No. 8 (Jan. 23, 2020)

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THE UNIVERSITY NEWS

VOL. XCVIV No. 8 / January 23, 2020

Our Billiken blizzard Our causes a snow day

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NEWS

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Photo Courtesy of Amelia Flood.

AWARDS CEREMONY HONORS MLK’S LIFE & LEGACY Memorial tribute features St. Louis community leaders with keynote speech from Rowland Martin

By CONOR DORN Associate News Editor

ast Thursday, Jan. 16, SLU hosted its annual memorial tribute for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., honoring the life and legacy of King as well as those in the St. Louis area that exemplify King’s vision of justice and racial equality.

The event is held each year as a reminder of King’s visit to SLU in 1964, when he addressed a crowd of nearly 4,000 in the former West Pine Gym. King’s visit to SLU in 1964 came just two days before he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize and two months before his “I Have a Dream” speech.

For the past nine years, the University has organized the memorial tribute to mark King’s visit, with an awards ceremony that recognizes those working in King’s legacy in the St. Louis community. The memorial tribute also features a keynote address by a notable voice for civil rights. In years past, keynote speakers have included Martin Luther King III, King’s eldest son, and UN Ambassador Andrew Young, both influential civil rights figures.

This year, the noted journalist, author and television personality Roland Martin gave the keynote address. Martin, who has written three books, including “Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America,” has made an illustrious career discussing current events from an African-American perspective.

Martin was named journalist of the year in 2013 for his efforts to chronicle issues facing African-American voters during

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the 2012 presidential election, including voter suppression and intimidation. In 2008, he received the President’s Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for his multi-platform advocacy work.

Before Martin’s keynote address, the audience heard remarks by President Fred Pestello, Ph.D., and SLU alumnus Michael P. McMillan, the president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Pestello and McMillan were joined by the Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement, Jonathan Smith, Ph.D., in an award ceremony honoring those in the St. Louis community furthering Dr. King’s legacy.

Though the recipients devote their energies to a diverse array of causes, from education inequality to health care reform, they are united by their commitment to leading lives of public service following Dr. King’s example.

To begin the award ceremony, Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, was awarded the Donald Brennan Humanitarian Award for her advocacy work related to health disparities and inequality.

The Organization of the Year Award was accepted by Wendell Kimbrough on behalf of Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS). The organization “funds and strategically enhances initiatives that improve the lives of children and families” in especially disadvantaged areas of St. Louis.

Art McCoy, Ph.D., the superintendent of

the Jennings School District, was awarded the Education Leadership Award for his efforts to combat inequality in education. Under his leadership, the classes of 2017 and 2018 in the Jennings school district achieved a remarkable 100 percent graduation and career or college placement.

Congressman William Lacy Clay was honored with this year’s Political Leadership Award. Clay serves as Missouri’s senior Democrat in Congress. Currently in his tenth Congressional term, Clay is the Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance. In that capacity, he has advocated for fair housing and consumer protection and fought discriminatory practices such as redlining.

In his acceptance remarks, Clay emphasized his debt to King and his legacy as well as other civil rights leaders, echoing King’s famous declaration that “Anyone can be great because anyone can serve.”

The final award was the inaugural Whitney M. Young Humanitarian Award, which was given to Michael and Neomi Neidorff. Neidorff is the president and CEO of Centene Corporation and has worked to implement programs and services under Medicaid and Medicare.

The event was capped off by Roland Martin’s keynote address examining King’s life and legacy. At the outset of his address, Martin made it clear that his remarks might be tough for some to hear. He warned the audience: “It is my job to make people uncomfortable.”

Martin’s speech focused on King’s legacy in the 21st century, asking the audience to avoid appropriating King and his legacy and instead focus on imitating his commitment to political action.

Martin issued a challenge to the audience—“Don’t you dare quote Dr. King unless you are willing to live like Dr. King.”

For Martin, King was more than just a man who gave speeches on racial equality, but a man radically committed to social justice in all spheres of life who paired his electrifying speeches with tangible political action.

Martin challenged his audience to live as King lived, striving for direct and sustained action on behalf of the marginalized and downtrodden.

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SLU CHESS LOOKS AHEAD TO FINAL FOUR

By MIKHAIL FAULCONER Staff Writer he SLU chess team finished 2019 with a string of high finishes in recent tournaments.

They now look forward to the President’s Cup, or “Final Four,” the collegiate national championship of chess in early April.

After taking the Midwest Collegiate Chess and Blitz Championships in October, the team travelled to China in November and took third place at the World Prestigious University Chess Invitational, placing ahead of prestigious universities such as Harvard and Oxford. The team also defeated its host, Nankai University.

SLU chess team coach and grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez, the first grandmaster from Central America, stated that this was the team’s first time competing internationally as a team, although most of the team’s members have competed extensively as individuals in the past.

Then, SLU finished again in third place at the competitive Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Tournament, which determined which teams would compete in the President’s Cup in New York. The Pan-American Tournament is different from most collegiate chess tournaments in its structure.

Ramirez explained, “It’s a very unforgiving tournament, simply because it’s a very short event.

Tournaments of this strength are usually nine rounds long, which gives a little more wiggle room for mistakes ... In this case, we had it really rough. We got defeated by Texas Tech, which is one of the best universities in the country, and the fact that we got matched in the last round with number one by rating, which is Webster University.”

SLU went on to defeat Webster, which has won five of the last

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seven national championships, in the last round of the Pan-American Tournament. SLU Chess Team grandmaster Alex Ipatov, currently ranked 142nd amongst active players in the world by the International Chess Federation, defeated Aleksander Lenderman, ranked 131st, of Webster, which Ramirez said was the highlight of the tournament. Ipatov commented, “[Beating Webster] felt very good. They are our arch-rivals and the highest ranked collegiate team in the nation. We are second.”

In 2018, SLU placed fourth at the President’s Cup. Fellow St. Louisian Webster University also qualified, whose team has won the President’s Cup five times in the last seven years. SLU will again face off against Webster and Texas Tech, as well as the University of Texas at Dallas, in New York this April. In contrast to other tournaments, the President’s Cup features only classical chess, in which matches can last for hours as opposed to minutes in blitz or other formats. In addition, teams’ aggregate scores are as important to winning the tournament as victory in individual matches.

Founded in 2015, the team has expanded from five to thirteen members, which allows them to field multiple sets of players within a single tournament. The SLU Chess Team features six male and two female grandmasters.

Ramirez commented that the team has also grown closer and developed more chemistry in a relative short period of time since its founding.

Another factor conducive to the team’s success and in attracting new talent is St. Louis’s chess environment. Ramirez said, “There’s no other city that has the current chess ambiance in the U.S. or maybe in the world. I think for chess players it’s kind of a mecca. There’s always top level chess, lectures, opportunities ... we have the resources to be one of the best.”

(Riley Mack / The University News)

AMEREN DONATES

$1 MILLION PLOT OF LAND TO SLU

By SAVANAH SEYER Staff Writer ast month, Ameren Missouri, an energy company based in St. Louis, became the latest group to assist SLU in redevelopment projects that are currently underway in the neighborhood after their donation of a 2.1-acre site to the university.

The site, which sits just past the Metrolink station near SLU’s Medical Campus, was once home to an electrical substation. But after Ameren began using a different substation, the site became a storage place. The property is reportedly worth around $1 million and is part of the University’s Accelerating Excellence: The Campaign for Saint Louis University.

The campaign aims to raise $500 million and has currently raised $360 million to date.

The Midtown area surrounding SLU campus is the site of numerous redevelopment projects that aim to make the area one of the most attractive and exciting in the city of St. Louis. SLU was involved with a number of these projects, helping to make the community around the campus a more developed place to live and work. Nearly $1 billion has been invested in the area for various projects, including the SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, the City Foundry, the Amory project and the Iron

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Hill development site. These sites will hopefully inspire new restaurants, retail space, homes, hotels, apartments and medical services to arise in the area.

According to Brooks Goedeker, the Executive Director of the St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation, there are no decisions made on the use of the Ameren site yet.

The Chairman and President of Ameren Missouri stated that he believed SLU had the “right vision” to use the property in a way that will compliment the projects currently underway in Midtown St. Louis.

According to Daniel Monti, Ph.D., a sociology and anthropology professor at Saint Louis University who specializes in urban redevelopment, SLU-sponsored residential development in Midtown is attractive because residents will see their neighborhood as a part of a large institution.

“Think of it like a mall,” said Monti, “SLU is like its flagship store.”

Monti said that the redevelopment of the area is important because everyone would prefer great neighbors as opposed to vacant space. While parts of the Midtown area have taken decades to develop and become safe investments for developers and institutions, Monti believes that the new projects being sponsored

by SLU will be successful in their goal of making this part of St. Louis an even better place to live and do business.

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SLU STUDY: INDIAN FRUIT IS PROMISING CANCER FIGHTER

By LEAH GEORGE Staff Writer LU researcher Dr. Ratna Ray recently completed work on the effects of a popular Indian fruit called bitter melon. Ray’s work suggests that the bitter melon has the potential to delay the growth of cancer cells and tumors. The bitter fruit is an example of a natural treatment, and Ray hopes that, paired with other conventional cancer treatments, it will help slow the progression of the disease and may even prevent its recurrence.

Ray was first inspired to study cancer cures almost 30 years ago because she is an advocate for natural treatments and because many of her family members were affected. “Preventive medicine and natural remedies are important because they can help to maintain a healthy body with no risk of harm,” she said.

Alternative medicine is increasingly more prevalent in the treatment of severe diseases like cancer. Ray continued, saying, “The dose we use of the bitter melon has no side effects to the animals tested, and the melon targets cancer cells, not normal cells, which shows its promising effects.”

The bitter melon fruit works to fight cancer with properties that inhibit the growth and reproduc-

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Photo Courtesy of St. Louis University

tion of cancer cells and promote cell apoptosis, also known as cancer cell death. These effects have been shown in animal model studies, but it is unclear whether the same results will hold true for humans yet. Ray hopes to soon be able to do a human trial to learn more about the effectiveness of this fruit.

The research is shown to be successful in reducing the replication of head, neck, prostate and breast cancer cells when used along with other cancer treatments like chemotherapy. “This treatment should not be used alone because it is meant to be complementary to other remedies,” said Ray. Nature is filled with many medicinal plants, like the bitter melon, that are capable of treating a wide range of diseases. Bitter melon can be found in most Asian markets and can be consumed in different forms, including in a smoothie or even fried. Ray compared the bitter taste to that of beer.

Nupur Chowdhury, a SLU freshman, was incredibly excited by Ray’s research and other similar discoveries. “I think it’s really interesting to hear that a simple vegetable can bolster cancer treatments, especially because my family has it as a traditional meal very often. This makes me have hope for my future,” said Chowdhury.

(Ashlee Kothenbeutel / The University News)

“OPEN THE F*****G

STAIRS IN GRIES.”

By KLAUDIA WACHNIK Staff Writer e c e n t l y , Griesedieck Hall students expressed their frustrations with the closure of the building’s first floor steps, causing long wait times at the elevator—even if only traveling to the second floor. The extra traffic led students to express their outrage over social media and through a petition on Change.org.

There are 16 floors in the Griesedieck Complex, or “Gries” as it’s called by students and staff alike. According to Daniel Bernas, a freshman resident on the 15th floor of Gries, students going to the fifth floor and above typically use the elevator, while students on the fifth floor and below use the stairs. While this was the standard procedure for students looking to access their respective floors, the new closure of the Gries steps prevents students from doing so.

Locking the door was first reserved for just the weekends, but has since become permanent.

Many students living in Gries and Walsh are frustrated with this decision because they feel it limits their ability to effectively get to their floors. Students on the fifth floor and below must wait for the elevator in Gries, which is known to frequently jam and operate at a slow pace, instead of walking up

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the first floor stairwell in a timely manner. Students above the fifth floor have to wait an even longer amount of time to get downstairs to walk to their classes, or up to access their floor, due to having to the higher traffic through the elevators.

“People are upset because if they live in Walsh or on floors three to five of Gries, they can’t take the stairs from the first floor so it backs up the elevator,” stated Juliana Roza, a freshmen resident of Gries.

Gries administration defended their decision to close the steps because residents and guests could access their floors without first signing in. However, Bernas explained that they are not actually “locked” and may be accessible during an emergency. They are simply shut and attached to an alarm that will be activated if opened.

A large number of Gries and Walsh residents alike aren’t content with this decision. While some have voiced their concerns to RA’s, some have turned to satirical methods to relieve their frustrations, specifically the user called ‘Friendly Individual’ who started the petition titled: “Open the f***ing stairs in Gries.”

“I just thought that it was funny. It’s certainly not a serious petition. If I wanted people to take it seriously, I wouldn’t have called it ‘Open the f***ing stairs in Gries,’” commented the author. As of Jan. 21, the petition has 27 signatures.

News

05 (Jack Connaghan / The University News)

DPS REPORTS At 12:29 a.m. on Jan. 18, a student contacted the office of Public Safety after drinking eight shots of tequila and requested medical assistance. The student was conveyed to Barnes Hospital for treatment.

ESPORTS UNVEILS

STATE-OF-THE-ART GAME ROOM

By COLIN THIERRY Staff Writer sports is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Since 2015, around 125 universities have created varsity esports programs, and this year, SLU has joined the trend. SLU has started to recruit students for a varsity esports team that initially will compete in two games: Overwatch and League of Legends.

Around 12 students who get recruited to the competitive gaming team will be eligible for up to $2,000 in scholarships when the program officially launches. SLU’s Division of Student Development is providing the resources to get the esports program off the ground.

“I don’t have to know how to play esports to understand that this program makes students excited to learn and feel a deeper sense of belonging in the SLU community. That is what matters most,” said SLU President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D. The home of the new varsity program is a space recently converted by the university in the lower level of the Busch Student Center known as the Esports Gaming Lab. The lab features 12 stations for PC gaming and three large TV monitors with the three major gaming consoles (Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch). This space will be open for general student use when

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the varsity team isn’t practicing.

The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Esports Gaming Lab is on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. Until the ribbon cutting ceremony, the lab is not officially open to general student use.

In an effort to help guide the efforts of SLU’s new esports team, an advisory group of students, faculty, staff and administrators was recently formed. Senior Nicholas Chiu, who was the founder of SLU’s club esports team in 2017, serves as the varsity program’s director. SLU’s eSports Club, founded

by Chiu, originally started out as a club for players of Super Smash Bros, a popular fighting game. The club has since branched out into other games to become the University-sponsored esports team that it is today.

In regard to what led to the push for the Esports Gaming Lab, Chiu stated, “It got to the point where we needed more space and branched out to more games, there’s a huge community outside of just the Smash Bros. community, especially at SLU.” Another factor that played a sizable role in the establishment of SLU’s esports program and the building of the lab was the reception that Chaifetz Arena’s hosting of the North American Spring Split for League of Legends last year. The event sold out Chaifetz in only two days and showcased how much of a demand there was for an esports program among the SLU community.

The Esports Gaming Lab in the BSC will serve the dual purposes as both a recreational and competitive space for gaming, at least during the first semester. The varsity side is in the back with all of the computers while the spaces with the TVs and consoles are for general student use when the varsity team is not using the space. “Eventually we’re probably going to move a bunch of these recreational video games to the Bill Grill,” said Chiu.

While this space is still in the process of construction, the plan is to put these recreational consoles in the back of Bill Grill near where the pool tables are. The idea for this renovated section of the Bill Grill with the recreational consoles is to be like a “PC cafe” where you can “get a drink, where you can get food, and sit down and relax,” according to Chiu. However, since the Esports Gaming Lab was built for SLU’s new esports program, the lab will primarily serve the purpose as a practice space for the program’s varsity teams.

With 12 state-of-the-art PC gaming stations installed as a part of the lab, Chiu believes that this space will greatly contribute to the success of the esports program.

Though the technology and renovations may seem extravagant to some, the team believes it will be key to their success as a program.

“Some [players] say that when a game doesn’t run well enough, you could misclick or something like that,” said Chiu, “but when you come here, it’s a whole differ-

At 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, a SLU student was found in an intoxicated state just before the SLU basketball game. Chaifetz First Aid Staff was called and the student was escorted out of the game for treatment. St. Louis City EMS transported the student to SLU Hospital for further medical attention.

On April 7 at 7:29 p.m., a man who attended the cheerleading event at Chaifetz Arena exited the building. He walked behind his vehicle and began to urinate when a DPS officer spotted him and took him into custody. He was released soon after.

ent game. [Players] are in a space where they can talk to each other.”

Chiu stated that this dynamic is especially important because a lot of online gaming is usually played alone, where players communicate over headset but not in person. “[The lab] is really nice for players to talk one on one and really go over the problems they have as a team but also as students as well,” said Chiu. Chiu made the point that having a designated space and time to practice esports will provide more structure in the schedules of his players that they can use to carry over into success in the classroom as well.

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Photo Courtesy of Juliana Cortese

2020: A New year of change

By AMAN RAHMAN Contributor Despite the cold and windy day in St. Louis, thousands of determined protesters attended the fourth annual Women’s March this past Saturday. The theme of the march this year was “Be Counted” in an attempt to motivate more people to vote in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

People of all different identities gathered on Market Street to hear inspiring speeches given by a diverse set of women. These speeches were especially significant because they addressed the idea of intersectionality and how not one identity can speak for all women.

Along with reproductive rights, the march and speeches also focused on the issues of immigration and climate change. Women were in-

terviewed prior to the event about what topics mattered most to them, and those three emerged.

After the speeches came to an end, the march through Market Street and down to the St. Louis Arch began. The overall unity throughout this event was incredibly empowering. Protestors made their presence clear as a chanting sea of pink that could be seen a mile away. “We are here and we are not going to back down,” the crowd chanted.

Additionally, the signs seen throughout the march were just as diverse as the people. From humor to boldness, the signs were a big representation of the change this march was trying to enact. “I just took a DNA test and turns out I’m 100 percent capable of making my own decisions about my own body,” one of the signs read. This was referencing the song “Truth Hurts” by popular artist Lizzo.

After years of seeing so much hate on the news, it was extremely encouraging to see so much love in person. People of all different identities were connected with the purpose of inspiring change.

There was a different energy to this women’s march compared to past events. People were adamant and determined to get their messages across, seeing as this year’s election is extremely important for everyone.

Overall, the experience of the 2020 Women’s March was almost indescribable. From the start to the end, this event stirred up many emotions for everyone.

“I felt really emotional seeing a lot of women of different identities and also men coming together for this one cause,” student Melissa Holland said.

Pictured above: Rahman at the 2020 Women’s March

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Little women big impact

By SARA QALBANI Contributor The new 2019 production of “Little Women” has gained a significant amount of popularity in the film industry. On this 12th adaptation of the iconic book written by Louisa May Alcott, director Greta Gerwig incorporates her own unique touch.

The cast for this 2019 version includes actors such as Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep. According to Gerwig, she had previously worked with many of these actors and knew that she wanted to cast them in this film. Although there have been countless versions of the film, this one is the most-nominated version

in Oscar history. While there has been consistent praise surrounding Pugh on her first-ever Oscar nomination, fans were disappointed, to say the least, to find out that Gerwig was not nominated in the best director category.

This film itself is quite true to the original book, but there were changes made to accommodate modern-day audiences. One noticeable difference, though, is the incorporation of a stronger feminist point of view.

The book obviously has a strong opposition to the inequality that women face, but the film shows Jo having stronger arguments than the original text. Another major difference is the ending. In the book, readers are given a clear understanding of how Jo spends the rest of her life, but in the movie, viewers are able to interpret

in their own way—especially if they only see this particular adaptation.

Another dominant feature of this film is the lack of a direct timeline.

In previous adaptations, the story is followed chronologically, but in this one, there is a consistent jump between the past and the present. This lack of order adds a sense of familiarity in contrasting scenes and gives the overall film a new and exciting look. The cinematography greatly impacts the way the film comes together. Throughout the film, the scenes in the past are all shown in a lighter and happier tone, whereas the scenes in the present portray a darker and more isolated tone. The cinematography is so recognized it was even nominated for an Oscar.

All in all, the film has led many people to run to the theatres to go

and see the exciting new adaptation.

From the contemporary cast to the modern director, children, teens and adults have pleasantly enjoyed this wholesome film.

parasite: A gateway to foreign films

By CELIA SEARLES Arts Editor “Parasite” is highly deserving of its nomination for best picture for the 2020 Academy Awards and is the first Korean film to be nominated for this prestigious award.

It dances the line between comedy and thriller and offers a fresh commentary on power and class in Korea, not dissimilar from class struggles in Western countries This film had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, both for the plot and the beautiful shots and score that blended effortlessly with the movement of the scene. The majority of the film takes place in a beautiful, modern home where the lines are clean and the landscaping is perfected. It’s a peaceful juxtaposition

against the claustrophobic city streets the main characters actually reside on. Each design choice is intentional, and there isn’t a single prop that doesn’t add to the shot without ever overcrowding. Each setting offers more than what meets the eye.

The plot follows a family that is struggling financially and finding work by slowly infiltrating a wealthy family. The four members of the struggling family manage to deceive the wealthy

one with only the youngest son having a hunch that they all know each other. The plot has several key pivots that dramatically change the tone and purpose of the characters, which is incredibly thrilling to watch. The end of the movie leaves you in a place you would have never foreseen at its start, which is partly why it is fascinating for all two hours and 12 minutes of it.

“Parasite” is a great introduction to foreign films if it’s not a

genre you are already comfortable with. “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” director Bong Joon-Ho said during his acceptance speech for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes. JoonHo’s comment strikes home as many of us can feel intimidated by subtitles and find ourselves satisfied in the comfortability English films offer us. “Parasite” provides a gateway to the world of foreign film, happily appealing to a wide variety of viewers and giving us over two hours of twists and turns that keep us on the edge of our seat.

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yoga journeys are 20/20

By JACK JOHNSTON Staff Writer uring the 2020 Golden Globes, talk mostly centered around the fact that Australia is on fire.

We’ve since moved on. Whenever I actually get around to watching the evening news, impeachment dominates the narrative. On Twitter, my personal feed centers on the current undoing of voting rights by the Missouri legislature.

Instagram is a whole nother story when it comes to self-esteem. 2020 is promising, but our world is filled with scandals upon scandals and fires upon fires.

This has changed the way we live. We live to cope and we live to survive. But this eventually turns into a trap.

When things are bad, binging Netflix and listening to calming music are helpful ways to ignore my problems.

While those things have a place, they are only helpful to a certain extent. When I realized this, I started looking for things that would get me out of bed. I had not spent time looking at my needs. Instead I had focused on the things that were more or less out of my control. That distraction kept me from looking inward and from listening to the sound of my breath.

Prior to the fires of Australia and even before the House turned against Trump in 2018, I had started regularly practicing yoga via YouTube with a yogi named Adriene Mishler. Mishler hosts the YouTube channel “Yoga with Adriene” and offers free yoga practices on her channel for people of all levels of expertise. One thing Mishler does every year is release a 30day yoga journey. The 30-day journey has an overall theme, and this includes a video produced every day with its own theme.

At the end of 2019, I reviewed how my semester had gone. Of course there were highs and lows. But in thinking about how I acted and reacted, I felt so disconnected from myself. I decided to do Mishler’s yoga journey named

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“Dedicate” over break. The practice aims to bring people to the yoga mat and help them dedicate time to themselves. Mishler writes in the description that this is time for “uncovering your authentic self. It’s not about re-creating, emulating or copying someone else.”

I can’t accurately share what happens on the mat. Mishler guides the viewer through various yoga moves, some being harder than others, but the experience varies for every person. A pearl of wisdom gained from a practice by one person could be completely different for another. One particular day was aptly named “Courage,” and it required balance, stamina and trust in yourself. One of my more favorite days was titled “Reveal.” While it was not an easy practice, it focused on shedding the armor we put on to survive our day to day life.

Each practice included its own challenges, and there were definitely some that I felt more in tune with. But the entire experience, curated by Mishler, asks us to simply show up for ourselves. That can be every other day, once a week or whatever works for your schedule.

I got on the mat almost every day. It is in that regular practice, the time I dedicated to myself, that I was able to analyze my pain and shortcomings. But through these practices we can also see what is in our tool chest. That is where we grow and move forward.

I understand that I don’t have the ability to clean up the mess of American politics, and I don’t have any direct way to put out the fires in Australia, but during a really intense tree pose, I witnessed what I could do with my breath and I felt how my motivation could allow me to live healthily even in a not-soideal environment. There are ways to fix the world’s problems, and I will play a part in figuring out those solutions. But what I can do now is find peace and find hope in my own movement and, as Mishler says, “breath lots of love in, and lots of love out.”

Artist spotlight: the leonas

By SYDNEY COMPTON Staff Writer he Leonas are a St. Louis-based group whose music will carry you away. This dynamic duo’s music is an acoustic mix of folk and indie. Their powerful voices are raw and fluid, and their talent with instruments makes their music a true pleasure to hear.

With just one album released in 2016, I may be behind a bit on this spotlight, but their music is still relevant and beautiful. A personal favorite song on their album “Forbidden Fruit” is easily “What Are You Waiting For.” With a sense of urgency in their tone, this song, as well as others, carries a wide range of emotions. The Leonas’ website claims that “their music offers celebration and unflinching appraisal in equal measure.

They strive for peace, but do not overlook the obstacles.” This description is very telling of their message, music and purpose. A beautiful theme and reminder to strive for good but not forget to acknowledge all the difficulties that one may come across. Their music, rooted in their own interpretations of hymns and myths, serves as a reminder of a core message that we could all use a little more of in our lives.

The Leonas were established in 2015 and released their album in 2016, after which they performed around St. Louis and at various markets, bars and venues in other cities. Their lack of inactivity on their joint social media as well as some of their most recent posts lead fans to believe The Leonas are on pause for a moment, all the while Steph and Sarah remain close friends. While one can argue that another album would be wonderful, their album “Forbidden Fruit” continues to be significant to those who listen and enjoy.

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“Steph Plant plays guitar, Sarah Vie violin, and together they sing.”

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TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2019

By DANIEL BERNAS Staff Writer

1. FKA twigs - MAGDALENE Coming up with words for an album like “MAGDALENE” is weird. What are the words to describe an experience so heartbreaking yet so healing, so beautiful yet so uncompromising, so perfect? It’s a record that everyone wanted yet nobody expected the way it turned out. What twigs has kept us waiting for has given us enough time to throw her to the back of our minds, even if just for a moment, and when she came back with “cellophane,” there was an excitement in the music community similar to that of when she first broke out onto the scene. During her time away, she was suffering from six fibroid tumors that had grown in her uterus, which came with agonizing swelling and pain. It was a period of her life plagued by heartbreak and massive attention for her shattering, high-profile engagement. As any good artist would, Tahliah Debrett Barnett didn’t spend this time drowned in sadness—she put it all into her second masterpiece. The result is “MAGDALENE,” the sound of a woman going to the deepest depths of her psyche, her lowest possible emotions, and coming out a different, better person because of it. Each song feels like another step in this journey, another perfect display of raw emotion. And that’s essentially what “MAGDALENE” is: one gut punch followed by another. It’s a reconstruction of an artist and person ripped apart by the world, left to rebuild herself. And that’s exactly what Barnett did, evolving from the dramatically made-up woman on the cover of “LP1” to this massive, orange monster. In her own words, “Mary Magdalene would never let her loved ones down,” and if FKA Twigs is truly channeling Magdalene on this record, she certainly did not let us down.

3. Charlie XCX- Charli Charli XCX could have become your average pop star. She could’ve made a million other “Boom Clap”s and “I Love It”s and “Fancy”s, but her 2016 “Vroom Vroom” EP showed that she had her sights set on another path.

It’s been a dramatic yet prolific three years since that EP marked the turn in her career, and the record it has brought us is nothing short of impeccable. As the opening track boldly states, this is “next-level Charli,” the artist she’s been hinting at all decade; it’s the character portrait that will likely continue to define not only her music but pop music’s potential at large. She shows every side of herself through a dynamic set of tracks that weaves through every level of volume there is. She’s a queen with flaws, a romantic who likes to party, a vulnerable badass. “Charli” declares Charli XCX a pop goddess, not just on the level of legends, but a legend herself.

4. Lingua Ignota - Caligula Now that we have “Caligula,” it almost feels like Kristin Hayter, aka Lingua Ignota, has proven herself as a musical genius. While “All Bitches Die” was a feat through its impressive fusions of modern neoclassical darkwave and industrial, “Caligula” is a bigger, more damning monster, an album so dark in its presentation and subject matter that even its lightest moments carry a sense of dread, of impending doom upon the listener and the subject. It truly succeeds in taking you into its dark universe and rarely offers any escape. Records like this and artists like this are rare occurrences, and when they come about, you have to give them credit, no matter how terrifying it may be, no matter how daunting of a listen.

It’s not exactly a pleasant listen, but not all great music is meant to be.

2. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising On “Titanic Rising,” Natalie Mering tackles the world at large with some of the most stunning songs of the past decade. There is something so magical about these 10 tracks, from the vocal harmonies to the instrumentation to the production to the melodies to the lyrics to the effortlessly angelic vocals Mering lays on top. It’s one of those rare records that comes around every once in a while and is truly and honestly so good that at times it’s hard to listen to. I don’t always want to be surrounded with such strong emotion, I don’t always want to be covered in such a warm bed of sound, I don’t always want to be driven to tears from Mering’s songwriting, but there are times where the only thing that can capture the way I’m feeling is simply a song on this record. There is a beauty to “Titanic Rising” that will stick with me for a very, very long time.

5. Caroline Polachek- Pang Caroline Polachek created a masterpiece with “Pang.” Split into two parts, it’s an immaculate pop record that details the “descent through apathy, longing and fear,” and subsequently the “re-ascent towards revelation, humor and trust.” It not only showcases some of the strongest pop songwriting and production of 2019, but it seems to exist in its own world. As Polachek is climbing a ladder on the cover art, we don’t know where she’s going, how far she’s gone or how much left she has to go, and maybe she doesn’t either—but at least she’s climbing. She’s too far along to turn back, and she’s determined to get to where she’s going. She is in the uncertain ascent from longing to euphoria, and within it lies the beauty of “Pang.”

Check out the Top 50 Albums of 2019 and Spotify Playlist online!

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University News 1/22/20 Crossword

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Water collector Mannerism Writer Wharton Kicker British P.M. before Gladstone Crowning Track event Be theatrical Type of grave, for the Titanic

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12 Chow checker 13 Bard’s “before” 21 Handbag 22 Small child 25 Apia locale 26 Jordan’s capital 27 Seashore 29 Minor damage 31 Colo. neighbor 32 Russian retreat 33 Bay window 34 Sir or madam 36 Epoch 37 Lady of Spain 40 Luau souvenir

42 It lifts for money 46 Support, in a way 49 Promised land 50 Calendar abbr.

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SLU Interim ADMINISTRATION

By EMMA CARMODY, Editor in Chief, and RILEY TOVORNIK, Photo Editor Photos Courtesy of Saint Louis University

Throughout this school year, several administrators from across Saint Louis University have stepped down from their respective positions. As SLU searches for replacements, multiple interim faculty members have been named to keep the university running smoothly until permanent ones are hired. You may not see these people in day-to-day life, however, their behind the scenes work is invaluable to students and faculty.

Many students have expressed their frustration with the university’s inability to retain administrators this year.

Even in September, students were no-

ticing the changes in SLU’s administration. In the University News’ first issue of the school year, business school senior Seth Hardin said, “I really don’t like how we received the news about getting an Interim Dean in an email from the Interim Provost. Does anyone at this school have a real job?” in reference to the announcement that Mark Higgins, Ph.D., would be stepping down as Dean of the Chaifetz School of Business.

Months later, these positions remain unfilled and several more interim administrators have been added to the list.

Perhaps most notably, toward the end

Dr. Duellman has been an associate professor of accounting since 2010. He served on the Chaifetz Research and Scholarship Committee, as well as the graduate board. His research has won multiple awards.

of the fall semester, both Mona Hicks, Ph.D., the previous Dean of Students and Ken Porterfield, Ph.D., the previous Vice President of Student Development, announced that they would be leaving SLU at the end of the semester to pursue other professional opportunities.

Since then, Debra Rudder Lohe, Ph.D., has been named the Interim VP of Student Development and Donna Bess Meyers the Interim Dean of Students.

They will be hosting a meet-and-greet on Feb. 3 from 4-6 p.m. in the St. Louis Room of the Busch Student Center.

Dr. Lohe’s work in the Reinert Center helps establish strong partnerships between students and faculty. She earned SLU Woman of the Year in 2018, and the Student Development Collaborative Partner Award in 2017.

Scott Duellman, Ph.D.

Debra Rudder Lohe, Ph.D.

Interim Edward Jones Dean of the Chaifetz School of Business

Interim Vice President for Student Development

Associate Professor of Accounting

Director of the Reiner Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning

PHOTOGRAPHY As Dean of Students, Myers is in charge of running Billiken Bounty, an outreach program for students.

She encourages students to live up to Jesuit values, and to make responsible decisions.

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Dr. Lewis has been an associate professor of chemistry since 2004.

He has acted as associate provost since 2013, and is known for niversity iniviatives related to faculty decelopment, hiring, contracts, promotion and tenure.

Donna Bess Myers

Michael Lewis, Ph.D.

Interim Associate Vice-President Dean of Students

Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Associate Provost

Gillis is a noteworthy theological scholar, whose works focus on Roman Catholicism. He holds a Ph.D. in theology, which he earned from the University of Chicago, as well as holding a master’s, Pd.D. and Ph.B. from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. He is expected to serve as the Interim Provost until July 2021.

Chester Gillis, Ph.D. Interim Provost Chief Academic Officer

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SOCCER OR PHYSICAL THERAPY: ALLI KLUG AND NWSL DRAFT

Two-time All-American defender Alli Klug registered for the NWSL Draft in hopes to continue her soccer career. The physical therapy student has two potential career paths she could follow , continuing her education in SLU’s PT program or finding a new way to stay in the game. (Jack Connaghan / The University News)

By MISHAL MUSTAQUE Staff Writer enior defender Alli Klug faced a tough choice: continue down the PT program or chase the soccer dream?

After the end of the season for the women’s soccer team at SLU, in which Klug played an ever-important part, she was left wondering what her future held. Having helped SLU to the first round of the NCAA championship where they unfortunately experienced a defeat at the hands of Notre Dame, the stalwart defender went in for a self-explorative conversation with head coach Katie Shields, where she laid down her plans to enter the NWSL draft.

“I didn’t really discuss this with my parents. They’ve always been super supportive of me. I can always just enter it and if things don’t work out, it’s not that big of a deal.”

As a student in the Physical Therapy program at SLU, Klug hopes to decide sooner rather than later what the next phase of her life looks like.

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She notes the different avenues facing her and the likely consequences that each could bring about.

“If I do get drafted, it would be difficult balancing school and having to leave early because you typically leave at the end of February or middle of March for preseason. I talked to the PT program before break, and they just expressed their support for anything I was going to do, which was really reassuring.”

Unfortunately, the call did not come for Klug on Thursday, Jan. 16 from the convention for the NWSL draft being held in Baltimore. Although Klug was somewhat looking forward to leaving SLU early, the disappointment wasn’t immeasurable. It certainly wasn’t the end of the world.

“It’s not completely done, but I definitely have to take a step back and look at what my other options are, and just being back here for the first [couple] weeks, I’ve realized that my number one priority is to graduate in the spring,” reflects Klug.

“I’m in a lot of hours, and even though I was very excited before this semester to potentially leave early,

I’m not sure if I’m at that point yet.”

Indeed, the PT program here at SLU is one of the most rigorous academic curriculums to take on as a student.

Not only does it require taking many hours throughout the 6-year journey that eventually results in a doctorate in physical therapy, there’s also a good 38 weeks of full-time clinical experiences necessary—and those begin senior year.

Klug, though, is not one to shy away from challenges. You don’t just become a two-time All-American defender. Hell, there’s still a chance she will pop up on TV one day.

“I could still go to a tryout or pre-season for a team if I am invited, or I could pursue something abroad. It would probably mean having to take a break for one year from the PT program. And after a year, I would re-evaluate whether I’ll be coming back or continuing with soccer.

“It would probably take more than a year to [establish] a professional career in soccer, so it would only be if I hated it that I would come back [to continue with PT].”

And should that option become non-viable, Klug notes that forego-

ing all career interest with soccer and continuing with the PT program is a great alternative.

Regardless, it is a tremendous achievement to have been able to balance the academic side of things, especially one as rigorous as physical therapy, with playing soccer at a college level, and still earn as many accolades as she has. It is often forgotten that student athletes are still students and have to take on the same challenges as any other student, while at the same time being expected to perform on the field.

Klug says that this particular tightrope she faces now, the two avenues between forging out a professional soccer career and completing the PT program, are “hard and scary.” Making the wrong decision in this instance could prove very costly and is a significant worry of hers. But with the immense support of her parents, coaches, the PT department and many others, it is safe to say that whatever Klug decides next, she will have plenty of goodwill to back her abilities.

AFTER THE WHISTLE

By AUSTIN GLASS Contributor very team except for one is going to end their season on a loss.”

The words spoken by senior nursing major and now Billiken soccer alumnus Alyssa Seitzer cut deep for any player or fan who has ever seen their team make a postseason run. There is only one victor of the NCAA tournament, and while we often see the anger or sadness associated when results come up short, we rarely speak about the surreal experience and emotions felt from our seniors at the conclusion of their time as Billiken athletes. I sat down to talk with current seniors and Billiken athletics alumni to reflect on their time as student athletes and to learn what happens after the final whistle blows.

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More Than a Team

As one can imagine, spending every day with a team for four years can form strong relationships. It came as no surprise to learn about the incredible communities that our teams create. When you ask a SLU student why they chose SLU, you often hear about the sense of belonging and c o m m u n i t y.

SLU athletes tell a similar tale of the families created with coaches, players and staff with a genuine interest in their development as athletes, students and young adults. When you spend almost every day with the same people, you would expect to grow close. At SLU, teams feel like families.

This doesn’t always happen naturally; it only occurs through the efforts

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of players and coaches alike.

A winning culture is difficult to mold, but it has an immense impact on the success of a team. While much of this can be determined by head coaches and their staff, the senior players make a key impact. Coming in as a freshman can be intimidating. Billiken baseball alumnus Ryan Lefner recalled his freshman year coming into a team filled with All-Conference and even All-American seniors. He recognized that it can be a challenge for older players to connect with the younger freshmen but noted that he saw a shift throughout his four-year stint at SLU. The team looked to its seniors to become team leaders and show the incoming classes how they should act both on and off the field. This is not unique to the baseball team. Every student athlete I spoke with talked about their experience within their team culture. An impressive example of senior leadership came from the volleyball team. Sien Gallop and Lauren Mershon spoke about their efforts to change the team culture and create a “family” that truly wanted not to just play volleyball, but play for each other. The results of this culminated in an absolute thriller of a match against Dayton.

While they may have lost that match, the game was not a personal loss for Gallop and Mershon as they now stepped into a new and unknown territory.

Uncharted Territory

It is terri-

fying to not know what comes next.

Upon completing their seasons, many student athletes are forced to face the end of their athletic careers. While some do continue to play in graduate school or at a professional level, many face one of their most difficult challenges yet—life without sports. This manifests itself as a different challenge for every person. Recent SLU and soccer graduate Quayyum Murana voiced his confidence and excitement about his future in the workforce, but also echoed a sentiment which numerous other student athletes in his position have held.

Student athletes are often defined by the sport they play. They introduce themselves as soccer players, basketball players, etc. Once that final whistle blows, many lose that aspect of their identity. In part, this comes from the absolute love of the game. Murana had this very realization stating, “Knowing that I will never play again on a competitive team, play for something … I don’t think that I’ll ever have that type of joy ever again in my life, and that’s something to be sad about.” Seniors are often sad about their final goodbyes, but so often do people overlook the final goodbye that student athletes have with the sport that has given them such joy for more than half of their lives.

Saying Goodbye

This happens every year.

Coaches welcome new recruits and close out their time with the senior class. The team moves forward, but every student athlete must find closure in their own way. This can come in the form of a formal banquet where seniors on the women’s soccer team await the emotional presentation of a jersey and heartfelt video from the team, or it may come from a less formal team dinner or a new group message for the underclassmen.

These moments are important as they help the seniors to appreci-

Left: Leo Novaes (Jack Connaghan / The University News) Middle: Emma Farley (Kyle Smith)

15 ate the time that they had with the team and find closure.

Many of the students I spoke with described the experience of that final whistle as “surreal.”

As the seniors move to the next steps in their lives, the sweat, tears and sometimes blood that they put into everything leaves a lasting impact. This lasting impact becomes the foundation for subsequent years and forms the legacy left by the graduating class.

Senior Courtney Reimer spoke about the stark difference in the soccer program from the time her older sister had spent at SLU to the current team, which has now won back to back A-10 championships.

While players strive to achieve, they always want more. Reimer talked about the

success of her team but also mentioned the importance of those who come after her, stating, “I don’t want to be the best class.” Players join the team and graduate every year, but SLU has been around for over 200 years.

Ultimately, every student athlete comes to SLU for a limited time.

That final whistle closes a chapter of their lives. Every member of every team has put in extraordinary effort to make the team better.

While there is sadness and uncertainty in the coming months and years for our athletes, they look back with gratitude and love. The next steps will likely not be easy, but the values learned and relationships built in Billiken athletics will stick around after the final whistle.

Right: Alyssa Seitzer (Jack Connaghan / The University News)

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WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

By JEREMIAH KIRSCH Staff Writer

s the first day of classes was in full swing at SLU, Major League Baseball completed and released their final report on the investigation of the Houston Astros for using impermissible technology to steal opponents’ signals. According to the report, the evidence was damning and several members of the Astros, current and past, were not left unscathed. Houston manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Lunhow were both hit with one-year suspensions. Later in the day, Houston owner Jim Crane fired both Hinch and Luhnow for their inaction in stopping the events.

The commissioner did not report that Hinch and Lunhow knew or assisted in the sign stealing, but he regarded their responsibility to manage players and coaches as the fundamental reason for their pun-

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ishments.

According to the report issued by commissioner Rob Manfred, the Astros used a live feed camera mounted in center field to decode opposing catchers’ signs to the pitchers. This feed was sent to a video monitor just behind the Astros’ dugout and easily accessible by players and coaches. Once decoded, the signals would be relayed to the batter in several ways that increased throughout the season.

Initially, the signals were relayed by a runner on second base, but then the method was changed to clapping, whistling and yelling before the practice of banging a trash can was adopted. For example, the trash can would be banged once for a change-up, twice for a curveball and not banged for a fastball. This allowed the hitter to know what type of pitch they would be facing, a tremendous advantage. According to SLU junior pitcher Colin Townsend, “If you know what pitch is coming, it is literally impossible to be fooled by a pitch.” Junior softball player Kat Lane agreed saying

as a hitter, “If you pick the signs, I’ll take it.” The Astros’ use of technology to gain this advantage is a black eye for the sport.

As the report was completed, over 68 people were interviewed and 23 were Astros’ players. As part of a deal with the players, they were given immunity from punishment for their cooperation. The report stated many players admitted to participating in the scandal and acknowledged that they knew it was wrong but were never told to stop

by Hinch, Lunhow or other coaches. Several players testified that Hinch knew about the event and Lunhow was involved in two email chains about the sign stealing.

Other prominent names involved were former bench coach Alex Cora and player Carlos Beltrán. Once the report was released, both Cora and Beltrán split with their current organizations. After winning the 2018 World Series with the Red Sox, Cora was outed in Boston while Beltrán parted ways with the Mets after being hired in New York this past November.

Now that the MLB report was released and punishments given, all eyes are now focused on how widespread the activity was and what its severity was. The MLB held off on punishing Cora for his role with the Astros because there is a current investigation involving an allegation the Red Sox engaged in impermissible electronic sign stealing in 2018 when they won the World Series. Are the Red Sox and Astros the only teams that used technology to steal signs? Were other ways used to transmit signs to hitters?

One allegation was put forth by a Twitter user claiming to be Carlos Beltrán’s niece and supported by user Jomboy (a prominent user who revealed the “banging” on video) and Reds’ pitcher Trevor Bauer.

It stated that the Astros’ players wore electronic buzzers to relay the pitch type. This allegation has been vehemently denied by Astros’ players and the MLB, but it has also been explored and not refuted by MLB insiders Ken Rosenthal and Jeff Passan.

As the Red Sox report is completed and further investigation continues, electronic sign stealing is the new “steroids” for the MLB. It is something that threatens the integrity of the game and will need to be addressed by the League.

“It’s a huge step back for the game.

Overall do I think sign stealing is wrong? No. It’s part of the game and every catcher knows that. Do I think using technology that is not accessible to everyone to guarantee you know what pitch is coming is wrong? Yes, very,” said SLU Baseball catcher Ryan Hernandez.

Houston Astros after winning the American League West against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019.

(Cooper Neill / MLB Photos)

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BILLIKENS SHOW HEART IN WHITE-OUT GAME

By Brynn Bachmann Contributor LU competed against Dayton University in last Friday’s whiteout basketball game.

Despite the electric atmosphere inside Chaifetz Arena, the Billikens came up just two points short.

Friday’s game showed an even match-up between SLU and Dayton, which was ranked No. 13 prior to the contest and No. 7 in the latest AP Poll. Dayton’s 16-2 record and SLU’s 14-4 record promised a close and intense game. This promise inspired SLU students to line up early in the morning at various locations on campus in the hopes of receiving a ticket. The 1,000 tickets set aside for students were “sold out” before noon.

SLU students showed up in full force to support the Billikens on the basketball court, with a sea of white consuming Chaifetz Arena. Billiken fans overwhelmed the stadium with blaring support for the players and equally boisterous distaste for Dayton. Part of the energy of the evening was attributed to the shaking bleachers in the SLU student section, spearheaded by Chaifetz Arena emcee and SLU Basketball alum, Andre Craig or, to Billiken fans, Dre. “The atmosphere was tense, but also excited and confident. Every time we scored the whole place erupted into cheers. It was crazy,” recounts Joe Solaro, a junior SLU student.

The contest against Dayton was the first SLU basketball game Solaro had ever attended.

This excitement and energy of the students was fortified by the Billikens’ incredible performance on the court. SLU dominated throughout the game by a significant point margin, and only in the last eight minutes of the second half did Dayton begin to pose a threat. However, junior Jordan Goodwin took the Billikens to overtime with a buzzer-beating layup to tie the game at the end of regulation.

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“It was the best basketball environment I’ve ever been in. As a competitor, it’s those kinds of moments and games that make the game of basketball so fun and enjoyable,” said freshman guard Gibson Jimerson.

Overtime saw an anxious backand-forth competition and an equally anxious crowd. With only six seconds left in overtime, freshman Yuri Collins made two free throws, giving the Bills a 76-75 lead.

Dayton was able to respond with a strong offensive push and a three from Jalen Crutcher, resulting in a 76-78 loss for SLU. Crutcher hit his shot with only 0.1 second left in overtime, a feat Billiken fans were equally amazed and upset by. The game truly came down to the wire, and Dayton was able to pull it off.

“It’s one kind of hurt when you know you got outplayed. It’s a special kind of hurt when you know your team gave it everything they had and came up just short,” said Austin Glass, a SLU senior.

Despite the loss, Billiken spirit was at an all-time high. Each member of the crowd received a free t-shirt and rally towel, with many fans donning the t-shirts as soon as they reached their seats. Nearly the entire crowd could be seen wearing white in support of the Billikens.

Though SLU was unable to come out on top, the Billikens certainly put up a strong fight. Friday’s game provided great hope for what the rest of the season will hold, both on and off the court. This year’s team and fans promise an exciting season full of spirit, support and great basketball.

Freshman Yuri Collins on the ball in front of a sold-out crowd at Chaifetz Arena. Collins drained two free throws to give SLU the lead with six seconds left in over time. Dayton managed a three to go ahead in the final second.

Photo courtesy of Trenton Almgren-Davis.

Junior Hasahn French dribbling the ball down the court. French played a pivotal role in the game against Dayton that ended in a 76-78 loss for the Billikens.

Photo courtesy of Trenton Almgren-Davis.

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Billiken Blizzard Photos and Captions By TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS and MICHAEL PLACE (1) Hasahn French blocks an inbound pass from a Flyers point guard.

(2) Javonte Perkins dribbles past the Flyers’ defense.

(3) Perkins makes a layup around the Flyers’ Ibi Watson.

(4) Cheerleader Julia Tillack waves her pom-poms to rally the sold out crowd at Chaifetz Arena.

(5) Demarius Jacobs helps Jordan Goodwin back to his feet after missing a shot.

(6) Jordan Goodwin flexes in celebration after Javonte Perkins draws a shooting foul from a Dayton defender.

(7) Ten-thousand six-hundred spectators flooded the stands at Chaifetz Arena to partake in the Billiken Blizzard whiteout.

(8) Jimmy Bell Jr. attempts to block a jump shot from Dayton’s Obadiah Toppin.

(9) Jordan Goodwin dribbles the ball through his legs to get around the Flyers’ Jalen Crutcher

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Opinion

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E.R.A....Now?

By CONOR VAN SANTEN Staff Writer “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” At 24 words, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is (or perhaps was) one of the least verbose yet most controversial proposed constitutional amendments in American history. Originally conceived shortly after the ratification of the 19th amendment, which gave American women the right to vote, there was a huge push for the ERA’s ratification in the ’70s and early ’80s. Despite its initial popularity, the ERA failed to be ratified by the required ¾ of the states needed to add it to the Constitution by the amendments deadline in 1982.

While the deadline has long since passed, a renewed effort to bring the ERA back resulted in its ratification in Illinois, Virginia and Nevada. These three states put the ERA past the threshold needed to add the amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The next steps for the ERA remain foggy; there are even some states that have attempted to rescind their ratification of the amendment. The first hurdle the ERA has to clear, however, is its original unpopularity. Proponents of the ERA said that the amendment would enshrine the rights of women in the Constitution and allow for a legal precedent protecting gender equality to develop naturally. Detractors claimed that the ERA would do more harm than good for women, arguing that the amendment would be used to justify a woman’s military draft and would take away the “easy” living of American housewives. Phyllis Schlafly, a St. Louis-born conservative activist, spearheaded the anti-feminist movement that opposed the ERA. Schlafly and her followers vehemently disavowed the ERA as an attack on women, rather than as a measure to protect them. They said that it would be used to enshrine abortion as a permanent law of the land, justify women’s inclusion in any future military draft and remove women from their rightful place as homemakers.

Schlafly’s rigid perspective on gender roles and her talent for thriving on the fears of her female compatriots allowed for her to wage a kind of war on the ERA. “ERA means abortion funding, means homosexual privileges, means whatever else,” Schlafly said in 1999, some 17 years after her supposed victory over the ERA. In fact, Schlafly’s continued existence left most proponents of the amendment feeling hopeless for any future push towards ratification. It was only in 2017, a year after Schalfly

passed away, that the Nevada state legislature felt confident enough to move forward with ratification.

The second hurdle the ERA has to clear is its expired ratification deadline. The original deadline for ratification was in 1979, but Congress authorized an extension to 1982, which the states again failed to meet. Using this logic, ERA supporters argue that the deadline can be extended once again by Congress. Indeed, there is precedent for amendments to be ratified and added to the Constitution long after they were proposed. The 27th amendment, added to the Constitution in 1992, was actually proposed in 1789, shortly after the founding of the country. After being largely forgotten for a record 202 years, the amendment was revived and became the most recent addition to the laundry list of amendments that have been tagged onto the U.S. Constitution. Given the ERA’s controversy, legal battles against extending the deadline are all but certain, which will inevitably delay further progress on the ERA’s acceptance.

The third hurdle the ERA has to clear is the states that have taken back their ratification.

During and after the anti-feminist push to stop the ERA, five states have rescinded their prior ratification of the amendment, but to mixed reactions. Legal scholars continue to debate whether or not a state can legally rescind a prior ratification. No precedent concerning the subject matter exists, and the Constitution is silent on the topic. Proponents of the ERA say such action is illegal, while opponents claim the opposite. More likely than not, this hurdle will be confronted in the courts when the time comes.

Since its conception in 1923, the ERA has been through some of the best and worst times this country has ever seen. Women have helped society through it all; from the working woman of the Great Depression, to the Rosie Riveters of World War II, to the crusading feminists and advocates of today’s day and age, women have been essential in the continued development and existence of our country.

These people deserve the ERA, and they deserve the acknowledgment of our country for all that they do. Ratify the ERA now!

Graphic by Jack Johnston

Opinion

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“Mutual Hatred Is All They Have To Offer” Why the Media Is Partially to Blame For America’s Broken Two-Party System

By JORDAN BAILEY Staff Writer he presidential election of Donald Trump in 2016 unfolded a political reality within the United States that has been evolving for decades: American voters increasingly loathe the opposing political party, its supporters and the governing elect. This new style of averse politics has arisen due to the arrangement of partisan identities with racial, cultural and other social divisions within American society. According to a 2016 Pew Research poll, 36 percent of Republicans believe that Democrats are a “threat to the nation’s well-being.”

Twenty-seven percent of Democrats feel the same way about the Republican Party. This increase in political polarization questions the validity of the two-party system within the United States and whether or not these contemporary political organizations are fighting for the well-being of our nation or for the survival of their governmental regimes.

The rivalry between the Republican and Democratic parties is nothing new. Ever since the United States declared independence in 1776, there have been, for the most part, two major political contenders within the US. The first major party system to emerge in the United States was the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, following shortly with the Jeffersonians and the Whigs and later resulting in the modernization of the Republican and Democratic parties that we know today. But the growing divide between the two parties has only recently shifted from a divide between what the two sides think is best for the nation to a sheer hatred for what the opposing political party stands for.

According to the same Pew Research study, the United States has grown

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more partisan and politically polarized within the last 30 years, which ultimately has resulted in Congress becoming less effective than it used to be. This constant head-to-head battle has caused much of the political agenda on both sides to be focused on ways to demonize the opposing political party rather than ways to cooperate and work together under one unified objective.

So why has the United States’ political atmosphere grown increasingly polarized within the last several decades? Many would point to the rise of partisan extremism within the media.

According to a 2016 study in Journalist Resource, the increase in media partisanship within the last few years has had a significant impact on American voters and how they view the opposing political party. “I view the Republican Party negatively,” Quinn Bailey said, an economics student from the University of South Florida. “I view the Democratic Party less negatively.

This view has been influenced by my mass media consumption, however, I do feel general discontent with all politicians.” The constant slander and political defamation that has flooded news outlets within the last few years has left the media largely incapable of reporting on any real, important problem that is outside of the liberal versus conservative paradigm. And with this ceaseless duality within American politics, issues like climate change, the student debt crisis and systemic corruption gets undermined and stripped of any value. If it’s not being viewed through a liberal or conservative lens, unfortunately, it’s not being viewed at all.

The Demolition of “News” One of the biggest failures in America’s two-party system is the constant need for both political parties to de-

stroy one another. This inevitably has seeped into the mass media. The Daily Caller, a right-wing news and opinion website, found over 20 fake claims published by the broadcast network CNN, falsely reporting things such as the former Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci being under investigation

by Congress for his alleged ties to Russia and claiming that the 2017 healt care bill that was being authorized by the Republican Party would make “rape and sexual assault pre-existing conditions” the worst part? CNN isn’t the only “news” company that has made false accusations like these.

According to Politifact, a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims made by elected officials, more than 40 percent of what Fox News has reported within the last four years was fake. Claims such as Tucker Carlson’s statement that the Potomac River has gotten “dirtier and dirtier and dirtier and dirtier” due to litter that is left “exclusively by immigrants” or Sean Hannity stating that over “642,000 crimes were committed against Texans by criminal immigrants in a seven-year period” are just a few of the many falsified assertions made by the company.

But why do news outlets such as CNN and Fox News make up stories like the ones above? The only logical explanation for this is because these stories make the opposing political side look bad. Or, in Carlson’s case, it justifies extreme paleoconservatism and inherently racist assertions that link to controversial issues such as immigration. The problem with these left- and right-leaning media outlets is that they are only reporting news from a partisan perspective, rather than from an impartial one. America’s dualistic political approach has bled into the way we receive news today,

to the point that it’s hard to decipher whether or not what you are reading is actually real. Can the corruption of media be linked to our two-party political system? Or were mass manipulation and falsified accusations from media companies inevitable from the start? The question of whether or not the media is to blame for America’s broken two-party system or if America’s broken two-party system is to blame for the corruption of the media remains uncertain. But what doesn’t remain uncertain is that both have negatively affected the relationship that they have with American citizens, so much that neither the U.S. government or the American media can be trusted without a smidge of skepticism.

“With this ceaseless duality within American politics, issues like climate change, the student debt crisis and systemic corruption gets undermined and stripped of any value.”

Opinion

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Australian Wildfires– We Need to do More

By LENYA GODA Staff Writer

When I first heard about the Australian wildfires, I dismissed it; I thought they were just “normal” fires.

And while it was sad, it didn’t occupy my mind for a long time. Then, I saw another article, and another, then it was all over Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

As it repeatedly appeared on my dash, I finally decided to research it more. While some people claimed that arson was the main cause of the wildfires worsening this year, the facts seemed to point at a greater cause. This was Australia’s hottest, driest summer, which, of course, only contributes to encouraging the wildfires to grow and spread. Why was this summer in particular so hot for Australia? Climate change.

The entire world is heating up, and Australia is just a warning of what could come if we do not work on preventing it now.

The world is split down the middle. Some people are fiercely defending the science of climate change, claiming we need to act now. Others are refusing to acknowledge climate change, claiming it isn’t real or is irrelevant. However, it is impossible to deny the effect that the world heating up has had on Australia. The Washington Post reported on the fires, saying “Wildfires that have torched an area larger than Portugal, killed at least 25 people and destroyed hundreds of homes have electrified the politics of climate change here and altered the nation’s long-standing, if largely ineffective, environmental

movement.” Along with the human deaths, millions of animals were displaced or killed in the fires. This is tragic. The fires have destroyed so much, and it has agitated the Australians. They have decided to take a stand against climate change through social media campaigns to raise funding. After all, why should their homes be destroyed because we are incapable of taking care of the planet? The high temperatures have mutated the fires into something far more dangerous. We need to take this warning sign before the damage becomes irreparable.

Despite Australia rallying to save their home, plenty of people are still denying the effect of climate change on the fires. However, scientists are quick to point out the correlation between rising temperatures, climate change and wildfires. Peter Gleick, co-founder of the Pacific Institute in California reports to Time Magazine, discussing climate change.

According to Time, “Gleick says that the bushfires are a ‘very clear example of the links between climate change and extreme weather.’” He points out that these fires are very similar to recent highly destructive fires in Brazil and California.” While these fires were not given as much media attention as Australia, there is a visible trend starting to appear, connecting climate change to out-of-control wildfires. Brazil, California and Australia are all terrible warnings, calling everyone to notice climate change and make

genuine efforts to stop it before the effects are irreversible.

Australia is not in the clear yet. The fires started around early October, and the season for bushfires continues until April. The Australian fires could continue for several months. Even with the current progression, ecologists are commenting on the recovery time for Australia. Roger Kitching, ecologist, spoke to NPR, saying, “The normal processes of recovery are going to be less effective, going to take longer...Instead of an ecosystem taking a decade, it may take a century or more to recover, all assuming we don’t get another fire season of this magnitude soon.” There is also no guarantee that there will not be another terrible fire season next year. Australia will already take a century to recover, and if we do not step up to prevent climate change from worsening, it might never recover.

It is time for us to step up and own our actions. We need to take responsibility and act now. As college students, we need to step up and inherit the earth.

It is up to our generation to protect the earth before the damage is beyond repair. What is happening in Australia is tragic and terrifying. But it is also a wakeup call. It is time for us to take a stand for our homes.

So reach out to your state legislator and advocate to make changes to prevent climate change. We have a voice, and it is time that we use it.

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Opinion The Strain and Impact of the Relationship of Latino Patients and their Providers

By MEGAN COLLINS Contributor

Today there is a lot of evidence, thanks to years of scientific and sociological research, that there are disparities in health between different races and ethnicities. While there are many factors contributing to these differences, the patient-provider relationship is often overlooked, but can be a root cause for issues in health care. Latinos are one of the groups in the United States that runs into these strained relationships frequently in our health care system. Discrimination is further compounded with the political and societal view of immigration, leading to many Latinos having to deal with the consequences of adverse health effects. There should be more done for Latino patients in order to improve their relationship with their health care providers and hopefully in turn boost their health

status.

While many of these diseases and conditions are seen across the board for Latinos, you have to understand what makes up the Latino population. This ethnic group encompasses people from the northernmost point of Central America all the way to the southern tip of South America. Since this is such a broad term, there are differences in health between people of different origins within Central and South America. By lumping them all into one group, there is a diminishment in the understanding of health care providers and the rest of society that different groups have particular traits and experiences that can affect each differently. This grouping together does not account for differences that are seen between Hispanics of different origins. If

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providers don’t take into account the specific factors that distinguish ethnicities, they won’t be able to fully understand and help a patient. This is one of the factors that leads to a strained relationship.

Another possible factor leading to the health disparities and strained patient-provider relationships that Latinos face is the discrimination they experience in health care and society as a whole. Many minority patients do not get the same quality of care as the majority of Americans.

This difference in treatment and care leads to medical mistrust for Latinos, prompting some to not listen to the advice of providers. Transparency and trust are the foundation for a successful patient-provider relationship. When there is a lack of either of these, and in some cases influences from other factors, there can be a tension between a patient and the health care provider and can lead to worse health outcomes.

One of the last major factors that influence health disparities is diversity training. Many studies have found diversity training is not effective. However, understanding one’s culture, most importantly their native language, can be effective in reducing health disparities. The best treatments are found where providers can speak Spanish. “In order to provide high-quality care to this sizable and growing population, it’s vital to consider language and culture.” In the St. Louis community, this can be seen in the difference of care for Latinos at Casa de Salud ver-

sus SLU hospitals, and how Casa is more effective in treating Latinos.

Casa de Salud’s unique approach to health care and the patient-provider relationship is one of the main causes that they are more effective in treating Latinos than SLU hospitals. First, all providers either are proficient in Spanish or have a translator with them to avoid miscommunication if a patient cannot speak English. This leads to better understanding and acceptance of treatments of patients. Patients also feel more comfortable to ask questions about their conditions or treatments, and a better understanding of their treatment can lead to a better health outcome. Casa de Salud also focuses on the greater community and supporting the Latino population in the St. Louis area by getting involved in their culture and community events.

As a future health care professional, I believe it is vital to improve the relationship between Latino patients and providers. Additionally, Latinos make up the fastest growing section of the United States. An increase of the Latino population will lead to a decrease of the overall health status of the United States. A decrease in the nation’s health status can lead to more health care spending, shifts in the economy and many changes in society for the worse.

In order to truly combat these potential issues, we must target the root cause of health disparities in the United States with a specific focus on Latino health.

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