Month: September 2023

La Salle Women’s Soccer: Temple match and season so far

Sports

John Freeman, Editor

The Women’s Soccer Team tied Temple 2-2 in their match against The Owls. Forward Justyce Hollenback netted two goals for the Explorers in the second half of play to initiate her scoring tally for the season and record her first brace as an Explorer. The Explorers trailed Temple by a goal shortly after the second half commenced after Temple forward Sumaya Togba scored a curving shot to the far post in a crowded 18-yard box. Shortly after, Hollenback opened the scoring for La Salle with a low shot to the left side of the far post in the 18-yard box after being assisted by midfielder Giovanna Castorina with a low cross from the right wing. 

Temple took the lead late in the game after midfielder Beky Myers scored with a clinical left-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Hollenback would score the equalizer nine minutes later on a second-chance shot from eight yards out. The Explorers maintained possession and found a rhythm with short passes throughout the game. Each team recorded the same number of goals (2) and assists (1) and were comparable with their shots on goal as La Salle created seven chances and Temple created eight. This squad has been creative in the final third this year—creating 40 shots on goal in just eight games and scoring 10 of them. The theme for success for this year’s squad seems to be threefold: maintain possession, attack in numbers when possible, and create chances with shots from 25 yards or closer. These tactics have helped the squad score most of their goals this season and will likely continue throughout the rest of the fall. However, the Explorers must maintain defensive positioning and anticipate second-chance shots from their opponents in order to win games. 

The squad’s record to date is (2-4-2), consisting of losses to Townson, Delaware, and Bucknell at home, and Princeton away. Most of the losses were tightly-contested matches where the Explorers played well throughout the match but exhibited lapses defensively. In addition to tying at Temple, the squad tied NJIT 1-1 at Lubetkin Field, where attacker Madison McCready assisted fellow attacker Emily Banashefski in scoring her first goal of the season. In the squad’s two wins against Albany and Seton Hall, Head Coach Paul Royal had the Explorers line-up in a familiar formation with four defenders in these wins. Paul Royal entered his 21st season as head coach of the Explorers this fall, and secured his 200th win as coach in the squad’s win against Albany. This year’s squad possesses viable experience with 16 upperclassmen—who will likely serve as the backbone for the Explorers. The Explorer’s were ranked 8th in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, and are currently 9th overall in the conference standings. Royal is supported by assistant coaches Courtney Tole and Matt Brooks this season as well. The Explorers will play their next game against The Saint Louis Billikens at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.  

Price catalogs: neutering grocery greed

Commentary

By: Joseph Battista

It’s that time of the week again. The fridge is empty, and you need to save a few dollars. Let the grocery scavenger hunt commence. You start your three-part journey at your favorite grocer to get pantry essentials and cheese. Then you head to the grocery store with the supposed “best” prices on meat in town, at least according to all their advertisements. Ending the journey, at the store with the cheapest produce. Wait, the cheap produce spot’s cheese and meat is cheaper than your last two destinations, yet you already got overcharged. 

All the effort spent maximizing grocery value is wasted. You still end up sacrificing your first-born child and three fingers from your dominant hand, for groceries… How can someone possibly know the best food deals without becoming some sort of price prophet, an oracle cursed to search for the fairest groceries of thy land?

Maybe there is a solution. A remedy to gluttonous groceries demanding your monthly budget. The price prophet we the people need! A localized price catalog showcasing the lowest and average price for America’s most purchased groceries. 

A magical list of the cheapest and average price for groceries sounds great, but how could it actually work? Local governments would take the helm of this project and localize grocery price catalogs by their respective county. The catalog could be updated monthly or actively track prices with the help of artificial intelligence . The catalog could feature 50 of America’s most purchased groceries. Each product would have the cheapest price in the county along with that price’s location, and the overall county price average.

Tracking prices by county keeps shoppers informed on prices in their communities, without the necessary workload. Once produced, the catalogs would be posted online for ease of access. Shoppers could check the catalog for cheapest asparagus in the area before their grocery journey, or even see if that asparagus bundle at their local grocer is a fair deal or overpriced. 

Price catalogs inform consumers on current prices. Informed consumers make educated purchases, ideally getting themselves the best spending value. Apply this to groceries, customers save money during their shopping, either to spend elsewhere or afford higher quality foods.Shoppers have more to gain than just fair prices with a grocery catalog. It’s free advertising.Product research, aka checking the price catalog, is the second-largest motivator in purchasing decisions, even more so than company driven marketing, according to McKinsey Quarterly. Free exposure in a catalog dedicated to customer research, simply by offering the best prices. It sounds like a recipe for low price competition in the grocery industry, driving down the costs for all.

The dream to stop getting screwed over by the grocery industry exists – but will it happen? Demand catalogs and beat the grocery gambit.

Emilee Desmond feature

Features


Claire Herquet, Staff

The professors in La Salle’s Communication department  provided the opportunity for current students to connect with alumni who have gone through the job search and found themselves doing what they love in the communications career field.  

On Sept. 8, La Salle University welcomed the first guest speaker of the year, communincation alum, Emilee Desmond to speak to one of our Sports Journalism classes about not only acquiring her job working for the Philadelphia 76ers, but how much she loves what she does being a Member Services Coordinator for the professional basketball team.  

 Students were delighted to hear her insight into how she applied her studies and experience gained from volunteering at La Salle, and how it has gotten her the position she has now. 

As a child, Emilee always knew she would be doing something big in the world of sports. She often bonded with her father over professional basketball on television at home. In her time at La Salle, she played soccer alongside her teammates in college for years and became the sports reporter and scriptwriter for the Collegian and La Salle TV. Leaving her collegiate athletic career was tough for Desmond, however she was overjoyed to continue focusing on her efforts of success with her studies.  

Emilee graduated with her bachelor’s degree at the height of the initial COVID-19 outbreak, which was extremely devastating for her. However,, she pushed through and kept herself motivated by returning to school the following semester to earn her master’s degree. Looking back on this decision, she told current students that it was the most beneficial at this time to expand her knowledge instead of trying to jump into the job search while the pandemic was an increasing issue.  

In December 2020, Desmond got her job as a Salesperson at the 76ers, working in the office, mainly calling clients to sell and increase ticket sales, offered promotions, and worked at a number of 76ers events. A few months into her time there, after finishing her master’s degree, she voiced to her supervisor that she had interest in getting promoted to the job as an Executive Coordinator. A few months following the discussion, Desmond received the opportunity to take over doing just that. 

Her current position mainly consists of managing schedules, budgets, marketing plans and sales activities. In addition, she researches locations during off season to plan for events, brainstorms and directs team events such as game days, does inventory of new merchandise and more. Desmond has very long days at work, sometimes working a consecutive 16 hours (often for game days), however testifies that it is all worth it for seeing the big happy crowds cheering on her favorite team at the Wells Fargo Center. 

Desmond left students with a great deal of advice  last Friday. She is proud of herself for getting involved and finding herself as many volunteer opportunities as she could at her time here. Getting experience is extremely helpful in finding what you might have an interest in, and getting your foot in the door with doing activities related to your major while gaining that experience is something that the future version of you will never regret.  

The Communication department will be welcoming many more sports alumni speakers this semester to help students network and explore career possibilities.

Back to school meal ideas

Health and Wellness

Olivia Funk, Staff

Coming back on campus, it can be hard to eat the same dining hall food day after day. These three easy recipes can give you a change from the dining hall, not to mention they are dorm friendly and delicious!

Mac and Cheese in a Mug
Making homemade Mac and Cheese has never been easier with Mac and Cheese in a Mug. 

Start by grabbing a microwavable safe mug, adding 1⁄2 cup of macaroni noodles, 1⁄3 cup of water, and a pinch of salt. Microwave for 3 minutes stir it up and add a splash of milk and a handful of cheese of your choice. Add some pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, and a pinch of hot sauce if you would like. Stir it up again and microwave it until the cheese has melted and combined (at least 30 seconds) then enjoy!

Elevated Ramen
Everyone’s college staple is ramen noodles. It’s quick, it’s easy and it tastes delicious, but here is a great way to elevate the same old ramen recipe. Start by boiling a pot with water as the package says, but before you add the noodles soft boil and egg or two. You will do this by cooking your egg in the boiling water for 7-8 minutes and then putting it straight into an ice bath. While your eggs cool, follow the normal package instructions. When you add your seasoning mix to the cooked noodles, add some garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. Take the shell off of the eggs, cut them in half and add on top with more soy sauce and sesame oil. There you have it, elevated ramen. Stir Fry
If you have more kitchen space, this a great easy recipe to make and will give you plenty of leftovers. Start by cooking a cup of rice or heating up a microwavable rice packet. While the rice is cooking, cut up your veggies of choice. I used carrots, peppers and sugar snap peas. Frozen vegetables can make it even easier. I also decided to use chicken in my stir fry, but you can definitely sub or a different meat option or just stick with a veggie stir fry. While the rice cooks, heat up a large pan with olive oil and add your chicken, cooking it all the way through. Then take it out and set aside to rest. In the same pan, add more oil and then add your onion and veggies. Once they soften a bit, add some minced garlic. Once the rice is cooked, add it to the pan along with the chicken and mix everything up. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and if you like it spicy, some red pepper flakes. Push the rice mixture to the edges of the pan, creating a circle in the middle where you will crack one egg. Once the egg starts to cook a bit, mix it with the rest of the rice. Add more seasoning if you would like and enjoy your delicious and easy stir fry!

A month of welcome

News
La Salle’s campus via Colin McPoyle

Karly Zimmerman, Staff

La Salle University’s September schedule is packed full of events geared toward welcoming students back to campus after the long summer break. Events ranging from arts and crafts, success coaching and student involvement will be keeping students very busy during the month of September!

On Aug. 28, On the Quad kicked off the semester with a Water Ice Welcome event in the Hansen Quad. Students were invited to come out and enjoy delicious water ice to celebrate the first day of classes. Later in the week, La Salle’s wide range of student clubs, academic and Greek life organizations all gathered in the Tom Gola Arena for a Student Involvement Fair on Thursday, Aug. 31 hosted by the Career Center and Campus Activity Center. The event was a great opportunity to introduce La Salle’s freshman class to the many ways to get involved on campus.

On Sept. 5, La Salle University’s Commuter and Off-Campus Coaches hosted a Painting and Sipping event on the Hansen Quad where commuter students were given the opportunity to network, paint and learn more about La Salle.

La Salle Student Wellness Services began their on-campus series on Wednesday, Sept. 6 with a DIY Thriving Kit table that provided students with healthy tips and tricks to “survive” college. Students were allowed to make up their own care package of wellness products, healthy snacks and more.

La Salle became an official partner school for Campus Philly’s annual Collegefest this year, an event that welcomed over 20,000 college students back to Philadelphia with free museum tickets, free SEPTA fare, and a block party on Philadelphia’s Race Street on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, Sept. 10.

While these events have been a success, La Salle students look forward to the events yet to come. On Friday, September 29, La Salle will host Quietfest, a series of music and wellness festivals held by Depaul USA, a national homelessness services nonprofit organization that fights the homelessness crisis by providing safe and stable housing. The event will take place in the Union Ballroom and will include a workshop, vendors and various physical activities such as yoga, meditation and art therapy. Later that night, Late Night La Salle will partner with Depaul USA and the Union Ballroom will be transformed for a Silent Disco event.

To close out our busy month of September, Late Night La Salle will host a Philly Food event to highlight and celebrate the many cultural and delicious flavors of the city. Students will be invited to come and enjoy in the Union Food Court on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Mitch McConnell dismisses health questions after interview freeze-up

national politics

Maya Martin, Editor

Mitch McConnell Via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/File:Mitch_McConnell_May26.Webp

COVINGTON, Ky. – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell freezes in front of reporters for a second time, raising health concerns for the 81-year-old.

During a press event held in Kentucky, Mitch McConnell appeared to pause for over 30 seconds when being questioned by reporters. While aides tried to regroup McConnell, he continued to freeze and stare off into the distance.

This event occurred just over a month after the senator froze up again while speaking with reporters at Capitol Hill in July. The freeze-up lasted around 15 seconds and caused many questions for those watching. Both instances, recorded and shared across media platforms, have been widely viewed and raise concerns for McConnell’s health.

McConnell suffered from a concussion in March after tripping at a dinner event, so many Americans are wondering if the three incidents are correlated. After the fall, “He was hospitalized for several days and received additional treatment at an inpatient rehabilitation facility,” CBS News reported. “McConnell returned to the Senate more than a month after the fall.”

Worried about McConnell’s health, President Biden commented on the freeze-up saying, “Mitch is a friend… so I’m going to try to get in touch with him later this afternoon.”

With these ongoing concerns for McConnell’s health, it opens up the question: Is he healthy and able enough to hold his position? McConnell’s senate minority leader position goes through 2024, while his term in the senate runs through 2026, according to The New York Times.

“I am going to finish my term as leader, and I’m going to finish my Senate term,” McConnell said to reporters. He continues to dismiss questions from reporters about his health after both freeze-up occurrences.

The Capitol Hill attending physician, Brian Monahan, evaluated McConnell after his repeated health scares. McConnell’s office released Monahan’s physician’s note where he states that the senator underwent, “Brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment.”

After thorough assessment, however, Monahan’s analysis concluded, “There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you [Mitch McConnell] continue recovery from your March 2023 fall.”

Although the Capitol Hill physician invalidates any possible health issues Mitch McConnell may have, onlookers still have doubt, especially considering McConnell’s age. According to the New York Times, “Several medical professionals who watched video of Mr. McConnell’s episodes suggested he had been experiencing focal seizures or mini strokes.”

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky also agrees that the health analysis made by Brian Monahan was not reliable. In addition to his position in the Senate, Paul is also a well credited physician. In response to the medical examination, Paul said, “I don’t think it’s been particularly helpful to have the Senate doctor describing it as dehydration, which I think even a non-physician seeing that probably aren’t really accepting that explanation.”

Although Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell seem to frequently clash within the GOP, Paul still is a praised physician. Paul said, “Everybody’s seen the clips, it’s not a valid medical diagnosis for people to say that’s dehydration.”

Although Senator Mitch McConnell himself and the Capitol Hill physician claim McConnell is healthy enough to continue his term, only time will tell how McConnell’s health progresses. With ongoing concerns about current politicians’ older ages, this health scare is yet another reason Americans are questioning the abilities of many American political figures.

Barbenheimer: Review

Arts & Entertainment

Emily Allgair, Editor

via Sean Longmore for Layered Butter

The weekend following July 21 was a big one, not only for movie-goers but also for the box office. Bringing in over $244 million to the domestic box office, Universal’s “Oppenheimer” brought in $82 million while Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” brought in a whopping $162 million over a three-day period, making that weekend the fourth-largest in the history of the domestic box office. 

Like many of those who saw Barbenheimer, I saw “Oppenheimer” first and followed with “Barbie” for a light-hearted pallet cleanser. To reflect my viewing experience, I will first review Christopher Nolan’s movie, then end with Greta Gerwig’s. 

My biggest takeaway from “Oppenheimer” was how beautiful it was. I was lucky enough to see it in a 70 mm theater, but I think even with a smaller aspect ratio, the colors and lighting would still be impactful. Even in the black and white scenes, the contrast was graded very well. Even though I am typically not a fan of different saturations being used to portray different time periods, I understood and almost respected how Nolan’s choice helped the flow of the three-hour film. As fragmented as the plot was, I think this choice was more than just artistic and really helped with audience digestion of the concurrent plot lines. 

Although I try not to look into movies too much before watching them, I obviously expected performances from Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon, but the rest of the star-studded cast was distracting to me. Naming a few of those who really caught me off guard, Devon Bostick (Rodrick in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”), Josh Peck (Josh in “Drake and Josh”), Matthew Modine (Papa in “Stranger Things”) and Gary Oldman (Sirius Black in the “Harry Potter” movies) were all distracting me from the actual plot as they were on screen. The most distracting was Rami Malek, although one could make an argument for the importance of his specific talent towards the end of the film. 

While I understand these actors’ want to be in a Christopher Nolan movie, the culmination of all of them at once was a lot to take in. 

I also don’t have much to say on this last note but I think it’s an important one to include: “Oppenheimer” does not pass the Bechdel test. This does not have to be an important thing to keep in mind, but matched with the arguably unnecessary nudity of Florence Pugh and the fact that no woman speaks for the first approximately 20 minutes of the film, it’s interesting to point out and think about, especially in the 21st century. 

I also do recognize that although this review is fairly negative, I rated “Oppenheimer” as 4.5 stars on Letterboxd. It was visually pleasing, beautifully edited, and the actors’ performances were stunning. Overall, I would highly recommend Christopher Nolan’s latest film to anyone who likes World War II history, Cillian Murphy, or movies as a whole.

As for Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” this movie was all I wished it was and more. Not to sound cliche, but the self-reflection that I had at the end of the movie made me so genuinely happy to be a woman. And for those of the viewers who are not women, “Barbie” at the very least makes you more aware of the feminine presences in your life, both within yourself and those close to you. 

The casting choices made by Allison Jones and Lucy Bevan were impeccable. Not only were Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling the epitomes of their characters, each cameo was tasteful enough to get recognition without stealing the spotlight. From Michael Cera to Kate McKinnon, each side character was casted with just as much attention to detail as the leading roles, really making Barbieland feel like a fully developed reality. 

Although Margot Robbie’s performance was near perfect, I think that America Ferrera as Gloria was the best part of the whole movie. Given her history of roles,  Ana in “Real Women Have Curves”, Carmen in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and Betty in “Ugly Betty”, Ferrera has fared well in her iconic roles as one of the first Latinas on television to not fit the stereotypical beauty standard in the early 2000s (and that’s not to say that she isn’t beautiful). Continuing on this track of roles, in the movie “Barbie,” Gloria is a woman who struggles with her self-image and self-worth. By creating a Barbie that goes against societal standards of women, in that she thinks of life beyond having perfect hair and a girls’ night every night, Gerwig’s combination of Gloria and Stereotypical Barbie is, in my opinion, brilliant. And the casting that goes hand-in-hand with this plot point furthers my opinion even more. 

Overall, I would give Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” five stars. Genuinely. I had high expectations going into this movie and they were exceeded by every element of the film. 

In retrospect, the weekend following July 21 was one that will be remembered well, not only by history buffs, but by teenage girls of all ages, as well.

Men’s Soccer starts strong

Sports

John Freeman, Editor

La Salle’s Men’s Soccer team opened their season with an away game against Stonehill University on Aug. 24. The Explorers tied in the tightly-contested match where some familiar names initiated scoring for the 2023 season. Defender Americo Pereira scored the first brace of his collegiate career and forward Giammarco Rodio scored a penalty. The Explorers fought back from the 2-1 deficit that they faced early in the second half of play. Following their opener, the Explorers would embark on a three-game win streak—defeating both Army and Lehigh University at home on ESPN Plus, as well as Manhattan College on an away trip. The theme for the Explorers this year seems to be to attack early and often. While the team struggled to create chances against Lehigh, the Explorers have earned shots on goal in the first 25 minutes of four of their last five matches, excluding their recent loss against NJIT on Sept. 12. 

More shots on goal for the Explorers will likely lead to more shots finding the back of the net and more opportunities from set pieces. Until their recent loss at NJIT in Newark, the Explorers were (3-1-1), with a .700 winning percentage according to the team’s homepage. The Explorers conceded three goals in a loss to Quinnaipiac at home which decreased their winning percentage to .583 and updated their season record to (3-2-1). Despite their recent losses, the Explorers have been able to capitalize on chances from five of the six matches they have played—as the team only went scoreless in their loss against Quinnipiac on Sept. 9. The team has also found chemistry with six of their goals being generated by assists. Defensive stability is an area the Explorers must improve in to keep their winning percentage above .500 and to make the Atlantic 10 playoff tournament. The team has conceded more than one goal in every match they have lost and conceded as many goals as they have scored so far.

 Keeping clean sheets and maximizing opportunities from set pieces seems to equate to the team’s most successful matches and is likely to be on their agenda for the rest of the season. Taylor Thames entered his third season as head coach at the commencement of this season and will be supported by assistant coaches Ahmed Elgayar and Rich Kessler. The Explorers were ranked 12th in the Atlantic 10 preseason rankings after finishing (5-9-4) last season. This year’s squad has a healthy mix of Freshman (10), Sophomores (11), Juniors (3) and Seniors (6), with the underclassmen outnumbering the Juniors and Seniors. The Explorers will play conference rival Saint Joseph’s on Sept. 16 at McCarthy stadium on ESPN Plus for their next match. Kickoff time is 7 p.m.