Read and Recycle

The University News prints on partially recycled paper.

A new flavor

See “Tuition” on Page 3

After losing two of its top players last fall, the men’s basketball team is getting one back. Former teammate Kwamain Mitchell received

a waiver from the NCAA on Jan. 18 al-lowing him eligibility to play for the rest of the 2010-2011 sea-son.

All though Mitchell has at-tended practices and sat on the sidelines at the games against Saint Joseph’s Univer-sity and Fordham University, head coach Rick Majerus said that it is not certain if Mitch-

ell will offi-cially play this sea-son.

“It is in our team’s best in-terest for Kwamain to play, but I don’t believe it

is in his best interest to play,” Majerus said. “But the deci-sion is his, and I will respect whatever he wants to do.”

The team, which has racked up seven wins and 11 losses so far this season, has already benefited from Mitchell’s return to the team since he was reinstated by the University on Jan. 6. While practicing for the game against Saint Joseph’s, Mitchell acted as an opposing guard against Kyle Cassity.

“You’re not going to run into too many that have his speed and his quickness and his stability,” Cassity said of Mitchell. “He’s a good guy to have at practice when you are trying to run scout team.”

Mitchell’s return to the team follows a suspension from the University in October after he and teammate Willie Reed were found guilty of violating the school’s Code of Conduct amidst allegations of a sexual assault against a female student last spring.

Both Mitchell and Reed were readmitted to the University for the spring semester, but only Mitchell has returned to the team.

In statements released from the University, the administration said that each student’s educational record, which includes academic standing and conduct performance, were considered while reaching a decision.

The administration said the readmissions process for Mitchell and Reed were considered individually.

“In Reed’s case, the educational record includes academic performance issues and several previous incidents of misconduct,” the statement said, affirming his suspension from the team.

Reed said that the decision was a mutual agreement with

See “Players” on Page 3

Mitchell getsokay to play; Reed returns

Tuition hikes set for SLU

By JONATHAN ERNSTEditor-in-Chief

The price is right. That is what the Saint Louis Uni-versity Board of Trustees af-firmed when they approved the annual mark up of SLU’s tuition rates for the 2011-2012 academic year.

In his January message to the SLU community, Law-rence Biondi, S.J. announced that undergraduate tuition would be increasing by 4 percent (3.5 percent for graduate study, 2 per-cent for the law school, 2 percent for the medical school and 4 percent for the Madrid Campus).

H o u s -ing rates will also increase at an average of 2.5 percent.

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Bob Wood-ruff describes the University’s financial position as “solid” and credits the increases to SLU’s commitments to “stay-ing competitive.”

“We know it is difficult to have any tuition increase, but we have commitments that we are required to fund, and we want to continue to en-hance the academic offerings and enhance the quality of the campus and that requires in-vestment,” Woodruff said.

Biondi reiterated this in his message as he cited that the tuition is increasing because the University’s costs also continue to rise.

“I believe the FY12 gen-eral operating budget appro-priately balances the need to continue investing in our aca-demic and student programs with the economic realities faced by our students and their families,” Biondi wrote in his message.

This increase allows the University to allocate $9.5 mil-lion in new s p e n d i n g accor ding to the 2012 budget.

E i g h t million of this new s p e n d i n g budget will go towards incr eased faculty posi-tions, a new

Center for Interdisciplinary Study of the Courts and Ad-vocacy in the School of Law, additional resources for the Pius XII Memorial and Medi-cal Center Libraries and add-ed classroom technology, to name a few.

The other $1.5 million in new spending will be used for additional resources for the Department of Public Safety and Security Services, new positions in the Division of Research and additional staff-

By ANDREA ROYALSNews Editor

Mitchell

Reed

- 10 year contract- Greater Financial support and funding- New Energy Star rated vending machines- Coke will still be sold at select locations- Enhanced Sustainability initiatives

Pepsi Contract Details

Coke or Pepsi? Saint Louis University started the year with a new answer to this question: The

school picked Pepsi.The University signed a 10-year con-

tract with PepsiCo Inc. in early January, replacing the school’s prior 12-year agreement with the Coca-Cola Co.

This spring, students should expect to find Pepsi beverages in place of the old Coke products that could be found on campus in years past. The Pepsi line up includes brands like Gato-rade, Mountain Dew, Tropi-cana, Lipton Iced Tea, Sobe, and Aquafina water.

“Coke’s contract expira-tion date was Dec. 30, 2010 which prompted a competi-tive bid process for the Uni-versity’s beverage pouring and vending rights, Annaliese Gior-dano, Contract Management Specialist at SLU said. “It is the University’s policy to collect competitive bids when purchas-ing decisions need to be made so the University is ensured the best combination of price, ser-vice and quality the market can offer.”

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi submitted contract proposals. At the end of the bidding process, the University decided that Pep-si’s offer was the strongest.

“Pepsi offered superior finan-cial support, improved custom-er service, highly-rated product line, enhanced marketing sup-port, reasonable contract terms and the option to sell Coke at select on-campus locations, Gior-

dano said. Some of the benefits that come

with the new contract include in-creased funding that will be put

toward activities at the Simon Rec-reation Center, Billiken Club events and student organization initiatives. Pepsi will also allocate funding to the Billiken athletics program and pro-vide additional support to the ath-letes with Gatorade products and merchandise, Giordano said.

The Pepsi contract also ap-pealed to the University because of its enhanced sustainability program, Giordano said. All the new vending machines are En-ergy Star rated, making each energy efficient, and Pepsi will provide the school with a green machine recycling ki-osk.

“This machine accepts emp-ty bottles and cans for recycling, Giordano said, Pepsi will donate proceeds to disabled veterans.

Kevin Morris, a spokesperson for the Coca-Cola Company, wished

Coke fizzles outCola wars: Pepsi secures 10-year contract on campus

By KRISTEN MIANONews Editor

See “Pepsi” on Page 3

Anvender commends senate, calls for greater constituent advocacyBy SEAN WORLEYAssistant News Editor

In addition to her weekly report on various ongoing projects, Student Government Association President Courtney Anvender presented the annual State of the Association address this week, where she expressed her sentiments regarding what she feels the senate has accomplished thus far, and where she sees the senate going in the future.

Anvender’s address concentrated on the leadership of the caucus and how their accomplishments echoed the Jesuit ideals of “in the spirit, from the heart, practically.”

Referring to the efforts and dreams of past administrations, Anvender commended her senators on creating a statement of shared governance, a student oath of inclusion and the successful campaign to renovate Pius XII Memorial library. Anvender said she feels each initiative was “in the spirit of previous administrations.”

Continuing on in evaluating the senate’s actions last fall in terms of the Jesuit ideology, according to Anvender the conversations held between senators and various other parties were genuinely “from

Student Government Association President Courtney Anvender delivers the annual address to the senators in the senate chambers during the Jan. 19 senate meeting.

Kati Cundari / Associate Photo Editor

Tuiti

on In

crea

ses

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

8.5% ($28,481)

6.5% ($30,330)

2.0% ($30,940)

4.0% ($32,180)

4.0% ($33,470)

(Und

ergr

adua

te)

is utilizing a multi-year, multi-phase approach to the procurement and installation of external cameras to cover such areas as our surface lots,” Corvington said.

Many of Corvington’s new initiatives are technologically based, but he said he also wants to make strides in other areas that could improve campus safety, including communicating safety tips with students.

Though it is the responsibility of DPSSS to maintain safety on campus, Corvington said that the officers cannot be the only individuals held responsible for student wellbeing. Thus, the department initiated various campaigns to raise

DPSSS continues to help boost security

By SEAN WORLEYAssistant News Editor

See “Safety” on Page 3

See “SGA” on Page 2

We know it is difficult to have any tuition increase, but we have commitments ... and we want to continue to enhance the academic offerings.

“”-Bob Woodruff

Vol. XC No. 15

The University NewsA Student Voice of Saint Louis University Since 1921

unewsonline.com Thursday, January 20, 2011unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.com unewsonline.

The news where you wanT IT Vote in our weekly web pollRead concert, movie and play reviewsCheck out the latest in Billiken AthleticsPost your own comments and opinionsGet updates on everything happening at SLU from unewsonline.com

Last fall, the Department of Public Safety and Security Services welcomed director Roland Corvington to Saint Louis University, who went straight to work to heighten the visibility of safety measures on campus. As the new semester begins, members of the SLU community can expect these measures to continue to increase.

These initiatives will be supported by a portion of the $1.5 million allocated in the 2012 fiscal year budget for University spending on non-academic units, said SLU President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., in his January message.

“My plan for things to come will [be in] respect to my budget and advances in technology, or the incorporation of technology into our operations to make things safer here,” Corvington said.

Improved notification systems, which utilize text-messaging, installation of additional blue emergency contact pillars and the possibility of purchasing the experimental Trikes that were seen on campus last semester could all be included in Corvington’s attempts to continually improve campus security.

“Another area that I’m looking to try and improve

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011

News2

Let Us Introduce YouAsst. Vice President has taste for theater, paleontology, Jesuit principlesRay Quirolgico

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

THE SLU SCOOP

Check out unewsonline.com for this week’s officer profile!

Noah Berman / Photo EditorFriday, Dec. 10

1:55 p.m. - TRESPASSING A home-less person was found unconscious in the men’s rest room in Tegeler Hall. He appeared to be intoxicated. EMS arrived and transported him to SLUH ER.

All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Security Services

By SEAN WORLEYAssistant News Editor

A nurse, a doctor, a fire-fighter, a veterinarian, a police officer, an astronaut ...the list goes on. Ask any young child what they want to be when they grow up and they will most likely answer with these classic roles.

Ray Quirolgico, the new Assistant Vice President of Student Development at Saint Louis University, was no exception. Until his college years, that is.

“I really wanted to be a neu-rosurgeon, but I didn’t want to commit four years of medi-cal school and umpteen years of residency,” Quirolgico said, who graduated from the University of Virginia with a double major in biology and psychology.

One may wonder how a college graduate with science degrees ends up in a univer-sity administrative role.

“My third year [of college] I was a [Resident Advisor]. That was when I started to get to know a lot of adminis-trators on campus who start-ed asking me ‘Have you ever thought about doing the kind of work we do?’” Quirolgico said. “No one grows up think-ing that they will be an educa-tional administrator.”

Quirolgico went on to obtain a doctoral degree in education to work in a field that truly interested him: Student Affairs.

“I loved the stimulation of it,” Quirolgico said. “I loved the life cycle of it. Planning orientation and seeing com-mencement happen, all of that was fun for me.”

With experience in mul-tiple positions at various uni-versities, Quirolgico had his first exposure to higher-level Jesuit education—other than his high school career in New York City—at the University of San Francisco. He dealt with residence life at USF and incorporated the Jesuit ide-als of the university into his work, a similar sentiment to his goals for his time at SLU.

Quirolgico will be working with Housing and Residence Life and the Cross Cultural Center, but he does not see

the work of the departments as separate.

“One of my questions for myself and for those two departments I work with is ‘What do we always do with the privilege of being here?’” Quirolgico said.

Having worked in the stu-dent living for many years, Quirolgico is no stranger to student complaints. Quirolgico, however, chal-lenges not only himself, but also the campus communi-ty to think about those “in the same ZIP code” who do not have shelter or adequate options for food.

“That’s what SLU does. It challenges adults to think, in the context of your life, what makes sense,” Quirolgico said. “How do you make sense of the world and how can you contribute to the world to make it an even better place, for yourself and for others?”

Quirolgico said that his intentions revolve around all students experiencing some sense of a cross-cultural edu-cation and wants students to be able to admit their igno-rance on various topics.

“It takes a lot of courage to say ‘I don’t know about blank’,” Quirolgico said. He said the admitting a lack of knowledge is the first step to make changes and have a renewed sensibility.

Knowledge of every culture

is not possible, but Quirolgico certainly has a taster for the culture of preforming arts, especially theater and musi-cals.

“I’m such a theater fan. When you asked ‘what’s your favorite play or musi-cal’ I started to break that down into subcategories,” Quirolgico said.

Not only is Quirolgico a supporter of the performing arts, but also has had a hand in producing plays. During his years at the University of Virginia, Quirolgico helped produce a performance of Godspell, in which one cast member was Tina Fey, a fellow alumnus of his alma mater.

“The cast party was at my fraternity house, because a couple other of my brothers were also involved with the production,” Quirolgico said. “Tina Fey and I were dancing on a radiator in front of a giant pane-glass window—totally not safe to do now—to a mix tape I helped make.”

When he is not dancing on heating appliance with celebrities, Quirolgico enjoys watching television, Iyengar yoga and reading books on topics such as Ebola, Small Pox and paleontology.

“I just finished a book writ-ten by a paleontologist and geologist,” he said. “That’s my pleasure reading.”

Thursday, Dec. 912:32 a.m. - TRESSPASSING A subject who was being questioned regarding his identity and purpose for being in the building, broke loose from officers and ran. After a foot chase, the subject was located, arrested and turned over to SLMPD.

Tuesday, Dec. 114:50 a.m. - PROPERTY DAMAGE A student reported a shot was fired from I-64 through the apartment window of the Flats apartment complex. No one was injured. SLMPD, Residence Life and Maintenance were notified.

Tuesday, Dec. 147:24 p.m. - INFORMATIONAL Two SLU students contacted DPSSS re-garding person(s) unknown making at-tempts to gain access into the Village Apartments at two different locations. Officers searched the area to no avail.

Tuesday, Dec. 1411:50 p.m. - STEALING OVER $500 A SLU law school library employee re-ported that while away from the front desk area, person(s) unknown stole her purse and backpack, which had been under a desk. A check of the facility for the stolen property and possible sus-pects met with negative results. The employee was advised that she could contact SLMPD to file a report.

the heart.”“With the statement of

shared governance, we com-mitted ourselves to a spirit of good will and asked the administration to do the same,” Anvender said.

Similarly, Anvender spoke to the dialogue created by the oath of inclusion.

While the oath will be released to the general stu-dent body at yet to be deter-mined date later, the effects of it have already begun to be observed, said Anvender.

“The discussions helped us each think deeply about our role in creating a campus of inclusion and to take a step toward healing the wounds of last year,” Anvender said.

“I cannot conceive of a clearer example of leading from the heart.”

Anvender said practical examples, which are the final point of the Jesuit ideology, of SGA accomplishments could be found in the increased

SGA: Senate reflects on accomplishments Continued from Page 1 usage of their new website,

the senatorial barbecue held early last fall and the Billiken Dining Associates Appreciation Day.

Along with her evaluation of the fall semester, Anvender also addressed the future of her administration.

She said initiatives must now be “in the spirit of their administration.”

She acknowledged that dia-logue with administrators and students must continue to be “from the heart” to further appraise the sentiments of the widespread community.

Finally, Anvender spoke to the practicality of future sen-ate actions and up coming plans and initiatives .

Specifically, Anvender said there are plans to advocate for a more sustainable turf intra-mural field and also develop an initiative to reduce the cost of admission to men’s basket-ball games by possibly includ-ing the fee for attendance in student tuition.

The initiative, if passed

by senate, would appear on the annual SGA election bal-lots as a referendum for stu-dents to vote on in the spring semester.

Anvender ended her address by calling upon the senators to constantly work for and with their constituents in order to illustrate their abil-ity to lead “in the spirit, from the heart, practically.”

A reaction by John Cook School of Business Senator Grant Podolski matches the unanimous applause met the conclusion of Anvender’s address.

“As a senator, I was greatly impressed to hear all that we had accomplished as the stu-dent servants of Saint Louis University,” Podolski said.

“Some seemingly small accomplishments will greatly improve SLU, as [Anvender] pointed out, and the big accomplishments done by this administration will for-ever leave a lasting legacy on this University for the bet-ter.”

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20 2011

News 3

U.S. Postal Service finds new home in BSCBy ERIKA MILLER

Enterprise Editor

Saint Louis University students in search of postage stamps on campus now need look no further than the Busch Student Center. In conjunction with the United States Postal Service, SLU opened a Contract Postal Unit (CPU) in the BSC January 18.

“The CPU program was a great opportunity for us,” said Chris Grabau, building manager of the BSC. A CPU is a supplier-owned or leased site operated by the supplier under contract with the USPS to provide postal services to the public at USPS prices. According to the USPS website, operating a CPU,

Pepsi: Students respond to switch

Continued from Page 1

DPSSS: Locks installed for Village protectionContinued from Page 1

Players: Both students fully enrolled for spring semester

Reed said that the decision was a mutual agreement with the University.

“I told them I wasn’t too worried about it right now,” Reed said. “I’m going to have basketball until I can’t play anymore, so why not just take advantage of our great University? I’ll come back to the team next year stronger than ever.”

Reed said that he wants to spend the spring semester raising his GPA so that he will be eligible to play bas-ketball in the fall, explaining that he is required to keep above a 2.0 to participate on the team.

It could not be confirmed or denied that Reed has kept his athletic scholarship this semester.

Reed, like Mitchell, must also receive clearance from the NCAA in order to be eli-gible for participation.

Reed, a communication major in the College of Arts and Sciences, was welcomed back by a fellow student in the hallways asking for per-mission to shake his hand on Jan. 18, his first day back at the University as a student since October.

Not everyone, however, shares the same sentiment

Continued from Page 1

(Left) Willie Reed sits in the students section on Jan. 15 at Chaifetz Arena during the men’s basketball game against Saint Joseph’s University. (Right) Mike McCall and Kwamain Mitchell warm up before the game. Mitchell has been practicing with the team, but it is uncertain if he will play this season.

Ryan Giacomino / Photographer

Continued from Page 1

Tuition: University commits $8 million in new spending to academic programs

in the Student Success Centers.

Some students however, felt that the 4 percent increase was a little high even with the added support to academic programs.

“I feel like they are spend-ing it on the right things, but the 4 percent hike is dramat-ic,” junior Dani Lewis said.

Student Government Association President Courtney Anvender supports this increase and feels that it was actually fair, considering the increases at other univer-sities.

“We are actually on the low end of tuition increases across the board. Most schools are around 7 or 8 percent, so the 4 percent is quite modest,” Anvender said. “I was actually OK with it because I under-stand tuition needs to go up. We have more students, more

“increases foot traffic and provides additional customer convenience.”

The BSC CPU will provide the SLU community with services that had not been available on campus since the FedEx unit on the first level of the BSC was converted into a technology center.

These services include metered postage, stamps, priority mail, insured mail, delivery confirmation services and more.

USPS will also add an afternoon pickup for packages the BSC CPU has provided postage for throughout the day.

Cindy Bush, building coordinator of the BSC, said the need for a way to do shipping and postage on campus was identified in

surveys on the entire BSC. Prior to the opening of the BSC CPU, “unless you’ve already gone somewhere else and purchased postage, you couldn’t send it [from campus],” Bush said. Now, the BSC CPU will operate as a “little post office,” with services geared toward both sending and receiving mail.

“It’s going to be really convenient for students. Instead of having to walk down the street, they can now do everything in the BSC,” said Jimmy Meiners, co-chair of the Civic Affairs Committee in the Student Government Association.

According to Bush, early plans for a BSC CPU emerged about two and a half years ago. The planning process included research and creation of a

proposal for Grabau and Kent Porterfield, vice president of Student Development. Once the proposal was approved, “we had to work with US Postal Service because you have to contract with them and it took a while for it to happen,” Bush said.

The BSC CPU is located in the same space as the previous mail center and the staffing will remain the same.

“The only difference is the services that are provided,” Bush said.

Currently, the BSC CPU is only able to accept cash or Billiken Bucks as payment for stamps and postage.

While the BSC CPU will provide needed shipping and postage services, the process and timeline of receiving mail on campus will likely remain

unchanged. “The post office here

at SLU has always had its problems, but this [service] is brand new and should be a much better set up,” Meiners said.

As the SLU community responds to the BSC CPU, Bush said eventually more services and supplies could be provided in the mail center.

“We’re kind of going to tiptoe into that to see what the need is [for additional supplies],” she said.

For now, the BSC CPU represents yet another service center available in the BSC and, according to Grabau, is “an enormous benefit to students, staff and the entire SLU community.”

Additional reporting by Sean Worley.

with Mitchell and Reed’s readmission.

In a statement released by the female victim’s attorney following Mitchell’s return to the University, her family said they were disappointed in the administration’s decision.

“It is obvious to the family that the needs of a struggling

basketball program take pre-cedence over the University’s Code of Conduct, Jesuit prin-ciples and the safety of its female students. By accept-ing this type of behavior, the school has set a dangerous precedent,” the statement said.

Reed, however, said he is

not discouraged. “I’m blessed to be a part of

this community and to move forward from this situation,” he said.

Mitchell, a junior in the John Cook School of Business, did not return messages from The University News, but Majerus said he is proud of

him.“If I had a son, I would like

him to be Kwamain,” Majerus said. “He made one mistake his whole life, and he didn’t run away from it. He manned up to it. He’s going to make this problem become a great opportunity for him, and bet-ter yet, for our team.”

student awareness of actions which have been suspected of leading to opportunities for crime.

Sergeant Pasquale Signorino said the depart-ment has increased its “pro-active or informational patrol-ling” in attempts to eliminate crime.

“These criminals are opportunists and we get to control their opportunity,” Signorino said. “That is the key to helping resolve these issues.”

Such instances of proac-tive patrolling and opportu-nity elimination include safety reminder cards which can be found on vehicles or student housing after a DPSSS officer has patrolled the area. The cards describe either items left visible in vehicles or doors left unlocked, Signorino said.

DPSSS has also installed new locking mechanisms in the Village apartment com-plex in efforts to alleviate crime. The locks are self-locking and will prevent any crimes that occurred from the neglect to lock front doors.

The department has also hired six additional officers allowing more patrolling

of the medical campus and increased visibility on the Frost campus, something which students have taken notice.

“I like the fact that they are more visible,” junior Philip Reyes said. “I definitely feel their presence.”

Junior Erin Eisenhard has also noticed more officers on bike patrol and on night patrols. However, not every student has felt an increase in DPSSS presence.

“It seems like they haven’t done much after the break-ins in the Village,” sophomore Ross Buch said. “They said they were stepping up patrols, but you don’t see much of a difference at all.”

While the student senti-ments toward DPSSS pres-ence may vary, Signorino said campus is mostly a very safe place and patrols have increased.

However, he also acknowl-edged the fact that SLU is located within an “urban envi-ronment.”

“[Crimes] happen in urban environments. It doesn’t nec-essarily happen on campus, but it’s happening around us,” Signorino said. “In order to maintain their safety, people need to understand, or need

to be educated on what’s going on around us.”

Signorino said that stu-dents have been improving in terms of educating them-selves and asking questions, both of which have led to the decrease in crimes on campus.

According to Signorino, there still are crimes occur-ring, specifically car break-ins, but the thefts are mostly of car stereos as opposed to iPods, laptops and purses, which were common items of criminal interest several months ago.

Signorino explains that car stereo thefts, while still serious crimes, are seen as “crimes of desperation,” as the stereos are less profitable for criminals than other com-monly stolen items.

The fact that a stereo is being stolen indicates there is a sharp decrease in opportu-nity for more expensive items to be lifted, Signorino said.

Even though the theft of a stereo is still a crime and individuals are still victim-ized, Signorino said these desperate criminal acts are a last resort and believes more severe crimes are being pre-vented by campus community action.

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

A locksmith responds to a call to change the locks on the door of a Student Village Apartment. The locks in the apartment complex were changed in response to a spike in crime.

programs, but the good thing about it is that it’s the same as last year.”

With these increases in tuition rates, the University is also increasing the merit awards given to the incom-ing freshmen class for 2011-2012 academic year, as the University Scholarship is increasing from $10,000 to $12,000, the Dean’s Scholarship is increasing from $12,000 to $14,000 and the Vice President Scholarship is increasing $15,000 to $16,000. Current students will not see an increase to their scholar-ship packages.

“We try to make a commit-ment to the student for four years so that when they get their first aid package fresh-man year, they understand that the University is com-mitted to giving them that package for all four years,” Cari Wickliffe, Assistant Vice President and Director of

Student Financial Services, said.

In 2012, it is projected that the University will provide approximately $113 million in institutional financial aid, which is about a 12 percent increase from the previous year 2011.

A portion of this increase in scholarship funds will be allocated to a new institutional aid for international students, which includes an investment of $1 million. International students currently do not receive as much support from the University in terms of scholarship assistance.

“As with the domestic stu-dents, there are some that have a need and many of them would love to come and are good students but they have financial restrictions,” Wickliffe said. “This increase in scholarship support for international students goes with the goal of the institution

to become more global.”This scholarship assistance

will help “diversify the cam-pus,” according to SGA Vice-President of International Affairs Adam Jin. Jin stated that although he was not involved in the discussions to increase the scholarship funds, he sees it as a positive step forward for international students on campus.

“International students have become a large group on campus. Most of them get here, not only to study here but to study the culture, so giving them money is good,” Jin said.

The University was able to keep the increase the same due to careful budgeting despite a loss in the endow-ment; the economic recession lead to a lot of uncertainly for the financial stability of many colleges and universi-ties across the nation as many were forced to cut their bud-

gets by laying off employees, eliminating academic pro-grams and freezing salaries.

At the peak of the reces-sion, SLU lost close to $200 million dollars from its endow-ment, the money or property donated to the University with the intention of investment.

On June 30, 2007, the endowment peaked $960 mil-lion, and on Dec. 31, 2009, it dropped to approximately $750 million.

As of Dec. 30, 2010, the endowment has come back to approximately $800 million.

“The endowment began to pick back up because we didn’t panic and start moving our money around. We stuck with our asset allocation, and that really paid off,” Woodruff said.

The endowment is tied up in multiple investments including stocks, bonds, real estate, private equity and hedge funds.

According to Woodruff, the University is projecting an 8 percent return on this money in a 10-year cycle in these investments.

The University’s prima-ry sources of revenue are tuition, auxiliary services, philanthropic support and investment return, with only 6 percent of the endowment being used for spending.

“Our financial position is good; we have never been highly leveraged. We have been fairly conservative in the way we budget so that when we got hit by this reces-sion, we were able to weather that without any dramatic program closures or big lay-offs or anything like that,” Woodruff said. “We didn’t panic and start moving our money around; we didn’t decide to take it all out or our investments.”

Additional reporting by Sean Worley and Kati Cundari.

SLU the best of luck with the new contract when asked for a comment.

“It has been Coca-Cola’s pleasure to serve the stu-dents, faculty and staff of SLU for the last 12 years,” Morris said. “We look forward to the chance to be a partner to provide the non-alcoholic refreshments to SLU in the future.”

Giordano said that the transition to Pepsi has been going well, with Pepsi replac-ing over one hundred vend-ing machines around campus and installing new coolers and fountain equipment.

The switch, however, was not without its difficulties.

“We put more vending machines in the auditorium than were there previously so there was a power surge which caused some electri-cal problems,” said Manager of Operations, David Young, “The Pepsi machines were using more power than the Coke machines.”

Both Giordano and Young report, that the issue has been addressed and fixed.

“It’s good to go now,” Young said. “Nothing cata-strophic.”

Pepsi may have won the bid for the University, but it has yet to win the collective heart of the student body. Some in the SLU community remain opposed to the transi-tion.

“I don’t like it. I’m a Coke drinker. Cherry Coke espe-cially,” said freshman Danielle Huster. “Cherry Pepsi just isn’t the same. And Pepsi doesn’t have [Minute Maid] lemonade or Powerade. I just don’t like it.”

Students against the new beverages are in luck, how-ever, as the Pepsi contract allows for limited Coca-Cola products to continue to be sold in places like the C-store, Fusz Food Court, and Grand Market.

Some SLU students wel-comed this change enthusi-astically.

I prefer Pepsi. Freshman year I was so disappoint-ed because all my friends had Pepsi at their schools.

“”

-Amanda Miller

“I prefer Pepsi,” said junior Amanda Miller. “Freshman year I was so disappointed because all my friends had Pepsi at their schools.”

Other students don’t feel as though the new contract will have great of an impact on their lives. “I don’t drink pop at all,” said freshman Abby Wolfenson. “So I really have no preference.”

The replacement of Coke by Pepsi is set to be com-pleted this week.

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011Opinion Talk to us:

Priya Sirohi 314.977.2812

oped.unews@gmail.com

The University News

Peony Lee / Illustrator

Editorials are opinion pieces written by the Editorial Board of The University News. The editorials printed in this space represent the opinion of The University News. Commentaries and Letters to the Editor represent the opinions of the signed authors but do not necessarily represent the opinions of The University News.

SGA achieves Pius facelift while senatorial communication can use some renovation

We usher in the new semester, refreshed and awake from a long break of sleeping in and watching shows like it was no one’s business. We are now all getting our bear-ings, reflecting on the mistakes and suc-cesses of last semester while recording our goals and exams into our planners for the new semester. Students are not the only ones doing this assessment. With Student Government Association’s mid-year State of the Association Address, we all are tak-ing time to make this first week a check-point for progress and a critical reflection of set-backs.

Certain markers in a semester merit some evaluation SGA. The following points are problems and news stories that The University News has carefully followed and tracked, observing SGA’s development on these critical issues. We here present our most informed and most encouraging assessment of SGA’s progression this past fall semester:

SGA tackled the problem of Pius with a verve and energy that set the bar high in early September. The Sept. 1 survey that generated 1,200 student responses gave SGA the feedback it needed to be able to present a strong case for library reno-vations to the President’s Coordinating Council. Crucial renovations are current-ly being planned by the administration. Students can see SGA as an active and powerful voice for the student body, and we can now expect to watch Pius change and morph into a library capable of com-peting with other university libraries in ef ficiency, technology, study space and aesthetic appeal – Pius can now become a library worthy of praise and a place of erudition.

SGA’s outreach to the student body drove this initiative to its successful and necessary conclusion. Additionally, the overwhelming student response (compared to past standards) confounded the idea of student apathy, which usually plagues activities even such as voting in govern-ment. Our passionate voices calling for change fell on willing ears thanks to SGA’s ability to bridge a divide -- the yawning gulf that often separates the administration and students diminished with SGA’s active presence. The initiative, in such a manner, served even greater purposes than simply improving Pius. We made fecund strides in the ever-present problem of student-administration communication, and also in the establishment of SGA’s role as a cata-lyst for change.

In a city deemed the most dangerous in the nation, student safety rode high on the list of priorities for SGA. By fostering strong relations with the Department of Public Safety and Security Services, and by having Sgt. Pasquale Signorino and Diversity and Affirmative Action direc-tor Jenn Scheessele present to Senate, SGA bolstered its already well established credibility as an organization fully capable of translating student needs into tangi-ble measures of change. The increase in DPSSS patrols, the constant security updates, and many other smaller initiatives have served to reinforce campus security. Students can interact with officers with greater frequency. The greater presence of officers on campus mirrors the greater presence of mind that SGA has shown in dealing with the issue of student safety.

Editorials

SGA has shown firm commitment in acting as a mediator and student voice. We want to highlight, in particular, the tremendous amount of time and effort – in constant meetings with DPSSS and in committee reports – of the newly formed Safety and Concerns Committee, Senators Caroline Rutledge and Kripa Sreepada (committee co-chairs) most especially. We applaud you.

The SGA barbecue on the quad on Sept. 30 was a refreshing way to bring sena-tors closer to students. SGA cares about bringing students and senators together. Frequent Letters to the Editor also helped to bring senatorial voices to the forefront. “Fixing the Little Things” is checked with some regularity and is an excellent way to address smaller student problems.

The creation of the Student Relations Committee, along with much of these achievements, created the not-unreason-able expectation that SGA senators would be in contact with students. Seeing SGA as bridge between students and the admin-istration, it is logical that senators would reach out to their constituencies. We saw little of such outreach.

The achievements of SGA as a collective are laudable. The problem, though, lies in senator outreach, specifically in the lack of communication between senators and their clearly designated constituencies. Senators need to make their presence as visible to students – either electronically or even metaphysically – as DPSSS has made its officers visible to students. SGA initially had issues early in the semester with filter-ing constituent e-mails to their respective senators. But with that accomplished after some time, senators still did not reach out to their constituencies. We can remove titles such as “School of Public Health” or “College of Arts and Sciences” (as simply general examples – we are not targeting any senators) from nametags if senators are simply going to act within the bounds of SGA collective action. Senators are dif-ferentiated from each other by the schools and student collectives they represent.

We encourage SGA senators to tie strings from themselves to the varied and diverse students they are meant to represent. Students, when given a chance, will speak out. The Pius initiative shows us as much. Students need to see e-mails, Facebook messages, etc. – in a technologically savvy world, there is little that can stand in the way of instant communication. Senators have office hours – this need advertising. General signs asking students to find their senators would help. The dissemination of resources and information about senato-rial availability is the key here. We need to see that senators are acting on our behalf. SGA is capable of working in collabora-tive efforts – the development of a closely intertwined relationship with DPSSS shows us this. SGA can do a much better job of holding its senators accountable to their students.

SGA has built its credibility, to a level that is admirable. More work can be done on outreach. The mirage of student apathy (dispelled by the Pius initiative) is not a reason for senators to meet supposed “apa-thy” with their own apathy. Senators can champion students individually, allowing SGA to become only that much stronger championing our cause as a whole.

The University News reserves the right not to publish any letters that are deemed intentionally and/or inappropriately inflammatory, more than the 300-word limit or unsigned by the original author. The following are letters and/or website comments. Because the indentities of website posters cannot be verified, all website comments should be treated as anonymous. Actual letters to the editor may be submitted online at unewsonline.com or e-mailed to oped.unews@gmail.com. Please include your daytime telephone number.

Lettersto the editor

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

40%

27%

18%

14%

Pepsi

Coke

Tea

Water

Posted below are the results from our web poll on The University News’ website.

These are the current opinions on how students feel about SLU’s switch to Pepsi.

What is your favorite beverage?

Quotesof the week

“ I cannot conceive of a clearer example of leading from the heart.

”-Courtney Anvender, President of Stu-dent Government Association.

See Page 2

“Tina Fey and I were dancing on a radiator in front of a giant pane-glass window - totally not safe to do now - to a mix tape I helped make. ”- Ray Quirologico, Assistant VP of Stu-

dent Development.See Page 2

Hunger does not discriminate

Hunger is a universal occurrence. It knows no religion, race, or gender. While we tend to view hunger as a problem for other countries, it’s important to recognize that there are millions in our own country who experience this problem. In fact, there are people within two miles of our campus who struggle with issues of hunger and food resources every day.

The idea of food justice goes one step further than the charitable distribution of food. It is the belief that healthy food is a human right and there are structural problems in our country that prevent certain people from receiving necessary resources. In many inner-city areas, such as St. Louis, there are “food deserts”. These are neigh-borhoods with limited resources for affordable and nutritious foods. Residents must travel sever-al miles away from their homes in order to access foods that we take for granted, especially fruits and vegetables. According to research from the American Chamber of Commerce, 29 percent of ZIP codes in the U.S. do not have grocery stores and 74 percent do not have any chain supermar-kets. These are startling statistics for one of the leading developed countries in the world.

While food justice can seem broad and daunt-ing, Saint Louis University students have taken steps to focus on the issue. As part of the Bet-ter Together campaign sponsored by InterFaith Alliance, students of all faith and philosophical backgrounds were called to come together during the What If Speak-In last semester to listen to performances addressing the issues of interfaith work and food justice. This semester, there will be more opportunities for education, dialogue, and service involving food justice.

As SLU students, I challenge you all to exam-ine what your faith or philosophical background says about helping those in need. By building stronger relationships with each other, we can learn from the diversity of each others’ traditions and make an even greater impact in our commu-nity.

-Anu Gorukanti is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Freedom of the press—print, online and broadcast—is a basic right in a democratic society and is valuable in promoting the development of students as socially responsible persons ... The University News is a student voice, not the student voice. The views of The University News are the expressions of the students involved ... If [The University News] can represent a point of view around which discussion may develop, it serves a legitimate and needed purpose.”

From The University News’ Charter

ContaCt us:Busch Student Center

Suite 35420 N. Grand Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63103

Newsroom: (314) 977-2812unews.slu@gmail.com

Advertising: (314) 977-2813ads.unews@gmail.com

unewsonline.comfacebook.com/theunews

twitter.com/theunews

editor-in-chiefJonathan Ernst

(314) 977-1590eic.unews@gmail.com

general managerJoE MckEon

ads.unews@gmail.com

news editorskristEn MianoandrEa royals

assist. news editorsEan WorlEy

slunews@gmail.com

enterprise editorErika MillEr

enterprise.unews@gmail.com

op/ed editorPriya sirohi

assoc. op/ed editordaniEla MondraGonoped.unews@gmail.com

arts editorashlEy JonEs

sports editorBrian Boyd

assoc. sports editordErrick nEUnEr

sports.unews@gmail.com

photo editornoah BErMan

photo.unews@gmail.comassoc. photo editors

shah (yUQinG Xia)kati cUndari

photo.unews@gmail.com

design directorBrianna radici

design.unews@gmail.com

copy editorshEathEr Flisssarah MarEk

copydesk.unews@gmail.com

account executive Madalyn GUy

ads.unews@gmail.com

adviserJason l. yoUnGjyoung42@slu.edu

the editorial Board of The UniversiTy news recognizes avis MEyEr, Ph.d. as the newspaper’s faculty mentor.

The University News is a mem-ber of the Associated Collegiate Press, the Student Press Law Center, the College Media Advisers and the Missouri College Media Association, a division of the Missouri Press Association.

-First copy, free. Each additional copy, $1.00.

Check out our blogs!

-The Conservative BillikenSLU’s conservative voice-The Progressive BillikenSLU’s liberal voice-Foreign AffairsStudents studying abroad-Going into OTOn and off the court - 24/7

Blogs, additional commen-taries and activities such as our web poll are all avail-able on our website: unewsonline.com.

See Page 9

- Chris May, Athletic Director ”“We will reach out nationally

to find a successor, and this is an opportunity for us to get even better.

- Rick Majerus, men’s basketball head coah. ”“If I had a son, I would like him

to be Kwamain.

See Page 3

I sluggishly pull my covers away, exposing every bit of my body to the freezer that our

a p a r t m e n t has become o v e r n i g h t . Immediately, salty sunrays hit my eyes, forcing them shut. Seven a.m. will always be considered an “ungodly hour.” My left leg pulls my body half-way off the

bed; my right leg follows, pull-ing me upright. Eyelids still sealed shut; I go through the motions of an everyday morn-ing. Face wash. Toothbrush. Shower. Clothes.

All in a sleepwalk-like trance. It’s not until I sleep walk to the first floor vend-ing machines in the Busch Student Center that I find sweet, morning relief. There, inside the vending machines, is my always faithful, best morning friend waiting for me: my Coke Zero.

I am not a morning per-son. I am neither cranky, nor moody, nor mean. I am sim-ply unaware of what happens around me until about 11 a.m., and I have happily resigned to the fact that I am not a morn-ing person with the help of the 20 oz. Coke Zero bottle full of happiness.

Every single morning, af-ternoon, and sleep-deprived

night, Coke Zero is always there, or should I say, “has always been there,” because it no longer will be.

Saint Louis University has just recently signed a 10-year exclusive contract with Pepsi. While I do not hold a grudge against Pepsi lovers, for the contract, according to Annaliese Giordano, Contract Management Specialist for SLU, is supposed to in-clude an “increased funding to University programs, en-hanced product and market-ing to support Biliken athlet-ics, an improved sustainability and recycling program and a full, diverse line of beverages including Mountain Dew and Gatorade.”

All of which is great for SLU and those who are posi-tively effected by the change, but the fact that there will be “a limited amount of Coke product available for pur-chase” sinks this Coke Zero junkie’s heart.

The transition to Pepsi was supposed to happen, accord-ing to Giordano, two weeks prior to Jan. 18, 2011,, so that by the time students were back on campus, SLU would be virtually Coke free: a true tragedy for Coke lovers like myself.

Yesterday, boggled by the early morning daze and both-ered by the drastic weather change between where I had spent my break days and where I now stood, I sleep-walked to the BSC in a strug-gled effort to wake up my

body long enough to have breakfast and make it to class on time.

As I walked into ABP, hopeful that I would get my much needed caffeine kicker in form of a 20 oz. Coke Zero bottle, a friend tapped me on the shoulder, “I guess they still have your coke,” and sure enough, in ABP there still are, what could possibly be the last, Coke Zeros on SLU’s campus.

Today, the feeling that all hope was not lost, and that I could still find traces of the reason I make it through my every morning and even the nights that won’t quit, was reinforced when I walked into the C Store and was able to buy my, what at this point has become, morning remedy.

Unfortunately, just a few hours ago, as I walked past the BSC’s first floor vending machines, I was startled to find a big, blue vending ma-chine in the place of where my morning miracle used to stand. Needless to say, my hopes of a coke comeback were crushed.

While I still may get my Coke Zero daily dose off cam-pus, and while my friends will forever make fun of my Coke Zero dependency, I am sad to see it go and hope that I am not the only one to feel its ab-sence. R.I.P. Coke Zero; you will be missed.

Daniela Mondragon is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

My winter break was spent relaxing and refresh-ing for the upcoming semes-

ter. None-t h e l e s s , my utter sense of l az iness was met with a rev-elation of sorts.

While this pro-f o u n d m o m e n t had noth-

ing to do with my educa-tional plans, I gained a fresh perspective on one part of my multifaceted college ex-perience—my capacity as a student journalist.

I have always taken my status as an editor for The University News with a sense of honor and with a responsi-bility to the public, yet after speaking with various family acquaintances I was awak-ened to a seemingly com-mon perception of journal-ists: Distrust.

As someone who is guilty of glimpsing at the latest tab-loid issues waiting in line at the local supermarket, I am fully aware to less accurate forms of journalism. How-ever, to have my work and standards as a news writer compared to the question-able ethics of a tabloid writer was and is insulting.

I do not see it as my duty to slander or discredit any in-dividual whatsoever. I feel I have been called to report on the happenings at Saint Lou-is University, and to inform the members of this commu-nity— a community I chose to be involved with.

Whether an action of the University, or of members of the community, is seen as “good press” or “bad press,” I see it as my civic duty to report the information accu-rately and objectively.

I am a student journalist for one reason and one rea-son only. I am proud to be a member of the Saint Louis University family. I am proud to be a Billiken.

With that in mind, one should not be surprised I want SLU to be the best uni-versity possible. I do not want to see my school, my home, my surrogate family fail. Thus, I report on issues, both good and bad.

The “good” stories are reported on with intentions to commend various com-munity members and the ad-ministration on their actions. I see this as pat on the back of sorts.

The “bad” stories pertain-ing to debatable decisions by University officials or of members acting in a way, which can be seen as immor-al or irresponsible, are those that create the stigma as a “slanderer” or “malicious” reporter.

To think my reporting would ever be focused on discrediting an individual or ruining reputations is an atrocious thought. I sim-ply write about those “bad press” stories because I want my university to see any possible mistake; to see who was upset by decisions or actions; to notice room for improvement. I write so my university, my home can reestablish its path to great-ness.

My role as a journalist is comparable to loud, cheer-ing fan at an athletic event.

As an athlete, I know the importance of having individuals showing sup-port with enthusiasm and copious amounts of energy. When all hopes of success seem so far out of reach, it is amazing what a showing of camaraderie and unity can do when morale is essential-ly depleted.

Consider my pen and pa-per to be synonymous with a vuvuzela and facepaint.

I have sworn an unofficial oath to my university. I have promised to report on both commendable and objection-able events with the utmost of objectivity in order to see my university strengthened.

Think what you may. See my journalistic capacity as untrustworthy, as an in-sult to my school, as a poor showing of school spirit. I know my responsibilities to my university and to my fel-low Billikens. I know my pen bleeds blue.

Sean Worley is a sopho-more in the College of Arts and Sciences.

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011

Opinion 5Diversity is a message lost in translation that needs a solid solution

My number one passion is geriatric medicine. I love old people so much and have

been de-ter mined to be a g e r i a t r i c physician since I was 17 -years -old.

That be-ing said, you can u n d e r -stand why I would be so excited

to co-host a tea party at a local nursing home.

A simple gathering with tea, snacks, trivia and good conversation with the older adults that I adore was right up my ally.

While the party was tak-ing place, I invited others who had not officially joined the party area.

I received some polite yes and no responses, and then I received one answer so unex-pected and so unforgettable.

I said to her, “Hi how are you! Will you join us at the tea party?” She then glared and said, “Where are the black Americans in your tea party?”

I was taken aback by the question, because it was clear by looking at the party that there was about a 50 to 50 ratio of black and white resi-dents.

I then said, “There are sev-eral over at the party area.”

Continuing to glare, she said, “You are just a dirty for-eigner who thinks you can come in here and lie to me about what’s actually going on.”

I then laughed, trying to avoid what she had said and replied,

“Oh no, I’m not lying. I would just like to you to join us.” She then said, “You go back to wherever the hell you

Coca-Cola lover copes with Pepsi takeover

Mauriel Blakely/ Illustrator

Republican. Democrat. Independent. Moderate. These are political parties

that are b a s e d on politi-cal ideol-ogy. Man. W o m a n . These are sacred be-ings that are all equal, thus equally en-titled to the same r i g h t s

and freedoms. These sets of terms are not equivalent. Being a human being greatly outweighs the ideology one follows, but sometimes peo-ple have difficulty discerning the difference.

Over winter break, the news was packed with count-less recollections of the hor-rible tragedy that happened in Arizona. Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head and hospitalized following her community outreach outing, and six oth-ers were fatally injured. As tragic as it is, this isn’t the first time that politics have been at the root of such a disastrous incident.

Tragedies like this seem to hap-pen so often that they truly doesn’t shock the na-tion anymore. It’s almost like they are expected to be a part of the local news on a daily basis. People don’t want to watch the news because it is cluttered with stories of senseless lives lost. Blood is spilled everyday. And for what? Silence?

Politically-related shoot-ings have been a repeating occurrence throughout his-tory. President Kennedy’s as-sassination was the work of pure political hatred. Martin Luther King Jr. was assas-sinated for his desire to prog-ress the nation to being a place of acceptance. And, most recently, Congresswomen Giffords was struck down during her political outreach at a local grocery store.

When will people learn to separate a person’s political beliefs from the person them-selves? What will it take to make that point understood? Another life? A hundred lives? The end of the world? When people begin to un-derstand that people are not

their politics this world will be a far better place. This un-derstanding is vital to the bet-terment of man but it looks as if this time is not near.

This kind of act is intro-ducing a whole new preju-dice to the already heated hatred and bigotry in this country. The Bill of Rights was created to guarantee that people would always have the ability to voice their opinions to the world. Politics are no different.

The forms of protest have risen from the slightly amus-ing type-- such as the shoes being thrown at President Bush at a surprise news con-ference in Iraq-- to the fa-tal-- the shooting on in the store front of Representative Giffords and many of her followers.

When people realize that creating silence doesn’t cre-ate rest, the world that the founding fathers had in mind will be that much closer to our grasp. Lives are sacred and should not be ended prematurely, especially at the hand of someone with ill wishes.

Per haps we should r e t u r n to a sim-pler time w h e n h o r s e s and bug-gies lit-tered the s t r e e t s r a t h e r than kill-ers and

thieves. Maybe the advance-ment of society is harming us more than it is helping us because with privilege comes responsibility. Freedom of choice is something we have the privilege of having in America but we have been abusing it for years. Maybe it is time to pull back on the reins and limit some of the freedoms we have been given until we can appreciate them.

No. No one would be in agreement with that because that freedom is, sometimes, all we have and we pride ourselves on it. That is what makes America so special, the land of freedom.

That time has got to come now. The responsibility is ours to stop all hatred and save the freedom we so des-perately fought for after all, we never know what is next on the list.

Allegra Merriweather is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Pride can be found outside of student section

When in doubt, don’t punish a person for political orientation

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

came from. I will never trust you, you dirty foreigner.” Then I tried to reason with her by saying, “Ma’am, I just want to clarify that I am actu-ally not a foreigner.

I was born in New York and am a student at Saint Louis University. If you could change your attitude and lis-ten to what I have to say…”

She cut me off by saying, “Oh, I don’t give a care about what you think about my at-titude…you foreigners can come and take our American students’ positions at schools and think that’s OK. Get out of my sight.”

What was said does not seem overly offensive, but it shook me up to the point of tears. It was one of the first times that I felt discriminated against.

However, in an attempt to think like a health care profes-sional, I stepped back. I need-ed to understand the context and culture that this woman was from.

This woman was a black American in her 70s or 80s, so she lived through the Civil Rights Movement.

She was an object of racial discrimination and should, of course, feel disgust that when she was my age, she was not given the same opportunities that I have been given.

Even though I, too, am con-sidered a “racial minority” in American society.

Though this experience was a hard one to undergo, it has changed my idealistic thought in the belief that ev-eryone can just get along if told the right way to do so.

The reality is that though we do constantly try to edu-cate students on how to treat one another and become an inclusive campus, that mes-sage does not translate well.

It is not simple to get across the clear, simple message that people need to stop thoughts of repression and discrimi-nation, both in the older and younger generations, and very significantly on our cam-pus.

Why else would we see repeated bias incidents and a clear divide between people who look different on our campus?

Although diversity is a complex issue without a solid solution, we can move for-ward.

We need to discover our own attitudes on the issues

of diversity, adjust them, and radiate them.

If we do not initiate this ourselves, we are failing one another by not acknowledg-ing the fact that inclusion on our campus and in American society is failing.

What I envision is that we will be able to reevaluate and reform our attitudes.

So much that, by the time we have reached the point of our health that places us in a nursing home, we will be able to treat others as everyone will be treated in the society that our reformed attitude creates, and that will be one without any degree of dis-crimination.

Kripa Sreepada is a sopho-more in the Doisy College of Health Sciences

When people begin to understand that people are not their politics, this world will be a far better place.

“ ,,

Commentary

Sean Worley

Commentary

Daniela monDragon

Commentary

allegra merriWeather

Commentary

Kripa SreepaDa

Crossword

Sudoku Figger It

Word Search

Comics/Student Artunewsonline.com

Thursday, January 20, 2011Advertise with us

ads.unews@gmail.com(314)-977-2813

The University News

Games

By Noah Berman / Photo Editor

‘Dralion’ delivers colorful performance

By SHELBY ROZIER Staff Writer

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011Arts

The University News

Talk to us: Ashley Jones 314.977.2812

arts.unews@gmail.com

Cirque du Soleil: Dralion, which opened at Chaifetz Arena on Jan. 19 and runs through Jan. 23, is inspired by Eastern Philosophy and the quest for harmony between humans and nature. The elements of fire, water, air and earth make an appearnce in the show. Top: The color blue is used to represent the element of air. Bottom left: the element of fire is represented by red. Bottom right: Green is used to represent the element of water.

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

Spokesperson for Cirque du Soleil: Dralion Julie Desmarais describes the

show as a celebra-tion. The St. Louis c o m m u -nity will be given the o p p o r t u -nity to join the cel-e b r a t i o n Jan. 19-23 at Chaifetz Arena.

Dralion opened at Chaifetz on Jan. 20. The show will be running seven performances at Chaifetz through Jan. 23.

“It’s a passionate, color-ful, positive and fun show,” Desmarais said.

Dralion was created as a fusion of “Chinese circus tra-ditions and the avant-garde style of Cirque du Soleil,” Desmaraus said.

The show draws inspira-tion from Eastern philosophy and its quest for harmony between humans and nature.

“The show’s name is derived from its two emblem-atic creatures: the dragon,

symbolizing the East, and the lion, symbolizing the West,” Desmarais said.

Entering the back stage of Dralion is like entering a dream-like wonderland where one can encounter surreal costumes, giant drums and performers practicing acts that appear to be beyond human capabilities.

This show took two years to create. According to Desmarais, “The show was originally created by Guy Caron who has a lot of inter-est in the Chinese acrobatic and passion for the Chinese culture. Cirque decided to go in China to immerse them-selves in that culture and find talent among China’s acro-bats.”

Dralion started in 1999in Montreal, Canada under the big top. It ran until 2006 and started up again in October 2010 with a converted for-mat.

“After many years per-forming under the big top, Dralion is now presented in arenas throughout the United States and Canada, with the same quality performance,” Desmarais said.

Eighty percent of the per-formers are new. However, there are some veterans among the cast. Marie Eve Bisson worked with Dralion from 2003 to 2006 and returned for the 2010 open-ing.

“It’s a dream to perform for Cirque,” Bisson said.

Bisson explained that Cirque travels to a new city every week. Usually they travel on Sunday and take some time to see the city the first few days of the week they arrive, but after that, it is all practice. The perform-ers practice several hours throughout the week, and they also train with personal trainers.

The crowd at opening night was ecstatic over Bisson’s aerial hoop performance. She did risky acrobatic moves that involved contorting and threading her body through a hoop while this hoop twirled 20 feet in the air. The musi-cal performance contributed by the band helped in making these acrobatic acts a sensual and artistic display that elec-trified.

Bisson did not deliver the only impressive performance of the night. The clowns were remarkably hilarious. The clowns of Dralion are not like the clowns you would see in a typical American circus per-formance. These clowns are stylish and dapper in ill-fitting tuxedos. This look is com-plimented by their French

Native St. Louis band anticipating show at Sheldon

By ASHLEY JONES Arts Editor

Singer of Jon Hardy and the Public, Jon Hardy would describe the band’s live show as being intentional energy.

The St. Louis community will be able to experience this intentional energy on Jan. 21 at The Sheldon.

“We have enough of a spec-trum of songs that [the show] is not entirely just straight rock n’ roll music. In all of our songs, we do a good job of pouring ourselves into the performance,” Hardy said.

Hardy explained that he is excited to have been asked to play at The Sheldon because it gives the band an oppor-tunity to play their music for new people.

“It’s a great space,” Hardy said.

The band enjoys playing in their native St. Louis because they have been able to estab-lish a reputation.

“We have people at our shows that know our music and specific songs. It’s nice to be part of that familiarity,” Hardy said.

In addition to their show at the Sheldon on Jan. 21, the group has recently performed two other shows in St. Louis.

One of these took place at Off Broadway on Nov. 12 and the other took place at The Firebird on Dec. 18.

The group’s most recent EP “A Hard Year” was released in late 2010.

It features songs like “Nobody Like You,” “Restless Again” and “A Hard Year.”

According to Hardy, the songs for “A Hard Year” were started a while ago.

Some of the songs are intended for a more general audience while some were meant to be connected to more specific people and, therefore, have a more spe-cific subject matter.

While the songs on the EP were influenced by a variety of subjects, they all have one thing in common.

“All of the songs were writ-ten with the intent that people would be able to easily find something to relate to as they listen. Anyone who listens can find something for them-selves in there,” Hardy said.

Hardy said the EP was try-ing to touch on something real.

“I think a lot of people, in the last year or two, have gone through tough times. It’s easy when that happens to isolate yourself and shut down and go on cruise con-trol,” Hardy said.

The band wanted the EP to remind themselves and listen-ers that life should be inten-tional and that sometimes we need to be woken up.

The band’s previous EP’s include “Little Criminals: Songs from Randy Newman” and “Sugar,” which were both released in 2009, as well as their LP “Working in Love,” which was released in 2007.

“A Hard Year” proved to be a challenge for the band to pull off.

“The songs were fairly dif-ferent from our last couple EPs,” Hardy said.

The band had to ask them if they were going to be able to pull of these different songs and still come away with something successful.

In the end, Hardy believes that they did.

“We wound up in a differ-ent place then we thought we would,” Hardy said.

The recording process of “A Hard Year” was the first time the band worked with a producer.

“We did significant chang-es to the songs, which was new to us,” Hardy said.

Jon Hardy and the Public is currently in the process of doing another small record-ing.

In fact, some of the songs they plan to play at their show on Jan. 21 have not yet been recorded.

In addition to this record-ing, the band is also in the process of finishing a music video for “A Hard Year.”

Jon Hardy and the Public’s performance at The Sheldon will begin at 8 p.m. They will be joined by special guest Maid Rite.

The Sheldon is located at 3648 Washington Blvd.

General admission will be $10.

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

Shah (Yuquing Xia) / Associate Photo Editor

OUT ON THE TOWNArts Editor’s Picks

Thursday, January 20

9 p.m.ReptaR

The Billiken ClubAdmission is free

Friday, January 21

8 p.m.Jon HaRdy and tHe public witH Maid Rite

The Sheldon

Saturday, January 22

9 p.m.london calling dance paRty

The GramophoneCover charge depends on touring acts

Wednesday, January 26

9 p.m.obeRHofeR witH flaM-ing deatH tRap and dubb nubb

The Billiken ClubAdmission is free

Thursday, January 20

7:30 p.m.ciRque du Soleil: dRalion

The Chaifetz ArenaFor ticket prices, visit thechaifetzarena.com

Friday, January 21

7:30 p.m.ciRque du Soleil: dRalion

The Chaifetz ArenaFor ticket prices, visit thechaifetzarena.com

Saturday, January 22

3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.ciRque du Soleil: dRalion

The Chaifetz ArenaFor ticket prices, visit thechaifetzarena.com

7 p.m.JeRRy Seinfeld

The Fox TheatreFor ticket prices, visitfabulousfox.com

Sunday, January 23

1 p.m. and 5 p.m.ciRque du Soleil: dRalion

The Chaifetz ArenaFor ticket prices, visit thechaifetzarena.com

tHe gReen HoRnet

Moolah TheaterFor ticket prices and movie times visitstlouiscinemas.com/Moolah/

Friday, January 21

no StRingS attacHed

Opens in theaters

MUSIC

See “Dralion” on Page 8

Show Critique

Katerina Canyon

MOVIES

THEATER

Show inspired by quest for harmony, balance

‘Green Hornet’ fails at fusing satire and action3-D technology proves not to be formula for success

city of crime. Meanwhile, a local crime lord, Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) seeks to consolidate the crimi-nal underworld of the city. Obviously, these two forces collide and battle each other for control.

Even though this movie attempts to combine satire of the superhero genre with action, it ultimately fails to reach its goal. For one, the action and use of “high-tech” machinery is convincing, up until the climax when a final

chase scene ensues in pursuit of a seemingly archaic flash drive.

The audience is left won-dering why the genius side-kick was unable to install a computer or simply buy an internet-capable phone.

While Rogen serves as the comedic role in this crime-fighting duo, even his moder-ate attempts at action seem inauthentic, and they do not aid the comedy.

On the other hand, Cristoph Waltz does a decent job in combining comedy with his cunning menace that he dis-played in Inglorius Basterds. Nevertheless, do not expect another Oscar-winning per-formance by Waltz, as the character that he portrays in this movie is far too limited in depth to allow for much range in his acting. Unfortunately, too often he looks just like some dumb bad guy in a little kid’s movie, who is trying to be scary, but can never succeed. This fact is exacer-bated by his search through-out the movie for a name that is easier to pronounce and which will inspire fear from his enemies.

Another downside of this film was the archetypal role that Kato fulfilled as the kung-fu fighting Chinese sidekick.

Despite his major success as a pop singer in Asia, Jay Chou (Kato) accepted this one-dimensional character that is easily digestible for American audiences. In the beginning of the film, the audience catches a glimpse of Kato’s sketches and sees a drawing of Bruce Lee. Even though Bruce Lee did star in the television version of The Green Hornet, the cat-egorization of all Asian actors as kung-fu fighters demon-strates our limited worldview in this country. At one point, the movie even attempts to mock this when Britt mistak-enly believes that Shanghai is located in Japan.

Unfortunately, I think the audience missed this point and will continue to accept similar limited characteriza-tions in the future.

This film is definitely not a must see in theaters and should only be seen for a few laughs at best.

If you must see it, I suggest visiting your nearest RedBox.

“The Green Hornet” joins the list of several disappoint-ing 3-D films released in 2010,

and like the others, it proves that gra-tu i tous ly exploiting this tech-nology is not a for-mula for success.

T h i s technolo-gy should

be used cautiously, but it seems that many directors are intent on including ran-dom scenes to justify the 3-D format. Not only does it not aid the film, it actually hin-ders it considerably.

Based on a radio program aired from 1936 to 1952 and a television program in 1966, “The Green Hornet” tells the story of Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), millionaire playboy and heir to a successful Los Angeles newspaper.

Following the death of his father, Britt teams up with his father’s genius mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou) to rid the

2/5

The Good: The occasional comedy in the dialogue.

The Bad:Seth Rogen trying to do action.

The VerdicT:Wait for it to be released at RedBox.

January 20Reptar

January 26Oberhofer with Flaming Death Trap and Dubb Nubb

February 1Peter Wolf Crier and Retribution Gospel Choir

February 23Dum Dum Girls

February 28Akron/Family with Delicate Steve

April 8Southeast Engine with Theodore

April 14Zola Jesus with Cult of Youth

Billiken Club- Spring 2011 Schedule Continued from Page 7

“Dralion”: show colorfully depicts elements

accents. They taunt the audi-ence and perform physical comedy reminiscent of the Three Stooges. That is, if the Three Stooges were French Canadian.

After a comical perfor-mance by the clowns, the show opened with an over-ture depicting the elements fire, air, earth and water, each performed by a member of the cast. Each element is rep-resented by a color: fire is red, air is blue, earth is ochre and water is green.

Air, “Azala,” was depicted by a beautiful ballet style dance and acrobatic perfor-mance by Amanda Orozco. Water, “Oceane,” was demon-strated by an East Asian style rhythmic dance performed by Tara Catherine Pandeya, which gave the overture an alluring harmonious qual-ity. Yi-Chun “Billy” Chang’s performance of Fire, “Yao,” and Henriette Gbou’s per-

formance of Earth, “Gaya,” carried a solid energy that created the heartbeat for the show.

The first half of the show included a strong-hand bal-ancing performance by Han Yuzen. She demonstrated great physical agility and skill. The act started with a one handed handstand on a post that was about seven feet high. After holding still with-out so much as a tremble, she hand-hopped to the other hand. It was a rousing acro-batic start for the show.

The show closed with an amazing rope skipping act performed by about 14 people from the troupe. This group created a human pyramid three levels high and then jumped rope. It was one of the most remarkable stunts during the night of awe-inspir-ing performances.

Additional reporting by Ashley Jones.

unewsonline.comunewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011

Arts8

Film Critique

Brent lang

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011Sports Talk to us: Brian Boyd

314.977.2812 sports.unews@gmail.com

The University News

Swimming & Diving

Senior Michael Dahle was selected as the Atlantic 10 men’s swimming and diving Co- Performer of the week. Dahle posted three victories and a second place finish against South Dakota State University.

Sophomore Tay-lor Streid earned the women’s Performer of the Week award after winning four contests against SDSU.

women’S TenniS

Freshman Stephanie Hollis and senior Hailee Elmore both received nods in the first In-tercollegiate Tennis Association NCAA D-I Central Region singles poll of the year.

Hollis ranks 9th in the regional poll after posting a 13-1 record in fall competition. Elmore, just eight wins shy of becoming the Bills all-time wins leader, ranked 20th.

Billiken Briefs Cardinals call for Coach KordesOn Jan. 7, Saint Louis

University head volley-ball coach Anne Kordes announced that she was resigning immediately to accept the head coaching position at her alma mater, the University of Louisville.

Kordes coached the Billikens for seven success-ful seasons including three Atlantic 10 Conference titles as well three trips to the NCAA tournament, the first in program history.

Kordes was the ninth head coach in Billiken Volleyball history.

“The athletic administra-tion at SLU whole-heartedly supported me as a first-time head coach and did every-thing within their power to help me take Billiken volley-ball to the next level,” Kordes said. “I loved my time there.

“[At Louisville], I have a shot at a national champion-ship, which is my dream. The fact that my dream job is in my hometown is just icing on the cake.”

Senior outside hitter Megan Boken said, “It’s sad to see her go. She had been here [at SLU] for such a long time. It is understandable that she would take the new job in her hometown. We all wish her the best.”

Kordes, a Louisville native, played for the Cardinals before coaching. During her senior season she led the team to the Conference USA Tournament championship and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

With Kordes leading the way, the Cardinals finished 29-5.

Her career stats are high-lighted by 4,874 assists, 866 digs along with being selected a three-time All-Conference USA selection.

Kordes received her bachelor’s degree in ath-letic administration from Louisville in 1998, and she earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Louisville in 2001.

She first received national attention as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois, where she recruited and coached two All-Americans.

During her time at the University of Illinois, the Illini qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times and posted a 90-61 record.

In 2003, she helped the Illini to a 26-7 record, the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and a No. 15 ranking.

After that season, Kordes accepted an invitation to be the head coach of the Billikens.

Kordes guided the Billikens to the programs first Atlantic 10 Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2006.

SLU also achieved A-10 conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths in 2008 and 2009.

A three-time A-10 Coach of the Year (06’-09’), Kordes led the 2008 Billikens to an unblemished league record, the only in SLU history.

Kordes’ teams annually played the toughest competi-tion in the nation.

SLU finished the 2008 sea-son No. 8 in the RPI rank-ings, playing seven teams that finished among the RPI’s top 25.

In 2009, the Billikens fin-ished No. 27.

In 2008, Kordes’ team fin-ished 29-5 overall and enjoyed a historic campaign.

At the Billiken Invitational, SLU upset No. 3 Stanford 3-1 in front of what was the biggest on-campus volleyball crowd in program history (2,152).

By TYLER VACHIOContributor

This victory put the Billikens on the national radar; the team broke into the Top 25 for the first time in program history on Oct. 20 at No. 25. The Bills remained in the Top 25 for the rest of the season and finished at No. 21.

In 2009, SLU set a new school attendance record (6,106) for SLU’s Active Ankle Challenge Championship against top-ranked, and two-time defend-ing national champion, Penn State.

Despite dropping the match, the following week the Billikens earned their highest ranking in program history at No. 16.

Throughout Kordes’ SLU coaching career, she has coached many talented volleyball players, including four players that made the 2008 ACVA All-American teams.

Sammi McCloud became the first Billiken to garner a spot with a selection on the third team. Billikens Whitney Behrens, Bridget Fonke and Whitney Roth also achieved honorable mention status.

The Cardinals will look forward to this type of imme-diate impact from Kordes when she steps foot in Louisville.

“For Anne, we are so thrilled to welcome back one of our own back. She has an excellent coaching pedigree and is well-known as a tire-less recruiter.

“She took us to a confer-ence championship and the Sweet 16 as our setter; she began her coaching career as an assistant in the Big Ten and has taken Saint Louis to record heights as their head coach.

“I’m always looking for a good fit with any addition to our staff, and this one’s a nat-

ural,” University of Louisville Vice President of Athletics Tom Jurich said.

While Kordes’ departure is a setback for the program, the search for a new head coach continues for SLU Director of Athletics.

“Anne did a great job here and will do a wonderful job at Louisville. She took this program from one level and moved it to being a nationally competitive program.

“My job is to ask, ‘how will we make it better?’” May said.

“The position is an extremely attractive one, and we are confident that we will find a coach who will contin-

ue to elevate this volleyball program, both academically and competitively.

“Clearly, the foundation has been set for success with the SLU volleyball program.

“We will reach out nation-ally to find a successor, and this is an opportunity for us to get even better.” May con-tinued.

When asked what the team will look for in a new coach, Boken said “We need someone that will keep the program as competitive as it has been in the past.

We already have an awe-some group of athletes. The future is still very bright for these girls.”

Former head coach Anne Kordes. Ryan Giacomino/Photographer

men’S Soccer

Sophomore midfield-er Michael Robson was selected to the second-team All-Mid Atlantic Region by the NSCAA.

In the 2010 cam-paign, Robson started every game and provid-ed solid play in the Bil-liken midfield, notching two assists to go along with his superb defen-sive play.

At the age of 70, former Saint Louis University basket-ball star Tom Kieffer still finds time for the sport he loves. Once a week, Kieffer returns to the court for a recreational game of basketball with other former college players who share the same passion for the sport as he does.

“It’s fun to still play as long as my knees hold up. Basketball has always been something special for me,” Kieffer said.

Kieffer has had his fair share of special moments on the court. During the 1960-1961 season with the Billikens, he scored in the final second of the game for a thrilling National Invitation Tournament victory over the Miami University Hurricanes at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The victory propelled the Billikens into the quarterfi-nals, and the team eventu-ally made it to the finals but

Billikens Blast North Texas State, 86-57

Billikens Edge Tulsa, 72-68

Billikens Accept NIT Invitation

BILLS TAME HURRICANE, 58-56BILLS DOWN FLYERS, 67-60

Billikens End Cage Season With 2nd-Place NIT Finish

Together again: Bills honor ‘61 team

Upcoming gameS

Men’s BasketBall

01/26 vs. URI•

01/29 @ GW•

02/02 vs. U-Mass•

02/05 @ XavIeR•

02/09 vs. La saLLe•

02/12 @ RIchMond•

02/16 @ BonnIes •

02/19 vs. chaRLotte•

02/22 vs. chI state•

02/26 vs. dUqUesne•

03/02 @ dayton•

03/05 vs. XavIeRW•

WoMen’s BasketBall

01/25 vs. FoRdhaM•

01/30 vs. chaRLotte•

02/02 @ teMpLe•

02/05 vs. GW•

02/09 @ dUqUesne•

02/13 @ URI•

02/16 vs. XavIeR•

02/19 @ chaRLotte•

02/23 vs. BonnIes•

02/26 @ RIchMond •

sWiMMing & Diving

01/21 @ IUpUI•

01/21 vs. vaLpo•

01/22 @ L’Wood•

01/29 @ evansvILLe•

02/05 @ easteRn IL•

Headlines from the 1961 The University News

fell 62-59 to the Providence College Friars on a three-point shot with four seconds to play.

Fifty years later, Kieffer and seven of his former team-mates reunited on the court to receive an honor for their accomplishment during half-time at the Jan. 5 men’s bas-ketball game against Dayton at Chaifetz Arena as a part of the Billiken Legends series, a program that honors past Billiken teams and players.

“They were a special group, and it was important for us to recognize them on the 50 year anniversary of their accomplishment,” Director of Athletics Chris May said. “Clearly they were a group that played hard, worked together, stood up for each other and had a special chem-istry, and all of these factors allowed them to have a win-ning formula.”

That winning formula came under head coach John Bennington as the 1960-1961 team posted a 21-9 record. Kieffer and teammate Bob

By JONATHAN ERNSTEditor-in-Chief

Nordmann led the team in scoring and were both pres-ent at during the halftime cer-emony.

“We had a special team that year, and we came so close to winning the championship,” Nordmann said. “It was a great experience to be at the Garden and to represent the University on what was the biggest stage in college bas-ketball.”

At the time, the winners of the National Invitation Tournament were hailed as National Champions by some due to the media exposure at the tournament being in New York City. In 1961, the tour-nament consisted of 12 teams and contained four rounds. The Billikens defeated Miami, Colorado State and Dayton to reach the finals.

“It is great to be back and all together. Some of us see each other regularly, but oth-ers we don’t see, so it is nice to see the guys again,” Kieffer said. “It was a real treat to come back and be honored by the Billikens.”

Ryan Giacomino/Photographer

The University News file photos

The night is dark just before the dawn.

We’ve all heard that cliché right? In times of d e s p a i r we are reminded that life m u s t knock us down so we can pick our-s e l v e s back up; on the

other side of the horizon, the sun is burning bright. The sun began to set Oct. 14 when Kwamain Mitchell and Willie Reed were dismissed

from school for violating the Code of Conduct. It set even quicker after a 64-62 heart-breaking season-opener at home against Austin Peay. That loss was followed by a 61-59 defeat, again at home, to Georgia.

More disappointing loss-es would follow: at Portland (69-60), in Cancun against Southern Miss (74-67) and Ole Miss (69-61), and on New Year’s Day at home against Bowling Green University (67-61). Following the lost to BGU, junior Kyle Cassity vented, “I’ve been here for three years, and all I’ve heard is ‘next year.’ I’m tired of losing.”

The sun wasn’t done

descending, however.During the BGU game,

head coach Rick Majerus suffered a laceration to his left leg after a sideline col-lision. The injury would prevent him from coaching the team against Dayton, Temple and Duquesne; SLU dropped all three to start Atlantic 10 Conference play at 0-3. The team currently sits four games under .500 at 7-11.

After the high hopes last spring about the future of the SLU program, could it get any worse? The answer seems to be no. The sun is rising over the horizon again. And, regardless of public perception of the

team, our Bills still have a chance to make some noise in conference play.

Here’s why.Our freshmen have been

nothing short of stellar in their last two performances. Against Saint Joseph’s on Jan. 15, Dwayne Evans fin-ished with career highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Mike McCall scored nine points on 3-for-3 shoot-ing from 3-point range.

The Billikens won the match 67-51.

In a Jan. 19 tilt against Fordham at the IZOD Center in New Jersey, Evans put up 12 points and had 8 boards; Jordair Jett picked up five points and

four boards. Together, the freshman played 79 of the 200 available minutes, more than any other class. When the freshmen have scored 48 percent of the team’s points this season, you need that productivity from the young-est class.

McCall averages 9.5 ppg and a team-best 9.8 ppg; Jett is third on the squad with 8.5 ppg.

But the freshmen aren’t the only promising turnaround coming to life on the court. Cassity, a team captain, said that there’s a renewed sense of “us” on the oft-beleaguered team. “It feels good to win two in a row, feels good get back on track,” Cassity said

following the win at Fordham. “I think everybody pulled together. Guys are really starting to buy in and not let their offense dictate our defense.

“The one thing is most important is that guys are fig-uring out the roles they need to take to win.”

This SLU team doesn’t have the playmaker or the experi-ence to walk into games and expect to win; it must fight every minute against even the most mediocre opponent.

And with the return of Mitchell to the bench, maybe it’s time for the athletic depart-ment to hand out sunglasses. After all, the sun must rise again. Let there be light.

After falling behind the Fordham Rams (6-10, 0-4) with 12:43 left in the second half, the Saint Louis Billik-ens stormed back with a 12-0 run to gain a lead which they would never relinquish.

Junior Kyle Cassity had another big night, leading the team with 13 points and dishing out six assists as well while leading the Bills (7-11, 2-3) to a 68-55 road win.

Freshman Dwayne Evans continued his emergence as a presence in the post, pull-ing down 8 rebounds and sophomore big man Cody El-lis found his lon range stroke, going three of four from be-yond the arc.

The win gives the Billikens back-to-back wins for the first time since Nov. 27.

The team looks to add on to its modest win streak against Rhode Island at Chaifetz Are-na on Nov. 26.

Bills bounce Fordham 68-55

MBB- 12/15/10 vs. Jacksonville 69-64 W

WBB- 12/17/10 vs. Memphis 69-50 L

MBB- 12/18/10 @ Missouri State 81-65 L

WBB- 12/19/10 vs. Fla. Atl. 60-52 W

MBB- 12/22/10 vs. Northeastern (Cancun Governor’s Cup) 71-49 W

WBB- 12/22/10 vs. Evansville 55-53 W

MBB-12/23/10 vs. Southern Miss 74-67 L

MBB-12/24/10 vs. Ole Miss (Cancun Governor's Cup) 69-61 L

WBB- 12/30/10 @ Ball State- 78-59 L

MBB- 01/01/11 vs. BGSU- L 69-61

WBB- 01/02/11 @ Tennessee Tech- 73-61 L

MBB- 01/05/11 vs. Dayton* 60-50 L

WBB- 01/08 vs. St. Joe’s*- 66-54 L

MBB- 01/09/11 @ Temple* 57-53 L

MBB- 01/12/11 @ Duquesne* 67-45 L

December 2010 January 2011January 2011

3129282726

25242322212019

181716151413

11109876

4321

MBB MBB

MBB MBB MBB

1211109

8765432

1 MBB

MBB

MBB MBBWBB

WBB

WBB

WBB WBB

WBB= Women's BasketballMBB= Men’s Basketball

*denotes A-10 Conference game

@ Duquesne*

L 69-61

L 66-54L 60-50

L 57-53

L 73-61

W 69-64 L 69-50 L 81-65

W 60-52 L 74-67 L 69-61

L 78-59

vs. Northeastern

vs. Evansville

Cancun Governor’s CupL 67-45

30 WBB

@ Ball State

vs. St. Joe’s*

vs. Fla. Atl.

vs. Memphis @ Temple

@ Tennessee Tech

vs. Jacksonville

vs. Ole Missvs. Southern Miss

vs. BGSU

vs. Dayton*

W 71-49

W 55-53

@ Missouri State

By BRIAN BOYDSports Editor

Commentary

DerriCk neuner

New hope rises for the Billikens during uncertain season

Kyle CassityLauren Woods

Courtesy of Fordham Athletics

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011

Sports10

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011

Advertisement 11

unewsonline.comThursday, January 20, 2011

Advertisements from Student Development 12 W

E ARE A

LL BILLIK

ENS W

E ARE A

LL BILLIK

ENS W

E ARE A

LL BILLIK

ENS W

E ARE A

LL BILLIK

ENS

WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS

W

E ARE

ALL

BILLI

KEN

S

W

E ARE

ALL

BILLI

KEN

S

WE

ARE

ALL

BILLI

KEN

S

WE

ARE

ALL

BILLI

KEN

S

WE

ARE

ALL

BILLI

KEN

S

WE ARE ALL BILLIKENS