VOL. 66, NO. 7 TUESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2018 FLYER MEDIA SITS DOWN WITH ADMINISTRATION Opinions: RESPONSE TO THE END OF UD’S CHINA INSTITUTE Over 100 students and faculty have signed a let- ter that stands against the recent decision to terminate UDCI. Read this letter, written by Sean Newhouse, on page 10 . President Eric Spina and Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator and Equity Compliance Officer, Amy Zavadil sat down with representatves of Flyer Media to discuss issues of sexual violence on campus. Photo courtesy of Flyer Media. DISSECTING News Editor, Sean Newhouse, provides a list of takeaways from the recent OHIO’S NEW interview with President Spina and Amy Zavadil on page 4. Arts and Entertainment: ABORTION BILL Claudia Jackert shares STUDENTS SELLING ARTWORK TO the pitfalls of the fetal heartbeat bill and the AID LOCAL COMMUNITY threats it poses to the Melody Conrad highlights the the upcoming third annual Dinner in the lives of young women on Desert Kitchen: From Borders to Bridges on page 8. page 12. Sports: YINGER RUNS INTO THE RECORD BOOKS The senior running back accumulated 3,757 rushing yards and 4,468 all-purpose yards during his collegiate career. Learn more about his historic years at UD in a feature by Atticus Hughes on page 13. 2 NEWS NEWS 3 FLYER NEWS TUESDAY DECEMBER 4 FLYER NEWS TUESDAY DECEMBER 4 Junior hosts family’s Thanksgiving dinner on campus First Marine injured in Iraq War gives ‘Community Means GRACE JAMES Contributing Writer Everyone Week’ keynote address For most college students, a grand tour of Xavier,” cups for their wine. They Thanksgiving is a time to Sweeney said. “I wanted to enjoyed a mixture of foods go back to their hometown, show off Dayton.” from Dayton, as well as enjoy the comforts of home Due to the long distance New York, enjoying the best and, of course, enjoy a de- between UD and her home- of both worlds. licious Thanksgiving dinner. town, Sweeney’s parents The day after Thanks- For one Flyer, however, she hadn’t been on campus since giving, Sweeney took her decided to bring Thanksgiv- July when Sweeney moved parents and sister on a tour ing to UD. in. Thanksgiving was a per- of campus using the Link Tess Sweeney is a ju- fect time to show her fami- bikes, which are part of nior human rights major ly around when the campus Dayton’s bike sharing pro- from Albany, NY. Instead of was peaceful and quiet. gram. Sweeney also com- traveling back to New York “I think they definite- mented that the weather was over the break, she decided ly understand UD better,” better in Dayton than in Al- to bring her family to Ohio, Sweeney said. bany, which was a pleasant hosting Thanksgiving in her On the big day, Swee- surprise everyone enjoyed. on-campus house. ney’s mother cooked a tra- “It was so pretty,” she This is not the first time ditional Thanksgiving meal said. “Everything lined up Sweeney’s family has had an using what was on hand, but perfectly.” unconventional Thanksgiv- not without hitting a few ing. In 2016, Tess’ sister snags along the way. Right. Junior Tess Sweeney (left) Sara, who graduated from “College kids don’t have and her sister Sara tour Dayton Xavier University, hosted the same utensils as parents following their family’s Thanks- Thanksgiving for the whole do,” Sweeney said. giving festivities family in her apartment in Nonetheless, the family Cincinnati made do with what Sweeney “She [Sara] gave them had, complete with red solo Eric Alva (center), the first Marine injured in the Iraq War who came out in 2007 and advocated for the repeal of “don’’t ask, don’t tell,” takes a photo with UD’s Gay-Straight Alliance, Spectrum, after his speech. Photo courtesy of Chloe Massie-Costales. SEAN NEWHOUSE News Editor Staff Sergeant Eric Alva ended his speech an interview with Flyer News. Alva’s mother, who was worried when her 5’1’’, by showing the audience his prosthetic leg. It has He enlisted in the Marines in 1990, before 102-pound 19-year-old son enlisted in the Marines Bluetooth, he said. The Bluetooth connection “don’t ask, don’t tell,” when LGBT individuals, in 1990, was apprehensive about his decision to gives Alva greater control over his leg. For in- open or not, were barred from serving in the mil- come out publicly, but she still supported him. stance, he can set his stride depending on whether itary. Alva, who already had come out to some In the interview, Alva said his mother, an ele- he’s walking leisurely or climbing stairs. friends in high school, lied when asked about his mentary school teacher, told him a coworker said, He lost his right leg due to a land mine three sexual orientation by the recruiter. in a way that implied disapproval, she would pray hours after entering Iraq in March 2003. Alva also Despite the 1993 law requiring service mem- for him. His mother retorted she would pray for lost his right index finger and sustained nerve bers not to ask about an individual’s sexual orien- her colleague. damage in his right hand. While the loss of a fin- tation, some of Alva’s fellow Marines inevitably Following his public coming out, Alva also said ger might seem small compared to the loss of a did. The question was usually preceded by a com- his twin sister called him crying after an internet leg, Alva told the audience he can no longer pinch ment about Alva attending military balls alone or commenter wrote: “Too bad he didn’t get his head with his right hand, an action we thoughtlessly regarding his ownership of the movies “Beaches” blown off with his leg.” perform countless times every hour. and “Terms of Endearment.” “It [coming out] was a sacrifice, but it was a Alva was the first American injured in the Alva said when he would come out, they’d sacrifice on my family’s part too,” Alva said. Iraq War. In 2007, he publicly came out and ad- react by either saying they already knew or the dis- Alva’s struggles were not limited to his injury vocated against “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a 1993 law closure would bring them closer. in the Marines or coming out. After 13 years in banning openly gay individuals from serving in the “I broke that law [don’t ask, don’t tell] too service, at the age of 34, he went to college. He U.S. military. He stood behind President Barack many times that I can’t even remember,” Alva said. said going back to school was difficult. Obama when he signed its repeal in 2010. But he noted every service member he told “After you experience the military…the transi- He delivered the keynote speech for “Com- also broke the law by not reporting him. Alva said tion is always a little uneasy,” Alva said. munity Means Everyone Week,” an LGBTQ+ Sup- he believes he wasn’t reported because he was “a As a nontraditional student, he felt anger to- port Services initiative, on Nov. 13 in Sears Audi- good Marine.” ward younger students who seemed to “take life torium. His decision to come out nationally in 2007 for granted” and who, from Alva’s perspective, “Don’t ask, don’t tell was a law that forced peo- was not made lightly. Prior to doing so, he got the were ambivalent to the fact that the U.S. was fight- UD inducted 10 new members to its Board of Trustees on Oct. 17. Visit flyernews.com for an in depth article featuring short bios of the new ple to go to work every day, like myself, who were support of his family. ing two wars. members, an explanation of what the board does and interviews with individuals connected to the process for selecting new members. LGBT and lie about who they were,” Alva said in cont. on pp. 6 4 5 NEWS NEWS FLYER NEWS TUESDAY DECEMBER 4 FLYER NEWS TUESDAY DECEMBER 4 FM interviews administration about sexual misconduct First Marine injured in Iraq War gives keynote address cont. from pp. 3 “Don’t let labels and ask, don’t tell.” titles identify some- He urged the young When students would one,” he said. people in the audience talk over a professor, As an example, Alva to support the rights Alva, who lived an noted some of his of everyone, even if it extremely disciplined LGBT friends sup- doesn’t directly affect lifestyle for more than port President Donald them, and that we can- a decade, became even Trump. not be complacent. more infuriated. Alva continues to Alva said his deci- Today, Alva teach- advocate on behalf sion to come out was es social work at The of LGBT and veteran grounded in the oath University of Texas at causes. He’s spoken he took to become San Antonio. against Trump’s ban a Marine, when he At the end of his on transgender peo- swore to treat every- speech, Alva – who ple from serving in one equally. Through is Hispanic, Native the military. Alva also his activism, it’s clear American, disabled, a is working to retroac- he continues to live veteran, gay and suf- tively change the dis- out that oath to this fers from PTSD – en- charge terminology of day. couraged the audience LGBT individuals who to not let prejudices were removed from impact their percep- military service prior tion of others.