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The University News

April 25, 2025 Issue 277

By Students, For Students. Since 1921

Community mourns Pope Francis with mass

Recent round of visa cuts leaves SLU international students concerned and confused

Lauren Hutchens, Editor-in-Chief

Jack Cipfl, Assistant News Editor

International students at Saint Louis University are anxious about the future of their immigration status after the Trump administration revoked over 25 student visas in the St. Louis region this month. That includes a “small number” of SLU students whose visas were cancelled unexpectedly, SLU spokesperson Clayton Berry confirmed in a statement to The University News. Students at a number of other universities in the region also had their legal status changed, including at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Webster University and Washington University in St. Louis. The reasons provided by the federal government for the revocations were “limited” or “unspecific,” Berry said. Local immigration attorneys said federal authorities revoked international students’ visas for “minor offenses” like traffic tickets or “for no reason at all,” according to reporting from the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Federal immigration agencies did not directly notify SLU about the visa cuts. Rather, students found out on their own by looking at their Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) portal and reporting their status update to the university, Berry said. An undergraduate student studying at SLU through an F-1 visa said the administration’s crackdown on international students is cruel and makes her feel unwelcome. The student requested anonymity out of fear that having her name in the media could make her a target. “My family and I have put so much money, effort and hope into building a future through education in the U.S.,” the student said. “And now, visas are being revoked with no explanation. It feels like it’s happening at random; no one is telling us anything. That uncertainty is exhausting and deeply unfair.” Despite this, the university continues to monitor student records on SEVIS and has told affected students to contact the Office of International Services (OIS) for guidance, Berry said. “OIS is speaking with impacted students on an individual basis to understand each student’s specific circumstances and explain options available to them

Read more on A2, Visa Cuts

pinion

(The University News / Lauren Hutchens)

St. Louis community members gathered in memorial of Pope Francis at St. Francis Xavier College Church on April 23, 2025.

St. Louis community members gathered beneath the vaulted ceiling of St. Francis Xavier College Church for a Memorial Mass to mourn the first Jesuit pontiff, Pope Francis, two days after his passing. The mass opened with the Regina Caeli prayer, which is read from Easter day to Pentecost, before acknowledging the Argentine Jesuit priest. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the 266th pope to lead the Catholic Church and passed Easter Monday at the age of 88. “I welcome you to our mass, and pray for Pope Francis, giving thanks to God for His loving and faithful service to the people of God,” said Susan Chawszczewski, Director of Campus Ministry. “Pope Francis, in his Easter message this year, stated, ‘On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves or who come from discrimination, bring unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas for all of us, are children of God.”

Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opinion Opin

The rise of modern misogyny and the new manosphere Mariya Yasinovska, Opinion Editor

Francis’ health had been deteriorating for some time, and his death took place almost a month after he returned to the Vatican from being hospitalized for double pneumonia. Maureen Wangard, one of two Americans who met Francis in 2020 at the World Union of Catholic School Teachers Conference in Rome, said his health didn’t slow him down. “Every step he took was a challenge, but he sat down and was very gracious. He smiled the entire time. And, I mean, we were there for well over an hour, and you figure he must do this several times a week, and yet, he looked very happy and spoke clearly,” Wangard said, the assistant director of graduate student initiatives at SLU. Wangard’s meeting with Francis and Catholic representatives from around the world left her feeling as if she were a small part of something bigger. That was the influence he had, she said. “I think the pope actually said, ‘You’re co-workers with the pope,’” Wangard said. “I had this sense of, yeah,

I do need to be inclusive, treat other people in a way that’s welcoming and in a way that I think it’s really important to see God in everyone.” Francis’ influence stretched beyond Catholics. The memorial, well-attended by non-Catholics, was a testament to how he advocated for migrants, LGBTQ+ people and environmental policies. Sophomore Kaydence Davis said that Francis’ advocacy of these political issues garnered her support, even as someone who did not practice Catholicism. “I really liked his views on same-sex marriage and homosexuality, and how open he was to it, and how it kind of moved forward the Roman Catholic Church,” Davis said. Francis was well known for changing conversations within Catholicism on LGBTQ+ issues after saying, “Being homosexual is not a crime.” However, he

Read more on A2, Pope

ts & Life Arts & Life Arts & Life Arts & Life Arts & Life Arts & Life Arts & Life Arts & Li

‘Riverdance’ 30th Anniversary Tour coming to the Fabulous Fox An interview with dancer and SLU-Alum Samantha Felling

Owen Herdrick, Arts & Life Editor

(Joe Rogan)

Comedian Joe Rogan, host of the popular long-form podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, where he speaks about male rights and interviews guests such as Donald Trump, is pictured sitting at his podcast set.

We are living in what many experts are calling a What began as loosely organized forums of self“male loneliness epidemic.” Surveys show that men, described “men’s rights activists” has evolved into a particularly younger men, report higher levels of highly visible network of influencers, podcasters and isolation and lower rates of close friendships than online personalities who promote rigid, regressive ever before. While this crisis deserves attention, the notions of masculinity. These figures, from Andrew Tate solutions being offered by alpha male influencers and to Joe Rogan, preach a worldview in which empathy is online communities dubbed manospheres are not just weakness, women are adversaries and the only currency unhelpful, they are actively harmful. of male value is dominance. In recent years, a disturbing subculture has gained At the heart of this rhetoric is the revival of the “alpha traction across social platforms: the “manosphere.”

Thirty-one years ago, “Riverdance” was born as a What does it mean to you to be reviving an old classic? performance in the iconic “Eurovision” competition. SF: The show itself is so iconic. So it’s been around Since then, it has transformed into an iconic display of for 30 years, and it maintains that same iconic music Irish culture as a full theatrical performance that has and choreography. We’ve just really upped the lighting set off on a tour to celebrate its 30th anniversary in the up to the production, the graphics, the costumes and United States and the United Kingdom. the whole cast now as well. It’s a whole new generation Samantha Felling, a member of the Irish dance of Irish dancers in the cast. None of us were actually troupe and graduate of Saint Louis University, discussed born when Riverdance first came into the scene. We the excitement to bring the show to her hometown, a haven’t known life without Riverdance, and we grew up performance she feels is as important and valuable now watching Riverdance. as it was three decades ago. Samantha Felling spoke with The University News’ In what ways do you feel the story of ‘Riverdance’ is Owen Herdrick on April 16. The following conversation important today? has been edited for clarity and length. SF: The whole show is about people from different cultures and backgrounds coming together and sharing If you could give me an elevator pitch on what their culture and their history. It’s primarily an Irish ‘Riverdance’ is, what would that be? dance and music show, but there’s a lot of back-andSamantha Felling: It started at the Eurovision Song forth pieces between the Irish dancers and the tap Contest in 1994, and that was the first time Irish dance dancers and the flamenco dancers and the Eastern kind of got a big stage to showcase on… it was seen European folk dancers. It’s a timeless show, and it’s a as an actual performance piece, versus just kind of a timeless story, because it’ll always be relevant to share traditional thing that people did at the pubs and back your culture and your passion. There’s scenes in the in Ireland. Riverdance itself is really just a celebration show about Irish people immigrating to the United of Irish culture and music. [But] as much as there’s a lot States – that’s a very relevant theme these days. It’s about of Irish dance and music, there’s also a flamenco dancer, kind of letting things go, moving on [and] losing people there’s American tap dancers [and] there’s Eastern as they immigrate to the U.S., but still holding on to European folk dancers. We have a whole live band – it’s their family ties [and] cultural ties as they emigrate to a just a really high-energy show. Read more on B1, Riverdance