Young runaways, immigrants become trafficking victims
BY CORALINE PETTINE This is why so many young individuals are susceptible to Writing Managing Editor becoming trafficking victims. Kim said, “You don’t need force to get a juvenile to sleep with X, Y and Z. It’s According to the Congressional Research Service, there are more than 1 mil- a distorted version of love. That’s all it takes for them.” lion homeless youth living without supervision on the streets, in abandoned Trafficking is not just limited to sex trafficking young, impressionable homes and buildings, in shelters, with friends or even with strangers every women. Trafficking can also be a result of extortion or exploitation. year. This estimation is considered to be lower than the actual number of Stephanie Blakeman, case manager in the Anti Human-Trafficking Unit homeless youth because this demographic is difficult to track. at the Nationalities Service Center, said trafficking— specifically labor The majority of these runaways are female. trafficking in the agriculture field— is very common among immigrants. These individuals are at an increased risk of physical abuse, mental Immigrants and foreign nationals can be labor trafficked because health issues, substance abuse, sexual exploitation and human traffick- their statuses leave them in fear of deportation and prevent them from ing. reporting employers for exploitation. Thousands of immigrants come Pearl Kim, former senior deputy attorney general, human traffick- to the country under false promises and are exploited by employers. ing advocate and keynote speaker at Cabrini’s Anti Human Traffick- “The vulnerable populations, first and foremost, are individuals ing Symposium on Tuesday, March 16, explained to the audience who come to the U.S. on temporary guest worker visas,” Blakeman that more than 15 percent of runaways become sex slaves. said. “The other vulnerable group is undocumented immigrants “Sixty-eight percent of runaways were in social services or fos- who come from various sectors.” % ter care, and one in six runaways in 2014 were likely sex traffick- These workers sign contracts with employers where they ing victims,” Kim said. agree on wages and living conditions; however, with foreign Young adult runaways frequently become the victims of hu- and immigrant labor trafficking victims, the employer uses man trafficking not through physical force but through emo- their lack of ties, low education, limited language knowl- tional and mental manipulation. edge and the legal system against them. % The human trafficking and pimping business is so lu- “The job will be different. The wages will be lower. The crative, individuals can purchase instructional books on living and working conditions will be quite poor,” Blake- Amazon. man said. “Because the person has few ties to the com- According to “The Pimp Game: Instructional Guide,” munity, they might not know their rights. They feel the human trafficking of young girls begins when the they have no other option but to stay.” pimp, or trafficker, earns the trust of the victim when These exploited workers, in addition to poor she is vulnerable. He conditions her to associate sex working conditions and being underpaid, also do with rewards, buying her gifts after intercourse. not receive overtime and can even miss entire Author Michael Royal writes that the pimp paychecks. must train her to crave the intimacy until the Human trafficking is an ever-expanding ep- pimp has “broken her spirt [and] she has no idemic. Human trafficking rose more than 35 sense of value.” percent in 2016, according to the National When the time arrises, he convinces her Human Trafficking Hotline. that she needs to sell herself to support Human trafficking is on the rise -be them— and, often, their addiction— and cause it is a lucrative field. Profits for -hu she becomes a full-fledged prostitute, ad- man trafficking come in at roughly $150 dict and human trafficking victim. billion a year for traffickers, according Kim elaborated on how normal, to the International Labor Organiza- young women become prostitutes. tion. “When you’re dealing with juve- Hugh Organ, associate executive niles in particular, you can see how director of the Covenant House, vulnerable they are. If they’re run- explained that human traffick- ning away, who knows what their ing is the second largest, fastest circumstances are,” Kim said. growing criminal industry in “And then they meet this guy, the world. and this guy tells them, ‘You’re Organ said, “The only the best thing that’s ever thing more profitable is the happened to me. Let me drug trade, and we suspect take care of you.’ And next it will surpass the drug % of tra cking thing you know, ‘Honey, trade, because, ‘Once I you need to help me. We sell this drug, it’s gone. need some money and I can sell this kid again this is what you have and again and again. to do.’” And I don’t have Kim said it does to have my drugs not require kid- shipped in from napping or violent wherever; I can threats to traffic a go to the King young woman. of Prussia It only takes an Mall or go to emotionally a foster care vulnerable home.” person and a manip- ulative man. /5th of % /5th [email protected]
HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR
INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFELINE, EQUALITY NOW AND DO SOMETHING 2 | THELOQUITUR.COM EDITORIAL THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
WE ARE THE LOQUITUR 2017-2018 Editorial Staff
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANGELINA MILLER
WRITING MANAGING EDITOR CORALINE PETTINE
VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR HOPE DALUISIO
NEWS EDITORS EMMA RODNER-TIMS KELLY BUSH
SPORTS EDITOR JOHN WILLIAMS
LIFESTYLES EDITORS ERIC STONE KAITLYN D’AMBROSIO
ERIC STONE / LIFESTYLES EDTOR PERSPECTIVES EDITOR LAURA SANSOM
WEB EDITOR SHANNON FINN Saint Patty’s Day or Saint Party’s Day?
ADVISER No matter their backgrounds or ethnic- three-leafed clover, to talk about the Trinity— the shamrock stands as the symbol of the JEROME ZUREK ities, people far and wide get together and the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. holiday. Because its purpose is not to be celebrate on March 17. Saint Patrick had a burning love for the the name of the famous McDonald’s drink To a vast majority, that date marks a Lord and made it his life to carry out the Shamrock Shake. day reserved for drunken celebration and Word. His love ran so deep that he had com- Its celebrators should understand what it MISSION green-themed activities. plete and utter trust in the Father. To Saint must have meant for Saint Patrick to return to In actuality, March 17— or better known Patrick, he knew that God’s plan was what a country where he was once a slave. It takes The Loquitur student news- as Saint Patrick’s Day— is a religious feast was best for him. This trust ran so deep that someone with a truly pure heart to foster paper and website are inte- day to remember the death of Saint Patrick; nothing filled him with fear— not even death. something with love that once hurt you. gral parts of the educational it is a day to commemorate the evolution of And maybe that is why we should cele- Instead, people far and wide, Irish or not, mission of the Cabrini com- history and culture in Ireland. brate him so deeply. Because he found some- get drunk to the tune of Irish music and party munication department, Patrick, born in Roman Britain, first thing that steered his life and gave it purpose. until the sun comes up. namely, to educate students to take their places in the touched foot in Ireland as a captured slave. He is an example of fulfilling life and engag- But, why? Not to celebrate the change cat- public media. Loquitur Me- After escaping and finding safety in a ing in the common good. alyzed by Saint Patrick, but because it is a day dia provides a forum of free French monastery, he converted to Chris- What Saint Patrick did for the country of marked on their calendars for blacking out. expression. All members of tianity. Then, after entering the priesthood Ireland, and the Irish culture as a whole, is no Yes, the Irish culture is known to enjoy a the univeristy community and eventually being ordained a bishop, small feat. good time and an even better Guinness, but may submit work to the was sent to fill Ireland with the Gospel. It should be celebrated. they do not forget the history of their culture. editors for possible inclu- Over the course of 40 years, during the But, not with green jello shots and bare- So, next Saint Patrick’s Day, when you’re sion. Publication is based on 400s, Saint Patrick built churches through- ly-there green clothes. drinking green-dyed beer, think about why the editorial decision of the out Ireland and converted all the country to Irish culture should be highlighted. Per- there’s a day celebrating the color green. student editors. Christianity, using the famous shamrock, or haps, we should learn to understand why Uber, Lyft contribute to city taxes
BY ALLIYAH MADURO Assistant Lifestyles Editor
Ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, have threatened the taxi industries and public transportation in the past few years LETTERS TO all around the country. Public transporta- tion pays for some of the city’s expenditures. THE EDITOR Since ride-hailing services have swept the The Loquitur accepts letters nation, the income for public transportation to the editors. They should has went down tremendously. be less than 500 words, usu- According to an article in the New York ally in response to a current Times, many cities— such as Chicago, Phila- issue on Cabrini University’s delphia, Massachusetts and New York— be- campus or community area gan to tax Uber and Lyft riders. and are printed as space Some individuals feel ride-hailing ser- permits. Name, phone num- vices should not pay taxes because it is not ber and address should be Uber’s and Lyft’s responsibilities to improve included with submissions the cities. for verification purposes. All ANGELINA MILLER / EDITOR IN CHIEF letters to the editors must “That shouldn’t be Uber’s job.Uber and Lyft users across the country may face additional taxes when using the apps. be e-mailed to loquitur@ That should be our government’s cabrini.edu and the city’s job to pay for the “People get on Uber to try to get to work for a reasonable price. streets and buildings,” sophomore black studies major Yseli If they raise the prices, they are just going to lose out,” Rivera said. Estevez said. However, the state of New York projects that this extra fee could Massachusetts was the first state to implement a tax on ride-hail- generate $605 million per year to help the subway system. ing services, adding a 20 cents tax. Philadelphia taxes 1.4 percent of “People won’t really notice the extra charge. A lot of companies the ride’s charge and New York is still on the verge of taxing their do it,” Philadelphian Uber driver Danielle Murray said. ride-hailing services. Philadelphia’s tax charge for the ride-hailing services is projected “I do not think it is fair. We already get taxed a lot,” Philadelphian to lead the city to raise $2.6 million in 2018 alone for public schools. Uber rider and junior English major Alondra Rivera said. CONTINUE READING ONLINE Manhattan is considering adding a tax on Uber, seeking to charge [email protected] anywhere from $2 to $5 extra per ride. THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 NEWS THELOQUITUR.COM | 3 Deportation tears family apart
Editor’s Note: The surname of a subject in this article has been omitted to protect his identity.
BY KELLY BUSH “We were just so happy and ICE came and took our dreams away,” Lebron said. News Editor When Johnny was taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce- ment, or ICE, Lebron started to reach out for help and wanted to tell their story. Imagine waking up to go to a court date and then being brought to an unfamiliar The immigration system and immigration policies in the United States have been place. considered flawed for a long time. Then imagine not talking to the person you love for a whole day, being left only with According to Pride Immigration, deportation usually occurs when a person vio- their belongings with no clue where they are. lates the law and they are aware of it. ICE is the United States federal government law This is what reality is for Johhny and his girlfriend. enforcement agency charged identifying and eliminating border, economic, transporta- This last year has been hard on Johanny Lebron, Johnny’s girlfriend of three years. tion and infrastructure security flaws. During the middle of her spring semester, Cabrini senior Johanny’s life was changed. Currently, Lebron has someone who is dear to her in detainment. “Over 300,000 immigrants are deported each year, so tens of thousands of families are separated by deporta- tion each year,” Abel Rodríguez, assistant professor of religion, law and social justice and immigration special- ist, said. After being stopped for a traffic violation, Johnny was given several court dates and probation sentences. When Jonny appeared for his first probation visit, he was told his probation officer was in a meeting and ICE wanted to speak to him. Unknowingly, his probation officer was never there and ICE took him away minutes after arriving. It is common for ICE and the state to work together to detain immigrants, especially those who may get caught up in the court system. Johnny was always open and honest about being an undocumented immigrant. He was brought to the U.S. at a very young age by his parents. Johnny thought that if he demonstrated, he would not be punished. CONTINUE READING ONLINE
KELLY BUSH / NEWS EDITOR This picture is a symbol of unity amoung immigrants, their fight against deporation and their goal of freedom. The dark side of college: Depression and anxiety
Editor’s Note: The name of a subject in this article has been omitted to protect their identity.
BY WILLIAM MORGAN seeing their peers having a good time. This generation Some college students seek drugs and stimulants Staff Wroter especially thoroughly enjoys posting their experiences to help them perform or function. This typically rises instead of living in the moment. around mid-terms, finals and major exams. The college experience can be filled with all sorts of “Stop scrolling and start living,” said junior political In 2016, 9.9 percent of college students admitted to excitement, freedom and wonders; however, this may not science major Matthew Loparo. “Too many people are so using Adderall to help enhance their performance in the be the case for all students. caught up in recording moments on Snapchat that they classroom. Similarly, 2.4 percent admitted to using Rital- A recent study by the American College Health Asso- start to lose sense of reality.” in. ciation indicated that one in five college students suffers Another stress that can help spark depression or anxi- “Depression is one of the most common mental ill- from depression or anxiety. ety is the use of drugs. nesses and can be presented in many different ways,” said There are many factors that play in to these students sophomore psychology major Mattie Porter. feeling the way they do, but it is truly impossible to un- “Being able to recognize a friend or a loved one is derstand what they are going through unless you have struggling is the first step in helping them out of the dark- experienced it yourself. ness,” Porter said. “Lonely mornings, miserable afternoons and sleepless As Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden said, “We all bleed nights,” said an anonymous junior student. “I kept telling the same way that you do, and we all have the same things myself, ‘Tomorrow will be okay,’ but then inevitably wake to go through.” up in the same misery.” “Be kind to everyone you see,” said sophomore mar- A major factor for students developing depression and keting major Matt Nestler. “You never know what some- anxiety is feeling homesick. This typically is found with one else may be going through.” first year or transfer students who are still trying to mold For more assistance and information, readers can into the college atmosphere and living away from home. visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call 1-800-273-8255. Using your phone too much can typically lead to stu- dents transferring or withdrawing from school as a whole. Too much screen-time can also lead to anxiety and de- pression. Students from all universities love to broadcast on so- cial media how much fun they are having. It is certainly [email protected] easy for other students to feel insecure or isolated while
HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR 4 | THELOQUITUR.COM LIFESTYLES THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 Male sexual abuse:
OVERLOOKED AND MOCKED
Editor’s Note: The names of the subjects in this article have been changed to preserve the privacy of those interviewed. Language and description in this article may trigger those who have been sexually assaulted. The sources in this article were interviewed exclusively through personal messaging on Reddit and not directly in person.
BY ERIC STONE said. “Then, he and my cousin took turns raping me.” Lifestyles Editor Like Alex, Tim recalls that he didn’t know exactly what happened but instinctively knew that it was wrong. The #MeToo movement has effectively unraveled some of the untold stories about “I spent the entire night not knowing what had happened once it was done, but I felt celebrity abuse, and according to PBS, has become a trending hashtag in over 85 used and just horrible,” Tim said. countries. The abuse would continue throughout Tim’s stay at his uncle’s house, and when he It is noteworthy, however, that the #MeToo movement predominantly centers around finally returned home, Tim revealed to his mom what had happened. Much to Tim’s women, while male sexual abuse still remains significant. According to the National dismay, his mother refused to believe him and scolded him for lying. Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in six men experience some form of contact sexual The next summer, against his own will, Tim was forced to stay at his uncle’s for another violence in their lifetime. week. The abuse worsened. Of these men affected are Alex and Tim, two “It happened again. This time worse, and men who had been repeatedly sexually they told me horrible things and made assaulted and betrayed by the people death threats against me,” Tim said. they had put all of their trust and care “Let’s say I have a burn mark on a into: their own family members. Alex very personal part of my body.” in particular had never shared his This continued to happen entire story with anyone before as for years after but eventually he explained what his half-sister stopped. Tim was left feeling did to him at a very young age. defeated and depressed, “When I was seven or eight feeling as though he years of age, my half-sister, couldn’t share his story who is a few years older than with anyone because of me, abused me for a period of the way his mother had around a year and a half,” Alex responded to him. said. Both Tim and Alex According to an article by suffered similar outcomes: GoodTherapy, it is reported that symptoms of post-traumatic up to 93 percent of children who stress disorder and major have been sexually abused know their depressive feelings. Alex himself attackers and over a third of the abusers are picked up on subtle changes family members. following his abuse that contributed to Alex recalled that it started one night when his parents were absent and his sister was his trauma, such as wearing baggy clothes left to babysit him. After they had left, his sister began forcibly kissing him on his bed and because he felt exposed in anything tight, isolating himself from people and feeling covering the two of them up with a blanket. hyper-sexualized as a child. “I hated every second of it, but she was my older sister,” Alex said. “I felt like I shouldn’t According to a study by the National Violence Against Women Prevention Research tell her to stop because it was probably what most siblings did.” Center, almost one-third of all rape victims developed PTSD sometime during their Alex noted that, while this was the first time he can remember it happening, he did not lifetime and more than one in 10 rape victims still have PTSD today. believe it was the first time it happened. Alex recalled it frequently “One example of this was at a sleepover when I was a kid and my friend took his happening after that first instance, as his sister’s actions penis out as a joke,” Alex said. “I really wanted to go over and touch it, continued to become more obscene. but I didn’t because there were too many people around.” “She started to make me touch and kiss her breasts. Alex also proceeded to ask his friends if they have ever “had Then that escalated into her making me touch her sex with themselves,” — alluding to masturbation — because vagina,” Alex said. “I felt disgusting and awful and I he believed that was normal for an 8 year old to do. His knew what was happening was wrong.” friends were confused by his question, and he did not Though Alex came to this realization, he bring it up again. was too afraid to tell his parents, in fear that he Alex’s failure to understand what exactly had would get in trouble for even participating, so happened with his sister led to him putting much he instead chose to stay quiet. of the blame on himself, feeling as though he was “Eventually, she moved on from forcing involved in those actions willingly. me to touch her and she started to touch my Tim suffered with putting his trust into other penis,” Alex said. “It wasn’t until one night people, following his mother’s response to his when she left her clothes on the floor in the sexual abuse. basement that my parents finally discovered “I just lost the whole ‘loving your family’ what was going on.” thing that supposedly everyone feels after what Alex’s mother confronted him about his happened, really,” Tim said. “Because of this, sister being naked, though Alex initially denied I’m suffering from chronic depression, PTSD and this accusation out of fear. Alex’s mother later a particularly unfortunate personality disorder I questioned him about inappropriate things wouldn’t like to refer to.” they were possibly involved in together. Alex Though it has been years since the abuse, Tim and finally broke down and admitted to the events in Alex still find it tough to move past. Alex only recently question. This put an end to his being abused. checked into therapy, after having a series of nightmares Tim suffered from a similar case of abuse. However, involving his sister. he unfortunately was met with less sympathy than Alex was. The two men agree that while sexual abuse amongst men and Tim was repeatedly abused by his cousin and uncle from the women should be treated with the same amount of weight and care, age of 7 to 10. sexual abuse towards men is far more overlooked and treated less seriously. “I really liked spending time in this uncle’s house,” Tim said. “I’d stay at his CONTINUE READING ONLINE house during my summer vacation and that’s when it all started.” Tim recalls that one night, while he was staying at his uncle’s for the week, his uncle called him into his guesthouse and made him close his eyes. [email protected] “I thought we were going to play something. Then he told me to get on my knees,” Tim INFOGRAPHICS BY HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 LIFESTYLES THELOQUITUR.COM | 5
Snapchat update causes major uproar
BY CONNOR TUSTIN could add pictures and videos to their profiles for up to 24 Assistant Sports Editor hours. Once again, this was a welcome change to many, as the app continued to evolve. Once again, Snapchat has updated the look and feel Fast forward to 2015, when Snapchat added the of the popular social media app. Change is typically not Discover tab. This feature gave users the ability to check welcome to those who become attached to one way of out stories from various platforms like CNN, ESPN, Daily doing something. News and more. This addition was considered annoying If you are active on any social media platform other by many, but users would eventually get used to it. than Snapchat itself, there has been no hiding from Ever since that 2015 update, it seems like each time the the wealth of complaints over the last two weeks. Snapchat decides to update the app, users tend to com- Snapchat’s most recent update is certainly a significant plain. In 2016, when video calling was added, people one, but it is nothing new for the company to make complained that it had no place. In 2017 when SnapMap changes like this. was added, people complained that the feature was Ever since Snapchat’s inception in 2011, the app has creepy and should be taken off. gone through multiple staggering changes. The changes In comes 2018, when Snapchat altered how stories are began with the name itself, starting out as Pictaboo, viewed, causing a major uproar once again. The newest instead of Snapchat. After about a year of the app being update features friends stories directly next to their name available and the name change to Snapchat, the craze in the messages tab, thus combining both the snap feature started to catch on. and story feature. For a large majority of the app’s existence, it allowed Justin Sillner, an admissions counselor at Cabrini users to send still picture messages, with only one line of University, helps to manage the Office of Admissions HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR text, for up to 10 seconds. That format itself has altered Snapchat profile. He cited that the new update initially completely since the beginning stages. saw a decrease in viewership for the profile, but the num- The Snapchat interface before the change. Today, users can send pictures and videos, with mul- bers are starting to rise again. setup is now, and I’m planning on hanging on to it as long tiple lines of text and can make the messages available for “At first, we lost a good 30-40 viewers per story,” as I possibly can.” as long as they want. Although these changes may have Sillner said. “Now that everyone is getting adjusted to the Like past updates, in a few weeks, everyone will most been welcome to change, the views are starting to come back to where they likely forget that the changes even took place. The first many, no once were.” few weeks of the update will be strange and feel weird to c h a n g e Over one million people have signed an online peti- many, but after some getting used to, it will feel normal. comes with- tion calling for Snapchat to revert back to the old format. “At the moment, I am not a fan of the changes,” Victoria out some Unfortunately for those Snapchat fans, the chances of the Vernon, a freshman secondary education major, said. “It backlash. company reverting the app back to the last version are mixes stories up and shows me ones I don’t really care In 2013, slim. As long as people continue to use the app, nothing a b o u t .” the app is going to happen. [email protected] added sto- “I haven’t even updated the app yet because of how ries, a feature many negative things I’ve heard,” Melissa Hefferan, a where users sophomore early education major, said. “I like how the
HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR
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KAITLYN D’AMBROSIO / LIFESTYLES EDITOR 6 | THELOQUITUR.COM PERSPECTIVES THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
When you’re 16 years old, you begin the view the world differently. At the age of 16, you can get your driver’s li- cense. This is the first of many milestones in a teenager’s life. When you turn 18 years old, you, legally, become an adult. I believe this is the appropriate age of a first time voter. When I was 16 years old, I was uninterested in politics because I didn’t think it affected me. Politics weren’t a commonly discussed topic in high school, so I never took the time to understand what was happening in the world around me. I look back on it now and cringe at my own immaturity. I was so immersed in my own
MICHELLE GUERIN / ASSISTANT NEWS EDTIOR world that I didn’t care to learn. BY SYDNEY LYNCH It wasn’t until I entered college that I real- Assistant Lifestyles Editor There is a maturity level essential to vot- ing. The older you get, the more life you expe- ized the importance of voting. I gained a per- spective of what was happening in the coun- In the wake of tragedy, kids are ready to rience you have. Through experience comes try and created my own political opinion. fight. After the horrific act of violence at Stone- learning and understanding. The more informa- As an 18-year-old, I became educated on man Douglas High School, where 17 students tion we are exposed to, the the differences between political parties and and faculty members were killed, the students more informed we are as learned where my principles aligned. I are calling for change. citizens and voters. realized that my vote matters. I wasn’t At the front lines, students are calling According just voting for myself, but for the fu- out politicians and advocating for gun control. to the Center for ture of the nation. Since they are high school students, many are Information and I don’t think 16-year-old kids not old enough to vote. Research on should have the right to vote, This begs the question: Should the voting age Civic Learning but I think those of us over 18 be lowered to 16 years old? and Engage- should exercise our right. The 26th Amendment of the United States ment, only We must be the advocates for Constitution states: “The right of citizens of the about 50 per- the next generation. We must lis- United States, who are 18 years of age or older, cent of ten to what they’re saying, because to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the eligible young they’re right. If you can vote, go out United States or any state on account of age.” people, between and do it. Originally, the voting age in the United States the ages of 18 and Things need to change, and we was 21 years old. In 1971, President Richard 29, voted in the 2016 presidential election. LAURA SANSOM have the power to change them. Nixon signed the 26th Amendment, allow- PERSPECTIVES EDITOR ing 18-year-old United State citizens to vote. This mixture of millennial and generation Voting is so important. Whether it be a local z participants made up about 19 percent of the election or the next presidential race, every vote voters in the election that determined Trump [email protected] matters. would be president. “Love, Simon” brings LGBT representation to cinema BY LAURA SANSOM only character trait, as may be seen in LGBT wrongs them, their reactions make sense, be- Perspectives Editor characters in other films. Much of the plot hing- cause the audience knows them as people, not es on Spier’s attempts to keep his sexuality just as his one-dimensional friends. “Love, Simon,” starring Nick Robinson in its secret, but just as much is focused on his The audience finds themselves root- titular role, premiered on March 16, 2018. relationships with his family, his friends ing for Spier, but also It’s your typical coming-of-age romantic com- and, of course, his love interest. seeing themselves in edy but with a twist: the main character is gay. The people that surround Spier are all his parents, sister and Gay characters and characters on the LG- presented as real people with their own best friends. BTQ+ spectrum are typically uncommon as personalities, interests and problems. The movie also has leads in films. Their lives do not revolve solely around twists that keep its According to a study released by the Universi- Spier and they have clear motives for all of audience hooked. After ty of Southern California, one percent of leading their actions, right or wrong. So few mov- reading an anonymous characters in films released in 2016 were LGBT. ies of this genre use an ensemble cast to their post on his high school’s This one percent falls entirely to the main highest potential, but this one does. gossip site from a boy that character in the film “Moonlight.” Viewers get to see his parents’ relation- admits he’s gay, Spier strikes up a There is still very far to go ship with each other and his sister’s love for friendship with the writer over email. when it comes to LGBT cooking. They get to see how Eventually, this friendship turns into love, representation in film, Abby Suso, one of Spier’s best all with the two boys not knowing each other’s especially when it comes to friends, adjusts to moving identities. Spier signs his name as Jaques. His protagonists, but Simon to a new school senior year, love interest is known only as Blue. Spier is a relatable how Leah Burke feels like It’s an LGBT movie, but it’s also a really good start and a step an outcast and how Nick teen movie. LGBT people rarely get to see into a genre that Eisner struggles with his representations of themselves on the screen. It does not often see feelings towards both is even rarer that the representation that they do LGBT leads. girls. get ends up being positive. The fact that Spier When Spier’s CONTINUE READING ONLINE is gay is very impor- friends feel he tant, but is not his [email protected] 20TH CENTURY FOX THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 SPORTS THELOQUITUR.COM | 7 Sports Source Sports video games Editorial Column Should the Athletes in the real and digital world BY JUSTIN BARNES get the same feeling if you are just sitting LaMantia, he prefers to play sports in real Assistant Lifestyles Editor down playing a game in the sense of enter- life than on a console, as he grew up play- tainment level.” ing sports such as baseball, basketball and Sixers play Video games are a very popular form of In addition, LaMantia feels that all football. entertainment and sports games are the same in terms of come in a variety gameplay and the updated graphics are the Fultz? of genres, such as only changes he sees. action, first-person Writing major and theatre minor Johnny BY JOHN WILLIAMS shooter, survi- Myers, a former baseball, basketball and Sports Editor vor, massive football player, also likes to play “Madden multiplayer NFL” and “NBA 2K.” He’s especially fond The Markelle Fultz situation online, sports of “NBA 2k18” because of its more immer- is something that has been and so much sive story mode called “MyCareer,” as well unprecedented in sports. more. Video as the customization options for his char- For months, it appeared Fultz games related acter. lost the ability to do the one to sports have “You have an entire online world to thing that he did better than any also proven to explore with clothing shops, tattoo parlors, other player in his draft class: shoot be popular, espe- barbershops, music studios and more,” a three-pointer. After a strong NBA cially among ath- Myers said.” It’s really fun to play online Summer League performance, letes. and upgrade my player. My friends and I Fultz came into training camp with Sports games get super competitive.” a completely different shot. cover a variety of Myers is and has been looking forward “I love my After Fultz was sidelined sports and leagues to a couple of new sports games that are video games, but for months to try to rebuild his such as the NBA, coming out soon, such as “MLB The I prefer to play sports in shooting form, fans and media alike PGA, NCAA Show 18,” which will be released on real life,” Weaver said. were skeptical, speculating that his and a pletho- March 27, 2018, and “Madden NFL “Half the reason that I’m playing is that I shoulder was still hurt or that his ra of other real life sports leagues. 18,” which was released on love that sport.” problems were strictly mental. According to FOX Sports, the top five August 25, 2017. He is Despite athletes preferring to play sports All of a sudden, though, Fultz’s sports video games to date include excited to play them physically instead of digitally, it appears shot has improved tremendously “FIFA ’07,” “NBA 2K17,” “Backyard because he loved that athletes and average gamers are and looks about the same as his Baseball,” “Mario Kart 64,” and “Tony playing these very fond of sports video games. form from when he played at the Hawk’s Pro Skater.” sports in In addition, it appears University of Washington in the Business management major and that Madden and NBA 2k 2016-2017 season. men’s tennis player CJ LaMantia is fond are the most popular out of The question now is whether the of a variety of sports games, such as all the sports games series. Sixers should bring him back for “NBA 2K,” “Madden NFL” and “NHL” as “I like being able to play with the great- the rest of the season. well as a bunch of tennis related games. est athletes in the world,” Weaver said. Head coach Brett Brown was He likes playing these games because real life and they have non-committal towards Fultz’s he says it is really fun when he does it with nostalgic value to him. availability for the rest of the friends. To him, the games can get intense Senior marketing and season. and competitive; however, LaMantia is finance major Brandon “I truly don’t know,” Brown told more fond of playing sports in real life Weaver is also very fond Philly.com last week. rather than in the digital world. of “NBA 2k18” and Some argue that Fultz returning “I’m a super competitive kid who loves “Madden NHL” and to the lineup at this point in the to go out and play a nice competitive game loves to play them with season could hurt the team, since of basketball,” LaMantia said. “You don’t his friends; however, like [email protected] he is a rookie who needs the ball in his hands and would be joining a set rotation that is in rhythm just weeks away from competing in the playoffs. But the Sixers have looked a bit tired down the stretch and Fultz would give the lineup a spark that they desperately need. They do not have to worry about falling out of a playoff spot, since, as of this writing, their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is four— that is a combination of Sixers wins and Detroit Pistons losses. They also play just three teams that currently find themselves in playoff position in their remaining 13 games. They are going to be playing bad teams, so this is the perfect time to give Fultz an opportunity to get acclimated to game speed so he can contribute in the playoffs. By doing this, the team could give players such as Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid fewer minutes in their remaining games so they can be well-rested for the playoffs. Going into the season, many fans would tell you that if we didn’t see players like Fultz, Simmons and Embiid continue to develop, regardless of their record would be at the end of the season, the year would be a failure. Hopefully the Sixers do not lose sight of that sentiment. VISUAL ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA RODNER-TIMS / NEWS EDITOR AND HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR IMAGES FROM THE CREATIVE COMMONS [email protected] Sports video games, such as NHL, combine real life sports with interactive gaming. THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 SPORTS THELOQUITUR.COM | 8 Cabrini University basketball coaches reveal their formulas for success BY RENIN BROADNAX Assistant News Editor
Cabrini’s basketball teams have been very successful this year, causing everyone to wonder where this success comes from? Both coaches Kathleen Pearson and Timothy McDonald have been named a CSAC coach of the year. We reached out to them to dive deeper into how they manage to do it. Kate Pearson Tim McDonald Q Why were you named a CSAC coach of the year? A“The biggest reason I was named coach of the year is A“I believe I was able to win the award because we have because our women’s basketball team has performed well really talented players who come together and take my all year. We finished with our regular season conference instruction and criticisms extremely well. They have taken with 16-0 record in league play.” the floor each day and have competed at a very high level.”
QHow did your team’s success this year play a part in you being honored with this award? A “A number of factors have contributed to [the team’s A“The success of the team has everything to do with me success] but the main one is our team chemistry.” receiving this award. I can draw up a million plays and implement any defensive style in the world but if the play- ers don’t go out and play well, it really doesn’t matter.” QHow did you prepare for CSAC ?
A“We prepared for the championship the same way we A“The same as we did for every single game, mentally prepared for any other game.” and physically: come in and play our best.” QWhat emotions come to mind when thinking of being named coach of the year?
A“Humbled and grateful, since my colleagues voted on A“To be honest, I was just happy for our team and our it, but honestly, there are so many other great coaches. The assistant coaches. It is exciting. It just shows how hard we award should go to the team because they are the ones worked and is a symbol of the success we have had this who deserve all the credit.” season.” QWith being name coach of the year is the pressure on to win CSAC?
A “I do not think the coach of the year award creates the “That is one of the greatest things about coaching and pressure to win; I think it is more that our team is expected Aworking at Cabrini. There is always pressure and expecta- to win because we are the top of the seed. We have to head tions to win CSACs.” into the championship with confidence and have that same expectation to win.” QHow are you going to prepare your team for next season?
A“In order to keep the success going, we plan to rely on A“The same as we do for every year: go out and recruit our core values. Commitment, loyalty, grit, gratitude and
MICHELLE GUERIN / ASSISTANT NEW EDITOR MICHELLE GUERIN / ASSISTANT NEW EDITOR