Vol. XC No. 19

The University NewsA Student Voice of Saint Louis University Since 1921

unewsonline.com Thursday, February 17, 2011

SGA presidential candidates (from left) Tim Janczewski, Jimmy Meiners and Matt Ryan deliver opening statements during the debates Feb. 15 in the Saint Louis Room.

Shah (Yuqing Xia) / Associate Photo Editor

21 SGA candidates field questions

Ignite, Evolve and Building Bridges. These were the main themes the candidates run-ning for the Student Govern-ment Association executive board expressed at the annual SGA debate on Feb. 15 in the Saint Louis Room.

With three full tickets of seven exec-utive board candidates, this year’s debate for-mat had to be modi-fied to allow enough time for all 21 candidates to express their plat-form points in the hour and a half timeframe.

“We looked at last year’s structure and it was pretty obvious that it wouldn’t work with three tickets so it seemed practical that we had to make some cuts,” SGA Election Commissioner Chris McGee-han said. “By focusing on the questions, we kept it about the candidates’ qualifications rather than taking pokes at the other candidates.”

No time was allowed for candidates to address another candidate’s platform, as com-

By JONATHAN ERNSTEditor-in-Chief

pared to last year’s debate. Each set of executive board candidates were asked two questions for them to address in a minute and a half. A panel made up of current SGA Pres-ident Courtney Anvender, Vice President for Student Development Kent Porter-field, Assistant Vice President for Student Development Leanna Fennenberg and Dean

of Students Scott Smith asked the questions.

T h e three can-didates for SGA presi-dent, junior Tim Janc-zewski for the Ignite ticket, ju-nior Jimmy Meiners for the Evolve ticket and

sophomore Matt Ryan for the Building Bridges ticket, went first and they were allowed three minutes for their open-ing statements.

McGeehan tossed a coin several times to determine the order for these state-ments and Ryan won the toss and was allowed to speak first. Ryan stated the work SGA has ahead of it is not something

Bars add ambiance to SLU traditions

Humphrey’s night manager John Mangelsdorf pours beer from the tap. “We see a lot of students at the beginning ... and the end of the school year,” Mangelsdorf said. “Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day are also very popular.”

Ryan Giacomino / Photographer

See “Locks” on Page 3

Dorm safety: It’s a key issue Saint Louis University is

having its locks changed; 707 to be exact. Residents in Marchetti Towers East and West and the Grand Forest Apartment were given notice on Feb. 3 that their locks and keys had to be changed due to a “misplaced” master key set for those buildings.

According to Department of Public Safety and Security Services Sergeant Pasquale Signorino, a DPSSS officer misplaced the keys during the first week of February and that officer has no idea were

By JONATHAN ERNSTEditor-in-Chief

they are.“We think the keys are

somewhere in a pile of snow and rather than take the time to go through all the snow and everything, we are concerned about the students’ safety, and that is why the cores were all changed,” Signorino said. “It was human error, it was something that we were very concerned about and we acted as a result and hopefully it won’t happen again.”

Signorino ensured that the keys that were lost are no lon-ger able to open the doors to those residence halls since the cores of the locks were all changed. It cost $11,400 and

about 270 man hours by the University Facilities Services staff to change all of the locks and to make new keys for all residence in the residence halls, according to Vice Presi-dent for Facilities Manage-ment and Civic Affairs Kath-leen Brady.

According to Signorino, DPSSS has changed its policy on the way they handle the keys and “the possibility of us losing keys is very remote now.”

DPSSS has a key for each beat or post an officer will patrol for easy access to the buildings incase of an emer-gency. The key set that was

lost was able to access the main doors for the Marchetti Tower and Grand Forest indi-vidual apartments. Signorino said that no instance of any-one accessing those build-ing with the keys during the change was reported.

Though no incidents were reported, Vice President for Student Development Kent Porterfield felt that this mat-ter was in need of an immedi-ate response.

“When you have a key out there that can access student housing, you don’t want to

The city of St. Louis has a vibrant night-life that offers students at Saint Louis Uni-versity a wide variety of options to enhance their social experience. Though the various nearby neighborhoods such as Central West End and the Loop host a concentrated selec-tion of hotspots, the bars and taverns closest to campus remain popular destinations for SLU’s social butterflies to congregate.

“I think having bars near campus pro-vides students a way to relax on the week-ends without having to pay for taxis and cover charges at bars in the Central West End and Soulard,” junior Joe Andreoni said. “They’re wonderful places to meet up with friends and have a fun night.”

Humphrey’s Restaurant and Tavern is a popular choice for SLU students. Hum-phrey’s touts their establishment as a “Saint Louis University Tradition since 1976,” and prides themselves as being a go-to location for SLU students looking to have a good time. The bar was opened by a SLU gradu-ate, Robert “Humphrey” Mangelsdorf.

“Humphrey’s has been family owned and operated since it opened,” John Mangels-dorf, manager at Humphrey’s and son of Robert Mangelsdorf said. “It’s part of our charm.”

Mangelsdorf said that the primary cus-tomers that come to the tavern are SLU af-filiated. He sees a lot of students, but also alumni coming from basketball games and families visiting SLU.

“We’ve had parents of SLU students meet at Humphrey’s, and now their kids are the ones coming back,” Mangelsdorf said. “We have a very good working relationship with SLU. We’re involved with Charted Student Organizations, the Bare Naked Statues, SLU athletics and Greek Life fundraisers.”

Another popular location for SLU student nightlife is the Laclede Street Bar and Grill. Laclede’s opened in 1984, but prior to that the building was a bowling alley. It later turned into Calico’s restaurant, but as the establishment grew in popularity, it soon ex-

By KRISTEN MIANONews Editor

See “Nightlife” on Page 3

Read and Recycle

The University News prints on partially recycled paper.

Movie time!

Yes or no: A choice is set to be made during the Feb. 28 Student Government Associa-tion elections and the choice has nothing to do with choos-ing a new executive board.

After analyzing survey data and consulting the Ath-letic Department, President Courtney Anvender and Der-rick Neuner, associate sports editor of The University News, proposed a possible referen-dum to be included on the up-coming election ballots to the senate during the Wed., Feb. 16 SGA meeting.

The referendum that would be posed to the student body calls for support of a $15 per semester “Athletic Fee.” The fee, if passed by the student body, would result in students having access to free tickets for home men’s basketball games.

“We didn’t feel comfortable imposing a tax on the stu-dents,” Anvender said. “This is simply giving the students a choice.”

With the formation of the Student Season Ticket Task Force last fall, this whole process was initiated and has culminated with the sugges-tion of the referendum. Only because of student feedback, did the task force see this as a voting item fit to be included.

In fact, with 48.6 percent

of the 842 student responses saying the cost of attending a game kept them away and with 75 percent saying they would attend games if the cost was included in tuition, the task force has legitimate grounds for presenting this proposal.

Having passed through senate with a unanimous in favor vote, the referendum will have students vote to see if they would pay $15 per se-mester for the reservation of 1000 seats at home games. While the distribution tech-nique of these seats has yet to be determined, the cost is drastically lower than current prices. Ten dollars per game

By SEAN WORLEYNews Editor

Referendum looks to establish ‘Athletic Fee’

See “SGA” on Page 2

See “Debates” on Page 3

Root, Root, RootfoR the home team

Billiken Baseball takes the field >>SPoRtS

SGA Endorsements>> After hours of interviews and research, we have made our decision. Check out the 2011 SGA Endorsements in our Feb. 24 edition.

Nearby nightlife teems with variety, society

Black History Month offers multiple cultural events

While several events hon-oring Black History Month at Saint Louis University have passed, it is not too late for students to participate in the celebration.

“The theme of Black His-tory Month is ‘Understanding Us: And Exploration of the African Diaspora,’” Charles Turner, president of the Black Student Alliance said.

“We are trying to focus on having events on that explore different parts of African American culture so people who aren’t African American can experience the culture as well as African American his-tory.”

Clarence Lang of the Uni-

By PATRICA SCHAFER Contributor

versity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shared some of this history on Thursday, Feb. 10, when he gave a pre-sentation at SLU entitled “Civil Rights and Class in Postwar St. Louis: The Role of the Border in Black Freedom Studies.” Lang presented a compelling image of St. Louis as a microcosm of the greater struggle in the Black Free-dom Movement.

“St. Louis is not a story in and of itself. Rather, its his-tory makes broader claims on the events of the nation,” he said.

Calling to mind the many ways different classes came together in the struggle for equality and freedom in St. Louis, Lang mentioned Charles Sumner High School,

Homer G. Phillips Hospital, and the St. Louis city charter struggle of 1957 as evidence of the common goal shared by all social classes at the time.

“History is never fixed; it is always open to reinterpre-tation. This reinterpretation brings St. Louis to the fore-front of our shared history,” Lang said.

Throughout the month of February, students can learn more about this shared histo-ry by attending Black Student Alliance-sponsored upcoming events such as a Harambee Ball, Black Arts Night, and Black History for Kids.

As an extension of our shared and unique cultural and historical legacy SLU, Black History Month is an excellent way for students to

become more culturally and socially aware individuals who can influence positive changes for equality and jus-tice in their environment.

Turner extended an open welcome to all.

“[February] is an invitation to the entire SLU community to get an idea of the Black community here,” Turner said. “We want to educate people, because this is the best way to break down barri-ers and get an understanding of what we share.”

“Black History Month is a good thing because it keeps us from being color blind,” sophomore Anna Mazur said. “It allows us to have the sense that though we are different, who we are is neither better nor worse than anyone else.”

a BLaSt fRom the PaSt

hi-Pointe theatre provides local moviegoers with historic charm and bright lights >>aRtS

BUSIeSt tImeS of the YeaR:“Syllabus Week”

Mardi GrasSt. Patrick’s Day

PoPULaR BaRS NeaR SLU:

humphrey’s Restaurant and tavern-Established in 1976 by SLU graduate

-Hosts multiple CSO events

Laclede Street Bar and Grill-Established in 1904

-Dance floor popular attraction-Supports SLU Rugby

QUICK faCtS:83% of college students drink

48% of alcohol consumed at the average 4-year college is consumed by underage students

Source: collegedrinkingprevention.gov

By focusing on the questions, we kept it about the candidates’ qualifications rather than taking pokes at the other candidates.

“” - Chris McGeehan

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011

News2

Let Us Introduce YouBSA President, Big Brother, kidnapping survivor seeks diversityCharles Turner

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

slsc.org

NOW OPEN AT THE SAINT LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER

Examine one of the most urgent scientific and social issues of the 21st century. Admission to this exhibition is fREE.

Organized by the

SAVE THE DATESAn Inconvenient Truth The Oscar® winning documentary about climate change.

FREE daily showings in the OMNIMAX® Theater March 7-11 For information and showtimes visit slsc.org

The Amazing Randi Join us for an evening presentation with James Randi, investigator and challenger of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.

April 28 - 7PM Saint Louis Science Center $10 with student ID To make reservations, call 314.289.4424 @SLU

FEB. 21 -26Visit parks.slu.edu to learn more.

ENGINEERS WEEK

By PATRICIA SCHAFERContributer

Not many people can add a kidnapping narrative to the story of a well-rounded col-lege experience like Charles Turner, president of the Black Student Alliance.

When arriving for a study abroad semester in Mexico during the spring of his soph-omore year, Turner deplaned and searched for a bus sta-tion to get to his host family’s house in Pueblo.

However, two con artists in a taxi found him first. As they assured Turner that they would take him to the bus station, his surreal journey began.

“We traveled through random neighborhoods of Mexico City for about 20 min-utes. These guys looked offi-cial, and I thought they were OK,” Turner said. “One even had an ID badge. But then, they started asking for my money.”

The two men took Turner’s money and left him with only his luggage on a street corner in the foreign city of almost nine million people. He even-tually found a taxi driver who saw him to the bus station and off to his host family in Pueblo.

“Aside from that, I had a great time. I still have contact with so many people from around the world,” Turner said.

Now a senior International Studies and African American Studies double major, Turner also serves as the president of the Black Student Alliance. In addition, Turner has also participated in Mock Trial, worked in Housing and Residence Life, was a men-tor for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization as a “big” to a third grader named Christian and served as a Student Government Association senator for BSA,

“SGA, especially, I really enjoyed,” Turner said. “I got to make a lot of essential con-nections with campus leaders, faculty administrators and students. I also was kept in the loop with campus oppor-

tunities.” Turner transfers the

leadership skills he learned through these activities to his role as BSA president.

“People have said in the past that BSA is inclusive,” Turner said. “We wanted to be more visible to the SLU community. We wanted to be the group that reaches out.

Turner said they strove to accomplish this goal by holding many fall activities outdoors as well as making a special effort to welcome all.

During February, BSA has a unique opportunity to reach to the SLU commu-nity through Black History Month.

Turner is leading this effort.

The BSA is bringing in notable speakers like Jeff Johnson and creating note-worthy opportunities for stu-dents outside BSA, including an art show and a Harambee ball.

“I definitely want to see

SLU become a more diverse campus, a better reflection of the population surrounding campus, than what it is even after I leave,” Turner said.

After graduation, Turner plans to continue his educa-tion either by attending law school at Howard University or the University of California Los Angeles or applying to graduate schools in pursuit of a degree in urban policy or urban planning.

“I have enjoyed my time here at SLU and as president of BSA,” Turner said. “Even the challenges have been well worth my time.”

Passionate about improv-ing the urban education sys-tem, Turner will no doubt face challenges as he contin-ues his education after life at SLU.

However, as SLU sends him off into the real world to pursue his hopes and dreams, hopefully his experiences will not include another kidnap-ping.

Be a Responsible BillikenSTOP. CALL. REPORT.

314-977-3000witness.slu.edu

dps.slu.edu

All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety

and Security Services

Monday, Feb. 143:59 p.m. - THREATENING VOICEMAIL DPSSS received a call from an employee at the Salus Center stating she has been receiv-ing threatening messages on her voicemail by unknown persons. The caller was upset with the employee because of her efforts to ban smok-ing in St. Louis County and City.

Tuesday, Feb. 1512:20 a.m. - PROPERTY DAM-AGE A DPSSS officer observed two males abandon a golf cart near La-clede Ave. and flee the area. The golf cart was property of the Mainte-nance Department and the Plexiglas window on the right side had been knocked out.

1:39 p.m. - STEALING UNDER $500 A student reported unknown persons had removed her bike from the rack north of the Marguerite Hall within the last two weeks. The bike had been secured with a lock.

Wednesday, Feb. 1612:59 a.m. - POWER OUTAGEPower outages affected various areas in the Midtown area. There were multiple trouble alarms and AC failure alarms. Officers were dis-patched to all beats and did checks of buildings and elevators. All build-ings were secure.

THE SLU SCOOP

SGA: Fee decision in students’ handsContinued from Page 1

and $135 for a season ticket has kept attendance rates low, according to the survey data.

The fee would equate to students paying two dollars per game.

It should be noted this is not a mandatory fee being forced upon students by SGA. Students will vote on this referendum when they cast their votes for SGA executive board candidates on Feb. 28.

Though it may not be a forced tax, those who devel-oped the idea feel it should be passed.

“[Saint Louis University] is an incredible place but it lacks an athletic tradition,” Neuner said. “Obviously this is geared toward the basket-ball games but it’s time to start building enthusiasm behind the athletics.”

The survey data suggests

that enthusiasm is low as currently 34.9 percent of stu-dents stated they attend, on average, zero games and 38.5 percent attending only one to two games.

“I think this can be a great thing for the SLU commu-nity if we can fill the seats at Chaifetz [arena],” Anvender said. “It’s one barricade removed from preventing attending the game.”

Though the debating and ultimate passing of the

I think this can be a great thing for the SLU community if we can fill the seats at Chaifetz“

”-Courtney Anvender

Athletic Fee referendum took up most of the meeting, other legislation was completed during the senate meeting.

Decadence was the first of two organizations to be offered

status as new Chartered Student Organizations.

The group is a coed, non-fusion a cappella group. The group showcased their talents during th meeting by perfroming for the sena-tors.

Camp Kesem was the other organization granted to CSO status by the sen-ate.

Associated with 23 other universities nationwide, the

SLU chapter of Camp Kesem allows for students to become involved with summer camp that is offered to children ages six to 13 who have lost a parent to cancer.

The senate voted unani-mously in favor of passing both CSO resolutions.

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011

News 3SUFA visits school in northern Ghana

By MARK CAMPOSStaff Writer

Students United for Africa, an organization on campus and recently chartered non-governmental organization, whose purpose is to “eradicate poverty in Africa through edu-cation,” sponsored a school in a village in northern Ghana as part of its ongoing mission.

This year, students brought books, chalk, and other school materials in their efforts to help build a library in the vil-lage.

“This is the second time that we’ve gone, and each time we have kind of a dif-ferent mission,” SUFA Vice President Megan McCray said. “This time it was more educational, so we brought a lot of books; we’re trying to start a library.”

Though similar to SLU’s Global Medical Brigade, Mc-Cray said that SUFA is a sepa-rate organization that works with GMB.

The organization, which the government officially c h a r t e r e d as a char-ity in 2005, focuses on suppor ting education in Ghana.

The con-ditions of the neigh-b o r h o o d s in Ghana s h o c k e d SUFA members, some of which have never left the U.S.

“We’re going so far out into the country that cell phones don’t work there,” McCray said.

She said that the lack of water and the condition of the buildings bewildered stu-dents, and these made stu-dents want to improve the lives of the villagers.

“When we graduate, no matter what you participate in, you can always give some-thing back because there’s always someone that needs [aid] more than you,” McCray said. “So you just learn to kind of take things in perspective,” she said.

Although SUFA’s presence in Ghana is to help out, Mc-Cray said that she encourages her members to form bonds with the local populace.

When she participated in a mission group to Haiti, group

leaders insisted that the work-ers did not make friends with locals, and instead focus on service work, McCray said.

While in Ghana, she gave her fellow SUFA members a different order: “Make a rela-tionship with the people and just remember them every single day,” McCray said. “I wanted everyone to develop a relationship with this vil-lage and with this school and remember it forever, because then they’ll always be working really hard to improve it,”

The chief of the village thanked the students for their help and commented that he hopes the village will not need their help in the future, Mc-Cray said.

“He is really grateful for us establishing a school there to help everyone out, but they ultimately don’t want any of their [charity organizations’] help,” McCray said.

“They received food aid up until two years ago, and then finally were able to pro-duce enough food and have enough money to buy whatev-

er food they weren’t able to produce and they don’t need that aid any-more.”

S U F A m e m b e r s said they visited the n e a r b y town of

Paga to see the local popula-tion of crocodiles.

The people of Paga never attacked the creatures and in return, the crocodiles never disturbed them. The croco-diles allowed SUFA members to pick up their tails and did not harm them, McCray said.

“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she said. “So the whole trip was full of things like that, that’s like- ‘I am holding a crocodile tail right now, this thing is go-ing to turn around and bite my head off’- but it was really interesting,” she said.

On the whole, SUFA’s trip to Ghana aids the coun-try’s poorer communities in reaching self-sufficiency and emboldens students to help people less fortunate than they are.

“What we get out of it is a change in our own perspec-tive, and a change in our own lifestyles,” McCray said.

School of Law receives endowment

By CHAD CARSONStaff Writer

In the fall of 2013, the Saint Louis University School of Law will receive a $500,000 endowment to provide a pro-fessorship to a selected ac-complished educator, expect-ed to be instated in 2014.

“It’s our vision to be able to support an exceptional School of Law professor who fosters the dreams and passion of his or her students while ad-vancing legal education,” said Bruce Robert, who, along with his wife Jane, pledged the en-dowment to the School.

One of five endowed pro-fessorships at the School of Law, the Jane and Bruce Rob-ert Professorship will provide the opportunity to award one of the school’s best teachers and legal scholars.

Although the endowment will not be initiated until 2014, the family has pledged the

$500,000 gift in order to make a significant impact on the law school community for years to come, Robert said.

“The Robert’s gift will help the School of Law continue to retain high-caliber faculty who will challenge and inspire our students both inside and out-side the classroom,” Sandra Johnson, interim dean of the School of Law, said.

The Robert family said that they hope this particular en-dowment will directly benefit future law students, including many current undergradu-ate pre-law students who will attend the school in the near future.

“My family and I deeply value the education and com-munity service opportunities we received from Saint Louis University and the School of Law,” Robert said.

“Our experiences were strongly shaped by the school’s dedicated, accom-plished teachers.”

Robert and his family have had an extensive past with both the School of Law and Saint Louis University.

Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1970, Robert went on to earn his J.D. in 1973 from the School of Law. His wife taught French at SLU in the early 1980s while their son and daughter-in-law attended SLU for undergradu-ate and graduate degrees.

“It is especially rewarding to see how deeply the Rob-ert’s family appreciated their SLU and SLU Law educations by their generous support of the law school through this endowment,” Johnson said.

Jeffery Lewis, School of Law Dean Emeritus, said he has played a key role in keep-ing the Robert family connect-ed to the School.

Having served first hand as dean for 11 years, the Robert family said they credit Lewis for keeping them close to the law school and helping them

to understand exactly what an impact such a gift would make on students and the school it-self.

The gift comes at a crucial time for the School of Law, hav-ing fallen in rankings over the past several years. Although renowned for its Health Law program, which still ranks first in the nation, the school dropped from second-tier to third-tier rankings last spring, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

The School of Law current-ly ranks third of the four law schools in Missouri, behind Washington University and the University of Missouri.

The School of Law hopes to reverse the recent in ranking and add additional legal talent to focus on students.

“Jane and Bruce Rob-ert are wonderful friends of the law school,” Lewis said. “Their generous gift will ben-efit students for generations to come.”

Robert family gives $500,000 toward scholarship

expanded into the establish-ment it is today.

“We’re pretty involved with the SLU rugby team,” Laclede’s manager and bar-tender, Kevin Thalanany said. “And we recently got involved with a charity run by SLU alums, a fundraiser for the Foundation for Children with Cancer. “

Thalanany, who is also a SLU student, stated that what sets Laclede’s apart from other places is the popularity of its dance floor. A lot of their younger patrons come to the bar solely for this feature.

A newcomer to the scene, The Library Annex, also cred-ited their dance floor for their growing popularity. According to general manager Mark Winkelmann, what makes the establishment great is that there’s more to do at the Library Annex than just drink and dance.

“We’re a cool place because there is so much to do here,” Winkelmann said. “We have a dance floor, plasma televi-sions for sports games, beer pong tables, shuffle board and other games. There’s plenty

NightLife: Establishments tout unique atmospheresContinued from Page 1 of space and it never feels too

crowded. Our environment is what makes us unique.”

The Library Annex opened November 26, 2009, the day before Thanksgiving. Winkelmann credits SLU stu-dents for their quick rise in popularity.

“When we opened, we started off with just Saint Louis University students, but we are starting to see differ-ent kinds of people now, like Washington University stu-dents and young profession-als,” Winkelmann said.

Despite the more diverse customer base, The Library Annex still hopes to build a strong relationship with SLU. They have hosted multiple Charted Student Organization fundraisers, a cappella group performances and some administrator Christmas par-ties.

Though they are only a year old, Winkelmann said that he expects the relation-ship with the University to continue to grow.

With so many options around campus for nightlife, there is indeed some compe-tition among the bars. While attracting customers is com-petitive, Mangelsdorf attests

Black Student Alliance’s keynote speaker for Black History Month, Jeff Johnson, gave a presentation entitled “Unclaimed Legacy: Who Will Lead the Next Social Movement?” on Wednesday, Feb. 16 in the Busch Student Center. “I thought Jeff Johnson’s speech was thought provoking and charismatic. He made the audience look in the mirror and ask, “What am I doing for my community?” sophomore Rodney Pruitt said.

Leda Riley / Photographer

Speaker calls for students to help reform society

that there is a mutual under-standing and respect between the establishments.

“We all get along, but we all offer unique atmospheres,” Mangelsdorf said. “We do our best to attract customers, but the competition is respect-ful.”

Thalanany also agreed that the competition is respectful, as each bar has its own niche and attracts different crowds of customers.

While these establish-ments do attract a lot of SLU students, Dean of Students Scott Smith does not neces-sarily see their proximity as a problem.

“In general, having these establishments promotes social interaction and it’s good for the community to have these businesses avail-able,” Smith said. “The strug-gle comes with underage and high-risk drinking. There’s a viable role for these places, as long as that role continues to stay positive.”

Smith said that in compar-ison to other colleges and-universities, SLU is on par in terms of alcohol related incidents.

“There are cases of one student or several students

leave that to chance,” Porterfield said. “Human error does happen; I mean, I have lost my car keys before.”

Grand Forest resident senior Amelia Blanton was one of the students who had to have their keys replaced. She was notified by her resi-dent advisor in person about the changes and was also e-mailed by the Department of Housing and Residence Life.

“I thought that the University did a great job of being so open with this pro-

Locks: Res Life works to addresses safety concernContinued from Page 1 cess, but I mean how do you

lose something like that? You can lose a lot of things but that is a big deal to lose something that important,” Blanton said.

The new director of Housing and Residence Life Joshua Walehwa also felt that this situation needed to be immediately communicated to students. Walehwa addressed the inconvenience some stu-dents are feeling with these changes.

“I’m sorry that you are having to deal with this. We hope that you trust us and despite the inconvenience, we are taking the best steps to ensure your safety,” Walehwa said.

that can be pushed aside, say-ing he believed the way to bet-ter the Saint Louis University campus is by bettering SGA.

“Understand that the Student Government Association is your associa-tion, understand that next year, your concerns will be just as valued as my con-cerns,” Ryan said. “Some have said that I should have waited until next year to run for president, but some of these issues cannot wait until next year. With your help we can get to work, with your help we can build bridges.”

Janczewski gave his open-ing statement next. He cited his experience as Financial Vice President this year as a guiding factor in his vision for the future of the association.

“SGA needs organization, communication and profes-sionalism and this will create an SGA that really stands out to students and is able to form a personal relationship with students,” Janczewski said. “We just want students to really know us and trust us and build those person-al relationships because we want to empower students. We want to ignite Saint Louis University.”

In the final opening state-ment, Meiners expressed growth and maturing as the key for next year’s SGA.

“I think we have seen very obvious problems arise on campus, and we will be chal-lenging the status quo from previous years,” Meiners said. “In the spirit of this ticket’s name, Evolve, we intend to build on this year’s accom-plishments of SGA as well as to further develop and expand areas that need attention.”

After the opening state-ments ended, Anvender posed questions to the can-didates. She asked how the candidates hoped to achieve their primary objectives and

Debates: Presentation procedure changes

Continued from Page 1 how they planned to build on the success of her term.

Janczewski answered first, stressing student involvement and communication with stu-dents as a key factor for his objectives.

“Just getting students involved and getting them excited in everything that SGA does is going to be the key,” Janczewski said. “We need to prove to those admin-istrators at SLU that we can be taken seriously and that we are here for the students and open for to the students.”

Ryan also expressed that student feedback was key for communicating with adminis-trators.

“I think that Student Government needs to go to students, I don’t think that we should look around and say ‘why aren’t students coming to us?’” Ryan said. “We need to concentrate on the role of the senator at an earlier stage. I think it is important for the senators to know that they are ambassadors on campus.”

Meiners said that his pri-mary initiative was sustainabil-ity, not only in environmental practices, but also sustainabil-ity within the relationships between the administration and the student body.

According to Anvender, cooperation is key in this elec-tion, as she believes it will take a mix of experience and new perspectives.

“I think the debate was interesting because the dynamics were definitely dif-ferent having three tickets. Candidates not only had to try to get in the points from their own platform but to also try to acknowledge the other candidates as well,” Anvender said. “Overall, I think a major-ity of the platforms are very well-researched and I think they benefited from their experiences on SGA and I enjoyed the fresh perspec-tives of those who haven’t been on SGA.”

Make a relationship with the people and remember them every single day.“

”-Megan McCray

having a one-night problem with alcohol, but it does not mean that SLU has a prob-lem,” said Smith

Kenneth Hornak, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Department of Public Safety and Security Services, agreed that SLU is pretty average in regards to student drinking.

“I would think Mardi Gras weekend will have a big impact though,” Hornak said. “After 30 years of policing in the city, I know Mardi Gras is a big deal.”

All three establishments cited Mardi Gras as a major weekend for business in gen-eral, as well as St. Patrick’s day. They tend to see an influx of students coming in during the beginning and end of each semester.

“We see a lot of students syllabus week every semes-ter,” Thalanany said.

Senior Austin Reed, a mem-ber of the Pep Band, said that he appreciates having these bars close to campus, espe-cially after basketball games.

“They’re a great place to go blow off steam,” Reed said. “And they’re at a safe dis-tance, so there’s little danger going there.”

Shah (Yuquing Xia) / Associate Photo Editor

The locksmith of Frost Campus, John Porter, works to replace locks and keys for Marchetti Towers and Grand Forest Apartments.

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011Opinion Talk to us:

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Back in grade school, Black History Month resembled a fast-paced motorcycle drive through an art museum. The pleth-ora of so many amazing African American leaders were cursorily reviewed in a whirl-wind.

We all, of course, know about such es-teemed leaders as Martin Luther King Jr., But how many of us know about Olaudah Equiano? Beyond even the range of fantas-tic idols and influential leaders, few of us understand in depth other issues that are immensely important to the African Ameri-can community.

Looking at the events hosted by Saint Louis University’s Black Student Al-liance, we begin to see a deeper mural of issues.

The theme of BSA’s Black History Month program is called “Understanding Us: An Exploration of the African Diaspo-ra.” The topic of the African diaspora was not likely explored in detail, if at all, in our grade school education.

BSA also hosted well-known political commentator and author Jeff Johnson as a speaker on the topic of the “Unclaimed Legacy: Who Will Lead the Next Social

Movement?” While learning about the timeline of the

Civil Rights Movement is important, we miss out on the beautiful variety of these other topics and speakers that play equally crucial roles in developing African Ameri-can culture and intellectualism.

It is truly a disservice to all efforts to educate students about diversity that top-ics beyond the major African American figures are not explored in depth and more often.

BSA’s commendable lectures, events and informational gatherings help to fill this piece of the evolution in our under-standing of African American issues.

Black History Month is not only a cel-ebration and a vital recognition of the well-known figures of African American history, like Martin Luther King Jr.

It is also an exploration and a process of education about far-reaching issues and critical ideas.

BSA is helping SLU grow more aware of culture and true diversity by exposing stu-dents to those aspects of African American culture that get lost between the pages of our grade school textbooks.

Saint Louis University students should look to invest in the following items: blue and white face paint, blue shorts, blue shirts and – for those who think that leggings are pants – blue tights.

Students might start bleeding blue, and try-outs might be held for those of us who can do “the Billiken roar”… whatever that might sound like. Basketball, among other athletic events, could take campus by storm.

The Athletic Fee referendum, which will allow students to vote for a $15 to each semester to include the ability to at-tend athletic events including men’s basketball games without paying for normal tickets, holds immense potential. Should students vote to include this Ath-letic Fee starting with the 2011-2012 school year, there will be far-reaching positive effects for both the basketball team and the University.

The fee roughly translates to $2 per game – much less than the current $10 ticket price. Also, students would pay the fee along with the rest of their billing statement (which includes the Student Activity Fee, the Tech-nology Fee, etc.).

This expedited process along with lower costs makes athletic events far more ap-pealing to attend – and attendance will rock Chaifetz Arena and SLU’s campus to the

core.This is the catalyst that SLU men’s bas-

ketball needs. This new referendum, to be voted on by students this semester for the following 2011-2012 academic year, could be the magnet we need to fill the student sec-tion with electric energy.

This kind of magnetized support from students boosts morale for players, which improves performance. It’s hard not being inspired by a solid block of blue-clad stu-dents rooting ecstatically for your success.

This blue fervor has ripple-effects beyond the arena. Duke University, Notre Dame Uni-versity, Gonzaga University – these schools have well known athletics teams.

Their successes bring fame to their schools, only help-ing to create the image of prestige and respectability. SLU is poised to

do the same. This new referendum will pull students to

the arena, rooting our teams to success both in the basketball arena at school and the pub-lic arena for SLU. We need to see that this simple change can change the face of SLU athletics. We heartily support a referendum that can take our athletes and our school to new heights and new successes.

So let’s dress for success, in all our Bil-liken blue.

Students might start bleed-ing blue, and try-outs might be held for those of us who can do “the Billiken roar”... whatever that might sound like.

“”

As a student in the College of Arts & Sciences with two majors and one certificate, I have received excel-lent guidance from my academic adviser and faculty mentors. However, in discussing this with students and administrators I have learned that this level of service is not universal.

Faculty mentors who do not know their mentees’ names and academic advisers who routinely forget their students’ majors are examples of the necessity to improve this service.

The University administration needs to make connections between students and advisers. It must provide the standard of assistance to students that we expect in their principle task at our University—learning.

Students ought to receive the same level of atten-tion and support from their advisers and mentors during their time at Saint Louis University, as they did from the department of undergraduate admis-sion during high school.

However, the burden of advising does not lie sole-ly on one segment of the University. Academic advis-ers need to accurately and effectively communicate about curriculum and registration with students. Stu-dents must plan ahead when scheduling meetings with their advisors and mentors.

Faculty mentors need to be present and helpful to students when selecting courses and seeking in-ternships. It is not difficult to imagine, though, why a faculty member, whose body of work is evaluated primarily by his in-class instruction and published research, would not significantly value his role as a mentor.

Where’s the incentive? The administration must demonstrate their stated commitment to the Integrat-ed Advising Model, now in its fourth year at SLU.

-Patrick Grillot is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty mentors need to connect to students

Black History Month is also about lives between the lines

Painting the stands with Billiken blue will bolster the team and bring fame to SLU

Peace and Quiet

Dinner and a movie

Chocolate

Diamonds

Posted below are the results from our web poll at unewsonline.com. .

What do you want most on Valentine’s Day?

Congratulations on a successful bus trip to the men’s basketball game vs. Xavier and for the increas-ing participation at Billiken men’s basketball games.

The energy that the SLUNATICS generate in Chaifetz Arena clearly makes a difference. Last week, a large, boisterous group of SLU students braved the weather to cheer on the Billikens for the victory over UMass.

Your group is quickly building momentum as a force in the Atlantic 10 Conference. When the SLU-NATICS led the S-L-U chant in the Cintas Center at the Xavier game in Cincinnati, the entire crowd took notice of your vocal support of the Billikens!

Keep up the great work, and I look forward to watching your positive leadership continue at Chaifetz Arena and on future road trips. Clearly, the SLUNATICS are making a difference.

Great Job!

-Chris May is the Director of Athletics.

Athletics department congratulates SLUNATICS on

energy and leadership

Quotesof the week

“I think there’s a certain experience here that can’t be found anywhere else. A lot of people say that it’s very much a classic experience.

”- Joe Klueh, Hi-Pointe Theatre employee

See Page 7.

“We didn’t feel like imposing a tax on the students. This is simply giving the students a choice.

”-Courtney Anvender is the President of Student Government Association.

See Page 1.

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011

Opinion 5

It was supposed to be a day of civility and stability to honor the police but instead became a day of

political unrest. “Police Day” as it was once called, will be forever r e m e m b e r e d throughout the world as the “Day of Rage.”

On Jan. 25, a reported 10,000 people marched onto Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, to call for an end of the

30-year reign of President Mubarak. A week later, that crowd grew to over 2 million. This came as a direct result of a Facebook event that had over 90,000 followers. The uprising in Egypt shows the true power of social media sites and demonstrates their ability to act as vehicles for social change for modern youth.

“It’s time for this govern-ment to change,” Amal Ahmed, a 22-year-old protester said. “I want a better future for me and my fam-ily when I get married.” [MSNBC]

What is happening in the Egypt today is reminiscent to the social movements that were taking place in the U.S.’s “Turbulent 60s.”

Unlike the students in Cairo, col-lege students have been accused of being idle in the realm of poli-tics. My “Contemporary Black America” professor implied that she does see the rebellious spir-it of her generation in this now.

Past generations have made their presence felt through: the Civil Rights movement, the Counter Culture movement, the Feminine Mystique, even Hip-Hop is regarded as a protest against Reaganomics.

On Feb. 15, 2003, there were protests in over 60 different coun-tries with an estimated 10 million supporters. It was the largest pro-test in human history but did not get significant media coverage.

In the pre-social media era, political movements needed media coverage to have an effect on the public. Media coverage of the Civil Rights Movement dras-tically changed the public opin-ion of African-Americans. Graphic images led that change: children

burned alive, students stomped on while praying, students sprayed with firehoses that were strong enough to peel bark off a tree.

Recently, media outlets have become more autocratic. Media corporations such as Viacom, Newscorp, Comcast [former-ly Universal], Walt Disney and Time Warner monopolize the market. Their control allows them to limit public discourse. Certain ideas become regard-ed undisputable truths, even if they have no basis in reality.

Social media has popped the balloon of media autocracy. Social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter alike have allowed people to express their viewpoints instantly across the world. It is due to the accessibility of these sites that allow speech and press has never been more free.

“We Must Stay Plugged In: The Internet Is Central to Democracy,” the co-editor of

the Utopian, Keith Wagstaff said.The recent events in Egypt

demonstrate the social media ability to make governments more transparent. Before the protests, little was known about the Egyptian “President” Mubarak and his emergency law.

This law was put in place after the collapse of Egyptian government in 1981 and was meant to be tempo-rary. This law forbids the freedom of assembly and gives the govern-ment authority to stop the circula-tion of publications. The protesters ability to communicate with the outside world through social media has forced Mubarak to be cautious.

With the whole world watching, Mubarak does not want to prove his opposition correct. In order to com-bat his opposition, he tried to shut off the internet across the country.

This was a lame attempt proved to be unsuccessful. In response, protesters then used radios to com-municate to anti-Mubarak support-

ers outside of the country. These protesters then posted those mes-sages on Twitter and Facebook.

Before the “Day of Rage,” citizens did not speak out against President Mubarak due to fear of retribu-tion. When Wael Ghonim, invited 90,000 people to protest on Police Day through Facebook, he had minimal expectations of a turnout.

Ghonim’s Facebook event would, in a matter of minutes, lead to headlines across the world.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube revolutionized the way we protest. By eliminating the autocracy held by media conglomerates, move-ments are now indestructible.

We may not be the reb-els of yesterday, but we are the innovators of today.

We created a new platform not only affective for us in this country but other students across the world.

Thomas Wash is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The media has molded and mobilized a revolution

My window was on the ground in a huge, shattered chunk. My stereo was missing and the whole console that held it was gone.

“”

On Feb. 5, most students were ensconced in their homes—warm, safe, happy. Christopher Martin,

a sophomore, stood in the Loyola Lot at the corner of Laclede and Va n d e v e n t e r , phone in hand, jaw agape, icy wind zipping around him.

“I saw my car and my heart dropped,” he said. “My win-dow was on the

ground in a huge, shattered chunk. I looked inside and everything was completely frosted and cold, which led me to believe [that] it was bro-ken into awhile before I saw it.”

My stereo was missing and the whole con-sole that held it was gone.

It wasn’t just ripped o u t — a l l the wires were still intact, which showed the criminal had at least thir-ty minutes to steal it. “I was angry,” he said.

Martin is not alone in his indignation. Our entire student body’s hearts have also dropped with each bashed-in window and remaining pieces of unrecovered property.

“I didn’t bother calling [the Department of Public Safety and Security Services] because they have been helpless up to this point,” he said. “So I decided to call the police.

During my conversation with the officer, he mentioned that there is enough DPS to cover every single area of campus, except they are not deployed correctly and are not put to good use.”

I believe Martin’s concerns about adequate security coverage are well-founded, with 15 break-ins on Feb. 1 alone.

The question remains: whose is responsible?

These crimes occurred in a cam-pus with 24 parking lots on its main campus and 79 patrolling DPSSS officers.

That evens out to roughly one officer per parking lot every eight-hour shift—and this doesn’t include staffing the actual walkways on campus.

Kenneth F. Hornak, the Assistant

Director of DPSSS Field Operations, emphasized that the department is making do with what they have.

“We are aggressively patrolling the lots, maintaining an active vis-ibility. But this isn’t just an occur-rence at [Saint Louis University]. This is a city-wide problem.

It’s important that people under-stand they can help themselves by making sure laptops, briefcases, everything valuable, are parked in their trunks. Heck,” Hornak said, bursting out laughing, “I made sure the only thing I had in my backseat this morning was a spatula!”

He’s right—we do need to be vigilant about our visible posses-sions. Hornak also said that there will be signs soon placed near the lifting gates with this vital reminder on them.

Though the signs will hopefully serve to prevent future break-ins,

the fallout from the rash of Feb. 1 break-ins is still being felt by af fected student driv-ers.

“I already have things to pay for,” Martin said. “It’s hard enough going to school and working two jobs. I’ve put so much into my car—

loved it ever since I got it. I’ve already missed five days of work, and Valentine’s Day is coming up—I feel bad for my girlfriend, Natalie.”

I don’t think it is fair to blame DPSSS solely for these misfor-tunes, but I do believe their capa-bility can be enhanced through a more adequate distribution of SLU’s resources.

According to SLU’s 2011 Fiscal Operating Budget, eight million dol-lars were set aside for “new spend-ing” (mostly academic related), six-hundred thousand for “adminis-trative needs,” and five million for “compensation increases.”

Certainly, some of that could be delegated toward more aggressive security measures, whether that involved more efficient protective personnel, or (at minimum) live surveillance equipment so those currently staffed could respond in even better time to such debacles.

SLU may be in the most danger-ous city in the United States, but that doesn’t mean we need to feel that way on campus.

Mary Bast is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

SLU car break-ins deserve more attention and security

I’ll admit it; I’m one of those sappy romantic types who does not absolutely hate the idea of

Valentine’s Day. And, yes, this past Monday I did have a Valentine of my own.

Do I under-stand how peo-ple can com-pletely detest the holiday? Of course.

As I said, I do not abso-lutely hate the

idea of Valentine’s Day, which is far from saying anything about the actual “Hallmark holiday” itself.

In my eyes, Valentine’s Day is a day about expressing love and sincere appreciation for the closest people in your life, whether they are your partner, your family, or your best friends.

It is simply a day to thank those you love for being in your life. While I was getting ready for Valentine’s Day this year, I was try-ing to come up with different ways to say “I love you” and “thank you for loving me despite all my crazy quirks.”

But I soon realized that there are many more people that I want-ed to thank than just those who I would formally be recognizing on Valentine’s Day.

This year has been one with many ups and downs for me person-ally. If it weren’t for the numerous people that helped me get through those downs so I could reach the ups, I’d still be trying to climb my way out of some deep holes.

And when I really got to thinking about these individuals, I found an underlying similarity – they rarely get thanked for their support and

helpful attitudes. To the servers and bartenders

at Humphrey’s who time after time had to put up with my questions as I learned the ropes as a newbie waitress — I’m sure that I would have gotten extremely sick of the new girl very fast, but you showed me a kindness that I will take with me wherever I go.

To the Op-Ed editor of the news-paper who puts up with an anxious and perfectionist wannabe-writer-turned-columnist and devotes her whole self to making sure my words, along with the words of other students, get printed each week— you have made one of my dreams come true, and I can never repay you.

To the maintenance man at my apartment building who, at 12:00a.m., left the comforts of home to check on my leaky roof— you knew that you couldn’t fix anything then and there, but you heard the concern in my voice and came down to put my mind at ease a bit.

It is people like those that I’ve mentioned here that deserve their very own Valentine’s Day. We all have them; those behind-the-scene individuals who make our lives work the way they do.

They aren’t always on the top of our “Thank You” lists and part of the reason is because they do not ask to be. sIt is people like this that deserve thanks and rarely get it.

I invite you to take a few min-utes, look back into your past, and pick out those people that have had or are having this kind of impact on your life and let them know exactly what it means to you.

Start handing out those unsaid thank you’s.

Laura Hicks is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Valentines for the forgotten

After the tragedies in New Orleans, Haiti and Pakistan, the floods in Australia and Brazil just

don’t make the front page anymore. After all, who buys a newspaper that continually reports natural disasters and the rise of sea level in every part of the world? It’s boring and nobody cares.

The Pakistan flood wave

six months ago has largely been forgotten, though its aftermath still continues to take lives while many of its victims still roam homeless and malnourished, without shelter and without a vision of an end to their suffering.

The Australian floods, which never got much coverage to begin with, were ignored for the most part as well. Little do we hear, aside from the homes destroyed, much of Australia’s northeastern agriculture and other industries were also soiled away by the floodwater. Of course, with the case of Australia, the area affected by the floods accounts for less than a sixth of the country’s landmass, while about a third of Pakistan, and most of its arable cropland was submerged, devastating its agriculture and food sources. While the number of people affected in Australia, roughly 200,000, is less than one percent of the country’s population, the 20 million Pakistanis affected by the floods account for more than 12 percent of the population. Besides, Australia will probably do just fine recovering on its own.

Additionally, these statistical descriptions of disasters, devoid of the human element, serve only economic purposes and have absolutely no moving effects. The average American has no idea what 20 million people looks like, nor, sadly, what it means to die of malnutrition. Besides, I don’t think anyone ever sits around for a good hour, thinking “What do these natural disasters mean to me?” But when we hear these disaster stories, and when we see images of ruined lives, we definitely think something. There must be a sort of feeling that stirs inside.

Perhaps we take a Pat Robertson stance, pitying Haiti and wondering why they made a “pact to the devil” to deserve the earthquake. And maybe if Al Qaeda hadn’t been brewing terroristic schemes, Pakistan would never have been flooded. But maybe that’s not the point at all. Perhaps some of us think disaster doesn’t mean anything. Things like this happen all the time. Its part of the natural order of things, you know… There are always poorer and hungrier people. It doesn’t have to mean anything, does it?

I say it does. We look at floods and earthquakes

and feel pity. We feel far away from “them,” those people having to go through homelessness and starvation. Those of us who pray to a god even pray for those people, that they may have the strength to get through their times of hardship. We feel thankful and relieved that St. Louis didn’t flood from melting snow this past weekend. We’re quick to criticize: “Why doesn’t President Obama send more flood aids to Pakistan? Is it because they’re terrorists?” And those of us who have a dime to spare feel good at the end of the day because we helped save a life somewhere out there. But that’s the extent of our vision on disaster.

Most of us have never smelled disaster. I am thankful I never had to live through one. I never stirred at the sound of a siren, thinking the tornado passing through town just might suck my house in. Frankly, arrogant as I am, I almost felt I knew the tornado wouldn’t hit my house. How could it ever? My house wasn’t the kind that could be ruined.

But it might. The countless floods and quakes that have been brought to attention this past year make you think just how easily cities get ruined and lives are lost. Disaster does have a blind eye. It doesn’t look to see what people have been the naughtiest this year. It doesn’t keep count of the sins committed, nor the prayers sent to keep a disaster from coming. The very next breath I take could be stopped short by a blow to the roof. It only takes a split second to flatten everything I have.

And I never consider it. Well-to-do countries like Australia would probably never expect a disaster either. Then, when the tragedy hits, it takes a very short time for all signs of livelihood to become one with the water.

I’m not in any position to justify tragedy, but it puts things into perspective, thinking about loss, thinking about recovery from it, thinking just what temporary means. Perhaps we would live our lives differently, keeping disaster in sight.

Parisa Rouie is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Floods bring disaster into sharp relief

Mauriel Blakeley / Illustrator

Leda Riley / Illustrator

Commentary

Laura HiCks

Commentary

mary Bast

Commentary

tHomas WasH

Commentary

Parisa rouie

Last Week’s Solutions:

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Comics/Student Artunewsonline.com

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By KRISTEN MIANO

Figger It

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011Arts

The University News

Talk to us: Ashley Jones 314.977.2812

arts.unews@gmail.com

Friday, February 18

9 p.m. Jeremiah Johnson Band

The Gramophone$5 plus a $2 minor surcharge

Saturday, February 19

8:30 p.m. The aTaris: an evening wiTh KrisTopher roe wiTh equal squeze, The idle Commission and guBenThal

FirebirdTickets are $12

Wednesday, February 23

9 p.m.dum dum girls wiTh dirTy BeaChes and minKsThe Billiken ClubAdmission is free

8 p.m.rooney wiTh eisley and The old Ceremony

FirebirdTickets are $15

Thursday, February 17

1 p.m. and 8 p.m.9 To 5: The musiCal

The Fox TheatreFor ticket prices, visit fabulousfox.com

Friday, February 18

8 p.m.9 To 5: The musiCal

The Fox TheatreFor ticket prices, visit fabulousfox.com

Saturday, February 19

2 p.m. and 8 p.m.9 To 5: The musiCal

The Fox TheatreFor ticket prices, visit fabulousfox.com

Sunday, February 20

2 p.m. 9 To 5: The musiCal

The Fox TheatreFor ticket prices, visit fabulousfox.com

Monday, February 21

8 p.m.The BreaK up

Cafe Ventana Admission is free

Monday, February 21

7:30 p.m.Ben Bailey

Wool Ballrooms, Busch Student CenterAdmission is free

9 p.m.TenaCious Trivia

Cafe Ventana Admission is free

MUSIC

OUTOn The

TOWnArTs ediTOr’s Picks

OTHER

THEATER

Hi-Pointe Theatre stands at intersection of old and new

The Hi-Pointe Theatre, located at the intersection of McCausland Avenue and Clayton Road, is one of St. Louis’ few inde-pendently owned movie theaters. The theatre was built in 1922 and continues to serve St. Louis moviegoers.

Allison Smith / Photographer

The Oscars never get it right. In fact, I argue they get it wrong more than they

get it right. Just think: F o r r e s t G u m p over Pulp F i c t i o n ? Rocky over Network?

S h a k e -speare in Love over The Thin Red Line? How Green

Was My Valley? over Citizen Kane? Crash over anything?

Don’t look for things to change too soon. Without fur-ther adieu, here’s what will win…and should win.

I’ll start with the ones no one cares about:

Best Documentary ShortShould Win: Haven’t seen

any of themWill Win: “Killing in the

Name,” a film about a sui-cide bomber. Sounds like that important political commen-tary the Academy loves

Best Animated ShortShould Win: Don’t know.

Haven’t seen ‘emWill Win: “Day and Night”

because Pixar made it, and with Toy Story 3 likely taking home an Oscar, Pixar love will spill over.

Best Live-Action ShortShould Win: Still haven’t

seen ‘emWill Win: “Na Wewe” – a

blind guess

Best Original SongShould Win: This cate-

gory should be kept at the Grammy’s.

Will Win: “We Belong Together,” a song about the Academy and Pixar’s relation-ship. The Oscars have a long-standing love with Randy Newman, and once again, love for Toy Story 3 will spill over.

Best MakeupShould Win: The Wolfman

–This looks like a weak cat-egory, with each of the nomi-nees only being nominated for one Oscar.

Will Win: The Wolfman –Nominee Rick Baker has a good track record with the Academy, having already won six golden men.

Best Visual EffectsShould Win: Enter the Void

(not nominated)Will Win: InceptionThe visual effects in Enter

the Void were groundbreak-ing and often crucial to the narrative, but Inception will win because of the iconic zero gravity scene and all the hooplah about Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing his own stunts.

Best Animated FeatureShould Win: Toy Story 3Will Win: Toy Story 3This category should not

exist. Pixar once again has no real competition. The Toy Story franchise has never won one of these, and the Academy might think this is the last shot to give Woody and friends the gold.

Best Documentar y Feature

Should Win: Banksy’s bril-liant Exit Through the Gift Shop

Will Win: Inside Job because the Academy can never pass up self-important political rants.

Gift Shop poked at the line between fact and fiction, art and hoax. Its ambition will distance voters who prefer their documentaries served with a side political whistle-blower instead of character study.

Best Foreign Language Film

Should Win: DogtoothWill Win: In a Better World,

but could be IncendiesWhile I haven’t seen the

other four nominees, Dogtooth stayed with me for days, but it’s too weird and disturbing for a mainstream audience.

Best Original ScoreShould Win: Trent Reznor

and Atticus Ross for The Social Network

Theater owner Brian Ross likes to refer to the Hi-Pointe Theatre as St. Louis’s “hidden gem,” and it is true that, to some, the movie house might be off the beaten trail.

As one of the city’s few independently owned movie theaters, the Hi-Pointe might not get the huge blockbust-ers that characterize the sub-urban multiplexes. Visitors soon see, however, that the Hi-Pointe has a charm all its own.

The small theater stands in the looming shadow of the enormous Amoco sign at the intersection of McCausland Avenue and Clayton Road on the southwest edge of Forest Park. A tiny, single-person ticket booth protrudes from the front of the old, brick building. A huge marquis above the booth advertises “TWELVE OSCAR NOMS: THE KING’S SPEECH” and below that, charmingly, “IN COLOR!”

The marquis is a nod to the Hi-Pointe’s legacy. The theater is the only historical theater in St. Louis that still serves its original function as

a movie house. Saint Louis University film

professor and The University News faculty mentor, Avis Meyer said, “Hi-Pointe is a real theater. It’s just the way it used to be,” referring to the art-deco décor, the quirky tur-quoise-and-gold color scheme and the tiny staircase one needs to climb to get to the upstairs restroom.

Meyer, who is currently teaching a film criticism class, apparently is not the only per-son who has fallen victim to the theater’s sweet, nostalgic charm. “There are [custom-ers] who are 80 years old who came here as kids,” Ross said.

Joe Klueh, who has worked at the theater for over two years, said, “I think there’s a certain experience here that can’t be found anywhere else. A lot of people say that it’s very much a classic experi-ence.”

“It’s personal,” he said. “We know a lot of our custom-ers by name.”

The Hi-Pointe, partly because of its independent status, remains very close to the St. Louis cinephile com-munity. “We’re still very much a neighborhood house,”

Klueh said. The local focus extends even to the conces-sion stand, which offers Ted Drewes’ custard as well as cookies and popcorn from nearby suppliers.

The theater also teams up with local movie festivals, most notably the St. Louis Film Festival. Moviegoers are also looking forward to Q-Fest, an LGBT film festi-val that the Hi-Pointe will be involved with this April. In addition, the theater will host the “Vincentennial,” an event celebrating local native and cult icon Vincent Price.

Maintaining a small local theater is not without its chal-lenges.

An independent house suffers from a lack of secu-rity that a large national chain provides. In 2008, after Landmark Theaters decided not to renew the lease on the Hi-Pointe, the small theater’s existence hung in the bal-ance.

That is when Ross stepped in. After longtime experi-ence with big theater com-panies, he was ready for a change. He collaborated with owners George and Georgia James (whom he calls the “lifeblood” of the theater),

who had owned the Hi-Pointe since the 70s.

Under Ross, the theater has undergone many “mod-ern” improvements, like sur-round sound, digital projec-tion and 3-D capabilities. The new equipment allows the Hi-Pointe to offer the inde-pendent fare that has attract-ed their loyal base for years, as well as fun popcorn movies like Tron: 3-D.

The theater also has recent-ly acquired a liquor license. “There are people who have come in who have enjoyed the experience more because they can have a beer or glass of wine,” Klueh said.

“We’re also trying to cul-tivate a new audience,” Ross said. The combination of old and new seems to be suc-cessful.

Meyer exemplifies the fiercely devoted base. “It’s the only theater in town, that if someone wants to tear it down, I will march in front of that building!” he said, emphatically.

Thanks to a combination of these loyalists and a new customer base, the Hi-Pointe will continue bringing its entertainment to the St. Louis community.

We asked students: Will you be attending the Ben Bailey performance?

“I thought about it. I have watched his show, and I feel he’d be an inter-esting person to watch.”

Colleen MathewsSenior, College of Arts and Sciences

“I am because I saw him on T.V. He seems like an interesting guy.”

Fraisher MoralesSophomore, College of Arts and Sciences

“No. I haven’t heard of him.”

Allie GaloobSenior, College of Arts and Sciences

If you enjoy stand-up com-edy then Student Activities Board’s next event is the event for you. SAB will provide stu-dents with the opportunity to attend a performance by comedian Ben Bailey on Feb. 21.

“He has been on the list for a couple of years…he was a good choice for everyone,” SAB’s president Stephanie Hart said.

Bailey is perhaps most well known for his role as the host of “Cash Cab” on the Discovery Channel, which debuted in 2005.

“He has a popular show, which is great,” Hart said.

In this game show, unex-pecting people enter a taxi only to realize they are part of a game show. Once in

the taxi they have the option for the “Cash Cab” to drive them to their destination and ask them general knowledge questions. The questions get progressively harder and worth more money, as the passengers get closer to their destination. If the contes-tant answers correctly, they are awarded money, if they answer incorrectly they are given a strike. After three strikes, their chance comes to an end, the car stops, and they must exit.

His role on “Cash Cab” caused Bailey to receive Daytime Emmy nomina-tions from 2007- 2010 for “Outstanding Game Show Host.”

“Our generation watches a lot of TV and a lot of them have probably seen the show,” Hart said.

Bailey’s career in comedy

began unexpectedly when he was mistaken for a come-dian at The Comedy Store where he worked answering phones.

Since then, he has host-ed “Cash Cab: After Dark,” which premiered in 2007, in addition to “Cash Cab.” He has made appearances in tele-vision shows such as “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” “Last Call With Carson Daly,” “Comedy Central’s Premium Blend,” “Hope & Faith,” “Law and Order, SVU” and “MAD TV.” He has also appeared in movies such as Spiderman 2 and Bad Meat.

In the past, SAB has host-ed several comedians such as Demetri Martin, Caroline Rhea and Rob Riggle.

“[Comedy] is what the school seems to like the most,” Hart said. She also explained that SAB tends to

draw bigger crowds with the comedians they bring in than with the other events they host.

Hart explained that she thought Bailey’s performance would be similar to the come-dians they have hosted in the past, except with more slapstick comedy. She also said she thinks that students would be able to relate to his humor.

In addition to Ben Bailey’s performance, SAB is also planning another movie night at the Moolah Theater. They are also planning Spring Fever, which is set to take place April 26-29.

Bailey’s performance will take place on Feb. 21 in the Wool Ballrooms, located in the Busch Student Center. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission will be free.

Ben Bailey of ‘Cash Cab’ brings stand-up to campus

Critic gives take on who should win Oscars

See “Oscar” on Page 8

By SARAH FENTEMStaff Writer

By ASHLEY JONESArts Editor

Movie RevieweR

T.J. Keeley

MOVIES

unewsonline.comunewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011

Arts8

Oscar: Critic anticipates ‘The

Kings Speech’ as Best Picture

Continued from Page 7

Director puts spin on Shakespeare classic

Senior Katie McGee (left) and junior Gregory Cuellar (right) play Beatrice and Benedick in director Tim Ocel’s version of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The former lovers engage in a war of wits throughout the play.

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

The University Theatre will be performing Shakespeare classic “Much Ado About Nothing”, but with a twist.

Director Tim Ocel takes the play, originally set in the late 1500s in Italy and transports it to 1936 in Italy. Historically, this is the year that Italy returned from a suc-cessful invasion of Ethiopia. The play begins with the sol-diers returning home from the war.

Ocel will serve as the guest director for the pro-duction, but is no stranger to stage directing. He has experience with directing opera, having directed at the-aters such as Union Avenue Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, New Opera St. Louis and Boston Lyric Opera. He also has experience direct-ing plays. He has done so for Indiana Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz and Geva Theatre Center.

“Much Ado About Nothing” is not Ocel’s first time direct-ing Shakespeare. A few he has directed include “As You Like

It,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Despite the change of scen-ery, the themes of love and deception remain the same.

“From the moment we began researching the state of Italy in 1936, my cast-mates and I began seeing the show through new eyes. The set-ting Tim has selected reveals new things within the text and fuels the character’s motives and emotional states,” cast member Katie McGee said.

McGee plays Beatrice, the cousin of Hero, who was pre-viously wronged by the man she loved, Benedick. McGee described her as a seemingly strong woman with a warm interior.

“She is a pioneer of sorts in women’s rights and the feminist movement. She has previously been wronged by Benedick, the only man she has ever allowed in. Overtime she has covered herself with a resistant witty exterior,” McGee said.

In the play, Benedick returns from the war and reenters Beatrice’s life. It is this event that takes place in one of McGee’s favorite

scenes.“My favorite scene var-

ies depending on the day. Today it is the very first time [Benedick] and [Beatrice] see each other in the train sta-tion after [Benedick] returns from the war. Their wit and intrigue seems to crackle,” McGee said.

Throughout the play, Benedick and Beatrice engage in a war of wits. However, once Benedick comes back into her life, Beatrice begins to let her guard down.

“Throughout the play, we watch this exterior chip away until she reaches a state of vulnerability that opens a door for Benedick to reenter her life,” McGee said.

This is not McGee’s first encounter with Shakespeare. Five years ago, she played in another production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”

“It is a joy to do the show again, because I get to revisit the text and discover new things within it,” McGee said.

However, Beatrice is one of her first Shakespearean roles. This proved to be a challenge for McGee, she said.

“I adore Beatrice’s immense sensitivity and com-passion that she attempts to hide behind her wit…Staying on top of the language and actively listening to each other has been the most excit-ing challenge to conquer,” McGee said.

McGee, currently a senior, has acted in many University Theatre productions in her time at Saint Louis University. These experiences have fos-tered learning and growth in her acting career.

“Onstage I have begun finding characters within myself as opposed to portray-ing them more externally,” McGee said.

“Much Ado About Nothing” will run Feb. 25-26 and March 4-6. The play will start at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.

It will take place at the University Theatre located in Xavier Hall.

Tickets are $10, $9 for senior citizens, $9 for SLU faculty and staff, and $7 for all students.

For additional information call the box office at 314-977-3327.

Ocel transports ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ to 1936

By ASHLEY JONESArts Editor

Will Win: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network, unless Alexandre Desplat gets caught up in The King’s Sweep.

The score for The Social Network is far from the cli-chéd pounding drum of Hans Zimmer. Reznor’s and Ross’s score keeps rhythm with Sorkin’s concerto dialogue.

Best Costume DesignShould Win: Black Swan

(not nominated)Will Win: Alice in

WonderlandColleen Atwood dressed

the inhabitants of Wonderland and has won this category in two previous years, but I preferred the costumes in Black Swan, which seemed so much a part of each charac-ter’s personality (see: Natalie Portman’s uber-tight hairdo).

Best Sound EditingShould Win: True GritWill Win: InceptionI just like True Grit bet-

ter, but Inception has to win something. And it was loud.

Best Sound Mixing (didn’t we just do this category?)

Should Win: The Social Network

Will Win: The Social Network…or Inception…or The King’s Speech

The Social Network bal-anced dialogue in some fran-tic locations and maintained a rhythmic beat to it all. But Inception was loud.

Best Art DirectionShould Win: True GritWill Win: Alice in

WonderlandTim Burton is known for

the look of his films, so I’m going with Alice, but I’m biased to the Coens’ period piece.

Best CinematographyShould Win: Roger

Deakins, finally, for True GritWill Win: Let’s hope

Roger Deakins for True Grit, but that just might be wishful thinking; this guy shot No Country for Old Men and The Assassination of Jesse James, etc. among others and still doesn’t have an Oscar.

Best EditingShould Win: The Social

Network – that thing just had such a pulse.

Will Win: The Social Network

Cutting Sorkin’s whiplash dialogue and rooting through Fincher’s legendary obses-sively excessive takes deserve a medal.

Oh, and the film jumps lib-erally through time and dis-position rooms.

Best-Adapted ScreenplayShould Win: Aaron Sorkin

for The Social Network Will Win: Aaron Sorkin for

The Social Network

Best Original ScreenplayShould Win: Mike Leigh

for Another YearWill Win: David Seidler

for The King’s Speech (see Screenwriting 101)

Seidler plugged clichés into the Old Hollywood for-mula better than the rest of them, but Mike Leigh’s script traced characters through

words and silences beauti-fully.

Best DirectorShould Win: David Fincher

for The Social NetworkWill Win: Tom Hooper

for The King’s Speech (I can’t believe I just typed that.)

This is a close one; in fact, we might see a picture-director split if the Academy throws Fincher a bone.

Hooper won the coveted Director’s Guild Award, but I particularly admired Fincher’s framing and burnt brown tone.

He also got solid perfor-mances out of a relatively young and inexperienced cast.

Best Supporting ActressShould Win: Jacki Weaver

in Animal Kingdom Will Win: Melissa Leo in

The Fighter, unless all that self-promotion backfires.

Jacki Weaver is still so frightening and memorable after I saw Animal Kingdom last summer.

If film acting is reacting, she put on a clinic with her facial expressions or lack thereof. But Leo’s showy role and rapport with the Academy should push her out front.

Best Supporting Actor Should Win: John Hawkes

in Winter’s BoneWill Win: Christian Bale in

The Fighter Like Weaver, Hawkes gave

an incredibly nuanced and memorable performance, but the Deadwood veteran has no chance of besting Batman. The over-acting method man will finally get his due.

Best ActressShould Win: Lesley

Manville in Another Year – not nominated

Will Win: Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Manville’s performance was simply the best one I saw any actor give all year. Portman will win because she lost 20 pounds for the part. Oscars love that.

Best ActorShould Win: James Franco

in 127 Hours – that film is even worse without his one-man show-stopper.

Will Win: Colin Firth in The King’s Speech – he should have won last year instead.

Best PictureShould Win: The Social

Network (or even Winter’s Bone)

Will Win: The King’s Speech

The Social Network was probably my favorite film of the year. It’s the film of the moment and uses themes as old as Aeschylus.

The Fincher-Sorkin project captured poignantly the irony and feeling alienated by the Internet, despite its being a window to the entire world.

But The King’s Speech put on a clinic in making old women cry. Most of the film seemed created just to win an Oscar, full of excess and indul-gence, a virtual Oscarbation. It’s a classic formula; unchal-lenging and shallow, just what the Oscars ordered.

I hope I’m wrong about most of these. It’s not over ‘til the King Speaks.

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Billikens begin A-10 title defense

By BRIAN BOYDSports Editor

Woods reflects on career and challengesBy DERRICK NEUNER

Associate Sports Editor

Just when it looked like the season could not get any worse for the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team, it did. St. Bonaventure’s Ogo Adegboye hit six 3-point-ers en route to a career-high 29 points, Andrew Nicholson scored 20 of his 22 in the sec-ond half, and Da’Quan Cook tied his career-high 21 points in an 83-73 lashing on Wednes-day, Feb. 16.

Dwayne Evans led the Bil-likens (8-17, 3-9 Atlantic 10 Conference) with 16 points, while Brian Conklin added 15. Mike McCall and Cory Reme-ken added 11 points apiece.

SLU has now dropped four games in a row and are on

track for their worst finish in almost 10 years. Currently, the team stands 11th in the conference which would en-ter them into the post-season tournament.

SLU had an early lead off hot shooting by Rob Loe. The teams swapped leads for most of the half before SLU head coach Rick Majerus was called for a technical foul.

St. Bonaventure took the lead off the two free shots and never looked back.

The Bonnies went on a 14-2 run over a six-minute span to open up the lead for good.

They would go up by as much as 18 in the second half off a 8-1 scoring streak led by Adegboye.

Over the final 1:32 though, the Billikens forced four turn-overs and capitalized on each possession to forge an 11-0 run that cut the deficit to sev-en, 80-73, on a Conklin layup.

Time was not on the Bills’ side, and the team fell by 10. SLU shot a blistering 56 per-cent in the first half and 50 percent for the game, but al-lowed the Bonnies to shoot 73 percent in the second half.

Because of travel, Majerus and the team were not avail-able for comment.

Majerus did comment about his concern over the “highs and lows” of his fresh-man in an interview with The University News on Monday.

The Billikens return to ac-tion Saturday, Feb. 19, when Charlotte visits Chaifetz Are-na at 7 p.m.

It is the annual Billiken Blue Out, and fans are en-couraged to wear blue. The game will be televised locally for fans who cannot attend.

To be the best, you have to beat the best. Naturally, everyone is looking to take down the champ and show that they deserve the top spot.

As they say, heavy lies the crown, and the reigning kings of Atlantic 10 baseball are about to find out how heavy that burden is for the first time ever.

After years of competitiveness, but not great-ness, the Saint Louis Billikens baseball squad finally broke through last year and captured the coveted A-10 tournament crown, earning the right to compete for the NCAA Division-I cham-pionship.

The team may have suffered defeat in region-al play against the University of Louisville, but in the A-10, they still remain supreme. Fourth-year head coach Darin Hendrickson knows that the Billikens are not going to sneak up on anyone.

“We better be ready. I do not know if they un-derstand that. I have been harping on them hard. You’re going to have a bull’s-eye on your back now,” Hendrickson said about his team.

The spotlight began to shine even harder on the Billikens when it was announced that the A-10 coaches had picked them to finish fourth

in the league, their highest preseason projection ever. With all the hype and accomplishments, it can be easy to get distracted.

These Billikens will not let it happen.This year’s team returns six starting position play-

ers from last year’s championship squad and brings back seven others who saw significant playing time. Led by senior Jon Myers, the Bills boast a lineup with seasoned veterans who can swing the bat and play solid defense.

Myers, an all-conference selection last season, ab-solutely crushed opposing pitchers last year, hitting for .365 average and blasting 16 home runs along the way. He and graduated first baseman Danny Brock formed one of the most intimidated 3-4 combinations in the country last year, but with another season un-der his belt, his numbers should continue to rise.

SLU returns another five position players who saw action in over 50 games last season. Mike Levine was fourth on the team in batting average, posting a solid .296 average, and Steve Fernandez was not too far be-hind with a .293 average.

Despite the solid hitting numbers, something the Billikens have one through nine in their lineup is just a valuable of a commodity: depth. As a matter of fact, when asked what the starting nine would be for this weekends upcoming tournament, Hendrickson re-plied, “More like starting twelve.”

“We plan on playing a lot of guys. We have a lot of

guys who can hit lefty; we have a strong bench, a lot of versatility. We can make defensive replacements late in the game and on days the wind is blowing out, we can play more offense. We have a good mix, and versatility is something that not many people have,” Hendrickson said.

In addition to the wealth of experience returning on offense and defense, the Billikens bring back some big-time arms in both the starting rotation and the bullpen.

Sophomore Alex Alemann, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America selection last season, is the ace of the staff. Last season, he posted a 906 record with a 4.71 ERA, but reached his season peak dur-ing conference play, in which he posted a 6-2 record with a 2.93 ERA. As a result, Alemann is the defini-tive No.1 starter heading into the 2011 season.

“I think he deserves the nod for sure,” Hen-drickson said. “He needs to get better and work a lot harder, but he has matured. He is way advanced for a sophomore.”

SLU also boasts a deep bullpen this season, a rarity in college baseball. Big right-hander Andres Wiltz led the team in ERA last season, working most-ly out of the bullpen. Jerry Mancuso also pitches, in addition to his starting role in the outfield.

By DERRICK NEUNERAssociate Sports Editor

When Shimmy Gray-Miller was announced as head coach of the Saint Louis University women’s basketball program, one of the first priorities she mentioned was heavily re-cruiting the St. Louis Metro area. She jumped quickly to the Metro-East, signing four players in her first two years at the helm.

Four years later, only Lau-ren Woods remains. At the beginning, Gray-Miller de-scribed Woods as “a must sign for us … a mature leader with unlimited potential.” To-day, Woods is set to leave the Billikens as an Atlantic 10 All-Conference honoree.

Woods came to SLU af-ter four incredibly successful years at Belleville East High School in Belleville, Ill. As a Lancer, the six-foot forward averaged 15.8 points, 3.3 re-bounds and 1.45 steals her senior season, landing her awards from All-Conference selections to an Associated Press Class AA All-State hon-orable mention. Her team also advanced to the super-sectionals in the Illinois State Playoffs.

“High school was a blast,” Woods said. “We had a pretty successful high school career as a team. I had four great years of building on my skills. I think, entering high school, I was still raw, so develop-ing my skills and building on them was a lot of fun.”

Her career as a Lancer grabbed the attention of sev-eral schools, including Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Il-linois State, Evansville and Southern Illinois-Carbondale. But Woods forwent the op-portunity to play for of the bigger BCS schools to stay

close to home and play for Gray-Miller. Woods said be-coming a Billiken provided the chance to “do something that had not been done be-fore, come in and help build a program, and lay the founda-tion for something that had never been done at SLU.”

What she did not expect was playing alongside Metro-East rival Theresa Lisch. An Althoff High School graduate, Lisch regularly faced Woods on the court and gained the respect of her would-be team-mate through her competi-tion and drive.

“When I heard I was go-ing to play with Theresa, I thought, ‘I get to play with one of the best players in the area, and it’s going to be fun playing with her instead of going head to head,’” Woods said. The combination would move the Billikens into the conversation of competitive A-10 basketball.

Woods’ first year at SLU was a quiet one. Though she appeared in 26 games, she started just seven. She aver-aged less than six points per

No longer underdogs, SLU sluggers have a target on their back

Road woes continue as men’s basketball falls to Bonnies

See

See “Baseball” on Page 11

See “Woods” on Page 10

SLU baseball begins the 2011 season on Friday, Feb. 18, at Texas Pan-American University. The Billikens are led by three seniors starters this season.

Dwayne Evans takes a shot during a Billiken game.

Ryan Giacomino/ Photographer

Lauren Woods moves the ball down the court during the “Pink Out” game verses No. 6 Xavier on Wed., Feb. 16.

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unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011Sports Talk to us: Brian Boyd

314.977.2812 sports.unews@gmail.com

The University News

Softball

The women’s softball team kicked off their season with a bang on Feb. 11, winning their first three games against Southern University, Ak-ron and Nichols State.

The team lost their next two to Southeast-ern Louisiana and Ten-nesssee Martin. Junior Kerri Dockins went on a tear during the five game slate, hitting .556 over the span.

The Billikens travel to Fort Meyers, Fla., on Feb. 18 to compete in the FGCU Tourna-ment against the likes of Georgetown, Villanova and Michigan State.

Women’S tenniS

SLU squared off against the Tigers of Missouri on Feb. 13 at the St. Clair Indoor Ten-nis Club in O’ Fallon, Ill.

Hailee Elmore started the Billikens off on the right foot, winning her No. 1 singles match, but that would be the last victory of the day for the Bills.

Missouri won the next six decisions, topping SLU 6-1. The loss drops the Billikens to 4-1 over-all on the season.

Billiken Briefs

83-73

68-76L

vs. St. Bonaventure

5-2

@ Richmond

@ Rhode Island

49-36L

92-60Lvs. Xavier

BILLIKEN SCOREBOARD

R

6-1vs. Missouri

78-77

68-76vs. Southern

78-77

68-76vs. Nichols State

78-77L vs. Tennessee-Martin

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball

Softball

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis

vs. Akron

vs. Illinois-Springfield

@ Southeastern La.

Woods: No career regrets as a Billiken

Continued from Page 9

Billikens drop conference tilt at Richmond By TYLER VACHIO

Staff Writer

On Saturday, Feb. 12, the Billikens traveled to face the Spiders of the University of

Richmond. The men’s bas-ketball game was nationally broadcasted on ESPN 2. This was the Billikens’ fourth game this season on the ESPN fam-ily of networks.

Saint Louis University played tight defense in the first half of play, holding Rich-mond to a 39.1 field goal per-centage from the field.

The real story of the game was not in the defense, but more in freshman forward, Dwayne Evans.

Evans had a career game on the road and kept the Bil-likens alive during the sec-ond half. He totaled 21 points

and 15 rebounds. Both career highs and his third double-double of the season.

“Dwayne gave a big lift on the boards, especially on the offensive side,” sophomore guard Christian Salecich said. “His ability to play on the high post, against Richmond’s defense was extremely ben-eficial to our success on the offensive side of the ball.”

Freshman guard Mike Mc-Call had seven points, and sophomore forward Cory Re-mekun had six points to go along with three rebounds.

At halftime, Saint Louis only trailed by three points, 26-23.

However, in the second, Richmond would capitalize on Billiken mistakes and extend their lead out of SLU’s reach.

It was a half marked by

changes in momentum, a classic case of back-and-forth basketball.

The Billikens chipped into the lead with 13:03 left when facing only a 38-34 deficit, but they gave it right back to Richmond.

The Spiders went on a 13-4 run and led 51-38 with 9:04 left.

The Billikens responded with a run of their own, scor-ing eight unanswered points and trimming down the lead to 51-46 with only 5:17 left in the game.

Another basket with 4:32 left kept the Billikens within five points of the lead.

Junior forward Brian Conklin hit a short jumper with 2:32 left to make it a four-point game, 56-52, but after that basket, it was all

Spiders. The Billikens did not score

again in the game and lost by a final score of 64-52.

The road of the Atlantic 10 has not been a friendly place for the Billikens.

Only one win has come on the road for Saint Louis this season, against Fordham on Jan. 19.

If it were not for Evans explosive night, the Billikens may have been run out of the gym by the Spiders.

With the loss, the Billikens fell to 8-16 (3-8). SLU cur-rently stands at 12th place in the A-10 conference.

Only the top 12 teams in the conference advance to the conference tournament, which is the Billiken’s only shot at earning and NCAA bid.

game. “College was a big transi-

tion,” she said. “You think you’ve worked the ultimate and done all you can do. Then you get to college and real-ize you’ve never worked this hard before. You’re level of time to the game and extra work takes you to another step.

“I think that’s the main difference from high school. There, you know, you’re the tallest girl and naturally ath-letic, so you have the advan-tage. But in college, you have to put in the extra work to have the advantage because everyone is as good as you.”

If her freshman year proved that she needed to work harder to be the athlete she wanted to be, then her sophomore year showed she was up to the task.

Woods played in all 30 games (career high) and started six, was third on the team in points (career-high 233), free throws made (career-high 74), free-throw attempts (career-high 111), total rebounding average (ca-reer-high 4.8 rpg), offensive rebounds (career-high 52), offensive rebounding average (career-high 1.73 orpg), as-sists (career-high 57), assists per game (1.90) and steals (career-high 29).

She also posted career highs for a season in scor-ing average (7.8 ppg), total rebounds (144), field goals made (79), minutes (841) and minutes per game (28.0).

The Swansea, Ill., native attributes the dramatic shift in performance to a changed perspective of the game.

“Coach Gray talks a lot about being a student of the game,” she said.

“That really helped me. As the years went on, I began to watch other players. I re-ally emerged myself into the game.”

Everything was looking up for Woods and the Billikens.

And then, the unexpected happened.

Lisch, who had set school records in almost every cat-egory and was named an Aca-demic All-American, decided to forego her final year of eli-gibility and left the Billikens following the 2008-09 season.

Her departure meant Woods, a junior, would see a lot more floor time.

It also meant that the team’s goals of competing for a conference title vanished. SLU finished 11-19 overall and 5-9 (tied for ninth) in the A-10 in the 2009-10 season.

Woods still received recog-nition for her hard work and was named the A-10’s Most Improved Player and received honorable-mention plaudits.

The current season will not produce a title either.

After a 92-60 loss on Wednesday, Feb. 16, to No. 6 Xavier, the Billikens are 7-19 on the season and 1-10 in the A-10.

Woods will leave SLU with unfinished goals.

Despite this, she looks at the impact the program had on her and where SLU bas-ketball is headed.

“I’ve worked with a great group of girls the last four years,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for better team-mates. I think that’s a positive, too. Sometimes it’s not about what you did but the way other people have impacted you and how you impacted others.”

Woods also does not think she will have any regrets about her time in a Billiken jersey.

“Knowing that the hard work put in by me and my teammates won’t go unno-ticed by the further classes that come along, that’s part of laying the foundation,” she reflected.

“It takes more than four years to build a program. You know, being one of the pio-neers that went through the hard times and not having the most successful seasons, I hope that propels the young-er classes to come into SLU and get it done.”

After the Billikens’ final game this season, Woods said she expects to retire from the hardwood.

In her future is law school, where she hopes to “work hard to be a great attorney,” though she admitted if the opportunity to coach or play basketball elsewhere present-ed itself, she would consider it.

Through it all, Woods has delivered a passion to a strug-gling program.

Her performance on the court and her legacy at SLU has moved the program in a positive direction.

She hopes her time here inspires future Billikens to be as passionate and devoted as she was, traits she said she acquired from her parents.

“My parents really inspire me,” Woods said.

“They have always instilled in me the importance of hard work and accomplishing goals that you have and finishing things.

“That’s been an on-going theme here, no matter how tough it gets, you have to keep fighting through and fin-ish strong.”

Ryan Giacamino / Photographer

Senior Ayriell Robinson takes the ball up-court in a Feb. 16 contest against Xavier. The Billikens were overwhelmed by the No. 6 ranked Musketeers. Despite the fact that SLU scored 38 points in the 2nd half, Xavier still won handily, with the final score finishing 92-60

Ryan Giacamino / Photographer

Head coach Gray- Miller

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011

Sports10

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011

Sports 11

Rounding the Bases with the Billikens

HEAD COACH: Darin Hendrickson

2009-2010 RECORD: 33-29

2010 A-10 TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

Jon Myers

Zach Miller

Mike Levine

Cody Cotter

Nick Becker

Steve Fernandez

Jerry Mancuso

Connor Gandossy

Sophomore

Shortstop

.296 Avg. 44 RBI

Senior

Third Base

.365 Avg.16 HR72 RBI

Sophomore

Pitcher

9-64.71 ERA

Junior

Catcher

.231 Avg..425% OBP

RS Sophomore

First Base

.293 Avg.5 HR

27 RBI

Junior

2nd Base

.291 Avg.

.399 OBP

Junior

Right Field

.280 Avg.

Senior

Center Field

.318 BA

Senior

Left Field

.262 Avg.16 SB

R

Alex Alemann

What truly sets this bull-pen head and shoulders above most others though is perhaps the most impor-tant relief-pitching role in the game of baseball—the closer.

A true closer is hard to come around in the college ranks. Closing pitchers are often developed in the minor leagues after players realize they might not have what it takes to start.

Sometimes, a strong-armed position player will switch to pitching if his hit-ting is not sharp enough and end up as a closer.

Famous closers such as Eric Gagne and Trevor Hoff-man both followed these routes.

SLU’s closer Travis Park-er, took a redshirt last sea-son after transferring from a community college but will have the role from the get-go this year.

“We have a true closer in the sense of the word in Travis Parker,” Hendrickson said.

The Billikens kick off the 2011 campaign competing in a tournament hosted by Tex-as Pan-American. The Bill’s opponents include the Uni-versity of Illinois- Chicago and the host Texas Pan-Am.

No matter how talented the Billikens are this year, the reality is that they are lacing up their cleats for the first time for live competi-tion this season.

A distinct disadvantage of playing baseball in the Midwest is the cold, snowy winters that prevent teams from getting onto the field as much as, say, a team from California would. Even if

there are indoor practice fa-cilities available, it is tough to simulate the outdoor condi-tions of a baseball game.

What places SLU at an even greater disadvantage is the fact that they lack an on-campus indoor practice facil-ity.

Despite the hardships, Hendrickson applauds the grittiness of his team for do-ing whatever it took to pre-pare for their season.

“All Midwest teams strug-gle with indoor facilities and indoor weather. That is why

I applaud our kids. They are unbelievably relentless. Prac-ticing indoors is not fun, es-pecially when you lack a true facility, and you are bouncing around a lot,” Hendrickson said.

Regardless of the weather, location, or condition, Hen-drickson’s squad will come to compete.

With returning starters who have tasted the NCAA tournament guiding the new influx of talent, the season looks to be a promising one for the Billikens.

Baseball: Reigning A-10 champs no longer a surprise Continued from Page 9

Senior Jon Myer returns to the Billikens after hitting .365 last year. Myer, along with seniors Cody Cotter and Nick Becker provide leadership to a team that welcomes 14 new players.

Ryan Giacomino / Photographer

Although only picked to finish fourth in the A-10, with as much talent as the Billik-ens have on the mound and in the batter’s box, their chances to take home a regular season conference crown in addition to a tournament crown is as good as ever.

The Bills began their com-petition in Texas on Feb. 18, and then head to Lawrence, Kan., on Feb. 25, to take on Iowa and Kansas.

The Billikens kick off their home slate March 2 against SIU- Edwardsville.

Graphic by: Brianna Radici / Design DirectorPhotos courtesy of Billiken Media Relations

unewsonline.comThursday, February 17, 2011

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Fall 2011 Room Selection Important Dates: Applications Available: December 17, 2010

Deadline for Learning Community and Specialty Housing Applications: February 15, 2011

Priority Application Deadline: February 25, 2011

Jr/Sr Lottery Results Posted: March 11, 2011

Sophomore Access Times Posted: March 21, 2011 Online SelectRoom Access Dates:

Juniors and Seniors: April 4 & 5, 2011 Sophomores: April 8 & 11, 2011

All questions should be directed to the Department of Housing and Residence Life

at 314-977-2811 or reslife@slu.edu

Senior Night at

Chaifetz Arena

$5 TICKETS ONLY

SENIORS ONLY

Buy tickets at the Student Involvement Center (BSC 319).

Saturday, February 26th

7:00pm Seniors Only:

Participate in half court shot

Chance to win signed basketball

Free Pizza

Raffles during the game

Spirit Competition

Must buy tickets at the Student Involvement Center in order to be eligible for contests and prizes.

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Career and Graduate School FairCareer and Graduate School FairCareer and Graduate School Fair

Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 12:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. Busch Student Center, Wool Ballrooms

Complete list of registered organizations found at careers.slu.edu — Professional dress required Questions? Call 977-2828 or visit BSC 331