Author: Kylie McGovern

National Constitution Center awards 35th Liberty Medal

News

Kylie McGovern, Editor

On Oct. 27, The Nation Constitution Center in Philadelphia honored Judy Woodruff and David Rubenstein with The Liberty Medal for their “inspiring work in modeling and promoting civil dialogue about the shared values of liberty that unite Americans.” A few La Salle students had the privilege of attending this year’s 35th ceremony. The Liberty Medal was created in 1988 to celebrate the two-hundredth anniversary of the Constitution. The award was first granted in 2006 to Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton in recognition of their bipartisan humanitarian efforts. Since its creation, The National Constitution Center has awarded The Liberty Medal to several impressive people, including Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai.

This year, The Nation Constitution Center honored Judy Woodruff and her career in journalism. Woodruff has worked in network, cable and public television news, focusing on defending First Amendment rights. She has also advocated for women in journalism, a value celebrated at The Collegian, throughout her career. 

David Rubenstein has spent his career preserving American history to promote the importance of civics. In addition to preserving historical documents and monuments, Rubenstien has authored two books: The American Story and The American Experiment. 

During the liberty medal ceremony, Jeffery Rosen, President and CEO of The National Constitution Center, welcomed guests and then engaged in a dialogue with Woodruff and Rubenstein, ranging topics from learning American history to the causes of polarization. Rubenstein expressed a commitment to civics and preserving history, saying, “Well, the reason I think it’s important is this: Jefferson said many times that a representative democracy only works if you have an informed citizenry. Sadly, we don’t have as informed a citizenry as we would like, in part because we don’t teach civics and American history very much anymore.” Rubenstein continues explaining, “I’d begun to think that if we don’t have informed citizens, we aren’t going to have the republic that the Founding Fathers gave us, and we’re going to have a different form of government, one that all of us probably wouldn’t like as much. So what I’ve been trying to do in my efforts, is modestly to kind of let people know more about history, more about our country’s background, more about how the government works, on the theory that an informed citizenry will make the country a better country.”

Woodruff spoke about the causes of polarization, saying, “There are forces at play in this country, which we’re all familiar with: economic inequality is one of them.” She continued, “We’re divided over the question of race…” In addition, Woodruff described how the news media has changed, which affects polarization, saying, “The fact that people get their news and information from so many different places…that does not lend itself to people coming together to work together on finding solutions.” The entirety of the ceremony and this dialogue can be found here. 

After this conversation, Woodruff and David Rubenstein received their medals, and each gave an acceptance speech expressing gratitude for the award. 

Walmart employees share their experiences of the “defrosting”

Satire

Steven Hoang, Staff 

The recent “defrosting” of Mariah Carey brings about her Christmas reign, along with skipping the holiday of Thanksgiving. At the Walmart Supercenter located in the Philadelphia Mills Mall, some Walmart employees are barely clinging to their sanity.                                                           

“There was this one customer at the register who was trying to imitate Mariah saying ‘It’s time’ in whistle notes,” said Walmart cashier Pearlie Watts. “I really wanted to lash out at her, but I then realized that my minimum wage was more important. You can’t believe the amount of restraint it took for me to keep my mouth shut.”

For those like Walmart employee Clark Bates, it was a struggle to focus on his work with Carey’s song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” being on repeat. 

 “That song was on (expletive) blast for the past hour while I was restocking items at the toy section,” Bates said. “When will it stop? Do people know that Mariah has other hits? I love the song, but not when it’s shoved down my (expletive) throat!”

That said, some Walmart employees find comfort in listening to their own music in the breakroom. To them, it is an escape from reality.

“Having headphones and a playlist are essentials here,” employee Sherrie Pitt said. “The store has been overrun with the Carey Christmas plague! Our manager recently got infected with it. I can’t wait for (expletive) January!”

There are others who feel pessimistic about their predicament, such as employee Ashe Ketchup.

Ketchup said, “Personally, it has been a struggle. Before Mariah’s ‘defrosting,’ the whistle notes sounded like whispers. Now, they are more powerful, and I have to deal with the Christmas jingle sounds as well. It is not even Thanksgiving yet! It is only a matter of time before my demise! I do not know how long I can manage!”

Moments later, Ketchup resigned and left Walmart. Before driving off, he says that he plans on working at Target because “it’s better than Walmart,” but is still wary of Carey’s influence.

“A feature: Is Western Civilization Worth Defending?” 

Features

Kylie McGovern, Editor

The John Henry Neumann Lecture series kicked off with a lecture presented by Professor Joseph Loconte, Ph.D. in the La Salle University Art Museum on Sept. 27. La Salle’s provost, Shivanthi Anandan, Ph.D. introduced Loconte and gave a few words about the history of La Salle and its grounds ranging from stories of the societal ills that once happened on the grounds of the university at the hands of the Wister, the Peales and the Fisher families. Anadan then introduced Loconte’s talk saying, “Tonight, Dr. Loconte will ask us whether Western civilization despite its blemishes is worth defending. We are acutely aware of its ills and those who walked this ground before us knew all too well and lived under their shadow. But it is because of the very western civilization which caused these ills, that these Wisters, the Peales, the Fishers and now we, are called to remedy those ills. We are the vaccine against injustice, a legacy of healing and rejuvenation of which Jean Baptiste de La Salle and those who walked this land, would be proud. Dr Loconte will help us to identify the values, heritage, and ideals to which we must cling to remedy the ills which still beset us today.”

Professor Loconte opened the lecture by discussing a speech from June 1940 from Winston Churchill after France succumbed to Nazi forces. Loconte explained that he believed this speech saved the West. From here, the lecture expanded on topics like how freedom of speech and equal justice are under assault and the negatives that developed from the West like Nazism, Racism and Sexism. Then, Loconte discussed how both liberals and conservatives are questioning the legitimacy of the Western project. 

Dr. Mark Thomas from the Political Science department offered The Collegian comments on Professor Loconte’s lecture. Dr Thomas disagreed with Loconte’s points about Nazism and Racism being leeches on Western civilization in that it understates the phenomena and all the negative consequences and outgrowths of Western civilization. Dr Thomas explained, “Nazism, Racism, Sexism and all phenomena we have experienced historically are more like the evil twin side of Western civilization. The Jekyll and Hyde of Plato, Locke and even Christian belief. The same thought which gave rise to the Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution, and Liberal Democracy also gave birth to the evil fruits.” 

During the lecture, Loconte then began a word association exercise with the audience. The audience associated words and phrases like democracy, capitalism, freedom, algo-sphere, expansion, imperialism, and the American dream with the Western World. Some of these words can be intercepted as being positive, others negative and others neutral depending on one’s viewpoint. 

Loconte also described a history of the Western World relating it to the centuries-long interaction of Greek and Roman culture transformed by Jewish and Christian traditions and transformed again by democratic and technological revolutions. 

Loconte then went on to focus on the long-lasting influence of the Bible. Loconte says he would say even if he was not at a catholic university that “every major advance in the West owes a debt to the influence of the Bible.” 

Overall, this event was well attended with an Art Museum student worker estimating about 50 people in attendance. In addition, Professor Loconte encouraged audience engagement and the audience frequently participated. The lecture was infused with Loconte’s humor throughout and ended with time to ask questions. 

Speakers series at La Salle

News, Uncategorized

Kylie McGovern, Editor 

Recent Explorer Cafe via Kylie McGovern

On Sept. 14, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. La Salle’s Explorer Cafe series kicked off for the school year. Explorer Cafe events are an opportunity for students to learn about a specific topic in a casual way outside of the classroom. Typically, these events begin with a faculty or student lead presentation followed by discussion questions to get the audience talking and asking questions, sometimes while enjoying cafe inspired snacks and coffee. 

The cafe on Sept. 14 was facilitated by Chip Gallager of the sociology department, Miguel Glatzer of political science and Nick Staffieri also from the political science department. The knowledgeable faculty hosted this event to celebrate the birthday of the US Constitution. At this event, panelists and students discussed the impact of the Supreme Court’s 2023 cases which has affected college admissions’ approaches to affirmative action. 

The next Explorer cafe will be a discussion on how the professors and students can empower others to integrate antiracist practices into their syllabi and across their curriculum. Laura Roy (EDC) and The Scheiter Endowment 2023 Summer Faculty Learning Community will facilitate this event on Oct. 5, 2023 in the Holroyd atrium.

Gerry Ballough in the biology department, David Falcone from the psychology department, Bob Dobie from the philosophy department and Mark Thomas from the political science department will host another explorer cafe on Oct. 10, 2023 titled “Angels or Demons: What is Humankind’s Natural Instinct?” This discussion will feature views from biology, philosophy, and psychology about the nature of humankind by discussing whether humankind is inherently empathetic or brutish. The leaders will explore why humans love, hate, and empathize. 

Looking later into October, there will be an Explorer Cafe about Protected Speech and the First Amendment presented by Nicholas Staffieri and Cooper Smith, `24.

In addition to Explorer Cafe events, La Salle will host the John Henry Newman Lecture Series which La Salle describes as “prominent academics, intellectuals, and civic leaders providing the La Salle community, alumni, our partners as well as high school students and their parents from across the tri-state area with opportunities to learn new perspectives, to think critically about salient issues confronting society, and to engage in civil dialogue with one another.” Topics include: Western Civilization, Lincoln and Frederick Douglass Debate Slavery and Equality in the Constitution, Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and The American Experiment. The John Henry Newman Lecture Series will be free to attend and hosted in the La Salle University Art Museum.  

Dr Mark Thomas from the political science department explains that these events “are aimed at promoting civil discourse and providing students topics and a set of speakers whom our students may not encounter in our classrooms.  The goal of education is to broaden the mind. These two series are part of a four part set.  Each offers a different perspective. To paraphrase Frederick Douglass, not attending or discouraging others to attend is a double wrong…it violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker. Equally clear is the right to hear. To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.”

Summer in Philadelphia

News, Uncategorized

Kylie McGovern, Editor 

Although many La Salle students will be leaving campus for the summer the week of May 7 following their finals, for those who stick around campus there are a lot of activities happening in the Philadelphia area this summer. Before summer begins, there are a few loose ends for students to tie.

Students must pick up all packages and mail before they leave on summer break. All packages and mail will be sent back to sender starting on June 1, 2023. The mailroom thanks everyone for their cooperation and wishes students a great summer. In addition, on-campus students need to begin the move-out process. Students must move out 24 hours after their last final exam, or by 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 11 (whichever comes first). If a student needs to stay beyond 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 11 they must submit a May Housing Extension Application which is available in the student portal. Extension applications are due May 8 and anything applications received after the deadline will be subject to a $50 late fee. In addition, Summer housing applications are available. Students living in on-campus housing will be staying in single rooms in St. Miguel Court townhouses between May 21 and August 3. More information about preparing to move-out will be provided by res-life staff via email, and distributed via flyers throughout the residence halls, townhouses and apartments.  

Once students complete finals and the move-out process they can enjoy a summer in the City of brotherly love. Students can enjoy events like the Wawa Welcome America event which is multicultural programming from June 19 until July 4. The Manayunk Arts Festival on June 24 and June 25 is a crafts, food and music festival in mainstreet in Manayunk’s main street. In addition, The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival will take place in Franklin Square from June 21 until Aug. 13. 

There will also be a variety of concepts in the area this summer. Dead & Company will perform at Citizens Bank Park for their final ever show in Philadelphia on June 15. Beyonce will be performing at Lincoln Financial Field on July 12. Citizens Bank Park will also host Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band on Wednesday, August 16 and Friday August 18.

The Philadelphia Phillies will be in season throughout the summer as well. The stadium district is accessible from La Salle via SEPTA. Students can take the Broad Street Line from Olney Transportation Center to the NRG station and walk from there to their summer concert or sports game. 

For students looking to explore something educational over the summer, Philadelphia offers several museums  that have student discounts. The Barnes Foundation, the National Constitution Center and Mütter Museum offer discounts, as well as many more listed by Campus Philly. Even though campus life slows down a bit in the summer, there are plenty of activities in the city that will keep life busy and culturally vibrant for students in the area. 

La Salle University students prepare for final exams

News
La Salle library via Lasalle.edu

Kylie McGovern, Editor

On May 7, La Salle University’s Spring Full Semester Courses End, and the Spring Full Semester Final Examinations will be on Monday May 8, Tuesday May 9, Wednesday May 10 and Thursday May 11. Final exam time seems to draw students to the library and into a more stressful state of affairs as they prepare for final exams, end-of-semester projects and papers. However, the university and The Collegian have some tips to mitigate some of the stress that comes at the end of a semester. 

La Salle Student Wellness Services and the Office of Student Conduct are helping students prepare for finals week by making their own survival kit on May 1 from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. in the Union Lobby. On May 2, La Salle Student Wellness Services and the Art History Club are teaming up to give students an opportunity to take a break from studying and enjoy some creative art therapy from 12:00 p.m. until 2 p.m. in the Union Lobby. On May 5, Student Wellness Services and the Office of Residence Life will present Pause for Paws, an event for students featuring adorable animals brought to campus for an hour of snuggles. This event will be from 12:00 p.m. until 2 p.m. on the Quad, and it is part of Student Wellness Services Stressbusters Week, the week leading up to final exams. 

Aside from the stress relief from La Salle Student Wellness Services, La Salle’s academic support department will offer an opportunity for students to take a moment to reflect on the semester so they can make an effective plan for final exams, papers, and projects.  In this workshop, students will organize themselves, set goals and learn active study techniques to prepare for finals. This event will be on Monday May 1 at 5 p.m. on a Get Ready for Finals Zoom.

The La Salle library also has lots of study resources. The current hours are Monday from 8:00 am – 12:00 am, Tuesday from 8:00 am – 12:00 am, Wednesday from 8:00 am – 12:00 am, Thursday from 8:00 am – 12:00 am, Friday from 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm – 12:00 am. The Library also typically offers extended hours during the week of finals. The Library has 24-hour online chat with a librarian, sources for papers, online and free access to various databases, research support and more. In addition to these stress-busters and resources, it is helpful to connect with professors during office hours, create study groups to stay accountable, eat healthy meals and get enough sleep. 

April events round-up 

News

Kylie McGovern, Editor 

La Salle University student via La Salle University

April has been a busy month for student activities at La Salle University. A range of events has filled La Salle students’ calendars from athletics, the arts, wellness, greek life, and more. La Salle Wellness’s programs this month begin with a Take-Back the Night event on April 4. This event was an opportunity for La Salle community members to gather and share stories of “survivorship, hope, and advocacy.” This event is aimed at taking a stand against sexual violence. This event included music and sign making, group and confidential discussion, and s’mores and hot chocolate after the program! From April 11 until April 14 La Salle Wellness hosted the clothesline project to honor survivors of sexual violence.  Students were encouraged to stop by the Union between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to decorate a shirt and share a story of love, support, or survivorship for Campus Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The shirts were then displayed in the Union. During the rest of the month La Salle Wellness will host a planting event about “seeding your dreams” and a mental health roundtable on April 20. 

Late night La Salle hosted a s’mores event after the Masque’s production of “Drinking Habits.” This play is about two religious nuns who secretly make alcohol, but two reporters are suspicious of their activities.  In addition to this event, Late Night La Salle also hosted a popcorn event and plans to host an event in partnership with OLAS, one with different kinds of cookies, a PJ party and movie night and a tea tasting. 

On April 18 the career center will host one of their spring career check-ins. These check-ins are a series of tabling events geared toward the graduating senior class, and any other students looking for career-related assistance. This is a chance for students to check in on their career prep and exploration with the Career Peers & Counselors in the Union Lobby. They will be there ready to answer any questions and provide you with handouts.

On April 25 there will be an around-the-world wine-tasting event for students who are 21 years old. Students can enjoy an evening of food and wine pairings from around the world. Wines from 5 different countries will be featured with a brief history provided. 

On April 26 La Salle Student’s Government Association will host a General Assembly meeting, which is open to all members of the student body. 

Off-campus, students have a rich selection of activities. On Sunday, April 23 from 11 a.m. until  5 p.m. students can head to nearby Manayunk for the annual StrEAT Food Festival where they can enjoy food, shopping and music. In addition, on April 30 La Salle Students will be running in the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run 10-Miler which has been a proud Philadelphia tradition for over 40 years.

Communication and political science departments to host former president of the Associated Press

News

Kylie McGovern, Editor

On Thursday, April 13, La Salle University’s Communication and Political Science departments will host Tom Curley, a notable alumnus. Curley is one of the founders of USA Today, former president of the Associated Press, and former Editor-in-Chief of the Collegian. While at La Salle, Curly studied political science. 

This event will consist of a panel of political science professors and Curley will discuss media freedom and the first amendment. This panel will be followed up by a question and answer with Curley regarding both advice about careers in the media and the importance of balance in news coverage. Collegian editors will be moderating the question and answer session. 

Having a long and fruitful career, Curley has been interviewed and written about by large outlets like the New York Times as well as smaller more local papers like the Collegian. The Times reported that Curley enjoyed photography and hiking in his free time and how Curley did not want to spend his career thinking “about woulda, coulda, shoulda…[he] wanted to participate fully in the digital change in the media.” In November 2020, in the heat of the pandemic and online communication, the Collegian looked to Curley about the importance of free speech, social movements and speaking out. In that article, Curley advised student journalists that “there’s a way to get the story out, and in many ways, it is a good time to get the stories out and make some changes.” 

The event this Thursday is aimed at discussing these changes. The political science panel will begin at 11:15 in the communication center and the question and answer session is to follow at 12:30. 

Foreign Language Awareness Week at La Salle

News

Kylie Mcgovern, Managing Editor 

La Salle University’s annual Foreign Language Awareness Week (FLAW) commenced on Monday, Mar. 26. The week started with a presentation from Carla Pontarelli, a manager at the Kimmel Center who worked for Disney-Orlando. Pontarelli will be talking about the efforts of Lin-Manuel Miranda to ensure Disney and “Encanto” incorporated Columbian culture into the movie. From 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., there will be a movie screening of “Ocho Apellidos Vascos” in the St Miguel Lobby.

The Food Fair is on Tuesday in the Hayman Hall Lobby. Students will have the opportunity to taste and create cuisines from around the world. Following the food fair, Dr.  Kling will give a presentation titled “​​Families of languages” which will discuss the links between languages around the world. 

On Wednesday, there will be Ukrainian egg decorating from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. in Hayman 207. There will be a presentation about different greetings throughout the world from Dr. Thomas of the political science department. In his “Kiss, Bow, Shake Hands” presentation, Dr.Thomas will showcase the skills he learned overseas and training at the American Graduate School for International Management. This activity will teach students how to greet people properly in various countries around the world. There will also be a Dumpling Making demonstration with Christoff Raff in the La Salle Multicultural center from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. Following dumpling making, Dr. Ketz will give a presentation about La Salle University’s Leadership and Global Understanding minor. There will be a movie Screening of the persecution of the Uyghur population in China on Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m. OLAS will have Bachata con Horchata in Holroyd Lobby. 

On Thursday, the Peace and Conflict Resolution students will present their papers via displays and Q and A in the Hayman Lobby during the Universal Free Period. Later, Dr. Mshomba will be presenting about how Swahili assisted in unifying the country of Tanzania. Finally, on Thursday evening, there will be a Bilingual Language Opportunity Festival in Hayman Lobby.

Junior Danielle O’Brien spearheaded the planning of FLAW. She said, “In planning this annual event as the President of the Foreign Language club here at La Salle University and furthermore as a work-study student for the La Salle Foreign Language Department, there is often pressure to ensure that all the events live up to our outset expectations, and that above all, students understand why we put on this event on every year. To some, learning a foreign language is simply a requirement to graduate. To others, it is something fun and rewarding. Nevertheless, I would argue that the primer group can become the latter if there were a more diverse ray of options for language learning that students can choose to register for, which is sorely lacking in the institution. In implementing more options, language learning would become more than simply a requirement, but instead a passion. And that is what this week is all about, demonstrating not only to students but to the University that there is not only a need but a want to increase language learning opportunities here at La Salle. And this want and need is only furthered if we allow for consistent course offerings of a diverse ray of languages and minors of said languages. With that being said, it is my hope that La Salle students turn out at the cultural presentations and events ongoing this week to demonstrate their support and demand for more language enrichment at this University. Thus, investments need to be made in language learning by the University. Not only for the benefits learning another language can give our student body, but furthermore to make La Salle University a beacon for higher education institutions across the country.” 

Sophomore Emma Reynolds also participated in planning and she explained, “as Vice-President of the foreign language club, I’m excited to see how all the different events that we have planned for quite some time will play out. It is a lot of fun watching people interact with different cultures, try new foods and learn new things about various languages. Being able to be a part of the language department has meant a great deal to me since I want to make sure that La Salle is able to teach future students what it truly means to know a second language. There are so many opportunities to have knowledge of a second language or even a third, and La Salle has the resources for students with jobs and internships. Keeping on the tradition with FLAW to help bring more awareness to the languages that La Salle offers is something that I hope will keep going in the future.

La Salle university students depart for travel studies

News

Kylie McGovern, Editor 

Students on past travel study via La Salle University

La Salle University students will be departing for travel studies over the spring break this week. There are two classes participating in travel studies this semester. MKT 305: International Marketing led by Dr. Swee-Lim Chia. will travel to Germany and France and Dr. Volpe will be traveling with his HON 336: Contesting Narratives Versions of Vietnam War class to Vietnam. La Salle University believes in the importance of providing students with a global perspective that helps to connect local and wider world issues. The intent of La Salle’s travel/study courses is to help bridge cultural divides and prepare our students to be citizens of the world. Travel study courses are semester-long courses taught at La Salle, with a 7 to 10 day trip over spring break. Travel studies courses have been to Germany, China, Chile, France, Quebec, Bermuda and England. 

The Vietnam travel course is taught by Philosophy department professor Dr. Volpe, a Vietnam war veteran. Through the class, Dr. Volpe and his students have read histories, memoirs, fiction and poetry. They have also watched documentaries and dramas. The class has examined different perspectives of the war through this media. The class’ travels will not only be informed, animated and directed by their readings, but also by their attempt to identify the ways in which the Vietnamese represent what they call “the American War.” This group of 15 students accompanied by Dr. Volpe and other faculty will travel from Hanoi to Saigon with stops in Hue City, Khe Sanh and My Lai. Students in the Vietnam travel study are eager to experience the nation where both the emotional and historical narratives they have studied take place. 

 Students in International Marketing class have been studying international business and comparative business practices. Adriana Puelo expresses her excitement about the class and the trip saying, “This class has taught us all about the global aspects of marketing and how it applies to the broader audiences, beyond the scope of one country. Specifically we focused on Germany and France. We learned a lot about its many areas of history, culture and various industries of those countries. We then put what we learned into action by actually traveling to Germany and France over spring break to visit the different companies we learned about!”

 This class gives students ​​a managerial view of the marketing function from a global perspective. It also describes and explores the complexities, problems, and opportunities of worldwide marketing. Eric Wilson, a student in the International Marketing travel study explains, “it has been very interesting to learn how businesses and products adapt to different cultures around the world. I’m excited to experience these cultures and see how business is done abroad during our time in Germany and France.” Another student, Jake Cooper, says, “This class is giving us a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in different cultures to better understand how business is conducted overseas.” Both of these classes provide students with worldwide perspectives that are important to their education and later their professional lives.