Jan 29 (issue. 15)

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Pilgrims in a historic land

Res. Life offers spring-break tour of civil rights sites By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Contributor

Approximately 50 years after civil rights advocates marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, SLU students will make a pilgrimage to landmark locations of the civil rights movement and discover the continuing legacy it has on today’s social justice issues. The Department of Hous-

ing and Residence Life is sponsoring this opportunity for 20 students to take part in the civil rights pilgrimage, March 6-14, during spring break. “One motivation for the pilgrimage is for students to visit these places and to draw similarities and differences between the kind of the struggle that happened in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, to some current societal equities that are still happening today,” said J.J. Janulis, as-

sistant director for Housing and Residence Life. Janulis has conducted similar civil rights pilgrimages at Marquette University, where he worked as the coordinator of intercultural engagement. “I wanted to bring the pilgrimage to SLU because there’s a lot of momentum from Ferguson, a lot of momentum with “Selma”, and I just think that there are so few opportunities for students to do something over

spring break that teaches something about our history, our country’s history with civil rights,” said Janulis. The pilgrimage will start from St. Louis on March 4 and work its way through Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi, Little Rock, Arkansas—and then back to St. Louis. See “Pilgrimage” on Page 3

Courtesy of the Department of Housing and Residence Life

Pilgrimage: This spring break, the Department of Housing and Residence Life offers students the chance to tour key sites of the 1960s civil rights movement. March 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Selma march of 1965, one of the numerous destinations on the pilgrimage’s course.

University announces several alterations to administration By PAUL BRUNKHORST Associate News Editor

On Jan. 27, an email was sent out universitywide announcing a number of changes to take place in high levels of SLU’s administration. Two vice presidents will be stepping down – Fr. Paul Stark, S.J., Vice President of Mission and Ministry and Kathleen Brady, Vice President for Facilities Service – and a number of other official positions within the administration need to be filled. In the email, University President Fred Pestello praised Stark and Brady for their work at the University.

“Since accepting his current appointment in 2011, Father Stark has been a strong voice for SLU’s Catholic, Jesuit identity, mission and values. His collaborative efforts with a variety of divisions, departments, faculty, staff and students have resulted in many successes, including the SLU Student Emergency Relief Fund and the Faith and Justice Collaborative, among many others,” Pestello wrote. Pestello thanked Brady for her work in making SLU one of the “most attractive urban campuses in the See “Change” on Page 3

Michelle Peltier / The University News

Shifts: Two SLU vice presidents will be stepping down.

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OPINION

A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1919

Vol. XCIV No. 15

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ARTS

SPORTS PAGE 7

Scandal Bowl

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Wellness initiatives: SGA funds still available By PAUL BRUNKHORST Associate News Editor

In September, SGA vice president Jaisel Patel outlined his goals for the Wellness Fund – SGA’s purse for students who wish to start a project to benefit mind, body or spirit. “My biggest goal for this year,” he said in the fall, “is to make sure that students are aware of this wellness initiative. If they have a great idea that benefits either mind, body or soul, I want them to bring those proposals to us so that we can bring -Liz Vestal, those goals to life.” At its w e e k l y meeting on Jan. 28, the SGA Senate saw two such ideas come to life: the Free to Be feminism campaign and the Cold Winter/Warm Heart initiative. Free to Be is the brainchild of SLU students Annie Cameron, Renee Richter and Liz Vestal. Their idea was to create a week of events – complete with guest speakers and a dance party – to help promote what they see as feminism’s greatest attri-

bute: equality of all people. “It started from this idea that the idea of feminism kind of has negative connotations, just on SLU’s campus, and that this idea of equality of all persons should really be something that SLU is embracing,” Cameron said in the proposal to the senate. “And so, we thought that the best way to convey this idea was to start this sort of grassroots movement that would take shape in the form of a week of events, and it’s called Free to Be.” “ O u r definition of feminism that we’re trying to promote is the equality of all people,” Vestal added. In addition to the Free student to Be proposal, which passed, SGA also heard a request for funding for Cold Winter/ Warm Hearts, a group of SLU law students who asked for $1,000 to provide kits full of winter essentials to the homeless; this proposal was also approved. “How can we get students to give to the homeless?” SLU student Andrew Sulli-

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See “SGA” on Page 3

Jerry cans for a just cause By PAUL BRUNKHORST Associate News Editor

While all college students know the struggle of carrying heavy books across campus, SLU junior Hannah Vestal has added to the usual load; since Sept. 5, she has brought a jerry can – the term for her bright yellow water jug – everywhere she has gone. It has been, she said, an experience that has put things in perspective. “I went to go fill it up that [first] morning, and I was immediately humbled by the fact that it was so heavy,” Vestal said. “And I couldn’t believe that people had to do that every day. So after one day of doing it, I [thought] ‘I need to continue this because I want other people to be aware of this.’” And people have been aware; Vestal said that she has raised over $4,000 for Billiken for Clean Water, the campaign that is the root of her bringing the jerrycan everywhere she goes. “I started Billiken for Clean Water on Sept. 5 because my friend … [had] started her own nonprofit called Water for Panama, and I was really proud of her,” Vestal said. “So I was thinking of how I could help her, and so [I decided to] carry around a jerry can … to spread awareness about the water crisis because a lot of people have to carry these to get clean water.” Vestal’s original goal was to raise $1,000 for Water for Panama, but, impressed by the heft of the jerry can –

and the fact that, on average, people must walk four miles to get clean water – she decided to take the campaign further and raise $7500: the entire cost of a new water system to provide clean water. This system, a windmill aqueduct, will be installed by Solea, a company in St.

Louis’ own Central West End neighborhood that has taken over the work of Water for Panama. Vestal has been joined by other students too – jerry cans were brought to the recent March for Life in Washington, D.C. – but she hopes that other people will continue to join her.

“I challenge people to carry jerry cans; I have five extra now. I’ve applied for a grant to get 100 jerry cans, so, if that happens, then everyone can have one, and that would

See “Water” on Page 3

Photo courtesy of Hannah Vestal

Walking for water: SLU junior Hannah Vestal has carried a jerry can with her since September 5th. So far, Billiken for Water has raised over $4,000.


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