No. 5 (Oct. 31, 2019)

VOL. XCVIV No. 5 / October 31, 2019

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THE UNIVERSITY NEWS

SlU Chess

wins big

COVER Design by Rebecca LiVigni

NEWS

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Photo Courtesy of SLU Chess Team

SLU CHESS: CHESS: SLU BEST IN THE MIDWEST SLU Chess team dominates competition at Midwest Chess Championship

By CONOR DORN Associate News Editor

arlier this month, the SLU chess team continued their hot streak as they competed at the Midwest Collegiate Chess Championship at the University of Missouri. Held Oct. 6–8, SLU’s chess team was met with tough competition from Washington University and Mizzou, all three teams fielding their strongest players.

The Midwest Chess Championship was the first event of its kind, and the inauguration represents a push to bring together the best collegiate chess players in the Midwest for competition. According to Mizzou chess coach Christian Chirila, “Collegiate chess tournaments are generally rare, with only a handful of important events per year. For this reason, the best way to get the players, the fans and their respective universities involved is to create more tournaments.”

The tournament was divided into two back-to-back events: a five-round classical tournament, where games last several hours and mental stamina is a key factor, and a nine-round “blitz” tournament, where the games are much shorter but the pressure is often ramped up.

Players from each school competed individually, and both the classical and the blitz events were won by SLU players. Sophomore Benjamin Bok,

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who recently made St. Louis headlines for his performance at the FIDE World Cup in Russia, built on his strong performance there by capturing first place in the blitz section, winning seven of nine games.

With this victory in the blitz event, Bok edged out fellow teammates, including sophomore Akshat Chandra and senior Dariusz Swiercz, who took second and third place respectively.

Bok’s victory came down to the wire, as Chandra and Swiercz both won their final game, each finishing with a score of 6 ½ points out of 9. Bok’s winning score of 7 points out of 9, just half a point ahead of his nearest competitors, meant that his final-round win clinched the victory; had he lost or even drawn that game, the blitz event might have ended much differently.

Another strong showing for SLU in the blitz section was made by sophomore Nikolas Theodorou, who placed inside the top ten with 5 ½ points out of 9.

Commenting on his victory, Bok said, “I was happy to win the blitz tournament ahead of several strong Grandmasters, but also because I moved up to number 64 in the world blitz chess rankings.”

After the blitz event, players moved to the classical event, where five games of chess were played. Classical chess is played at a much slower pace than blitz, and for that reason, endurance and mental stamina are key factors for

success. In the blitz section, each player began with three minutes on their clock, with two seconds added to their remaining time every time they made a move. In classical chess, on the other hand, each player starts with 90 minutes on their clock, with a thirty second increment each time a move is made.

This difference in the duration of the games meant that players had to adjust their mindset and strategy as they moved from the blitz section to the classical section, an adjustment that SLU’s team made quite easily.

Swiercz added to his second place finish in the blitz section by taking first place overall in the classical section with a score of 4 points out of 5.

His victory featured three wins and two draws, including a final-round draw against teammate Theodorou, who took second place overall in the classical section. The final-round draw between Swiercz and Theodorou meant that each player had scored 4 points out of 5, and as a result, a playoff was needed to decide the overall winner.

The playoff between the two players was tense, made more exciting by the fact that both players were teammates.

The playoff consisted of a two games of blitz, with the same time format that was used in the blitz section. Swiercz backed up his strong finish in the blitz section by winning both playoff games, thereby earning first place in the classical section.

With SLU players taking the top three spots in the blitz section and the top two spots in the classical section, the SLU team secured the top team prize in both sections. Such a successful showing against the top chess players in the Midwest is a testament to the depth of talent and versatility found in SLU’s chess team. Even though SLU came into the event as the favorite to win, Bok made it clear that such success is never taken for granted. Bok noted that “coming into the tournament, we were the favorite to win both sections, but living up to that expectation is never easy.”

The chess team hopes to carry their momentum into the next event on their calendar: the 2019 World Prestigious University Chess Tournament, hosted at Nankai University in China. Summing up the competition, Bok said, “We will be playing against some of the top collegiate chess teams in the world, and our goal is to win.”

News VOLUNTEERS EXPOSED TO FLU FOR NEW SLU STUDY

By CAROLINE LIPSKI Staff Writer he only thing not pleasant about receiving a $3,310 check and state-ofthe-art hospitality is potentially receiving the flu because of it.

Last week, SLU’s Center for Vaccine Development initiated its human influenza challenge to better understand the flu and learn how to best prevent it in the future. As part of this study, human volunteers aged 18–49 will be staying on campus in SLU’s Extended Stay Research Unit, located within the Salus Center.

This research resort, dubbed “Hotel Influenza” by Nancy Soloman, houses 24 rooms featuring private bathrooms, Internet, TV and even catered meals. The only catch for the guests is that they may potentially catch the flu.

Participants will be injected with a vaccine or placebo and exposed to a strain of the flu virus via a nasal spray. They will then be quarantined in the research unit and monitored on the clock for flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches, coughing and diarrhea. Swabs from the nose and throat and samples of blood taken from the volunteers will provide researchers further insight into the body’s immune responses to the virus.

This “challenge” differs from more traditional flu vaccine research. Other clinical methods only administer the vaccine to see if the immune system will respond by creating antibodies to fight the virus, while this study deliberately challenges the body by injecting a vaccine and then exposing it to the flu to see if people get sick or not.

In a university press release, Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D., Director of SLU’s Center for Vaccine Development, comments on the benefits of the challenge struc-

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ture: “You know when they’re exposed to the flu, so you can plan exactly when to study it. You are not waiting for nature to take its course. If a challenge trial shows the vaccine protected a small group of volunteers against the flu, you can be much more confident the vaccine is more likely to be worth the hundreds of millions of dollars of investment to go through phase 3 development,” Hoft said.

The flu is a leading cause of death in the United States, with this past 2017–2018 flu season on record as one of the most severe.

To combat this, new flu vaccines are developed every year to fight seasonal strains. The challenge is that the influenza virus is constantly mutating, which can render some vaccines less effective than they are predicted to be. Last year’s flu vaccine was only 40% effective, according to the CDC. The search is on for an effective, and even universal, vaccine for all strains of influenza.

As part of this search, SLU’s pioneering efforts in vaccine testing within its human “challenge” unit are funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. SLU is one of nine Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units that were chosen by the NIAID in 2013 to study vaccine development in order to protect people from infectious diseases.

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Photo Courtesy of St. Louis University

DRUG TAKE-BACK: PROGRESS & PREVENTION

By EILEEN WISNIOWICZ Contributor n Saturday, Oct. 28 and Monday, Oct. 30, Saint Louis University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) partnered with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to host a drug take-back drive. This drive was part of the larger National Prescription Drug Take Back Day that occurred on Oct. 26 of this year, although drives like this run consistently throughout the year.

Shelia Hatcher has been a DPS officer at Saint Louis University for the past five years and has been running the Drug Take-Back Drive on SLU’s campus for the past three years. Coming to SLU’s Department of Public Safety after working in the St. Louis Police Department in narcotics, Hatcher is especially experienced in initiatives like this. Hatcher pointed out that she has seen firsthand where these drugs can go and keeping them out of the wrong hands is an important mission to her.

The DEA describes the drive as a way to “provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.” Hatcher

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was especially excited to see the number of students that showed up to the drive, saying “That made me feel good.”

The goal of these drives is to ensure that these medications stay out of the wrong hands. According to the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health, the drug overdose death rate has had a 61% increase from 2010 to 2016 and the trend is continuing.

St. Louis, specifically, has seen a 79% rise from 2010 to 2016. These drug take-back drives fight these statistics by providing a place where a person who is struggling from drug addiction or who knows a friend or family member with addiction can properly dispose of prescriptions and medications.

While the event was on SLU property, this event was hosted by the DEA, which brought people from the surrounding communities outside of SLU. Hatcher was enthusiastic about the turnout, saying that 20+ people brought in multiple medications they no longer use and were grateful that the drive was occurring. Hatcher proudly stated that she absolutely felt that the goal of this drive was accomplished.

Hatcher ended by mentioning that there are multiple resources for students who are struggling or who know someone who is struggling with addiction. Some resources are the SLU Counseling Center (314-977-8255), the DPS Hotline (314-977-3000) and the Suicide Hotline (800-273-8255).

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News MONA SOCIAL ISSUES SERIES: HICKS JESUITS IN FILM MOVING TO STANFORD

By KLAUDIA WACHNIK Staff Writer

By SAVANAH SEYER Staff Writer ast week, SLU students received the bittersweet news that Mona Hicks, Ph.D., SLU’s Associate Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students would be leaving SLU to serve as Stanford’s Senior Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students.

As Dean of Students, Hicks has played a role in shaping many campus programs and has been a prominent face of student life and support on campus. Hicks describes her role as Dean of Students as a “calling” and said that being in her role means “always carrying students in your heart and mind.” Hicks has been in her position at SLU for almost eight years, and she told the University News about her time at SLU and what might be in store for her at Stanford.

Hicks said the beginning of her time at SLU was a special experience for her. During her multiple-day interview, which she described as rigorous, she was able to sit down and converse with student leaders on campus. She said that the Saint Louis University student body was what convinced her that this was a place she wanted to work.

During her time at SLU, Hicks has been a key figure in creating, developing and fostering programs designed to support the student body. It hasn’t always been an easy task, and according

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to Hicks, her biggest challenge at SLU has been “building and constructing a sustainable Dean of Students Office.”

“It didn’t look like this when I got here,” said Hicks. “We still have a long way to go, but I’m very proud of this [the office].”

Hicks said she was also especially proud of the work she did on developing the Undergraduate Learning Outcomes.

“I’m very proud of having the opportunity to discuss just what we want students to be able to gain from Saint Louis University,” said Hicks. “There are incredible things happening. SLU students are doing incredible things outside of the classroom. We were learning how to integrate those things with what was happening inside the classroom as well.”

Hicks said the programs and initiatives she was most personally proud of were programs that worked to care for and support students who were often marginalized or isolated on campus, such as the Veteran’s Student Commons and the Billiken Bounty Food Pantry “I’m proud of the way we care for students, especially students who are pushed to the mar...

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n Aug. 12, 2017, Charlottesville, Virginia made worldwide news as the site of white supremacist riots. In the wake of this event, many departments at SLU began to respond to the incident, including the Department of Theological Studies.

“We wanted to show that Theological Studies could respond, that theology and religion had something to say about these important moral issues going on,” said Elizabeth Block, Ph.D., assistant professor of Christian ethics.

In the fall of 2017, the Department of Theological Studies responded to this social conflict by implementing the “Religion and Complex Social Issues Series.”

For their initiative to address various social issues in society pertaining to religion and theology, the series held their first talk on “Racial Violence and God Talk.” The discussion was an open and inviting environment to discuss the recent conflicts going on, including input and responses from both students of SLU and faculty members from the Department of Theological Studies. Block speaks on the discussion saying, “We talked about the white supremacy, racism and gave theological responses to that. [We] showed how Theology and Religion are relevant.”

Highlighting the future of the “Religion and Complex Social Issues Series,” Block poses a simple question: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have these kinds of events more frequently where we respond to contemporary moral problems and challenges? [We would] bring together [people] from our departments, and also other departments, or those outside the university to have a panel where we talk a little bit, but we also open it up to student and

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faculty dialogue.” Since Charlottesville, the Department of Theological Studies has expanded its efforts to provide a space where students and faculty can engage in a conversation relating to social issues, religion and theology, with panels on abuse in the church, immigration and deportation, voting and values.

This year, the Religion and Complex Social Issues Series has decided to use a different medium to engage in a discussion of social issues and religion—film. Block, Rachel Lindsey, Ph.D., Professor of U.S. Religious History, and Emily Dumler-Winckler, Ph.D., assistant professor of constructive theology, are this years coordinators for the series. Lindsey introduced the idea of “Jesuits in the Movies” as a contemporary form of communication for the series.

The idea is to have someone introduce the films, speak on issues to look for while watching the film, and then allow for discussion and dialogue after the film has concluded. “Theology and religion are not just these discrete, isolated disciplines, but they really can speak to and help us to understand these things going on in the world,’’ said Block. “[It helps] to be able to really engage theology as it is out in the world,’’ added Lindsey on the decision to use film this year.

The “Jesuit in the Movies” events began on Sept. 26, 2019, with the film “On the Waterfront,” and will continue until April 16, 2020, concluding with “The Mission.” The next film in the sequence is “The Exorcist,” with a date being determined. The following films being shown in the spring: “The Hoodlum Priest” on Feb. 6, and “Romero” on March 26. Pizza, beverages and snacks will be provided by the Department of Theological Studies.

News

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Photo Courtesy of Keegan Phillips, St. Louis University

DPS REPORTS

ST. LOUIS LITERARY AWARD HONORS EDWIDGE DANTICAT

By SARAH STEEN Copy Editor n the evening of Oct. 24 at the Sheldon Concert Hall, acclaimed Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat accepted the 52nd St. Louis Literary Award from the Saint Louis University Library Associates. This honor has been awarded to many distinguished recipients, including Stephen Sondheim and Margaret Atwood in 2018 and 2017, respectively. According to the Library Associates, the award’s mission is to recognize “a living writer with a substantial body of work that has enriched our heritage by deepening our insight into the human condition and by expanding the scope of our compassion.”

Danticat’s works have ranged from essay collections and children’s books to full-length novels and a memoir—all of which focus on the lives of Haitian individuals both at home in Haiti and on American soil. Her most well-known works include novels “Breath, Eyes, Memory” and “The Dew Breaker,” short story collection “Krik? Krak!” and memoir “Brother, I’m Dying.”

Although Danticat has won various awards, including the American Book Award in 1999, National Book Critics Circle Award in 2007

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and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship in 2009, she was humbled by the Library Associates’ recognition. As she said in her acceptance speech at the ceremony, “It feels surreal to get this award.” Her speech followed Haitian dance performances by the Katherine Dunham Children’s Workshop and the SLU Student Dance Troupe, as well as poetry readings in Haitian Creole and English translations. Danticat emphasized the importance of these performances, saying they were “all of the hallmarks of celebrations back home in Haiti,” but she also recognized a heaviness she felt in receiving the awards when her country is in great turmoil.

Nonetheless, Danticat answered each question by moderator Tcherlie MacEnat, SLU Law student, with enthusiasm. On her book “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” which served as SLU’s 2019 campus read, Danticat said, “A first book is like a first child.” She explained that this first published work of fiction taught her how to be a writer and continues to be a work she holds close to her heart.

The morning after this ceremony, Danticat graciously met with students on the second floor of SLU’s Pius Library over coffee and pastries. French and English students alike gathered to meet and converse with the multilingual author. Afterwards, Danticat moved to the Cook Hall Auditorium for the always-anticipated Craft Talk, where the annual winner of the St.

Louis Literary Award sits down for a more casual discussion of their method of literary craft.

The Craft Talk’s moderator this year was associate professor of English Joya Uraizee, Ph.D., whose research and teaching focuses on postcolonial literature. As the two women were settling into their chairs on stage and struggling with their microphones, Danticat playfully remarked, “This is also a lesson in craft. It’s never perfect.”

This set the tone for a comfortable, candid conversation on the process of her artistry.

Danticat’s wisdom on the writing process primarily centered on the idea of allowing the work to guide the author and borrowing from other forms of art in order to paint colorful narratives. “Sometimes you are just haunted by an image,” she said in response to Uraizee’s question about the very vivid images of trauma found in many of her novels.

When answering questions from the audience on the importance of language in her compositions, Danticat said that all Creole languages are very visual because the original speakers needed to speak in a way that could not be understood by colonial oppressors. “It’s vivid, it’s visual and it’s nuanced,” she said, lending to the expressive art she creates through her writing.

She also added that although people often accuse multilingual writers who use phrases in different languages as perpetuating exotica, sometimes there is no equivalent in English of the concept she wants to portray.

Danticat also said, “I think the most important thing is to be someone on whom nothing is lost, to be a good observer of your life, to find

At 12:06 a.m on Oct. 25, a student was found in an intoxicated state in a stairwell in the Walsh Hall.

DPS officers arrived and determined that the student required medical attention, and Medic 9 transported the student to the St. Louis University Hospital for treatment.

At 6:50 p.m on Oct. 26, a DPS officer noticed an individual acting in a suspicious manner outside of the BSC. The DPS officer approached the individual and found that he had previously been asked to leave the premises.

The individual was apprehended and arrested for trespassing and turned over to the St. Louis Police.

At 11:24 a.m on Oct. 25, a SLU student operating a motor vehicle collided with another vehicle. The SLU student suffered a laceration of the forehead and was transported to the St. Louis University Hospital for treatment. things you are passionate about,” in response to a high schooler in the audience’s request for creative writing advice. She then added, “You might as well pick something [to write about that] you want to spend time with for a couple years and that you’ll be miserable without.”

Danticat’s newest work from this past summer, titled “Everything Inside,” is a collection of short stories that tackles the difficult themes of loss, grief and coming to terms with death. It has received excellent reviews. Moving forward, she will continue to do what she loves most—writing.

“This award will certainly help keep my candle lit,” she said, “and for that, I am very grateful.”

Arts and life

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six cult classic horror films to stream this fall

By TOMI DELP Staff Writer “Carrie” (1976) – Netflix “Carrie” was a screenplay based on a written work of the same title by popular horror writer Stephen King. The titular character, Carrie White, is shy, unpopular and frequently ostracized, with an abusive mother. Carrie eventually discovers telekinetic powers and uses this to avenge herself, simultaneously creating chaos. Available on Netflix.

Photo courtesy of Everett Collection.

“Scream” (1996) Partially a satirical shot at the overuse of clichés in preceding horror films and partially a thriller/mystery, “Scream” follows the drama of high school as well as the story of a masked murderer known as Ghostface terrorizing teenagers. This film was unique for its time in how the characters were aware of popular scary movies and because of the decision to cast already-famous actors. Available on Netflix.

Photo courtesy of Miramax

“Child’s Play” (1988) Now a franchise with seven fulllength and two short films, an iOS video game and an upcoming syfy series, Chucky instilled the belief in so many parents that children’s dolls are, in fact, creepy. “Child’s Play,” the first film in the franchise, tells the story of a serial killer who has transferred his soul into a doll to avoid death and then wreaks havoc on a boy and his family. Available on Hulu.

Photo courtesy of MGM/UA Communications Co.

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978) Originally a remake of a1956 film of the same title, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” follows a health inspector (played by Donald Sutherland) and his colleague investigating the spread of aliens replacing humans, looking like an exact replica but without the personality and feelings. This movie is the perfect blend of the science fiction and horror genres—think “Black Mirror” if it took place in the ’70s. Available on Hulu.

Photo courtesy of Solofilm.

“The Evil Dead” (1981) A movie with a notoriously low budget that was first shown at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, “The Evil Dead” is hailed (by fans, critics and even Stephen King) as one of the greatest independent films of the time. It almost immediately received status as a cult classic horror movie, inspiring new angles for the genre that was popularized in the ‘80s. “The Evil Dead” focuses on a trip taken by five college students, a tape recorder and demonic possession. Available on Hulu.

Photo courtesy of Renaissance Pictures.

“Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) Described as a “psychological supernatural horror thriller,” and sometimes regarded as the film that ignited the genre, “Rosemary’s Baby” depicts a young woman (aptly named Rosemary) who conceives and carries the child of Satan. The film was so successful that the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry because it grew into something so “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

Available on Hulu.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

07 Arts and life Aca Prom brings high school fun to slu

By JACK JOHNSTON Staff Writer

(Photo Courtesey of Bare Naked Statues) Beyond All Reason, SLU’s only all-female a cappella group, hosted the first ever Aca-Prom on Friday evening in the St. Louis Room.

This included dancing, performing and a competition between the various SLU a cappella groups.

Friday’s Aca-Prom was the first that SLU had ever seen. SLU currently has five different a cappella groups, all providing different styles of music and group set-ups. The Aca-Prom was the largest a cappella event put on this year so far. Beyond All Reason (BAR) hoped to create a sense of community between SLU’s vari-

ous groups through an evening of fun.

Anna Renner, a sophomore BAR member, says the reason for hosting the event was “to make sure the big community of a cappella groups could come together and have fun.”

This was achieved as the Aca-Prom was attended by members of every a cappella group. From this large turnout, Renner says BAR “definitely plan[s] on making this an annual thing…[it] should be easier especially because Megan [Doehner], who planned it, is a sophomore, so she can help implement it in the next few years.” There is hope outside of

last minute halloween costumes

By GRACE RAKESTRAW Staff Writer

ghost, take a sheet and cut two holes, near the eye area. If you do not have an extra sheet in your dorm, walk to CVS and buy a plastic white tablecloth.

Ghost While many people may think of a ghost as the most boring, overused costume in Halloween history, I have never actually seen a ghost when trick or treating. A ghost is also classic Halloween. It is timeless and unisex. In order to make your perfect

Decades When rifling through your closet, you may notice much of your clothing has been borrowed from decades past. Flare pants, a leather jacket and a funky belt can all be reused for a costume that is specific to a decade. While the ’70s, ’80s

the a cappella community as well that Aca-Prom will continue in the future.

Grace Hoover, Erinn Miller and Becca Townley, all first-year students, plan on attending Aca-Prom again, even though they’re not in any a cappella group. Miller says this comes from the event being “a great mixture of both a prom style and then intermingling the a cappella aspect.” This can be seen in how the event was set up: a main dance floor that lasted the whole of the event, but also time allocated for an Aca-Court to be crowned.

The Aca-Court is similar to the way regular proms crown a prom king and prom queen. Each a cappella group was able to nominate candidates for both Aca-Queen and Aca-King. The crowned Aca-King, representing Six Eight A Cappella, was Aaron Frazee.

From the Bare Naked Statues (BNS), the Aca-Queen was crowned, Aaron Brown. Frazee says it was “an honor to be crowned the first Aca-King of SLU.” The Aca-Court was voted on

and ’90s are all fun decades to replicate, I commend the person who dares to replicate the early 2000s.

Rock, Paper, Scissors If you have the colors grey, black or white in your closet, you can pull this group costume off. In order to become a rock, simply wear an entirely grey outfit. If you would really like to go above and beyond, tape some bland, crinkled newspaper onto your torso to create the illusion of texture. To become a piece of paper, dress entirely in white.

If you are feeling extra bland, tape a piece of white copy paper to your chest. Lastly, to become an authentic pair of scissors, wear black pants and a colorful top. To create the scissor handles, cut a piece of con-

by every person in attendance after each candidate was introduced.

Also nestled into the program of events was time allocated for each a cappella group to perform. Performances were seen from Six Eight, BNS, Aastha A Cappella and BAR. Attendee Erinn Miller enjoyed this part and says that it was “a really cool way to introduce the a cappella groups that I didn’t know about … I feel like it was a good way to showcase more of them.”

Other than just showcasing the groups, this also helped the groups get more familiar with each other.

That effort was seen throughout the week at other a cappella functions, such as Decadences Aca-Hangout at the clock tower on Thursday.

This event invited a cappella groups from the St. Louis area, including Maryville University and Washington University in St. Louis, and allowed them to mingle but watching each other perform. The Aca-Hangout was attended not only by Decadence, but also BAR and Aastha from SLU.

struction paper (same color as your top) into a large C. Tape the C shape to the bottom of your forearm to create a pair of scissors. After a quick 15 minutes of preparation, you are ready for… “rock, paper, scissors on three.”

THE Laziest Costume For the person who has been dragged to a Halloween party against their will, we have a costume for you too. All you need is a name tag. Simply write a name, besides your own, on the name tag, and voila, your costume is complete!

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Arts and life

Harry styles “lights up” the music industry

Photo courtesy of Evening Standard

By SARA QALBANI Contributor Nearly two years after his debut album was released, Harry Styles puts out his new hit single “Lights Up” on Oct. 11, 2019. The singer/songwriter/actor gave subtle hints throughout the release week that both excited and confused his fans. Styles began his promotion by tweeting the single word “Do.” Considering the artist is not generally active on social media, fans had a sense of suspicion around the lone word. Next, the singer launched a website called DoYouKnowWhoYouAre.com that generated compliments to fans and was signed “Love, H,” signaling a personal touch. Immediately after the website was launched, fans began to suspect a new musical era of the former boy band member. A few days later, fans began to see posters around the world with the same question “Do You Know

Who You Are?”. The large black posters displayed the question in bold white letters and were signed underneath with the acronym “TPWK,” Styles’ signature motto, “Treat People With Kindness.” Some of the places these posters were found were Australia, New York, California, Japan and London. After a week of hints, fans knew that Styles’ new era had officially begun.

The single and music video were simultaneously released.

In contrast to his previous album, Styles gave off a more sensual vibe for his new era.

Styles’s 2017 self-titled album was the first album he released after the temporary hiatus of of his former boy band One Direction. During his time in One Direction, the 25-year-old sang teen pop hits along with his three other bandmates. In his previous album, Styles had a mixture of soft mellow rock

with a hint of pop. This time around, fans predict the album to have a more intimate and anti-pop feeling.

Aside from the immense positive feedback from Styles’ fanbase, the hit single also received tremendous placements in the music charts. With less than a week’s worth of promo, and no direct release date confirmation, the single accomplished many musical records.

After its release, it spent two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and had a peak position of number 17. Aside from the song itself, the music video has hit 28 million views. Now that Styles’ second era has formally began, fans are getting ecstatic to see what comes next. Many predict Styles will begin to announce his sophomore album and world tour.

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November

Dance With Elevation @ Simon Rec Center

HSC DIWALI PUJA @ THE SINQUEFIELD STATE ROOM

4 pm

SLU DM DAY OF MIRACLES @ SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY

Winter brigades Bake sale @ West Pine 11 am

ISA FALL SHOW @ HARRIS STOWE THEATER 5:15 pm

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6 pm

Entrepreneurs club Billicon Valley @ Chaifetz Business School

5 pm

University News 10/31/19 Crossword

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Across 1 Sitter’s headache 5 Psyches 8 FBI employee (Abbr.)

11 Swiss river 12 “The Matrix” hero 13 Prospector’s deed 16 Olympic athletes 18 Painter Matisse 19 Muffin topper 20 Ohio team 22 Voracious fish 26 Sub detector 27 Will Smith title role 28 Extended family 30 ___ and outs 31 Fertilizer ingredient 34 Risk 37 Colossus of Rhodes, e.g.

39 Kings and queens, e.g.

43 ___ of roses 46 Staircase post 47 Porker 50 Surrealist Max 53 Happy ___ lark 54 Maxim 57 Disaster 60 Web site link 62 Woodwind 63 Blazing 64 Lucrative opportunity 68 Stalin’s predecessor 69 Epoch 70 “Battle Cry” author

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71 Harden 72 Latin foot 73 Gym set Down 1 Capture 2 Science fiction weapon 3 Usher's offering, usually 4 Pavarotti, notably 5 Bug 6 Roundabout way 7 Plea at sea 8 Stomach woe 9 Secluded valleys 10 Argentine dance 14 Tehran native

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15 Where to see “The Last Supper” 17 ___ provençale 20 Newborn 21 AARP members 22 Prohibits 23 Hopped off 24 Comic Rudner 25 Quick swim 29 Be off base 32 Capt.’s guess 33 Groove 35 Charge carrier 36 Strong cleanser 38 Fr. summer 40 Out of town 41 Minus 42 Bridge feat 44 Curved shape

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University News 10/31/19 Word Search

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PuzzleJunction.comTo solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

games 1

1 4 9 5

45 Genetic inits.

47 Scorecard number 48 Utopian 49 Faux pas 51 Moe or Curly, e.g.

52 After coffee and pool 55 Beams 56 Ghostlike 58 Trawler’s catch 59 Large-eyed primate 61 Shipped 64 Mountain pass 65 Intense anger 66 Puppy’s bite 67 Road curve

I A R A Y G F H M W O L V E S F E M

S W N W E C U M I S C E N I C G E Y

D E G G U R O I H K Q Z A N D C O T

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P Y C L N O I T P U R E G B G S O M E U L F Y H R B D E L D P A K N E F C A M E R A L G P J C E B S F H R S E R P F P I C S A F H V C T R S F A L L S O V H B Q O O U I H C A M P A Copyright ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com Z O L T I P T U P A P C G T Y D E J H T N Solution E S A U F O A Z W D R L N E W S L P C B D B R G 6 9 2 4 1 5 7 8 3 U E I V I N H S R R F R L S E 8 1 5 3 6 7 9 4 2 E A D N O 3S 9 I 2 B8 G S 5I F O O Y 4 7 1 6 P A G 1I 8I 6P 2G3 E4 W K 5 9 7Q N V T S G L J F 3 2P 4A 7 N5 O9 R 8 A 1 6M A G F E 3 4F N A S R O R V 7I 5H 9E 6 D8 M1 T2 U 9 6 1 5 4 2 3 7 L E X P L O R E B E 8T U Y L S 2 W 4 8E 1 D7 H3 E 6 5 J R G K T 9N A P N V 5 3 7 8 9 6 4 2 1 S R E G N A R S L A M I N A Q V L B A C K P A C K I N G G Z

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Copyright ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com

ADVENTURE ANIMALS AWESOME BACKPACKING BEARS BISON CABINS CAMERA CAMP ELK

ERUPTION EXPLORE FALLS FAUNA FEES FISH GEYSERS GUIDE HIKE HOT SPRINGS

Solution

1 4 9 5 6 8 2 7 3

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9 6 5 8 4 1 3 2 7

8 3 4 7 5 2 9 1 6

7 2 1 6 9 3 4 8 5

LODGE MOOSE NATURE OLD FAITHFUL PAINT POTS PANORAMA RANGERS RUGGED SCENIC WOLVES

4 5 6 1 7 9 8 3 2

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photography

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Super Blast at Super Smash

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3 Photos By JOSHUA KANG, Staff Photographer Story By RILEY TOVORNIK, Photo Editor Members of SLU’s esports club gathered in the Busch Student Center in the Wool Ballrooms on Saturday, Oct. 26 to play Smash Bros The club focuses on introducing students to the competitive gaming world, with Smash Bros being one of the most prevalent and longest standing games within the scene. Players could choose between Smash Bros Melee, a classic on the Nintendo Gamecube, or Smash Bros Ultimate, the newest iteration on the Nintendo Switch. Nicholas Chui, president of SLU esports, maintains the competive gaming scene on campus by hosting the monthly Smash tournaments.

1) Members of SLU esports play in two separate 1v1 matches.

2) The director of the event, Nicholas Chui, battles against competitor Matthew Shenouda in a Super Smash Bros Melee tournament.

3) Lane “Laninize” Goodyear (blue sweater) battles Charles “Zephyr” Brown (grey hoodie) in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

4) A player uses a classic Gamecube controller. Its yellow C-stick has been known to be advantageous in Smash Bros games.

5) Two players focused on a 1v1 match.

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photography

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SLUNatics TAlent Showcase

1 Photos and Story by TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS Photo Editor The Billiken Grill was crowded, full of students, dancers and singers. SLU Shakti, XQuizit, League of Laughter and Beyond All Reason performed their talents in a showcase hosted by SLUnatics on the Billiken Grill stage. League of Laughter used experiences with romantic partners and worst employees to create impromptu puns. SLU Shakti and XQuizit performed their routines, and Beyond All Reason sung their songs. The SLUnatics let the audience be the judges based on the volume of their approval. SLU Shakti took the prize—a gift card—with a final bout of applause and cheer by crowd, edging the semi-finalist XQuizit.

1. The crowd cheers for SLU Shakti. 2. XQuizit dances off. 3 Andrew Wagner and Matthew Kowalski, SLUnatics E-Board members, open the judging to the crowd. 4, 5. SLU Shakti shows off their unique Bollywood/ Filmi fusion choreography.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

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SLUNatics TAlent Showcase

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6. Beyond All Reason sings in acapella together. 7. Anna Renner, a member of Beyond All Reason, faces inward toward her fellow singers as she harmonizes.

8. XQuizit gets low. 9. Two girls from Beyond All Reason sing in duet as their squad hums. 10. Antonio Hornstein of League of Laughter cracks a spontaneous joke. 11. Lauren Maalouf and Nick Ballint of League of Laughter crease inquisitive faces as they ponder something funny.

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Photography

Relay For Life hosts first fundraiser of the season Photos and Story By JACK CONNAGHAN Staff Photographer More than most philanthropy groups, the passionate students of SLU’s Relay for Life know that making a difference isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon. The Relay for Life Kickoff, which occupied much of the Quad last Friday afternoon, offered enough hotdogs, T-shirts, energy drinks and musical talent to make you run in circles. Students and SLU President Fred Pestello alike partook in the action and donated, with all funds benefiting the American Cancer Society. The fundraiser was the first of several on the road to the titular Relay for Life this coming April, which may seem far in the future. But just like the Relay itself, the distance to the finish takes a backseat to the difference made along the way.

sports

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ROAD TO TOKYO: U.S. ATHLETES PUNCHING THEIR TICKETS TO 2020

By ERIN MCCLELLAND Associate Sports Editor here are 266 days left until the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, and Team USA is slowly being formed athlete by athlete. The year leading up to the games is when these athletes get to realize their dreams of qualifying for the Games, something many of them have been working towards their entire life.

Despite the fact that there is still almost a year until the Games kick off in Japan, Team USA already has a number of members who have punched their ticket. This Olympic Games is different than the ones in previous years because next summer will feature the return of baseball and softball, as well as the addition of karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing. These new additions will likely mean that Team USA, already one of the Olympic powerhouses, will only get bigger.

Already, three of these new sports have members that will be representing their country in Japan.

Brooke Raboutou is an 18-year-old climber from Colorado, and she is the first climber to ever qualify for the Olympics from the U.S. Raboutou comes from a family of climbers and has been climbing since the age of two.

The United States women’s national softball team also qualified back in August after reaching the gold-medal game in the Women’s Softball World Championship. They were guaranteed a spot in the Games with a trip to the final game, win or lose, because their opponent, Japan, had the automatic qualification by being the host nation. It has been two Summer Games since softball was in the Olympics, so the veterans on the team are eager to avenge their silver medal at the hands of Japan in the 2008 Beijing Games.

Another new face that will be seen in Tokyo is surfer Kolohe An-

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Michael Phelps holding the flag at the Rio 2016 opening ceremony. The 2020 Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan and introduces several new sports into the global competition. (Photo courtesy of Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

dino, a California native who qualified during the World Surf League Championship Tour. He is the son of pro surfer Dino Andino and is currently ranked fifth on the tour. Two women and another man will qualify to represent the U.S. in surfing and will qualify this spring.

Returning to Team USA for her second Games is road and track cyclist Chloé Dygert Owen. In the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, she won a silver medal in team pursuit and will be competing in both team and individual pursuit in Japan. She recently won gold at the World Championships for both events so she will be a strong competitor next summer.

One of the USA’s strongest events in the Summer Olympics is swimming. Three members have already been named to the powerhouse team, all for open water events. Ha-

ley Anderson, Ashley Twichell and Jordan Wilimovsky have all made the team. The rest of the potential team members have to wait until June to try to earn their spot on one of the hardest swim teams to make in the world. The Olympic Trials are set to be held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 21–28, 2020.

The remaining members of Team USA are from the track and field team. Samantha Achterberg and Amro ElGeziry have both qualified for modern pentathlon. Modern pentathlon is made up of five events: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping and a combined event of pistol shooting and cross-country running. This is an event that has a little something for everyone! The final member that has already qualified for Tokyo is triathlete Summer Rappaport. While in college, she

was a Division I, two-sport athlete competing in both swimming and cross-country. Only after college did she combine the two to become one of the world’s most elite triathletes.

Up next is the field hockey team, which looks to qualify for the Games this weekend in a head-tohead, winner-take-all series against the team from India. The winner of the series gets a bid, and the other does not.

Team USA will continue to fill up in the months leading up to the Summer Games. You can stay up to date on who’s on the team and learn more about the qualifications for each individual sport at teamusa.org. The countdown to Tokyo is here!

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sports

VOLLEYBALL CONTINUES WINNING STRETCH

By JEREMIAH KIRSCH Contributor he SLU women’s volleyball team continued their recent success with two more victories this weekend.

The Billikens knocked off George Mason on Friday night and defeated George Washington on Sunday afternoon. In the process, they moved their current win streak to eight games. Friday’s match was a hard-fought victory in five sets, while Sunday was a three-set sweep for the Bills.

Despite facing the last-place team in the Atlantic-10 on Friday night, the Billikens got off to a slow start.

The Billikens fell behind early in the set but regrouped after head coach Kent Miller called a timeout with his team trailing 7-1. A strong rebound followed with a brutal kill

by Sara Daniels, which hit a George Mason player in the face and providided a key momentum builder.

But the comeback was unsuccessful as the Bills lost the first set by a score of 25-23.

SLU opened the second set quickly with an 8-2 run. They controlled the rest of the way to win the second frame 25-22. In the third, the teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle, as there were five ties and four lead changes. The Billikens made a late 8-3 push that ultimately gave them control of the set and match. They won set three 26-24 and took a 2-1 advantage in the match.

Momentum shifted, and George Mason took set four in a controlling fashion, 25-19. The teams moved to a fifth set tiebreak. The final frame proved to be the most thrilling of the evening. With seven ties and three lead changes, the teams went back and forth. After being tied at 14, the Billikens won

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the next two points and finished the match with a massive kill by Sien Gallop. Gallop played a pivotal role throughout the night, tallying a career-high 27 kills. Her play was key to the result, especially in the final set.

On Sunday, Gallop and the Billikens picked up right where they left off against foe George Washington. The outside hitter tallied six kills in the first set as the Billikens won the frame 25-17. They closed the set on an 18-10 run after being knotted at seven all.

In the second set, the teams battled throughout the set, but the Billikens controlled late to win 2523. SLU continued to play strong in the final of three sets with an opening 15-8 run. However, GW battled back to tie the set at 17. Despite the charge, the Bills held on to sweep the weekend and the match in another 25-23 victory. Leading the way in the match was Junior Kennedy Cordia who collected 32 assists this day and moved to fifth on SLU’s career assists leaderboard

with 2,349 assists overall.

After another strong weekend, the Billikens are rolling and full of confidence according to Senior Sien Gallop. Gallop said the team “knows the confidence that [they] have,” in reference to facing adversity over the course of a match.

She attributes that confidence and success to her teammates and the bond they have formed. “We have become such a family, and there is not one person on this team I do not trust. We have turned the family aspect into something that is our culture,” remarked Gallop.

The Billikens will continue to use their “family” culture to work toward their goals as the regular season winds down. Sitting at third place in the Atlantic-10 standings, they will look to avenge an earlier loss as they travel to Dayton to face the first-place Flyers this Friday. Their family culture will play a pivotal role if they want to continue their winning streak and reach their main goal: to win the A-10 championship.

Top: Junior setter Kennedy Cordia serves against George Washington. Cordia became fifth in all time assists for the Billikens.

Bottom: Senior Sien Gallop gets down for a dig.

Gallop earned a career-high 27 kills on Friday’s game.

(Trenton Almgren-Davis / The University News)

sports

17

GET HER IN THE GAME SCHOLARSHIP KEEPS MICA DIAZ AT SLU

From left: Athletic Director Chris May, junior Mica Diaz, Enterprise Holdings Foundation President Carolyn Kindle Betz and SLU President Fred Pestello (Photos courtesy of Billiken Athletics)

By SAM GLASS Sports Editor n 1972, the historic Title IX was p a s s e d , granting w o m e n equality in education and athletics. Since its implementation, female student athletes across the nation have taken advantage of their opportunities to compete and receive an education.

Saint Louis University Athletics promotes opportunities for women through the Get Her in the Game Scholarship. This scholarship is annually awarded to one female student athlete at SLU who may be financially unable to pursue her education. The scholarship is usually gifted to an incoming freshman to be used for four years. This year’s recipient was a different case.

Field hockey junior Mica Diaz received the scholarship amounting to $6,000 per year.

The forward from Buenos Aires, Argentina fell into a difficult situation recently. With increasing infla-

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tion in Argentina, the financial burden was increased on Diaz and her family. Money for college shrank as USD conversion fell and devalued savings for Argentinians across the country.

“Our goal is to bring our community together,” said Senior Associate Director of Athletics Janet Oberle, Ph.D., on the scholarship, “and really celebrate the role that young women play and that sport plays in their life.” Oberle helps select a candidate from coach recommendations, and this year, Diaz was chosen.

Head coach Danielle Baumgardner recommended Diaz for the scholarship with knowledge of the issues in Argentina and the importance that SLU and field hockey have had on her. Diaz

accepted the scholarship and was well received by a vast network of scholarship donors. The Get Her in the Game Scholarship is funded through direct donations at the annual Lewis Rice Get Her in the Game Women’s Sports Luncheon.

Started in 2006, the luncheon promotes scholarship and athletic opportunities for female student athletes at SLU. This year’s luncheon, held Sept. 25 at Lorenzini’s Restaurant inside Chaifetz Arena, raised over $80,000 for scholarship recipients, more than any year prior.

The keynote speaker was Enterprise Holdings Foundation president Carolyn Kindle Betz whose name may be familiar because of her involvement with the new St. Louis MLS team. Betz talked about the importance of following one’s dream and never giving up. Diaz said it was just what she

needed to hear. “She gave me her contact info,” Diaz said. “She’s the kind of woman I want to be in the future.” And that is the crux of the scholarship: investing in the next generation of female leaders.

Diaz said the event was intimidating at first. With no academic or field hockey awards, she initially felt undeserving of the praise, but she got acclimated seeing people’s genuine care for her story. Diaz met a lot of great people, one of whom stood out because of some common heritage.

Committee member Aimee Oyenard married a man from Argentina, and that connection spoke to Diaz, who thinks a lot about home.

Talking to Oyenard reminded Diaz how grateful she is for the opportunity to be in St. Louis, saying, “Most of the people back there [in Argentina] don’t want to be there.

They would die for the opportunity I have.” It was reassuring for Diaz to know that she had another person who understands her situation, and also to know that Oyenard would have her over for an Argentinian meal anytime she feels homesick.

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sports SCREAMS, SMOKE BOMBS AND SLUNATICS: ALEX SMITH

By MISHAL MUSTAQUE Contributor

razy and loud.

If that sounds like you (or your ulterior persona), you are a perfect fit for SLUnatics.

SLU’s very own group of superfans barrel through every barrier imaginable to hype their team into snatching the dub.

Saint Louis University’s women’s soccer team won the championship last year, and the men’s basketball team made it to the NCAA tournament. The men’s soccer team has so many stars that it would take both hands to count them all.

Yet, when the women’s basketball team was playing last season, sophomore Alex Smith, SLUnatics’ smoke bomb aficionado, remembers one game where it was only him in the student section.

“I remember this one game where it was only me in the students’ section. We need more people to come out to these [events].”

Indeed, for all of the talk of SLU being disregarded as a “sports” school, sometimes it is easy to forget that sports besides football do exist. And quite a few of those exist at SLU. “Every time during football games [in high-school], I’d look up at the students’ section and just be like ‘okay, what are they doing?’ because our students’ section was kinda funny. It was just interesting to hear what they had to say. But you gotta remember that was football, and I couldn’t bring much of that to a college that doesn’t have a football team.”

Still, Smith says, he managed to successfully intertwine his eagerness to support with the different

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sporting dynamic the absence of a football team created at SLU. “I just gotta be loud. Doesn’t matter whatever I say, just gotta be loud.”

Truthfully, being loud is almost always the only thing that matters. The players only want to hear support, regardless of whatever audible or inaudible, or grammatically correct or incorrect, form that may come in.

Smith has the tools to take his fandom to the next level—to super-fandom, if you will. Namely the smoke bomb and the megaphone.

“Usually, I get there quite early, like 30 minutes before game time.

The goal for me is to get the stuff out of the basement, such as our drum, our smoke, anything that we might use.

“Once game time starts, we light up a smoke bomb. Throughout the whole game, we’ll be doing chants or just getting on the other team’s skin and rallying with our team to

hopefully get a win.”

Chants of “We are Saint Louis” are a fan favorite, as well as Alex’s. “[That chant’s] most powerful; it’s like we’re all coming together and striving for one thing.”

Smith hopes that the next time you hear that chant you’re helping to make it louder as a member of SLUnatics.

“We’re open to everyone. It’s free to join. It doesn’t matter if you’re coming alone, or with a group of friends, because you’re going to make a lot of friends if you join.”

Seems like a win-win if ever there was one. With a license to be crazy loud and an inherent purpose in supporting the school we go to, this offer is too good to pass up.

And best of all, you get to try out the smoke bomb and do that run. There’s one-on-one training with Smith for that first though.

“I’ll show you a little demonstration how to do it and you can pull it.” Famous last words.

Top: Sophmore Alex Smith in San Jose last year with the SLUnatics. The SLUnatics are SLU’s official hype team and student section. Smith got the chance last year to be flown out to the men’s basketball NCAA tournament game with other SLUnatics.

Side: Smith (third from the right) at a volleyball game prior to Billiken Madness. Smith is the Vice President of Gameday Operations assisting with gameday activities like leading cheers and lighting off smoke bombs.

Photos courtesy of SLUnatics

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ALL NEW SUNDAY SERVICE

MetroStLouis.org

20

Opinion

KEEP THE CORE JESUIT

By CONOR DORN Associate News Editor hree years ago, the University Undergraduate Core Committee began work on a new core curriculum, which the SLU community saw in proposal form earlier this month. From the outset, the UUCC was ostensibly committed to preserving SLU’s Jesuit identity and mission. The first Core Student Learning Outcome reads, “All SLU graduates will be able to examine their actions and vocations in dialogue with the Catholic, Jesuit tradition.” The problem is not with the Student Learning Outcomes themselves, but with their implementation. When we evaluate whether the proposal remains faithful to SLU’s Jesuit mission, we must resist the temptation to revert to vague platitudes about what the Catholic, Jesuit identity means, as I think has been the tendency. We need to be precise in our language and honest in our assessment when discerning whether this proposal, which will be voted on next March, upholds the values that a Jesuit institute of higher education should uphold.

This problem of ambiguity over what a Jesuit education should look like is not unique to the UUCC, or even to SLU in general. “Jesuit Education” has long been a mindlessly familiar couplet, cheapened through constant use without reflecting on what it actually means. There is simply no excuse for this neglect. We have an entire body of literature at our disposal, beginning in 1586 with the first draft of the “Ratio Studiorum” and moving all the way into the 21st century, which spells out clearly and unambiguously what a Jesuit education looks like. We have the “Spiritual Exercises”, the “Constitutions” of the Society of Jesus and the writings of countless generations of scholars who have studied, interpreted and adapted these original writings in a coherent ar-

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ticulation of how the Jesuit educational philosophy should be implemented. In other words, while the discourse surrounding the Jesuit ideals that underpin the core proposal has tended towards ambiguity, what these ideals themselves actually are is decidedly unambiguous. It has become apparent that the proposal for the new common core curriculum, in reducing philosophy and theology requirements to one course each and abandoning completely any sort of foreign language requirement, fails to remain true to several of these key Jesuit values.

In offering this criticism, I am fully aware that as it stands, many majors and programs which are not in the College of Arts and Sciences do not currently require more than one philosophy and theology course and that it would be unfair to call this aspect of the proposal a blanket reduction when in some cases no reduction has been made. That said, I think this objection misses the point. Our current practices aside, what we include in a University wide core at this critical juncture, and, perhaps more importantly what we leave out, is a reflection of what the University itself values. Whether or not it is a current practice for some programs is irrelevant; we have an opportunity to fix what isn’t working and to keep in place what is, and the bottom line is that giving insufficient attention to philosophy, theology and foreign languages in a University-wide common core at a Jesuit university is unacceptable.

I should also say at the outset that I do believe Jesuit pedagogy must evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century. At its most basic level, the function of an education is to prepare a student for the life that is ahead of them. The “Ratio” was written nearly five hundred years ago, and it is beyond dispute that as modes of living change, so too should educational philosophy adapt to meet those changes. But just as tradition for tradition’s sake is pointless, and often

even harmful, so too is change for change’s sake. We must find a balance between a forward facing stance that anticipates the needs of a constantly transforming job market and one that cherishes the facets of Jesuit education which have worked for centuries.

Competency in a foreign language has been at the heart of Jesuit education since the 16th century, and it is just as important now, arguably even more so, than it was when the “Ratio Studiorum” was first penned.

Of course, Jesuit pedagogy has had to adapt since then, and rightfully so. We no longer require a strict and rigorous diet of Latin and Ancient Greek, something that was a staple of Jesuit education since the beginning.

However, adaption to the demands of modernity must be made cautiously, and eliminating the foreign language requirement in its entirety is simply antithetical to the Jesuit ideals which the UUCC professes to defend. At the UUCC open forum earlier this month, a spokesman for the committee said that the absence of a foreign language was a “lamentable” but necessary step that other peer universities have taken when standardizing a core. Setting aside the fact that other peer universities (Boston College, Georgetown, Fordham, etc.) have not completely abandoned a foreign language requirements, this would not be a valid justification for SLU if it were true. SLU cannot claim to be an educational frontrunner, a phrase I heard repeatedly at the core proposal open forum, if we attempt to avoid culpability for compromising on key Jesuit values by appealing to the actions of other universities. Even if the absence of a foreign language requirement was a trend among peer Jesuit schools, which it is not, that should have absolutely no bearing on SLU’s decisions. The UUCC’s decision

to include or exclude a foreign language requirement should be motivated by an evaluation of the position that foreign language study has occupied in the Jesuit tradition, and throwing our hands up and saying “but Georgetown did it too” is not a valid response.

The proposal’s diminished emphasis on philosophy and theology is equally troubling. If the proposal is accepted, SLU will fall well behind our peer Jesuit universities in terms of philosophy and theology requirements. These classes are essential to the intellectual growth of SLU students, who are afforded the opportunity to critically engage with and reflect on questions like “How should I live?” and “What makes my life meaningful?” or “Why should I be moral, and what does it look like to live morally?” These requirements also distinguish SLU graduates from graduates of other universities by training students of all backgrounds to approach their respective disciplines with a firm grasp of the ethical and moral issues a stake.

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Opinion

21

The Unfortunate Truth Behind Where Our Waste Ends Up

By JORDAN BAILEY Staff Writer

hat would modern life be without plastics? According to the World Economic Forum, plastic production has skyrocketed over the last 50 years, growing from 16.5 million tons in 1964 to 343 million tons in 2014. But with this huge rise of plastic manufacturing comes immense negative impacts of improper or insufficient waste management—most of which affects impoverished nations that don’t have the economic stability to fix the problem.

Mass consumption of plastics in the United States only started a little less than 70 years ago, with the first major commercial plastic spray bottle kicking off disposable consumerism. From there, single-use plastics began to make their mark in the United States, with many corporations such as Coca-Cola switching from glass bottles to plastic ones because of the significant decrease in manufacturing costs. As the demand for mass consumerism increased, so did the demand for disposables, which in turn has created a massive waste management issue within the US. According to a 2018 United States Census Bureau report, 32 percent of single-use plastics end up in the ocean, with the other 78 percent of US plastic production being shipped to developing countries with poor waste management. The worst part is, almost all of the exported plastic that is being shipped overseas is also being counted as “recycled” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, India and Indonesia accept more than 429 shipping containers of U.S. waste every single day. This creates substantial environmental and economic issues for these countries, but many developing nations will still accept plastic waste because of the short-term economic gains that are associated with it. But even the short-term monetary benefits of accepting over 100,000 shipping containers of U.S. waste annually will never equate to its long-term effects.

So why does the United States send so much plastic overseas? According to Jenna Jambeck,

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Ph.D., associate professor of engineering at the University of Georgia, it is more economical to push plastics out of the country rather than to recycle them. And with most of these developing countries trying to make a profit off of remanufacturing U.S. waste, no one is analyzing the underlying issues and massive risks in dumping all of this trash into these areas. “Plastic doesn’t just affect the oceans, it also pollutes the air and water on land—and it directly harms humans too,” Christine Cole said, a research associate at Loughborough University. “Poor waste management is linked to diseases or conditions such as diarrhea, cholera, respiratory illness and eye and skin infections.” According to a WasteAid report, roughly 9 million people die every year from diseases linked to either mismanagement of waste or pollutants.

Unfortunately, the United States is not the only developed nation sending waste to these countries. Places like the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Japan also send plastics overseas, with Canada and South Korea even going as far as re-exporting American waste. According to Jenna Jambeck’s study, “Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into Ocean,” high waste mismanagement rates are considered 5 percent and larger. Most of the developing countries that accept trash have mismanagement rates of more than 80 percent, with both Indonesia and Vietnam having over 85 percent. In turn, most of these regions are forced to dump trash into local waters because of how unbearable the waste becomes for its citizens. According to the Ocean Conservancy, 60 percent of the plastic trash flowing into the seas originates from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. Areas like the Con Vanh Beach in Vietnam are completely littered and flooded with waste, damaging the local environment and making it impossible for citizens to enjoy their homes.

There are several reasons why the United States, as well as other developed countries, should stop the exportation of waste into these regions—the first being the effects that plastic waste has had on the citizens. Many of these nations receive a huge flow of trash that flood their ports and docks. Citizens like Daniel Tay from Malaysia have pushed for import restrictions to help put an end to the overflow, but most developing countries have still failed to implement regulations on waste. The second reason why the U.S. should stop shipping trash overseas is because many Americans don’t realize how big of a problem this really is. With less than 10 percent of plastics being recycled in the United States, almost all waste consumption is being pumped into

these areas with little to no education about it. If the U.S. is transparent about the volume of plastic waste that is consumed and produced within the country, American citizens will be able to recognize and acknowledge how prevalent an issue single-use plastics truly is. Another huge reason why the U.S. should stop exporting waste is because of the need for legislation to strengthen within America’s recycling system. By sending so much plastic to developing countries, the need to develop a national recycling infrastructure gets neglected. The United States needs to take responsibility for how much trash is consumed within its borders because, if not, the amount of waste that is produced will not decrease and will only cause more pain and devastation to the nations that are being used as America’s dumping grounds.

With climate change becoming an increasingly more imperative issue, it is only fundamentally imperative to analyze the effects that waste consumption has on the environment and people. The longer we allow mass consumerism to manipulate and define our everyday lives, the longer we will allow our governments and multinational corporations to take advantage of impoverished nations and the natural environment that creates and makes up our world.

“Almost all waste consumption is being pumped into these areas with little to no education about it.”

Opinion

22

The joker: Not your average comic book film

By LEXI KAYSER Staff Writer Few movies this year have gotten as much buzz as Warner Bros.’ and D.C.’s “Joker.” The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, follows the unknown backstory of the well-known comic book villain, the Joker. The movie is undeniably dark and graphic, showing multiple gory murders, dangerous and deadly protests and, most disturbingly, a sympathetic yet sinister man’s descent into the gnarled hands of mental illness.

Many controversial articles have been written about the possible danger that the film could generate. Refinery 29’s Kathleen Newman-Bremang asks, “Did we really need a brutal movie about a white terrorist figure who uses gun violence to enact revenge on the society that rejects him?

And did we need it now?” And in an article for The Globe and Mail, Sarah Hagi commented that the Joker “...only finds himself free when he begins killing those who’ve wronged him.”

When I walked into the theater to view the film, it was made very clear that it was going to be intense. Near the ticket kiosks were signs that warned viewers of the dark nature of the film, noting that it was not a typical comic book film and was intended for mature audiences. The woman who took our tickets was checking IDs to ensure that no one under 17 entered the movie without a guardian.

From the opening scenes of the movie, I was captivated, drawn into the dismal disarray of Gotham City—an eerie mirror image of New York City. Roaming the sullen streets seemed to be an endless number of antagonists to our protagonist, the deranged and rejected Arthur Fleck, who immediately demands the viewer’s commiseration.

We follow Fleck through his attempts to make it

through a life riddled with misfortune and watch his mental health degenerate before our eyes as society continues to stomp him down. Eventually, he snaps, finding liberation in his personification of the Joker and finding power in the chaos he causes. A man who spends most of his life in the shadows finally comes into the light—and he does so through spurring a political movement characterized by violence.

I can see the danger in this film. I can see why so many journalists, viewers and critics had their doubts about copycat crimes. “Joker” makes us feel for the villain and implies that harming others is a valid way of getting attention. After shooting three men on a subway, Fleck says, “For my whole life, I didn’t know if I even really existed. But I do, and people are starting to notice.”

Yet, I don’t think the danger outweighs the benefit.

Here’s why.

It is clear throughout the entire movie that Fleck struggles with mental illness. He sees a social worker. He takes seven different medications. It is later hinted that he suffers some sort of PTSD from abuse in his childhood, which is perhaps the cause of his maniacal, uncontrollable laughter. The viewers are constantly, sometimes painfully aware of this.

The film is not justifying his actions because of his mental illness—it’s acknowledging the impact of his mental illness on his actions. This is something that U.S. and Canadian courts do, declaring defendants unfit to stand trial due to mental illnesses that would prevent them from understanding the consequences of their crimes. What “Joker” does is no different. It clearly lays out mental health as a determining factor in Fleck’s descent into madness.

This is not glorification; this man is clearly miserable throughout the entire film, only finding some semblance of joy when he’s reverted into a state of total dissociation and potential psychosis.

Today’s media has created a polarizing narrative surrounding gun violence, claiming that either guns are not the problem and mental illness is (conserva-

tive) or that mental illness is not the problem and guns are (liberal). I would argue that both are the problem, and this is something that “Joker” vocalizes very well. Yes, other countries have mental illness and not mass shooters—but rarely in this country do we see a mass shooter who doesn’t struggle with some sort of mental health complications. Fleck is given a gun early on in the film, and it is this convenient access that aids in his killing sprees. Yet, it is the combination of mental illnesses which have not received proper, attentive treatment which leads him to pull the trigger. It is not necessary to say that one or the other is the cause of the problem, when both are causing the problem, playing off of each other to enrapture American society in violence.

I didn’t leave the movie feeling sorry for Fleck’s “victims” on the subway. They harassed a woman and Fleck before getting killed, and while no action justifies murder, their case certainly wasn’t helped by their blatant disregard for other humans and their willingness to make others’ lives difficult or uncomfortable for their own amusement. I did, however, leave feeling sorry for Fleck/Joker. I was sorry that the mental health system failed him by cutting funding. I was sorry that he was abused, both in his past and his present. I was sorry that he was so clearly so sick. And I think that these are perfectly sane, healthy things to feel.

I think, in fact, that they reveal to us the message of the film.

Instead of saying that we’re “justifying” crimes by sympathizing with criminals, let’s take a deeper look at the societal implications of this purposefully generated sympathy. Fleck goes from poverty to being handcuffed in a mental hospital. He doesn’t become a hero. His life does not improve because of his actions; arguably, his freedom is retracted, making it worse. It isn’t wrong to think that some crimes are preventable, or that there’s a trail of injustices that leads up to them.

Do I think the Joker’s choice (or anyone’s choice) to take another’s life is valid? Absolutely not. But, because of this film, do I think that we should view all criminals as humans and fight for the rights of all before it is too late? Absolutely.

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Opinion

23

Deaf Culture is Not a Rip-Off

By LENYA GODA Staff Writer ast semester, I met with my academic advisor about my classes for the fall. When asked what language class I wanted to take for my core requirements, I replied, American Sign Language. My academic advisor informed me that it wasn’t technically a language class, so unless we could get special clearance from the head of the Social Work Program, it would not count. Thankfully, we emailed the head and I was allowed to take it. However, this pointed out to me a flaw in SLU’s language program. Why wasn’t sign language considered a language credit?

While it was categorized under communication sciences and disorders, it should still count as a language. The deaf community is a thriving culture in the world. By not counting ASL as a language in SLU’s department, they are undermining the existence of a community that has already struggled long enough to be recognized.

The deaf community is a vibrant culture that over the years has developed its own traditions, phrases and jokes. It is a real language and a real culture. It has grown and developed over time. Deaf culture is its own culture. However, we live in a hearing-dominated world, and this means that many people are under the impression that the deaf community is a poor imitation of hearing culture. This follows a similar train of thought that leads to the belief that the cochlear implant resolves any issues for deaf people. This simply isn’t true. The cochlear implant doesn’t resolve all hearing issues, and deaf culture is its own culture. ASL is a complete language that allows people to have deep conversations, it has syntax and grammar

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and everything else that another language has. It takes as long to learn ASL and become proficient in it as any other language. Simply because it is sign language, people are apt to believe that it is simply an imitation of English, but it is not.

Unfortunately, SLU does not share this same belief. ASL 1 and 2 are classified under communication sciences and disorders. While this logically makes sense, they also refuse to allow some students to take it as a language credit. I was lucky and managed to get approval. But why should I have to fight to take a language simply because it is not a “typical” language? I interviewed the teacher of both basic sign language and advanced sign language, Sally Backer; I asked her thoughts on SLU and making ASL a three-credit class and count for language credit. She said, “I think a school of this size, Saint Louis University or otherwise, should have a sign language class that counts for language credit.”

Among other things, she mentioned how Saint Louis has two very nationally known schools for the deaf. When they graduate, if they chose to stay in St. Louis, they should be able to communicate with their neighbors. The fact that SLU does not regularly offer ASL as a three-credit class or a language credit shows that they do not value ASL as much as Spanish or French. But it could be just as useful, perhaps even more so, to college students, while slowly destigmatizing the deaf community. There is already plenty of stigma and ableism surrounding the deaf community. Perhaps if we could show that deaf people have their own culture and ways of communication and humor, we could break down that barrier leading the way to a more diverse and accepting world.

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