St. Louis University News

Questions unanswered and things left unsaid

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Here it is: The end of another academic year. From the 2008 Presidential elections to the 2009 Student Government Association elections; from the Billiken's 100th birthday to a 24-hour library; and from a roving guinea fowl to the threat of swine flu, vital events have transpired since last August.

Porterfield for President

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now." Alan Lakein, time-management expert

Last week, members of The University News learned that Vice President of Student Development Kent Porterfield is interviewing for a swanky new job.

'All of Us' campaign moves forward

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, Rainbow Alliance members and the administration reached common ground on a pledge that the group had written to encourage straight allies to support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.

Administrators were uncomfortable with the phrasing of the original pledge, claiming that parts of the document, including a call for marriage equality, were not in line with Saint Louis University's Jesuit mission.

Students flock to annual fundraiser

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

They came. They walked. They raised $120,333. Last Saturday's Relay for Life, though not quite as lucrative or populated as those of years past, still managed to do its part for the fight against cancer.

Co-chair Marissa Moniz said that though numbers were down from last year, the fundraiser didn't take as big a hit as she had feared.

Let Us Introduce You To ... Vijai Dixit

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Learning a foreign language may challenge many students, but Professor Vijai Dixit proves that it is more than possible.

Dixit, a professor in his 23rd year at Saint Louis University, teaches courses in three departments-modern and classical languages, physics and mathematics.

Swine flu hits Midwest

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Mad cow disease and avian flu may have come and gone, but another disease has since taken its place in the media spotlight.

Swine flu, which originated in Mexico, has continued to spread rapidly within the United States and beyond, raising the World Health Organization's disease threat level to pandemic and prompting an e-mail to Saint Louis University students warning about its symptoms and how to prevent it.

Howard administration says goodbye, swears in Harriss

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Yesterday at the final Student Government Association meeting of the academic year, outgoing President Sam Howard stated, "I'm just going to speak from my heart a little bit."

During the organization's traditional "pass the gavel" segment at the end of the meeting, Howard addressed each Senate member individually, telling stories about their time together, mentioning things that she admired about them and sharing how each has impacted her during her time on SGA.

University sustainability efforts make progress, face obstacles

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Nationwide, campus sustainability initiatives have taken off, and Saint Louis University is jumping on the band wagon. Sustainability at SLU has improved since 2001, when the recycling program launched. However, the University is still trying tackling ways to become more environmentally friendly.

Rules tighten for Greeks

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Members of Saint Louis University's Greek community have witnessed new and tightened rules over the years. This has created a concern in students.

"We did notice a change in policies and with disciplinary actions. New penalties were set up that have never been seen before," said Michael Zimmer, a 2007 alum and current law student.

24-hour library extends late night study

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Since April 20, Pius XII Memorial Library has extended its hours to allow students a safe place to study past 2 a.m.

This is designed as a pilot program to gather and evaluate data on the usage and the practicality of a permanent 24-hour library for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Learning to break away and say goodbye

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Saying goodbye is hard to do. I should know; I've written the first hundred words of this senior farewell half a dozen times. Each time, I only last a couple paragraphs before I start quoting "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson and start crying into my Diet Coke.

Life advice with byline for 2009

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

My name is Sarah Hale. I edit the Opinions section of this newspaper. Since 2005, I've written many of the paper's editorials, from sonnets to diatribes to simple reflections on student life. Now, I'm graduating-and with roughly 160 anonymous editorials down and two to go, I figure it's time for a byline.

Friendships and memories fill advertising office

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Bob Hope said it best: "Thanks for the memories." The two people responsible for helping to create these memories were Jack Coatar and Patrick Calland. Both of them provided me with the opportunity to be involved with and learn the tools and skills necessary in helping run this organization, the advertising office of The University News.

Around the world-and back again

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Home. There's been a lot of chatter about it recently. For many students, it will be a brief reprieve from academia until August. For seniors as myself, graduation signals a new meaning for the word. As many of us move across the country and the world, home will no longer signify so much a physical place but rather an incorporeal reflection of ourselves.

New beginnings from some other beginning's end

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

So this is it: The beginning of the rest of my life. Looking back on it, I can remember being a scared freshman, homesick and full of anxiety about what the next four years would hold. Now, I just wish I could get those years back, or at least relive them in part.

No regrets at Saint Louis University for news editor

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Rewind to April 2005. I know, ages and ages ago. Back then, a lot of people believed that America would never elect a black president. High school students were still barred from Facebook. And I was desperately trying to make a final decision about where to go to college.

Signs, signs, everywhere signs of end

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Here it is: My senior farewell. It's probably the shortest thing I've written since arriving at Saint Louis University, but it's definitely the piece that I've dreaded the most. I guess that is why I've been putting it off for weeks, knowing that it's due.

Legacy of a SLU education

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

My LiveJournal entry from April 2005 reveals my reasons for choosing Saint Louis Uni-versity over other Jesuit universities. I wanted to explore a new city (I'm from Cin-cinnati), and I wanted to become more independent. I liked the campus, and they gave me more money than other schools.

Lifehouse rocks your parking lot

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

On the night of April 24, Students Activity Board of Saint Louis University hosted its annual spring concert featuring Lifehouse. Despite the beautiful weather and free admission, the event attracted a relatively small crowd of students.

"I was surprised the crowd was as small as it was because Lifehouse is a pretty well-known band.

Summer movie season offers films for every taste

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

As the school year comes to an end and students get ready to leave studies behind and prepare for some fun in the sun, frequent moviegoers are gearing up for the biggest movie season of the year. This summer sees the release of a number of highly anticipated blockbusters, ranging from warring robots to teenage wizards and reckless space explorers on the Starship Enterprise.

New play explores what makes a life worth living well

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The Saint Louis University Theatre Department is ending its 2008-2009 season in cooperation with the St. Louis Actors' Studio with a production of playwright Bertol Brecht's classic morality play, "The Good Person of Setzuan." A show that challenges the viewer and asks what it means to be a good person in a world full of evil.

Windmills of My Mind

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The life of a graduating senior is a strange one. You're told to look to the future with ambitious fervor, while at the same time, you're tethered to the past by classes with all of their papers and effort. It's like being in a state of arrested development.

Professor and Playwright brings show to SLU

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Gitana, Inc., a local organization dedicated to provide global aid and awareness through art, is producing a play entitled, "My Heart is Always Shaking," about the trials of two female Afghani refugees in St. Louis. Lee Patton Chiles, professor at Saint Louis University, wrote the play based on her experiences with a group of woman she met in 2007.

You can't stop the beat

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Last weekend, a production at The Fabulous Fox Theatre welcomed local audiences back the '60s and did it in style.

"Hairspray," the Tony Award- winning Broadway musical, came to St. Louis as a part of touring production, bringing with it all the catchy songs, deliciously overblown set design and towering hair that the show-originally adapted from director John Water's decidedly more nihilistic film of the same name from 1988-has come to be known for since opening in 2002.

Billiken Bests

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

1. Nov. 5, 2008
First game at Chaifetz Arena

The Saint Louis University men's basketball team dominated Harris-Stowe 86-40 in exhibition play in the first ever basketball game played at Chaifetz Arena-but the game took a back seat to the importance of the occasion.

Athletic Director pleased by accomplishments of first year

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Staff writer Derrick Neuner talked with Athletic Director Chris May a year after May's arrival at SLU. The following discussion touched on the highlights of last year as well as what to look forward to in the future for Billiken athletics. How has your first year at Saint Louis University gone? Athletic Director Chris May: The first year has been an absolutelye great experience, both for me and for the programs.

Win over BC invaluable to program

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

When I awoke on the morning of Nov. 22, 2008, a distinct feeling of anticipation greeted me as I rolled out of bed.

When the Billikens took on the Eagles of Boston College, not only did they face their first major opponent in the new arena, I also covered my first basketball game as a journalist.

Club rowers take on elite competition

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

There was a time when rowing was the most prestigious and popular college sport in the United States.

In the late 19th century, Harvard University and Yale University would draw thousands of spectators to their annual rowing races on the Hudson River.

These days, sports such as basketball and football have surpassed rowing.

New recruits bolster roster

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

When Rick Majerus came to Saint Louis University almost two years ago, he was handed a team he didn't recruit, a team that hadn't seen the NCAA tournament in eight years: a team that didn't have a facility of its own.

All that is changing.

Head Coach Majerus has already added six new players to the SLU roster.

Second place in A-10 still a possibility

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The Saint Louis University softball team is nearing the end of its regular season, as the Billikens have only two more games left to play.

This season has been a successful one for the Billikens, who have won at least 20 games for the third year in a row.

Billikens battle to best finish since joining Atlantic 10

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The Saint Louis University men's tennis team brought its season to a close last weekend with a fourth-place finish at the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. The result is the best finish since SLU joined the A-10 four years ago.

This year's squad also posted SLU's best overall record in over 10 seasons.

All of Us leaders respond

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Over the last couple of weeks, Rainbow Alliance's straight ally-led initiative, the All of Us Campaign, has been a subject of controversy and discussion around Saint Louis University's campus. The last edition of The University News featured several commentaries expressing a gamut of emotions over the temporary hold put on the All of Us Campaign by SLU administrators.

Promoting Catholic doctrine

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Some of last week's letters show an inability or unwillingness to understand that those who demand "gay rights," though they preach tolerance, are intolerant of the core beliefs of the Catholic Church and most other Christians, Jews and Muslims, particularly African and African-American Christians.