No. 8 (Oct. 25, 2012)

U University News Thursday, October 25, 2012

the

Vol. XCVIII No. 8

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A student voice of SLU since 1919

Going green and Making a Difference

Controversy: Shared governance

Patankar defends stance, addresses growing faculty impatience TIMELINE OF EVENTS Aug. 22: release of VPAA Proposals from Faculty Senate Executive Committee to Faculty Senators

By IAN SULLIVAN Staff Writer

Students are preparing for Make A Difference Day this Saturday after Saint Louis University broke its participation record with 3,000 volunteers last year.

Proving to be one of SLU’s most anticipated events of the year, MADD has annually attracted a variety of volunteers. Students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni are all invited to gather together on Oct. 27 to celebrate the school year’s largest day of service.

As the years have gone by, this SLU tradition has only improved with age, growing and advancing every year.

Jessica Smith, a returning volunteer and member of Alpha Phi Omega, SLU’s service fraternity, encourages all students to volunteer for at least this one day.

“I worked with the public health group my first year,” Smith said. “We went to this nursing home in the section for men and women with dementia. I teamed up with a lady named Miss Dolly. We started carving pumpkins and making decorations, and she lit up! She even began talking about her dog and laughing! Later, they supplied us with lunch, and our coordinator walked in saying Miss Dolly has not smiled in five years, and we were the first to get her to smile!”

Another previous volunteer, Corinne Halsted, says there is more to service than people think.

“The day, in general, is a great reflection on SLU’s mission for the development of men and women for others,” Halsted said. “It creates this perfect balance of doing something new and helping others all at the same time.”

Senior Shannon Russell, president of APO, has been involved with the organization for the last three years.

She feels it only becomes See “MADD” on Page 3

Sept. 1: Faculty Senate Executive Committee polls Senators on statement condemning the Proposals Sept. 4: VPAA issues letter to faculty, taking note of controversy and requesting feedback Sept. 14: meeting of President, VPs, Deans, members of Faculty Senate Executive Committee; vote taken to rescind VPAA Proposals passes, 17 for and 9 against Sept. 18: Arts & Sciences Faculty Council meets; Motion is introduced to invite Board of Trustees to provide for a “succession of the senior leadership” at the University; that fails, 17 for and 20 against; Motion of No Confidence in VPAA is taken off the table; that passes, 35 for and 2 against

Kristen Miano/ News Editor

Ellen Carnaghan, professor of Political Science, answers questions from students at the Faculty Teach-In, held on Wed., Oct. 24, in the Busch Student Center in an effort to educate students on the recent votes of no confidence. faculty employment, according to the press release.

The vote of no confidence by the Faculty Council means that as long as Biondi continues to support and keep Patankar in his role as the Vice President The Faculty Council of the College of Arts and Scifor Academic Affair, the College of Arts and Sciences ences passed a vote of no confidence in Lawrence Biondi has no confidence in the leadership of either party.

S.J., the president of Saint Louis University, in respect to Since the vote was passed, the Business School his continued support and retention of the Vice President Faculty Assembly unanimously passed a motion in of Academic Affairs, Manoj Patankar, in their meeting on support of the Faculty Senate’s actions. It is likely Oct. 11. that the Faculty Senate will address the most recent “This is a highly-measured step, one that faculty have vote of no confidence in their up coming meeting on not taken lightly. After due deliberation, faculty concluded Oct. 30. that this is a necessary action,” Jason Fritts, President of On Oct. 16, Patankar issued a letter to the faculty the Faculty Council, said in a press reat large calling for a return to collablease. orative communication, requesting The vote passed with 35 council memthat attention return to the formation bers voting in favor, 2 against, and 1 abof the Blue Ribbon Committee and This is a highly staining. look to creating solutions.

The vote comes in response to Biondi’s measured step, one “I think there is a lot of misinforcontinued defense of Patankar after bothmation out there and a lack of inforer the Faculty Council of Art and Sciences faculty concluded mation,” Patankar said. “I’m not sure and the Faculty Senate voted no confi- that this is a necessof all the factors that have lead to this dence in his leadership. According to the escalations, because I’m not in the motion voted on in the Oct. 11 meeting, r y action. community to hear the conversations confidence was lost in Patankar for a vagoing on.” riety of reasons, including the failure of Patankar noted that he didn’t feel shared governance in regards to the cre- -Jason Fritts the vote of no confidence against him ation of new policy and a perceived failure made sense, as he not only withdrew of the Vice President to exhibit correct the faculty evaluation draft, but he leadership. followed the communication model that was in place.

“The faculty has, however, lost all confidence in the According to Patankar, the way the model works current leadership, especially that of Vice President is that if students, faculty or staff wish to propose a for Academic Affairs Manoj Patankar, to reverse these concept or idea, they can bring it to him in an open trends,” the Faculty Council said in their motion. “ In fact, forum. From there, committees are formed to create Dr. Patankar has contributed to the decline, harming the drafts and policies, which would then be sent out for reputation of the university and repeatedly demonstrating feedback. a failure to understand and employ basic principles and “In the case of the faculty evaluation policies, we best practices of academic leadership.” went through all of that. We created a foundational The vote also comes in a response to the perceived damage done by plans to establish policy regarding See “Vote” on Page 3 shared governance, faculty evaluation and the terms of

By KRISTEN MIANO News Editor

Sept. 24: Board of Trustees President releases letter reaffirming support of Board for SLU leadership and a “Blue Ribbon Committee” for advancing University’s Strategic Plan

“

Sept. 26: Student Government Association meets, hearing presentations from VPAA Patankar and Faculty Senate President Mark Knuepfer Oct. 2: University President responds to Faculty Senate Executive Committee letter, reaffirming his support for VPAA Patankar and dismissing Faculty Senate concerns

”

Oct. 11: Arts & Sciences Faculty Council meets, passes Motion of No Confidence in leadership of Fr. Biondi, University President, issuing a press release.

Oct. 24: Teach-in scheduled (3:00 - 5:00, BSC 253 A & D), sponsored by College of Arts & Sciences

SLU’s Greek Life community housing celebrates unusual unity

By CHRIS ACKELS Senior Staff Writer

Kristen Miano/ News Editor

INSIDE:

DeMattias Hall serves as a home for all chapters of Greek Life at Saint Louis University.

NEWS

>> SGA talks BRC

In the Coronado Place, there is a pretty typical college apartment. But there is something unique about this humble habitat that Maggie Fleming, Allison Schofield and Hayden Dry call home, and it certainly says something about the school they attend.

Fleming, Schofield and Dry are in three different sororities. But for the second year in a row, they live together, and call each other best friends.

“We have been friends since freshman year, and joining different sororities didn’t change that,” Dry said.

3 OPINION

Dry is a member of Delta Gamma, Fleming is the Financial Vice President of Alpha Delta Pi, and Schofield holds the same position for Gamma Phi Beta. “[Living with my roommates] has given me a chance to get to know women in other chapters,” Fleming said. “The great thing about SLU is that you can be friends with anyone, none of the sororities are really exclusive.”

The fact that these women live together speaks to the inclusive nature of Greek Life at SLU. Many state schools have houses for their Greek chapters. Each fraternity and sorority has a house on or near campus, and mem-

bers of that fraternity or sorority live in that house for a certain number of years.

Scott Jurgenson is a junior at the University of Missouri, where he lives in an apartment with other members of his fraternity.

“When you are a freshman or sophomore living in the house, you pretty much only hang out with your fraternity,” Jurgenson said.

“There is a lot of unhealthy competition between houses. We’ve had people get in fights solely because they are in competing houses.”

At SLU, Greek leaders have worked to prevent these conflicts between various fraternities and sororities. One method for this is by having Greeks from all

4 ARTS

>> Advice for the SLU community

>> Paranormal Activity

7 SPORTS

chapters live together.

“Our chapters have a unique situation where typically during their sophomore year they are living with individuals from almost every other chapter if they choose to live in DeMattias Hall,” said Kristen Clemens, Program Coordinator in the Student Involvement Center who works directly with Greek Life. “Because of this communal living, the members often have more interaction with members from other chapters.”

Schofield believes this plays a role in preventing cliques, rivalries and exclusivity from Greek Life here.

See “Greek” on Page 2

9

>> SLU ranked first in A-10

2 NEWS

OCTOBER 25, 2012

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Let Us Introduce You: Dan White, S.J. 22 years later, SLU alumnus returns to College Church

By EMILY CAVALIERE Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of the Society of Jesus.

Twenty-two years away would make any place seem different. In the case of Dan White, S.J., things really are different. As the new pastor of St. Francis Xavier College Church and a 1990 SLU graduate, Fr. White has been met with many changes upon his return.

This La Crosse, Wis. native was a history major at SLU, entered the Jesuits upon graduation, and received his MA in American Studies in ’95.

Since then, he has spent time working in Louisiana, Belize and Australia. Upon his return to St. Louis, White has been able to witness the enormous changes that both SLU and the midtown neighborhood have undergone.

Not unlike his time as a student, White has had to adjust to living with a large group of people.

“I live in one of the Bellarmine houses,” White said. “It’s been good, but I definitely feel the generation gap. I’m 20 years older than a lot of the guys, and they’re all very active,” said White. “And a little bit loud,” he added.

White enjoys running and biking in his free time, and appreciates the fact that SLU is so close to his favorite place in St. Louis: Forest Park. SLU is also nearby another one of White’s old haunts: The Moolah The-

ater. The last movie he saw there was “The Master,” and while he is a Philip Seymour-Hoffman fan, he had to admit that the film was “not that great.”

After his time in Louisiana came to an end, White said he was very excited to start at College Church.

“I love that the parish and the university are so well integrated.” White said.

He admits that a church that must serve an entire parish as well as an entire university is a complicated place, but he looks forward to the challenge.

“The problem with such a beautiful, old church is just that- an old church.

“

I love that it is still an urban campus, connected to the city. It is a ver y civically engaged place. The Jesuits have always been that way.

-Dan White S.J.

”

The air conditioning broke over the summer, which was not good,” White said.

One of the biggest responsibilities that White has taken on is the numerous weddings that come through College Church.

There are tons and tons of weddings,” White said.

White has found a more complicated challenge when trying to engage the post undergraduate demographic of young people.

“Culture has changed a lot,” said White. “We need to see how to bring faith into a culture that is not as committed to institutions and is suspicious of authority.”

Despite the challenges, White welcomes the chance to serve such a dynamic population.

“I love the energy on a college campus and I like that there’s a lot of interesting things going on,” he said. “The midtown area has changed a lot. None of this used to exist,” said White.

After being away from St. Louis for over two decades, White has now concluded that “It has become hip to live here.” Take that, Chicago.

The failing church air conditioning was not the only surprise that awaited Fr. White’s return to St. Louis.

“SLU’s campus is just incredible now,” said White “[During my time as a student], campus ended right by the soccer field and West Pine was still open as a road.”

White appreciates, however, the fact that some things have not changed.

“I love that it is still an urban campus, connected to the city. It is a very civically engaged place. The Jesuits have always been that way.”

White has noticed some changes beneath the surface, as well.

“I have found that the field of concern here has grown considerably… the university is much more intentional about being a Jesuit university. The mission of the school is more prominent.” White recalls that during his time as a student, “nobody could tell you the school’s mission statement. Now, there are more than a few students that probably can.”

White is happy to be back in St. Louis. Upon reflecting on where life has taken him since his college years, White said, “Sydney [Australia] may have the opera house, but they don’t have an arch.”

THE SLU SCOOP

the entrance to the [Olive/Compton] garage. SLMPD responded and a report was filed.

All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

5:10 p.m. - INFORMATIONAL

Friday, Oct. 19

1:00 p.m. - STEALING OVER $500

Two students left their cell phones, unattended, charging in the [Monsanto] lab. When they returned the phones were gone.

1:06 p.m. - AUTO ACCIDENT

Two contractors collided outside

Monday, Oct. 22

A DPSEP officer made contact with Patricia Douglas, an aggressive panhandler known to frequent the area. She was given a trespass warning by the officer.

Tuesday, Oct. 23

1:32 p.m. - INFORMATIONAL

A DPSEP officer observed two subjects (not SLU related) that appeared to be fighting. Upon

intervening it was determined that the subjects were acquaintances and walking through the campus to their residence located on Theresa.

One subject was highly intoxicated.

Both were warned regarding their behavior while on University property.

Be a Responsible Billiken STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000 witness.slu.edu dps.slu.edu

Greek: Housing contributes to close community Continued from Page 1

“Living in DeMatt is a great experience because you get the benefit of Greek housing, and you also get close interaction with people besides just your own chapter,” Schofield said.

Many non-Greeks agree.

“Everybody is friends with everybody here, it doesn’t really matter if you’re in a sorority,” said Stephanie Uhrich, a nonGreek freshman. “I have a lot of friends in sororities and fraternities, and I don’t feel like that stops us from being friends.”

Greek Life at SLU is set apart not only by the nonexclusive living situation, but also by the religious aspect.

Nick Smith, S.J., who works in Campus Ministry

and teaches in the theology department, has worked with Greek organizations for years. He serves as the faculty advisor for Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Sigma Phi. “Greek Life provides opportunities that have a theological or spiritual element to help students see how it ties into our Jesuit mission,” Smith said.

Campus Ministry sponsors a Greek Spring Break Mission Trip and has worked with Greek leaders to create GRIP, Greeks Rooted in Prayer, a bible study group for members.

Smith also spoke about how the Catholic identity has been an important part of many chapters at SLU. Sigma Alpha Epsilon offers a chapter mass after meetings. Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon often sit togeth-

er in College Church for 9:00 p.m. mass on Sundays.

Beta Theta Pi organized a candlelight vigil on September 11th.

The spiritual side of these fraternities is unique to SLU, and the service element also speaks to their fulfillment of the Jesuit mission.

“The fraternity and sorority experience should be a positive experience that enhances a student’s educational experience. It is an experience that should be in line with the mission of the University,” Colleen Drazen, Program Coordinator at the Student Involvement Center, said.

While the Jesuit mission is fulfilled through service, spirituality and religion, it is also fulfilled through inclusiveness and acceptance in SLU’s Greek Life

unewsonline.com

OCTOBER 25, 2012

Presentation discusses impact of female voters

By HANNAH WILEY Staff Writer

When it comes to women’s issues in the 2012 election, Nadia Brown, an assistant professor in Saint Louis University’s Department of Political Science and Department of African American Studies, and Heather Bednarek, the department chair and associate professor of the Department of Economics, know just how much is at stake.

Along with Linda McDaniel, co-president of League of Women Voters of St. Louis, Brown and Bednarek created a panel discussion and presentation for the Gruenberg Society, a society of female alumnae of the John Cook School of Business. The discussion detailed the role women have in the election and how the female vote can have the largest voice in determining the outcome of the presidential race.

The presentation, “How to Be a Smart Voter: Educate Yourself on Issues Affecting Women and Families in 2012,” was given last Tuesday, Oct. 16 in the John Cook School of Business and outlined the feminist issues of society that have been recognized or neglected during this campaign. The event was co-sponsored by Fifth Third Bank and the Young Women’s Christian Association.

Brown was the first panelist to present on the statistical information that plays into the election. She reported on the heavy significance of women voters in this election, based off statistical information from previous elections. In 2008, nine million more women voted than men. As feminist issues are debate topics ,there is no expectation of the difference in men and women voters to decrease.

“This election will impact [women] in significant ways,” Brown said.

According to Brown, this can be attributed to the clash of ideologies on gender equality matter, bodily integrity questions and reproductive disagreements between the two political parties. Brown’s research discovered that only 17 per-

cent of seats in Congress are held by females. With the number of women voters outweighing that of men, this percentage and the discussion regarding women’s issues between the two male presidential candidates tends to cause negative friction.

“During the second debate, we saw issues discussed 20 or 25 years ago.

These issues are coming to the forefront because politicians are realizing that women are more likely than men to vote,” Brown said.

“Now, women are more civically and politically engaged but it’s always a surprise that women are underrepresented.”

Bednarek’s 10-minute portion of the presentation took a microscopic look into the federal spending of the Office of Management and Budget. Bednarek focused largely on healthcare and why the discussion of the issue is so important.

“My goal was to present information that would help to provide a bigger frame when evaluating the specifics of various proposals -- such as programs that would be cut or reformed to help balance the budget,” Bednarek said.

Bednarek said with healthcare being the “pacman of the government spending pie,” and a budget that is continuously growing at the expense of other government funding projects, women need to understand how cuts or additions to healthcare would have an impact on their future.

McDaniel’s approach was less academic and more driven by her passion to educate and inform women voters about the potential the female voice carries this election. McDaniel’s portion of the presentation gave information about what identification is accepted for voting and what state-wide ballot issues are prevalent for Missouri. She also provided an entire list of websites that can educate voters on the validity of issues presented in the campaign. McDaniel stressed the mission of the organization: to protect the rights of the citizens to register and vote.

NEWS

3

SGA forms panel to assess shared governance

John Schuler/Photo Editor

Faculty Senate President Mark Knuepfer and Student Government Association President Blake Exline discuss the development of the newly formed Blue Ribbon Committee, tasked with resolving the conflicts between Saint Louis University’s faculty and administration. The BRC has decided to make handling the issue of shared governance at the university it’s premier concern, developing two working groups to discuss and develop the idea of shared governance. One group will be student centric, the other faculty centric.

Vote: Teach-in aims to involve students Continued from Page 1

document, then I wrote the policy. Then I took feedback from other people on the draft policy and sent it to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate,” Patankar said. “I was supposed to get feedback, but the draft went directly to the broad faculty community. When they got the document, they didn’t have any background or history of the document.”

Patankar said he was directed to collect feedback from the deans and department chairs, but the Faculty Senate turned down the draft before feedback could properly be collected.

Based on unofficial feedback from general faculty, Patankar said he made changes to the tenurereview portion of the proposed faculty review policy,

which he presented to both the Medical School and Doisy College of Nursing.

The faculty held a teachin for students on Oct. 24 to explain why the votes of no confidence occurred. The teach-in not only explained what the vote of no confidence meant, but also explained the grievances the faculty had that motivated the vote. These included the break down of shared governance, the stagnant rankings and endowment of SLU as compared to other institutions, the low faculty morale and the apparent “culture of fear” that exists at SLU due to the lack of trust in the administration.

“We are at a historic point at SLU,” said Tim Lomperis, professor of Political Science. “With these votes of no confidence, the people of SLU are stepping out of the shadow of fear

Department of Theological Studies Presents Catholic Bioethics Lecture "Healthcare as Vocation: Insights from the Spirituality of Saint Ignatius"

John Hardt, Ph.D. (Boston College) Assistant Professor, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago October 29, 2012 7:00 PM A-B Auditorium Cook School of Business

[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.]

Co-sponsored by the Manresa Program in Catholic, Jesuit Studies and the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University. For more information, contact Tobias Winright, Ph.D., at twinrigh@slu.edu.

into the sunlight. The upper administration is losing its legitimacy and its right to rule. We can no longer teach with the integrity we expect to have.”

The faculty also stated that the communication model that Patankar cited was relatively unknown to students and faculty members prior to the open forum Student Government Association Meeting during which Patankar and Mark Kneupfer, president of the Faculty Senate, addressed the situation.

Faculty representatives went on to say that there was permission to distribute the draft policy to the general faculty as long as it included the word ‘draft’ on it, contrary to what Patankar has claimed.

Students are also responding to the situation.

In addition to discussions

by SGA, a group comprised of SLU students and alumni has been formed on Facebook.

The group, SLU students for No Confidence, is a“group of students who want their degree to matter after graduation.”

“No confidence basically means we are not confident in the SLU administration anymore,” said a spokesperson for the group. “This is a push of students and alumni to see a refocusing on our values as a Jesuit university.

We don’t think the current administration is doing a good job of following the SLU mission statement.”

The group stated they are willing to work with the faculty and SGA, but they have no plans for action at this time. Their goal is to ensure that student voices are heard and provide them with the tools to do so.

MADD: Group’s new focus on sustainability Continued from Page 1

easier to find her way back to MADD every year.

“It’s a unifying experience, not just for APO, but for the entire SLU campus,” Russell said.

Russell and the rest of the APO executive board collaborate each week to create the ads and banners hung throughout campus and to prepare for the event.

“The day itself reflects SLU’s mission [and] its students’ interest[s] in social justice and helping their community,” Russell said.

“The whole goal of this day is to have the biggest impact by reaching out to more areas of community. ” The number of SLU volunteers that participate in MADD has grown extensively over the last decade.

The Center for Service and Community Engagement co-sponsors the event.

Robert Wassel, Assistant Director for Community Service and Outreach, said he has been personally involved with the program for seven years.

“My first year, there were 1,400 volunteers, and now we have 3,000,” Wassel said. “This has added to the national profile for SLU as a service school, one of the largest in the nation.”

For most students, numbers and statistics are not what draws them to volunteer.

“I really believe our students are passionate.,” Wassel said. “There is a culture of service on SLU’s campus.

It’s in our Billiken DNA.”

APO is also partnering with SLU’s Center for Sustainability to put together this year’s theme, “Sustainability.” With this new theme comes new changes and features.

Groups of volunteers will be working at 25 different public schools, which is an upgrade from the previous 15.

Outside of the classrooms, 20 sites and 1,000 volunteers will be focused solely on environmental sustainability. These sites include community gardens, where volunteers will prepare an area where vegetables and fruits can be grown.

“Many people don’t have access to fresh produce without taking six to seven bus routes,” commented Wassel.

Another group will be working to revitalize Greenwood Cemetery. Unkept and overgrown, the cemetery is a historical landmark in St. Louis, holding the graves of Dred Scott’s family. Volunteers will pull weeds and work to support the cemetery’s environmental sustainability.

Continuing with the theme, lunches will be served in biodegradable bags provided by Chartwell’s. Instead of T-shirts, re-usable water bottles will be handed out to all registered volunteers to refill throughout the day and keep hydrated.

The MADD opening ceremony will be held at Robert Hermann Soccer Stadium at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 27th.

U OPINION

OCTOBER 25, 2012

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Responding to racism and privilege on campus

Erika Klotz / Chief Illustrator Mike Hogan/ Opinion Editor

Finding direction for SLU at a crossroads Saint Louis University is at a crossroads. The faculty senate’s recent vote of no confidence on Vice President of Academic Affairs Manoj Patankar and the subsequent vote of no confidence on the president of the university, Lawrence Biondi, by the Faculty Council of the College of Arts and Sciences both indicate that the administration and faculty are divided on how best to run this university.

Ultimately, however, ever yone at SLU can agree that they want to make our university reach its fullest potential. Though visions of how to attain that goal may var y, it is important to keep this unifying purpose in mind. Moreover, ever yone involved must remember that the way they conduct themselves at this juncture will reflect upon the university as a whole.

With that in mind, here is what The University News would like to see from our school’s leadership at this critical time.

To the administration: Listen. This one word summarizes the most positive lesson our administration could learn from this ordeal. Listen to the faculty and the students, the people who are most directly invested in this university, and not just to the interest groups that hold the strings (or the purse strings).

Greater communication and listening could have prevented the difficulties the university now faces, and they can also help us to move for ward in the wake of recent events.

To the faculty: Organize yourselves. The greatest asset of the administration is that it is cohesive and acts decisively. The faculty benefit from a diversity of opinions from varied perspectives, but it is important

to become united in the face of challenges. This is especially true when it comes to communicating with the press—trust us, we should know.

Moreover, the faculty need to prepare their arguments carefully as they debate the best course of action for this university. Nothing should be done in haste; a balance between determined action and careful consideration is always necessar y. After all, their careers are on the line, as well as the value of students’ degrees. Should SLU fail to adapt and ultimately plummet in rankings, no one will remember that this was a top-100 school back in our day.

To the students: Become informed. The faculty also bear some responsibility in this regard, and we respect their decision to hold a teach-in in order to inform students about the current state of affairs. We also hope to see more interaction between the Student Government Association and the faculty.

Furthermore, as one of the primar y sources of news on campus, it falls to us at the UNews to cover events as they unfold. Ultimately, though, each student bears the responsibility of picking up a paper or clicking a link. Students, this is your education on the line; invest yourselves in it.

This is a challenging time for our university, but our actions today will define what this university becomes in the future. If our university’s leaders among the administration, faculty and students all remember this responsibility and consider this advice, we believe that SLU will continue improving. In this way, we at SLU get that much closer to living up to our mission statement.

Following food from farm to plate When most people think of holidays, they usually envision crowd favorites like Thanksgiving, New Year’s and Halloween. But yesterday, Wednesday, Oct. 24, marked one of the nation’s most appealinglynamed celebrations: Food Day.

Though perhaps not as widely recognized as, say, Christmas, Food Day represents a time to show our appreciation for one of life’s bare necessities: food. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? After all, ever yone loves food!

But that’s not all Food Day is about. According to the Food Day website, the purpose of the day is to “address issues as varied as health and nutrition, hunger, agricultural policy, animal welfare and farm worker justice.”

Here in the U.S., food is something we often take for granted. How many people at Saint Louis University have ever experienced the true hunger that comes from malnourishment? Few have, and we hope that few ever will. But it is important to recognize the complex infrastructure that supplies our victuals ever y day and to educate ourselves on the issues surrounding food production.

The old adage “you are what you eat” holds true; the unhealthy foods many Americans consume contribute to the nation’s health epidemic, particularly heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and cancer. These afflictions cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year that could have been avoided by a healthier diet.

The foods we consume affect more than just our health, however. Most foods only arrive on our plates

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after a long production and farming process that may be extremely harmful to workers, many of whom live on the other side of the planet. Furthermore, while most of us eat meat, certain animal farming processes involve excessive suffering for the animals involved. And on top of all that, it is important to recognize which foods are produced using sustainable techniques and which may be causing irreversible harm to the planet.

So what can we do? It’s not like we can just stop eating. One option is to turn toward locavorism, the movement toward consuming more locally-produced foods.

There can be many benefits from eating locally.

Food from nearby areas doesn’t have to travel as far to the marketplace, insuring that it will be fresher.

This also lowers fuel costs, helps the environment and invests in the local economy. Much locally produced food is also organic, which means fewer hormones and preser vatives in the food.

Ultimately, the most important thing is that we make ourselves aware of where our food comes from and how it is produced. Purchasing produce from the nearby farmers’ markets in Soulard and Tower Grove is a fun way to improve our diets and support the St. Louis area. There are also a variety of small grocer y stores that sell local and organic goods.

So if you missed Food Day, that’s alright—just mark your calendar for next year. And in the meantime, live in the spirit of the season by tr ying to eat healthy and sustainable foods.

On September 27th, “Racially offensive and stereotypical language [was] directed to [an] employee by [a] student,” the report of which was received by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness on Oct. 4.

The action this student took is absolutely unacceptable. We, as the Saint Louis University Diversity Leadership Cabinet, express our sincerest anger and disappointment. DLC condemns not only the student’s remarks, but also the attitude that fostered them.

This attitude lives under two aliases: racism and privilege.

The remarks made, by virtue of being racially offensive, are clear examples of hate speech. Such language is a direct attack on someone’s identity, which in turn is also an attack against an entire racial group. These remarks entrench bigotry, the engine of racism, making it doubly hard to fight.

Privilege is the other half of this coin. Although privilege in itself sometimes can’t be helped, reactions to privilege certainly can. The student clearly felt themselves to be in a position of power over the SLU employee, whom they viewed as unworthy of respect. Offensive remarks, in general, are intended to tear another person down and make them feel small and the offender more powerful.

This perceived power differential defines the very heart of privilege. The student acted under the ruse of impunity and the guise of power. This is not how one should act in the face of perceived privilege.

SLU employees, who are rarely appreciated for their dedication and service, deserve to be celebrated, thanked and respected for their hard work. We, as students, must take time to express our gratitude for the services we so mindlessly take advantage of. SLU only functions due to their toil and enduring spirit. Knowing this makes the incident such an incredible insult to all who work here,and sends a negative message to every SLU employee.

There is nothing acceptable about racist or privileged attitudes. DLC strongly condemns both of these mentalities, the true culprits in this issue. And we offer our humblest, most heartfelt apology to the SLU employee who undeservedly had to hear the offensive remarks. Further, we apologize to any member of the SLU community, student or employee, who has ever experienced similar bias.

Racism and privilege are endemic attitudes, and as SLU’s representative body on all issues related to diversity and social justice, DLC urges us all to explore how we understand these two ideologies. We challenge everyone to find the common ground, that deep level of understanding where we can bridge all divisions made by racism and privilege. We need to commit ourselves to celebrating our relevant differences, while also celebrating the innate similarities that make us all human.

The walls need to come down. We need to see each other for who we are, past skin and wealth. And we are all capable of doing this, right here at SLU. Campus life and a Jesuit education have equipped us with unique resources to combat insidious ideologies and foster accepting attitudes. SLU offers us classes about racial diversity, ethnic and religious minorities, and a wide range of cultures. Chartered Student Organizations host events year-round discussing the implications of racism, sexism, privilege, poverty, healthcare, etc. DLC represents many of these CSO’s in their efforts to promote diversity on campus and organize yet more diversity-related activities.

Student life is rich in opportunities to learn. And although moments of disrespect, such as this, are certainly not desired, they are also opportunities for learning.

With some mindfulness and effort, we can work against the tides of racism and privilege. We can work to adopt accepting mindsets. We can explore the meaning of diversity and respect.

An investigation of the incident is still ongoing, and at some point it will come to an end. Our personal investigations into the meaning of diversity and acceptance, conversely, need to be never-ending processes of learning and understanding.

The walls need to come down, and it starts with you.

It starts with more reporting and the condemnation of similar events and dispositions. It starts with gratitude. It starts with us.

This is the SLU we believe in. This is the community we are building. This is our SLU. - The Diversity Leadership Cabinet is the student voice for diversity and social justice concersns at SLU.

2012-13 EDITORIAL BOARD editor-in-chief Brian boyd eic@unewsonline.com

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OCTOBER 25, 2012

A critical juncture for SLU, but also an opportunity On Oct. 11, 2012, 29 members of the John Cook School of Busin e s s faculty g a t h ered for discuss i o n .

That discussion led to a motion: Bonnie Wilson “ T h e g a t h ered JCSB faculty express confidence in and support of the Faculty Senate and the positions it has taken.”

The motion was unanimously ap- proved. The purpose of the vote was to affirm that the Faculty Senate represents and acts for the faculty. More specifically, the vote affirmed the Faculty Senate’s Sept. 25 vote of no confidence in VP Patankar. Notably, the gathered JCSB faculty did not consider a vote of no confidence in Presdint Lawrence Biondi, S.J. Instead, a number of voices suggested that, despite public statements to the contrary, it was likely that in private the administration was absorbing and reflecting upon the signals sent by votes and discussions around campus. It was therefore deemed a prudent and appropriate course of action to allow time for reflection and subsequent movement by the administration. If no movement took place, it was suggested that the faculty might choose to convene again.

SLU now sits at what is known as a “critical juncture.” A confluence of factors have emerged that provide an opportunity to up-end the status-quo. What is the statu-quo at SLU? The status-quo at SLU is a governance structure that, in principle, offers inclusion along a number of dimensions, but in practice, produces a distribution of power that is narrow and unconstrained.

To be sure, SLU has benefitted in a number of ways from its current absolutist governance structure.

When institutions are not inclusive, it is much easier to move quickly and to take advantage of unexpected

opportunities. As best I can the market’s price mechatell, Biondi is an opportunisnism, generates informatic manager, not a strategic tion and produces incenplanner. His willingness and tives for individuals to freeability to act boldly when faly act on that information vorable circumstances presin ways that benefit the inent has arguably served stitution. We have snippets SLU well throughout his of such a structure at SLU, 25 years as president. Now but it is far from complete. though, with trust between For example, the SGA and the faculty and the adminthe Faculty Senate are imistration fractured beyond portant information aggrerepair, it may be time for a gating mechanisms capable new approach. And Biondi of channeling information himself and the members of from students and faculty the Board of Trustees may to the administration. We be the group of individuals could clearly do much betbest suited and situated to ter though. lead SLU towards that new For example, faculty are approach. often told that they are not The current critical allowed to approach memjuncture provides an opbers of the Board of Trustportunity for a change in ees. I don’t know if this is in the governance structure at fact true or not. I do know SLU. A change toward truly that if Board members do inclusive institutions of the not have opportunities to sort that will stimulate susregularly tainable inand freely novation, engage with growth, and faculty, with The current critical s t u d e n t s ultimately a d v a n c e - juncture provides an op- and with ment in the staff, in setportunity for a change tings inderankings.

G o o d in the governance struc- pendent of governance the adminfor a firm ture at SLU. istration, or a univerthat Board sity is like members the price mechanism in a are unlikely to have all of market. Prices are signals the information they need wrapped up in incentives. to make wise decisions. We They signal information also have a faculty manual about scarcity and value, that provides for shared and they provide incentives governance. for people to act in ways that Arguably though, the benefit society. In so doing, manual does not currently the price mechanism profulfill its intended role. In duces efficient outcomes. particular, from a faculty Inside a firm or a uniperspective, the withdrawn versity, administrators do workload, evaluation, and not have the benefit of the recognition policies vioprice mechanism to guide lated numerous provisions their decisions. Administraof the faculty manual. If the tors have to simply guess: administration is required how many faculty should to respect the provisions of be hired and how should the manual, how could such they be compensated? How policies have been promany labs should be built? posed? Would the Board not How many bulbs should be have been both legally and planted? How many statues morally obligated to reject should be erected? How the policies? As we attempt many students should be to move forward, we must admitted and what should understand the answers to each of them be charged? these sorts of questions.

Which programs should be And where might alumni funded, and which should fit in to all of this? What be cut? An administrator mechanism exists to ensure backed by a good goverthat the administration and nance structure has the the members of the Board best chance to choose ophear from this key constitutimally in response to these ency? What role might a and other questions.

“Board of Overseers,” posA good governance sibly elected by alumni, structure is one that, like play at SLU?

“

”

A better and more inclusive governance structure might have helped SLU avoid the conflict in which we are currently mired. I have little doubt that this thought has already occurred to the members of the Board of Trustees. It is my great hope, as well as my confident expectation, that behind the Board’s closed doors, discussion of governance questions, such as the ones posed above, are well underway.

To be sure, the members of the Board of Trustees understand the importance of good governance. They are leaders who in all likelihood face challenges associated with governance on a regular basis. These leaders are surely well aware of the jeopardy that they face when a governance structure fails to reveal the information they need to make decisions. In our Catholic, Jesuit institution, that jeopardy is all the more acute, as it is moral as well as legal. It is the legitimacy and wisdom of the Board of Trustees that is arguably most diminished by a poor governance structure.

Father Biondi and the Board of Trustees (along with faculty, students, staff, and alumni) endeavor to rocket SLU up and into a new future as a top-50 institution and as the finest Catholic university in the nation. If Biondi and the members of the Board are willing and able, they may be able to seize the day at this critical juncture in SLU’s history.

A new, bold and carefully designed inclusive governance structure could well serve as SLU’s launching pad.

What better way for Biondi and the Board to prepare for new leadership at SLU in the future, but by setting the stage with a model governance structure, one optimally designed for an age of rapid innovation in higher education?

As the saying goes, “Economists have predicted 9 of the last 5 recessions.”

Here’s hoping that this economist’s predictions of change and a bright future for SLU through an optimal governance structure are on the mark this time.

OPINION

5

Bridging baseball and learning Over the past several weeks, two things have loomed large in the psyches of students a n d faculty alike: midterm exams a n d baseball! Although these Bryan Sokol activities – both “Fall Classics” of a sort – have consumed the better part of our collective mental resources, it seems unlikely that many of us ever wondered how they might be connected. After all, we associate baseball with escapism, not intellectual rigor. Why should we think otherwise? Here are three reasons why baseball and learning might be seen to go hand-in-hand.

First, there is the issue of intellectual development.

George Herbert Mead famously used the metaphor of baseball to capture part of this development. For Mead, the growth of knowledge involved “seeing” from many different pointsof-view. Knowledge development is akin to assuming different “roles” and understanding how they are connected. Mead explained that baseball is essentially the same process.

Baseball is a nuanced sport, with player adjustments that often go unseen by the untrained observer. Knowledge is similarly nuanced and often lost to individuals who seek only one “right” answer, or swing only to hit a home run.

Second is the notion of situational learning, or how we come to apply and adjust our knowledge to meet real-life demands. Situated forms of knowing stand in contrast to abstract ways of understanding that remain unbending in response to novel circumstances or changing contexts. Situational knowledge is highly adaptable to the pressures of real life. In this way, situational learning is very much like baseball. The finer points of the game require play-by-play adjustments, which can be the difference in winning or los-

ing a game, or even a World Series. Good situational baseball results in runners advancing or even scoring because of where the ball was hit. Like situational baseball, students must also learn how to apply principles they learn in a classroom to new situations.

Third, baseball is best experienced live. It may be watched on television or listened to on the radio, but almost everyone agrees that the game is best “in situ.” As Walt Whitman is credited with saying: “I see great things in baseball. It will take people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, [and] give them a larger physical stoicism.”

While some may be skeptical that watching baseball at Busch Stadium with peanuts and beer in hand will make us all heartier, experiencing a live game opens us to the richness of the sport.

In the same way, students’ learning will be enriched if we take them outside the classroom. Many faculty and students at SLU engage in service learning for this very reason. Service learning is a strategy that integrates community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience while fostering a consciousness of social justice. Service learning, much like baseball, challenges learners to adjust to real-life dilemmas, to the circumstances on the field.

The Center for Service and Community Engagement at SLU supports service-learning that occurs in spaces all around the region, and all of them are “live.”

Not many professors have begun a class by announcing, “Play ball!” Nor have students ever stood up during their classes to sing “Take me out to the ball game.” But just imagine the wisdom we would share if these things were to happen. Our learning would not be confined to classroom spaces or traditional teaching practices. Instead, our knowledge would be situated. Our learning would be “out with the crowds.”

And we would all be rounding the bases with a Grand Slam.

Read the full version of this commentary online at unewsonline.com

Editor’s note: Leading up to the presidential election, each week two commentaries will focus on an issue that is important to voters. One will be written by a representative of SLU Democrats, the other by a representative of SLU College Republicans.

Hey Romney, the 1980’s called...

Commenting on foreign policy in the context of this election is a near-impossible task, considering b o t h Presid e n t Barack Obama and Gov. M i t t Romney Mary Lee Ptacek s p o k e about foreign policy issues in all three debates.

Through the rhetoric he uses and the assertions he makes that are simply false, Romney is the weaker candidate regarding foreign policy.

One example of Romney’s weakness as a presidential candidate can be found in a statement he made in the second presidential debate. Romney declared that he would label China a “currency manipulator.” He has yet to revoke this statement. Obama countered that Romney had invested in Chinese businesses that were “pioneers of outsourcing.” This begs the question: does America really want to elect a man who insults a country that is a major world financial player? More so, does America really want to elect a man who insults the country where he has his own money invested? This question can only be answered on election day.

The third presidential debate focused exclusively on foreign policy. Bob Schieffer moderated the debate, and he focused specifically on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Israel and Iran, Syria, Egypt

and China.

First, to be considered is Syria. Obama has led efforts to organize the international community against al-Assad. He has mobilized the moderate forces inside of Syria, in addition to humanitarian support and support for al-Assad’s opposition. Romney was unable to actually critique the effectiveness of Obama’s actions or to articulate his own plan.

He stated, “My strategy is pretty straightforward – to go after the bad guys.” But how is this any different from what Obama has been doing in the Middle East?

Under the Obama administration, Osama Bin Laden was found and killed. Under the Obama administration, the core leadership of alQaida was decimated. How is this not precisely “going after the bad guys”?

Second, let us consider Egypt. President Obama expressed no regrets about saying that Mubarak had to go, and emphasized organizing entrepreneurship in Egypt post-Mubarak, Romney agreed; thus this is one aspect of the election where the candidates have no further reason for dispute.

One of the most important moments in the debate occurred when Romney couldn’t answer a simple question about military spending. Romney has consistently expressed a desire to give more money to the military, specifically trillions of dollars to the Navy.

The Navy has yet to request this money. The question for Americans remains: how can we afford this? When Obama asked Romney this question and Romney could not articulate a clear

and concise answer, Americans were again reminded of Romney’s weakness as a candidate regarding foreign policy. Obama put it best regarding Romney’s foreign policy when he said: “And, you know, we visited the website quite a bit, and it still doesn’t work.”

Obama, on the other hand, articulated clearly his vision for moving forward regarding foreign policy.

He stated that future leaders need to be thinking about cyber security and cyberspace – not simply about ships. Voters should keep this in mind on election day.

Obama also spoke eloquently on America’s role in the world. He stated that the United States “remains the world’s one indispensible nation.” He reiterated his accomplishments such as ending the war in Iraq, something that Romney often forgets. Obama then stated that our alliances have never been stronger “in Asia, Europe, Africa, with Israel where we have unprecedented military and civilian cooperation dealing with the Iranian threat.”

The importance of Iran in this election cannot be understated. Romney has repeatedly alleged that the Obama administration hasn’t done enough, but the facts remain that under the sanctions imposed as a result of these newly forged alliances, Iran’s currency has dropped by 80 percent, its oil production has plunged, and its economy is in shambles. Romney’s anti-Obama rhetoric again is proven false.

Obama put it best, “The 1980s called. They want their foreign policy back.”

We need a commander-in-chief

For the majority of his administration, Obama’s foreign policy failures have b e e n able to fly under the r a d a r, m u c h l i k e an unmanned drone, if you will.

W i t h Kelsey Massa the recent attacks on American embassies and the murder of four Americans, including our ambassador Christopher Stephens, this is no longer the case.

While the economy remains the most important issue to voters in this upcoming election, foreign policy is now running a close second. Iraq and Libya are unraveling, Egypt is now controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood, casualties are at an all-time high in Afghanistan (where have all the anti-war protestors gone?), Syria continues to slaughter its own people, al-Qaida remains a threat throughout the region, and Iran gets closer to developing a nuclear weapon with every passing day.

These issues and more were discussed during the third and final presidential debate this past Monday, which focused on foreign policy. I will admit I was a bit worried about how Romney would perform, given that the economy is his area of expertise, not foreign affairs. (Note: Those who criticize Romney for his lack of foreign policy experience would do well to remember

that he has about as much experience as Obama had upon his election in 2008.

So I would call that a wash.)

Really, though, all Romney had to do was appear competent and knowledgeable in order to keep his momentum going. I think he did that and more. He confidently and good-naturedly articulated the role the U.S. should, and indeed must, play in the world today. We must be a strong leader because no other nation can effectively play that role. Peace through strength works, while weakness inspires contempt and causes chaos. This is not to say we should be the world’s policeman, but we cannot ignore the reality that other nations look to us for leadership, for support, for monetary aid and, most importantly, for an example of what freedom really looks like.

Obama is a bit ashamed of America’s legacy and took it upon himself in 2009 to rehabilitate America’s image abroad with his nowinfamous “apology tour.”

You may not think he was apologizing, and you may even think that the Middle East is entitled to an apology from the U.S. However, with our embassies burning and our personnel being targeted for assassination, we should all be able to agree that the apology didn’t work. We are just as hated as we were four years ago, but today we are less feared.

Nevertheless, Obama insisted during the debate on Monday that our international influence is in fact greater now than it was four years ago. In keeping with

this narrative, the Obama campaign is attempting to paint Romney as a triggerhappy, war-mongering radical who will ruin the “progress” we’ve made with his bellicose nationalism. Not only does this contradict Romney’s actual foreign policy approach, it contradicts the Obama campaign’s other favorite characterization of Romney – that he is an automaton, boring, lifeless, uncaring and out of touch with everyday Americans. As Ronald Reagan once said to his own liberal critics, “Fellows, you can’t have it both ways. [I] can’t be both a wild-eyed kook and a square.”

President Obama thinks he can have it both ways. He received the Nobel Peace Prize upon his election in 2008, and has since ordered 600 drone strikes on Pakistan and Yemen (President Bush ordered 43). Some of these drones targeted U.S. citizens. He apologized for American meddling in Middle East affairs and then increased troop levels in Afghanistan from 19,000 in 2008 to 150,000 in 2010. He supported demonstrators in Egypt and Tunisia and yet remained conspicuously silent during the Iranian people’s protests against the tyrannical Ahmadinejad. Such inconsistency emboldens our enemies and imperils our alliances.

Though the mainstream media is loath to point it out, other nations are taking notice of Obama’s lack of leadership; the American people should be paying attention as well. The U.S. needs a commander-inchief, not a global community organizer.

unewsonline.com

6 GAMES

CROSSWORD

OCTOBER 25, 2012

SUDOKU

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

WORD SEARCH

U

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ST. LOUIS HALLOWEEN EVENTS

ARTS

OUT on the

TOWN

Central West End Costume Contest

St. Louis Zombie Walk

The Central West End will throw a Halloween party and costume contest on Oct. 27 near the intersection of Maryland and Euclid. The annual event is a full day of activities with a grown-up celebration beginning at 8 p.m.

The undead will flock to the Delmar Loop this Saturday, Oct. 27, for the St. Louis Zombie Walk. At 6 p.m., participants will gather behind the Starbucks at Leland Avenue and Loop North and continue their path eastward around 7 p.m. Participation is free and open to the public, but a code of conduct must be signed. For more information, visit www.facebook. com/StLZombieWalk.

Arts Editor’s Picks

Music October 25 The Script Peabody Opera House 8 p.m. from $34.50

October 26 Lee Brice The Pagaent 8 p.m. $21

October 26

OCTOBER 25, 2012

Koken Art Factory Show & Party The Koken Art Factory show and party theme this year is the Night of the Scarecrow. Live music, drinks, a costume contest and more begin at 7 p.m. and run until 1 a.m. Admission is $5.

The Darkness The Darkness, the twostory haunted house in Soulard, is ranked one of the best haunted houses

by USA Today and has been featured on the Today Show. Located at 1525 South 8th St., entrance is $23.

Halloween at Grant’s Farm Ghosts and goblins light the way as the Grant’s Farm Halloween celebration begins with a tram ride to the center of the park. Pumpkin decorating, carousel rides and food fill the night with fall festivities from 6 to 10 p.m.

Oct. 25-27. Admission is free, but parking is $20 per car.

Rocky Horror Picture Show The Tivoli Theatre in the Delmar Loop is home to the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show each year around Halloween. Midnight showings Oct. 26-27 and Nov. 2-3 are $10.

Freelance Whales The Firebird 9 p.m. $18.50

October 26-27 Legacy Jazz Quintet The Bistro in Grand Center 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $20

The fourth time around, the 25 years later, ‘Activity’ is getting pretty normal ‘Les Mis’ continues

to move audiences

October 26-28

October 31 Dropkick Murphy’s The Pagaent 8 p.m. $21

Theatre Until November 4 Daddy Long Legs Repertory Theatre Tues: 7 p.m., Wed-Fri: 8 p.m., Sat: 5 p.m., Sun: 2 p.m. from $16

Until October 28 Les Misérables Fox Theatre Thurs-Sat: 8 p.m., SatSun: 2 p.m. from $15

October 25-28 In the Blood Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL Thurs-Sat: 7:30 p.m., Sat-Sun: 2 p.m. $10 ($5 student)

Other October 26-27 Apple Butter Festival Kimmswick, MO 10 a.m.-5 p.m. free

October 28 Lemp Pumpkin Carving Festival Lemp Mansion $10

October 31 Edgar Allen Poe Evening Lemp Mansion 7 p.m. $15

Him Home,” effortlessly accessing his falsetto in this technically tricky number.

Javert, the grudge-holdThe production of Les ing, rule-abiding villain of Miserables at the Fabuthe story, was played by lous Fox exceeded expecBroadway veteran, Andrew tations on opening night.

Varela, whose classically For someone who has had trained voice suited the role the entire score memorized exceptionally well. since middle school, I was Shawna M. Hamic is astonished at how incredhilarious as Madame Theibly moved I was throughnardier, overshadowing her out the performance. song partner, Thenardier, in As the longest running “Master of the House.” She musical in the world, it is no perfectly mixed heartless wonder that this 25th Annivillain with comic relief. versary tour is still breakMy favorite performance ing box office records. of the night was that of JaThe plot is intricate and son Forbach as Enrolas. gripping: Jean Valjean His character represents steals a loaf of bread to the entire movement of the feed his sister’s child and revolution, and without a is imprisoned for 19 years. solid Enrolas, the evening When he escapes and starts may as well be dull and unlife anew, he makes a deal inspired (not to mention he with God and builds a repuwas easy on the eyes!). tation as a good and sucAn exciting aspect of cessful man. opening night was the scenMeanwhile, he is relentery mishap in Act II. As the lessly pursued by the justice barricade was supposed obsessed to come Javer t. forward to With over become the 50 named major plot characters piece for and four the act, it locations got stuck, spanning leaving an 14 years awkward in Act One couple secalone, it is onds of siimpor tant lence. to read the In order entire synto fix this opsis bemalfuncfore seeing -Lauren Wiley “Cosette” tion, the the show! entire perThe reiformance magined halted and staging the curtain and scencame down. ery, for which there is so The mishap was handled much hype, was absolutely gracefully, and after a few breathtaking. minutes the performance Using projections of resumed to the sound of Victor Hugo paintings and our applause. striping away the classic Lauren Wiley, who plays turntable, for which the the beautiful, young Coshow has always been assette, urges students to sociated, was extremely efcome out and see the show fective. while they still can: “It’s the Some additional material most poignant story of all added in this production times that anyone can rehas made the story easier late to. It has everything: to follow, as well as more redemption, the power of compelling. love, mercy, romance and But the magnificent, battle.” evocative score remains the This fabulous production same, and the tale of a good will be in St. Louis until Oct. man, set against the back28. drop of the French RevoluStudent and educator tion, is as powerful as ever. tickets are available for Standout performances $20.00 for select perforincluded Peter Lockyear mances.

(Jean Valjean), Andrew This discount offer is Varela (Javert), and Briavailable at the Fox box ofana Carlson-Goodman fice only beginning 2 hours (Eponine). prior to show time with a Lockyear performed one current valid school I.D. of the most touching and For more information visit honest renditions of “Bring fabulousfox.com.

By KRISTIN MCGUIRE Staff Writer

St. Louis Symphony: The Wizard of Oz Powell Hall Fri and Sat: 7 p.m., Sun: 2 p.m. from $20

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

In Paranormal Activity, protagonist Alex (Kathryn Newton) Skypes her boyfriend, unaware that her neighbor Robbie (Brady Allen), who is staying in the house for the weekend, looks on from behind.

By TJ KEELEY Managing Editor

Horror movie franchises have long been staples of the Halloween season.

From “Halloween” to “Friday the 13th” to “Nightmare on Elm Street” and all their sequels, horror fans have been sufficiently satiated around the fall holiday for decades. The turn of the century saw endless installations of the “Saw” franchise, but in 2008, “Paranormal Activity” arrived for the found footage crowd.

In a brief lexicon lesson, found footage refers to films of the “Blair Witch Project” tradition, which are compiled to look like film taken by the characters. The idea is that the viewer is placed in the present, experiencing all the scares along with the character. Found footage furthermore limits narrative perception and allows for creepy use of off-screen space.

For years, the “Paranormal Activity” films have done this brilliantly. “Less is more” is the motto of Oren Peli, the maestro behind the sleeper hit “Paranormal Activity.” Made on just $15,000 and grossing over $190 million, “Paranormal Activity” quickly saw a sequel green light.

The subsequent three sequels have built on the mythology of the first film.

A couple hears noises at night and sets up a camera in their home to see what it is. The second film added multiple security cameras.

The third took us back 20 years. And now, the fourth is five years in the future

with plenty of Skype.

Without spoiling too much for its predecessors, “Paranormal Activity 4” begins by reminding the viewer that we do not know the whereabouts of possessedKatie and her stolen nephew, Hunter. “PA 4” follows Katie’s neighbors. After Katie is mysteriously taken away in a police car, her little boy Robbie is sent to live with the neighbors, including the main character, Alex. After Robbie starts doing some crazy stuff, Alex and her boyfriend begin to record Alex’s house at night to see what the devil’s up to. They see way more than they ever could have imagined.

I am a fan of the “Paranormal Activity” franchise.

The films are economical in time and budget. As a result, they are often intimate, taking place in one setting with a very small cast of characters.

In addition, the films orchestrate tension well.

In the brief running time (just shy of 90 minutes), the films are often slow burns, constantly teasing the audience with a big scare before blowing the lid off in the last 10 minutes.

As a result, “PA” films mine cheap jump-out scares from everyday situations (a cat jumps in front of the camera), and these scares can become taxing and annoying.

“I hope Toby kills that cat,” one theatergoer next to me said.

The “PA” movies also excel at carefully crafting their settings. Alex’s room has three doors, causing the viewer to constantly dart

one’s eyes to and fro afraid they might catch a glimpse of a shadow or a slowly closing door.

Yet, “PA 4” runs into a few problems its predecessors narrowly avoided.

While all the films have thin characters with sketchy motivation, “PA 4” pushes the boundary of how naïve and skeptical people might be. There are only so many paranormal things that can happen in one house before I’d get the hell out of there.

“PA 3” recognized this and exploited it to frightening ends.

Similarly, “PA 4” struggles to justify why the characters are still recording this or why they wander down dark hallways all alone at night. That’s one glaring issue found footage films have. “Cloverfield” foregrounds this problem by having one character bark at the cameraman, “why are you still filming this!?”

While “PA 4” offers its share of thrills and scares, fans of the franchise might be disappointed because it offers little in explanation of the mythology of the franchise. Where “PA 3” opened the story up, “PA 4” seems like just another sequel. One post-credits scene hints at a scary past, but it’s too little too late. In addition, the final 10 minutes of “PA 4” borrow thrills too close to those in “PA 3.”

At the risk of spoiling the ending, I’ll just say: “we’ve seen it before.”

Still, “PA 4” remains suspenseful, well-crafted and loads of fun to watch with screaming strangers at the cinema.

“

It’s the most poignant stor y of all times that anyone can relate to.

”

8 ARTS

OCTOBER 25, 2012

unewsonline.com

Datsik discusses collaborations and The xx’s new album: dubstep’s entrance into the mainstream ‘a hipster’s dream’

By JASON MCCOY Staff Writer

By STEPHANIE MUELLER Staff Writer

After experiencing an Excision concert at a music festival in British Columbia, Troy Beetles was forever changed by the bass experience of dubstep. He donned the alias Datsik and has been producing music since 2009. He will be performing in St. Louis at the Pagaent on November 3. Datsik discussed his musical journey in an interview last week.

A lot of people are confused what dubstep is. Could you explain dubstep and your sound within dubstep to those that don’t get it?

Dubstep is a hybrid between all genres, except it fuses at 140 BPM and takes crazy, warped bass lines, hip-hop [and] metal and throw[s] it [all] into a blender. You get this crazy weird result that is really heavy on the dance floor with tons of swag.

Dubstep has made it to mainstream notoriety.

How do you think dubstep will change as more and more genres and money collide with it?

Dubstep has already gone mainstream, and a lot of big celebrities are jumping on it. Korn just did a dubstep album.

All the little breakdowns in every new pop song [are dubstep]. [The dubstep genre] is going to divide in two.

All the people who don’t like the mainstream stuff will do more underground

Photo courtesy of Teaghan McGinnis

Troy Beetles, under the stage name Datsik, has been producing dubstep music since 2009. stuff, and the underground will continue to drive the genre forward.

In 2011 you worked with metal band Korn.

You have often described yourself as working from a hip-hop or rap position. How was working with a genre that is so polar-opposite from your roots?

It was cool; it was definitely a total challenge because I was working way out of my element and trying to do something I’ve never done before.

Working with metal vocals and guitars and stuff was a bit weird. It was a really cool learning experience. Getting to meet them

all and chill with them all was a really cool experience, as well.

They are all really cool and passionate. We also had Infected Mushroom on one track in my album.

They are psytrance, [so] it was psytrance, meets metal, meets dubstep and hip-hop. [The album came] from a bunch of different angles, but it turned out pretty cool.

What producer, rapper or vocalist have you enjoyed working with most?

I really working with this homeboy of mine, Smack The Ripper, he is from Vancouver He’s a good friend of mine so the collaboration

was really easy.

I also really like working with Z-Trip because he such a huge inspiration for me from the hip-hop side of things.

You were recently on a tour with Steve Aoki, and you threw cake and champagne at people.

He has a crazy show, we would go out on stage and do what he was doing. The [most fun] part is when we both get in the raft and do “raver-rafting.”

One time we were both in the raft and we got pushed in the middle of the audience. We flipped the raft and got stuck “out-atsea,” and we were covered in cake and champagne.

The xx are a hipster’s dream, combining the mystique of being British with pure, unadulterated talent, mixed in with almost nonsensical lyrics to induce a trance-like soundtrack.

“Coexist,” their new 11-track album, is short but sufficient, the electronica beats and oppositely breezy voices combine to create an ephemeral sound.

The album, as a whole, carries this sound from song to song, each track blending into the next in what becomes a dreamy haze.

In some ways, the cohesion is welcome, putting the listener into a sort of trance as they listen to the entirety of the album, unknowing where one song ends and the next starts.

In other ways, though, variety is necessary, leaving a listener on the edge of their seat without veering too far off course of a patented sound.

The xx have this signature sound and milked it for all that they could, somehow creating what should be a boring album but not allowing the listener to realize this until it’s all over.

Perhaps because it’s the first song on the album or perhaps because it’s so startlingly simple, but “Angels,” with its marching band drum backbeat, shines on the album.

The lyrics may not make the most sense but are beautiful, nonetheless. “And the

end comes too soon,” they sing, “like dreaming of angels.”

An interpret-as-you-will line, the motivation and meaning behind the song is unclear but still extremely endearing.

The harmonies between Oliver Sim and Romy Madley-Croft stand out the most; hauntingly pure and seemingly destined to, appropriately, ‘coexist.’

As they alternate lyrics, their words play off each other, a perfect transition from one to the next, despite inadequacies in the overall product.

“Try” displays the calming rhythm of Madley-Croft only to be followed with the nonsensical “Reunion” and its weirdly marimbainspired undertones.

The greatest variety that this album sees, the Disney-esque xylophone, is unnecessary, the song able to stand on its own without this addition.

Overthought may be the most applicable descriptor, the potential for true musical genius clear but one added element on multiple songs throughout the album, ultimately proving too much.

With an almost Smithslike whispering drawl, “Coexist” is made to be remixed and exhausted in clubs.

Somehow, it’s also made to put a listener to sleep, the repetition and subtlety of the words a perfect lullaby.

The xx shine and will continue to do so in the future but variety could prove to be the missing element in their grasp for real stardom as they go on.

A loud, electronic Halloween

By JASON MCCOY Staff Writer

If the History Channel didn’t put enough conspiracy theories into the world, Booty Halloween 9 surely added some more material.

This year’s costume contest and electronic dance music concert was held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral of the Ancient and Accepted Freemasons.

Observant inhabitants of SLU’s campus may have noticed young people dressed in unusual ways entering the ominous marble building across from DuBourg Hall.

The diversion- and entertainment-hungry crowd snaked its way down corridors decorated with busts of freemasonry’s leaders.

After descending several flights of steps, the spectacle emerged. Booty Halloween 9 was a vast affair consisting of three stages: the main stage, side stage and a VIP lounge.

The first few hours of the concert were slow to build.

As local talent mixed and mashed their hearts out, dancers spun hula hoops covered in LED lights in empty places near the front of the stage.

However, the festival started to break into a frenzy when DJ Excell started his set. Excell’s music was on the house side of electronic dance music, and his mix of kick drum-heavy, repetitive beat music was comforting. As dubstep music takes the scene by storm, it was nice to hear a good house set.

Excell’s music in the side stage room was complemented by a video element known as projection mapping. A team of video DJs worked from the rear of the room to make quartz diamond sculptures appear to pulse by manipulating a projector.

Part of every electronic dance music concert is costume. Dancers spend weeks coming up with new gear to bring to the show. Booty Halloween 9 had no shortage of wacky costumes.

As with every electro concert, it wouldn’t have been complete without a Deadmau5 mouse head.

Deadmau5 is an electro art-

Jason McCoy/ Staff Writer

A crowd gathers around the stage at Booty Halloween 9 as colorful lights and loud music pervade the Scottish Rite Cathedral. ist who has recently taken the scene by storm. His iconic mouse head helmet is found at many electro concerts. Fortunately, this particular festival contained only one Deadmau5 impersonator and, despite its overuse, the costume looked good. In addition to the Deadmau5 cliche, many women donned the tired rave boots, tutu and corset theme.

At least 15 men were dressed up as Spartans from the movie “300.” While they didn’t resemble Gerard Butler, they looked the part. Many listeners in stilts added to the carnivalesque atmosphere.

After the clock struck midnight, the big names started making appearances. The Crystal Method (TCM) was first up on the big stage. Their presence was announced with lasers and robotic spot lights.

TCM is a duo that has been on the electro scene for almost 20 years.

Their style has not been greatly influenced by the wobbly sounds of dubstep.

TCM remains true to the two-decade-old genre of trance music.

Most people remember trance as a high BPM variety of electro music that can

be rather spastic at times.

TCM appeared on the soundtracks of many 90s movies and video games.

If you have ever seen a 90s movie involving a scene at a club, you have likely heard a TCM song. The duo ended their set with a crowd favorite, their remix of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.”

In the wee hours of the morning, Figure took the place as the headliner of the festival. Figure’s music explored the dubstep area of electro music.

If you’ve heard the wobbly bass music of Skrillex or Rusko, you can develop an idea of what Figure sounds like. However, unlike Skrillex and Rusko, Figure adds a horror element into many of his songs.

During one song, Figure mixed Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” with his otherwise wobbly sound for an absolutely terrifying effect.

Later in the set, Figure clashed Bach with Kanye West’s “Mercy” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Team Spirit.” Just a few hours from sunrise, costumed dancers were finally funneled through the Scottish Rite’s complex corridors into the cold, fresh air of the night.

U SPORTS

WHO TO

CHEER

Savannah State Football

Courtesy of bleacherreport.com

If this isn’t an inspirational story, I’m not quite sure what is. The longest losing streak in the Football Championship Subdivision came to an end last Saturday when Savannah State took down NAIA-foe Edward Waters 4235. The homecoming victory was the Tigers’ third win overall since 2009 and moved them ahead of Norfolk State in the MEAC standings.

WHO TO

JEER Dave Christensen

Wyoming Football Coach

Courtesy of Denver Post

The former Mizzou offensive coordinator was suspended for one game and fined $50,000 after a video surfaced of him cussing out Air Force coach Troy Calhoun and taking shots at his military service.

Christensen thought Air Force had faked an injury earlier in the game to buy time after their quarterback was forced to sit out a play. The incident occurred on Oct. 13 as Wyoming celebrated “Military Appreciation Day” at War Memorial Stadium. A link to the video of the incident can be found at UNewsOnline.com.

unewsonline.com

It’s always sunny in Philadelphia Men’s soccer tops Temple and St. Joseph’s, moves to top of A-10

By CHARLES BOWLES Sports Editor

The good times keep rolling for the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team as they defeated two Atlantic 10 Philadelphia schools on the road, Saint Joseph’s University on Friday Oct. 19, 1-0, followed by a 3-1 victory at Temple.

The wins are important as the victories put the Billikens on top of the A-10 conference standings with three games to play in the season. The Bills are now 11-3 overall with a 5-1 conference record. SLU’s only loss in conference play is against No. 12 Xavier.

The Saint Joseph’s game was uneventful until the 71st minute when Alex Sweetin notched the only goal of the game. Sweetin scored his fourth goal of the year.

Kingsley Bryce made the assist on the Sweetin goal.

Goalkeeper Nick Shackelford had his fifth shutout of the season and made two saves during the St. Joe’s game as the Billikens rode strong defense to the victory. While the Billikens had 10 corner kicks compared to the Hawks’ one, they were unable to convert on their plethora of opportunities.

The Temple game saw the Bills offense explode, scoring three goals. Temple was leading the A-10 conference before the game against SLU. Raymond Lee scored in the 39th minute, David Graydon in the 46th minute and Adnan Gabeljic in the 77th minute. Gabeljic had a career day, scoring a goal and adding two assists to his score sheet.

While Robbie Kristo continues to lead the Bills with 16 points, including seven goals this season, nine players account for the team’s 29 total goals.

The victory put SLU on top of the A-10 conference standings.

The Billikens will face

Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Adnan Gabeljic (9) takes a breather against Temple. Gabeljic scored a goal against the Hawks in the 77th minute, adding to his season total of four.

Charlotte on Friday and George Washington on Sunday in two crucial Atlantic 10 matchups.

Charlotte’s forward Giuseppe Gentile is the leading scorer for the 49ers.

Gentile has seven goals and four assists this season.

Another threat that Charlotte will bring to the table is midfielder Jennings Rex. Rex has scored seven goals and one assist.

Charlotte is No. 21 in the nation. They have defeated one nationally ranked team this season, Coastal Carolina. They will be a threat as the team scores 2 goals a game on average this season. The team has 30 goals so far this season. Meanwhile, Charlotte is the sixth ranked team SLU will face this season. They are 3-2 in the first five matches.

Charlotte’s goalkeeper Klay Smith has a 0.76 goal allowed average this season and has allowed just 12 goals this season.

George Washington’s Seth Rudolph is the team’s leading scorer with six goals this season. George Washington is 2-4 in A-10 conference play.

All of GW’s goalies have at least a 1.5 goals allowed average this season. GW has had to transition between three goalies this season.

SLU has a tough challenge with Charlotte. The Bills are seeking revenge after they lost to Charlotte 2-1 in double overtime last season, which ended the Bills chance to get into A-10 tournament.

The Bills are in a much better position this season

FEAR Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Alex Rodriguez

Senior midfielder Alli Reimer strikes a ball against Saint Joseph’s en route to a 1-1 tie.

Reimer scored the Bills’ one goal with a header in the 69th minute.

By TONY TRAINA Associate Sports Editor

Courtesy of Associated Press

The 37-year-old third baseman, who has five years, $114 million left on his contract, batted .120 (3-for-25) with 12 strikeouts, 0 RBI and even fewer homers in the postseason. So… he’s due for a breakout performance… right?

By BRIAN HAENCHEN Staff Writer

at the top of the A-10 Conference and not fighting for a position to get into the A-10 tournament. The Bills now are a target in every match. The Charlotte game will be a first tough test as they attempt to hold their position in the conference standings. The Bills hold sole possession of first place with 15 points, closely followed by VCU and Charlotte with 13 points. SLU will need a strong showing to hold their position atop the Atlantic 10.

In addition to leading the Atlantic 10, the Bills are well-positioned to make it into the 48-team NCAA tournament that begins next month. They are No. 8 in the Ratings Percentage Index and as high as No. 13 in various other national polls.

Women’s soccer sends seniors off in

WHO TO

Yankees 3rd Baseman

OCTOBER 25, 2012

The Saint Louis University women’s soccer team bid farewell to Hermann Stadium for the year in style. With one of their best weekend performances of the year, the Billikens (48-4) tied Saint Joseph’s 1-1 on Friday before blanking Temple 2-0 on Sunday’s senior day.

After a Saint Joseph’s goal in just the second minute of play, the Billikens fought back to tie the game, finally finding the back of the net behind senior Alli Reimer’s header in the 69th minute off an assist from Jenny Hummert.

After that early goal by Saint Joseph’s Mo Hawkins, the Billikens began a relentless offensive charge, especially in the second half.

They had 11 shots to Saint

Joseph’s one, the last coming the momentum on Sunday in the 89th minute, another against Temple, when they rocket from Hummert’s foot, honored seniors Reimer, Kaadding to her team-high of tie Walsh, Maggie Baumann 7 points for and Kaitlyn the season.

Doescher pri“It would or to kickoff. have been While the great to put seniors were They took a one in to honored, it go ahead was freshrisk and really in the final man Jamei believed in the minute, but Borges who I’m proud of began the coaching staff the team for scoring for responding the Billikens, and what we’re to the early picking up a d v e r s i t y - Kat Mertz her third goal and scoring of the season the equalin the 36th izer,” head minute. Borgcoach Kat es whipped Mertz said in a shot to the a press release. far side of the net off a pass Reinert and Hummert from Jessie Jarrett to jumpboth had five shots, continustart the Billikens offense. ing to lead the Bills offensive The Billikens picked attack as they have for much up another goal fresh out of the season. of the locker room in the The Billikens continued 45th minute, and then rode

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Walsh’s six saves to a 2-0 shutout.

Perhaps Walsh did the most individual celebrating after the game, as she is now tied for second on SLU’s all-time shutout list after recording the 19th of her career.

Well behind the all-time record of 38, Walsh will look to add to her total in SLU’s final two regular season games this weekend. She has five shutouts on the season, putting her at fifth in the A-10.

The Billikens sit at 12th in the Atlantic 10 standings, and will need to win their final two games of the season at Charlotte and George Washington if they want any chance of making it into the eight-team conference championship. The women also go into their last weekend of competition looking to improve upon their conference win total from last season, when they went 3-5-1 in the A-10. They currently sit at 2-3-2.

For now though, firstyear head coach Mertz is pleased to celebrate the seniors that stayed with the program, through all the adversity and misfortune.

New head coach Mertz is looking to build a program at SLU much the way she did in previous stints at the University of Nevada- Las Vegas and as an assistant at the University of Texas.

“They took a risk and really believed in the coaching staff and what we’re doing,” Mertz said.

Now, the seniors will look to end their season in style on the road, hoping to gain entrance into the A-10 tournament.While the women are on the outside looking in now, a solid weekend showing can sneak them into the Atlantic 10 tournament.

The squad takes on a solid Charlotte team followed by a George Washington group that is also looking to qualify for the A-10 Championships.

If the 12th-place Billikens manage to qualify for the tournament, they will head to Rhode Island beginning on Nov. 1.

Cheaters, cheaters, pumpkineaters You don’t care about Lance Armstrong. You didn’t care that he won seven Tour de France titles, raised millions of dollars for cancer, or that he divorced Sher yl Cr ow.

A n d now, you definitely don’t Tony Traina c a r e that he cheated his way to the top.

This past school year, a widespread cheating racket at highly selective Stuyevant High School in New York was exposed. Students confessed to texting during tests, taking photos of exams and using elaborate tapping systems to communicate answers across the room. Similar to Armstrong’s situation, success here was a numbers game. The miniscule difference between a 94 and a 95 grade point average might mean the difference going to Harvard and a state university.

Listen, no one took notice of Lance until he was on about Le Tour de France number four. No one took notice of cycling until a man overcame testicular cancer to compete in the sport’s biggest event. Name one other cyclist. I dare you.

That’s why he took performance-enhancing drugs; the man who should have been dead had nothing to lose.

Livestrong Lance has raised over $470 million for cancer so far, more than any one this side of Susan G. Komen.

That should be his legacy.

The same way, those kids at Stuyevant had nothing to lose. So what if they get caught cheating? They’ll end up at Big State U where they would have ended up if they didn’t try to cheat their way to the top of the class. And good for them if they didn’t get caught- they’re the unfortunate product of the cruel social Darwinism that has developed. Like Lance, they are pressured to win and have been taught to stop at nothing to achieve this goal. They are not taught the value of learning; they are taught the value of appeasing those in charge.

How do we stop it though? You virtuous folk attending 9 p.m. mass are certainly begging the question now. Ours is a culture that values the ruthless hero, the uncompromising athlete, he who makes it to the top any way required. Not only was Steve Jobs a visionary entrepreneur, he was also kind of an asshole by most accounts. Et tu, Mr. Facebook (and don’t get mad if you’re watching me).

Much the way the iPod has become part of Jobs’ legacy, so too has his abrasiveness. It’s okay to be caustic and unsympathetic, as long as one makes it to the top.

So, kids at Stuyevant stop at nothing to be one of the few accepted to Harvard or Princeton. And can you blame them? People wouldn’t take notice otherwise, much the same way Armstrong would have been just another feelgood story for Oprah’s couch.

They all take notice of what our culture values and stop at nothing to meet those expectations. In a world that increasingly defines success and failure by arbitrarily assigned numbers, these people have fought back at the system, gaming the institutions that have gamed them for so many years.

We beg our children from a young age to idolize these people, and then throw a John McEnroe-like fit and act confused when they emulate these very heroes.

Above all, ours is a culture much too enthralled with sporting competition. Our little sluggers are taught that hitting home runs is more important than getting good grades. Many universities spend more on athletics than on academics.

In the height of the election season, society and colleges spend more on let than academics. Our sporting heroes rise higher and See “Armstrong” on Page 10

10 SPORTS BILLIKEN BRIEFS

unewsonline.com

Cross country ready to run in A-10 championships

Men’s Basketball

By CHARLES BOWLES Sports Editor

A total of 23 Billiken games will be televised this season after FOX Sports Midwest announced it will broadcast 10 games this season.

This is in addition to 13 games that will be televised on NBC Sports and the ESPN family of networks.

The Billikens Cross Country team has run its way into the regional rankings. The women’s team is now ranked No.14intheU.S.Track&Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings for the Midwest region. The team will hope that success follows them to the Atlantic 10 Championship this weekend.

A major reason for the success and ranking is the cross country team’s success at the Bradley Classicwhere the women’s team placed 2nd in the meet.

The team was led by Margo Richardson, who placed third overall. - Jon Bell Furthermore, all the female runners placed in the top 50 at Bradley.

The team will compete in the A-10 Championship this weekend at Temple University in Philadelphia.

“Both teams are poised to do well,” Cross Country Head Coach Jon Bell said.

The women’s side has had a lot of success this season.

Richardson has been the top runner on the women’s side for the Bills and set a 6K record at Bradley with a time of 20:37.

Bell has high expectations for the women’s team going

Men’s Soccer The Billikens are No. 8 in the NCAA’s Ratings Percentage Index. The rating is designed to objectively judge a team’s results and strength of schedule. It is one of the most important criteria when deciding the NCAA tournament field.

Field Hockey SLU field hockey lost 3-0 to Lock Haven on Sunday, bringing their season record to 1-16. The Billikens will celebrate senior day this Friday against La Salle.

Follow us @TheUNewsSports for the latest Billikens sports coverage

BILLIKEN SCHEDULE

Men’s Soccer Oct. 26 Charlotte Oct. 28 George

Washington

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Oct. 26 at Rhode

Island Oct. 27 at Fordham

Women’s Soccer Oct. 26 at Charlotte Oct. 27 at George

Washington

into the A-10 Championships.

“I think that the women’s team is in the top five of the conference,” Bell said.

However, Bell pointed out that cross country is a team sport and that the success of the team is not up just to Richardson and the other team members.

“Everyone has to do well this meet, particularly Elise Medley. This is her last conference championship and if she does well, then the whole team will do well,” Bell said.

For her individual efforts, Richardson was named the Atlantic 10 cross country co-performer of the week.

On the men’s side, the team will be led by Tim Zellmer and Michael Scolarci.

Zellmer and Scolarci had personal records at the Bradley Classic where they placed 15th and 21st, respectively.

Bell described the men’s team as “young” and hopes they can place in the top 10 in conference.

“Mike and Tim are just sophomores, the men’s side has been interested because all eight of the runners have scored this season,” Bell said.

Bell said that is sort of a “crapshoot” to see who will place on the men’s side at the A-10 championship.

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Do yourself a favor and catch some SLU soccer Here’s a few numbers to consider: 432, 487 and 432.

These are the attendance figures for the recent men’s h o m e soccer games, and two of those games w e r e against nationa l l y ranked Charles Bowles t e a m s .

All I know is that this sickens me. It sickens me for two major reasons. First, our men’s soccer team is very talented, with players who could be in the professional leagues in the next few years. Secondly, our sports teams should provide a source of hope in these dark days.

I know your American sensibilities immediately say, “Soccer? Why, it is so boring.” However, soccer is a beautiful game. It reminds me a lot of hockey. The best thing that I ever heard about soccer was to think about it like hockey on grass. The strategy, triangle offense, the tackle and pushing and shoving -- sounds a lot like hockey, right? Also, with soccer, you have better ath-

letes, a higher endurance of athletes and many other strategic factors that make soccer similar to hockey, but a much better game.

Most people probably would not even recognize anyone on our men’s soccer team and that is sad. It is not only a problem for them but for other athletes on campus who deserve recognition for their contributions to this school.

Our men’s soccer team is loaded with talent from the goalkeeper to the forwards.

Robbie Kristo is the leading scorer of the team who will likely go pro. Two Division One head coaches have said Kristo should be playing professionally now; he has an attack first mentality, fights off defenders to get the ball and is the guy that the Billikens call on to get goals when they are down.

Kristo has seven goals and two assists this season.

David Graydon, the freshman midfielder, reminds me at times of Lionel Messi, the best soccer player in the world. His footwork carves up the defenders, he has a good touch on the ball, and he sets up See “Billikens” on Page 11

Armstrong: Livestrong, cheaters Continued from Page 9

I think that the women’s team is in the top five of the

Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Senior Margo Richardson ran to a third-place finish at Bradley with a SLU record.

However, he describes it as a good problem to have this season.

“I would just like to be a top 10 programs in conference this season, our best conference finish is 11th so far and placing in the top 10 would be great,” Bell said.

Bell hopes the cross country season will end on a solid note with strong performances.

The team will be running in Philadelphia this weekend, and there are high expectations to live up to for the championship.

fall harder than anyone else.

In the height of the election season, society does its best to turn the candidates into athlete-like figures, putting them in a ring surrounded by thousands of onlookers on primetime television. They’re judged primarily on body language and ability to assert themselves as alpha-males.

How does society change from so naively optimistic to pessimistic with the stroke of a 200-page report filed by the USADA? Apparently everyone was gullible enough to think a man could hop on a bike and ride through the French Alps faster than everyone else in a sport notorious for doping. Seven times in a row.

In the movie “Gladiator,” set as Rome is about to meet its demise, a senator says, “The heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, but the sand of the Colosseum.” The Senator’s name might as well have been John Kerry. As long as a circus is on primetime television, the people are appeased. Lance met his final demise by living out this maxim. His story is a microcosm of the culture. He did anything to reach the pinnacle, and then it came crashing down. And we sit around wondering how this house of cards of success and prosperity we created came tumbling down.

Volleyball sets itself up for conference championships

By DJ BARGER Staff Writer

The Billiken women’s volleyball team continued their conference season this past week, winning two matches on the road and two at home.

During the stretch, senior Cassie Clark, and junior Grace Bonoma both reached personal milestones.

On Sunday, Oct. 14, the Billikens took on the Charlotte 49ers in Charlotte, N.C. The Billikens swept the match, taking all three sets by at least 4 points.

The closest set was the first, which the Billikens won 25-21. The second set was 25-18, and the third was 2515. Senior Carly Marcum led the team with 11 kills and a .500 attack percentage.

The Billikens took on Dayton at home on Friday, Oct. 19.

The Flyers got the best of the Billikens, winning all three sets by the scores of 25-21, 25-20 and 25-21.

Carly Marcum led the Billikens with 13 kills for the match, while Rachel Krabacher from Dayton had 14.

For SLU, the highlight of this match was a personal achievement for junior Grace Bonoma. Bonoma be-

Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Cassie Clarke sets a ball against Dayton. came the 15th player in Billiken history to reach 1,000 digs for a career.

On Saturday, Oct 20, the Billikens played at home against Xavier. The Musketeers cruised to a sweep of all three sets in the match.

The scores were 25-20, 25-23 and 25-17.

Aleksandra Niemiec and Carly Marcum both led the team with seven kills each, while Musketeers Alex Smith and Sarah Brown had 10 apiece to lead the match.

SLU took a break from conference play to face Eastern Illinois on Tuesday, Oct.

23. The Billikens won the match three sets to one. After winning the first set 2519, SLU dropped the second 25-22.

The last two sets went more smoothly with the Billikens taking them 25-14 and 25-22. In this match senior setter Cassie Clark recorded a triple-double with 43 assists, 14 digs and 11 kills.

Clark’s feat was the first for the Billikens since Sammi McCloud did it in 2006.

The Billiken women’s Volleyball team plays next in a match on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6p.m against Rhode Island.

Swimming and diving teams begin to hit their stroke

By CHARLES BOWLES Sports Editor

Volleyball

OCTOBER 25, 2012

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams just dove into their competitive season. The teams defeated Washington University at St. Louis on Friday, Sept. 28, struggled a bit at Butler on Sunday, Sept.

30 and cruised to victory against Western Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 6.

The team started their year at Washington University, the men’s team won 10 of the 13 events and the women’s team won 11 of the 13 events.

However, the Billikens faced more competition at Butler two days later. Junior Lizzy Osterman led the way for the women’s team, winning the 200-meter freestyle and the 200-meter butterfly.

Meanwhile, the men’s team was led by Zack Billingsley, who placed first as a part of

the winning 400-medley relay and the 400-freestyle relay. Billingsley also won the 50 freestyle to get his third medal of the day.

Next, the Billikens returned to their winning ways at Western Illinois.

The women’s side won 13 of the 16 events while the men’s side won 10 out of the 16 events.

Taylor Streid placed first in four events. Streid won the 100 fly, 100 free and the 50 fly. Streid was also a part of the winning 200 medley relay team.

On the men’s side, Billingsley, Brendan Hulseman and Will Butzke each won two individual events and were a part of a winning relay.

The team has had some good initial results from their first three meets. The swimming and diving team will be competing next on Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Lindenwood Invitational.

Courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

Sophomore Justin Pasquesi gets out of the water after a race against Washington University in St. Louis.

OCTOBER 25, 2012

SPORTS 11

unewsonline.com

Billikens: Men’s soccer team providing hope and excitement in humdrum Midtown Men’s Soccer Atlantic 10 Standings 1. Saint Louis 2. Charlotte 3. VCU 4. Xavier 5. Temple 6. Dayton 7. Duquesne 8. Butler

9. La Salle 10. Massachusetts 11. St. Bonaventure 12. Richmond 13. George Washington 14. Fordham 15. Rhode Island 16. Saint Joseph’s

SLU has three games remaining this weekend, including a home game against Charlotte at Hermann Stadium on Friday.

Continued from Page 10

other players very well to get assists and goals, which is needed on a good soccer team.

Finally, Marco Heskamp is left back defender who has the mentality of a left wing.

Heskamp is a freshman from Germany who has become very important in recent games.

Heskamp attacks up the left side, which is a surprise for many defenders. He is over-aggressive at times, but has contributed in recent games for SLU. These are just some of the amazing players of SLU’s men’s soccer team. Everyone on the team has the potential to play professionally; you cannot say that about any other team at SLU. The other major reason I’m sickened about the lack of attendance at the men’s soccer games is the current state of affairs at SLU. I understand that SLU seems to be cracking before our very eyes.

There are votes of noconfidence on our president, students and faculty are angry, and each passing day seems to bring more bad news.

I know some might think it is just sports, it is not as important as what is going on academically, and you might be right, but you don’t see the potential that sports have to give us hope.

This is a time where sports can serve as a source of hope and give the university some common thing to unite us in our dark times.

The men’s soccer team is having success around the current mess going around SLU and I believe in them.

The team is currently 11-3 and has grown each and every game. Most students

only get to see the team at the beginning in the season for the spirit competition and rarely see the development and growth of the team.

Goalkeeper Nick Shackelford said that this team and become more of a unit than previous teams. He also believes that the team needs more support for the homestretch of the season.

The team is an important part of the SLU community, a source of optimism like other sports teams around the nation, and it is especially important now given the current state of SLU.

“

Billikens fans, you must show up to the game against Charlotte on Friday -Charles Bowles

”

In Kentucky, the Wildcats men’s basketball team provides a source of hope for the people in the state.

Even when things are going bad in our state, the basketball team is something that everyone can bank on as a source of hope, no matter how bad someone is doing individually.

This is a time when people need hope. I think this is an opportunity for the men’s soccer team to step in above the fray and politics of the university and be a new hope for the university.

I know this goal seems lofty and idealistic, but sports teams have made a major impact in the past, like the Springbox Rugby team who helped to unite a postApartheid South Africa.

I’m in no way comparing our soccer team to the Springbox team, but I think they could unite the SLU community together and give us a common rallying cry and at least temporarily provide us with hope and a distraction from the dark days that we are facing.

So, Billiken fans, you must show up to the game against Charlotte on Friday night at 7 p.m.

This is an important game for the men’s soccer team and they need support against a nationally-ranked opponent. I know most Billiken fans only care about men’s basketball, but this is important to show solidarity in our community and give the team and SLU community hope.

It is just before basketball season and a perfect opportunity to see a potential NCAA tournament team.

The team is ranked No. 8 in terms of Rankings Percentage Index (RPI) and is beginning to rack up awards in the Atlantic 10 conference and in the national rankings.

Finally, they have potential professionals on the team and seeing them before they become well-known.

It might just be sports, and maybe a sport you know nothing about, but the level of professional play and the source of hope is enough to get me out to the game.

This game is more than just a game. It is about making a statement to the administration. So, Bills fans, I’ll see you at the game, and show up as a sign of solidarity for the university.

If you don’t show up, then you might want to reconsider your priorities because this is important. Not showing up is another slap in the face to the SLU community.

U

RELIGION Calendar of Observences Oct. 26-29 Eid Ul Adha - Islam

Oct. 31 All Hallows Eve Christian

Nov. 1 All Saints’ Day Christian

Nov. 2 All Souls’ Day – Catholic Christian

Nov. 13 Diwali – Hindu

Service Opportunities Nov. 3 St. Vincent Home for Children (ahumphrey@ saintvincenthome. org)

Nov. 4 Interfaith Dialogue Workshop (Temple Israel, 1 Rabbi Alvan D Rubin Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141)

Nov. 10 New City Fellowship (Lunch Provided, paul@ncfstl.org)

OCTOBER 25, 2012

unewsonline.com

A brief look into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

By ADNAN SYED Religion Editor

Missourians are putting up Romney/Ryan signs in their front yards. They have come a long way to be accepting of the Mormon faith, a different attitude than the 1883 Missourians, wherein an estimated 10,000 Mormons were forced to leave Missouri that year, as a result of the Missouri Mormon War. The former governor of Massachusetts, Willard Mitt Romney’s belief plays a big role in his values and campaign. As a Mormon, he donated about 30 percent of his income to charity last year.

In an interview, Katy Rasmussen, Saint Louis University’s Political Science Club president and a Mormon herself, said, “You have to understand that in our faith, charity is one of the qualities we strive for.

We are deeply compelled to act on behalf of others and work toward the benefit of all people. We believe in hard work and individual responsibility. We don’t believe in free handouts.”

Rasmussen explained that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon church, does have its own welfare system.

“If an individual partakes in the welfare system, they must first do all they can to take care of themselves and the church will make up the difference,” Rasmussen said. “The church then assists in financial planning so that the person can get back to taking care of themselves in a timely manner.”

The church’s assistance isn’t elaborate, but it helps with everyday needs.

“The financial assistance won’t allow you to live in luxury, but you will have food and shelter and other necessities,” Rasmussen said. “The church tries to help people help themselves so they can help the most amount of people.”

Romney believes that his proposed policies for the U.S. can help the most people, as he has seen such policies in action throughout the world-wide efforts of the LDS church.

“As a political science

Adnan Syed / Religion Editor

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints seen from the outside. The Temple is located at 12555 North Outer Forty Road, St. Louis, MO 63141 major, I can tell you that politicians are power-thirsty and egotistical, but I can guarantee you that Romney is running because he believes he can help people and his faith has given him that foundation,” Rasmussen said.

According to Mormon. org, a website run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormons believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. They regard this atonement as an ability given to them “to become clean in God’s eyes and remove the feeling of guilt that follow our bad choices.”

The website explains the history of the faith.

The original church that Christ began started to dissolve over a few centuries, regardless of the efforts of the apostles and their faithful followers. This period came to be known as “The Great Apostasy.”

Mormons believe that God restored Christ’s church through Joseph Smith, a 14-year-old boy God selected as his messenger and prophet in the year 1820.

“These men appeared as angels and bestowed the priesthood upon Joseph

Smith,” the website said. It said that Smith received his priesthood authority at the hands of John the Baptist, Peter, James and John who received that same “power and authority” from Jesus Christ himself.

According to the website, today’s prophet is Thomas S. Monson. He is the “the authorized successor to Joseph Smith. He and the Church’s other Apostles trace their priesthood authority back to Jesus Christ in an unbroken chain of ordinations.”

The Mormon church regards this earthly life as temporary. The belief is that the hereafter consists of immortality. The website states that God will judge all men fairly and reward them appropriately with a place within his kingdom.

The role of the female members, as stated on mormonnewsroom.org is to “draw strength and inspiration from their identity: they understand themselves to be daughters of God with a purpose in life, and they strive to cultivate the attributes of divinity—such as holiness, wisdom and charity—within themselves…

They honor their bodies and minds as sacred gifts,

Politics, religion intertwine Speaker focuses on religion and social discourse

By SARAH MALLICK Staff Writer

Last Wednesday, Oct. 17, the Religion and Politics Symposium was held here at Saint Louis University in Boileau Hall.

The Symposium, featuring key speaker David Campbell, primarily focused on the role of religion in social discourse and the way in which it influences social action and civic engagement. It also described the intertwining of religion with political views.

Campbell is author of “American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us.” He is an expert on religion, politics and civic engagement and has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, CSPAN, NPR and other media. Campell teaches at Notre Dame. He has been asked to sit in on many discussions concerning American politics and religion.

An invocation was given

by Sara Rahim at the start of the symposium, on behalf of Interfaith Alliance, a SLU student organization.

“Our purpose this evening is to find the intersection of our religious identities and our civic responsibilities, and to ponder the role of faith in political discourse,” Rahim said.

SLU Professor Richard Quirk followed the invocation with an introduction.

Quirk said he believed that there has been a change,

Photo Courtesy of University of Notre Dame

Dr. David Campbell has established himself as an expert in religious, social and political discourse. throughout the course of his life in how religion, politics and civic engagement have interacted. Quirk said he remembered a time when social issues, such as abortion and gay rights, did not enter the political sphere.

“To engage in civic community is to re-imagine your faith, and to re-imagine faith is to lift up the community…and to do so is to value wisdom,” said Quirk.

Afterward, Campbell presented his research. He first commented on “the puzzle,” which he described as a three-part question.

How can America be religiously devout, religiously diverse and religiously tolerant?

Campbell illustrated that most Americans get along pretty well with people of other religions. Not only that, but America is a religiously diverse nation, with 30 percent identifying themselves as Evangelical Protestants, 25 percent as Catholics and 20 percent as “nones”(people who don’t identify with any religion).

The 25 percent included religions such as Judaism, Islam, Mormonism and so on.

Using survey research, Campbell indicated that the number of “nones” had risen greatly in the past decade, going from 5.7 percent to 20 percent in early See “Politics” on Page 13

rejecting anything that demeans them.”

The Book of Mormon, named after Mormon, the ancient prophet who compiled it, is regarded as sacred scripture. The holy book is believed to contain God’s guidance, similar to the Bible. It is believed Smith was visited by an angel Moroni who told him about a record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent that was buried in a hill.

Moroni said the record contained “the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and was written on thin metal sheets of gold.” Smith then translated the book into English.

The book tells about the struggles of the righteous people of that time who were trying to live God’s commandments. It recounts Christ’s visit to the American continent soon after his resurrection.

The book details how Christ blessed and healed the American people, performed miracles, and gave 12 men the same authority as his 12 apostles whose works are recorded in the Bible.

A common misconception is that Mormons do

not read the Bible and only read the Book of Mormon.

This is not true. In fact, they regard both as holy and supporting of each other.

Amy Lutz, president of SLU Republicans, said, though not a Mormon herself, but friends with several, “I think people tend to define Mormonism as a ‘cult’ simply because they do not know enough about the religion itself. We tend to fear things we know nothing about, so perhaps that is where that assessment comes from.”

Lutz further addressed the misconceptions of the Mormon church.

“I do believe that the prejudiced stereotypes that are laid against Mormons are unfair. Many of the Mormons I know are very family centered, charitable and compassionate,” she said.

Lutz draws parallels between Romney’s faith and her own, which helps her empathize with the governor and others of the Mormon church.

“Like Mitt Romney clings to his Mormon faith to guide his life, I cling to my nondenominational Christianity to help me determine right and wrong,” said Lutz.

Annual Campus Ministry retreat englightens students in nature On the weekend of the eating the delicious food Sept. 28, a group of SLU cooked by Don Highberger. students left for a weekend We sang songs around the of fellowcampfire while devouring ship and s’mores. On Saturday mornCommentary reflecing, we went canoeing. tion in “The most breathtaking nature. [thing] about this trip was The rehow the nature surroundtreat, ing us was so relaxing, so led by pure,” Cami Kasmerchak, the Marsophomore, said. guerite The trees were changing Nicole Kim and Pruinto magnificent autumn ellage colors and the water in the campus lake was so still and clear. minister, Patrick Cousins, The guided reflections, was a ret h e warding exfresh air perience. of naTwo of ture and The most breathmy friends friends convinced ar ound taking [thing] about me to sign m e up for the h e l p e d this trip was how the retreat. I deme to cided to just realize nature surrounding take time that I us was so relaxing, so h a v e off from the busy life of b e e n pure. school and lacking allow myself -Cami Kasmerchak in my some alone appretime. The ciation 2012 Nature of God’s Retreat took place at Saint creation. In attending colLouis University’s Reis Biolege in a city, it is difficult logical Station in the eastto appreciate the nature ern Ozarks. around us.

The clear lakes were just This retreat is definitely part of the beautiful scena rewarding and worthwhile ery. At the station, there experience. One becomes were nice cozy cabins and closer with new friends, and a great campfire. Instead of more importantly, becomes using the cabins, we decidone with God’s creation. ed to either sleep out under the stars or in tents that we had brought with us.

Retreatants bonded Go to www.UNewsonline.com to in numerous ways while watch a video blog of the retreat

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unewsonline.com

OCTOBER 25, 2012

RELIGION

13

Church celebrates fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II Newman Convocation assembles St. Louis’ theologians and scholars

By KATHLEEN SCHMITZ Staff Writer

After exactly 50 years of the Second Vatican Council, the Newman Convocation brought back memories for some attendees.

The annual Newman Convocation was an event organized by Saint Louis University’s Department of Theological Studies, in honor of John Henry Newman. Theologians from all over the St. Louis area gathered this year to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and reflect on its first document, “Sacrosanctum Conciliarum.” Participants included theology students, faculty and administration from Fontbonne University, Aquinas Institute of Theology, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and Saint Louis University, as well as members from local faith communities.

Archbishop Robert Carlson opened the event with a prayer asking God for courage and faith and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our “search for justice.”

This prayer was first used at the opening of the Council exactly 50 years ago, on Oct. 11, 1962. A scripture reading from the prologue of the Gospel of John and a brief ceremony followed.

This year, the convocation was a chance to reflect on the Church and the liturgy 50 years after Vatican II, a liturgy that students have inherited from the Council and the only one they’ve ever known. Their parents’ generation would have been the very last to experience the Latin liturgy before the results of the Council were enacted throughout the universal Church.

The liturgical aspects of the convocation gave way to the speakers. Opening remarks were given by John Padberg, S.J. His talk was a series of vignettes that highlighted the setting and spirit of the Council in its first few days. Padberg called Vatican II “the greatest assembly in the whole Church,” where over 2,500 bishops from around the world gathered in Rome to take part in the Council. It was an event, according to Padberg, that could be summed up in three words said by Pope John XXIII: “Gaudet Mater Ecclesia!” (“Mother Church rejoices!”)

Next up was the keynote speaker from the nearby Aquinas Institute of Theology, Sr. Catherine Vincie, RSHM. Her speech was an academic and extremely detailed summary of the events of Vatican II pertaining to the development of the document “Sacrosanctum Conciliarum,” also called “The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.” This document was the result of a liturgical renewal movement in the 19th century, highly influenced by developments and discoveries in monasteries. Although the development of “Sacrosanctum Conciliarum” was often complicated, and the debate over it was controversial and fierce, in the end, it was passed by a landslide approval from the council committees and the bishops.

Respondent Jason Schumer, liturgical professor at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in the Hill, offered a second reflection on the evolution of the liturgy in the life of the Church. He told the story of St. Louis’ participation in

Adnan Syed / Religion Editor

Sr. Catherine Vincie of the Aquinas Institute of Theology seen presenting at the podium. The celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vatican II was held St. Francis Xavier College Church. the liturgical renewal movement with Martin J. Hellriegel, chaplain of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood in St. Charles and later the pastor of Holy Cross Parish, located in North St. Louis.

Schumer emphasized the importance of not only the physical participation of the laity in the Mass, but also their spiritual involvement.

Interior participation, he argued, is the most important thing to consider when evaluating the genuine involvement of the people in the liturgy.

Daniel Finucane, a SLU professor with a doctorate in theology, gave his own reflection near the end of the event about how learning about the new liturgy in high school as an altar boy influenced his faith and appreciation for the changes brought by Vatican II. Some of the changes to

Saint Louis Conference on Manuscript Studies puts medieval art on display.

the liturgy, called the Novus Ordo or the New Rite, as a result of “Sacrosanctum Conciliarum” include: the use of vernacular instead of Latin, the priest facing the congregation instead of saying Mass ad orientum with his back to the people, and the removal of the communion rail, where Catholics typically knelt to receive the Eucharist on the tongue during communion.

For students, the impact of the event was less visible to discern. Sophomore Mitch McCurren said that the speakers “failed to capture the interest of the students.”

Many of those who did not have a deep or detailed knowledge of Vatican II were not able to follow through the detailed analysis of the featured speaker.

“The speakers were not speaking the vernacular,” said McCurren.

Adnan Syed / Religion Editor

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, left, and President Lawerence Biondi S.J., right, listen during the Vatican II 50th anniversary.

Politics: Religion serving as a unifying device in society, politics

John Schuler/ Photo Editor

The Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library hosted its 39th Saint Louis Conference on Manuscript Studies Oct. 12-13, in the Père Marquette Gallery of DuBourg Hall.

Photo Courtesy of Bryan Sokol

Speaker Sara Rahim addressess students and faculty during a symposuim on politics and religon with special guest Dr. David Campbell.

Continued from Page 12

John Schuler/ Photo Editor

The annual two-day conference featured papers on topics in medieval and Renaissance manuscript studies, such as codicology, illumination and book production.

John Schuler/ Photo Editor

The conference included sessions on recipes used by medieval crafts people, depictions of the body in medical and scientific manuscripts and scribes.

Using survey research, Campbell indicated that the number of “nones” had risen greatly in the past decade, from 5.7 percent to 20 percent in early 2000.

One in three people under age 30 said that they had no religion. Campbell said that people in college have the highest rate of “nones.”

“When asked: ‘Even if they aren’t Christian?’ the chart only changed slightly,” said Campbell, showing charts to support his further analysis. “Americans overwhelmingly believe that good people of other religions can go to heaven.”

“It is socially significant why Americans can get along with those of other faiths because everyone knows someone of another religion who they would consider ‘good and moral’ enough to go to heaven,” Campbell continued.

“This socially shared belief is what allows religion to unite us.”

Moreover, he said reli-

gion is now very divisive, politically speaking. He said that religion wasn’t always associated with one political party, or any for that matter.

“Religion has been declining since the growth of ‘nones,’ and the reason for [nones] was… the mingling

“

Americans

whelmingly

overbelieve

that good people of other religions can go to heaven -David Campbell

”

of religion and politics in the conservative party, the religious right,” said Campbell.

As religion and politics became more and more intertwined and associated with the conservative party, those who did not endorse the religious right’s views also grew, and so did their

disenchantment with religion.

People’s politics were driving their religion and their reaction to religion.

This resulted when social and cultural issues were injected into politics.

“How frequently you attended church during the Eisenhower era, had nothing to do with whether or not you were a conservative,” Campbell said. “The same can’t be said today…

Today, we see religion tied up with partisanship, which contributes to the reason why so many ‘nones’ exist.”

Campbell said that change can only occur when politics and religion quit intermingling.

“The current situation will only change,” he said, “when religious leaders stop talking about politics, and political leaders stop talking about social issues.”

It’s difficult to imagine a time when religion wasn’t so divisive, but apparently that used to be the case.

Reintroducing that attitude may bridge the gap between religious people and those who are “nones.”

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OCTOBER 25, 2012