to the team’s defense, as they were able to hold the Chiefs to minimal yardage and scoring opportunities, allowing for the Eagles to capitalize on their growing point differential throughout the game.
With just under three minutes left in the game, Kenny Pickett, the backup quarterback for the Eagles, entered and closed the game for his team. Although he did not make any groundbreaking plays, it is undeniably impressive for a team to be so comfortably ahead in such a big game that they are willing to play their second-string.
Jalen Hurts, the starting quarterback for the Eagles, claimed the Super Bowl “Most Valuable Player” title at the finale of the game after throwing for a total of 221 yards with two touchdowns and rushing 72 yards, but Pickett’s appearance was also noteworthy.
With their redemption secured and their city satisfied, the team appeared in the celebratory parade that traveled through Philadelphia on Feb. 14.
The St. Louis Cardinals used to be the gold standard of how an MLB organization should be run. The Cardinals, located in a small-mid market in St. Louis have been able to capture the second most World Series wins ever only behind the New York Yankees. They did it in a completely different way than the Yankees as well.
While the Yankees were known to be able to go out and buy the best players and team that money could buy, the Cardinals took a different approach. Throughout their history, they have instead used something known as the “Cardinal Way.” Although not a commonly used term until 2011, the way the Cardinals have operated has followed the “Cardinal Way” long before.
The “Cardinal Way” in its most basic form is to draft and develop players in their farm system and create homegrown talent that will eventually produce and help the Cardinals win at the Major League level. This process started back as early as the 1920s as former Cardinals manager, Branch Rickey, started the Cardinals minor league team. This decision led to the farm system that we see today in the MLB. The Cardinals farm system has delivered superstars for their organization from Bob Gibson and Stan Musial to Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols.
However, in recent years the Cardinals have not had the success they have grown accustomed to, and the “Cardinal Way” seems to be a thing of the past. This can be seen in the fact that they have had four top 30 prospects since 2019: Alex Reyes, Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker. Those four have only combined for one all-star appearance. Two of them, Alex Reyes and Dylan Carlson, are no longer with the organization, and Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker have their own questions about whether they will blossom into the stars that they looked poised to become as prospects.
The Cardinals also seem to have an issue with evaluating talent from within their organization. This is most notable in their moves to trade Randy Arozarena, Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcantara. Those three players have combined to make four all-star games and win numerous awards, most notably with Sandy Alcantara winning the 2022 CY Young award.
This trend started after the 2011 season, when Jeff Lunhow left the Cardinals organization to become the
Astros GM. While with the Astros, he oversaw the development of Jose Altuve, George Springer, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and many others. Lunhow also took several other executives with him and this severely damaged the Cardinals long term. This can be seen as since 2012, the Cardinals have only drafted six all stars. They have also failed to win a World Series since Lunhow’s departure. This damaged the Cardinals greatly, and they never fully recovered. The Cardinals have dwindled into mediocrity over the last decade while the Astros with Luhnow’s players have skyrocketed to new heights winning two World Series in the same time frame (2017, 2022).
That is how the Cardinals organization has gotten to the current state it is in, but is the Cardinal way itself dead? The “Cardinal Way” is no longer a process in the Cardinals organization, but it is not dead in the MLB. Teams like the Astros have proven that the “Cardinal Way” can work, but the Cardinals are not utilizing it the correct way. The Rays also use the same philosophy of the “Cardinal Way” and they have seen sustained success for most of the 2010s and into the 2020s although still looking for a World Series. The “Cardinal Way” in theory can still work at the Major League level, and that the Cardinals management has just failed in development and talent evaluation.
There is some hope however for the Cardinals organization. They recently announced that they would be investing heavily in their minor league system and development process. This also comes along with news that starting next year, former Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom, will take over as GM for the Cardinals. During his time with the Red Sox, he rebuilt their farm system into one of the best in baseball and appears to have positioned the Red Sox for success in the future. He will aim to do that same process in St. Louis and try to revive the “Cardinal Way” to bring back their former glory. Only time will tell if they will be able to return to the glory days of the “Cardinal Way” or if there has been too much damage done to the Cardinals organization. It remains clear, however, that the “Cardinal Way” lives strong in other organizations despite being dormant in the current Cardinals organization.
(The University News / Nejla Hodzic)
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The year 2025 is upon us, and with it comes an entirely new slate of movies. Use this helpful guide to find out what is coming when and what to get excited about. With everything from science fiction dinosaur sequels to indie thrillers, this year has a movie for everyone.
“Companion” - January 31
The earliest movie on this list, “Companion” is a psychological thriller that has been shrouded in ambiguity and mystery. The film is the directorial debut of industry writer Drew Hancock.
Along for the ride is a star-studded cast of the latest Hollywood talent, like Jack Quaid, star of the hit Prime Video original show “The Boys” and Sophie Thatcher who is coming off a recent leading role in the critically acclaimed horror film “Heretic.” They are joined by an ensemble cast of Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend and Megan Suri for this indie horror flick that is best consumed with the least prior knowledge possible.
“Paddington in Peru” - February 14
What better way to spend a day focused on love than watching a CGI-animated bear travel to a South American nation?
“Paddington in Peru” is the latest film in the Paddington series, coming more than a decade after the first film. With such a large break in production, it was clear the series wished to go somewhere new.
This film follows Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, and the Brown family as they explore the tropical landscape of Peru after he discovers his grandmother has mysteriously disappeared from the home for retired bears. This movie has Paddington interact with all kinds of local animals and people on his way back to his grandmother. “Paddington in Peru” will almost surely prove to be another heartwarming and (especially) fuzzy family flick. “Mickey 17” - March 7
From Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho, “Mickey 17” is an upcoming science fiction movie that follows the adventures and struggles of Mickey Barnes, played by Robert Pattinson. Barnes signs up to explore space as an “expendable” worker who is scanned and
