 By Theo Zittel
News Reporter “It's actually very simple to understand,” said freshman Carston Smith. “I should know, I’m a politics major.” The first-year student, Carston Smith, is currently taking the course, “POL 4 Introduction to International Politics”; a core requirement for those majoring in Politics here at Saint Mary’s College. As the Ukraine-Russia conflict continues to develop and worsen, it has become the topic of discussion amongst the Politics courses within the school’s curriculum during the Spring Semester. Carston currently has one year of politics classes under his belt, including the introductory course, “POL 1 Introduction to Politics”, as well as, “POL 125 Human Rights”, and “POL 115 Theories of Justice”. He looks forward to taking many of the other Politics courses offered here at the college and getting first-hand experience working with local or state-level government through internships over his remaining summers while studying. The POL 4 course focuses on the theoretical frameworks for studying international politics and the causing forces for different political actors’ collisions and allyship. In his class, Carston has been assigned a semester-long research paper, where he decided to tackle the politics of Eastern European countries. According to Smith, it was entirely coincidental that his chosen topic correlates with the conflict currently taking place in Eastern Europe. The paper required him to study the political structures of Ukraine, Russia, and those that once made up the republics of the USSR. He now understands each country’s role in the political economy, domestic and international affairs, and democratic practices in relation to Russia. The class structure allows for Carston to explore his interest in global security and the field of policy. Due to his intellect and interest in the current state of the world, Carston claims that he is an expert on the conflict. He explains that just within his first two years at Saint Mary’s, he has what it takes to understand the push factors of Putin’s war in Ukraine. Since he has paid close attention to the event since its start and the disputes between Russia and Ukraine during the past few years, he has become confident enough to declare himself an expert. Carston has demonstrated his interests and expertise on the conflict by reposting media that he finds crucial to share with his followers on his Instagram story daily. In an interview with him, he explained the importance of staying informed on the matter. “This is one of the best ways to be informed on the crisis taking place over there. Since we live so far away from the conflict zone, it is often difficult to imagine what life is like for the folks who have to deal with it in real life. Unfortunately, it is their reality, while we only see it through the lens of Western media. However, I believe that paying attention to it online is very important to understand it.” His friends say that he constantly checks Twitter for updates and retweets everything concerning the state of Ukraine. He gets most of his news on the war through these social media sources. Each class period, the professor and classmates of his POL 4 class joke with him about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, asking him to fill them in on the affair. Carston also reported that if he had not taken these courses already at SMC, he would have no interest in the war. As the war progresses, he spends hours of his day making sure he knows everything about its effects. The last thing that he told me was that he hopes to be able to report on the war in one of his classes so he can share his intellect on the subject. (Image Courtesy messiah.edu)
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Melanie Moyer
Editor-in-Chief “We’re small, but we’re pretty mighty.” Anyone familiar with the Women’s and Gender Studies (WaGS) program knows this to be true. I sat down with Dr. Myrna Santiago, head of WaGS, to talk about the history and future of WaGS in honor of Women’s History Month. Santiago shared that the program plays an integral role in student life. “The key to understanding Women’s and Gender studies on campus is that it is an academic program that is just smack in the heart of the liberal arts,” she shared. “This means we look at society from a critical standpoint and every single possible way.” Regardless of whether students are majoring or minoring in the field or just taking one or two classes, “they will acquire a vocabulary that allows them to interpret the word.” Santiago continues, “what Women’s and Gender studies does is that it provides certain tools and certain language and vocabulary to analyze their experiences critically and in larger contexts.” For many students, this is a lifeline. “In their daily lives, [students] can decide, and they have decided at different points, that there are things that are wrong with the world,” Santiago states. “And, since their immediate world is Saint Mary's, [they realize] there are things that are wrong with Saint Mary’s and that they can analyze what's wrong and do something about it because they have seen in their Women’s and Gender studies classes how other groups of women at other points in time have discovered the same thing and have done something about it.” However, the impact of WaGS goes way beyond the classroom. “Our role on the campus [is to be] a resource for the entire campus on any issue that has to do with women, gender, or sexuality because that's what we know,” Santiago shared. “That's what the different faculty know, that's what we study, that's what we do in the classroom every day. So in that sense, like we're the experts. That's our role: to be the experts on these questions. And we're always very happy to work with other colleagues and with the administration on whatever they need to know.” WaGS, which has been a unique program for many years, gives students the opportunity to take classes that are relevant to their identities and experiences. “We've been on campus for 25 years developing a curriculum that does a couple of things, and this is one of the trademarks of Women’s and Gender studies as an academic program, one is that we do like to listen to our students and what our students want to know and want to learn,” Santiago shared. Women’s and Gender studies is thus expanding their curriculum with the permanent institution of three new courses: Masculinities, Queer Theories, and The History of Women, Gender, and Sexuality (which Santiago teaches). Along with being in meaningful conversation with the needs of students, the program also works to support faculty members in the field. “We find out who the new faculty that are getting hired are,” Santiago shared. “Do they have any interesting interests that have to do with women and gender? How can we welcome them? How can we make room for them to teach classes of women and gender studies? Something that we're totally in tune with is who's out there. Who's interested. How can we support new faculty, particularly faculty of color in terms of their teaching their academic interests?” Further, the program is notorious for recruiting some of the biggest names to speak on campus. A few include Angela Davis, Winona LaDuke, Alice Walker, Ruth Rosen, Adrienne Rich, Sister Joan Chittister, bell hooks, Eve Ensler, Gloria Steinem, and Anita Hill. At the heart of WaGS, then, is their dedication to serving the SMC community. Santiago elaborated that “we play all these different roles at the school always, always, always with the idea that we can't rest on our laurels and that we're not afraid to point out basic injustices that have to do with women, gender, or sexuality, and that's our role both in the classroom and then outside of the classroom.” The importance of his dedication became most apparent in 1998 when sexual assault was running rampant on the Saint Mary’s campus. “One of the unfortunate, for lack of a better word, facts of living in a patriarchal society is that rape is one of the manifestations of the domination of women. So Saint Mary's was not exempt from that. No college ever has been,” Santiago said. “So, in the late nineties, we had a series of particularly egregious cases of sexual assault on campus, and the students, not just women and gender studies, but a group of students became really upset about the way in which the college was handling the matter,” she continued. “The women decided ‘we're going to do something about it.’ So when they decide to do something about it, there were a number of those students in Women's studies [the WaGS’s previous program name] at the time. And they come to the faculty of Women's studies and say, this is what we're doing.” “The program had to decide what their role was, and the position of the faculty at the time was like: Well, it's a no-brainer, right? It's solidarity with our students. Whatever they're going to do, we're going to be supportive of them,” she shared. Through the efforts of the students and support from the department, the initiative was successful. Several protests and hunger strikes later, Saint Mary’s would see the “Blue Lights” on campus, changes in language in the student handbook, and, most notable, the Center for Women and Gender Equity (CWGE), formally known as the Women’s Resource Center (WRC). Now, why the pink gloves, do you ask? It’s all a part of the same story. The gloves came after the students “decided they wanted something to mark them, their pride in their activism, and their pride in actually having accomplished something really important, which was to have the college be more responsive to survivors of sexual assault,” said Santiago. However, the gloves stuck. “Once they picked the pink gloves that they were going to wear at graduation, then hot pink became like the color of Women’s and Gender Studies,” Santiago shared. Students in the WaGS program continue to don the iconic gloves during graduation as a sign of community with the activists in the department. In the future, WaGS has a lot going on with an archive project done in conjunction with the Library to to document event posters, course listings, and other artifacts from the program. WaGS is also looking ahead to potentially have SMC host “New Leadership,” which is a “summer institute to prepare college aged women to become active in the political arena,” according to Santiago. Anthony Garrison-Engbrecht, Vice President for Student Life, updated our community about the current state of Student Life at Saint Mary’s
Kamryn Sobel Associate Editor On March 3rd, Anthony Garrison-Engbrecht, the Vice President for Student Life, updated the Saint Mary’s community on the current state of student life at his State of Student Life event. According to the Student Life homepage, the overall goals of the department are listed as follows: “Integrated learning experiences that empower students to become engaged, global, and ethical persons. We encourage you to take a personal approach to the student experience, build self-confidence, provide reasonable boundaries that encourage respect for the individual and individual difference while motivating critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and unparalleled creativity.” Anthony began by emphasizing the importance of rejuvenating student life post COVID with approaching challenges and opportunities to be sustainable in future years at Saint Mary’s. The main initiatives Garrison-Engbrecht said he is concerned with are advocating for staff and creatively approaching current students needs, assessing out how to restore, sustain and grow the campus amidst Covid-19, and figuring out how to maintain and grow the staff at Saint Mary’s. Along with his hopes and concerns for the College, Anthony highlighted current student events, such as the tailgate prior to the Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s, in order to prove that students are capable of having such events in the future. Other goals that Garrison-Engbrecht touched upon were enhancing various areas and aspects that affect student life. Specifically, he talked about utilizing places where students gather and honoring the space Saint Mary’s currently has in order to enhance these services that meet the needs of students. In terms of student needs and hopes to better understand, Student Life is also advocating for additional staffing within Health and Wellness in order to help Saint Mary’s students with additional resources. Garrison-Engbrechtalso recognized the importance of working with campus partners to better prepare students for the work force and placement in the future as well as providing resources for students to take a break from academics. Support for students in other areas, such as food insecurity, were also discussed during the meeting. Garrison-Engbrecht concluded by encouraging event attendees to, “Inspire a vibrant campus life and engaged student body, celebrate traditions and create a sense of community.” Sources: https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/student-life New IPCC report reveals the dire status of the climate crisis
Amaya Griego News Reporter On February 28, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the second section of their Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). This came just days after a shocking Russian invasion of Ukraine, in which the future of oil, the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, became a particular topic of interest. The IPCC is a body within the United Nations responsible for assessing and reporting climate science. Since its inception in 1988, the IPCC has released six reports which are commonly referred to as the most comprehensive assessments on climate-related scientific information, human and environmental impacts, and possible routes of action. This latest installment of AR6 concludes what scientists have been reporting for decades: global disruption to nature and people is caused and exacerbated by human-induced climate change and our window to act is quickly closing. “This is really a key moment,” says Debra Roberts, co-chair of the IPCC. “Our report points out very clearly, this is the decade of action, if we are going to turn things around.” The report also emphasizes the disproportionate effect climate change will continue to have on the communities that are least able to manage these impacts. “This report recognizes the interdependence of climate, biodiversity and people and integrates natural, social and economic sciences more strongly than earlier IPCC assessments,” explained Hoesung Lee, the chair of the IPCC. This report found that weather and climate events will continue to increase in magnitude and frequency, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable people and ecosystems. These events include droughts, fires, heavy precipitation, and increased heat on land and in the ocean, varying based on geographic location. Recent research suggests that increased heat via climate change creates drier conditions, which exacerbate droughts and extend the fire season. This is visible in California, where the 2021 Dixie Fire burned almost a million acres and became the state’s second-largest wildfire, closely following the 2020 August Complex fire. In fact, four of the five largest wildfires in California history happened in either 2020 or 2021. The report found that the intensity of these weather and climate events will continue to reduce water and food security, again impacting the most vulnerable people. The scientists reported “extreme heat events have resulted in human mortality and morbidity” and that water-borne and vector-borne disease risks have increased globally. Since the last report, AR5, in 2014, there has been increasing evidence that humans’ destruction of ecosystems increases the vulnerability of humans, the report finds. Continued pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of natural resources and land, and significant changes to land cover have adverse effects on the ability of ecosystems and communities to adapt to climate change. These effects are especially felt by “Indigenous Peoples, and local communities who are directly dependent on ecosystems, to meet basic needs.” More than 40% of the world’s population “live in contexts that are highly vulnerable to climate change”, the report finds. An interagency sea level scenario tool from NASA projects that the sea level may rise almost 10 inches by 2050 in Port Chicago and San Francisco. Sea level in Alameda is projected to rise around 7.5 inches by 2050. By the end of the century, these levels could reach 37 and 33 inches, respectively. This report offers solutions to adapt to the climate crisis. These include inclusive governance, increasing the knowledge of risks, consequences, and adaptation options of climate change, and “political commitment and follow-through across all levels of government.” Humans have already reached some limits in our ability to adapt, but some can be overcome by addressing institutional, financial, governance, and policy constraints. As climatologist Hans-Otto Pörtner summarized, “The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.” The final section of the report will be released later this year. A brief explanation of the group responsible for the upcoming 2022/23 tuition increase Kiera O’Hara-Heinz Associate Editor On Thursday, March 10th, Saint Mary’s Students received an email from President Richard Plumb regarding tuition and room and board rates for the 2022-2023 school year. President Plumb wrote that the Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees has approved an increase in tuition and room and board rates for next year, raising undergraduate tuition and room and board an overall increase of 3.6 percent. Despite the important role they play in decision-making at Saint Mary’s, many students may remain unaware of who the Board of Trustees is or what they do at SMC. The Board of Trustees are the governing body of Saint Mary’s College and are responsible for concrete things, such as approving the school’s annual budget, advising the president, and helping with fundraising for the College. They are also responsible for a number of vague responsibilities listed on SMC’s website including; “exercising appropriate oversight of the academic quality and fiscal health of the College”(though what constitutes ‘appropriate oversight’ or ‘academic quality’ is not explained). The Board currently consists of 29 members and is headed by businessman Kevin M. Nagle, businesswoman Kimberly Vogel, and Saint Mary’s President Richard Plumb. The group meets four times a year to vote on resolutions recommended by the President and various committees on campus. The most recent meeting took place on January 20, 2022, where the Board passed the raise in tuition as recommended by the Finance Committee. Previously, during their October meeting, the group approved the withdrawal of $5.5 million from the Board Reserve Fund to be added to the $12 million already approved for infrastructure projects on campus. Demographically, the Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees currently does not reflect the diversity of the SMC student body. Despite making up more than 50% of the student body, women only make up 20% of the board of trustees. Racially the board is 8.2% white. Age-wise, more than 80% of the board is over the age of 50, with a notable portion of the members over the age of 70. The Board by the numbers:
 Jenevieve Monroe
News Reporter As the world celebrates Women’s History Month, one nonprofit is continuing diligent efforts to progress gender equity in the Bay Area. Located on San Francisco’s Market Street is the Global Fund for Women, a feminist led, public foundation whose mission statement seeks to “fund bold, ambitious, and expansive gender justice movements to create meaningful change.” Their story began in 1987 when four Palo Alto women sought justice for a community they felt lacked public interest in human rights advocacy. Founders Anne Firth Murray, Frances Kissling, Laura Lederer, and Nita Barrow envisioned a grassroots organization that would ultimately drive a meaningful legacy of change for Bay Area communities. Nearly thirty years later, the Global Fund for Women is stronger than ever and has accumulated a track record for aiding female presidents, supporting communities against civil war, and continuing the legal security of human rights. Current President and CEO Latanya Mapp-Frett is continuing these ambitions with her legacy. The nonprofit’s philanthropic efforts denounce a traditional “top-down” approach which often results in exploitation. According to their website, their grant funding is set up to be “un-restricted, flexible money to cover the real costs of social work.” By giving recipients funding on their own terms, the Global Fund for Women purposely fights for the initiatives behind each community. Another essential component of their advocacy is through their approach: the Global Fund for Women’s feminism is founded in intersectionality. The global fund for women says that, “The struggle for women’s rights is deeply impacted by and connected to the struggles for racial justice, queer justice, immigration justice, climate justice, and so many more.” If you’re interested in contributing to their mission, check out their latest campaigns and articles on topics like “Girls Lead in Tech” and “2022: Black History Month Everywhere”. Photo source: Global Fund For Women Website; “About Our Team” Source: Women’s Rights Are Human Rights | Our Mission (globalfundforwomen.org) President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court
Kamryn Sobel Associate Editor On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court. If confirmed, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will not only become the 116th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, but will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. According to The White House, Judge Jackson is, “one of our nation’s brightest legal minds and has an unusual breadth of experience in our legal system, giving her the perspective to be an exceptional Justice.” Born in Washington D.C., Judge Jackson is an American attorney who continues to reside in the area along with her husband and two daughters. Facing many hardships throughout her youth, she proved her high school counselor wrong by her many successes, starting with her time at Harvard. After attending Miami Palmetto High School in Miami, Florida, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. Judge Jackson continued her education by attending Harvard Law School where she once again graduated cum laude. Judge Jackson has previously served as a federal judge and is currently serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit since 2021. She was also nominated by former President Barack Obama to serve as the Vice Chair of the U.S., as well as serving as Justice Breyer’s law clerk. Due to her experience and having several law enforcement officials in her family, The White House states, “Judge Jackson has a unique appreciation of how critical it is for the justice system to be fair and impartial.” Immediately following her nomination, Judge Jackson stated, “I am truly humbled by the extraordinary honor of this nomination.” Judge Jackson’s nomination marks a huge milestone for the United States Supreme Court. Sources: https://www.whitehouse.gov/kbj/ Benjamin Noel
News Reporter Daniela Catubig is a Marketing student, president of Gael Women in Business (GWIB), SEBA peer-advisor, active member of and soon-to-be SalesForce employee. In short, a superstar. Although she’s a senior now and getting ready to walk in May, Daniela wasn’t always as active around campus. At age 17, Daniela wanted to go to school on the East Coast, far from her native San Francisco. However,after not getting into her dream school, her mom told her to give Saint Mary’s a shot, saying it will grow on her. Daniela didn’t believe her. During her first year, she didn’t join any clubs, but stayed in, focused on getting high grades, and was bitter about not being where she thought she needed to be. This all changed her sophomore year after a member of GWIB approached her at a club fair. “And the rest is history,” said Daniela. Her perspective changed and she got involved with several clubs, became a SEBA mentor, and now, will miss Saint Mary’s after graduating this May. Daniela is most known around campus as president of GWIB. The club meets every other Monday to provide resources, tactics, and opportunities for members to grow and succeed in the workplace. While it is a fairly new club, founded in 2018, Daniela has worked to grow the club, organizing its first-ever Women's Mixer. This event consisted of female professors across the curriculums who discussed their own journeys and challenges, sharing advice for young female professionals. Daniela’s work for the club won’t end after she graduates. With 5 out of the 8 executive members of the club graduating this spring, the club created an internship program to train potential executive members to take over leadership of the club. Daniela plans to keep supporting the club even after joining the workforce by coming back to speak to the club and provide guidance to the next generation of GWIB. She believes keeping a strong network will create a positive change for women across the industry in which they face many challenges due to their gender. As a first first-generation college student, Daniela greatly values her parents' sacrifices to provide her with a quality education. Inspired by these sacrifices, Daniela seeks to set up those around her for success. She works with students to create 4-year plans and teaches fellow GWIB-ers the confidence needed to thrive in a male-dominated industry. Her mission is to pay it forward by inspiring younger generations to “recognize their worth and believe in themselves.” While her career is just taking off, she is already the epitome of success. She navigates unique obstacles she faces as a woman and person of color and dedicates time to lift up the women around her. Five years down the line, Daniela sees herself with an MBA, possibly in the process of opening her own business. More importantly, she intends to make an impact on her community; she received many resources, opportunities, and help from mentors that she hopes to pay this back by empowering those around her, creating a ripple effect of positive change. Join GWIB on April 5th from 5-6:30 pm for their event, “Redefining Confidence” with Roxanne Christophe, CEO of Girls Crushing It for tips on boosting confidence and increasing self-worth! Sign up on Handshake. Ariana Perez
News Reporter On Friday, March 5th in the College’s chapel, Saint Mary’s welcomed its first guest artist of the Spring semester. Dr. Sarah Shin is an award winning performer and educator, a lecturer of flute at Princeton, and has performed all over the world, from recording music in Vienna, Italy and performing in Prague, Czech Republic. Accompanying her on piano for a duration of her performance was Professor Lino Rivera, who displayed great skill in harmonizing with Dr. Shin flute performance. Throughout the concert Dr. Shin performed several pieces, each varying drastically in style and rhythm. Her selected pieces covered a wide range of cultural origin and influence. Most notable were her the following pieces, El Bachiano by Raimundo Pineda, Summerland by William Grant Still, and Etude No.5 by Isang Yun. A Venezuluan composer, Pineda wrote El Bachiano as a tribute to Bach, complete with several Spanish dance inspired musical motifs. Throughout the song, Dr. Shin artfully replicated the fast dance-like rhythm of the piece, beginning her recital with a powerful display of style that flute is capable of expressing. Halfway through her recital and, with accompaniment by Professor Rivera, Dr. Shin performed Summerland. Born in Mississippi and a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, the composer Still wrote Summerland for chamber orchestra, particularly with the piano and violin in mind. Even with the piece not written with the flute in mind, Dr. Shin gorgeously captured the slow and gracious emotion of the piece, often at times replicating the sound of the violin with her flute, a beautiful experience to behold. The most strange and unique piece of the evening, Etude No.5 was written by South Korean composer Isang Yun. A hard piece to perform, Dr.Shin showcased a mastery over the flute in technique and control, creating sounds from her flute one would not normally associate with the flute, reaching sharp high notes, demonstrating absolute prowess over the flute in the process. The music department will welcome its second guest artist, fortepiano player from Vienna, Daniel Adam Maltz, on Wednesday, March 16th in the Chapel at 1:15 p.m. We would like to correct a misprint from our recent publication. Please see the following statement from Climate Action SMC regarding the caption attached to the pictures of the February 17th protest:
Correction:Only Vice President Anthony Garrison-Engbrecht notified Climate Action SMC the following day about removing unauthorized banners and posters. |
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