Danielle O’Brien, editor

As some La Salle students may be aware, next week, from Monday, March 27th to March 30th, the LaSalle University foreign language department is hosting the annual Foreign Language Awareness Week (FLAW) 2023!  Nevertheless, some may be unaware of what this celebration entails and the meaning behind it. Thus, as the president of the Foreign Language Club here at LaSalle, I am here to answer all your dying questions!

---

---

---

---

---

---

With that being said and hopefully with those reading now motivated to learn a second language, we should next inform you of the challenges that prevent you from doing so…

---

Alina Snopkowski 2022 Poll on Language Interest 

Alina Snopkowski, Demographics of Students in the poll

Positive news about learning foreign languages at La Salle

Personal Note from the editor, Danielle O’Brien

In fact, if it weren’t for your comprehension of the English language, those reading this right now would not even understand what I’m saying. Thus, language is a beautiful thing. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart”. On a more personal note, as an ESL tutor since my junior year of high school and now into my higher education, language has always been of value to me. Like many of us, learning a second language (Spanish) from middle school to high school seemed to me simply a requirement to graduate. However, with one opportunity, it soon turned into something much bigger and more impactful in my life. In participating in a program at my high school where native English-speaking students could peer tutor non-English-speaking students, I learned the true value of speaking a second language up close and personally. Speaking a second language reduces the invisible barriers that may have been laid between my peers and me. Not only did it allow me to better communicate with peers I wouldn’t traditionally have had the opportunity of meeting, but furthermore, without knowledge of a second language or at least the drive to learn more, I would not have been exposed to the many threats language-barriers present to immigrants quality of life. It is important to recognize that immigrants immigrating to the United States face several obstacles to achieving a higher quality of life that is often promised as a part of America, the biggest obstacle of all being language. Anything from ordering fries at McDonald’s to securing a professional job in the future can depend on a person’s language abilities. In this way, language learning determines how you survive. To some native English speakers, learning a second language is a hobby. But, it is the Foreign Language Department’s hope that through the events provided this upcoming week, not only can you recognize how learning a foreign language and culture can be fun, but furthermore that it is essential to improving the lives of others around us. Thank you for reading, please be sure to join us next week for Foreign language Awareness week in our events, entering a raffle at each event you attend for some language-related goodies, as well as participating in the 2023 language-interest poll that students can cast their vote in Hayman and the Union Lobby, Monday-Thursday 11-6pm! Additionally, don’t forget to visit our table at the foreign language food fair on Tuesday from 12pm-2pm. We hope to see you there!

Header Image: The NewsHouse

At the Collegian, all of our staff writers, editors and board members are journalists. We are all student journalists who have a limited amount of time to put into our writing and our research, but we are journalists nonetheless. We are journalists because we find information, we synthesize it, commentate on it and present it in written word to an audience waiting to learn. We are the first to admit that our synthesis of information is from a unique perspective as the students of the university and that our limited time and the size of our staff limits our abilities to investigate in some cases. But, we strive to always present information to our audience in a way that reflects both the truth, and in cases where appropriate, our perspective.

Just as we are journalists who deliver this information to the readers in the capacity we have available to us, all of us have the ability to both interpret information and deliver it to others. The ideas of journalistic ethics and integrity are hot button issues, especially when discussing the modern media landscape, but in a way we all should strive to uphold that integrity. 

We as a people have an innate desire to learn, to acquire information about the things we do not understand in order to make them fit with our personal understanding of the world. When we seek out information, we would like to suggest and explain why it may be in your best interest to find sources and stories that can enrich your knowledge on a certain topic more deeply, rather than inform you shallowly about several different topics.

The Context Problem

Increasingly, rapid-fire news feeds and bite sized looks into the 24 hour news cycle are all too common. Social media, digestible news apps, headline skimming and even word of mouth will bring us to awareness on topics touching on everything from the war in Ukraine to the world of sports to celebrity drama in a matter of minutes so that when we have conversations with our peers and colleagues we have a touchstone, a place to jump off for conversation. But, how often do we miss the facts, the context or even the story itself because we have interpreted the information we have in the best way possible, but that information simply is not enough?

This editorial you are reading is broad, we cover a lot, and we hope you take some of it to heart to both better appreciate the content you take in, and also have a better idea into how to interact with at least our personal publication in a more personal manner to enrich your perspective on current events and history.

In the end, no one publication will provide you with all of the context needed to experience someone else’s story. You will never know all there is to know about the Phillies game, political hearings or the irate ramblings of crazed celebrities because you were not there, you are not the person being interviewed and you will see the events reflected on your background and understanding of the present. But this is not a reason to avoid context in favor of personal understanding. Seek out several published works on news, and if you see parts that do not line up, consider why. One publication may bring a political bias into their story, another may skip facts to create a false understanding of events and others may simply just report the raw facts but give no perspective.

Even by reading two published stories on the same event, a world’s worth of context is gained, because the overlaps are more solidified in your understanding, and the differences stand out as either additional information or perhaps questionable biases.

Reflected in Social Media

According to a Pew Research Study, 86 percent of U.S. adults said they get their news from a smartphone. With an increasing number of people primarily getting their news from social media, there is an increasing danger of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. Social media like Instagram and Twitter have made arguably moot attempts to mitigate the cycles of negative information that tend to spread rapidly on their sites. 

One La Salle student had this to say: “Living in an age of social media, I think we are also living in an age of misinformation. In my 20 years of life I have seen immense history be made — both good and bad — and in general I have seen this history play out on social media. I remember posting a picture of the eiffel tower when a terrorist attack happened in Paris. Quite honestly, I had very little knowledge about the event and I was just posting because everyone else in my feed was too. I think this example is similar to how people use social media to post about the issues of the time like COVID-19 unresearched and in an attempt to fit in.” 

The effects of social media can be directly seen on members of the student body and their memories surrounding major events. Social media companies (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) understand their power and are actively exercising it, perhaps in a negative or predatory manner.

On Nov. 16, 2021 Twitter created new labels for misinformation on the site. Twitter explains that they are working to help enable free expression and conversations, and would only intervene if content breaks their rules. But in cases when the rules are not broken, Twitter works to provide users with additional context like a message that reads “get the facts about COVID-19.”

However, many of us on this Editorial Board feel that these pop-up messages are not doing enough to educate the public. Users may see these alerts popping up on their posts and think it is funny, rather than the serious matter that misinformation is affecting society. 

As more people use various social media, more people are exposed to the cycles of fake news and misinformation. Twitter uses an algorithm that will show a tweet to more users if the tweet is retweeted, favorited or replied to more by enough of its first viewers. Therefore, if a popular tweet contains misinformation and users like what they see, more users will see the tweet in their timeline. Obviously it is more complex and technical than this, but generally this idea is found in most social media algorithms. Ultimately, sites like Twitter creating five word messages to attempt to combat misinformation is not enough. The organizations that control the social medium need to change their algorithm if they do not want fake news to spread. 

Censoring Falsities: Weakening Judgement

Twitter does make some attempts to censor users posting misinformation. For example, since introducing their COVID-19 guidance in January 2020, Twitter has suspended over 6,000 accounts and over 78,000 pieces of content that violated their policies. But, these suspensions create a new issue: a fear of control and censorship. 

The beauty and success of American society may not seem maintainable or even manageable at this point in time, however it should be our goal as Americans citizens to attempt to maintain its most fundamental value: freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom of thought are all directly intertwined. If one goes, the others are bound to go with it. Educators and journalists (including all user-generated content creators on social media) have a duty to not only our country but also to themselves to try and maintain it.

Censorship prohibits the individual from unlocking this innate need. “Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them,” said Thomas Jefferson.

Seek Context, Seek Understanding

As discussed, it is no secret that there is currently a massive issue when it comes to media and information. Whether you are talking to a white-collar professional with an Ivy League graduate education or a construction worker with a high-school education, there is a consistent feeling that the majority of Americans consume the most digestible form of media and regurgitate dogma without any evidence to back up their viewpoint. 

We are aware that across the country there is a widespread argument circulating that most Americans have become lazy when it comes to being educated. The response to this feeling by the majority of media outlets has been more than reprehensible.

While some media outlets and many individuals believe the best response to the general lack of ability or care surrounding media consumption is to make important information easier to digest, we cannot help but feel the opposite. 

The desire for knowledge is innate. The desire for education is primordial. It is the job of educators and journalists to do so. As a university filled with educators, La Salle can, should and, in many cases does, strive to do so not only for the sake of fulfilling its mission as an educational institution but also for the sake of fulfilling the intellectual aptitude of each and every student attending it. 

More importantly, though, the responsibility for seeking out the information needed to properly weigh in on something falls to the individual. Context allows this discovery of understanding. While individuals may choose the easy way out time and time again, they will make the right decision as long as it remains a consistent option. 

It is our role as journalists, our professors’ role as educators and our fellow community member’s role as members of our democracy to strive towards understanding. Bite-sized content, spoon-feeding context tags, social media bombardment and rapid-fire news are not the way to properly learn or experience the world. Censorship, though, does not fix this issue, and in fact could lead to it worsening. The only real solution to America’s context problem lies within members of the public, and it is frightening to think that the only solution we can significantly promote is to just focus your learning. 

You shouldn’t need an algorithm to tell you what to learn, and you shouldn’t have a watchdog telling you what is false. Because if you’re being told exactly what to look at, and aren’t trusted to judge truth from fiction, then what is even the point of learning? Do the work, find the context and learn what is true through your own effort.

The Editorial Board

Header Image: VCP Hoops

It was announced Monday that the La Salle Explorers men’s basketball team would be undergoing yet another major upheaval with the firing of head coach Ashley Howard. Howard has been with the team for four seasons, and does not have a stellar record to show for his time. La Salle finished with an 11-19 record this season. 

As is suggested in an ESPN article by Jeff Borzello, “[coaching] La Salle is considered arguably the most difficult job in the Atlantic 10 due to its resources and facilities.” But Howard is from Philly, was an assistant coach at Villanova for five seasons and was there when they won the national championship in 2016 and 2018 and had worked with La Salle in the past. If anyone was willing, ready and up to the task, seemingly, it was Howard. But, it appears that it just was not meant to be. 

To the defense of Howard, he was brought to La Salle with hopes he would copy and paste Villanova’s success here at our humble school. Copy Villanova’s program, a school that has over $1.88 billion in assets… yeah maybe someone here was expecting a little much from Howard, but he was expected to mirror the success, and, to that end, he failed.

Some are speculating that this change comes as La Salle welcomes its new President Daniel Allen, hoping that with a new executive staff, a plan can be forged to bring La Salle into a new financial era, with the basketball team playing a part in that change. Whether this means taking a gamble on a head coach and pouring even more resources into it, or finally letting the giant die in exchange for a different approach to athletic promotion, it is unknown. 

“It’s a wonderful game but it’s a difficult business,” Howard said to the Inquirer. Taking a look at the more than $1 billion in revenues generated by March Madness, and all of the money the Big Five in Philly invest into their teams just to get a shot at greatness, we’d agree it is a difficult business, and it’s just that, business. Basketball at a college level is no longer a game, it’s an investment, and it’s about time that La Salle realized they’re making the same bad investments over and over again.

While genuinely do not believe Howard had any ill intent when coming to La Salle, this fact needs to be considered: In exchange for a cut in salary, Howard extended his contract by two years in 2020 and received a buyout upon his termination, and if Giannini’s path is anything to be followed, signing a $500,000 annual contract and then tanking the team seems like a great way to make some quick cash. Just saying.

There is some on-campus controversy surrounds the firing, as it took place one day before La Salle’s annual day of giving and was announced under the radar. Some believe that this action makes the school look bad, as they got rid of a large investment one day before asking for money. Others believe that the timing was perfect, as it showed donors that La Salle carried an attitude that shows that poor performance will no longer be tolerated. 

Opinions about Howard

We asked various students around La Salle what they had to say, and the responses varied from person to person, although their reaction was mostly negative. While some viewed him as a good coach, many others had vastly more biting emotions towards Howard. For the sharpest of all, please check out our Sports section to see what editor Enrique Carrasco had to say about Howard’s firing. (Spoilers: He doesn’t exactly give him a glowing review.)

One student who chose to remain anonymous stated, “It needed to happen. The basketball team only got worse under him.” Another simply said, “He sucked.” Despite these comments, not all thoughts were negative. Some students stated that he was a “great coach.”

Sedin ‘22 also stated,”[Howard] wasn’t the best. Looked like he knew what he talked about, but I doubt he actually did.” Jake ‘22 stated, “I think he expected to be able to work with what La Salle was giving him and didn’t fully understand how much goes into running a team with as little resources as we have. He thought he could think outside the box to help the team succeed, but wasn’t able to.”

Andrew ‘23 had something interesting to say when he stated, “When he was chosen to succeed Giannini in 2018, Coach Howard was definitely the best choice. He played basketball for Drexel and under Jay Wright was instrumental in building two national championship teams at Villanova. However, at La Salle, it seemed like Howard was never genuinely interested. It seemed like every year, we would finish with a frustrating record and then be forced to build a new team due to the high frequency of transfers.”

The opinions on who should replace Howard were some of the most varied we received. A few people stated that they’d like to see La Salle alum Tim Leger take over the reins. Others said that they’d like to see Matt Langel. Overall, though, most people had no idea who should come in to replace him, but most believe it should be a coach new to the system. 

What’s next?

So, if Howard got cut, John Giannini got cut and La Salle has been nowhere near the NCAA March Madness tournament since 2013, in which they were beaten by Wichita State, there aren’t many routes left for La Salle to take. 

In exchange for a cut in salary, Howard extended his contract by two years in 2020 and received a buyout upon his termination. Also, if Giannini’s path is anything to be followed, signing a $750,000 annual contract and then tanking the team seems like a great way to make some quick cash. Just saying.

Maybe the solution to La Salle’s woes doesn’t really lie with the coaching staff of the Explorers; maybe it doesn’t lie with the basketball team at all. When the major sports schism occurred in September of 2020, athletic director Brian Baptiste said that “It’s important to note that this is not a cost-cutting decision, but rather a strategic effort to reallocate our investment in a way that better aligns with our student-centered mission.” Well, since then, Gianni’s $700,000+ annual salary and the bountiful wealth “reallocated” from the other sports into men’s basketball has borne a 9-16 losing season, an 11-19 losing season and continually low placements in the Atlantic 10 power rankings. 

La Salle parades their men’s basketball team like it’s something to be proud of, and simply put: it’s shameful. All one has to do is look at the women’s basketball team’s 16-12 record and top five ranking in the A10 compared to the men’s 12th place rank. We can go on. Men’s cross country: A10 champions, women’s cross country: we have the Mancini sisters and that’s enough said. Field hockey has a .429 and women’s soccer has a .450 win rate. Not stellar, top ranking scores, but compared to the men’s basketball .278, it just speaks for itself.

For some members of the Editorial Board not particularly interested in sports, but more interested in seeing La Salle stay open, we think that flushing funds and resources into more successful sports and working to engage the student body in those will be more fruitful than the continuous efforts to have students attend a men’s basketball game in which the Explorers will likely lose. 

Yes, we are aware that these other sports may not boast as fierce a competition as men’s basketball, arguably the sport with the most talent in the whole NCAA what with recruiting, bracketing and the money that comes with it at an all-time high. But, if La Salle could just allocate a fraction of the funds they put toward the basketball team toward their actually good teams and their academic endeavors, recruitment would go up, the campus experience would be improved and as a result, recruiting for basketball would loosen up and who knows… if La Salle stopped propping itself up on a losing team, maybe they would be able to claw out of this hole the pandemic has left them in.

The Editorial Board

Header Image: Explorers Give

On Tuesday, March 22, La Salle will be hosting its ninth annual Day of Giving, which is “a day to celebrate the University, its proud history, mission and legacy of service to students,” according to the Day of Giving’s official description. We won’t sugarcoat the idea. It’s a day where La Salle asks for money and everyone from the community opens their wallets to fund them. Many on campus have this perception because it’s the truth. But, it is also a negative connotation that many use as an excuse to not contribute to this incredibly important event.

The Day of Giving is not a cash grab like some believe — a lot of the money that is donated goes directly back into the students in various ways. Money collected on the Day of Giving is partially used to fund student scholarships, including some of the larger ones La Salle offers. “Like many students at La Salle, I receive scholarship support that would not be possible without La Salle’s Day of Giving,” said La Salle ambassador Aaron Srinivasan. “I very much see La Salle’s Day of Giving as a way to support the dreams of many students by making education more accessible, which is something I am extremely grateful for.” 

What isn’t apparent from the Day of Giving’s initial marketing push is that those who donate, at least online, are able to put their donation toward a specific fund. Right now, the four listed are the La Salle Fund, which is a general pool of donation money that gets put toward campus improvements, changes in curriculum, events and improvements to La Salle’s education services; the Student Scholarship Fund, which, as the name suggests, provides financial aid for students who may not be in the position financially to attend La Salle; the Explorer Fund, which supports student athletes and their teams; and finally, the Anna “Nush” Allen, ’80, MA ’02, Student Emergency Fund, which is money set aside to support students in the case of an emergency, either to help supplement medical expenses or replacement of lost property due to a disaster, which helps students in a variety of ways outside of their academic involvement.

Beyond this, money can be even more granularly distributed so that those who donate know their money will go toward an initiative or department they believe in. Some options include the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative; the Honors Program; and the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business and Nursing and Health Sciences respectively. For those interested or involved in La Salle athletics, donations can be put toward specific teams and sports groups as well. For many current students and alumni, the niche areas of La Salle like unique academic programs, student-run clubs and its small close-knit community are what make La Salle special. Therefore, being able to support specific areas of student life may make donors more inclined to donate towards something that directly impacted their Lasallian experience.  

There are many who have been skeptical about the university’s spending in the past and who are concerned with how it has handled its money since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (or before, if we’re being completely honest), but these distribution options should alleviate those concerns, as your money can be put toward places you think need it the most. Many of us on the Collegian’s staff could not attend La Salle without financial aid, and at least a portion of that aid comes from students, alumni and members of the community who donate to the Day of Giving. We aren’t promoting it to our community for any other reason than that we have seen the benefit it has on the lives of students and want those benefits to continue. Last year, the Day of Giving raised over $1 million for various funds and initiatives, and that money really helped a lot of students and faculty advisors thrive as La Salle came out of the pandemic. We look forward to seeing how this year’s Day of Giving ends up supporting current and future Explorers and their endeavors with La Salle.

We think you should try to contribute to the Day of Giving in a way that is meaningful to you and will also be contributing to help current and future Lasallians. Here’s what some of La Salle’s student ambassadors had to say about the Day of Giving:

“Throughout my time here at La Salle, I’ve been blessed to have so many opportunities for academic and personal growth in and out of the classroom. Giving back to the community that has given me so much is really important to me and also to others who have benefitted from the quality education and caring community of La Salle. Please consider donating to help current and future Explorers continue finding their paths here at La Salle University.” 

— Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish student Michaela Craner, ‘23.

“The Day of Giving is important for La Salle because it allows for its mission to be carried out. I have been lucky enough to attend La Salle for the past three years, and in that short period of time, I’ve come to understand how special of a place La Salle is. La Salle enables its students to grow and evolve into young adults who are curious, creative and concerned with the welfare of not only those close to them but of everyone. The lessons I have learned while at La Salle have shaped me in ways I cannot fully yet describe, but one thing is for certain  — my life has been infinitely better because of my time at La Salle, and that would not be possible without the support we get, including donations from the Day of Giving.” 

 — ISBT and Math student Trevor Martinez, ‘23

Our sports editor and La Salle ambassador Enrique Carrasco had this to say: “I’m an international student here at La Salle. Without the help from various different scholarships that La Salle has given me, I would’ve never been able to come to the United States to study. Without the help of people’s donations, my dreams of coming to the States to study and pursue a career in law would never be possible.” 

While the Day of Giving primarily focuses on funding different academic programs, numerous programs at La Salle that need funding have been ignored. Numerous extracurricular programs have had their funding cut in part due to the inability to receive a proper budget. Perhaps some of the money donated should not only go to academics, but also to some of the programs that make La Salle so wonderful in the first place. 

The Day of Giving addresses one of the most important issues every student and faculty member is forced to confront at La Salle: there is simply not enough funding currently to run everything smoothly. With the help of the donors, La Salle is able to help young students pursue a higher level of education, something that many of these students would never have the opportunity to do without this help.

Jakob Eiseman, Editor-in-Chief

Header Image: CEPA

Editor’s note: If you are reading this the morning of March 3, 2022,  there is a faculty session being held by the political science and history departments at 12:30 p.m. that will provide some more context to the Lasallian community on Russia’s goals in Ukraine and how other nations have responded to their invasion. More details can be found here.

In the global Lasallian community, March is known as Mission and Heritage month, and in a note to the university community, Brother Ernest Miller explained what this means for La Salle University. Within this letter, he quoted the very poignant line from Lasallian Reflection Six, “The Lasallian vision is seeing abundance where others see scarcity and bringing nourishment where there is none.” While Miller’s letter was setting up the community for a very important time for the university that includes the Day of Giving and other university-centric events related to the mission, this quote stood out to me particularly in relation to the situation the global community finds itself in. The war in Ukraine is difficult to unpack, and we have covered it in-depth in our politics section and will continue to cover it as more developments progress. But, I think it is particularly important that we take this time to realize that as a Lasallian community, it is our duty and our mission to support those in need, especially those in Ukraine who are in many cases losing everything.

Interim President Tim O’Shaughnessy addressed the university community about Ukraine on Feb. 25, and the sentiment was well heard. “Together and by association, we must unite in prayer,” said O’Shaughnessy, “lifting up those who are directly impacted by these traumatic acts of aggression and calling for an immediate end to this invasion of Ukraine.” This was what this address centered around: prayer. Yes, we are a Catholic institution, and the Brothers of the Christian Schools are a deeply religious organization. However, we need to do more than pray. Many members of our Lasallian community are not prayerful individuals or even religious at all. The mission of the brothers, and of St. John Baptiste De La Salle, however, goes beyond religion and prayer. The desire to want to help others and support the needy through education and mission is not exclusively a religious desire, and we need to acknowledge that there are ways for us to help outside of thoughts and prayers. And, whether you are religious or not, by entering into the Lasallian community, you chose to be a part of a group that makes helping others their main personality trait.

There are several ways to help the cause in Ukraine from 20th and Olney, including several ways that do not involve any monetary contribution. The group that falls most in line with the Lasallaian mission is refugees that have fled the war-torn nation that are seeking shelter, not just in neighboring countries like Poland, Romania and Germany, but globally, including right here in Philadelphia as families of Ukrainian descent open their doors to relatives forced to flee their homes. However, the standing military and current large influx of enlistments in the Ukrainian military need financial help in any way they can receive it. We will be providing some options to support medical foundations and the providing of medical aid for soldiers defending their homeland. Below, you will find a list of several charities and foundations with a small description of who they are and how supporting them will benefit Ukrainian refugees, civilians and soldiers:

Revived Soldiers Ukraine

“Revived Soldiers Ukraine is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing aid to the people of Ukraine so that they may fulfill fundamental rights and freedoms such as right to life, right to appropriate and affordable medical care, freedom of belief and freedom for an adequate standard of living.” Money donated to RSU will go directly to medical aid and living supplies to soldiers in Ukraine.

Razom for Ukraine

Razom means “together” in Ukrainian, and was established as a non-profit seeking to “unlock the potential of Ukraine.” Since the 2014 invasion of Crimea by Russia, Razom has been supporting refugees and volunteer groups to better the lives of those whose lives were upended by Russia. Now, they have been continuing this mission by assisting families who are choosing to stay in Ukraine, as well as those that were forced to flee.

UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was created in 1946 as an effort from the U.N. to assist children who were orphaned, injured or displaced as a result of World War II. UNICEF is the leading children’s aid charity in the world, and in 1965 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Any money donated to UNICEF will go toward supporting children across the world, with a particular campaign being put forth right now to help youth in Ukraine.

Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders is a world renowned non-profit that provides medical assistance to those in war-torn nations across the world. Currently, the organization has a special effort in Ukraine in which they are setting up emergency response teams in Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia in order to assist refugees.

Non-monetary aid

Obviously these organizations are currently in need of money, and this is the most effective way to support them. But, alongside praying and educating yourself on the situation, sharing any fundraising effort on social media will put eyes on it that were not there before. Any of the organizations listed above are good ones to share to your stories or pages, and here is a list of some others you may want to get behind. Also on social media, there are posts going up every minute containing misinformation or blatant propaganda related to this situation. Rather than just ignore this or the infamous “Russian bots,” if you see something, say something. Use Twitter, Instagram, Reddit and other sources to your advantage by educating others in the comments and using the built in reporting system to eliminate misinformation. Always follow trusted sources, and be sure to verify reports regarding developments in Ukraine from multiple sources before sharing it to social media. I know not everyone can contribute financially, but we also know it may seem frustrating to feel like you cannot help in any way. But, we as a community can contribute to aid efforts like Ukraine aid through the transfer of knowledge, which is just as important as funds when done properly. Everyone can contribute in some small way, and this is your charge to do so. Live up to the La Salle name. Help Ukraine.

The Editorial Board

Header Image: The Collegian’s first issue

The Collegian took a major step forward this week as a student publication, and while it doesn’t seem like a major change, it has been in the works for a long time, and we as a news outlet are going to continue growing and changing at a rapid pace as a result. We are now hosted on thelasallecollegian.com and are in possession of the domain itself. While a website name change is not a major change, the abilities we now possess as an outlet have increased exponentially. Here’s why it’s important:

The Collegian started as an all-print, all-student newspaper in the ‘30s that would report on everything from hard hitting university politics to school dances. We ran horribly ignorant advertisements in order to stay afloat, with branding for cigarettes and local bars promoting sexist, and even racist stereotypes. But, like any newspaper, we matured, we found our way and we changed the way we presented ourselves. Many, many changes washed over the Collegian since its founding in the ‘30s, including ways in which we were allowed to present information, the addition and removal of major sections, the addition and removal of military participation reporting from the La Salle community and many shocking changes regarding the editorial staff. As a student-run paper, the staff turnover is expectedly sky high. But, it’s the legacy that past editors, editors-in-chief and writers leave behind that keeps the vibe, tradition and customs of the Collegian consistent despite constantly moving in fresh faces.

It could be argued that in 2020, when the Collegian transitioned completely away from printing on news stock to publishing on a database, the paper underwent its most major change to date. Our editorial staff at the time, led by Jacob Garwood, ‘20, worked incredibly hard to make the transition acceptable. The style, software, workflow, design choices and presentation of the paper had to be completely upended, and we needed a way to get the news out to the community. A few members of the staff took on a majority of the formatting work, while the rest of the editors had to adapt to an asynchronous editing style that limited interactivity and creativity. Overall, everyone on the staff was put up against a wall, but we continued to publish, and never missed a beat. The following year, our editorial staff, led by Bianca Abbate, ‘21, had a tough choice to make: When we return to campus, do we print again?

Well, luckily, the pandemic made that choice for us, as printing costs shot up to unfathomable rates and the students’ activities fee was chopped. So, it looked like we would be staying online for a while. In January 2021, this website went up, and we have had the exact same style, visual look and method of editing/distribution since. That was largely because we have been operating on $0 of spending, and have been using a free-to-use website template to present the news to the community. 

Now that we have secured more funding and have been able to acquire thelasallecollegian.com and upgrade our site, we might be going through another one of those major changes. Perhaps the most important aspect of this is that our stories will now be securely archived. Almost every issue of the Collegian as far back as the ‘40s is securely archived both on paper and digitally through the Connelly Library, Learning Commons and held within the Collegian’s office. This was simple enough to do on paper, but now that all of our stories are presented digitally, there was worry that one day this website would lapse or we would expend our data limit and all of our current history would vanish. 

Another major development is that we can now customize our presentation with a lot more freedom. Currently, we are working with a student from the digital arts program at La Salle to completely overhaul our branding, and will move into the next academic year touting a new look, and will be able to stand next to the Drexel Triangle and the Temple News for the first time in years, and not seem behind-the-times visually.

For the time being, we are staying in a completely online format, which we know might upset some of our longtime readers, particularly those who were at one point members of the Collegian staff. While having a print paper is nostalgic and stylish, being able to publish online regularly means we can reach the La Salle community far beyond 20th and Olney. We have readers from multiple states, even multiple countries, who are able to read on a weekly basis. We also have the ability to incorporate multimedia elements like videos, the podcast and graphics in ways that previous Collegian staff never could. Now that we have our own web address and upgraded customization options, the quality of this multimedia will continue to rise, and we will continue to add new and fresh elements to our stories that make the lack of printing worthwhile. We hope that is a reasonable compromise.

As well as a number of managerial and editing changes — which we will not bore you with — on a top level, this site upgrade means we are easier to market and advertise, both in terms of audience, but also with writers and potential editors. Because of that mass turnover mentioned earlier, the Collegian is constantly fighting a battle on two fronts: making sure that content is excellent while we are here, and also trying to find the best the La Salle’s student body has to offer to continue that excellence after we graduate. Now that we have a secure footing, a real website and far more potential for creativity, we will be able to bring in many more students to our staff to hopefully continue our legacy. 

In the coming weeks, we will begin experimenting with dynamic changes on the thelasallecollegian.com, as well as start the recruiting process for current and future staff. We ask that, in this time of change, if you know anyone in the Lasallian community that might be interested in writing for any of our sections, or on any topic we don’t currently boast, that you send them our way. Now is the perfect time to begin working with us. We are currently looking to expand our staff into different programs such as those within the schools of nursing and business to better represent the full breadth of the school community, and always, are inviting alumni, graduate students, faculty and staff to write or submit letters to the editor. We are starting the next chapter now, and we can use all the help we can get to ensure our success. Thank you for sticking with us.

David O’Brien, Managing Editor

Header Image: USA Restaurants

After a few weeks of tackling major university changes and the internal politics of the institution, the editorial staff has decided to take a step back this week and discuss something very near and dear to our hearts, and the hearts of the student body: food. La Salle’s on campus population is large and while it does not represent our entire readership, it represents nearly all of our editorial staff, so please allow us to vent this week about the slop La Salle passes as food.

One of the most often-heard complaints around La Salle’s campus revolves around the dining hall. This week the editorial will attempt to address what problems La Salle faces surrounding dining and some possible solutions that will allow the University to resolve them. 

The decline

At the beginning of last semester, it was said by many students that the Blue and Gold Dining Commons was better than ever. No more crusty, run down Beeg, but rather something new, something that had quality. The conveyor belt was fixed, there were no longer rats running around and the food was amazing. Yet, it seemed that this fame was short-lived. Weeks after, the quality of the food significantly went down. Rather than providing high-quality meals, Beeg started pushing out low-quality, mass-produced food that had very little to no taste and had often been sitting for hours. While Beeg is better able to manage the dinner time rush, the quality of the food (including taste) has been greatly sacrificed. The removal of condiment stations, the constant breakdown of drink machines and a general lack of quality have all become trademarks of B&G. For those reading this that aren’t on campus students, B&G is currently the only available traditional university dining hall option at La Salle after the conversion of TreeTops Cafe into a COVID testing site.

One of the major problems with La Salle dining is the constant use of food products that are bound to have poor quality in any dining hall setting. B&G should not have a fish option, end of story. Students do not expect food at La Salle to be great quality, they are not asking for organic grass fed beef or fish flown in from the coast. However, there are certain foods, like fish, that need to be good quality in order to be consumed safely. Since the fish at B&G is typically of low quality, many students are fearful of getting sick from it, and it might as well not be served. This editor does not think any student would or does complain if and when there is not a fish option being served.

Now, time for nitpicks

La Salle dining should not push these bizarre meal combinations. There is no reason for there to be hamburger patties on rye while chicken sandwiches are on hamburger buns. That simply does not make any sense whatsoever. People like both chili and pasta, this does not mean they like them together. People may like to experiment, but overall, students like simplistic meals. 

The majority of the time, the person running the burrito station is unable to properly wrap the burrito. It is not too much to ask that the person working this station learn how to properly wrap a burrito so it does not all fall out immediately. This very basic idea that is not too much to ask would drastically improve the quality of B&G dining.

Throughout the 2021-2022 school year, B&G has progressively removed amenities, two of which include ice cream and condiments. While removing ice cream is somewhat understandable due to the weather, many students have found this incredibly frustrating because ice cream is a very predictable dessert which the consumer knows what they are getting every meal. At the beginning of the fall semester, B and G had a plethora of condiments to choose from, but now the options are often only ketchup, mustard and maybe mayo. There is no obvious reason for this shift. The students miss hot sauce, buffalo sauce, honey mustard and other options that have been taken away. Condiments are not very expensive and go a long way when it comes to the dining experience. B&G should bring back ice cream and condiments because they radically improve both the bland and more erratically bizarre meals served in the dining hall.

Why it’s important

According to a study from the American Psychological Association 41.6 percent of college students suffer from anxiety disorders. Additionally, sources ranging from Harvard University to BBC News have stated that poor nutrition is a primary cause for stress. So, while this may seem like a petty callout, we genuinely mean it when we say that this editorial needs to be put out there just to show the student body that they need to speak up to get better, predictable food options, not just to be more comfortable, but to take one more stressor off their plates in this time where stress comes from seemingly every corner. We know students who will actively skip meals if B&G is their only option, particularly during exam season, which is just unacceptable. If B&G was improved, not only would college students be healthier and better fed, but campus-wide mental health issues could also decrease. 

The University should not only improve B&G for the sake of students’ diets and nutrition, but also for their mental health. We are not asking for La Salle to change its budget to give us more expensive foods. We are not even asking for wider varieties of foods. We are just asking for basic changes that would drastically improve the quality of life for the students both physically and mentally. A proper diet is necessary for good health. It is hard enough to maintain one with all of the stressors of the post-COVID world — the least the school can do is provide food that is actually edible for the students of La Salle.