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SLU professors open up about discrimination By JAYDE ROSE Contributor
Cornelia Horn is the former female theology professor here at SLU who last month won a $367,000 suit against the University for sex discrimination. Dr. Horn alleged that in her time at SLU she was subject to multiple incidents of bias from her male colleagues, as well as being denied tenure because she reported the incidents of bias to the University. She claimed the decision to deny her tenure was based heavily on a recommendation against tenure written by the then-chair of the theology department, Fr. J.A. Wayne Hellmann. Hellmann cited Horn’s lack of “collegiality” for his recommendation against promotion. Horn was a professor at SLU from 2004-2012 and since her departure, SLU has changed presidents and has also promoted a new chair to its theology department. It should be noted that the University is not satisfied with the results of the case, and is currently exploring its options for moving forward. The case has the potential to be ongoing and, therefore, many details have not yet been released. As a private institution, SLU is not required to publicly release information such as salary and promotion
records. It was only through an informal study done by Penny Weiss in the Political Science and Women & Gender Studies departments that it was discovered how very few female faculty have been promoted to full professors at SLU. At the time of her study it was more likely that a female professor would have been hired as a full professor with tenure than to be promoted to full within their department. Within the College of Arts and Sciences, tenure is based heavily on three components: research, teaching, service, advising; knowledge of the field; and collegiality. For research it is generally required that the professor has published a book, or the equivalent of a book in articles. Research is the component most likely to hold back a candidate. It is considered rare for a candidate to pass on research and not on another component. After the department votes on whether or not to endorse an applicant for tenure, a letter is always written by the chair of the department, and the department’s vote and chair’s letter are sent to the greater college Rank and Tenure Committee. Dr. Horn offers an interesting case as she was deSee “Lawsuit” on page 3
Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton speaks at SLU By KYLE SMITH AND LUKE VEST
For Brandon Stanton, it all goes back to a bad photo of a green lady. “There was a time when I photographed a woman and she was dressed in all green,” he said. “And it wasn’t a good photo.” His subject, an elderly lady, is eye-catching, to say the least. She was, in fact, clad entirely in bright green: jacket, leggings, scarf, gloves. Even her hair was dyed to match. Still, he knew that this particular portrait was not his best work. “She’s off in the corner, it’s kind of awkward,” he said. “I remember being disappointed after I took it.” At the time, Stanton had recently lost job as a bond trader in Chicago. “That was surprisingly a good day,” he told the audience in a packed Wool Ballroom. “I started thinking about what it was that I would do with my time if prestige didn’t matter, if money didn’t matter and I could just choose what I wanted to do.” So that’s what he did. Stanton made the decision to move to New York and become a photographer — a bold move, considering he had previously never picked up a camera in his life. He
Michelle Peltier / The University News
BRANDON STANTON: Humans of New York creator speaks to SLU students. began working on a project, which he called a “photographic census.” The idea was that every day, he would go out and take photos of random New Yorkers off the street. The photo of the “green lady” was never intended to make it to his blog. But the following day Stanton was bedridden with the flu and had no choice but to post it on Facebook anyways. On a
Cupcake Wars: Students walk out on West By KRISTINA DEYONG Contributor
The floor seats in the Center for Global Citizenship (CGC) were brimming with white. If someone had walked in unaware of the controversy that surrounded Allen West’s appearance on SLU’s campus, the hint of it
was there in the audience, dressed row after row in a uniform of white shirts. “If someone were to directly insult your religion, church, and the entire population of individuals who believe what you believe, would you stay quiet?” said Sheena Mohammed, MLK Scholar and member of the
Thursday, October 6, 2016
SLU Muslim Student Association (MSA). Students organized a protest last Thursday night in response to West classifying SLU MSA as a “stealth jihad radical Islamic campus organization” on his blog. The protest consisted of a walkout, a charitable cupcake sale, and a group of
Courtesy of Amelia Maxwell
PROTEST: Protest participants gather around the Clock Tower for solidarity.
Muslim students who stayed until West’s talk let out, hoping to speak with audience members about the realities of Islam. Protesters arrived early to fill the floor seats and much of the higher seating for West’s speech. Just before he was introduced, representatives of the College Republicans announced that they were aware of the plan to walk out of the event. The group challenged those who might disagree with West to stay instead and hear what he had to say, stating that a walkout would be disrespectful toward West, toward inclusion of conservative ideas and toward freedom of speech. After West was introduced and came onstage, protestors quietly stood and walked outside, row by row. “We decided to peacefully walk out because we weren’t trying to disrespect Allen West as a person, especially since he was a lieuSee “Protest” on page 2
whim, he decided to include a snippet of his conversation with the subject — something he hadn’t done before. “She said to me, ‘I used to be a different color every day. But then one day I was green, and that was a good day. So now I’ve been green for 15 years.’” The photo was a turning point for Stanton. It was the first time he had posted a quote along with a photo,
and people seemed to be responding well to it. In terms of Facebook “likes,” it outperformed all of his previous posts (relatively speaking, of course — on a page with 2,000 followers, it had “maybe 65 likes or so”). But more importantly, it changed the entire nature of his project. For the first See “Stanton” on page 2
West speaks amidst protest of the College Republicans, Dylan McCloskey, said he wished more protesters had Last Thursday, hundreds stayed to hear West and his of people attended Lt. Col. perspective. Allen West’s talk about forWest addressed his coneign policy and Islam. Many troversial statement by asheard about the event beserting that he did not say all forehand because of the Muslims are evil. He stressed controversial flyers used for that Islamic advertising terrorists the event and exist, and West’s comFor whatever they are an ments about exi stenti al reason, we are the Muslim threat to allowing this Student Assothe United ciation. incredibly violent States, and Hosted Muslims ideology to come by the Colneed to reto these shores. lege Repubnounce terlicans and rorist orgaLt. Col. Allen West sponsored nizations by Young such as the Americans Muslim Brotherhood. for Freedom, the talk was McCloskey said the Colheld in the Center for Global lege Republicans considered Citizenship. Although many changing speakers a week people came to hear West before the event, but it was speak, others participated in already too late. They chose a peaceful walkout protestWest because of his military ing him. and government experience. Most protesters left once The event was not intended West came on stage, but some stayed for the entirety See “West” on page 3 of his speech. The president By MEGAN HAMMOND News Editor
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Vol. XCVI No. 6
INSIDE SCOOP:
ARTS
Ghost gives audiences a good spook
Women’s soccer defies odds
Congress subject to dire consequences for veto
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SPORTS
OPINION