Kylie McGovern, Editor

On Thursday, Sept. 29, Philadelphia Museum of Art workers who are members of AFSCME DC47, Local 397 continued a strike to protest “unfair practices” because executives at the Philadelphia Museum of Art have not addressed the alleged unfair labor practices at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The union formed in 2020 and has been in contract negotiation with the Philadelphia Museum of Art since October 2020. During this strike and another on Friday, Sept. 16, union members did not report to work at the museum. The strikes began because of a vote that passed by 99% on Aug. 30 by union members authorizing the call of strike. 

Additionally, on Oct. 2 @PMA_Union posted on Twitter about a pay-what-you-wish day. The Tweet read “We’re outside picketing in heavy rain. You can donate to our strike fund here: http://tinyurl.com/397strikefund” The tweet also included a flyer encouraging visitors to either visit the Barnes Foundation instead of the Philadelphia Museum of Art or pay one cent for their pay-what-you-wish visit so that they do not support a Museum that does not support its workers. 

Since the vote to strike, Philadelphia Museum of Art management has not tried to remedy unfair practices. DC 47 President Cathy Scott says “Museum management needs to stop union-busting and make serious offers that improve workers’ wages, healthcare, and parental leave. Our membership would not have authorized a strike if they were not united in these demands. We cannot accept a status quo that subjects workers to violations of federal law, wages well below the national average for art museums, and benefits that do not allow workers to support their families.”

As Scott explains, these unfair practices impact the Philadelphia Museum of Art workers’ lives like Adam Rizzo, a Museum Educator who explains “we take this very seriously. If museum management does not remedy the Unfair Labor Practice charge and come to the bargaining table ready to make real progress, we are prepared to take further action. We have made it very clear what PMA Board Chair Leslie Anne Miller and COO Bill Petersen can do to avoid the disruption of museum operations.” These unfair labor practices impact many departments at the Philadelphia Museum of Art including visitor services, retail, education, installations, curatorial, conservation, marketing and development. Additionally, many employees report not receiving raises in years in accordance with peer institutions such as the nearby Barnes Foundation or to keep up with inflation or higher costs of living. Amanda Bock, an assistant curator of photography, explains that she had not received a raise on her $56,000 salary in three years. Philadelphians, tourists and La Salle students alike all enjoy the Philadelphia Museum of Art and this situation can impact these visits. 

Keri Marable, Staff

On Sept. 30, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Students  Government Association (SGA) will run elections via email for the elected representative positions. These positions can vote on issues during meetings. These positions include five Freshman Class Senators, three Sophomore Class Senators, four Junior Class Senators and three Senior Class Senator positions. Other voting positions available via application include three School of Business College Senators and three Nursing/Health Sciences Senator positions. 

The SGA is the official representative of the student body to the administration. One of three student governing bodies on campus, SGA advocates for a better student experience on campus through various events, activities, policy change/creation and initiatives. In the past, they have pioneered initiatives like the Period Pilot Program that provided free feminine hygiene products on campus as well as petitioning for the Pass/Fail option. They consider any full-time student at La Salle a member of SGA and welcome anyone to join them at the general assembly meetings on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. in the Union room 301.

A position students can run for this semester is Class Senator. Any full-time student can run as a class senator. Election voting for Class Senators is Sept. 30 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  via email. Class Senators vote on bills, legislation, money allocations, and various other items at General Assembly meetings. Elected by their peers, they represent and advocate for the ideas and needs of their respective class. 

The required qualifications for Class Senators include having a GPA equal to or greater than 2.50, must not be on disciplinary probation, form a petition (25 signatures) due Sept.25, election posters, a campaign video, and be a full-time student.

SGA also has another voting representative position available by application only. This includes the College Senators, who represent each one of the academic colleges on campus. Three College Senator positions are available in each of the School of Business and the Nursing/Health Sciences. The deadline for these applications is Sept. 29 at 11:59 p.m.. The College Senators represent each of the colleges at La Salle (Arts and Sciences, Business, and Nursing and Health Sciences) as well as advocate for problems and ideas for certain colleges rather than class. They are voting members chosen by application.

College Senator requirements for qualification include having a GPA equal to or greater than 2.50 and must not be on disciplinary probation. College Senators must submit the application found on SGA’s Instagram (@lasallesga) on Google Forms by Sept. 29 at 11:59 p.m.. 

Any full-time student at La Salle can be a member of SGA and are highly encouraged to attend general assembly meetings on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. in the Union room 301 or via Zoom. Any member of SGA, regardless of holding a voting position or not, can take part and help SGA’s different task forces, currently including: Social Media, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Monthly Open Forums, Homecoming, Thanksgiving Can Drive, Volleyball Tournament, and Walk to End Alzheimer’s. If any individuals or groups on campus would like to help and collaborate on these task forces, SGA would love to hear from you and include you in their future communications.

If you have any additional questions, please contact Michaela Craner, the SGA President, at cranerm1@lasalle.edu. Be sure to follow SGA on all social media (@lasallesga) to keep updated with the election process, as well as future events and meetings for SGA! 

Kylie McGovern, Editor 

Hispanic History Month at La Salle began on Sept. 15 and will continue until Oct. 15. This month was created in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover 30 days starting on Sep. 15 and ending on Oct. 15 to celebrate histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The celebration begins on Sept. 15 because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18. 

La Salle is celebrating Hispanic History Month at the Connelly Library with La Salle Special Collections and University Archives that relate to Hispanic students and the Christian Brothers’ presence in South and Central America. In addition, La Salle’s Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) has been hosting various events to celebrate. On Sept. 22 OLAS hosted Millennial Loteria on the Hansen quad with games and prizes. In addition, on Sept. 29 Treetops Cafe had an assortment of Hispanic foods for dinner. 

Plenty of businesses and organizations in Philadelphia are also celebrating Hispanic History Month. The Puerto Rican Day Parade occurred on Sept. 25 and youth groups, community organizations, schools, corporate sponsors, and popular artists gathered on the Benjamin Franklin parkway. Many of these events are free including the Puerto Rican Day Parade and Bachata dance classes by Controlla Dance Academy to learn a social Dominican dance at Frankford’s Pause Park. In addition to free events in Philadelphia, Club 90s is hosting a Bad Bunny-themed dance party to celebrate the Puerto Rican rapper. 

Dine Latino Restaurant Week ran from Sept. 19-23, 2022, at over twenty establishments. This week is designed to drum up business at Latino-owned restaurants in Philadelphia. Edward Garcia, owner of Queen and Rook Game Cafe, a board game cafe with a full restaurant, a full bar, and a full retail game and puzzle store explained to 6 ABC “a lot of our small businesses don’t have the marketing budgets of chains or even restaurant groups, so getting people to find out how amazing this food is how amazing the experiences are at these Hispanic-owned businesses is really great and really important.” Both La Salle University and the City of Philadelphia will continue to celebrate Hispanic History Month with extraordinary events through Oct. 15.  

Kylie McGovern, Editor

On Aug. 25, La Salle University welcomed back residential students and kicked off Explorientation for freshmen and transfer students. Explorientation is an opportunity for these new students to settle into their new lives as Explorers by attending campus-wide activities, like Club Quad, soccer games, and performances at Dan Rodden Theater. In addition, new students spent the weekend learning important information related to their academic success, safety, wellness, and involvement on campus. This is the first Explorientation conducted 100% in person since 2019, so students truly had an opportunity to connect with and meet classmates and have some fun before the first day of classes.

On Saturday, Aug. 27th sophomores, juniors and seniors began to populate campus and the residence halls. A lively spirit filled 20th and Olney as students reunited with friends and said goodbyes to their families. In addition to the friendships that welcomed students back to school improvements in residence halls did as well including new furniture and necessary maintenance work, within St. Basil Hall, St. Teresa Court, and St. Miguel Townhouses. 

On Sunday, Father Frank welcomed students with the first mass of the year. After mass, President Dan Allen, faculty, and students gathered on the quad for a treat of water ice and pretzels. Classes began on Monday and students were greeted with changes around campus regarding a relocation of dining halls from the beloved Blue and Gold dining commons to Treetops Café which has not been enjoyed since prior to COVID. However, some students air their grievances, saying that the new location is “just B&G, but a further walk.” This location is prime for first-year students who are residing exclusively at south campus in Saint Basil and Neumann residence halls. 

On Thursday, Sept. 1st, La Salle hosted its involvement fair at the Trumark Financial Center which featured student organizations ranging from Greek Life to OLAS and everything in between. In addition to this, and new to the fair, on-campus jobs were also advertised. 

The second week of school continues welcome week activities with yoga, Stuff-a-Bear Kit activity, bingo, and improv 101. 

Editor’s note: We look forward to a happy, healthy,and successful year here at La Salle and we wish our readers the best of luck in their endeavors this semester. 

Nya Griffin, staff
Header Image: Gail Carter Hamilton via Lasalle.edu

On April 28, La Salle University announced that Gail Carter Hamilton, an alumni of La Salle in 1998 and 2009 will address the health disparities in Philadelphia, as the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) appointed her to be the first Chief Racial Equity Officer in Jan. 2022.

Hamilton’s overwhelming passion for nursing and public health laid the foundation for her career. After extensive coursework, and training in epidemiology and faculty taking out time to help make sure that she not only understood the information but would succeed beyond her own expectations in nursing. 

“Our close-knit classroom style allowed for a more intimate learning environment,” she said. “Where more one-on-one time with our professor helped prepare us for the rigors of bedside nursing. I truly believe that it is because of this unique atmosphere I was more than ready to face the challenges that lay ahead.”, said Hamilton. Reflecting on her time at La Salle, her participation in Student Nurses Association of Pennsylvania and the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) makes her connection to the La Salle community honorable. 

According to Phila.gov, this newly created position is intended to centralize efforts to ensure racial equity in Health Department operations and activities. Also, this position is to help guide planning to address health inequities in Philadelphia. Hamilton describes this role in healthcare terms, that the officer is meant to listen to the community, diagnose a problem, and then prescribe a solution, while keeping community members involved, instead of telling them what will be done. “The purpose of the role is to make sure that our department has equity at the center,” she said.

Hamilton having the foundational background from La Salle and the initiative and willingness to help our community is remarkable. “I am committed to working to address health equity and health justice in Philadelphia,” said Hamilton. “So many of our communities are struggling under the dual burden of systemic racism and the pandemic, which led to much worse outcomes in communities of color. I look forward to ensuring that racial equity is at the heart of our operations and that we are able to build sustainable partnerships throughout the city in order to maintain robust public health programs,” she said. 

Hamilton hopes that through her role she will accomplish mobilization and community engagement. “Many times, what happens is, people in government see the problem and they say, ‘A-ha, this is what will fix it.’ That’s not equity,” she explained. “Equity in part means that we’re bringing in the people who have the problem, to tell us how to help them fix the problem. What we really want is to decolonize the work to allow everybody to feel like they have a say in what happens to them in their communities.” 

As a Philadelphia native, Hamilton said framing its citizens as assets and embracing its diversity will help improve its public health strategies. 

As for her La Salle roots, Hamilton said she hopes to stay connected to her alma mater and hopes to include nursing graduates that will be able to work within the framework of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) as new initiatives are implemented beginning summer 2022 and beyond.

“My job is to help shape and change the future of how public health is delivered,” she added.