No. 11 (March 5, 2020)

U Billikens abroad: VOL. XCVIV No. 11 / March 05, 2020

THE UNIVERSITY NEWS

International programs cut short amidst rising fear of virus

COVER Design by Rebecca LiVigni

NEWS

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STUDENTS ABROAD SENT HOME DUE TO CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Photo Courtesy of Riley Tovornik

By MIKHAIL FAULCONER Staff Writer he outbreak of the coronavirus variety COVID-19 that began in Wuhan, China last year and has since spread globally is now affecting the ability of study abroad programs to run safely. Although SLU has not cancelled its Madrid program, Spring Hill College and Loyola University in Chicago, through which 13 SLU students were attending universities in Italy, suspended their programs on Feb. 28.

Most cancelled programs have been in Asian countries bordering China, such as Japan and South Korea, but a growing number of universities have closed campuses in Italy, where over 500 cases of COVID-19 have been reported. These include universities like Elon University, New York University and Syracuse University, all of which cancelled their programs in Florence despite only two recorded cases of COVID-19 in all of Tuscany. Other universities have offered students the ability to transfer their credits or complete online courses upon returning.

The University News contacted the President’s Office and Office of International Services about SLU’s response to the spread of the virus and how it may

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affect students abroad. Rebecca Bahan, director of the Office of International Services, commented that at the time of publishing, 18 SLU students had their programs delayed, suspended or cancelled.

Speaking on the SLU office’s ability to decide which students are required to return home, Bahan said, “SLU-Madrid is the only study program that’s operated by the University. Other study abroad programs are operated by partner universities and organizations. None have indicated that they plan to cancel classes or close campuses, but we’re remaining in close contact.”

Bahan also stated that the university recommends receiving all necessary immunizations before travelling, and it has been continuously supplying health information and tips for students in addition to the enrollment of all SLU students abroad in an international health insurance plan.

Three SLU students were affected by the cancellation of a program in Beijing on Jan. 28, including sophomore Jennifer Cheun, who spoke with the University News. Commenting on the justification of cancelling programs, she stated, “I think that people being concerned is fair. People should take precautions, of course. But the flu has a higher mortality rate … I think people’s biggest fear is the unknown.”

Cheun was disappointed with SLU’s response and lack of assistance. She said, “I had to do everything. SLU did not contact me whatsoever until I contacted them first ... I felt as if they were not much help. I understand that this was a first time event, but I am not kidding when I say that every other university that was affiliated with the program was more accommodating with their students than SLU.” Noah Elbert, a SLU sophomore who was studying abroad at the John Felice Rome Center through the Loyola University Chicago program, commented on the effects the virus had on life in the city: “The only way that we have really been affected here … is through the temperature checks mandated by the government, checking for fever conditions ... We also participated in a government-mandated informational session on the virus put on by Loyola.”

Anna Burton, a SLU sophomore also studying at the John Felice Rome Center, elaborated on the anxieties the virus has caused, stating, “Everyone has been tense and on edge, especially since we get updates every hour about more programs sending their students back or rising numbers of cases.”

Both Burton and Elbert agree that the virus seemed to have caused little concern in the local Italian population, and beyond temperature checks in some ter-

Confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide

CORONAVIRUS

BY THE NUMBERS

WHILE CHINA HAS BY FAR THE MOST CONFIRMED CORONAVIRUS CASES TO DATE, THE TOP 5 FOLLOWING COUNTRIES in confirmed cases are...

South Korea 5,766 ITALY 3.089 IRAN 2,922 JAPAN 331 FRANCE 285

minals and several train cancellations, there has been no major or evident interruption in the city’s daily life.

“My personal opinion on the virus is that it is very much overhyped by the media, as many things are … I believe that this is a complete overreaction by universities whose members are not at risk really,” Elbert said on the subject of American universities’ reactions to the spread of COVID-19 and the cancellation of courses.

Burton expressed a similar skepticism of universities’ decisions, commenting, “From my point of view, I think it spreads panic and hurts the tourism and economy of the Italian communities to a stark degree. On the other hand, this is a public health concern and I understand wanting to put students health and safety as a number one concern.”

As of March 3, SLU also suspended all university-sponsored travel to countries with a Center for Disease Control Level 3 Health Notice, which includes Italy, China, South Korea and Iran.

Additionally, the university asked all students, faculty and staff members to communicate their travel plans for the next month via a Google Form, stating that SLU will require any person who travels to a CDC Level 3 Health Notice country to be isolated at their home for 14 days before returning to campus.

While cases in china have risen dramatically since the virus began, the amount of confirmed cases has been on the rise throuout the world as well.

90k 80k 70k 60k 50k 40k 30k 20k 10k JAN 20 JAN 24 FEB 1

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confirmed cases mainland china

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total cases recovered

confirmed cases other locations

Infographic By Emma Carmody, Rebecca LiVigni / The University News Data from John Hopkins CSSE

News

MENTAL HEALTH COMES FIRST: CLUB RESILIENT

By KLAUDIA WACHNIK Staff Writer t the beginning of this semester, Club Resilient opened its doors to the SLU community with a mission to empower women through discussions on mental health. The idea was first brought forward this past summer by Megan Tweedie, a sophomore, and Audrey Williams, a freshman, after they both noticed a lack of community space devoted expressly to the discussion of mental health issues.

“There are Active Minds and there’s other clubs that do a really good job at educating people about mental health, but there wasn’t anything for people who were actually struggling with mental health … There wasn’t anything to bring those people together,” Williams said.

The student-run organization is led by Tweedie, Williams and freshman Elle Flock. Echoing the words of her colleagues, Flock spoke on the importance and uniqueness of Club Resilient’s mission, stating: “There’s a difference between knowing in theory that it exists and sitting down with a group of people that are all open about it, all not okay and willing to work on it together.”

Club Resilient has a goal to not only try to improve mental health, but also to create a community of acceptance and support

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through open conversation. Each meeting begins with an introduction from each person in attendance as a means of building trust and familiarity with one another.

Introductions are followed by a brief presentation of the week’s theme, given by Tweedie, Williams and Flock. Some weeks, a personal experience or testimony related to that week’s theme is shared by a Club Resilient member.

Testimonies are organized by participants writing their names next to the themes they’d like to speak on, or they can email Tweedie, Williams or Flock. On the weeks where there is no testimony, club members participate in some sort of group activity.

The main mission of the club is to give every member access to a space where they can discuss their mental health. To conclude the meeting, each attendee is given a small quote or tip to carry with them throughout the week.

Summarizing the overall impact of Club Resilient, Tweedie said: “It just makes people know they’re not alone and that they actually can meet people that they can turn to [and] talk to.”

Williams added: “Overall, it’s probably improved the SLU community by building relationships, building conversation around mental health and hopefully improving people’s life in the realization that they are not alone.”

For any students interested in joining, Club Resilient meets every Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. in the KSLU lounge in the BSC.

(Jack Connaghan / The University News)

03 (Rebecca LiVigni / The University News)

SLU RECOGNIZED AS

TOP WORKPLACE FOR WOMEN

By SAVANAH SEYER Staff Writer

he Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis rated Saint Louis University one of the best places in St. Louis for women to work.

The WFSTL sponsors several premier initiatives and programs to bring awareness to issues facing women and help to create solutions and advance women’s experiences and economic successes in the workplace. One of their main programs is the Women in the Workplace: Employment Scorecard Initiative.

The Scorecard began in 2017, and it “recognizes employers who demonstrate a strong commitment to women in the workplace.” The criteria for recognition includes: leadership roles for women, compensation, work policies that are flexible and provide balance for employees, and female employee recruitment and retention initiatives.

When asked about SLU’s honor as a top place for female employees, Sara Rutherford, SLU junior and Central Office Assistant in the Housing and Residence Life Department, said that she felt the designation was an accurate one.

“These past three years working at SLU will make it very difficult to leave come graduation,” said Rutherford. “In my department especially, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by many accomplished, well-rounded women in executive positions.

With what they’ve taught me, I’m excited to move into the business

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world, and for those lessons I’m forever grateful.”

This is the first time that SLU has been honored on the list, and the university will be officially recognized at the Foundation’s “Making a Difference” event later this year. According to an interview with SLU Newslink, Lisa Dorsey, Ph.D., the SLU Women’s Commission 2016 Woman of the Year, co-creator of SLU’s women’s mentorship program and associate professor of physical therapy, “Being listed among the best places in St. Louis for women to work affords [SLU] an opportunity to tell our story about the good things we are doing and highlight ways to continue to support and advance women.”

The mentorship program Dorsey co-created is called Women Leading Women, and its goal is to “support and advance the career advancement of women at SLU” by sponsoring a workshop focused on the interests of women in higher education.

Other initiatives at SLU focused on gender equality in the workplace include the university’s family and medical leave policies, university task forces and an upcoming Faculty Fellow for Equity Issues, a position that will strive to “work closely with multiple university divisions and collaborate with faculty, staff and students.”

The university also highlighted several outreach efforts including the “Get Her in the Game” program, designed to support female student athletes at SLU, as well as the free Well Woman clinic sponsored by the SLU Jesuit Health Resource Center.

News SGA PRESIDENT-ELECT OUTLINES PLAN FOR SCHOOL YEAR

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By COLIN THIERRY Staff Writer fter many weeks on the campaign trail, candidates running for Student Government Association positions were elected by SLU students on Feb. 25. The two contested races were for the positions of President and Vice President of Academic Affairs. For the position of President, Joseph Reznikov defeated fellow candidates Maggie Kenney and Alhan Sayyed. For the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs, Sophia Izhar emerged victorious against opponent Faith Nixon. A majority of the votes for the election were submitted online through SLU Groups by students and tallied by the Election Commission.

Reznikov said that he first heard the news of his victory on the night of the election after receiving a call from current SGA President Maleah Fallahi and Election Commissioner Andrew Wagner offering their congratulations. The feeling Reznikov initially had upon hearing the news was “complete honor” because “this community and this place means a lot to me,” he said.

Now officially elected as SGA president, Reznikov’s main goal is to sit down individually with all of the vice presidents and talk about the visions they have for their roles. Stating that he sees the role of SGA president as “a visionary,” Reznikov said he wants to be able to support the goals and ideas of the Vice Presidents along with giving the student body a voice.

When asked about his plan of action next year when in office, Reznikov said that he wants to “make strides with our Mental Health Task Force.” He pointed to how there were many mental health and wellness efforts happening in various places on campus. Reznikov’s plan would be to

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centralize these mental health efforts and to let SGA be “the center” of those movements and “to continue to emphasize to administrators how much of a priority mental health resources are to students.”

Another goal for Reznikov next year as president is “to be very intentional about the students we put on university committees.”

Reznikov said he wants to make sure that SGA is not picking the same students from the same racial background, gender identity, major or ability to these committees. Reznikov’s plan would be to pick students to university committees who come with “unique and varying experiences within the student body” because a lot of times these students’ voices go unheard.

Another issue that is important to Reznikov’s platform as president is the proposed new core curriculum. With the way that the core curriculum is currently crafted, Reznikov said he wants SGA to continue “to prioritize student voices as the process goes on.” Additionally, Reznikov wants to make sure what is emphasized in the current core plan continues to be emphasized once it is actualized.

Reznikov’s approach to reaching his goals within SGA is best described as “very interpersonal.”

“I think the best thing to do when stepping into a role like this is to take it on a day-to-day level and a person-to-person level,” he said.

Reznikov maintained that it is important to let people work on what they are passionate about, which would lead to tangible progress within SGA. One thing that Reznikov would want to change about SGA is how it “feels overwhelming for stu-

dents who are not involved in it.”

Reznikov said he does not want SGA to feel intimidating, but instead to come across as an organization that welcomes unique student experiences. Reznikov said he believes his perspective as an outsider of SGA, along with his knowledge of the internal workings of the organization, could help improve the perception of student government in the eyes of the SLU community.

In regard to the recent administrative turnover at SLU, Reznikov said that there are crucial conversations to be had within SGA and the student body in general.

“I think it’s really important to continue to be transparent with the rest of the student body about how SGA is handling some of these situations and what it looks like for us because students who are not involved in SGA should be

just as involved in those processes,” he said.

For the most part, SLU’s SGA Election Day occurred with little controversy. There was a grievance filed about an Instagram post

by Reznikov’s team which implied an endorsement by a non-CSO group. This broke an SGA Election rule, and the grievance was ruled on by Election Commissioner Andrew Wagner and SGA Moderator Jackie Weber. The Election Commission determined that the post should be taken down, and Weber, on appeal, asked Reznikov’s campaign to put forth an apology.

The total vote counts will be released to the public, but not until the Election Commission’s full election debrief and report are finished. This process will take at least a couple more weeks, Wagner stated.

(Jack Connaghan / The University News)

News

05 (Rebecca LiVigni / The University News)

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS: THE LEGACY OF MARY BRUEMMER

By CONOR DORN Associate News Editor n Feb. 26, SLU students, faculty and staff gathered in the Saint Louis room to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of SLU’s most extraordinary alumni, Mary Bruemmer. Bruemmer’s centenary celebration was well anticipated, with an exhibit documenting her life and legacy in Pius Library and a feature piece in SLU’s own “Legends and Lore” series.

Bruemmer’s legacy at SLU is difficult to overstate. She has been an inspiration to the SLU community for generations and has demonstrated the fruits that accompany a life dedicated to service to others.

In an interview with the university, Bruemmer said of her abiding love for SLU and its mission: “There is a body of research that’s been done all over the world with all different cultures that finds that the happiest people and those who live the longest fall in love with something and dedicate their lives, their time, their money to this one thing.” For Bruemmer, this “one thing” has been Saint Louis University, and she has certainly left her mark.

To number Bruemmer among SLU’s most distinguished alumni is already to do her a disservice, for her connection and impact on SLU goes far beyond her undergraduate career. Born in 1920 in Madison,

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Illinois, Bruemmer enrolled at SLU in 1938. Her enrollment came at a moment in SLU’s history when women did not have access to the same educational opportunities as their male peers did.

The year Bruemmer began her collegiate career, just five percent of SLU’s student population was female and women were not allowed to enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences. Entering instead the School of Education and Social Services, Bruemmer earned an A.B. in education, history and English.

Despite obstacles, Bruemmer put together an illustrious undergraduate career, becoming the first female editor-in-chief of the University News and earning straight A’s. Commenting on her ability to succeed in the face of daunting obstacles, Bruemmer said: “I discovered that, in competing for acceptance, grades or honors, the secret was to act as if prejudice and discrimination did not exist, to presume that I would exceed and excel.”

This mindset would continue to serve Bruemmer and her endeavors after SLU. Graduating in 1942 in the midst of World War II, Bruemmer took a job with the Red Cross offering vocational counseling to veterans.

In 1956, Bruemmer returned to SLU as the director of Marguerite Hall, an all-female residence hall at the time. In 1960, Bruemmer earned a master’s degree in education and would go on to serve as Dean of Women and later as Dean of Students.

Throughout her career, Bruemmer was at the forefront of initiatives aimed at the empowerment of women, and her efforts directly or indirectly led to many of the things that SLU students today take for granted. As Dean of Students, she led efforts to open Oriflamme to women, a reform long overdue that strengthened the SLU community and its welcome initiatives. She founded the Women’s Commission a year later, an organization which “serves to promote the interests, issues and concerns of the women at the university” and to “educate, enrich and empower the women of Saint Louis University.”

Bruemmer officially retired in 1990, but her impact and legacy continued to grow. She was awarded the university’s Fleur-deLis Medal upon her retirement, an honor bestowed on those individuals “whose contributions to the university reach far beyond the normal call of duty.” She received an honorary doctorate from SLU in 2000 and, in 2016, was honored with a papal knighthood, becoming Dame Commander of the Order of Saint Sylvester, Pope and Martyr.

As the SLU community gathered to celebrate Bruemmer’s 100th birthday, this litany of accomplishments was honored alongside personal anecdotes and memories of Bruemmer shared by alumni and faculty. Above all, the celebration reminded the SLU community that, as President Fred Pestello put it, “SLU will never be lacking for her presence.”

DPS REPORTS At 1:11 a.m. on March 1, DPS received a call from an RA of Griesedieck Hall after an odor of marijuana was detected from the hallway. DPS officers arrived on scene to find two smoke detectors covered with plastic bags. The two students present in the room admitted to smoking marijuana, and all items were confiscated.

At 1:20 p.m. on March 3, DPS responded to an auto accident in the Laclede Garage, which escalated into a physical altercation.

A DineSLU employee and a SLU student were involved in a minor car accident which became an argument, and DPS was called after the employee allegedly tapped the student on the head.

At 5:23 a.m., a student called DPS because he was having an asthma attack in his room in Marchetti West. The student requested to be transported to SLU ER, and no Emergency Medical Service was needed.

Arts and life

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joan of arc: reclaiming the narrative

By JACK JOHNSTON Staff Writer ho will tell your story? Unless you plan on writing down every single detail of your life in permanent ink, the facts, the motives and the perceptions of your life will probably be misconstrued.

Joan of Arc was just a teenager when she was burned at the stake for being a witch, among other crimes. Who’s telling her story now? How do we remember her? The SLU theatre production of “Saint Joan of Arc” was recently staged by Lucy Cashion, a theatre professor at SLU, and she made sure to get the story right.

“We couldn’t find a Joan that we liked until we got to Shakespeare really,” said Cashion.

And that’s understandable. Many versions of Joan of Arc’s story were written by old men, which is one of the reasons Cashion decided to craft a devised production of Joan’s story.”

A devised production is one where there is no official script to go off of, mainly using a combination of preexisting material and original ideas to create something entirely new and unique. Cashion, the cast, and a program named Prison Performing Arts came together to create a show in which they could construe the facts, motives and perceptions of Joan of Arc. Devising a work takes a lot of effort and research, but Cashion said what makes the process so enlightening is that “everyone is in on this game of taking apart ‘why do we think this way about this?’ and ‘what does this mean about us?’”

Those were the questions that everyone involved in “Saint Joan of Arc” was able to answer. The production was devised not only by SLU theatre students, but included help from incarcerated women at the Vandalia Correctional Center through the Prison Performing Arts program, a St. Lou-

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is-based program that helps incarcerated people get involved with theatre.

Through everyone’s effort, Cashion styled the regularly medieval Joan into the likes of a heavy metal and goth frame. This Joan of Arc wore a beanie and listened to hard rock.

And in this process of devising, everyone was able to examine the story of Joan and how that story has been told since the 15th century.

“When making art, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in your past, it doesn’t even matter necessarily if you’re incarcerated or if you’re getting your degree in prison ... your ideas can have any kind of value,” said Cashion.

In order to develop the production, Cashion and others traveled to the Vandalia Correctional Center to write, learn and create for “Saint Joan of Arc.” This provides a unique look at the narrative of the French girl burned at the stake for witchcraft.

Cashion said, “There were a lot of things that the women working with PPA were able to relate to and point out about [Joan’s] story that I didn’t even notice.”

These perspectives of the creators are what set a devised performance like this apart from a production whose scenes were written centuries ago. Through telling a narrative in today’s light, we can examine misrepresentation, perspective and our own movement thorugh an unfair world. Maybe that’s why this Joan wasn’t construed as a traitor or as a liar, but as a woman who trusted her instincts and was burned for it.

She wasn’t perfect, but she did navigate an environment where everyone was against her. That is how she managed her narrative, and that is why Cashion’s adaptation of “Saint Joan of Arc” added to the conversation about the life of a saint.

Photo Courtesy of The University Theatre

Arts and life

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Photo courtesy of Diana Zeng

Creating a Version of Yourself That Already Exists: A Conversation with Visual Artist Diana Zeng

By SYDNEY COMPTON Staff Writer iana opens the door to her home studio and I am immediately conscious that I have stepped in the home of a warm artist who loves her color.

Greeted with a hug and some sniffs from a friendly dog, I knew I was welcome in her space. In the entryway lean three towering canvases at about six feet tall. The smell of oil paint wafts through the air as I enter her studio and I am met with her work table overflowing with brightly colored fabric and textiles wrapped around wires. On the walls hang five different pieces in the midst of creation, each in a different phase. Doing my due-diligence and research before meeting with Diana, I knew what her pieces looked like on an instagram page, but you can’t do justice to the vibrancy of the canvases unless seen with your own eyes. The glossy canvases with loud, welcoming colors come to life. And the per-

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sonality of the artist behind these amazing works is just as colorful and full of life as her paintings. I sat down with Diana and talked about the misconceptions of artists, her drawings to color and her surprising decision to become a visual artist.

Getting to Know Diana Zeng Diana Zeng has not always claimed to be an artist. From a young age, she didn’t think the possibility of being an artist was even on the table. Her mom would give her options of what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she would say “I don’t want to be that” to every choice her mom offered up to her. “She would always ask me, ‘well what do you want to be?’ And I’d say ‘I don’t know! I just don’t want to be anything you told me!’ And now I recognize that it is probably because she never said artist.”

Pursuing Art In May of 2017, Diana Zeng left her job, telling her boss she was going to be a painter, surprising both them and herself. Since then Diana has worked on a number of projects

and series of work including her line drawings, which allowed her to remove the self-consciousness out of drawing, her “Seasons of Change” series inspired by Chinese calligraphy, and her vibrant oil paintings.

Diana describes her decision to pursue art as her life path as “the life I never dared to have. A lot of times people tell [me] ‘Wow, you really went after your dreams.’ But no, this was not even a dream. This wasn’t something that I could have dreamt about because it wasn’t even in my consciousness...It definitely surprised me in terms of how large the leap I ended up taking from not having studied art to deciding I wanted to be an artist.” Rebellion, as we saw in Diana’s response to her mother’s questions about her future career, was not uncommon. And I think it’s safe to say it has worked out in her favor.

Being Your Own Boss What is it like being your own boss?

How do you hold yourself accountable and stay motivated?

“I think for me being an artist, or being anyone who works really well

really know yourself and how you work best. So that even if I wake up in the morning and I’m tired or I’m not sure what I want to be creating how do I still get myself in a really good workplace and mental space?

I love a sense of urgency so setting deadlines work for me. I think sometimes people feel that maybe being creative comes when you have, no boundaries, but I think having boundaries actually help create a lot of new ways you can work. And for me that boundary is a time limit, the pressure that I have to create something that makes me really zone in and focus...so now I work like 12 to 14 hours in my studio. I have these visions that I want to create and then I have a timeline that makes me actually create them.”

Expectations of Artists Do you feel expected to be creative all the time and is that a draining feeling?

“When I made the move to focus on art it felt like I had more freedom to be myself. I think that there is this idea that an artist is someone who creates masterpieces in the middle

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Arts and life of camaderie by welcoming people into the personal spaces of their colleagues. These photos-turned-paintings of everyday life pushes a message Diana tries to emulate in her work, “Everyone in life is going to experience some real lows and they are going to experience great heights. But the day to day is quite mundane. And that is the part where life is being lived, startups are being built, paintings are being created. And it is drastically shaped by the highs and lows but the day to day is the largest percentage of your life and those are the moments I tend to paint. When and where life is just happening.”

In her normal, vibrant, fashion, these paintings are large and loud in the most fun, engaging way. The canvases will be accompanied by colorful textile work weaved with wire and clothing from her family.

These textiles will be braided into friendship bracelet patterns that remind Diana of her youth; becoming best friends with someone within a week at recess or summer camp,

making friendship bracelets, and deciding they were her person; a story many of us can relate to from our childhood days. The concept of little kids deciding to befriend strangers is exactly within the message her exhibition is all about, how we can feel closer to the people around us.

“I remember almost instantaneously declaring that you’re best friends with someone new when you are six or seven years old. You don’t know anything about their political beliefs, you don’t know anything about their family life, you have almost nothing in common and you bypass all of that and decide they are your best friend and you love them.

There is something like that in all of us and that didn’t have to be erased as we got older. I think it would help us feel less alone and antagonistic toward strangers, and help people simply care about people.”

Diana’s next exhibition, “DEN OF THE WILD HUMAN” is coming to CIC@ CET in the Cortex District, St. Louis in April of 2020.

Photo courtesy of Diana Zeng of the night, like working at three in the morning and “bam!” I think this is maybe a misconception, at least for me...it’s not the expectation to be creative all the time that I feel, but a sense of freedom. For me it is the opposite of draining. It feels like finally I can just do and create and really be everything that I am. In school, I studied marketing and with that you are always thinking about the end consumer. As an artist, I am creating this for me and then I find who resonates with my work. And it’s not going to resonate with everyone, and it shouldn’t. So I feel like it’s not this need to be creative, but this ever present and growing understanding of myself that influences what I am making.”

Drawn to Color When talking about her different styles of work, Diana kept coming back to being drawn to color. It’s hard to miss when you look at her pieces, but this is what the artist had to say about her feelings toward the vibrant.

“I love color. But I think I have just always been drawn to how colors speak to each other and how they make us feel. My paintings have al-

ways been high pigment and high intensity color, because I think a lot of times when I’m painting I’m so focused on a specific moment and that moment becomes so vibrant. So the colors in my oil paintings came very naturally, I never decided I wanted to be someone who uses a very vibrant color palette. That wasn’t a decision point. I had paint and I decided I was going to make a very loud neon green and that’s what I’m going to do!”

Upcoming Exhibition In Diana’s upcoming exhibition at CIC@CET in Cortex, she will be exhibiting oil paintings that depict the personal workspaces of different entrepreneurs and creatives. CIC@ CET is a coworking space and a pretty public place for an exhibition, which Diana is interested in exploring more of in her future work. She asked those in the Cortex community to send her photos of the private spaces, from home offices to backyard gardens, people made for themselves to work and feel free to create. Diana herself worked for a startup in the coworking space so she wanted to emphasize its sense Photo courtesy of Diana Zeng

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March

Women and media in the middle east 6 p.m.

“leon bronstein: between the fantastic and the real” opening reception @ sluma

Spotlight tours: ‘#5womenartists at mocra’ 1 - 1:25 p.m.

faith in medicine panel @ AB Auditorium

5:30 p.m.

5 - 8 p.m.

Spring break: March 7 -15

Sab movie series: bombshell @ AB Auditorium

7 p.m.

Sexual assault awareness symposium @ tegeler hall carlo auditorium 6 p.m.

RHA’s Plant a flower day @ grand hall

3 p.m.

isa’s 100% spring show @ bouileu main hall 5:30 p.m.

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photography

SMASH YOUR STRESS BY SMASHING PLATES

Photos by MICHAEL PLACE Staff Photographer Story by JACK CONNAGHAN Photo Editor Sometimes the easiest way to relieve stress is to break something.

Now, it’s never a good idea to break important things, such as an expensive vase or another person’s heart. Thanks to the Student Activities Board, students were given the opportunity to write their woes on ceramic plates and then, without any consequences, throw that plate against the concrete. There was plastic wrap everywhere, of course, and the SAB required students to wear safety masks and stand far away when they threw the plates. Nonetheless, the echoing crash of a dinner plate on the ground is enough to give anyone a little catharsis.

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Features

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Who’s Who? Meet your SGA Candidates Staying in St Louis over Photos By RILEY TOVORNIK, Photo Editor Story by COLIN THIERRY, Staff Writer, and EMMA CARMODY, Editor-In-Chief

spring break...?

Story By RILEY TOVORNIK and JACK CONNHAGAN Photo Editors DANIEL BERNAS Staff Writer

(Riley Tovornik / The University News)

Features

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Photography

Dogs here, Dogs there, Dogs everywhere!

Photos by LOURDES HINDI Staff Photographer Story by JACK CONNAGHAN Photo Editor

We hope you like dogs. As is customary during mid-

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terms, a pack of not-so-wild therapy dogs visited the university in the hopes of tending to students’ weary hearts and minds. SLU UNICEF chartered the dogs through CHAMP, a therapy and assistance dog training program situated right here in St. Louis. Other than their work with universities, CHAMP also provides therapy dogs to homeless shelters, nursing homes and local hospitals. Though many think that SLU struggles to establish sustainable mental health care for students, it’s good to know we can count on these lovable, fluffy faces when the going gets tough. And if there is any doubt in your mind, rest assured: The dogs pictured are all certified good boys and girls.

Cutout: A mysterious black lab sits alone on West Pine. As you can see, he likes to lay around.

1) Winnie is a mixed breed who loves to smile.

2) Zoe, a Yorkshire Terrier, performs a fun trick for her trainer. CHAMP trains over 90 therapy dogs, each with their own unique quirks.

3) Once again, the unnamed lab can be seen lying around. This time, however, he has friends.

4) Though Winnie appears disheveled here, she retains her smile on the inside.

5) The gang’s all here! Zoe, Winnie and the enigmatic black lab provide their services at over 80 locations every month through the CHAMP program.

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sports

15

MEN’S SOCCER PLAYS TOUGH SPRING SCHEDULE, TIE BUTLER

By JEREMIAH KIRSCH Staff Writer

t might not officially be spring yet, but the SLU men’s soccer team kicked off their spring season this past Saturday at Butler by playing the Bulldogs to a 1-1 tie. A second-half goal from Evan Southern off the assist of Stefan Stojanovic was the only netting in the first game of a five game spring slate.

The Billikens are returning 24 players from the 2019 fall campaign, and look to make improvements against a strong lineup this spring. Goalie Patrick Schulte, midfielder John Klein, defender Ben Huels and the rest of the SLU squad look to enhance their skills this spring against a competitive schedule. After the university’s spring vacation, SLU will take on local foe in Division II, Maryville. The Saints will come to Hermann Stadium for a 5 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, March 21. Next, the Bradley Braves will visit St. Louis and challenge the Billikens on March 29. That game will be a Sunday matinee and is set for a 3 p.m. kickoff.

The competition for the final two games of the spring portion of the schedule will be quite a bit stiffer for Coach Kevin Kalish and the Bills. The eight-time national champion and back-to-back defending Big Ten Conference Champion Indiana Hoosiers will face the SLU squad in Fenton, Missouri on Saturday April 4. The two teams will face off at World Wide Technology Park and begin play at 6:30 p.m. Indiana is again loaded with talent and led by freshman midfielder Aidan Morris who was named an All-American this past fall.

The Hoosiers were bounced in the second round of the NCAA tournament in an overtime

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loss to UC Santa Barbara.

After their clash in Fenton, the Billikens will close out their compact schedule with a contest against the Missouri State Bears. A formidable foe, the in-state rival defeated Denver in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing in the second round to the University of Central Florida. The Bears return two All-Americans in Josh Dolling and Kyle Hiebert. It will be a tough match for the Billikens, but a challenge that will only make them better.

One notable omission from the spring schedule is STL FC. Traditionally, the two teams face off each spring, and the professional soccer club was originally slated to face the amateur Billikens in 2020. Although, injuries and other concerns caused STL FC to cancel the game. SLU was not thrilled about the game cancellation, but there are no hard feelings. “It’s unfortunate not to get the opportunity to play STL FC, as our players would have grown from the experience,” stated head coach Kevin Kalish, “We wish them nothing but success with their upcoming season and are proud to represent Saint Louis soccer with them.”

The Billikens may not have the opportunity to face off against STL FC, but they are still excited getting back in action. After a bitter end to the season in the A-10 tournament last fall, improving skills and gaining experience are two opportunities the spring portion of the season offers for the Billikens.

Kalish and the staff are eager to evaluate their team and see how they stack up against competitive soccer clubs like Indiana and Missouri State. “This team has put in quality work over the winter months to prepare themselves for the upcoming slate of spring games,” mentioned

Kalish. “We have assembled a well balanced spring schedule against other top programs that will test us and allow us to grow as a team as we prepare for the 2020 season.”

The Billikens journey to make it back to the NCAA tournament began with off-season practices this winter, and the spring schedule is the next step in that journey. As year number three of the Kalish era com-

mences, excitement is building with each game played and recruit signed. It remains to be seen if that excitement leads to on-field success in the near future for the Billikens.

Mujeeb Murana kicks the ball forward to his overlapping teammate. The Billikens have a challenging spring schedule to prepare them for the fall sesaon.

They will face eight-time national champions, Indiana on April 4 in Fenton.

(Jack Connaghan / The University News)

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CLEARED TO ENGAGE:

sports

BATTLEHAWKS FILL HOLE IN ST. LOUIS SPORTS CULTURE

By ERIN MCCLELLAND Associate Sports Editor akaw is the new law in St. Louis sports. The city of St. Louis felt the heartbreak of losing their football team when the Rams left for Los Angeles in 2015. The feeling lingered in the hearts of sports fans in the Lou, until now. The St. Louis Battlehawks have captured the hearts of sports fans, not just in St. Louis, but across the midwest and the country.

Known for their immediate success on the field and extravagant post-game celebrations, the BattleHawks have quickly filled the football vacancy in one of the greatest sports cities in America.

The BattleHawks are the only XFL team that is in a market that doesn’t have an NFL counterpart. This gives them the advantage of being St. Louis’ football team, a responsibility they don’t take lightly. They currently lead the XFL East in the standings with a 3-1 record and a 2-0 record at home in “The Dome.”

St. Louis football fans have welcomed the BattleHawks in with open arms, so much so that they set the season high for attendance in the XFL for the home opener against the New York Guardians. The crowd of close

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to 30,000 was considered a sell out because tickets were not sold for the upper deck. The bowl was full creating a loud and electric atmosphere to welcome St. Louis’ newest team home for the first time. It was also the perfect timing, the Sunday following Mardi Gras. St. Louis was already rocking, but now there was football to go with it.

Last week, SLU’s Sports Business Association hosted an event in the business school with four members of the BattleHawks front office. Team President, Kurt Hunzeker; Director of Corporate Partnerships, Gabe Rendon; Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications, Catherine Boyle; and Ticket Sales and Experience Manager, Andrew Myer all sat down to explain and answer student’s questions about the new franchise. SBA President Rebecca Duttlinger said, “We thought having the BattleHawks on campus to speak would be a great opportunity to introduce students and professors to a brand new St. Louis professional sports organization in a professional and interactive way. We are so lucky and thankful that we had the opportunity to work with them.”

All of the panelists called St. Louis home before they came to work for the

BattleHawks and the new job opportunity served as a homecoming for some.

It all started around eight months ago with a “crash course of how to build a sports team from scratch,” in Hunzeker’s words. He said that the best thing about it is that “no one can tell any of us that we are doing it wrong, because no one has ever done what we are trying to do before.” He then laughed and said that they may not be doing it right, but they aren’t doing it wrong either.

They love engaging with the community, a strategy the previous football team in St. Louis appeared to struggle in. “‘Fun’ was at the forefront, [but for] me being approachable was absolutely mandatory,” said Hunzeker.

This willingness to communicate with fans is extremely apparent through his use of social media. Hunzeker has gone as far as to do a segment on his personal Twitter account called “We’re Listening St. Louis,” where he tweets answers to questions fans have sent to him. Not only does he answer questions, but he also makes big announcements as to the operations of the game day atmosphere. The fans asked for rally towels, the BattleHawks delivered. The fans asked for more vendors roaming the dome, the The SBA Executive Board poses with members of the BattleHawks front office. From left to right: Michel Rajchel, Gabe Rendon, Andrew Myer, Catherine Boyle, Rebecca Duttlinger, Nina Rodriguez, Kurt Hunzeker and Liam Durbin (Photo courtesy of Rebecca Duttlinger) BattleHawks Team President Kurt Hunzeker participates in a panel in the business school.

(Josh Kang / The University News)

BattleHawks raised the number from 40 venders to 60 venders. The fans asked for another merchandise cart, the BattleHawks obliged, and all of these new amenities were announced through Hunzeker’s twitter account, not the team’s official account. He said, “it helps us get better by having that open communication.” And despite only being four games into their season, the BattleHawks have figured out ways to get better every single week.

READ MORE ONLINE

sports

17

BILLIKENS BASEBALL OFF TO A GREAT START AHEAD OF HOME OPENER

By MISHAL MUSTAQUE Staff Writer

arly in the season, Billikens baseball kicked off in the middle of February with plenty of promise. The Bills are 6-4 so far overall, with only two slightly worrying defeats against No. 2 Vanderbilt, 2-10, and a 1-16 loss this past Sunday, March 11, against Villanova.

Saint Louis scored first in the matchup against Villanova, only to be left at the station by the Wildcats, who made sure that the first point is the only one SLU scored during the entire game. Senior Jake Garella instigated the scoring for the Bills, driving in freshman Cole Smith. Afterwards, Villanova answered with five in its half of the second inning, added four in the fifth inning, six in the sixth and then just one in the eighth to complete a dominant performance and improve their season record to 5-4.

Prior to the Villanova game, SLU had some good showings, beating Ohio three times, UT Martin twice and putting in a good performance against Vanderbilt, the reigning Division I champs, albeit still posting a 2-10 loss.

The Billikens have their first home game of the season on Friday, March 6, when they take on Bowling Green at 3 p.m.

The 119th season of SLU baseball also benefits from the returns of seniors Garella and Corrigan Bartlett.

The former is closing in on the doubles record at SLU (57), with 54 so far in his career. Bartlett has been key for the Bills in seasons past with his leadership and key performances.

Billikens head coach Darin Hendrickson said prior to the season at the SLU Baseball First Pitch Din-

e

ner that this year on the team there’s “a lot of new faces...that [are] a little more athletic and talented.” Hendrickson further said it would take the team some time to “get out of the gate and figure some things out.” The team may have found some momentum moving forward after the thrashing against Villanova, beating SIUE by 11-3 on Tuesday. The Billikens tamed the Cougars after falling 3-1 early in the game. They managed to get 10 runs without as much as a single meow from the Cougars. The Bills were led by junior infielder Kyle Fitzgerald who went four for five at bat with four runs.

An impressive team performance against the Cougars means SLU head into their first home game of the season with confidence of continu-

ing t h e w i n streak.

The Billikens play a weekend series against Bowling Green with the home opener starting off at 3 p.m. Friday, March 6 at The Billiken Sports Complex.

Senior Corrigan Bartlett retreats to track down a fly ball. Bartlett leads the team in hits and RBIs early in the season. Sophomore Reid Hendrickson has stepped up for SLU who opens up at home this weekend against Bowling Green.

(Photo courtesy of Billiken Athletics)

sports

18

BILLIKEN BASKETBALL WRAPS UP REGULAR SEASON, KICKING OFF A-10 TOURNAMENT

By SAM GLASS Sports Editor ow in the final stage of the season, Billiken basketball makes their claims for conference champions.

With both men’s and women’s teams playing games over the weekend and midweek, the season is ramping up for the postseason. Over the weekend, men played Rhode Island on Sunday and the women’s team played their senior night game on Saturday against Dayton. Some midweek A-10 action saw the fourth seed women play thirteenth seed George Mason at Chaifetz in the first round of the tournament. Meanwhile, the men wrapped up their final road game against George Mason on Wednesday.

The women fell in their final regular season game against first seed Dayton on senior night Saturday, Feb. 29. Dayton pulled ahead in the fourth quarter to steal a victory away from the Bills. The game was followed by a touching recognition of the two seniors Kendra Wilken

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and Hannah Dossett, as well as senior manager, Jake Styve. Dossett spent the whole season out with a back injury and kept a positive attitude the whole season. Wilken is the star story for a senior, little playtime in her underclass years to a full time Billiken starter by her senior season.

She gave an emotional speech to the home crowd, shedding a few tears of gratitude in the process.

The men’s basketball team played against Rhode Island on Sunday, March 1. SLU topped Rhode Island 72-62 with standout performances from juniors Javonte Perkins and Jordan Goodwin who both posted 17 points in the match. Rhode Island came into the contest second in the A-10. The win over Rhody launched the Bills up 9 points in the NET rankings to 57, they now sit at 56 eclipsed by Rhode Island, Richmond and Dayton as of Wednesday.

The first round of the A-10 women’s basketball tournament picked up Tuesday, March 3 with a game against George Mason. The Bills beat George Mason earlier in the season 64-51 and looked to have the upper hand coming in. Both teams

fought hard with a close game up to the third quarter. But the Bills took control of the game in the fourth to pull away. Standout freshman Rachel Kent led the Billikens with 19 points making five of her seven three point attempts. The Bills move on to Dayton where they will play five seed University of Massachusetts on Friday at 1 p.m.

On Wednesday, March 4, the men’s basketball team played against George Mason for their penultimate game of the regular season. The Billikens extend their win streak to four ahead of their final match on senior night this Saturday, March 7.

The Bills played down one of their star players, sophomore guard Demarius Jacobs, who was suspended for violation of team rules. This suspension was announced by head coach, Travis Ford, prior to the start of the contest. Regardless, the Bills still pulled out the win 69-57. The Bills will look to continue their win streak against St. Bonaventure and contest the fourth seed in the A-10 prior to the tournament in Brooklyn.

Left: Head Coach Lisa Stone and senior Kendra Wilken share an emotional moment on the court.

Stone said Wilken is one of the most grown players she has ever coached.

(Michael Place / The University News) Right: Junior Hasahn French poses for the student section after a huge dunk against Saint Joseph’s.

(Trenton Almgren-Davis)

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20

Opinion How the Coronavirus Is Affecting the Global Market

By JORDAN BAILEY Staff Writer

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hether or not the coronavirus escalates into a global pandemic, there is no doubt that the virus is already affecting politics, economics and social constructs internationally. As governments continue to work on the best solutions toward handling the outbreak, economic costs are only continuing to grow rapidly, ultimately creating even more losses for nations and their domestic economic sectors.

of that coming from fearful investors. According to U.S. News, Quincy Krosby, Chief Market Strategist at Prudential Financial Incorporated said, “The uncertainty hovering over the markets will only be alleviated when there is a sense that the worst is almost over. Until then it is risk off.” With stockholders transitioning to “safer” investments, many economic sectors are suffering from the effects that the coronavirus has had on the global economy, and all sectors are questioning if they will be able to bounce back from this financial halt.

Effect on Economic Markets Economic Sectors at High Risk So how are stock markets experiencing a global crash from the coronavirus? What is the connection? According to the New York Times, Eswar Prasad, a senior professor of trade policy at Cornell University, claims that the global supply chain is being disrupted due to labor shortages, the inability to get raw materials reliably and the difficulty in exporting products internationally within East Asia. “Countries such as China, South Korea and Japan are critical to the supply chains for products ranging from plastic toys to iPhones to high-tech machinery,” Prasad said. Multinational corporations such as Apple and Microsoft have huge manufacturing plants within these regions, specifically China. And with over 500 million people affected by policies put in place to restrict movement in China alone, many civilians do not have jobs to return to. This in turn affects the economic progression of international companies, like Apple and Microsoft, that depend on those areas of the world to assemble certain technological parts for their business. “Another quandary that governments face, especially in China and other countries hit hardest by the coronavirus, is how to balance containing the spread of the epidemic with keeping their economies humming,” Prasad continued. “Every day that factories stay closed and restaurants have no customers makes it harder to get things back up.”

These aren’t the only reasons for the stock market crash, though—one of the biggest causes for this global economic decline is the fact that investors are pulling out and selling their stock to get their money out of the market. According to Rodrigo Campos, a journalist for Reuters, over $5 trillion was wiped from the global financial system last week, with nearly $1.6 billion

All stocks are being affected in one way or another, but some are currently hurting a lot more than others. According to Jeanna Smialek and Jack Ewing, two journalists from The New York Times, the outbreaks in China, Japan, Iran, Italy and South Korea have significantly slowed tourism down for each nation, halting the travel sector tremendously. Airlines and aviation stock is already down by 21 percent since the start of this year as well, signifying a serious economic loss for companies such as American Airlines and Air China. The thing is, the aviation industry isn’t the only one experiencing the impacts of the economic crash—the hospitality industry, another huge sector within the international travel stock, is also feeling the effects of the stock market decline. “Marriott has been hard hit on the expectation travel restrictions in Asia and consumer wariness around travel would hurt overall revenue,” Keris Lahiff said, a Markets Producer for the news outlet CNBC. “It has declined nearly 20 percent so far this year.” These industries have experienced a serious economic downfall due to the virus that has shocked the world. Since domestic markets are intrinsically connected to the international economy, much of the globe is feeling the overall decline in stock. This indicates not only the weaknesses in foreign markets, but also the interwovenness of our economic world, and how affixed our politics, economics and culture is to that of other nations.

How the Economic Crash Affects Us So how does this stock market crash affect you, especially if you aren’t investing in stock? One of the biggest ways that you could be affected by this crash is through price deflation. For example, if you own a car, you might have noticed a decline in gas prices. According to Jay Young, CEO and Founder of the King Operating Corporation and Forbes contributor, the average price of regular gasoline has dropped more than 12 cents within the last month due to the virus. The reason for this economic drop is due to the fact that China is the world’s biggest importer and largest consumer of oil, and since most factories and companies are currently shut down within the region, there is a huge decline in oil and gas prices that are being felt across the globe.

Another way you could be affected by the crash is through your retirement account. Retirement accounts such as the 401K or the IRA are invested within the American stock market.

And with over 55 percent of Americans owning one of these two kinds of accounts, the chances of your 401K or IRA experiencing a negative impact from the crash is quite likely. The good news? These kinds of stocks are built to weather the drops over many years, which means there is plenty of time to make up for any losses that could possibly be experienced from this downfall.

Global Issues and Global Effects As the global economic system seeks to regain its footing, it also seeks to emphasize the relevance of international issues such as the coronavirus. The decline and stagnation of stock due to a global crisis is nothing new—during the SARS outbreak in 2003, the S&P 500 dropped 8.3 percent. These international problems put everything at risk and are interconnected to the politics, economics and culture of our world.

The good news is each time a global issue has affected the international economic market, the international economic market has bounced right back up to where it was before. But the notion that this outbreak is just creating a shortterm economic shock now seems unrealistic. So, will this stock market crash have long-term effects on economic growth, even if the coronavirus is proven short-lived? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Opinion

21

becoming a global citizen: my global brigades story

By REBECCA LIVIGNI Managing Editor hen I texted my mom asking for advice as to whether it would be possible to apply for a Global Brigade Trip—mostly because I didn’t know if we could pay for it—she told me, “Sweetie, just sign up for it, we’ll figure it out.” And like that, the night the application was due and accepted, I was thrown into a $2000 trip in five months. I set up a GoFundMe and started selling my handmade knit scarves to raise the funds.

Our brigade had a few pre-departure meetings, but a lack of communication all around left me feeling totally lost. As the trip got closer, I found myself looking for ways to approach it from an educated perspective. I’d heard about mission trips and the “white savior complex,” and more than anything, I wanted to avoid going into this trip with that mindset. It was important to me that I was participating in an organization that wasn’t engaging in hidden “voluntourism.” Global Brigades doesn’t seem to be one of those organizations. They pride themselves on their holistic model for communities and involving the people in the communities in decision-making and planning. The first brigade is typically medical because that is usually what communities are most lacking. This is the brigade I took part in, in the country of Panama.

When I began, I knew very little about Panama outside of what I learned in third-year high school Spanish. Panama has a population of roughly 4.1 million people and an extremely complicated health care system managed by the Ministry of Health. Global Brigades focuses their attention on the more rural areas, where 41% of people live under the poverty line and the physician density is about 1.6 doctors per 1,000 people. The dentist density is even smaller, at 0.31 doctors per 1,000 people. For comparison, the US had 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people and Cuba had 8.1, the largest ratio in the world in 2016.

However, an article I came across that really influenced my view of our trip was called “The Problem With Little White Girls, Boys and Voluntourism”

by Pippa Biddle. Biddle recounts her years of work in developing countries and the realization that “I am a 5’ 4’’ white girl who can carry bags of moderately heavy stuff, horse around with kids, attempt

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to teach a class, tell the story of how I found myself (with accompanying powerpoints) and not much else.” This struck a chord with me, a 5’ 2’’ white girl with good intentions, and I began to doubt myself and the efficacy of the trip I was leaving for in less than a week. I felt like a total fraud any time one of my family members told me how “awesome” I was for doing this. Was I really going to be able to make a difference? Or was I just another “college student from the global North?”

Clare Talwalker, Ph.D., writes, “The burden of embodying the world’s inequalities, often in their very own corporeality ... feels heavy for many, even unbearable.” I felt this in a deep part of my heart every day leading up to my trip, despite the well-intentioned consolations from my mom. But, Talkwalker offers two unique approaches for the student volunteer, which guided my perspective: (1) “to conceive of the volunteer aid industry as opening spaces for a range of social encounters between volunteers and aid beneficiaries; (2) “to take on instead the part of witness to—and, perhaps, facilitator of—others’ political engagement with their national government.” The former became my goal for the trip.

Traveling from St. Louis to Houston and then to Panama City gave me lots of time to sleep, think and write. I cut and pasted a magazine page into my journal, the heading “Field Notes,” where I could reflect at the end of each day.

Our first day of work began at 6 a.m., when we ate traditional Panamanian breakfast and hopped on the bus. However, the hour-long bus ride turned into a three-hour ordeal when our bus couldn’t fit on the roads to get to the community. When a family allowed at least 20 students into their home— quite literally a line out the door—a beautiful thought dawned on me. Their home was a peachy clay with a tin roof that didn’t quite touch the top of the walls. The windows were simple openings, and the kitchen seemed more like a patio. Like so many other houses I’d seen, it amazed me that they were so comfortable outside. They literally were one with nature in a way that most people from the United States wouldn’t prefer. As a self-described homebody who is allergic to grass, I admired the simplicity and openness. I think this idea of being exposed to another culture, another way of life, is what Tal-

walker meant about engaging as a global citizen.

At the end of the day, I was exhausted from digging trenches for a plumbing line at a school and once again began questioning my reason for being there—this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

The next three days were spent setting up clinics in two communities, Las Lajas and La Valdeza, where we took vitals, shadowed traveling and local physicians, taught children about dental hygiene at “charla” or helped run medications in the pharmacy. These three days of clinics were the most rewarding for me, as an aspiring medical student interested in global health.

It was incredible to see people lining up in the morning, standing in the sweltering heat, to see a physician or dentist. Some of the patients were children seeing a doctor for the first time this year, while others simply wanted a new prescription for their blood pressure medication. Each night, we entered patient data into an electronic medical record system, and a few weeks after the trip, we received an impact report. Our brigade alone saw 426 patients total—356 received medical, 145 received dental, and 39 received optometry attention during our clinic days.

I acknowledge that these trips are criticized for their toursity aspects and many participants’ need for validation of doing something good. Walking this line still plagues me, even as I write this article, because I hear and understand the criticism. But with my good intentions and open mind, I gained so much more on this trip than a resume-building experience or a do-good feeling. Talking with people my age about real-world issues like government corruption and climate change, learning how to communicate in Spanish or simply with body language, and experiencing the pure natural beauty of Panama’s mountainsides are all immeasurable reasons I have become a better global citizen because of my Panama brigade. And being a part of a sustainable, admirable organization like Global Brigades isn’t only about building up and supporting communities; it’s also about cultural exchange, about meeting in “spaces of Otherness.”

Opinion

22

No, immigrants are not taking our jobs.

Robots are.

By CONOR VAN SANTEN Staff Writer

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ndrew Yang, while never a particularly viable candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination, did run on a particularly unique platform. Politicians, distracted by the vicious anti-immigrant rhetoric of President Trump, typically focus on defending immigrants and their families from fear-mongering and racism. Both sides fail to account for an increasingly problematic economic situation that’s only getting worse—automation.

On the forefront of the crusade toward automation is none other than our friend Jeff Bezos.

Amazon has implemented cutting-edge technology to edge out workers and increase their profit margins. One of the most popular and innovative examples is the cashier-free Amazon Go supermarket, which has popped up in 26 locations around the United States, including Seattle, New York and Chicago. These markets feature stateof-the-art sensors that eliminate the need for checkout stations and, in turn, cashiers. Instead, the sensors detect which products get taken off the shelves and charge the products to the customer’s Amazon account.

Amazon Go is just the beginning of Amazon’s drive to automate. Bezos, under mounting pressure to provide larger and more substantial returns to his investors, has overseen the testing

of remote drone delivery and warehouse automation. If widely implemented, these technologies could jeopardize the $15/hr jobs of warehouse workers and Amazon delivery drivers, not to mention jobs of USPS, FedEx and UPS workers who often deliver Amazon packages as well.

While these advances may very well lower prices for consumers and benefit investors, the workers who previously enjoyed decent wages and benefits would be left jobless and out of luck.

Automation isn’t a trend exclusive to Amazon, either. As I mentioned before, Andrew Yang partially campaigned on the idea of implementing a universal basic income—a “freedom dividend”—to combat automation, specifically within the trucking industry. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 3.5 million truck drivers working in the U.S. in 2019 and millions more working in the trucking industry as mechanics, bookkeepers, secretaries, etc. Recent advances in automation and concerns regarding a lack of oversight for drivers has resulted in the installation of devices called Electronic Logging Devices.

These devices monitor driving schedules, hours on the road, speed and location. The stated goal of the ELDs is to combat driver fatigue and eliminate undue pressure on drivers to reach destinations expediently. Despite this, truck drivers are still suspicious.

Truckers have staged protests in the past few

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years against the widespread implementation of the ELDs out of fear that they’re the first step toward more intrusive technologies like inward-facing cameras and brainwave-monitoring hats.

These technologies, truckers argue, are steps on the path towards automation. The pervading (and misguided) belief that automation will come overnight to replace millions of jobs keeps anxiety high for the people working in vulnerable industries, but their fears are definitely justified.

For people like truck drivers, most of whom don’t have college degrees, driving commercially offers a stable, well-paying job that pays the bills with little need for prior experience or a formal education. In an increasingly service-based economy like the United States, such jobs are diamonds in the rough for the working class.

Many people celebrate automation, technological advances and the soaring stocks of giant tech conglomerates like Google and Amazon, and for good reason. When companies cut costs, consumers benefit. But like the tax cuts of 2017, the benefits of these cuts are often lopsided. Investors and the very wealthy can save millions of dollars off such cuts, while working and middle-class consumers save a few bucks here and there. What we need are real, workable solutions that help even out the benefits of automation and keep the ultra wealthy from disproportionately benefitting.

Opinion

23

Lessons in Becoming a Woman after Leaving SLU

By SARAH HALE Alumna Contributor Fifteen years ago, I was a SLU freshman on the fourth floor of Walsh Hall—a suburban, whitebread, overachieving, mortifyingly insecure, fasttalking, quirky, 18-year-old Presidential Scholar.

Like everyone there, I was figuring out how to grow up.

Just outside Walsh Hall was a statue of a man, woman and child. The man—a suave, muscly Gaston type—faced forward with two feet firmly planted. The woman, completely balanced on his left side, propped an infant above their heads. Her foot didn’t quite touch the ground.

There was something exquisite about that statue, but it made me desperately sad. Every day, I saw womanhood modeled out my window as an appendage. Woman as accessory. Woman as a focused and dependent mother. Woman with no solid ground under her feet. And I saw man as support.

Man with his left hand full, his right hand free to do other things. Man, able to stand on his own. Man, not touching or looking at his woman or baby.

Fifteen years later, I sometimes still think of that statue. For some, that statue is an unassailable ideal. For me, it wasn’t.

Here are a 10 things I’ve learned about standing in my power as a woman after leaving SLU: 1. Learn about the old goddesses. You will probably have to look outside the Church to find archetypes of empowered women. Sure, loads of them exist as nuns, as laypeople and as saints. But except for a 13-year-old virgin, Catholicism rather excludes women from divinity and Church leadership. Hu-

manity had goddesses once. Before monotheism, God was a couple. You won’t go to hell—learn about Kali and Durga and Meadhbh and Persephone, Vesta and Shakti and Gaia and Ashira. It’s your birthright.

2. Your sexuality is sacred, and it’s yours. So much inside and outside Catholicism shames or ignores female sexuality. Your sexuality is not your family’s, not the Church’s, not your future husband’s.

Your sexuality is valuable, and there is no shame in it.

3. Rebellion is a stage of human development. You won’t know if you’re in a good job or relationship if you haven’t individuated. Throw out your pre-programmed conditioning in a self-constructive way. See a coach. See a therapist. Talk to your friends. Spend Saturday mornings over a coffee writing out everything you’ve been told makes you a “good girl” in the eyes of family, religion and culture. Challenge every single thing on that list.

Re-absorb the things you desire. Joyfully throw away the rest.

4. Pick your partners wisely. If anyone tells you what to wear, what to weigh, what to think or what to say, leave. The first time a partner demeans you or rages, leave. If, God help them, he or she slaps or chokes you, leave immediately and don’t turn back. When you find a good partner, invest in him or her. Be brave enough to be calm, open, vulnerable and loving. If you find a good one, treat him or her well. Love is one of the best things about being alive.

5. Make your own money. You won’t regret it.

6. Patriarchy is a system of power most people don’t know they’re in, which was originally created to protect men’s feelings about their standing in relation to other men. It has little to do with you as a woman aside from being a supporting actor. So operate outside of it. Rise up. Internalized misogyny exists; root it out. A lot of potential partners don’t know about their own misogynistic feelings until you overstep the invisible boundaries; talk it out lovingly, or if you can’t, leave.

7. Lead at work and in life. Women leaders are a service to the next generation.

8. Love the souls of the people around you. You have yin and yang inside, and it’s all sacred. Explore the full polarity inside.

9. Pleasure is good; revel in it shamelessly. Savour your food. Learn to love to be.

10. Love your body like a treasured pet. Walk it, feed it, let it sleep, treat it nicely. This is your biological vehicle to experience life. Your body deserves good treatment. There are as many kinds of beauty as there are souls. The things about you which are different are stunning. Your soul is gorgeous.

Oh, and forget about that statue. *Sarah Hale is a former SLU Presidential Scholar and University News Opinions & Editorials editor.

She was a finalist in Women in Sales Europe 2019.

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