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University News - Volume 100[a], Issue 006 (February 25, 2022)
No full text24 pagesVOL. C No. 6 / February 25th, 2022
COver design by Grace Dunlavy CAMPUS CONCERT REVIEW: UTHE UNIVERSITY NEWS Tyler, The creator page 6
W
02 NEWS
ith Black History Month coming to an end in just a couple of days, it is essen-tial
for SLU’s community to be educated and reflect on the past and present
implications of the injustices our society has put marginalized communities
through. More importantly, it is critical to hold the university accountable to
ensure the highest standard of equality and inclusion is guaranteed to its stu-dents,
emphasizing that SLU takes appropriate action to empower and protect
vulnerable communities, while actively working to prevent any form of hatred
Marquis Govan:
What are your motives for wanting to take on this position?
“I have a strong passion for racial, social and economic justice
that guides me each and every day. I love our university and es-pecially
our larger STL community. I think it’s really important
that we create a campus environment where everyone feels safe
and welcome. I want to ensure that Black students and students
of color know that their lives are valued. I want trans and queer
students to feel that their identities are celebrated. In addition,
I want to stand with a large portion of female identifying folks
on this campus who report being sexually assaulted or ha-rassed.
Long story short, no matter who you are, who you love,
how you pray or how you identify I want SLU to be a place for
you too and I will fight to make sure that’s your reality.”
What personal meanings do diversity and inclusion hold to you?
“Diversity and Inclusion is about building spaces where every-one
feels accepted and welcome. It is truly about making sure
folks can bring their full beings into a space and feel comfort-able
about where they are. I view it as a chance to enrich each
other’s views by bringing tons of muti-faceted perspectives that
will only work to help us learn from each other. The determina-tion
behind these two concepts is to build a world where there
is truly justice for all.”
When did you first learn of these concepts? What were your initial
reactions? What are your proposed ways of handling injustices?
“I got my start very young. I was involved in movements for
racial justice right here in STL after the murders of Michael
Brown, Vonderrit Myers and Anthony Lamar Smith. I organized
with folks around equal access to quality education which is so
often determined by one’s zip code. I also worked with several
advocacy groups on issues of bodily autonomy, labor rights,
housing and criminal justice reform. I think handling injustice
requires a movement of people who understand that change
happens when people come together to confront systematic
rot. My ways of handling injustices are advocating on behalf of
individuals but seeing the bigger picture in that most if not all
issues of injustice are a result of wide- spread
institutional disregard for marginal- ized
peoples.”
How do you respond to people who
simply do not care or turn a blind eye to
injustice?
“It is a privilege to turn your eyes
away from injustice. Turning a
blind eye to injustice says a
lot about one’s character.
Though for those who
ignore the plight of the
marginalized, we must
all collectively respond
by mobilizing and
organizing for a fu-ture
unto which the
thought of doing so
is unconscionable.”
and injustice from happening.
Saint Louis University’s Student Government Association (SGA) strives to create a space for
students to participate in representative student government as they provide an open forum for
dialogue and voices with regards to student opinions concerning the affairs of the University.
Elections debates will be held on February 24, while voting for the executive board will be held on
Wednesday, March 2.
SGA’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion position is responsible for aiding the executive
board in creating SGA policies while actively working with SLU faculty and students to ensure
these standards are being implemented. Additionally, the Vice President for Diversity and Inclu-sion
develops programs that promote a safe, diverse and ethical environment in which students
can succeed, spread their knowledge and expand beyond their horizons.
This year’s SGA diversity and inclusion candidates are Marquis D. Govan and Nicholas Baker.
Marquis D. Govan is a first-year Social Work and Sociology major. He is currently involved in
Residence Hall Association, SGA, African American Male Scholars, Martin Luther King Scholars,
Billikens for Reproductive Justice and SLU Social Work. His post-graduation plans are to obtain his
Master’s of Social Work and attend law school.
Nicholas (Nick) Baker is a junior studying economics. He is currently involved in several cam-pus
organizations such as Young Americans for Freedom, College Republicans, St. Edmund Campi-on
Society, Students for Life, the SLU Thomistic Institute, and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
at SLU. Upon graduating, he hopes to attend law school and work with a non-profit organization
to inspire students to stand up for freedom of speech and expression.
Nick Baker:
What are your motives for taking this position?
“True diversity and inclusion in a university setting requires that individuals with differing
viewpoints and perspectives encounter each other's thoughts and ideas in an environment in
which we are all comfortable supporting and challenging each other’s viewpoints. In order to
accomplish this goal, we must ensure that freedom of speech and expression is upheld and
expanded on campus.”
What personal meanings do diversity and inclusion hold to you?
“I think that it is basically everything I said in my motives for wanting to take on the
position.”
When did you first learn of these concepts? What were your initial reactions? What
are your proposed ways of handling injustices?
“I honestly don’t remember when I first heard about diversity and inclusion
and what my reactions were so I don't think I can effectively answer.”
What are your proposed ways of handling injustices?
“In order to address injustice at SLU and beyond, we must take the persuasion
approach of seeking to change hearts and change minds through outreach
and engagement.”
How do you respond to people who simply do not care or turn a
blind eye to injustice?
“As students at a Catholic university, we are called to
uphold the dignity of each and every person. When we
encounter injustice, we should take action to ensure that
the situation is rectified.”
SGA diversity & inclusion Candidates By ANASTASIA HANONICK
Copy Editor
News
By ALLIE RASHID
Staff Writer
n Jan. 24, three
international
SLU students
from India
were involved
in a tragic car
accident. The
incident occurred on the westbound
side of the U.S. Highway 40 (Inter-state
64) when a vehicle made con-tact
with them while they were on
the highway. They were transported
to the nearest hospitals where they
received medical care. Two other
SLU students witnessed the acci-dent,
but were not injured. Two
St. Louis City Police officers were
involved in the collision and injured
as well. SLU was unable to comment
on the current condition of those
involved.
In response, the SLU community
immediately began pouring out sup-port,
not only for the three interna-tional
students and their families
and friends, but for all international
students at SLU. Kevin Komodi, an
international student from Hun-gary,
spoke about the reactions he
observed after the incident.
“The school sent out the email
from the president, but the Office of
International Services also reached
out to check on us. They gave us a
list of counseling options. They also
had poster boards in the Office of
International Services for each of
the students who were involved in
the accident, and we were able to
sign the board and write a message.
Then, the office gave them to the
students who were involved in the
accident,” Komodi said.
The Office of International Ser-vices
worked towards making sure
everyone was supported, whether
they knew the students impacted
or not. While Komodi did not know
them personally, he understood
how difficult a tragedy in a foreign
country can be.
“It is so hard to imagine what
their families and parents were go-ing
through or even close friends
in the states. When I heard the news,
I was first thinking about the family
and friends of these students,” Ko-modi
explained.
These events can impact SLU
students in several ways, whether
they personally know these students
or not, motivating SLU’s adminis-tration
to reach out to the wider
student body.
Sarah Cunningham, Ed.D., SLU’s
Vice President for Student Develop-ment,
discussed how SLU handled
the situation with the goal of well-being
and safety of the students and
community.
“When a student is in crisis, we
work to immediately assess and
wrap them with the support they
need to thrive, whether that be
physically, mentally, emotionally
or socially. Our teams in the Dean
of Students office and other key
support areas are trained in crisis
management and response, and in
this case we also relied heavily on
the experts in International Services
to understand how to best support
our students given the identities and
experiences they hold,” Cunning-ham
said.
When the accident occurred, SLU
was prepared with several structures
in place to be able to respond.
“We quickly pulled together
leaders from different departments,
including International Services, the
Dean of Students office, University
Counseling Center, and Housing and
Residence Life, among others, to
plan outreach to our students and
their families. Our goal was to work
quickly to assess the students’ needs
and make sure their families could
safely and quickly travel here to be
with their Billikens,” Cunningham
said.
The campus community contin-ues
to offer their care and prayers
for the three Billikens impacted, the
two students who witnessed the ac-cident,
and anyone affected by this
tragedy, directly or indirectly.
O
n Jan. 3, Provost
Mike Lewis, Ph.D.,
sent an email to
the SLU student
body stating that
Feb. 11 was to be
a dedicated men-tal
health day. The plan was to use
the day as a refresher for attaining
a healthy mindset through several
on-campus activities.
All classes were canceled that day
with the exception of students in the
School of Medicine and School of
Law, who were not guaranteed a day
off due to their curriculum guidelines.
The university, however, remained
open for its regular operations. After
a fall semester that resulted in the
loss of two students, Lewis explained
that the well-being day was necessary
since there are no scheduled days
off the first eight weeks of the spring
semester. He also explained that the
Omicron variant is a huge factor in
contributing to increased anxiety
amongst students this semester.
Lewis considered the set schedule for
undergraduate and graduate stu-dents
and asked professors to alter
their class accordingly. He also asked
for a more organized class plan to
allow students to keep up with their
schoolwork without bringing back the
stress once classes resumed. Lewis
concluded the email saying, “As we
look to future academic years, we
expect to adjust academic calendars
to allow for more of these well-being
days. I hope to announce changes for
next academic year before planning
begins.”
Students were highly encouraged
to attend in-person or online training
sessions held by the ComPsych Em-ployee
Assistance Program (EAP)
which helps students deal with
difficult personal situations. The
versatility of this program allows stu-dents
to choose the topic they need
assistance on and attend sessions ac-cordingly.
Students were also encour-aged
to attend counseling sessions.
The University Counseling Center
offers ten free sessions for all under-graduate,
graduate, law and medical
students, whether attending full or
part-time. In these sessions, students
can discuss a variety of issues with a
licensed professional.
Other programs such as the SLU
Medical Plan Resources and the SSM
Behavioral Health Urgent Care of-fered
additional services to students
on the mental health day. These
support systems are mostly free of
charge or low-cost, allowing easier
access for those who need them. The
Simon Recreation Center also al-lowed
members to bring one guest for
free. The wellness day was finalized
according to the Student Well-being
Taskforce, a group of students, staff
and faculty members who work to
support students’ needs and con-cerns.
They do so by interacting with
students and turning their recom-mendations
into actions on campus.
The Student Well-Being Task Force
is open to recommendations through
an online form that can be submit-ted
anonymously by anyone who is
affiliated with SLU. This ensures that
all students and staff have an equal
opportunity to express their needs in
regards to mental health.
o
03
SLU COMMUNITY SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL
FOLLOWING ACCIDENT
By NORA ALRASHID
Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy of Michelle Peltier
SLU COMMUNITY SUPPORTS
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
FOLLOWING ACCIDENT
SLU OBSERVES SECOND
MENTAL HEALTH DAY
F
04 NEWS
(Alexis Kayser/The University News)
make Xavier’s hallowed halls feel like
home. Their most recent project is a roll-ing
cart on Xavier’s third floor, stocked
chock-full of necessities and free for stu-dents
to take from in times of need.
In an email to Communication stu-dents
on Feb. 11, department chair Dan
Kozlowski, Ph.D wrote, “The Communi-cation
Department faculty and staff rec-ognize
that some days we all need some-thing
-- because we forgot, we ran late,
we’re low on cash. That’s why the de-partment
is launching a ‘take-what-you-need’
cart that is available for everyone.
Stocked with small snacks, basic school
and personal hygiene supplies, the cart is
for you, any day you need something.”
Three days later—on Valentine’s
Day—the cart was officially launched.
Donuts and “positivity cards” (bearing
hand-written statements like, “We see
how awesome you are!” and, “Find good
people to grow with”) were provided for
those who stopped by.
The black rolling cart, located off the
west staircase (adjacent to the Xavi-er
Annex), was thoughtfully filled with
personal care products. Drawers labeled,
“SCHOOL SUPPLIES,” “FIRST AID,”
“HAIR CARE,” “MASKS,” “SNACKS,” “HY-GIENIC
PRODUCTS,” “MICROWAVABLE
MEALS,” “NOTEBOOKS” and “FEMININE
PRODUCTS” allow students to swiftly ac-cess
whatever they need, whenever they
need it.
Marketed on flyers as “a cart for every-one,”
the cart is not exclusive to Commu-nication
students. Rather, the department
envisions it as something all SLU students
COMMUNICATION
DEPARMENT
LAUNCHES
CARE CART
By ALEXIS KAYSER
Copy Editor
can benefit from in times of need.
Keli Jackson, Associate Professor of
Communication, got the idea for the cart
during conversations with her sister—an
elementary school teacher in an under-funded
district. Jackson’s sister provides
her students with necessities their fam-ilies
can not supply, inspiring Jackson to
create a similar initiative at SLU.
“We do have students that have
needs that sometimes are unmet,” Jack-son
said. “I felt like in the spirit of the
pandemic—knowing things have been
challenging and hard for people, that
sometimes we don’t have the resources
that we need—it would be good for us to
have something for our students.”
Statistics stand behind Jackson’s
idea. According to a 2021 study by Best-
Colleges.com, 25% of college students
experienced financial difficulties as a re-sult
of the COVID-19 pandemic. Another
17% reported dealing with food insecu-rity.
Some SLU students have expressed
these struggles directly to their profes-sors,
like Jackson.
“I have had students express to me
some unmet needs that they may have.
Sometimes we have students who have
had changes in housing situations that
can really be disruptive for a period of
time. Many students will have issues
with funding or tuition, or account holds
that can sometimes make it hard for
them to purchase books,” Jackson said. “I
am aware, usually from one-on-one con-versations
with my students that might
reach out, that they have had occasion-al
issues meeting their basic academic
needs, as well as housing, clothes, food,
etcetera.”
In the fall, Jackson brought up the
idea of meeting these needs to Kozlows-ki.
The department got to work making
her “take-what-you-need” cart a reality.
Department funds were used to stock
the cart and tuck away some surplus, and
staff brought in extras to bolster their
supply.
Kozlowski was unsure how the cart
would be received by students, but after
its first operational weekend, he noted
that many items had been taken: proof
that students are, in fact, utilizing the
cart as hoped.
The cart’s success, though, begs a
question: how will the department sus-tain
it in the coming weeks?
Kozlowski says they’re open to col-laboration
with student service organi-zations
who have the means and desire
to contribute.
In the meantime, Kozlowski says,
“The plan is faculty and staff donations,
other department funds we can use, and
the hope is, if it’s something that’s use-ful
for students, it’s something we can
sustain.”
The “take-what-you-need” cart is
just one way the Department of Commu-nication
seeks to support their students.
From signs on Xavier’s bathroom doors
encouraging breastfeeding mothers to
reach out for private pumping spaces, to
Halloween parties for students and staff
to bond and relax, the department em-bodies
the Jesuit mission of nurturing
the whole person.
“The discipline inherently recognizes
the important role communication plays
in how we go through the world and care
for, learn and share with others. But we
also, thankfully, have an awesome group
of instructors that are student-centered
and care about students,” said Kozlows-ki.
“That’s important to us as we hire,” he
continued, referencing the Department’s
consideration of student feedback when
considering job candidates. Potential
new faculty give guest-lectures in Com-munication
courses and meet with Com-munication
students, allowing majors to
have a say in who they learn from.
Young adulthood is undoubtedly a
stressful phase of life, and a rigorous
collegiate course load is bound to add its
own challenges. However, as the Depart-ment
of Communication sees it, educa-tion
is at its best when met with empa-thy.
rom the outside, Xavier
Hall doesn’t appear to
be anything special. It
doesn’t sport the glossy
glass exterior of the In-terdisciplinary
Science
and Engineering building,
the spiffy rolling chairs of Chaifetz
School of Business or even the (rel-atively)
reliable air conditioning of
Des Peres Hall. But inside the yellow-ing
brick exterior, the Department of
Communication is housed: a depart-ment
that—for majors, minors and
students just passing through—has
worked hard to make Xavier’slowed
halls feel like home.
News 05
hat’s exactly the
kind of group
that I need,” ju-nior
Shruti Pun-nachalil
imme-diately
thought
when she first
heard about the newly-created Au-dre
Lorde Scholars Program back
in September.
The idea for the program
began several years ago. Former
director of Cross Cultural Cen-ter
(CCC), Kortet Mensah, Ph.D,
dreamed of a shared student space
and a support system for women
of color at Saint Louis Universi-ty.
Four years later in the fall of
2021, the program finally came to
fruition.
Luella Loseille, the current
assistant director of diversity and
inclusion in the CCC, built on
the initial concept and worked to
establish the Audre Lorde Scholars
Program as “a communal and up-lifting
space” where group mem-bers
can share their experiences
about race and gender, similar to
the African American Male Schol-ars
Program.
The program is named after
internationally renowned activist,
poet and teacher Audre Lorde,
who in the 1960s was a pioneer
in analyzing the intersections of
race, class and gender oppression.
Loseilleand the student scholars
draw inspiration from Lorde’s con-tributions
and envision their group
as an extension of her legacy. In
their bi-weekly meetings, the 30
scholars in the program usually
begin by reading and reflecting on
one of her poems.
“The whole purpose of the
program is to provide support
for students who self-identify as
women of color while facilitat-ing
various networking, social
and community opportunities,”
Loseille said. “There are so few
spaces where people of color can
just come together and share in a
primarily white institution.”
Group discussions over the
last several months have ranged
from cycles of abuse, Black men-tal
health and other topics that
connect with the group’s four
main pillars of feminism, activism,
sisterhood and intersectionality.
“Those kinds of discussions
are very pertinent for us because a
lot of them are centered on navi-gating
the intersectionalities that
a lot of the people in the group
have. We break off in groups and
discuss personal experiences and
connect with each other, which
I feel is a primary reason for the
group—feeling connected to other
women of color on campus,” Pun-nachalili
said.
Loseille is also initiating a
mentorship component for the
scholar program in which students
are matched with female facul-ty
or staff members. While it is
still in the works, nearly 40 staff
members have offered to be Audre
Lorde Scholar mentors because,
as Loseille explains, they saw the
value of providing guidance to
young women.
“Navigating college as first
generation students or as women
of color presents unique chal-lenges
in academic spaces, so I’m
really grateful for the mentorship
program,” Punnachalili said. “I
have experienced a lot of academic
racism at this school so feeling
connected to resources and to
somebody who looks like you and
who understands your perspective
resonates with me.”
To mark the first year of the
program, Loseille and the scholars
are organizing a women’s
University News - Volume 101, Issue 001 (September 23, 2022)
No full text24 pages.VOL. CI No. 1 / September 23rd, 2022 UTHE UNIVERSITY NEWS
DINESLU Worker Spotlights
COver design by DIANA JAKOVCEVIC
6
PHOTO BY MICHELLE PELTIER
2
10
What are SLU Students
Listening to?
Dear Becky Advice Column
september @ slu
02 NEWS
Robert Sims, Grand Dining Hall
Working at SLU for nearly five de-cades,
senior cook Robert Sims has
witnessed the many changes that the
university has gone through over the
years.
He began his job in September 1975,
first working at Lewis Hall, now the
Coronado Hotel on Lindell Ave. He
has also worked at Griesedieck Hall,
and as of five years ago, Grand Hall.
Sims now lives just a few minutes
away from SLU, but he grew up in
the South and then moved to East St.
Louis, where he met his wife. Soon af-ter,
they moved to St. Louis.
“I get along with basically anybody,”
Sims said. As he was describing his
relationship with his co-workers, an
employee who was hired just weeks
ago passes by and enthusiastically
interrupts, saying, “Chef Robert is the
best!”
“It makes me feel good when I cook
food and see the students happy; it
makes me feel like I have done some-thing
important,” Sims said. “I am
hard working, and I want to make stu-dents
satisfied, so if they ever think of
something we could do better, just let
us know.”
Chris Floyd, Grand Dining Hall
Chris Floyd, 40, is a man of many
interests. He has been at SLU for 15
years and has worked at various loca-tions
including SLU Law, Bush Stu-dent
Center and the old Panda Ex-press.
Now at Grand Dining Hall, he
can be seen primarily at the Mongo-lian
Station, where he experiments
and creates his own Asian-inspired
recipes. His favorite, and most pop-ular,
is fried rice.
“I take pride in what I do. I really
take it seriously. I cook to give a good
experience, and I want the students
to enjoy the food,” Floyd said.
More than a chef, Floyd is also a
singer, songwriter and podcaster. He
produces music and owns a record
label, 314 Music Entertainment LLC.
SoldierByBlood.com, his production
and promotion company, serves as a
“platform for upcoming artists, en-trepreneurs,
and people in general to
express their ideas.” It hosts various
podcast shows as well as a local radio
station.
“I have been into music for a long
time; then I got into podcasts. And
soon, it transitioned into a lot more,”
Floyd said.
Tre’Veon Horton, Grand Dining Hall
One of the youngest workers at Grand
Dining Hall, Tre’Veon Horton
One of the youngest workers at Grand
Dining Hall, Tre’Veon Horton grad-uated
high school in May 2022. The
19-year-old enjoys playing basketball
in his free time and indulging in his in-terest
in fast cars.
He is looking to pursue a job in the
construction field in the near future
and, in the meantime, is working at
SLU. Horton also has other hopes that
he says he hasn’t given up on yet. He
and his close friend plan on starting
their own storage company.
“This place has a nice vibe, and I
get to see different people every day.
Everybody here I really like. Students
[often] talk to me wanting to know my
name, even with my nametag on, be-cause
I come off as friendly.”
Cheron Kincaid,
Einstein Bros. Bagels
She has been working on campus for 34
years, long enough to remember when
West Pine was a car-filled street, not the
walkway that hundreds of students use
to get to class daily. Einstein Bros. Bagels
Senior supervisor Cheron Kincaid has
seen the “destruction” of some of the sur-rounding
areas.
Throughout her years here, she has also
seen many students whom she describes
as her “children that have come and
gone.” She tries to lead with love, treating
people how she would hope to be treated.
“I have seen a lot around campus: the
deaths, the suicides, the depression. It’s
a real place for young people, and I just
feel like with me being a parent, it’s very
important to treat all of the students with
love and kindness and with that motherly
love sometimes. When it’s your first time
away from home, some need it.”
In addition to her motherly love for
students, Kincaid is also the grandmother
of six grandkids whom she spends much
time playing with at swimming pools and
taking to parks.
“As soon as Friday hits, everyone goes to
grandma house,” Kincaid said.
Shaineisha Williams,
Einstein Bros. Bagels
This year will be Shaineisha Williams’
fourth working at Einstein Bros. Bagels.
After a long work week, Williams explains
how she makes time to take care of her-self.
Whether it be getting a new pair of
sneakers or lighting a scented candle,
shopping is her way to unwind.
“If you don’t take care of your mental
health, you will be all over the place. Keep
yourself together as a person because if
you don’t, you might fall apart,” Williams
said. “You gotta make sure you take care
of yourself before taking care of others.”
Though Williams says she has a quiet
presence while working, she also often en-joys
talking with students and co-workers.
“My co-workers are a big help to me;
they help me out and make sure I am fine.
They are a big part of my life,” Williams
said.
By ULAA KUZIEZ
News Editor
THE HIDDEN HEROES OF SLU:
OUR DINING HALL WORKERS
(This feature was inspired by Student Life, the independent
newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis.)
From breakfast to start the morning, to a cup of coffee to overcome an after-noon
slump, dining service workers are an essential part of college life. There are
more than 200 dining employees across various campus locations, and this series
aims to highlight some of the important people who keep our campus nourished.
(Photos by Abby Campbell/The University News)
ueen Elizabeth II
died on September 8,
2022 at 96 years old.
She served 70 years,
making her the Unit-ed
Kingdom’s longest
reigning monarch.
Her son Charles, now
King Charles III, said of her pass-ing,
“We mourn profoundly the
passing of a cherished sovereign
and a much-loved mother. I know
her loss will be deeply felt through-out
the country, the realms and the
Commonwealth, and by countless
people around the world.”
People around the world have
extended their sympathy and dis-played
their grief. A sea of flowers
littered the ground in front of the
palace gates as people waited for
hours in line at Westminster Hall to
pay their respects before her burial.
On Monday, September 19, Queen
Elizabeth was buried. And yet, not
everyone mourns her death.
Conversations about Britain’s
continued colonial presence in
Commonwealth countries during
her reign have arisen in the wake of
the Queen’s passing. Some people
say it is not the appropriate time
to discuss her role in that colonial
legacy, while others maintain that
you cannot expect people who have
felt the ongoing effects of violence
in their families and countries as
a result of British colonialism to
mourn her death.
Uju Anya, associate professor
of second language acquisition at
Carnegie Mellon University, tweet-ed,
“If anyone expects me to ex-press
anything but disdain for the
monarch who supervised a govern-ment
that sponsored the genocide
that massacred and displaced half
my family and the consequences
of which those alive today are still
trying to overcome, you can keep
wishing upon a star” (NBC 2022).
George Nedge, associate pro-fessor
of history at Saint Louis Uni-versity,
elaborates on Britain’s im-pact
on the countries it colonized.
“The empire is really contro-versial.
Whether you look at India,
whether you look at Africa, wherev-er
you go, there was an element of
exploitation, there was an element
of dehumanization of the local pop-ulations.
The empire has never been
looked at in some sort of pos-itive
light because
of those atrocities,”
Nedge said.
He offers Kenya as
an example. In
1952, the year
Queen Eliz-abeth
took
the throne,
K e n y a n
civilians
rebelled
against
the co-lonial
gov-ern-ment,
s e e k-ing
in-depen-dence
in
an uprising
the British called
the “Mau Mau” rebel-lion.
The British govern-ment
retaliated with
violence, constructing
concentration camps
where Kenyan men,
women and children
were imprisoned. They
utilized torture,
including beat-ings,
castration and rape to supress
resistance (NY Times 2022).
Recently, the British government
paid reparations to survivors and
their families. However, neither
Queen Elizabeth nor the monarchy
acknowledged the actions behind
the call for reparations. Up until
her death, the Queen continued her
reign over Commonwealth countries
that she took an oath to serve; the
intention and execution of this service
are largely what has ignited the present
argument that she continued to uphold
Britain’s legacy of colonialism during
her reign.
Reflecting on the legacy of the Brit-ish
empire, Nedge explains that the
British government’s history of abuse
remains present in countries belong-ing
to the Commonwealth, whether it
be the generational trauma present in
families who experienced British
colonial rule or the influ-ence
of British cultur-al
institutions
on former
colonies.
“One can
have that
view that
the empire
did extort and
harm indige-nous
societies.
You can say that
it can still be
seen,” Nedge
said. “The em-pire
has been
able to engi-neer
itself to
the extent that
the Common-wealth
is a fis-sure
of what used
to be the empire.
As evil as it was,
you can’t run from
it because some of
those cultural leg-acies
are deeply
entrenched in
society.”
Emmanuel Uwalaka,
an associate
p r o f e s s o r
of political science at Saint Louis Uni-versity
with a focus in African politics,
says British colonial history can be
seen “from one country to another.” He
points to the decolonization of Nigeria,
a former British colony, in the 1960s
and the contemporary impact of that
societal reformation.
“It took years for the former colonial
government to bring Nigerians to the
political process.” Noting Nigeria’s po-
News 03
litical reformation he says, “We adopt-ed
the parliamentary system of govern-ment.
It did not work. With the failure
of the parliamentary system, we have
now a presidential system. Is it work-ing?
I would say no.”
Uwalaka elaborates on the cultur-al
pluralism (the practice of separate
ethnic groups participating fully in
the dominant society, yet maintain-ing
their cultural differences) present
in Nigeria and the impact colonialism
had on separate ethnic groups living in
proximity to one another. He speaks to
the difficulty of including each major
ethnic group in political decision-mak-ing
in a post-colonial area without
“marginalizing one group or the other.”
“The one we see a lot is the dump-ing
together of the three major ethnic
groups in Nigeria: the Igbo, the Hau-sa-
Fulani and the Yoruba. Each is not
less than 60 million people,” Uwalaka
said.
The challenges of constructing a
government in a post-colonial society
are as relevant today as they were 50
years ago.
“They say the Queen was apolitical,”
Uwalaka said. “Nobody tells us what
the Queen says, but she came to power
in 1952, so she was the [symbolic] lead-er
of the colonial empire.”
Nedge adds that Queen Elizabeth
was instrumental in Britain’s colonial
agenda when countries decolonized
during her reign, stating “she was at
the center of this transition.”
Queen Elizabeth was a power-ful
monrch and undeniably a symbol
of structure and power. She will be
mourned by those who saw her as a
steadfast leader. Others will lament the
violence that destroyed life and liberty
from their countries under her rule.
“The idea of the defender of the
British empire is going to change be-cause
people are now raising eyebrows
over that concept. That is modern
monarchy, after the Queen. People are
going to conceptualize different mean-ings
to the modernization of the mon-archy,
especially its relationship with
former colonies,” concludes Uwalaka.
Q
QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S DEATH AND THE LEGACY OF
COLONIALISM SHE LEAVES BEHIND
By KATERINA SUPER
News Editor
Ariana Magafas / The University News
04 NEWS
hange can be an im-portant
event in any
one’s life, whether it
be a simple change
in a daily task or
routine or moving
to a new place and
adjusting to a different environ-ment
and community. However, as
human beings, changes and transi-tions
are necessary for growth and
development.
The transition from high school
to college is one such transition. In-coming
freshmen must adjust to a
new school, a new set of rules and
new people from different back-grounds
and experiences. Course
load, classes and schedules change
in this transition, and with this new
chapter of life comes new responsi-bilities.
“The pace at which everything
moves at is a lot different than high
school. In high school, people were
always behind your back,” Aija Civ-ic,
a freshman Medical Sciences ma-jor
says. “And now you’re by your-
C
By MARAM LEMNIFI
Contributor
(Michelle Peltier / The University News)
FRESHMEN ON Board!
“In college
you can just
walk up to a
random per-son
and say
hi and you
could hit it
off instantly,”
Mupalla said.
self, you gotta figure it out on your
own and what works for you.”
In addition to adjusting to a new
routine, another difference that
freshmen have noticed are academ-ic
deadlines. Freshmen are often
surprised to discover that they have
an immense amount of responsi-bility
to care for themselves, as it
is their own education, money and
success that is dependent on their
self-disciplined actions. Often-times,
this forces many freshmen
to completely change their previous
study habits to accommodate their
new life in college.
Caleb Chu, another freshman
Medical Sciences major, called this
a “rude awakening.” He explains
how he would usually study a cou-ple
of days in advance and even a
few weeks for a test or final in high
school, but now he thinks this may
not be enough for college. He finds
that a substantial effort has to be
made for classes and exams now.
Chu recalls the most recent first
General Chemistry test and how he
studied a week in advance, and yet
still did not feel prepared enough.
Making friends is also a compo-nent
in any new student’s life. Cur-rent
freshman Sowmya Muppalla
thinks that it is actually easier to
make friends in college than in high
school.
“In high school, people are a bit
more judgemental and they already
have their own friend groups. In
college you can just walk up to a
random person and say hi and you
could hit it off instantly,” Mupalla
said.
Colleges expose students to more
people of diverse backgrounds and
beliefs than what they may be used
to. According to the SLU 2021 pro-file,
last year’s total student popu-lation
was estimated to be around
13,000 students, with the freshmen
class alone contributing 1,800 stu-dents,
a number which is higher
than that of most high schools’
total populations. This allows stu-dents
to meet and know a variety
of different people, as well as find
people of similar interests, beliefs
and values.
“With college there’s so many
more people. It’s a lot easier to find
people that are like you…You meet
tons of new people everyday,” Chu
said.
However, Chu also calls this man-ner
of meeting people “still quite
cliquish.”
Civic has had a similar experience
in college. As she transitioned into
this new environment and com-munity,
she understood that it may
take time to form long lasting rela-tionships.
“I think it’s easy but also hard at
the same time. It takes a while to
find your people and who you best
click with,” Civic said.
Going into college, freshmen typ-ically
have a multitude of expecta-tions
about what they hope their
experiences will be like. Contrary
to her brother’s previous warnings
about college life, Muppalla was
surprised to discover that she has
been enjoying much of the experi-ence
so far. Others like Civic have
experienced both the challenges
and moments of ease that college
entails. As almost one month of
school year ends, the freshmen at
SLU seem to be enjoying their time
and are excited for what’s to come.
When asked if she feels like an adult
yet, Civic simply states, “We’re get-ting
there.”
t. Francis Xavier
College Church
has made major
changes ahead of
the school year,
replacing its
head pastor and
appointing a lay woman to leadership.
Katie Jansen took over as the
church’s first parish life coordinator
on Aug. 21, as the church pivots to
a less top-down model. Jansen, who
previously served as College Church’s
parish administrator, is the church’s
first woman and first non-ordained
leader.
“When people see themselves or
someone who looks like them in
leadership, that space feels more
open to them. So, if a woman sees
another woman in leadership, this
feels like a welcoming place,” Jansen
said.
The move comes as the Catholic
Church worldwide attempts to
reconcile its ordained and laic
elements, and amid calls for reform
in a historically male-dominated
institution. Jansen, a former
community organizer and member of
the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, hopes the
change reflects a new way of thinking
about the church and its role with
parishioners.
“I think, historically, the Church
has been pretty good at saying who
doesn’t belong, instead of suggesting
that, actually, people do belong,”
Jansen said. “So, this is one more
way to say, yes, women do belong in
leadership in this church.”
Jansen is the second lay woman
to lead a church in the Archdiocese
and the third within the Jesuits’ U.S.
Central and Southern (UCS) province,
comprising 12 U.S. states, Puerto Rico
and the nation of Belize. In a press
release, UCS said the change “allows
for a more inclusive, progressive,
forward-looking leadership model.”
“Many lay people feel called to
church ministry the same way that
a priest does,” Jansen said. “And if
we create space for that calling, the
Church is more vibrant.”
Fr. Tim McMahon, SJ replaced 10-
year head pastor, Fr. Dan White, SJ on
Aug. 1, after both priests celebrated
Sunday Mass the day before.
McMahon, who brings with him an
extensive career in both spiritual and
educational leadership, praised the
construction of the new Jesuit Center
as a sign of SLU’s commitment to the
Church.
“It’s a new era in the history of
the Jesuit presence at the University,
and I think hopefully one that will
S
NEWS 05
continue to grow,” McMahon said.
McMahon mentioned there are
certain roles with legal considerations
he has to take on alone as “canonical
pastor,” such as officiating weddings.
However, when possible, the church
will function as a “shared ministry”
between him and Jansen, he said.
The leadership shuffle, supported
by St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell
Rozanski, is aligned with “Our
Parish Vision,” a strategic plan
launched by the College Church in
July 2020. The plan reflects changes
implemented during the Second
Vatican Council of the 1960s, as well
as calls made by Pope Francis for a
“synod on synodality,” emphasizing
lay parishioners’ contributions to the
Church, Jansen said.
“The transition we are making is
not just a change in leadership,”
College Church said in a statement.
“It is a change in the way we are
community.”
By ALEX ROZAR
Staff Writer
McMahon said the church aims to
find more ways to include lay people
in future decisions.
“We have a lot of people with a lot
of gifts,” he said. “This model is a way
of exploring how can we better allow
people opportunities to put their
gifts at the service of not only the
wider parish community but beyond
the walls of the community.”
Jansen echoed the goal of
finding and establishing places for
parishioners to better contribute.
She cited Pope Francis’ request for
all Archdiocese to hold listening
sessions and College Church’s effort
to include parishioners’ reflections in
bulletins earlier in the pandemic.
“We all have a relationship with
God. The Holy Spirit works in all
of us,” Jansen said. “We all have
experiences that help us understand
our faith, and we have faith that helps
us understand our experiences.”
(Paige Fann / The University News)
College Church Taps
First Lay Woman to Lead
Head Pastor Katie Jansen
now heads the church,
as Fr. Tim McMahon replaces
Fr. Dan White.
SLU’s Playlist
ave you ever walked past someone
wearing headphones on campus and
wondered what they were listening to?
Have you ever tried to guess? If you pay
attention, the one thing almost every
student has in common, whether it be
while walking to class or taking a stroll, is that they are
enjoying music. Finally, the answer to all your questions:
what are SLUdents listening to?
Saint Louis University has a student population of
about 13,287. With that many people swarming around
you, it can be difficult to have a feeling of singularity and
authenticity. Music means something different to every-one,
but that connection to music is what ties individuals
together. For some students at SLU, listening to music
is the only way to feel a sense of individuality on this
crowded campus. Even so, one’s favorite artist or album
might be the only thing they have in common with the
nameless undergraduate passing them on their way to
class.
Students were asked the simple question, “What are
you listening to?” in an attempt to provide an outlet
of expression and the potential to connect a campus
through music. A total of 135 students submitted re-sponses.
In all of these submissions, the only “favorite
song” repeated more than once was Kendrick Lamar’s
“N95.”
Listed below are the top five most listened to albums:
1. “Superache” – Conan Gray
2. “Harry’s House” – Harry Styles
3. “’Awaken, My Love!’” – Childish Gambino
4. “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” – Kendrick Lamar
5. “WASTELAND” – Brent Faiyaz
Top five most listened to artists:
1. Taylor Swift
2. Conan Gray
3. The Weeknd
4. Bad Bunny
5. Morgan Wallen
Top five major related music statistics:
1. Nursing majors are more likely to listen to music
while studying.
2. Psychology majors are more likely to listen to either
rap or indie rock.
3. Environmental Science/Studies majors are more
likely to listen to Conan Gray.
4. English majors are more likely to listen to bedroom
pop.
5. Computer Science majors
Sunrise
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Sunrise
No full textScannedII091SabaH is a Bosnian-language weekly newspaper that was published in the United States between December 1997 and October 2014. It was founded in Astoria, NY. In 2006, publishing was relocated to St. Louis, MO, but the newspaper continued its national distribution. A typical issue contains about 50 pages and features bold headlines and many photos, with articles from both Bosnia- and US-based contributors. SabaH was established to help Bosnian immigrants deal with life in their new home and keep them informed of events in their war-torn country. Its name translates to 'sunrise', symbolizing the arrival of a new generation of Bosnian immigrants in the US.Click on the blue Maximize button in the top right corner of each image to browse the pages of an issue. This project was made possible by a generous donation from Susan Powers of St. Louis, MO. Digitization is ongoing
Sunrise
No full textScannedII068SabaH is a Bosnian-language weekly newspaper that was published in the United States between December 1997 and October 2014. It was founded in Astoria, NY. In 2006, publishing was relocated to St. Louis, MO, but the newspaper continued its national distribution. A typical issue contains about 50 pages and features bold headlines and many photos, with articles from both Bosnia- and US-based contributors. SabaH was established to help Bosnian immigrants deal with life in their new home and keep them informed of events in their war-torn country. Its name translates to 'sunrise', symbolizing the arrival of a new generation of Bosnian immigrants in the US.Click on the blue Maximize button in the top right corner of each image to browse the pages of an issue. This project was made possible by a generous donation from Susan Powers of St. Louis, MO. Digitization is ongoing
Sunrise
No full textScannedIII108SabaH is a Bosnian-language weekly newspaper that was published in the United States between December 1997 and October 2014. It was founded in Astoria, NY. In 2006, publishing was relocated to St. Louis, MO, but the newspaper continued its national distribution. A typical issue contains about 50 pages and features bold headlines and many photos, with articles from both Bosnia- and US-based contributors. SabaH was established to help Bosnian immigrants deal with life in their new home and keep them informed of events in their war-torn country. Its name translates to 'sunrise', symbolizing the arrival of a new generation of Bosnian immigrants in the US.Click on the blue Maximize button in the top right corner of each image to browse the pages of an issue. This project was made possible by a generous donation from Susan Powers of St. Louis, MO. Digitization is ongoing
Sunrise
No full textScannedIII131SabaH is a Bosnian-language weekly newspaper that was published in the United States between December 1997 and October 2014. It was founded in Astoria, NY. In 2006, publishing was relocated to St. Louis, MO, but the newspaper continued its national distribution. A typical issue contains about 50 pages and features bold headlines and many photos, with articles from both Bosnia- and US-based contributors. SabaH was established to help Bosnian immigrants deal with life in their new home and keep them informed of events in their war-torn country. Its name translates to 'sunrise', symbolizing the arrival of a new generation of Bosnian immigrants in the US.Click on the blue Maximize button in the top right corner of each image to browse the pages of an issue. This project was made possible by a generous donation from Susan Powers of St. Louis, MO. Digitization is ongoing
Sunrise
No full textScannedIII121SabaH is a Bosnian-language weekly newspaper that was published in the United States between December 1997 and October 2014. It was founded in Astoria, NY. In 2006, publishing was relocated to St. Louis, MO, but the newspaper continued its national distribution. A typical issue contains about 50 pages and features bold headlines and many photos, with articles from both Bosnia- and US-based contributors. SabaH was established to help Bosnian immigrants deal with life in their new home and keep them informed of events in their war-torn country. Its name translates to 'sunrise', symbolizing the arrival of a new generation of Bosnian immigrants in the US.Click on the blue Maximize button in the top right corner of each image to browse the pages of an issue. This project was made possible by a generous donation from Susan Powers of St. Louis, MO. Digitization is ongoing
Sunrise
No full textScannedII086SabaH is a Bosnian-language weekly newspaper that was published in the United States between December 1997 and October 2014. It was founded in Astoria, NY. In 2006, publishing was relocated to St. Louis, MO, but the newspaper continued its national distribution. A typical issue contains about 50 pages and features bold headlines and many photos, with articles from both Bosnia- and US-based contributors. SabaH was established to help Bosnian immigrants deal with life in their new home and keep them informed of events in their war-torn country. Its name translates to 'sunrise', symbolizing the arrival of a new generation of Bosnian immigrants in the US.Click on the blue Maximize button in the top right corner of each image to browse the pages of an issue. This project was made possible by a generous donation from Susan Powers of St. Louis, MO. Digitization is ongoing
Sunrise
No full textScannedII061SabaH is a Bosnian-language weekly newspaper that was published in the United States between December 1997 and October 2014. It was founded in Astoria, NY. In 2006, publishing was relocated to St. Louis, MO, but the newspaper continued its national distribution. A typical issue contains about 50 pages and features bold headlines and many photos, with articles from both Bosnia- and US-based contributors. SabaH was established to help Bosnian immigrants deal with life in their new home and keep them informed of events in their war-torn country. Its name translates to 'sunrise', symbolizing the arrival of a new generation of Bosnian immigrants in the US.Click on the blue Maximize button in the top right corner of each image to browse the pages of an issue. This project was made possible by a generous donation from Susan Powers of St. Louis, MO. Digitization is ongoing