10 March 23, 2017
OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
The joys of hammocking at Saint Louis University
John Schaefer
Imagine this: You have reached a state of complete and total relaxation, but you are not on an exotic vacation; you are experiencing feelings of intense euphoria that surround and overcome your physical being, but you have taken no psychedelic drug; you are suspended in midair for what seems like forever, but you possess no superhuman ability. Between you and the ground, a pair of burly trees flex their bulging muscles back and forth to ensure that you do not feel the slightest fluctuation of the elements, as you are wrapped between their arms on a well-manufactured tarp, a gift from the heavens—a hammock. Hammocking is rapidly becoming one of the most popular hobbies that college students are adopting, and for good reason. Inside a hammock, time seems to temporarily freeze as stress evaporates and friendships—along with memories—solidify. As the frequency of warm weather increases and expands across the city of St. Louis this spring, so will the quantity of hammocks that occupy trees up and down West Pine. These hammocks dress the limbs and trunks around campus in every color under the sun. They also possess a melodical quality, as their inhabitants are typi-
cally loquacious college stuher vast knowledge of the dents, catching up with one craft, she offered, “Don’t be another and untangling the too ambitious your first time mysteries of life, one converslinging your hammock up. sation at a time. Stick to one hammock per I recently had the chance pair of trees or else you’ll to converse with various end up on the ground like I hammockers to find out why have! Once you have some they relish in this pastime experience, be as ambitious and what tips they may ofas your heart desires!” fer for new hammockers Like anything, a little at Saint Louis University. practice can go a long way Freshman physical therapy in seeing improvements. Restudent, Hannah Siemer, gardless, just about anyone willingly joined the converwho has ever hammocked sation by saying, “My favorknows that about 80 to 90 ite part percent of a b o u t hammocking h a m is mental. It m o c k i n g I would highly encour- is all about is that I age anyone who is mild- a c h i e v i n g can be of ly interested in taking on aco degree outside, n f i d e n ce r e l a x hammocking as a hobby in which you and be no longer to give it a try. with my fear what is friends, below, but all in the rather bask same setting. Seeing all the in the glory of what lies heads turn and interactabove. In closing, after talking with students passing ing to all these hammockers by is awesome as well.” It is and being an avid hammockno wonder why the heads er myself, I would highly turn either; on an “island” encourage anyone who is located outside of Simon mildly interested in taking on hammocking as a hobby Recreation Center, there are to give it a try. It’s amazing sometimes as many as six or how much relaxation and more hammocks strung beenjoyment can be found in tween three trees. However, the trees. don’t be fooled by the look of A few tips to consider ease that these hammockers from the pros: display while setting up their Bring snacks and water if community among the treeyou are planning a long aftops. It takes a great deal of ternoon in the treetops. skill to build up to this level Coordinate for someof hammocking; just ask one in your group to bring Katherine Kopriva. a wireless speaker for music. Kopriva, a freshman in If you are pressed for SLU’s nursing program and space, test out the double a seasoned veteran on the decker approach, in which hammock, has spent a great two hammocks share a set of deal of time enjoying the trees. Leave adequate space art and had some advice for as a courtesy for the bottomup-and-coming hammocktier hammock. ers at SLU. Sorting through
Weekly dose: The opiate crisis
Branson Fox
In 2014, a record-high 47,000 people died of drug overdoses. This was not due to cocaine, nor was it due to meth. Heroin wasn’t the culprit either. The overdoses were mainly the result of natural and semi-synthetic opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, drugs obtained in as little as one doctor’s visit. Of the near 50,000 deaths, more than 6 out of 10 were caused by opiates. There is a near 2-1 ratio of deaths caused by legal opiates to illicit ones. The greatest indicator of opiate misuse is a previous prescription to an opioid. Users of prescription opiates are 40 times as likely as non-users to develop a heroin addiction. Prescriptions have quadrupled since 1999. Over a quarter of a billion prescriptions for opiates have been written, roughly equivalent to the entire adult population. Unsurprisingly, overdoses have followed in direct correlation to prescriptions, meaning rates of overdoses have also multiplied by a factor of four. Opiates work by binding to opioid receptors in the nervous system. They decrease the feeling of pain and produce significant levels of dopamine, a euphoric hormone. By hijacking the reward system in the brain, the body adapts to new levels of dopamine, and users become dependent on the substance. Without the substance, they will experience
severe withdrawal symptoms. From their rise in the 90s, opiates were touted as being “safer” and “less addictive.” By the early 2000s, these claims were proven to be false, and companies like Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of OxyContin, were required to settle hundreds of millions of dollars. Amidst the public health crisis now labeled an “epidemic,” advocates are calling for opiate prescriptions to be reduced drastically. While this would reduce the rate of death by opium, it leaves doctors without a viable option to treat pain. A highly controversial and politically polarizing debate is at hand for its potential replacement: medicinal marijuana. While opiates kill thousands annually, marijuana has yet to record its first death by overdose. Despite this, conservative administration isn’t budging. Jeff Sessions, the attorney general appointed by Donald Trump, said marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin. This isn’t just an American problem either. Canada has seen a sharp spike in the amount of opiaterelated deaths. The opiate of choice in Canada is fentanyl, a prescription medicine used for pain. The drug most often comes from illegal Chinese manufactures. It’s a global issue. Needle shares and Narcan have been controversial issues amongst the opiate crisis. Due to the nature of IV drug use, dirty needles are often shared and serve as
a vector of infection. Many of the people using heroin intravenously are at an increased likelihood of testing positive for HIV or hepatitis. Nine percent of IV drug users already test positive for HIV, and they are likely to pass the disease to other IV drug users. It may not matter, though, because overdoses kill many users before HIV or hepatitis has the chance. Narcan, the brand name for naloxone hydrochloride, is considered by emergency medical staff as a “life saver” in the event of opiate overdoses. The World Health Organization put the drug on a list of the most essential medications. Some critics argue that putting naloxone in the hands of addicts and their peers encourages riskier behavior. Data suggests otherwise, and in naloxone administration efforts users trained to use Narcan did not consider reinjecting heroin. Naloxone currently faces many regulatory challenges that make it hard for those who need it to obtain it. Prior to leaving office, the Obama administration requested billions in aid against the heroin crisis. Trump’s solution is to build a wall in hopes of stopping opiates from coming from the south. Democrats are skeptical, citing legal painkillers and domestic cooking operations. Trump also stated “we will expand treatment for those who have become so badly addicted.” He has yet to elaborate on what he means.
Users of prescription opiates are 40 times as likely as non-users to develop a heroin addiction.
SLU’s top four date locations Alex Rader
Few students know that Saint Louis University ranks as one of the top 10 most romantic colleges in St. Louis, Missouri. This is in part due to the many great date spots hidden around campus. Here, I have compiled a list of the best places for an oncampus date for those couples that don’t want to go far to go out. 1. Starbucks: Who hasn’t had a date at Starbucks at least once? It’s the quintessential “my mom said she’d drop me off downtown at 2 and we can just walk around after that but I only have $7 and she’s picking me up at 4” date. Centrally located, dimly lit and just expensive enough that you seem generous, this is a classic spot for a first date. Possible downsides include: the noise from the blenders, long lines and excessive bathroom trips if they order any size above a ‘tall’. Do: Impress your date more by ordering a trenta cup of espresso beans and eating it as quickly as possible. Be sure to mention that this is something you do frequently. Don’t: Climb over the counter and insist on making your date’s drink yourself. This is especially true for those lacking the two hepati-
ment to your date. That extis A shots required for food act statement is up to you, service jobs in the state of feel free to clarify by tagging Missouri. it on any flat surface with a 2. The Unisex Bathroom can of spray paint. in the Lecture Hall Stairwell: Do: Acquire matching One of the most intimate hardhats and label them locations at SLU lies in the “Wire Guy” or “Mr. Paint” bowels of the lecture halls. so that no one stops you on Mysterious and private, this your way in. Leave the date special spot will have your midway through and mendate asking “Why is this tion that it’s time for your here?” and “Is this two-ply?” union mandated break. With its chic industrial atDon’t: Attempt to show mosphere, it’s up to you to your date how strong your soften the mood. teeth are by biting copper Do: Pull out a can of pipes. Your workers comFresh Fall Pumpkin Febreze pensation does not cover and say “just in case.” Bodental injunus points ries. if you can 4. The place it in One of the most intimate S e c r e t the room at before the locations at SLU lies in Room date. Soften the bowels of the lecture the Top of the lighting halls. Mysterious and the Clockt o w e r : by striking dozens of private, this special spot H i g h l y matches in will have your date ask- s o u g h t as a rapid sucing “Why is this here?” after date spot, cession. and “Is this two-ply?” the secret D on’t : room at the Attempt top of the to find clocktower an outlet is something of mythology. to use your hairdryer and Legend tells that any couple charge your portable radio. who kisses at the top will Firstly, your hair should be marry either each other or dry when you arrive for the George Clooney. Lit by a date. Secondly, FM signal is single ever-burning flame, poor that far underground. this room is populated by Be sure to prepare cassette a lone white rat, trained to tapes prior to the date. wind the clock at midnight Notice: This date location each evening. is reservation only. Do: Bring a puree of goat 3. Future Room 403 in milk and steel cut oats to apGrand Hall: With windows pease the rat. If he is pleased and facades going up, this with your offering, he location is only going to get will add a year to both of more popular. Currently a your lives. Be prepared to shell of steel beams and exanswer a series of riddles. posed wiring, a date in what Don’t: Arrive bearing rat will soon be room 403 in poison or an unwilling heart. Grand Hall makes a state-
‘More Life:’ A playlist by October Firm
Harita Abraham
On Saturday, March 18, musical artist Drake dropped his recent 22-song project “More Life.” The project premiered on iTunes Radio at 5 p.m. Drake calls his latest project a playlist and not an album because of the lack of flow in the overall project; there is a wide variety of music styles and genres. It was truly an eclectic mix of music. Unlike typical albums, “More Life” does not tell one big cohesive story. A good way to describe “More Life” is to describe it as Drake’s current Pinterest board of music because it is kind of everywhere with his current musical interests. We see a lot of influence from the U.K.’s grime scene as well as some Caribbean influence on “More Life.” While it is always pretty risky to experiment with sound, Drake succeeds and delivers some unique sounds and tracks with “More Life.” There are a couple of tracks that really captured my interest in the project. The first song that held my interest was “Passionfruit.” When I first heard this song, I felt like Drake threw me into the middle of a game of “Ocarina of Time” or “SuperMario 64.” The beat was bouncy and light. The overall song sounds happy despite the lyrics being a depressing story about an apparent relationship falling apart. “Passionfruit” is one of the tracks that has been influenced by the island sound
that Drake is experimenting with. In fact, a good chunk of the first half of “More Life” utilizes the bouncy beats of island-esque music. “Blem” is another song that utilizes the sound of Caribbean dance hall. Drake also played around with South African house music in his track “Get It Together.” This song features Jorja Smith, a low-key artist that was brought to the forefront of the scene with this feature. If there’s one thing I appreciate about Drake, it is his ability to find talent in some of the least mainstream places. The man always has his ear to the ground. This song, like the previous songs I mentioned above, is also bouncy and light. These tracks are truly the kind of songs you would get up and just kind of dance to. You can’t help but bob your head at a quick pace to these songs. Another major style that Drake dabbles in is grime. Grime is a genre that emerged out of the U.K. and draws its influence from Jamaican dancehall and hip-hop. Rapping is a huge component of grime and yet grime does not sound like the kind of hip-hop we hear in the United States. “No Long Talk” is a good example of what Drake can accomplish under the influence of grime. He features Giggs and Skepta, two artists from the U.K. we would have no idea about over here in the states. So, like with Jorja Smith, we see Drake introducing some more unique artists into the mainstream. I absolutely loved the tracks that featured these British rap artists and it definitely got me hooked and looking into more grime music. One of my favorite songs on the project is “Portland.” I liked this song because it was
goofy in some aspects but still brought a pretty bumping beat. The song sounds like Drake hired a fourth grader to play a recorder in the background throughout the song. The soft fluty sounds combined with the hard beat and bass was a dichotomy that was pleasant to my ears. This track also features verses from rapper Quavo and Travi$ Scott. Both of these features fit perfectly onto the beat. Both artists are also hype, so I was very excited to hear this track knowing that these two were featured on it. Some o the lyrics even made me laugh, but in a good way. My favorite song on the entire project above all else is “Lose You.” The song is slow and the beat reminded me of Drake’s older stuff. I am a sucker for older and slower Drake which is probably why I vibed with this song the most. In this song, Drake is rapping and singing from the heart. The song is Drake asking his loved ones if he lost them in his journey to become a successful rapper. If there’s one thing Drake is known for, it’s for getting in his feelings. He is just so good at it and this song is proof. Overall, I was really happy with “More Life.” I think that even though Drake globe-trotted for the sound of this project, he still sounds like himself and that’s something I can really appreciate about the project. I think a lot of people are not used to the random mix of genres, but I think it’s important not to let that hinder one’s opinions. This project is nothing like his older stuff so there is no comparison. “More Life” is definitely different but it’s an amazing different and it makes me even more excited to see where Drake is taking his music.