UNEWS unewsonline.com Vol. XCIII No. 10 By WOLF HOWARD News Editor
ARTS 2013-14 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
PAGE 5
Seeing the Sinquefield collection
Billikens ready to Defend and Repeat
OPINION PAGE 10 The presidential search off and running Connect with The UNews:
A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1919
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Throng demands House vote Focus is on immigration reform
SGA tackles senate’s numbers — again said and since modified the bill,” stated Vice President of Diversity and Social Justice and Co-Chair of Association Reform Task Force (ARTF) Saint Louis University’s Amelia Romo. Student Government AsThe ARTF has been sociation (SGA) faced a working to evaluate and controversial meeting on present the most effective Wednesday evening as the options for an SGA reorgaissue of reforming the organization and presented their nization came into business. results to the senates with SGA has been battling this an optimistic issue since outlook for the beginWe took into confuture effining of the ciency. The academic sideration what the reform bill school year students have said cuts current and atand since modi62 senate tempts to fied the bill. seats to 43. make the In doing so, student or-Amelia Romo, VP SGA hopes g a n i z at i o n of Diversity and to provide a more effiSocial Justice more effeccient than tive student it has been organization in the past. while still providing a repreHowever, until now, these sentation for each and every attempts have been fruitless. SLU student. This week’s meeting was a The meeting consisted of milestone in advancing tomuch debate and questionwards effective reformation, ing about the various seat as SGA presented the Senreforms and SGA President ate bill describing potential Vidur Sharma reminded the future modifications to the senate body. “We took into considerSee “SGA” on Page 3 ation what the students have By JESSICA WINTER Associate News Editor
Wolf Howard / News Editor
Protest: Six immigration reform supporters were arrested during a rally in front of the federal courthouse Monday. dollars to increased border security and establishing an amnesty policy among other initiatives. The 100 block of south 10th street was barricaded at both ends by police vehicles as the rally took place in front of the Eagleton U.S. Courthouse. Six protestors, each with a sign that read “We demand a vote! Immigration reform now!” pinned to their backs, sat in the street and were arrested and charged with failure to comply after multiple speakers shared their experiences with immigration. Juan Montaña, the leading speaker at the demonstration, made the crowd’s message clear. “We want a vote, we want it now,” Montaña said, pressuring Rep. Ann Wagner R-Missouri and Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer R-Missouri to bring the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, or Senate bill S. 744, to a vote in the House. Speakers at the demonstration focused primarily on the adverse effects the current immigration policy has had on their families and the families of others, urging Congress to help immigrants find a better life in the U.S. “This is a real thing. There are people whose families have been separated... [and] destroyed by the immigration system,” Montaña said. “These are people that come here to work, to grow and to give back to the community.” Norma Andrade, a Mexican immigrant, said that she lived in the U.S. for 19 years as an undocumented immigrant. She said she had to run away from her husband rather than turn to the law See “Reform” on Page 3
A group of roughly 100 protestors gathered in downtown St. Louis on Monday morning demanding that the House of Representatives vote on a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The demonstration was part of a national day of action promoting the reform bill passed by Senate earlier this year. If signed in to law, the bill would enact a full overhaul of American immigration policy, dedicating billions of
Development proposal may boost Midtown area
ASME takes home the golden gourd more accurate,” stated Manuel Posso, President of the Association of Parks College Students (APCS). Last year’s Pumpkin Launch included an impressive distance of about 200 ft. from one of the team’s launch, while this year the farthest was about 75 ft. With two more teams participating than last year, however, the event still proved an entertaining spectacle for the audience. An added bonus and sense of accomplishment that the participants and spectators could revel in was in knowing that the event’s proceeds go towards St. Louis local charities. Vice President of Finance for APCS, Safi Islam, added to this list of positive outcomes from the event. “It’s a great team building exercise where you get to know and learn a lot about your fellow Parks students.” APCS President Posso mirrored this sentiment when describing his interaction with the event. “I think that the Pumpkin Launch is a wonderful way to teach lesswons about engineering design, creativity, innovation, craftsmanship and teamwork,” Posso stated. “The beauty of it is that a big part of it is the fun factor, and I truly believe we learn better if we enjoy the learning process. This is APCS’s way of fostering the engineering spirit among SLU students.” Image courtesy of Pace Properties
Retail: Pace Properties has published plans for building a new shopping center along Forest Park Parkway. By DIEDRE KIERNS Contributor
Wolf Howard / News Editor
Trebuchet: A group of engineering students loading their trebuchet for a launch. By JESSICA WINTER Associate News Editor
Pumpkins aren’t just for carving, as Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology showed Saint Louis University on Saturday, Nov. 2. Sometimes, it’s more fun to build a trebuchet for them and launch them across a field – which is exactly what Parks student participants did at the Fifth Annual Great Pumpkin Launch. The event provided an amusing outlet for the Parks students to put their engineering skills to use and to compete in a friendly and
entertaining atmosphere – not to mention to make use of all of the remaining Halloween decorations. “The [Pumpkin Launch] was very enjoyable -- we got to destroy pumpkins and hang out with friends,” said participant Cory Seidel, a junior in Parks College. “I decided to participate because it sounded like a lot of fun and was something I always wanted to do.” This year’s Pumpkin Launch consisted of six different teams, all of whom assembled homemade trebuchets designed to efficiently launch their pumpkins across Tegeler Field. They were judged in the catego-
ries of distance and accuracy and were allowed at least three shots that tested the effectiveness of their designed trebuchets. Depending on their strong suite, the teams could use their final shot(s) in whichever of the two categories they felt luckiest. This year’s winning team, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), not only enjoyed bragging rights but the ultimate prize as well: a golden pumpkin. The team gets to claim the pumpkin for a year, until next year’s launch. “For the most part, this year’s [trebuchets] were not as strong as last year’s, but they definitely were a lot
The parts of Midtown most often recognized throughout the city are Saint Louis University’s campus and the Grand Art and Life Center. The streets of Midtown are also lined with food options and housing plots. Yet the neighborhood still suffers from numerous vacant lots and a shortage of popular retail locations that would help bring more business and economy into the area. However, new proposed developments on the horizon may provide some solutions. Pace Properties, a St. Louis- based real estate company, hopes to spruce up the vacant lot adjacent to SLU’s campus with a new shopping center. The proposed site plan lays out construction of four buildings where the Federal-Mogul automotive parts plant once resided. The plant closed in 2007 and Pace acquired the property soon thereafter. Located on the north side of I-64, the site is bordered
by Vandeventer and Spring Avenues to the west and east and Forest Park Parkway on the north. The “Cortex” development serving nearby hospitals sits just west of the potential retail site. The company is talking with Great Rivers Greenway District concerning the feasibility of replacing the old, elevated railroad tracks with a bikeway. The bikeway would connect riders from Downtown to Forest Park. In addition to the bikeway, Pace Properties hopes to encourage pedestrian foot traffic by adding another Metro Link station in the Cortex. The new Metro stop would connect the Grand Avenue stop and the Central West End/ Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Pace Properties hopes to revitalize the region with the building of “Midtown Station.” The company’s renderings show four buildings located around the collective parking lot. The drawings allocate five major retailers among the buildings, See “Retail” on Page 3
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