The University News A Student Voice of Saint Louis University Since 1921
Vol. XC No. 7
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
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New Billikens boost enrollment University adapting to peak student population Saint Louis University Enrollment Numbers
By ERIKA MILLER Enterprise Editor
2006 the 2010-2011 academic year were targeted specifically at transfer students, both in St. Louis as well as outside Midwest feeder cities, by adding an additional transfer admissions counselor. The efforts from the transfer student center have paid off, as this year SLU welcomed 422 total traditional transfer students, compared to 311 in 2009. Part of the success in growing the student body can be attributed to the highly visible “Be a Billiken” marketing campaign, which rolled out for the 2008 academic year. The campaign reflects the relationship formed between the Office of Undergraduate Admission and University Communications. Every other year, the Office of Undergraduate Admission conducts an admitted student questionnaire to assess why students either did or did not enroll in SLU. “[Students] had glowing things to stay about our academic programs, but what we were missing was team spirit,” Gilman said. Since its implementation in 2008, the campaign has had a direct impact on enrollment data. Total traditional domestic freshmen applicants increased from 1,483 in 2008
2008
Contributor
In early July, severe monsoon rains began a series of floods in Pakistan, leaving the nation in need of immediate assistance. “Two-thirds of Pakistan is under water,” Amanda Mendez said. Mendez is a representative of Grassroots Campaigns, an organization that has recently begun asking for donations from patrons on Saint Louis University’s campus to help provide flood relief in Pakistan.
Mendez said that the flooding in Pakistan has received little attention compared to other similar disasters. “Twenty-one million people have been affected, out of the country’s population of 126 million people,” Mendez said. Mendez said that Pakistan’s infrastructure has disappeared with the destruction of roads and bridges, causing isolated pockets of victimized people. She said that the situation is so desperate that flood relief organizations are reportedly using mules to transport
Editor-in-Chief
2009
See “Enrollment” on Page 3
See “Voting” on Page 3
1000 422
ToTAl enrollmenT: 13,785 students
spike each year, with 134 new students entering the program in 2010. Robert Barry, director of international services, said that SLU has an outstanding ESL program and that currently the program is comprised of more than 200 full-time students and more
Airing live from the University of WisconsinMadison, President Barack Obama’s message to young Americans resonated on the big screen to 35 Saint Louis University students watching the broadcast in the Billiken Club on Tuesday, Sept. 29. With the General Municipal Election coming up on Nov. 2, College Democrats President Stacy Vojta held the watchparty to raise awareness and to get students to register to vote in the Busch Student Center before the Oct. 6 deadline. “I feel like my role is to encourage students to be involved with the political process and to care about city politics, state politics and national politics, and to be engaged citizens here at SLU,” Vojta said. Young voter turnout has been on the rise in recent elections; the 2008 election drew a historic turnout for young people at the polls. The BSC polling place had a projected 1,000 students who turned out to vote for the 2008 election. College Democrats and College Republicans have been focusing efforts to bring back students to the polls for the upcoming midterm election. “It is definitely a challenge because 2008 was such a historic election for youth turnout, and there was such momentum for people to vote in that election,” Vojta said. “It is a challenge to continue that momentum for the midterms, and there is a lot working against us to get students out to vote this time.” College Republicans President Brenna Medlin reiterated this challenge, but is optimistic that voters will come out and the numbers may even increase at the BSC polls. “We think the voter polling place is great,” Medlin said. “We don’t care where people vote or how we vote … just that we vote and we have a say.
1,719
ToTAl enrollmenT: 13,313 students
818
1,719 311
601
1,629
1,634
2007
ToTAl enrollmenT: 12, 733 students
0
362
200
331
400
401
600
ToTAl enrollmenT: 12, 309 students
800 2000
421
1000
341
1200
ToTAl enrollmenT: 12, 034 students
1400
1,567
1600
2010
New Freshman Applicants New Transfer Applicants Fall International Students
Source: Office of Institutional Research
Illustration by Brianna Radici
Noah Berman / Photo Editor
The University census, released Sept. 17, revealed large increases in transfer and international student populations, contributing to peak enrollment at SLU. to 1,536 students in 2009. As long as the campaign remains successful, it will continue to be a part of admissions efforts. “I don’t see it going away in the next year, it has helped a lot with enrollment and students seem to love it,” Gilman said. While domestic Billikens are being recruited through
SGA focuses on aid for Pakistani flood disaster By MARK CAMPOS
By JONATHAN ERNST
1800
Number of Students
A crop of new Billikens inundated campus this fall, filling residence halls and classrooms to the brim. These fresh Billikens are contributing to what is now the peak enrollment year at Saint Louis University. Steady increases in new freshman applicants, international students and transfer students have raised questions about how the University is going to adjust to a larger population. The University census, compiled each year after the fourth week of classes, was released on Sept. 17 and revealed a steady jump in the number of transfer students and in international students entering the English as a Second Language program. A total of 13,785 students fill the campus this year, which includes graduate, professional and undergraduate students. Based on 28 years of data, SLU enrollment has been at a steady upward trend over the past 10 years and 2010 is the peak year, said Brett Magill, the director of institutional research and data integrity. New freshman applicants are categorized based on their status as traditional, non-traditional, international traditional and international ESL status. Traditional students include first-time students and non-traditional students, or those entering the Professional Studies or Philosophy and Letters programs. New freshman applicants entering the Madrid, Spain campus are also included in the overall data. While total traditional and ESL enrollment has remained steady between 2009 and 2010, the University saw a jump in specific areas of enrollment, including transfer and international ESL students. “Enrollment has always been increasing in a steady stream and it increases in different areas in different years,” Jean Gilman, dean of undergraduate admission, siad Admissions efforts for
supplies to stranded flood victims. In response to the disaster, Student Government Association created a task force to educate SLU students about the flood and to initiate flood-relief fundraising efforts through extensive campaigning and promotion. “What I hope to gain from this experience, and what I hope that SGA would gain from this, is the understanding that we, as a See “Pakistan” on Page 3
Homecoming hoopla: Golf carts lead the way
Ryan Giacomino / Photographer
Former Student Government Association President Michael Harriss (left), current President Courtney Anvender (middle) and Academic Vice President Katie Becherer (right), get into the spirit of Homecoming in the annual golf cart parade. For exclusive Homecoming content, check out our website unewsonline.com.
the efforts of this campaign, the Office of International Services also strove to increase the international student population on campus. International students, both traditional and ESL, constitute 1,000 students on campus for the 2010 year. The amount of international students enrolled in the ESL program continues to
Election looms: ‘Register’
‘Acts’ author to address faith issues By ANDREA ROYALS News Editor
As religious differences continue to divide some sects of society, author and activist Eboo Patel strives to bring them back together, promoting not only mutual tolerance, but also respect. Patel, an American Muslim, has been invited by the Great Issues Committee and the Department of Undergraduate Initiatives to speak at Saint Louis University about his mission of religious pluralism. “Eboo Patel is one of the nation’s leading experts on interfaith dialogue, and it is such a topical issue now in the United States, that it is the perfect time to bring in a speaker of his caliber,” Colin Shevlin, president of the GIC, said. The First Year Reading Program has chosen Patel’s book, Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, as suggested reading for new students attending the University this year. Discussing several instances of religious differences in the past, as well as his testimony of struggles with Islamic faith in America, Patel raises awareness of the need for religious pluralism in society. “[The book] showed me what it would be like to be someone whom people look at with fear and anger for no reason. I was able to, in some small way, connect with
[Patel] and almost put myself in his shoes and experience it,” senior John Wendel, who serves on the First Year Reading Program committee, said. “It also helped me examine myself and see what makes up who I am.” Freshman Jaclyn Allexan said she was disappointed when she learned that she was required to read a book over the summer, but as she began reading she said that she found Patel’s story interesting and easy to relate to. “Learning about the faith of others is a great way to bring us closer to one another and to our own faith,” Allexan said. “Faith provides a connection between everyone, which I think is very interesting.” Shevlin said that Patel was chosen as a speaker for GIC because he advocates religious pluralism, an idea that coincides with the organization’s mission of social justice. Patel is the founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a non-profit organization that is based in Chicago where members explore not only their own faith tradition, but also the traditions of others. The IFYC welcomes young people to become involved with the organization, and its associates travel to college campuses across the country in an effort to increase religious tolerance among students. While he was in college, Patel was able to reconnect
with his religious identity by questioning his faith, rather than accepting it without understanding its meaning. Shevlin said he felt that many college students can relate to Patel’s exploration of his faith tradition. “I think that a lot of college students are going through similar experiences,” Shevlin said. “While [Patel’s] path may not be the path that a lot of people are going to go down, people are going to learn a lot from his own experience.” Patel plans to work with See “Patel” on Page 3
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Let Us Introduce You
Mitchell Johnson
President of Xquizit has passion for music and marketing By MARK CAMPOS Contributor
With his trademark afro and overall unique style, Saint Louis University senior Mitchell Johnson is easy to spot around campus. “I just have style,” Johnson said. Johnson is perhaps best known as the president of Xquizit, the hip-hop dance group on campus. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Johnson said that he first became involved in the performing arts when he joined a dance team called “Planet Funk” in his freshman year of high school. Soon after, Johnson was accepted into his high school’s singing group, which led him to pursue his interest in music. He is continuing this pursuit still, as he is currently a music minor. Before attending SLU, he often enjoyed helping his older sister with her marketing and advertising majors at her university. In doing this, he discovered his own talent and appreciation for marketing. He decided to use his creativity for business prospects, while maintaining his love of the arts. Johnson recalled his freshman year when he decided, that while pursuing his interests in music and dancing, a major in marketing would be his “backup plan.” Contrary to popular belief, Johnson did not begin the Xquizit dance group. He did, however, keep it from disbanding. Xquizit was formed in 2005 by SLU alumna Jessica Harris. After Johnson joined the organization as a freshman, the group saw a sudden decline in participants. Xquizit may have disappeared from campus completely were it not for Johnson’s aggressive advertising abilities and his continued leadership after he was elected as the group’s president in his sophomore year. He mostly wanted to see Xquizit survive because the group supported his “love of dancing.” Growing up, Johnson’s family was very supportive of his intent to pursue the performing arts, although it was his older sister who first piqued and encouraged his interest in theatre, particu-
ITS presents updates to SGA By SEAN WORLEY Assistant News Editor
Noah Berman / Photo Editor
larly in musicals. He remembers that as children, he and his sister used to give musical performances for their parents, complete with a mock theatre. “We were like a mini Destiny’s Child, and I was Beyonce,” Johnson said. After graduating, Johnson plans to move to Los Angeles, CA. He wants to move out west because he not only loves the city, but his sisters also live there and because moving there would allow him to continue working on his talents and his career. Though he plans to have a job mainly in marketing, he hopes to continue dancing and singing, and perhaps even star in a movie, maybe something similar to Step Up. In addition to being the current president of Xquizit, Johnson is also an active member of the Bare Naked Statues. BNS is the all-male a cappella group on campus. He is also a member of the Filipino Student Association,
and occasionally dabbles in other student organizations on campus, such as the Black Student Alliance, the Indian Student Association, the Phases of Motion dance group, the Master Singers, and other classical and concert groups around SLU. He also teaches a hip-hop dance class in the Simon Recreation Center. During his free time between school and his many student organization commitments, Johnson likes to draw still-life pictures. He also enjoys photography, both as the photographer and as a model. A self-proclaimed “cell phone nerd,” he proudly sports a brand new iPhone 4 from Apple. With his plethora of talents and passion for his many interesting hobbies, whichever direction Johnson decides to take with his life after he graduates will no doubt continue to reflect his unique style.
Saint Louis University’s Information Technology Services department had a monopoly on the most recent Student Government Association meeting. With the meeting lasting less than an hour, Director of ITS Customer Ser vice Edward Wichmann gave his annual ITS update presentation that took the majority of senate’s time this week. Wichmann expressed that there was a lot of work done in the ITS department this past summer, even though there are generally limited events and activities on campus during the summer months. One big accomplishment for ITS was the doubling of its wireless bandwidth to 500 Mbps. This equates to faster wireless Internet access for students. “We’re also in the process of evaluating our wireless here on campus,” Wichmann said. Another relatively new addition to the ITS is the Student Service Desk located on the lower level of the Busch Student Center. The service desk was relocated from Des Peres Hall last year. “The Student Service Desk is fully managed by students, except for one full-time staff member,” Wichmann said. The said staff member allows for increased hours of ITS service accessibility to students. Wichmann said that the availability that the Student Service Desk provides students was especially apparent during the week of move-in and the following couple of weeks. “Traditionally [Griesedieck] is mobbed by stu-
dents who want to access the wireless. This year there were none,” said Wichmann. “They were all here in the Busch Student Center.” Not only does the Student Service Desk provide students an opportunity to reach out to ITS, but the department also has a Facebook profile and a Twitter page. When asked if the social media sites—which were launched last year—have seen widespread student communication, Wichmann expressed his disappointment in the matter. “We are on Facebook and Twitter. We don’t tweet a lot but we’ve not seen as much student involvement as we would like to,” Wichmann said. Other ways of reaching out to ITS include contacting the head of the SGA Information Technology Committee or through the SGA “Fixes the Little Things” campaign. Though ITS occupied a large part of SGA’s meeting time this week, two senate bills were also passed. The first bill that was passed was the allocation of $367.50 from the Student Activity Fund to the SLU Pakistan Relief Task Force through a special-projects funding request. After a student presented to SGA about the implications of the July 2010 Pakistani floods, SGA created the Task Force with intentions to gather attention and donations for the relief funds in place. “It was unanimous to allocate $367.50 to the task force,” Financial Vice President Tim Janczewski said in response to how the Finance Committee viewed this request before the bill was presented to senate. The last action was the senate approval of a 2010-2011
Election Commissioner. According to Vice President of Internal Affairs Murphy Vandenberg, the Committee for Internal Affairs voted 4-1 to recommend Chris McGeehan for the position. McGeehan was approved by the senate to serve as the commissioner for the upcoming spring student government elections. McGeehan was recommended based on his past SGA experience, as he served on senate last year.
Corrections: In last week’s news article, “Slu-Fuse aims to assist low-income students,” several mistakes were made. The name of the organization is SLU/FUSEDSaint Louis University For Undergraduate SocioEconomic Diversity. The national organization is U/FUSED- United For Undergraduate SocioEconomic Diversity. The organization was founded five months ago, not two years. Additionally, Jamie James is the chair of the committee, not a board member. SLU/FUSED is a founding chapter of the national organization U/FUSED and works to educate students about the existing resources on our campus and to make the campus more aware of our socio-economic diversity. In the news article, “Campus events prompt SGA action,” Vice President of Diversity and Social Justice, Oscar Vazquez’s last name was misspelled. The University News regrets these errors.
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News
Transit Alliance celebrates Metro
Respect Life Week expands group mission By CHAD CARSON Staff Writer
Noah Berman / Photo Editor
The Transit Alliance will hold a festival Oct. 9 to celebrate Metro transportation. The event, City SoundTracks: Grand Days, promotes transportation between North and South Grand Boulevard. By WOLF HOWARD Staff Writer
Saint Louis University Transit Alliance will be holding a festival to celebrate the connection that public transportation makes between SLU students and the city of St. Louis, as well as to inform students of alternative travel routes during Grand Bridge’s upcoming reconstruction. Entitled City Sound Tracks: Grand Days, the event will feature free music and food. The festival will be supported by six musical artists from St. Louis and multiple restaurants from the South Grand neighborhood, according to a proposal written for the event. Three of the musical artists are current SLU students, including senior John Donovan, junior Chris Wagner and Xquizit, SLU’s hip-hop dance group. The restaurants, including the Gelateria, Tower Grove Creamer y, and MoKaBe’s Coffee House, will be serving free samples and sharing information about the South Grand neighborhood, hoping to “create a stronger sense of community between SLU students and their neighborhood,” the Transit Alliance event proposal said. There will also be representatives from the South Grand area who will be talking about the construction, which is
starting soon to improve the neighborhood. The purpose of the festival is to inform students of the upcoming reconstruction of the Grand Metro station and the bridge, and of alternative routes that can be used to access the medical campus and other areas south of the main campus. “The construction was originally set to start in November of this year, but the start time has been pushed back to 2011,” Jon Roper, a member of Transit Alliance and one of the festival’s coordinators, said. According to Roper, in order to help students plan for and circumnavigate the construction, John Nations, the current president of Metro, will be in attendance, along with members of the American Planning Association. Students will be able to talk one on one with these representatives, who will be “asking questions and giving feedback on students’ transportation concerns in St. Louis,” the event proposal said. The festival is not entirely focused on the bridge construction, though. “[The construction] was certainly a big part of the inspiration for hosting City Sound Tracks: Grand Days, but I think we would have wanted to do something like this either way,” Danny Jendusa, another Transit
Alliance member and coordinator for the event, said. The purpose of the festival is to promote public transportation and help students connect to the St. Louis area’s culture and its community. “We believe that our University has created a problem by insulating itself from the urban fabric and the communities surrounding us. Perhaps the greatest complaint SLU students have is dealing with and trying to break the ‘SLU Bubble’,” the Transit Alliance event proposal said. Transit Alliance hopes that this event will help students get off campus and experience the St. Louis culture by using the Metro public transportation system, as well as by removing the stigma that the MetroBus system is unsafe and unreliable. “It is part of a larger series of music and art festivals focused on building stronger communities in St. Louis through art and transit,” Jendusa said. According to Jendusa, the series started last spring, and Transit Alliance has been working with the original organizers, Ryan Albritton and RJ Koscielniak, in matching SLU’s festival with their original goals. The festival’s acts will be performing between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Oct. 9 at the SLU clock tower.
Enrollment: University reaches registration peak Continued from Page 1
than 100 part-time students. While the academic programs have risen to meet the demands of more international students, strain has been felt in discovering ways to help these students acculturate. Barry said that the transformation of Des Peres Hall into a Center for Global Citizenship and the addition of two new acculturation counselors will greatly aid in this process. “The progression has already begun. We hope to have everything in place by January, and this semester is a transitional one [for the program],” Barry said. Barry said he hopes that SLU students and faculty will continue to work together to bring quality international students to the campus. The increased trend in international enrollment surfaced after a presidential retreat some years ago where globalization was cited as a key goal, and since then, the office has been working with a large number of new international students and has also increased its efforts to send students abroad. “We’ve had tremendous support from the students and we hope this will continue,” Barry said. New international and domestic students created strains on the University housing system, a vital recruitment point for incoming students. When
total enrollment numbers are considered, the housing spaces on campus were certainly tight this year, Kent Porterfield,” vice president for Student Development. University-owned and operated housing is currently at 99 percent capacity, with about 40 spaces available as of the last assessment. To respond to increased demand, University housing has made several adjustments, including converting larger spaces in several residence halls into rooms that accommodate more students, such as converting Reinert Hall from double rooms to triple rooms. In 2007, the University started using Manresa Center as overflow housing for the beginning of the year until students could be accommodated in other areas. For the 2010 year, the major modifications came from the spaces added by the Flats at 374 and also the on-campus residency requirement for second-year students. “By adding the Flats this year, we’ve created greater density over time to raise capacity,” Porterfield said. If enrollment continues on its current slope, the University may have to consider adding even more spaces or revoking the residency requirement. Porterfield said that Student Development is currently working with SGA and RHA on how to manage resident signups for returning students, and will make changes for this year based on feedback from
last year. According to Porterfield, the future for SLU housing and enrollment currently resides in speculation based on a projection of current data. Potential plans for housing could eventually include the reallocation of housing scholarships back over to tuition, a change supported by many student leaders. Other plans advocate breaking ground on a new residence hall. The University has discussed new residence halls a number of times and has even considered some proposals, but hasn’t been able to identify the right opportunity. “The student housing issue is important but it is also a facilities issue that has to compete against other projects and be considered in the whole of all of the needs of the University,” Porterfield said. Though housing hasn’t made any definitive decisions, SLU officials said they expect the current enrollment trends to continue into the 2011-2012 academic year. According to Gilman, increasing enrollment is not just about numbers. “We also have a steady increase in the GPA and test scores of our incoming classes,” Gilman said. With a collaborative effort between many University departments to increase the student population, the SLU community can continue to expect a steady stream of bright Billikens to arrive on campus each year.
Patel: Activist promotes interfaith dialogue through GIC
Colin Shevlin / Submitted Photo
Eboo Patel is the author of the book Acts of Faith. Continued from Page 1
students of the University through the IFYC by spending time with SLU 101 classes in an effort to raise awareness of religious pluralism. The
University will also hold an Interfaith Fair, in which multicultural organizations on campus will take part. Apart from his work with the IFYC, Patel also serves the Obama Administration as a council member for the White House Office of FaithBased and Neighborhood Partnerships, established last spring. Patel is the author of “The Faith Divide,” a blog for the Washington Post, and is a frequent contributor to National Public Radio. GIC will host the event at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 in the Wool Ballroom of the Busch
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Student Center. Patel will be available to sign copies of his book following the presentation. Wendel said that he hopes students who attend will leave with a deeper understanding of ways to interact with people of different walks of life. “We need to see each other as fellow humans, as equals,” Wendel said. “It doesn’t matter one’s faith, economic standing, sexual orientation, political stance or anything. We are all human. We all struggle with something in our life and we need to understand that to reach out to each other and be one community.”
In an effort to broaden the focus of Saint Louis University’s Students for Life organization, the theme of this year’s Respect Life Week does not focus solely on abortion, but extends to the dignity of life at all stages. “We hope to showcase the inherent universal dignity guaranteed to all humans in order to inspire students to produce a culture of life here at SLU,” Respect Life Week chairwoman, Theresa Mullin, said. The change reflects a response to criticism received by Students for Life last year for only focusing on abortion. “This year we hope to not only focus on abortion like last year, but also on euthanasia, the death penalty and respect for the dignity of life in general,” Mullin said. “We want students to know that we’re listening and trying to reach to more students this year.” “We are trying to be more inclusive and advocate for social justice in all aspects of life,” Mullin said. “This is a week for social justice and we believe the right to a dignified life should be fundamental from conception until natural death.” Respect Life Week begins on Oct. 2, with the construction of a cemetery to remember victims of abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty, followed by a Mass at
9 p.m. at Saint Francis Xavier College Church. On Oct. 3, Students for Life will host speaker Mary Meehan at 7 p.m. in Tegeler Hall room 200. Meehan, a political writer, will deliver a presentation entitled “What You Can Do to Build a Culture of Life.” On Oct. 4, Students for Life shifts its focus to the topic of euthanasia by hosting a workshop at 8 p.m. in Ritter Hall. The Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will deliver a lecture at 7 p.m. on Oct. 5 in the Busch Student Center Room 173. Speaker Bryan Kemper will deliver a presentation on Oct. 6. Kemper’s speech, “Social Justice Begins in the Womb,” will be at 7 p.m. in the BSC Wool Ballroom and reflects the new mission of Students for Life. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a life chain on Oct. 8 at the intersection of Grand and Laclede at from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., as part of International Life Chain Day. Participants will stand on the intersection with signs that advocate for anti-abortion causes. On Oct. 9, Students for Life will host a service opportunity at Our Lady’s Inn Crisis Pregnancy Center. Transportation is provided, and those interested in attending can meet behind Griesedieck at 10:30 a.m. Respect Life Week concludes on Oct. 10, with par-
ticipation in the 40 Days for Life, a prayer vigil that takes place outside of Planned Parenthood in the Central West End. Interested participants can meet behind the SLU clock tower at 10:40 a.m to attend. “We hope the week shows student’s that we’re not here to preach but to encourage people to reflect on our goals,” Mullin said. In addition to hosting Respect Life Week and altering their focus toward topics other than abortion, Students for Life has focused much of its efforts on increasing awareness of their Pregnant and Parenting Students Fund. The fund, which started three years ago, has already raised more than $50,000 to assist student-parents with the costs of attending school. “We don’t want students to have to struggle through school while caring for a child. We want this week to raise awareness of this great cause,” Mullin said. Despite changes in the mission, Ellen Albritton, external vice president of Students for Life, said that the organization plans to continue to focus on abortion. “Our goal is from the week is for students to be equipped with the tools to build a community that fosters and promotes life and the dignity of life at all stages,” Albritton said. “We want Respect Life Week to spark an authentic dialogue on campus and raise awareness of these issues.”
Voting: BSC to host polling location in November
Ryan Giacomino / Photo Editor
Members of the SLU community stand in line to cast ballots during the 2008 general election at the Busch Student Center. This year, the 2010 general election takes place on Nov. 2. Continued from Page 1
I would like to see an increase in voters because polls show that not everyone agrees with Obama’s policies and I think that will really show in this election.” For the last week, Obama has tailored his message for educational policies to college and university students. Approximately 17,000 college students attended Obama’s rally at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In a conference call with college and university student journalists on Sept. 27, Obama addressed his goals for the educational system, citing that affording higher education was his first priority. “The key here is that we
want to open the doors of our colleges and universities to more people so they can learn, they can graduate and they can succeed in life,” Obama said in the conference call. Another key priority Obama addressed in his message was to ensure that higher education creates the workforce that will fit the needs of the “jobs of the future.” “Those [new jobs] are going to open up new opportunities for young people with skills and talent for the future,” Obama said. “So don’t let anybody tell you that somehow your dreams are going to be constrained going forward. You’re going through a slightly tougher period.” The Missouri ballot has options for the Senate seats,
including Robin Carnahan (D-MO), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and congressional representatives for our district, including Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Ed Martin (R-MO). Other key issues on the ballot include Proposition A, which will be an amendment to repeal the authority that cities have in using an earnings tax to fund their budgets. “There [are] a lot of issues that impact us right now,” Vice President of College Democrats Thomas Bloom said. “It is about making our voice heard. Our generation is traditionally under-counted, under-represented, and we could sway a lot of major elections if we show up.” To register to vote in the BSC for this election, go studentvote.org.
Pakistan: SGA creates task force to provide aid Continued from Page 1
governmental body, should actively commit ourselves to being a community for others,” Oscar Vazquez, SGA vice president of Diversity and Social Justice, said. “We are called to be an inclusive body, recognizing the privileges and hardships of ourselves and of others.” Vazquez said that after hearing a Pakistani member of the SLU community discuss the impact the flood has had on his home country, SGA felt compelled to become involved with relief efforts through a task force. “[SGA] understood the challenge that this effort would take, but it was something that I thought necessary to instill a notion of social justice,” Vazquez said. “We, as a Jesuit university, pride ourselves in our commitments to social justice, and it is through such initiatives that we can ultimately achieve that sense of being an ally for others. SGA’s task force is seeking to collaborate with groups on and off campus, specifically the NAACP and the Residence Life staff of Marguerite Hall and Pruellage Hall to raise money for donations. The proceeds from both of these fund raisers will be sent to a non-profit organization
known as the Sindhi Association of North America (SANA), an organization Vazquez said SGA trusts. Despite the distance, many Americans with family in Pakistan, including Arif Gilani, a student at Stanford University who has family living in the Karachi, shared the country’s pain, as well as their disdain
“
the Red Cross have attempted to assist the country. “However, many efforts have not made an impact as groups are not collaborating enough,” Gilani said. Vazquez said he hopes that students will become involved with relief efforts to aid those in Pakistan and encourages students to participate and
We, as a Jesuit university, pride ourselves in our commitment to social justice, and it is through such initiatives that we can ultimately achieve that sense of being an ally for others. -Oscar Vazquez, SGA Vice President of Diversity and Social Justice
of the mainstream media’s abandonment of the country. However, Gilani said that his family has not been affected by the flood. “After this disaster swept Pakistan, attention came from media sources for the preliminary days, but soon, as a flood seems rather boring compared to earthquakes and tsunamis, the media left the Pakistan issue while thousands of Pakistanis still suffer,” Gilani said. Despite the difficulty of sending aid to affected Pakistanis, aid groups such as
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gain cultural perspective. “If there is anything that I could ask of the student body this year, it is to take an opportunity to challenge their world views and place themselves in an environment that is so foreign to anything that they have experienced outside of the classroom,” Vazquez said. “It is important that there be commitment to understand why they feel uncomfortable and to explore ways in which they can become more culturally competent.”
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
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Dear SLU, there is (still) something very wrong Peony Lee / Illustrator
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Editorials are opinion pieces written by the Editorial Board of The University News. The unsigned editorials printed in this space represent the opinion of The University News. Commentaries and Letters to the Editor represent the opinions of the signed authors but do not necessarily represent the opinions of The University News.
Billiken magic vanishes for current students, leads to disenchantment Paths filled with a whirlwind of college visits, platoons of “Be a Billiken” folders that descend on us in the mail and college counselors who work their magic bring students to Saint Louis University. We feel prized on the way here, like the brightest gems in the world. Postenrollment, though, we’re absorbed into a faceless crowd of current Billikens, losing some individuality in the eyes of the departments outside of Undergraduate Admissions. Enrollment numbers this year, as documented by the Department of Institutional Research and Data Integrity, show that undergraduate enrollment has increased by approximately 1,000 students since 2006 (about 7,400 to 8,400). Inter national student enrollment increased far more dramatically, going from 154 students in 2006 to 752 students today. Transfer student enrollment jumped from 311 last year to 422 this year. With these growing pains, our University is in a transient phase of augmenting the student body. Such essential changes bring us a wealth of intellect and tuition money alike that flows as the lifeblood of all University activities. We can see the successes of The Office of Undergraduate Admission. The “Be a Billiken” campaign that started in 2008 spurred this influx of students – more than perhaps SLU can even handle. We can already see how on-campus housing can barely handle the surge in the student population. Our English as a Second Language program is in flux, attempting to handle
the approximately 400 students currently matriculated in ESL. Changes to the program are expected in order to help the transition process for international students. The most discernible difference between admission and attendance, however, is the way students – the same prized gems of the world – lose their luster for the academic programs here on campus. SLU does an excellent job marketing to prospective students, as the enrollment statistics show us. Current students, however, definitely feel the marked apathy and lack of energy that counselors and administrators have for them. While our counselors may be doing their jobs sufficiently, there is a discrepancy between their performance and the energy and gusto of The Office of Undergraduate Admissions. We urge that this gap be minimized. We want to see campus programs working to keep us here at SLU, not simply working to bring us here. We see the grandeur of Welcome Week, and the constant campus tours. First-year experience programs make freshman year one of the best we have throughout college. We only hear echoes of events for second and third year experience programs, in contrast. We want to feel as if being Billikens is a tremendous honor. We want to feel the same sense of importance that we had when we first saw our “Be a Billiken” folder with a letter of admission tucked safely inside, or when we had a friendly sea of orange shirts move us into our dorms. We have lost the magic of, might we say, “Billiken-ism.” It’s time to bring it back.
Students left homesick after Homecoming events
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While we understand that Homecoming, website had Homecoming on its front page; from its inception, has been about alum- but upon clicking it, we found a long itinerni returning “home,” Homecoming should ary of events that alumni could attend, which equally be a celebration for the student body. included everything from dinners to shows This is in light of the fact that Student at The Fabulous Fox Theatre. There was not Activities Board receives a larger chunk of a student schedule listed anywhere on the money from the Student Activities Fee than pages that it linked to. any other Chartered Student Organization. The only place, after much research, Since we as students where there was a stuare funding the orgadent schedule listed was nization that is responon SLU Connection. It sible for student life, we The lack of focus on the was posted Sept. 16 – deserve more than poorly enough before student body this year, long marketed events and a Homecoming and especially compared to obscurely enough that half-heartedly attended Homecoming concert. the grandiose campaign students hardly knew For example, few stuto find a student last year, is disheartening where dents knew about the free schedule by the time and disenchanting. barbecue that occurred Homecoming arrived. at Tegeler Field shortly SAB needs to do before the Homecoming more to market to stugame. dents, through all availIt seemed as if people who happened to be able channels. wandering through the quad at the time were The lack of focus on the student body this the ones who attended the quad events. The year, especially compared to the grandiose small fan-following of Tonic could probably campaign last year, is disheartening and disbe the cause of the low attendance for the enchanting. We expect more from SAB. Homecoming concert. The icing on the cake is this: there is a This hardly excuses the relatively small poll on SLU Connection asking us whether number of student events that were made Homecoming was A.) A Blast!, or B.) A Blast! available for us. We can see this when we go While voter apathy is not usually something to one of the two online sites – one of which that’s encouraged, perhaps it’s more truthful was relatively obscure – where Homecoming and representative in this case to not vote on was marketed. The Saint Louis University the poll at all.
Chief Ad Designer Natalie Tjaden ads.unews@gmail.com
Posted below are the results from our web poll on The University News’ website. These are the final opinions on the name for our new Billiken cartoon!
Arts editor Ashley Jones Assoc. ARTS editor KRISTIN Mcguire arts.unews@gmail.com Sports editor CHRIS ACKELS Assoc. Sports editor DERRICK NEUNER sports.unews@gmail.com photo editor Noah Berman photo.unews@gmail.com chief copy editor MELANIE MORIARTY copy editors HEATHER FLISS SARAH MAREK copydesk.unews@gmail.com Account Executive Peter flYNN ads.unews@gmail.com
Adviser Jason L. Young jyoung42@slu.edu The Editorial Board of The University News Recognizes Avis Meyer, Ph.D. as the newspaper’s faculty mentor.
The University News is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, the Student Press Law Center, the College Media Advisers and the Missouri College Media Association, a division of the Missouri Press Association.
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With summer over and fall breezes blowing, we found our pre-midterm study session interrupted by a feature news story. The headlines promised a full report about “sexual assault” and “two Saint Louis University athletes.” We were instantly carried back to some painful and frustrating memories of last semester. When these sexual assault allegations were brought forth in May, silence covered the campus. We’re glad that Channel 5 was allowed to break the silence and report the ugly things that happened. We’re glad that our institution considers us “informed” after simply receiving an automated message from [the former] Department of Public Safety. And most of all, we’re glad that our own newspaper, The University News, was allowed to report only the bare minimum requirements of the Clery Act in an online article, instead of publishing a report that would actually let people know what happened that night. There was a guilty verdict, after all. So now that it’s finally been confirmed, are we allowed to know that there was a high-profile sexual assault involving two athletes last spring? We don’t know how you feel about sexual assault, SLU, but we would like to be aware if someone is violated on our campus. Where is our right to knowledge involving our safety? Protecting the reputation of our sports teams can’t be more important than protecting us, right? Well, Channel 5 finally broke the news. So if the media is what you were afraid of—of letting the community know that there’s more behind our pretty flowers and graceful fountains than straight-A students— it’s too late for that. I guess all we’re really trying to say is that, rather than being “blind-sided” by outsiders, it might be nice if we were allowed to hear this news from our friends at home. We simply weren’t aware that personal safety was subject to censorship. Cheers to Channel 5 for tackling “the tough stuff.” And to The UNews, we applaud you for trying. -The collaborative efforts of Erin Everett, junior, College of Arts and Sciences & Theresa Meinert, junior, College of Nursing
A call to The University News In the last edition of The University News, there were a handful of mistakes regarding the frontpage article on SLU/FUSED. Most obviously, the article called the organization SLU-Fuse. The acronym for Saint Louis University for Undergraduate Socio-Economic Diversity is ‘SLU/FUSED.’ In addition, there were a handful of typos and minor misquotes throughout the report. I want to make clear that the grievances expressed here are not a representation of the SLU/FUSED task force, but just the author. In addition, this is not addressed at one specific person, but rather the entire newspaper. I am completely aware of human error, and more than understand the innocence in making such mistakes. Therefore, I do not wish to harp on these errors. That being said, however, I do want The University News to use this moment as a chance to further improve reporting on this campus. Thankfully, this article’s mistakes were minor errors and can easily be corrected. This cannot, though, become the precedent for this newspaper. SLU is at a time when communication among students, administration and faculty is critical. There are many issues that we as a campus must address honestly. Socio-economic diversity is one of them. Misrepresentation and misreporting of facts only hinders an already-difficult task. I hope that The UNews uses this article as a ‘teaching moment.’ We as a student body rely on this paper to report to us the happenings on a bustling campus. By giving you this trust, we assume that articles will be well-researched and accurately represented. Please, as an institution, hold yourselves to these same standards. -Matthew Ryan, School of Public Health Senator
SGA reaches out to students
Did you know that we are working on getting rental cars on campus for students? Do you know be named? who your student senators are? Student Government Association’s purpose is to represent students, but we need you to meet us halfway. Or at least meet us in the Quad on Sept. Blue 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. for some burgers and muchneeded dialogue. Bender (old SLU football SGA is dedicated to the wellness of the student coach) body and the betterment of the University. But in order to do that, we need to understand students’ needs first. Claude (founder of The You can visit our new website, sga.slu.edu, to UNews) keep tabs on all things SGA. There are some initial kinks to be worked out, but it’s a major improveBaxter ment over the old one.
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-Patrick Grillot, College of Arts & Sciences Senator
Opinion
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Pakistan’s anguished cries are met with apathetic silence A healthy lifestyle is habitual
What have you heard about the 2010 Pakistan floods? As Saint Louis University stud e n t s , we tend Commentary to blame our misinformed nature on the SLU bubble- which traps our thoughts, actions and overall Daniela way of lifeMondragon for not being as upto-date with worldly current events as we should be. Isn’t that the new theme that SLU is trying to adopt? Aren’t we now “global citizens”? Yes, but it takes more than changing Blackboard’s name to “SLU Global” and putting flags on West Pine Gym to make us true global citizens. Let’s lose the apathy and let’s get informed. Let’s wonder together why the media has censored the 2010 Pakistan floods. Why is there not enough media coverage? Picture yourself outside, naked feet sunken in the mud, sitting on a piece of wood that could have possibly been a part of your neighbor’s home. Flies dive at your face as your three-year-old brother playfully sinks his tiny hands into the moist earth. Your home is gone, wiped out by waves of water you never saw coming. Your dad worries as your mom cries. A loud rumble disturbs your stomach, as you place your hands over it in a failed attempt to quiet the feeling. Hunger. You know it’s useless to ask for food; it’s minimal. Your dad has lost his crops. Where is the food going to come from? When is it going to get here? Will it? You don’t know. On July 22, 2010, Pakistan suffered its worst flooding in over 80 years. It began in the province of Baluchistan and then spilled across the Khyber-
Editor’s Note: This column is in response to the “Eating competition contrary to SLU mission” commentary published in the Sept. 23 issue.
Laura Hicks is a junior in the College of Education and Public Service.
Brian Kelly is a senior in Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.
Starla Salazar /Illustrator
Pakhtunkhwa Province in the northwest before flowing south in Punjab and Sindh. The death toll that the floods have left range anywhere from 1,300 to 1,600, and the numbers only get larger. The flooding has covered 62,000 square miles – about one-fifth of the country – or an area larger than England, according to the United Nations. It has swept away major bridges and roads, which alone have an estimated damage of $76 million. Nearly 20 million people have been considerably affected, and at least half of them need urgent help. Where is this help? The United Nations has reportedly asked for international donations of $460 million, more than five weeks after the flood began, and as of now, only $300 million has been pro-
vided. The reality that we don’t These floods could set the get to see is that the Pakistani Pakistani people back not people will begin to starve years, but decades. Because without our help, without our their economy is based large- resources. ly on agriculture, it is likely Worst of all, they have that these people will suffer probably already started to. from both immediate hunger Think back on the time when and longthe Haiti term food earthshor tquake a g e s . Picture yourself outside, s t r u c k ; “These was naked, feet sunk in mud, there floods no way sitting on a piece of wood to avoid have submerged of what could possibly knowing about 17 about it. have been part of your T h e r e million a c r e s were tons neighbor’s home. of Pakiof groups stan’s raising m o s t m o n e y. fertile crop lands, in a natian Personally, I couldn’t walk where farming is an economic into the Busch Student Cenmainstay,” said Adam B. El- ter without getting bombardlick, a reporter The New York ed with Help Haiti signs. Not Times, said. that there is anything wrong
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Grand Boulevard crosswalk is a daily hazard for SLU students The worries of a typical freshman often include, but are not limited to: studying for that first dreadCommentary ed exam, reading the boat-loads of material pr esented in ever y class and maintaining contact with old Allegra high school friends. Merriweather I myself expected these difficulties upon arrival, but one thing I never expected was fighting mid-day traffic while going to class. On a daily basis, many students must cross Grand Boulevard at least once between classes, or to and from activities. This sounds like a seemingly easy task. We have been crossing streets since the ripe age of five, right? But once you add in the 50-100 students crossing with you, the task becomes nearly impossible. The vast number of people crossing at once creates blind spots, often forcing people to cross recklessly.
makes it a lot easier to feel overwhelmed with sadness and guilt. Knowing that I would be coming back to St. Louis for school, I took the opportunity to talk with my grandma as much as possible throughout the summer. We’ve always been close, but, like myself, she tends to keep her problems inside to keep everyone else happy and worry-free. I learned so much about her life during our conversations: her proudest moments, her biggest regrets, her fondest childhood memories and much more. And the things she didn’t say taught me just as much. My grandmother and I share a special bond. One of my cousins and I jokingly fight over who is her favorite granddaughter. With 21 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren to choose from, I don’t think her heart could ever make a choice. But when I look into her eyes, I feel a deep connection. My childhood was far from the hardest, but it was not easy, either. Grandma has always tried to shelter me from the hurt she knew I was feeling but wasn’t sharing. She knew what it was like to protect loved ones from the downs of life and could tell that I was doing just that, even at a young age. Now I have to figure out how to deal with the hardest part of life: losing a loved one. I have had so many wonderful memories with my grandmother that I cannot imagine what it will be like to have a sad memory about her. But, as I said before, I must at least try to understand its importance to my life journey. Just as I respect the gift of the time I shared with her, I must respect that, while I may feel sadness, her pain will finally be relieved, which is more important. Grandma Hicks has always been my guardian angel on Earth, and I know that whatever happens and whenever it happens, she will continue to look over and love me.
As the second-place finisher in The U’s “Eat a Graduate” eating competition, I was quickly Commentary d r a w n to last week’s ar ticle, “Eating competition contrar y to SLU mission.” I Brian Kelly found it a little absurd for the authors to claim that a simple competition may be inconsistent with our mission and Christian values. “Participants may experience… spiritual convictionsins of gluttony, suffering invading nausea and vomiting without compensation, etc,” the authors said. Perhaps they didn’t do their research enough to realize that this eating competition wasn’t about how much you could eat; it was about how fast you could eat. After finishing the sandwich, ill and sinful weren’t the feelings I was experiencing. Instead, I was still a little hungry and had a few pieces of fruit, some Pappy’s sweet potato fries and an ice cream sandwich when I returned home. The attempt to force a guilt trip on participants for wasting food while six million children around the world are dying of starvation and malnutrition is ludicrous. First of all, the competition meant you had to eat all the food (every last morsel!), so there was no wasting of food. Second, the eating competition will likely not change any factors contributing to the starvation of children abroad. If you think it’s fair to make that kind of comparison, then are we gluttonous, sinful and cruel for swimming in a pool filled with clean water because other parts of the world don’t have access to potable water? Are these the causes of some of our global issues, or do the issues transcend that? Moreover, does engaging in an eating competition make us self-focused, gluttonous pigs to the point where we diminish our concern for others in the world? Do participants walk away trying to hoard all the food they can without any concern for the needy? Our country’s health definitely deserves concern, but this eating competition isn’t what is expanding 68 percent of American waistlines. The first-place finisher was a NCAA track athlete, and while I’m no collegiate athlete, I consider myself to be very healthy. I ran over 12 miles before the competition to boost my hunger and, ironically, I placed first overall in the SLU Physical Therapy Depar tment’s Hustle for your Health 5k run this past Saturday. Yes, skinny runners can eat… a lot! While I realize that participating in the competition wasn’t a healthy action in itself, as long as it is not a weekly event and I maintain healthy habits overall, I think I will be just fine. The event is set to happen once a year and it doesn’t draw a crowd of competitive eaters who train regularly. There is no reason to point a finger and make claims that infrequent participation in such a competition is contributing to global warming and the death of children. As the authors said, moderation is key. As long as we maintain healthy habits on a regular basis, there is nothing wrong with some good, old fashioned fun in a once-a-year eating competition. Next time people claim that an act is somewhere between “hypocritical at best and heretical at worst,” they should really think about the true severity of the issue at hand.
Another issue I have with towns where traffic and ignothe crosswalk is the fact that rant drivers aren’t constantly it isn’t even wide enough to an issue, this is just plain danhold 15 people, let alone 50 gerous. people. I have been in countless This is a major issue be- situations where the person cause students are often left in front of me jutted out into with parts of their bodies hang- the street prematurely, barely ing in the street. As they try missing the oncoming trafto push in further, they slowly fic, and was awakened by the force those in the front into blare of a car horn. the street, and there is nothWhat is it going to take for ing anySaint Louis one can University do about to grant this it. situation the What is it going to take When proper atfor the University to grant tention it recars see students, this situation the proper quires? An there is accident? A attention it calls for? An death? always a natural The trafaccident? A death? inclinafic during tion to passing s l o w periods down. should not This doesn’t only irritate the be something that affects a cars still going 45 mph in the student’s punctuality to class, 30 mph zone, but it ticks off though it often does. every student who had perStudents with a mile-long fectly planned to cross once trek don’t have the patience that wind-pipe had cleared. necessary to wait for the Something about people slow- crosswalk sign. Something ly inching toward them makes should be done about this, drivers bring their speed to a immediately, before it is too crawl. late. For native St. Louisans, myself included, we like to Allegra Merriweather is a think we can beat the traffic. freshman in the College of Arts But for students coming from and Sciences
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Starla Salazar /Illustrator
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with that, but where are the “Save Pakistan” signs? These floods have gotten minimal coverage. Not only are there no obvious Pakistan support groups on campus, but most people know little to nothing about the floods that have been going on since this summer. Let’s get the voice out there. Let’s be informed and let’s inform. Make a blog, look up an article and read about it. Tell a friend and acknowledge it. It’s not something that can or should be ignored any longer, because the pictures are indescribable, the numbers are astonishing and yet we silence their voices with silence. Daniela Mondragon is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.
We learn from life’s downs When I first decided to embrace the personal journey of documenting my life in articles, I was comCommentary pletely full of excitement and anticipation. It was a brand new adventure with a mysterious future. Laura Hicks It was like getting a new toy on Christmas morning. Nothing could be better, and nothing could ever go wrong. However, after a few weeks, the toy starts to lose its luster and glitches start to appear here and there. In a nutshell, that’s life. It’s a beautiful, shiny experience that, every once and a while, leaves you disappointed or hurt. But overall, it’s an amazing gift. This is the first lesson that I’m learning as I really start my journey. Technically, this is my second lesson, but I don’t think that figuring out the best color scheme for my class notes is all that thrilling. The beginning stage of mystery and excitement is over, and now it is time for me to actually experience and learn. I’ve had to do it the hard way, but I have learned a very important life lesson: We must appreciate both the ups and the downs that life brings us. If we can’t appreciate the downs, we must at least respect and understand them. It’s inevitable that everyone will experience good and bad times. Being able to enjoy and love life as a whole depends on the ability to appreciate what happens to us, why it happens and how it affects us afterward. Two weeks ago, my grandmother entered a home hospice program. She had been ill during the summer, and I was aware that things probably weren’t going to be getting much better, but nothing can really prepare you for hearing the word “hospice.” It was especially hard to hear since my family is all back in Michigan. Being the only one out of state at such a difficult time
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Concert attendance falls short SAB pleased with turnout regardless of numbers By ASHLEY JONES
Vampire Weekend to headline at Chaifetz By SHELBY ROZIER
Arts Editor
Staff Writer
7:30 p.m. Lady Antebellum The Fox Theatre For ticket prices visit fabulousfox.com Saturday, October 2 9 p.m. Field Music Union Tree Review & Old Lights The Billiken Club Admission is free Saturday, October 2 9 p.m. Vampire Weekend with Beach House and the Very Best Chaifetz Arena Tickets prices range from $25-33 Monday, October 4 9 p.m. Light Pollution with Prince Rama The Billiken Club Admission is Free Wednesday, October 6 8:30 p.m. Joshua Redman Trio Jazz at the Bistro Student tickets are $15 Thursday, October 7 9:30 p.m. Oh My God! Firebird STL Tickets are $10
After what proved to be a complicated process for Student Activities Board, the Homecoming concert took place as scheduled on Sept. 24 with ‘90s band Tonic as the headlining act. The band was joined by openers Building Rome and Javier Mendoza. “They were great guys, and they put on an engaging and exciting show. We have had excellent feedback from those that were in attendance. As I watched the show, I noticed the audience was very pleased with the music and danced along with it. I think everyone who was there truly enjoyed the performance. And those that were not in attendance missed a really great show,” SAB president Stephanie Hart said. SAB solidified Tonic as their headlining act 10 days before the concert. This was the resolution to what was a challenging process for SAB, with the original act backing out of their contract in July. According to Tim Janczewski, financial vice president for Student Government Association, SAB was allocated $84,000 from the Student Activity Fee for the entire Homecoming Week, $58,000 of which was for the performing artists. Hart said that an estimated 820 people attended the show. However, she explained that the attendance for this concert was lower than in years past. “The situation was very different this year, and considering all the circumstances, we were quite pleased with the audience,” she said. Coordinator of Student Activities Janelle Densberger said that, given the challenge SAB had this year, the crowd was as they expected it would be. “However, I must admit, I thought more students would be eager to enjoy the beautiful weather and concert environment. I could think of no better way to spend a Friday
Kati Cundari / Photographer
Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Photographer
Noah Berman / Photo Editor
Tonic (top and bottom-left) was the headlining act at this year’s Homecoming concert. Javier Mendoza and St. Louis band Building Rome (bottom-right) were the opening acts. Due to the late announcement of the acts, attendence was lower than that of previous years. night,” Densberger said. Among those in attendance were members of Students for Life. The group had a booth at the concert at which they sold funnel cake. They were charged a $50 fee to have the booth, but were able to make profit regardless. Sophomore Patrick Grillot was one of the members at the concert. He explained that this was the first homecoming concert
that he had attended and that he had nothing to compare the attendance to. However, he said that he heard from others that the attendance seemed poor for a number of reasons, such as the late announcement of the band. “I had people come up to me and say, ‘I just came because of the funnel cakes’,” Grillot said. However, he said that this was great exposure for Students for Life. Despite booking the artist
only 10 days before the concert, Hart said that she felt that SAB marketed the concert as effectively as it could. “Some promotional tactics were not options for us because of this time constraint, but I think that we used our time effectively,” Hart said. According to Densberger, the members of SAB utilized See “Homecoming” on Page 8
Did you attend this year’s Homecoming concert? THEATER Friday, October 1 and Saturday October 2 8p.m. Almost, Maine Xavier Hall Theatre Tickets are $7
“I saw the opening act. I thought it was pretty good, but there weren’t many people there.”
“No, because I have never heard of Tonic, and I’m not interested in that kind of music.”
Tim Truong Junior, College of Arts and Sciences
Michael Hughes Sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences
“No. I went home this weekend because I live off-campus.” Uma Ravipati Junior, School of Nursing
Vampire Weekend, along with Beach House and The Very Best will be at Chaifetz Arena on Oct. 3. Vampire Weekend is a fairly young Indie-rock band. The members Ezra Koenig, Chris Tomson, Rostam Batmanglij and Chris Baio formed the band in 2006 and signed with XL Recordings shortly after. For some people, it is hard to comprehend how a band could blow up in only four years; other people, such as ‘self-proclaimed Vampire Weekend super-fan’ Tynan Shevlin, is not surprised at all. “My brother, Colin Shevlin, first played ‘Blake’s Got a New Face’ for me. Right there and then, I was like “this is something special,” Shevlin said. Genevieve Knab is Another Vampire Weekend fan. “I heard about them from one of my friends, but my dad is who really got me interested in Vampire Weekend. We have really similar taste in music. It’s awesome!” she said. Vampire Weekend currently has two albums out: a self-titled album, Vampire Weekend (released in 2008) and Contra (released in 2010). Both albums gained popularity in America and the United Kingdom. Songs from both albums, such as “A-Punk”, “Cape Cod”, “Kwassa Kwassa” and “Oxford Comma” have all received high ratings including Rolling Stone’s Best Song of the Year, and Billboard Modern Rock and Billboard 200. “I’m really partial to “APunk”. I love the fast-paced, catchy nature of the song. Plus the slick guitar rift,” freshman Alex Bolano said. During this year’s Hollywood Bowl, lead vocalist Ezra Koenig announced that Vampire Weekend is back in the studio recording a new album, which is set to be released in 2011. “I like Vampire Weekend so much because they have really happy music. They are also so unique; there aren’t many bands out there like them. Also, their sound and lyrics are really interesting. They are so fun to sing along to,” Knab said. Beach House and The Very Best will be the openers for the concert. “Beach House and The Very Best are both really great bands. I haven’t heard too much from either of them, but I do like their music. I’m really excited for the line-up,” Shevlin said. Tickets can be bought at thechaifetzarena.com, and outside of the Griesedieck Complex on Sept. 30.
Social Network serves as cultural critique MOVIES Friday, October 1 The Social Networker The movie opens in theatres
OTHER Friday, October 1 8 p.m. No Reservations: An Eveing with Anthony Bourdain The Fox Theatre For ticket prices visit thefaboulousfox.com 7 p.m. Garba Raas Bhangra Night BSC Wool Ballrooms Admission is free
“I wanna have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul…”An eerie cover of RadioCommentary head’s “Creep” (by Scala and Kolacny Brothers) plays over the trailer for The Social T.J. Keeley Network, which is directed by David Fincher [The Curious Case of Benjamin Button]. The lyrics crooned by the choir sum up the motives of the character Mark Zuckerberg, who was created by writer Aaron Sorkin [Charlie Wilson’s War]. Fincher and Sorkin insist they made no effort to base their anti-hero off America’s youngest billionaire. Fincher even forbade Jesse Eisenberg [Zombieland], who plays Zuckerberg in The Social Network, from meeting the real inventor of Facebook. The resulting alienated hero stands as an icon for the “poke me” generation and tragic hero in the creation story of Facebook. The Social Network tells a uniquely American tale. Rather than using Facebook as a
5/5
The Good: Eisenberg and Garfield, sorkin’s script and the social commentary/timeless story
The Bad: Honestly can’t think of much
The Verdict: The best film of the year thusfar, and the movie of the moment
means for a slasher to stalk unsuspecting, idiotic teens in a cheap thriller, or as a backdrop for the next ensemble romantic comedy as some feared when they heard “the Facebook movie,” the SorkinFincher team crafted a tale about the founding of online social club. Their parable captures the American desperation to be connected to others in a modern, tech-savvy world. In the film, Zuckerberg creates Facebook in an angered, drunken-state after being dumped by his girlfriend (in a scene Fincher claimed took
99 takes). His entire pursuit is to be included in Harvard’s “exclusive” social clubs. “They lead to a better life,” he insists. It is precisely Zuckerberg’s wanting to be wanted and needing to needed that transforms him from an antihero to a tragic hero in the film’s two hours. I have 636 friends on Facebook. Some are siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles. Others are ex-teammates or fellow students. Some are former teachers. Some are even friends. Most of these “friends” I do not reach out to and never hear from. The irony of this, which Sorkin and Fincher tap directly into, is that a tool for bringing people together creates an illusion of connectedness and actually pushed its creators apart. After all, how connected are we really when our contacts become further and further removed from face-toface conversation and are replaced by instant messaging? Sorkin’s voice fits right into its Harvard-in-2003 setting. Though I counted zero walk-and-talks, his characters Photo courtesty of Sony Pictures
See “Social Network” on Page 9
Jesse Eisenberg (above) plays Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Networker. His character creates Facebook out of desperation to be connected to others.
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Arts Thursday, September 30, 2010
Fall Festival provides food, music and entertainment
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New campus media club searches for identity Students and faculty share expertise By SARAH FENTEM Staff Writer
Victor Liou / Photographer
For students interested in all things media, there is a new media club on campus. In fact, the club is so new that it is currently without a name. The group was tentatively called the “Digital Media” club. However, its members decided it was time to find a new name, in order to prevent the purpose of the club from being limited. “Thinking [about] the future of where this club could go, we don’t want to be locked into this idea of ‘digital only’,” member of the Department of Communication faculty, Mary Gould said. At the most recent meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 22, a few names were thrown around: “Fun DMC,” “BilliCAN” and “the Group Formerly-Known as the Digital Media Club.” But as of press time, the club remains unnamed. Different faculty members in the Art and Communication Departments, including Gould, thought up the idea for the club, which is still in its developmental stage. It will serve as a creative outlet for both students and staff. Media-minded students,
whether involved in graphic design, audio, computer science or print, are encouraged to become involved. The club plans on collaborating with clients both within and beyond the Saint Louis University community on marketing and graphic design projects. Guest speakers and trips to local creative agencies are also on the agenda. For students, the club will provide mentoring and network opportunities. Members of the group maintain that they want it to remain open to growth and different ideas. “In this [that] stage, it is important we not restrict ourselves,” club member and junior Ryan Natoli said. The club presents members with a collective and equal environment. “Students and professors work side-by-side. Everyone gets the chance to learn and explore,” faculty and club member, Chris Chavez said. “Our ideas count the same as their ideas.” The group has shied away from electing officials for the same reason. The club gives faculty a chance to pool their resources and allow others to learn from
these experiences. “The effort is to be really collaborative between students and faculty,” Gould said. “All these faculty members on our campus…have really great experiences.” The club provides an opportunity for students to have hands-on experiences, different from more technical, abstract learning provided in classes. “We’re trying to merge what we do here in the classroom- the very theoretical and intellectual work- with the creative aspects of doing work,” Gould said. “It seems like something our students are really on board with.” She describes how the club has sparked interest among students from different majors and disciplines. “Communication, Fine and Performing Arts [students], students from the film program, they all have an interest in creative opportunities; that’s what we are really trying to give our students,” Gould said. The club meets every Wednesday in Xavier 208 at 3:30 p.m. Those interested are encouraged to contact Gould at mgould9@slu.edu.
Rock band sticks to their original sound with newest album Look Your Best
Victor Liou / Photographer
Billiken Dining Services organized the 2010 Fall Festival, which took place outside of the Griesedieck Complex on Sept. 29. The festival provided students with food, such as falafel, gyros and burgers. In addition, there was face painting, a dunking booth and Laser Tag. The Billiken mascot and the Saintsations dance team also made appearances at the festival.
Memphis-based rock band, Ingram Hill released itsnewest album Look your best on Sept. 28. Commentary The 10track album is the trio’s first collaboration since their split with Hollywood Records. Maria Muldoon The albums are generally composed of easy-listening tracks that stick to the conventional. Ingram Hill has been working hands-on with producer Rick Beato (Billionaire, Michelle Malone, Flickerstick, Shinedown) to produce a record that would capture their growing audience and fans. The title “Look Your Best” came as an inspiration to their dedication to the album, according to lead guitarist and vocalist Justin Moore. “We gave it everything we had…We were putting on our best for our audience, for our fans,” Moore said. This album is by no means a huge step in a new direction for Ingram Hill.
They have stuck to their original sound, which won them fame and popularity. That is not to say that this is not the members putting their best foot forward. Look your Best is composed of 10 well-thought-out tracks. They are a result of much more hands-on approach than the trio has taken in the past. Though at times they can feel repetitive, there are some redeeming qualities in the album. The first single of the album “As Long as I am with you,” written by Moore, is exactly what you would expect from a band like Ingram: an easy listening pop-rock jam sure to put you in a good place. The lyrics speak of that one special person that holds us up. “When seemingly everything around you is falling apart, it's nice to know that it's going to be okay because someone's got your back.” The music is pleasing and slightly upbeat, forcing you to pay attention. It is a song that will please their current fans; however, it is not the true gem of the album. “Hey Girl” is a much slower tune aimed at the large swooning-female portion of
their fans. The lyrics are poetic, bordering on romantic. It is one of those songs that will have every female member of their audience wishing it were written about them. While on the road, Ingram has tested out this track, and to no surprise, it has gotten great feedback. Songs like “Wish You’d Stay” and “Miss Kennedy” really sell the album for me. Wish You’d Stay” has a pretty guitar melody backed up, with some rocking drums and sensitive lyrics. Likewise, “Miss Kennedy” shows Ingram’s maturity as a group. They have a way of mixing beautiful and enticing lyrics with a fun, pop-rock sound. Ingram Hill has been together for 10 years and has toured with bands such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Johnny Lang, Maroon 5, Guster, Better Than Ezra and Hanson. They seem to have grown into themselves with their sound and their image, though some of the tracks do feel repetitive. Look Your Best is a fantastic showcase of Ingram’s talent with both melody and lyrics.
Homecoming: SAB takes steps to prepare for Spring Fever Continued from Page 7
fliers, handbills, a banner, the directories and TVs in the Busch Student Center and social media outlets to spread the world about the concert. In addition, they handed out beach balls and leis, which fit the theme of Homecoming. The group is already taking steps to make sure that the planning process for Spring Fever is less complicated. “I can also say I am pleased to see the proactive approach that SAB is taking to begin the planning for Spring Fever. Already there are talks of who will co-chair the week, and what types of music and artists the campus will like to see. I hope and pray we are less challenged for our spring concert, but I am confident that SAB will continue to work hard and dedicate themselves to bring solid entertainment to the SLU community,” Densberger said. In the past, the group has booked acts such as Ben Folds, Augastana, Tyler Hilton, Chingy and Lifehouse for the Spring Fever Concert. For more information on upcoming SAB events, visit sab.slu.edu/events.
Noah Berman / Photo Editor
The drummer for Javier Mendoza gets into his performance at the 2010 Homecoming concert. Javier Mendoza and his band opened for headlining act, Tonic.
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Arts
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Social Network: Captures American desperation to be connected to others Continued from Page 7
Terrance Murphy / Photographer
Writer and poet August Kleinzahler gave a poetry reading on Sept. 28 at Boileau Hall. He will serve as Saint Louis University’s Writer-in-Residence through Oct. 8. He will also give a lecture on the craft of poetry on Oct. 5.
So You Think You Can Dance delivers high-energy performance at Chaifetz When Lauren Froderman, Kent Boyd, Adechike Torbert, Ashley Galvan, Billy Bell, Jose Ruiz and RobCommentary ert Roldan auditioned last year, t h e y thought they could dance. Now, they know that they can. Paul Esker P e r forming with Ade Obayomi, Allison Holker, Courtney Galiano, Dominic Sandoval, Kathryn McCormick and Russell Ferguson, six So You Think You Can Dance All-stars, they rocked Chaifetz Arena last Saturday with two hours of exhilarating dancing and exciting music. From the very first number, the show was so high energy and those in attendance couldn't help but get into it. The show also kept the audience entertained by including a little bit of everything when it comes to dance. There were both duets and full-cast numbers, and also a huge variety of genres. The first act had everything from Galvan and Sandoval performing a hip-hop dance to Froderman and Torbet in a sultry foxtrot. There was even Bollywood dance filled with exciting music, costumes and dance,
which transported the audience to another world. The second act picked up the energy right where the first act left it. It started with an exciting, yet eccentric version of Sting’s "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic." This was followed by Roldan and Sandoval in a clown themed hip-hop number with hard-hitting and exceptionally clean moves. One great part of this show was that the performers themselves were the show’s emcees. After Roldan and Sandoval's hip-hop song, Boyd and Galiano were introducing the next number. Boyd said, essentially, “I was just going to tell everyone why I love performing with you [Galiano].” At this point a loud voice cried out from the balcony, “’CAUSE SHE’S HOT.” This was easily one of the most memorable parts of the show. Galiano blushed, the audience simultaneously burst out laughing, and all the while BOyd went along with it. He even was able to reference it later on, which of course got lots of laughs again. After the show I asked Boyd if that was planned, just to make sure, and he said absolutely not, and added that it was one of the funniest things he has heard on tour. After the comedic relief, the show continued with many more exuberant and
moving dances. Ferguson did a solo krump number, and Obayomi and Bell did a moving dance to "Mad World" from "Donnie Darko." Robert and Allison's dance to "Fix You," by Coldplay, brought the audience to its feet. Perhaps the most exciting part of the show for the fans was seeing live renditions of their favorite songs from the season. “I loved Boyd and Froderman's 'prom dance’,” freshman Amanda Darpac-Novotny said. The dance to "Collide" was a clear audience favorite, with both 13-year-old girls and college students, screaming after just the first note. This performance even went an extra step and spiced up famous numbers such as the 'Prom Dance.' After the audience’s raucous applause died down, music to 3OH3!'s “My First Kiss”came on. Froderman tore off part of her dress, and they brought the audience another great, high-energy number without any break in between. The show then closed with an exciting, although slightly cliché, “You Can't Stop the Beat" with all 13 cast members involved. When it was all said and done, the audience could not help but jump up and clap for the performers that had given them a thrilling show full of variety, energy, laugher and raw emotion.
fire lines of dialogue and wield witty comebacks like sharpedged weapons. Fincher’s knack for visual style works best when it is restrained as it is here. He even casts aside his burnt-brown tints in one of the film’s finer scenes, portraying a rowing race as a metaphor for the story’s competition. The performances are solid throughout the ensemble, led by career-best work from Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. With his roaming eyes and his nervous twitches, Eisenberg shows he is growing up the way his partner-indeadpan crime, Michael Cera, refuses to. The Social Network works as both a fine piece of film-
making and a cultural critique. Like a great American novel, it’s at the same time an excellent exercise in craft and an effective embodiment of the date of its birth. Moreover, Fincher does his best work, bringing his meticulous and obsessive control to a perfect script. The last three minutes of the film are comically tragic, casting a sharp glance at our need to be accepted in the company of others. The Social Network explores to what lengths people will go to avoid loneliness, and it’s precisely because of this daring discovery that the film becomes relevant to our lives and times. TJ Keeley “likes” this.
Sports Volleyball Billikens beat Xavier, fall to Dayton at home SLU lost a heartbreaker to Dayton, but got a resounding victory over Xaiver last weekend at Chaifetz Arena in their first two Atlantic 10 Conference matches. The Billikens struggled early against No.19 Dayton before rallying in the third set and taking the fourth to push the match to a set five showdown. The Flyers recovered and quickly beat SLU to take the win, 3-2. On Sunday, SLU took on Xavier in its second A-10 matchup. The Billikens looked unfazed in their 3-1 victory over the Musketeers. The Bills go on the road to face Charlotte and George Washington this weekend.
The University News Talk to us: Chris Ackels 314.977.2812 sports.unews@gmail.com
Thursday, September 30, 2010
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Putting the pieces together
Billiken squad works to perfect attack as it nears conference play
Club Hockey Friday night, the Billiken Hockey Club is hosting SIUE for “Boom Stick Night.” The puck drops at 7:45 at the Webster Groves Ice Center, about 10 minutes from SLU’s campus. Tickets are $5 for all students, and every person in attendance will recieve two boom sticks. “SIUE is a tough league opponent,” Ed Eigelberger, Assistant Coach of the Billiken Hockey Club, said. “We need the support of a strong home crowd.”
Next time in The University News Thursday, Oct. 7 • Announcement of the new name of the Blue Crew • A Club Sports review, including stories on club hockey, club rugby and club lacrosse
Photos by Ryan Giacomino and Curtis Wang / Photographers
Maglasang buries game winner in final seconds, lifts SLU past Drake By BRIAN BOYD Staff Writer
In the end, something had to give. Despite outshooting the Drake Bulldogs 21-10, the Billikens needed two overtime periods to find the back of the net. In front of a packed house of 5,266 at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Saturday night, the team fought through the cold and rain to secure their 1-0 victory. Sophomore Nick Maglasang scored the game winner with 57 seconds remaining in the second overtime period. Billiken faithful from across the country came out to watch the Homecoming match and to honor the 50th anniversary of Saint Louis University’s 1960 National Championship
Staff Writer
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Christian Briggs is used to being asked why he decided to come to Saint Louis University. The freshman on the Billiken men’s soccer team hails from Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, at the southern edge of the Northern Hemisphere, where he says it is always sunny. The population of Metropolitan St. Louis is double the population of the entire country of Trinidad and Tobago. So what made Briggs want to leave his sunny island for St. Louis? “It’s been a persistent question,” Briggs said. “To me, obviously, one of the biggest
reasons I decided to come to SLU was [head coach] Mike McGinty.” Last year, Briggs made and posted a video on YouTube that displayed his game highlights. In his search to find another defender for the roster, McGinty saw the video and decided to recruit Briggs. “And then he actually came down to Trinidad to watch me play in a game down there— and that’s when I verbally committed to SLU,” Briggs said. McGinty visted Briggs last May, in a special trip taken for this one special recruit. “[McGinty] coming to Trinidad was a big step because it showed my parents he was serious about recruit-
Missouri St.
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effort was disrupted by the Bulldogs once again. With minutes remaining in the first half, Drake had its best opportunity of the game. In a rare occurrence, Shackelford was not in position to make the save. With an open net staring him in the face, Drake’s Brian Grand misfired and sent the shot over the frame. The second half stuck to the script of the first – all defense. The Billikens controlled the ball throughout much of the half, controlling the tempo as well. The best scoring opportunity came with 16 minutes left in regulation. Freshman Adnan Gabeljic gained control of the ball with room to operate, but fired a shot wide of the posts. See “Homecoming” on Page 11
By BRIAN BOYD Staff Writer
The Saint Louis University men’s soccer squad put together another lightsout defensive performance against the Missouri State Bears on Tuesday night, improving their goals against average to an impressive 1.5 per game. The Bills fought to a 0-0 draw with the Bears in the team’s second 110 minute contest, bringing their overall record for the year to 2-2-2. SLU once again outshot their opponents, this time tallying eight shots to Missouri State’s six. The Billikens controlled the tempo throughout the match, allowing no serious scoring threats from the Bears. Keeper Nick Shackelford went
largely untested throughout the night, due to stellar defensive play, needing to save only one shot. The shutout was Shackelford’s second consecutive shutout and third overall on the year. Homecoming hero Nick Maglasang had an opportunity in the first half to put the Billikens ahead, but his attempt off of a feed from freshman Sito Sasieta was denied by a diving effort by Missouri State keeper Alex Riggs. “It was a very touch-and-go game,” SLU head coach Mike McGinty said. “I thought we had a couple of decent looks, but there weren’t many clearcut chances for either team. Missouri State did a good job sticking to its game plan. We See “Soccer” on Page 11
Freshman defender from Trinidad living the dream playing soccer for Billikens By ANDREW BUSH
Dayton
team. It was the sixth-largest crowd in SLU soccer history. Although a defensive, methodical battle throughout the night, both teams had opportunities to tally a score, but great goalkeeping by both SLU’s Nick Shackelford and Drake’s Jordan Kadlec kept the game scoreless through regulation. “It was just one of those games where you just battle, going hard into every tackle. You’ve got to be ready,” Maglasang said. Early on in the night, freshman Christian Briggs placed a beautiful header toward the top of the net, but was thwarted by Kadlec, who got a hand on the shot, deflecting it off the crossbar. Moments later, SLU had another scoring chance off of a corner kick by Jake Brown, but the
SLU, Missouri St. put on defensive battle in draw
Curtis Wang / Photographer
Briggs (25) is a key member for the Billikens at left back.
ing me,” Briggs said. Briggs’ commitment to play for the SLU men’s soccer team has already paid dividends. He has started all five games for the 2-2-1 Billikens this year, scoring two goals in the process, one against New Mexico and one against Oral Roberts. Briggs has played two positions so far for SLU. He began the season as a defensive midfielder but moved to left back for the game against Drake. He is also capable of playing center back. “When I came here, I was never sure what position [McGinty] was going to have me play until the season started, and he had me playing defensive midfield,” Briggs said. “But after the Tulsa game, we decided to change our formation. We believed that we needed an attacking formation because we weren’t scoring as [many] goals as we would have liked. In order to change our own formation, he put me at left back. I played there in high school, so it’s not anything new to me.” And Briggs has no problem playing in many different positions. That kind of versatility will be a valuable asset, considering his future plans. “It’s always been my dream to come to the U.S. to play soccer at the college level... It’s also an avenue to get to the professional level, which is one of my aims,” Briggs said. Briggs has professional, as well as international, ambi-
tions for his soccer career. L a s t summer, Briggs trained with the Under-20 Trinidad and Tobago National Team. When Briggs first came to St. Louis, he left his U-20 training before getting the chance to play an international match—but he still dreams of playing for his home country in the future. “Training with the Under-20 national team was amazing,” Briggs said. “Because I am Trinidadian, I am always proud to be called to represent my national team. “I would love to be back home doing it now, but at the same time I had a decision to make, and I wanted to come to SLU. But it would be an honor to be called to Trinidad’s national team.” In the meantime, however, Briggs is totally focused on making an impact with the SLU men’s soccer team. “I understand that, right now, I have shortterm goals to deal with, in terms of helping my team win games and being a good student at SLU,” Briggs said.
Christian Briggs, a freshman from Trinidad & Tobago, says he’s living his dream playing college soccer in America. Curtis Wang / Photographer
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Swimming & Diving splashes into new season By NATALIE TJADEN Contributor
Fall is in full swing. Many sports fans naturally associate the fall with football season, from college games on Saturday mornings to NFL games on Sunday nights. But here at Saint Louis University, a number of other sports are in full swing, and not just soccer and volleyball. SLU’s swimming and diving team has been practicing since the first week of school, and is now in the beginnings of its fall season. Jim Halliburton, head coach for the swimming and diving squad, said that, after practicing since the beginning of the school year, the team is “getting excited to finally have a competition rather then just practice.” “When you just practice, and there are no meets, it gets old,” Halliburton said. He has coached at SLU for 10 years and has coached swimming for a total of 30. Before coming to SLU, Halliburton coached for high school and club teams throughout the St. Louis area. Men and women’s swimming started practice during the first week of school and goes through the middle of
Ryan Giacomino / Photographer
Senior Michael Dahle begins his fourth year on the Billiken squad. Dahle swims the fresstyle, medley and 200m fly. March. They practice five weekday afternoons, two weekday mornings and one weekend morning. Swimming has one of the longest seasons of any sport in the NCAA. They start seven weeks earlier than the basketball team, though they finish around the same time. The team had an intrasquad meet last Sunday. The first real meet of the season is this weekend. The team is competing at Mizzou on Saturday and at Butler on Sunday. On average, the
Blue Crew name change delayed until next week By CHRIS ACKELS Sports Editor
and DERRICK NEUNER Associate Sports Editor
Originally, the Athletic Department planned to release the new name of the Blue Crew student section in this week’s edition of The University News. After a long submission period of gathering student suggestions and a two-week voting period for students to select their favorite name, the final decision is still one week away. The Athletic Department informed The University News of the unanticipated delay earlier this week. The Department is moving forward with plans to release the new name in next week’s edition of The UNews.
Blue Crew president Mike Putnam is optimistic that the delay will actually help the Department prepare for the upcoming season. “It helps our timetable for preparation,” Putnam said. “This is a huge event for us, and now we have more time to prepare how we are going to release the information.” Putnam has worked closely with the Athletic Department since last April in its plans to re-brand the Blue Crew student section. He also helped oversee the submission and voting process for new names. “We had a huge turnout from students,” Putnam said. “The turnout was great, the voting was strong, and we will have a clear winner. This delay doesn’t change that at all.”
Billiken Briefs
Billikens compete in two to three meets a month. Senior Michael Dahle is an investigative medical science major on a pre-med track. He has been on SLU’s team since he was a freshman. “It’s my last year. I want to be happy with what I swim, whether that is just one good race or swimming every race well,” Dahle said. He swims distance freestyle, individual medley and 200m fly. “What I like most about swimming is, easily, the team,” Dahle said. As a senior, he is
widely regarded as a leader on the squad. Along with Dahle, the team returned a number of swimmers. They also added two male freshmen and 11 female freshmen. “We have a chance to be even stronger then we were last year,” Halliburton said. For the swim team, the conference meet at the end of February is the biggest of the season. During the fall, SLU works to prepare for these conference meets.
“We definitely have a shot to do better then we have ever done,” Dahle said. The Atlantic 10 Conference meet is held in Buffalo, N.Y. Swimming is unique because, unlike most sports, multiple teams from the conference are swimming against each other. “As long as you’re working hard, and you know you swam your race or that practice as hard as you can, don’t be upset by how fast it was,” Dahle said. “Ultimately, what matters is conference.”
Women’s soccer ties Iowa, prepares for conference play By TYLER VACHIO Staff Writer
The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team begins Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend. The team kicks off the action this Friday at Rhode Island (0-7-1) at 6 p.m., and stays on the east coast for a Sunday game at Massachusetts (3-6-0) at 12 p.m. “Conference is a new season for us with new opportunities,” head coach Tim Champion said. “But anytime you travel on an airplane to the east coast, it can be a challenge.” The team concluded their non-conference schedule with a scoreless draw against the University of Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 26. Iowa, now 7-2-2, recorded their second tie of the weekend on Sunday. Iowa begins Big Ten conference play on Sunday, Oct. 3.
The Billikens (1-4-5) got two shots apiece from sophomore Alli Reimer, senior Ashley Brazill, senior Christina Brown and junior Jasmina Suljic. This was the fifth scoreless draw of the season for the Billikens. “It was a fun game to watch, and we played good defensively,” Champion said. “We just need to find a way to start dropping some balls in the back of the net.” Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Walsh recorded a season-high eight saves against the Hawkeyes. Walsh was named as the A-10 Co-player of the Week for Sept. 20-26. She leads the conference with six shutouts and ranks in the top 50 in the nation in goals against average (0.56). She also ranks among the conference leaders in save percentage (.854). “Katie is doing an amazing job for us; she always comes
up with a huge save for us at some point during the game,” sophomore Allison Hu said. Walsh and the entire Billiken team will depart for the east coast this weekend for the start of conference play. After this weekend, the Billikens go on a four-game home stand, where they will look to move toward the top of the A-10 standings. “We love playing in front of our hometown fans, and having our families come and watch us is amazing. It makes for a more exciting environment,” sophomore defenseman Maggie Baumann said. The Billikens return home on Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. against Duquesne and then on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. against St. Bonaventure. When asked about the goals for this weekend’s road trip, Baumann put it very simply: “We want to put the ball away and win.”
TRACK & FIELD
Experienced team trains for season SLU graduated only one sprinter from last year’s team (including the men’s and the women’s side) and returned a number of key players. Brittney Cloudy, Ashley Roach, Mallory Dugger and Tiffany Alexander make up an experienced squad for the women’s side that looks to compete for the Atlantic 10 title. “We have a lot of experience coming back to our team,” coach Jon Bell said. Bell also added a number of freshmen to each side: Kita Alvares and Jessie Collins will join the women’s team, and Dahmar Smiles, Mark Zimmer, Justin Kwasa and Gavin Robey join the men’s side. The team’s non-conference schedule – both indoor and outdoor – includes some heavy hitters. SLU will race against Mizzou, Nebraska, Florida, Indiana, Tulsa, Ole Miss and Drake in preparation for their A-10 Conference games. The season begins in January. Will Whitehead
CROSS COUNTRY
Freshman earns A-10 honors Freshman Margo Richardson earned the Atlantic 10 Conference’s women’s cross country Rookie of the Week on Sept. 20, her second honor of the season. Richardson won the same award on Sept. 7, the only other time she was eligible. In her first-ever collegiate race on Sept. 4 at the Duquesne Duals, Richardson set a school record by posting a 5K time of 18:01. She has since eclipsed that record, improving her time to 17:55 two weeks later at Notre Dame’s National Catholic Invitational. Richardson holds two of the four fastest 5K times in the Billiken record book. The other two, both of which have also been established this season, belong to teammate Hilary Orf. The Billikens are back in action this weekend in Springfield, Mo., at the Richard Clark Invitational. Chris Ackels
SOCCER
Two Bills named Player of the Week Two different Billikens were named Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week for their performances on the pitch last week. On the women’s side, sophomore goalkeeper Katie Walsh earned the honor after recording her sixth shutout of the season against Big Ten powerhouse Iowa on Sunday. Walsh transferred to SLU from Murray State last year and is in her first season of work for the Billikens this season. She places second in the conference in goals against average (0.54) and is among conference leaders in save percentage (.854). For the men, sophomore Nick Maglasang was named Player of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal with 57 seconds left against Drake at last weekend’s Homecoming game at SLU. Maglasang earned Rookie of the Week honors last year, but this is the first Player of the Week award for the sophomore. Chris Ackels
Erin Twiehaus / Photographer
The Billikens tied a recent match against Loyola and tied again Sunday at Iowa. Going into conference play, the ladies are considered contenders for the Atlantic 10 Conference title.
Homecoming: Bills beat Soccer: SLU Drake on last minute strike draws MSU Continued from Page 10
After a grueling 90 minutes, the first of two 10-minute overtime periods began. Gabeljic struck a beautiful shot on goal that was stopped in a diving effort by the Drake goalkeeper. The game was marked by skillful goalkeeping for both sides. Shackelford stopped all three shots he faced, and Drake’s Kadlec stopped six of the seven, both doing so in spectacular fashion, for the most part. Despite the outstanding goalkeeping, the Billikens kept pushing, and eventually, they broke through. “[Kadlec] had a fantastic game. We had some great looks and good form. The overall attitude was aggressive; we took control,” SLU head coach Mike McGinty said. With the second overtime winding down, Drake went on the offensive, tallying two shots on goal. Shackelford held true to form and swatted both attempts away, laying his body out with reckless abandon and setting up the Billiken’s final stand.
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Freshman Jon Roeckle gained possession of the ball and booted it deep into the box where Junior Alex Johnston was waiting. Johnston headed the pass toward Maglasang who seized the opportunity and buried a shot to the far post with less than a minute remaining in the contest. “I just saw a little opening, and it seemed like the moment lasted forever. I kept my head down, put my knee over the ball and just put it in the back of the net,” Maglasang said. After scoring the gamewinner, Maglasang was mobbed by his teammates in celebration. “The way things turned out wasn’t by design. We didn’t want to wait that long to score, but I’m happy and proud of our guys and would have been even if it was a draw,” McGinty said. It was the second consecutive homecoming game to go into overtime. Last year’s contest between SLU and Tulsa went to double overtime before the Golden Hurricanes scored to win the game 5-4.
now have to move forward to Clemson and put this one behind us.” Later in the first, Jon Roeckle sent in a beautiful pass to Benny Estes that was headed just over the crossbar, leaving both squads scoreless at the half. The second half resulted in another stalemate, with both teams keeping up the defensive pressure. SLU had a major scoring chance in the second half and two opportunities off of corner kicks in overtime, but each of those attempts was denied by the MSU defense. On Friday, the Billikens head to South Carolina to take on the Clemson Tigers. The match kicks off a six game, 25-day road trip for the squad. Atlantic 10 Conference play begins next week for the Billikens. Their A-10 schedule begins with five straight road games, including matches at Richmond and Charlotte. SLU returns home on Tuesday, Oct. 26 for a nonconference match against UMKC.
Best QB in NFL history You may know him as a spokesman for corporations like MasterCard, Gatorade, DirecTV and Sprint. Commentary Or you may know him as a guy who has shown his funny side with appearances on Saturday Adam Corrado Night Live and The Simpsons. But to many, Peyton Manning is known as the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, the best quarterback in the NFL. And while all of this is accurate, the majority of people do not see the full picture – Manning isn’t just the best quarterback in the NFL right now. He is the best quarterback in the history of the league. Sure, you may think I’m crazy for saying this about a guy with only one Super Bowl ring. But we also need to take into consideration the teams of which he has been a part. While the Colts’ offense has flourished under Manning, the defense has always disappointed. And despite this, the Colts have still won nine playoff games under Manning, including the Super Bowl in the 2006-07 season. Another thing that many people don’t realize about Manning is that he is already near the top of the record books in numerous passing categories, despite only being 34 years old. He is currently third in career touchdown passes, career completions, career passer rating, fourth in career passing yards and first in career passing yards per game and career touchdown passes per game. Manning also put together the best statistical decade of any quarterback in NFL history from 2000-2009. He had 115 regular season wins and 124 wins, including the postseason, both being the most for any starting quarterback in a decade. He also threw for 314 touchdowns over this span, also a decade record. Manning has also never thrown for fewer than 26 touchdowns in his career, a record among quarterbacks. He also has the record for most seasons having thrown for over 4,000 yards, and has done so in 10 of his first 12 seasons. He has the largest career touchdown/interception difference, which is a staggering 194. The statistical support is overwhelming, and the numbers game is clear. Manning also has four regular season Most Valuable Player awards to his namethe most out of any player in NFL history, not just quarterbacks. Only four other players have multiple awards, and only Brett Favre joins Manning as players with more than two. Speaking of Brett Favre, I’m sure many of you are wondering how I can overlook such a talented player. Don’t get me wrong, Favre is one heck of a player, but he just doesn’t have the overall stats that Manning does. While Favre has the most touchdown passes in NFL history, he also has thrown the most interceptions over his career than any other quarterback. He has never been the best decision maker, and it is reflected in his stats. Manning, on the other hand, rarely throws interceptions and has thrown only 153 in the past 11 seasons, compared to Favre’s 226 over the same span. Who knows, maybe the whole reason that Favre keeps deciding to come back is to try to pad his stats to make them harder for Manning to reach. But if Manning keeps up this pace, both Dan Marino and Brett Favre should be on the lookout and should expect to be passed in the record books. They are all bound for the Hall of Fame. But when it comes to quarterbacks, you don’t get better than Peyton Manning.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
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WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS
WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS