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OPINION PAGE 11 Getting off the beaten path in St. Louis Connect with The UNews:
A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1919
Vol. XCIV No. 4
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Snarf yourself silly
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Canada conquers curriculum Literacy Award: Education reform leader speaks on the school system
Ryan Quinn / Photo Editor
Canada: Geoffrey Canada speaks to the SLU community about his work in urban education By HANNAH WILEY Staff Writer
The nation’s top leader in the education reform movement, Dr. Geoffrey Canada, came to Saint Louis University’s campus to speak on his experiences on Monday, Sept. 22 in the Center for Global Citizenship. Brought to campus by the Great Issues Committee, Canada was the first speaker hosted this academic year by the organization, which seeks to highlight important issues
in today’s society by inviting speakers to engage with the campus community through their innovative dialogue. Canada is the founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, an organization that provides educational services and support for students from the time they are born until they graduate college. Founding the organization in 1990, Canada recently stepped down as CEO and president of the Harlem Children’s Zone in July of 2014. Although his work in an
Understanding disability: Event highlights solidarity pose of this exhibit is to educate people on the effort the ADA has put into making things universally accessible to people with disabilities.” Since the exhibit was open to October is Disability all students and faculty, ElAwareness Month, and as liott’s main goal simply was the month comes closer, Stuto inform the public of the dent Disability Services and impact that a disability can the Disability Services Club have, on the person who has (DSC) here at SLU set up an it, their family and friends, exhibit to kick it all off. Stuand on us as a nation. dents and faculty lined up One of the activities was to venture into the Allies of the “I Know Someone” activInclusion exhibit in the BSC ity, which asked students to Tuesday. There were a variplace a stone into one of two ety of activities that got parglass jars. ticipants inStudents volved and who either informed had a disabilthem of You never really ity or knew often-overknow how intimisomeone looked indating stairs are they conformation sidered to until you are on about varibe disabled ous disabilicrutches or in a would walk ties. wheelchair. up to the The deficorrespondnition of a -Dr. Karla Scott, ing jar to disability is Communication place a stone considered in it. By the professor to be any end of the physical, day, every or mental stone had condition been placed that limits a in one jar or the other. person’s typical movements, Another activity presentsenses or activities throughed several celebrities with out the day. The Allies of disabilities. Famous celebriInclusion exhibit, however, ties such as actor Michael J. wouldn’t have been founded Fox, who suffers from Parif it weren’t for the help of kinson’s disease, and Stethe Americans with Disphen Hawking who suffers abilities Act (ADA) of 1990, from a form of ALS, were which prevented any form of displayed on a large billdiscrimination towards indiboard for everyone to see. viduals with any sort of disability, whether it be physical, mental or emotional. Morgan Elliott, the president See “Disability” on Page 3 of the DSC, stated, “the purBy MAX HAMMOND Staff Writer
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executive position for the organization has come to an end, Canada is still actively engaged in the communities he works with and has influenced the entire nation through his books, Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America, and Reaching Up For Manhood: Transforming the Lives of Boys in America, and his role in the documentary, Waiting for Superman. In addition, Canada has appeared on news and entertainment shows such as Oprah and 60 Minutes,
as well as speaking of his efforts in the education reform movement with President Obama. By coming to SLU’s campus, Canada hoped to spread his message of education reform and how to accomplish seemingly-impossible tasks, to a student body that produces skillful and competitive members of society post-graduation. “The students that I work with will not be able to compete with the students here because of the education standards between the two communities. I came here both for humanistic reasons and because our democracy will not last if young people do not understand there are those suffering in desperation out there. All of us will suffer.” Canada has dedicated his life’s work to providing alternative education and reforming the system. After graduating from Harvard Graduate School of Education, Canada set out determined to find answers to the crises he observed occurring on the streets of Harlem, NY. With drugs overrunning the community and the population fleeing the city, those who remained found themselves caught in a cycle of poverty, illegal activity, and with no access to quality education. The city had become
See “Canada” on Page 3
Winterson honored By PAUL BRUNKHORST News Editor
On Tuesday, September 23, English author Jeanette Winterson was presented with the St. Louis Literary Award by the St. Louis University Library Associates, a group dedicated to the promotion of SLU’s libraries and their resources. In receiving the award, Winterson joined the ranks of many notable authors who have been awarded the honor before her, including W.H. Auden in 1970, Arthur Miller in 1980 and John Updike in 1987. “The St. Louis Literary Award recognizes a living writer—with a substantial body of work, available in English—who has enriched
our literary heritage by deepening our insight into the human condition and by expanding the scope of our compassion,” said Philip Boem, chair of the award selection committee. For Winterson—whose first book, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, was published in 1985, the award meant more than just recognition for her own body of work; it was a symbol of the power that reading and writing can have for anyone. “Why do we read books?” Winterson asked after accepting the award. “Why do we want to be in that space? When people say to me ‘I don’t have time to read anySee “Award” on Page 3
Ryan Quinn / Photo Editor
Literary Award: Jeanette Winterson addressed those in attendance at the award ceremony.
IFSA Welcomes International Faculty: Event held to assist foreign members of SLU Staff By VIOLA BAO Contributor
The SLU IFSA (International Faculty and Staff Association) Fall Welcome Event, held on Wednesday, Sept. 24, provided a setting for faculty members to mingle with each other. There were new faculty members from China and India, as well as other countries. The speakers from different sectors of international faculty community of SLU gave speeches that reflected aspects of IFSA’s mission. IFSA is comprised of approximately 90 members whose expertise in various fields and different cultural backgrounds serve as a resource for both the international staff and the SLU community as a whole. The goal of the association is to enhance the richness of the multicultural environment and influence the further development of campus and traditional diversity. The event started with a welcome speech by Lisa Willoughby, a professor in the Department of Psychology. She introduced Hisako Matsuo, the President of IFSA and a professor of research methodology from Japan. According to Matsuo, the ideas for IFSA were initially formed in 2000 and officially established in 2008. In the spirit of IFSA, Saint Louis University will participate in a second annual International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative between the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education.
Javier Muro de Nadal / Staff Photographer
IFSA: The association provides international faculty with the opportunity to connect. Active in more than 100 countries, IEW was founded 15 years ago to promote international understanding and build support for educational exchange. According to Dr. Diana Carlin—the vice president of the global initiative—Mary Jean Eisenhower, past president of People to People International, will attend as the keynote speaker for the IEW to promote international exchange. IFSA is a community that embraces coherence and collaboration. Diana said that
she could not do her work without the help of people in IFSA. “I encourage all of you to consider IFSA as a place for support,” said Katie Gauthier Donnelly, the program manager of Global Citizenship. She indicated that IFSA supported her a lot in her first year in Saint Louis University. She also mentioned that the Saint Louis International Film Festival will feature a film-watching activity in the CGC. Tim Hercules, the Direc-
tor of International Services, introduced the mission of his team at the event. International service supports visa and immigration compliance; acculturation initiatives; study abroad; the Billiken Bridge to Success conditional admit program; and federal TRiO programs supporting students with disabilities and students from first-generation, lowincome families. He also inSee “IFSA” on Page 3