Exciting developments are currently underway just right around the corner from SLU in the nearby Midtown district. Midtown is a half-mile area which connects SLU’s north and south campuses within its boundaries of Laclede Avenue, Chouteau Avenue, Grand BoulevardVandeventer Avenue and Spring Avenue. This historic district will soon be brought back to life by efforts of St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation and their developer, Cullinan Properties, as they embark on several individual projects to revitalize this 400-acre area.

One of such projects is the Iron Hill development, which will occupy 14 acres at the northwest corner of Grand and Chouteau. Brooks Goedeker, the executive director of the St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation, said that “Iron Hill is expected to help bring much needed services and amenities not only to the SLU community, but the greater area.” With easy accessibility to transportation including the Grand Metro line, the Grand bus line, as well as several highway access points, he believes that “the development is expected to be a major draw to an area that is under-retailed.”

Another project includes the 150-acre Prospect Yards development, which is bordered by Grand Boulevard and Vandeventer Avenue. The title “Prospect Yards” was recently voted on by the St. Louis community last year to dub this upcoming mixed-use development district.

Further developments include renovations of the dormant City Foundry and Armory building sites, both located within the Midtown district. They will be replaced by a plethora of entertainment, restaurant, retail, office, hospitality and residential features. Plans include St. Louis’ first food hall, a seven-story Element hotel, modern residential apartments and much more. A new pedestrian-friendly trail, spearheaded by the Chouteau Greenway Trail Project, is expected to link everything together through a direct connection from Forest Park to Downtown St. Louis via the Midtown area.

These developments will bridge the gap that currently exists between both of SLU’s campuses, and will make possible a more connected community among SLU, SSM Health and St. Louis as a whole. This is an investment not only in its retail opportunity, but also the academic and professional opportunities Midtown has to offer. “While this development should excite all students, we think it will be particularly exciting to our students who are studying health sciences and medicine on the south campus,” said Goedeker.

The opportunity does not stop there. “Our partner SSM Health is building a new hospital and ambulatory care center. With these and other projects, more than a billion dollars is being invested in and around our campus,” he said. “So much is taking place, and we know that is going to continue. We’re truly at the start of a new era of growth and development for Midtown.”

Even though “it is early in the process and details are still being finalized,” he acknowledges that Cullinan Properties “made it clear that they were committed to building something that would not only make everyone at SLU proud, but also the entire St. Louis region. We have confidence they can deliver on that promise.”

Goedeker’s understanding of the importance of this project to SLU, as well as St. Louis, is rooted in his history as a SLU alumnus as well as native to the city. “I’ve had a passion for improving the city ever since I was a teenager,” he said. “Community development is all about bringing people together to improve communities, and SLU’s mission definitely guides how I approach my work today.”

“Construction will be done in phases, beginning in the middle part of 2020,” Goedeker said. “The first phases of the project are expected to be completed by the end of 2021.”

Hayley Hampton, an MLK scholar and sophomore studying health sciences, defines immigration as the “ability to leave one environment to go to another in hopes that there will be better opportunities.”

Elena Everhart adds that, “Immigration is especially important in America as it has the reputation as the land of the free. For this reason, it should be available to everyone.” She is also an MLK scholar and is a sophomore studying speech pathology.

Hampton and Everhart represent just two out of the over 100 students that flooded into the CGC last Wednesday for the “Chisme y Comida” event, sponsored by UndocuWeek. During “Chisme y Comida” — or literally “Gossip and Food”–  students were able to have open and honest conversations about immigration.

This event was part of SLU’s first UndocuWeek, which featured a week full of events that served to educate and raise awareness on the topic of immigration. Events consisted of a panel discussion, a movie screening, “Chisme y Comida,” and more.

Students in attendance–including those of the MLK scholars program, multicultural student organizations and others–were required to answer an individual survey consisting of 10 questions. This survey inquired of their personal experiences based on their citizenship status. Students were then encouraged to discuss these questions with each other using safe and inclusive diction.

Students soon discovered many discrepancies in their responses. These discrepancies exposed insecurities often faced by those of undocumented statuses, including, but not limited to, their employment, access to federal resources, safety and even education.

One survey question explored how citizenship affects education: “Growing up, was attending college more of a dream or understood expectation?” Differing responses to this question reflected the reality that higher education is often a privilege, unattainable without documentation.

In general, undocumented students are excluded from receiving federal aid like FAFSA, as well as from many scholarships and other need-based programs such as the A+ program in Missouri. States like Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina go as far to ban admittance of undocumented persons. Other states–including Missouri–do not provide in-state tuition without documentation. As higher-education costs continue to rise in the wake of these financial limitations, it is no surprise that the College Board estimates that only 5 to 10 percent of undocumented students pursue higher-education. Lack of a college education can be detrimental to one’s future employability.

Beyond education, responses also exposed the economic strain felt by the undocumented population. Undocumented immigrants, as well as members of DACA–Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals–are ineligible to receive federal aid or benefits, including, but not limited to, food stamps, Medicaid and unemployment benefits. This reality is contradicted by the fact that those without documentation still pay taxes at the state and federal level without any benefit in return. This culminates in frustrations felt toward a system that victimizes those already most vulnerable.

Some students confessed to avoiding certain areas of high police presence in fear of being stopped and questioned about their status. In this way, their safety and well-being can be put at odds with their distrust of law enforcement.

Students admitted that back on campus they also felt confined by their status. For example, some may not have the privilege to study abroad because of a lack of a U.S. passport. For others, they may feel isolated because of the lack of resources in the form of advisors or even clubs on campus to support their needs.

UndocuWeek confronted these injustices faced by immigrants everywhere head-on through education and advocacy. After attending the Ignatian Justice Summit, SLU students Julia Murphy, Alex Hernandez, Jibril Muhammad and Rachel McBeath were inspired by the successes of other UndocuWeek events put on by universities around the nation to spearhead their own UndocuWeek at SLU. They then recruited Marisa Ornelas, another SLU student and advocate for immigration work, to help in planning.

Murphy comments that openly talking about immigration “sheds light on the fact that migrants are human beings searching for better opportunities. The current administration constantly demonizes them, so we must do what we can to counteract this toxic rhetoric.”

Murphy is hopeful that UndocuWeek will continue in the future. She recognizes that “immigration is an important topic to talk about everywhere” even if  “many people don’t realize it’s an important issue here, so far from the border.” SLU’s UndocuWeek events supported both local immigration efforts in St. Louis as well at the border by collecting clothing and shoe donations at all events.

Murphy encourages everyone “to keep our representatives accountable for respecting the rights of migrants,” and reminds us of our duty as students of a Jesuit institution, “ to shed light on these social injustices.

Just this past week I was trying to help a friend out when I made a discovery in one of the bathrooms on campus. This discovery—or lack thereof—was the absence of period products, which left me questioning my own value as a woman and student on this campus. My doubts were confirmed by the fact that this was the unfortunate reality for most other restrooms around campus.

Unfortunately, this problem is not unheard of on other college campuses. Neighboring universities like SIUE have also recently spoken up about the lack of feminine products available on their campus. Nationwide, students are demanding awareness for their period pains.

School itself should be a safe learning environment. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, our basic human needs must be met before we feel safe. Only after feeling safe can we even esteem self-fulfillment. Not providing access to menstruation products on campus strips women of our basic health needs, and consequently, our ability to reach our full potential as a student here.

One out of five girls are out of school during their periods according to the feminine product brand, Always. This phenomenon, dubbed “Period Poverty” has a negative effect on the education that girls receive around the world; not feeling comfortable and safe enough to attend school during their periods causes regular absences that can lead to falling behind or dropping out completely.

This lack of education can limit career opportunities as well as quality of life. It is a shame that girls around the world are already restricted by the glass ceiling as well as gender gap in the workplace—not to mention by their natural and healthy cycles of menstruation.

Ignorance about menstruation often condemns this purely biological subject to taboo and stigma, which affects girls in other parts of their lives as well. Cultural barriers such as the lack of education and awareness surrounding periods often leave girls feeling shameful about their own bodies. In Bolivia, for example, menstrual blood is misconstrued as having toxic qualities. In some parts of India, women are banished for five days during their menstrual cycles to a gaokor, or isolated hut, as a consequence for their menstrual “impurity.”

Even as a completely normal bodily process, lack of resources to maintain periods can hinder girls’ self-esteem and confidence. However, with proper protection women would be able to feel more comfortable and accepting of themselves and their gender.

Women of low income earnings are particularly cramped by the inaccessibility to menstruation products. Despite being classified by the FDA as a “medical device,” feminine products are not covered by welfare programs. What’s more, these products are subject to a luxury tax equivalent to drugs like cigarettes and alcohol.

These ludicrous regulations only further dehumanize those that are already struggling. In a world where toilet paper is widely available in (almost) every restroom, other basic hygienic needs like periods should be addressed right alongside it. After all, most women I know would not consider theirs periods a luxurious experience by any means.

The severity of this period plight has driven many to take action. Among these include SLU’s Project Period—a student-led group focused on menstruation advocacy—who will stock SLU’s restrooms around campus with over fourteen thousand tampons and pads by the end of February. These products will not only meet our basic needs to feel clean and safe, but more importantly they will begin to restore our value as women on campus.

The efforts of those involved in Project Period are a testament to the power of our voices when we refuse neglect and maltreatment. Let us use this pivotal victory on our own campus as a push off point to make universal the availability of feminine products. Only in this way can we reach our potential and realize our utmost value as a gender. Not to mention that we would have one less period pain to deal with.

“If this happens to this kid, could it happen to us?” said John Waide, a 40 year historian and SLU alumus as he questioned the phenomenon that took place on SLU’s very own campus in 1949.

Even today, the exorcism of St. Louis is only dared to be whispered in rumor or heresay. Now, on its 70th anniversary, the question of what exactly happened still haunts us—especially with the exaggerated portrayal of the events from the 1973 movie “The Exorcist.” Contrary to popular belief, there is more to the story than a creaky fourth floor in the oldest building on our campus.

Robbie Mannheim, the alias for the child who fell victim to these chilling events, experienced strange symptoms for four months in 1949. His troubles began with peculiar noises such as scratching and dripping as well as various objects including holy water being thrown against the wall—until one day, he became the target. He discovered several marks engraved on his body spelling bone-chilling messages of “Hell” and later, “Louis.”

With the situation worsening in their Maryland residence, Mannheim’s family took the message “Louis” as a sign to move him to the St. Louis area to live with relatives. It was also the place where his recently deceased aunt had lived. These strange events started to take place around the time of her death, after he had apparently tried contacting her using a Ouija board.

But that was only the beginning.

Mannheim’s condition still worsened in the Bel Nor home in St. Louis. A relative of Mannheim’s who was attending SLU and was an inhabitant of the Mannheims’ home confided in one of her professors, the Rev. Bishop, about the crisis. This spurred the involvement of several SLU faculty and priests. One in particular, the Rev. Bowdern, recognized that something was not right.

Bowdern and other SLU faculty then decided an exorcism was necessary as a last ditch effort to rid Mannheim of whatever—or whoever—was tormenting his spirit. Bowdern attempted the exorcism rituals several different times despite growing opposition from Mannheim. On Easter weekend, while Mannheim was staying at the Alexian Brothers Hospital, Bowdern knew that his efforts had finally worked when Mannheim exclaimed suddenly that “[He] was gone.”

Waide recounts conversations that he had with two relatives of Bowdern, the primary exorcist,and offers that he found it “particularly compelling” that “they both said that Father Bowdern had lost nearly 40 pounds over this ordeal” as well as the fact that “he truly believed that he was in a battle with the devil, a true possession.”

To what extent did Mannheim’s monstrosities reach our SLU campus? At least to Waide’s knowledge, it did not happen in the locations generally speculated. In fact, Waide claims that Mannheim was never in places like DuBourg or Verhaegen Hall, rather he had been moved back and forth between the old rectory of St. Francis College Church and his home in Bel Nor for several weeks during the exorcism. The rectory has since been torn down to make room for a new rectory.

Beyond SLU, Mannheim’s story has infected pop culture. In addition to the book “The Exorcist” published in 1971, the film rendition based on his story was produced soon after. Several other movies portraying other exorcism episodes followed, as well as a more recent documentary released in 2015, titled “Exorcism: LIVE” which offers an in-depth look at the St. Louis house where Mannheim had lived. Even Waide’s presentations about the exorcism have been attended by thousands. “People are fascinated by it,” said Waide.

Randy McGuire, a colleague of Waide’s, interviewed the author of “The Exorcist,” William Peter Blatty. In this interview Blatty makes an important connection between the significance of the book and movie to its title.“Everyone misses the point of the book and the movie,” said Blatty.”It was about the priests and what they do to help the boy.”. Blatty’s statement highlights the significant efforts of Bowdern, Bishop and many other SLU faculty in the treatment of the boy and their willingness to help someone in need.

Waide acknowledges that he himself still “has a lot of questions” that have gone unanswered. He does not identify as a skeptic in the matter, but rather encourages those that want to learn more to “be critical in their evaluations and studies.” He suggests looking to resources such as the published diary of Bishop, who was one of the SLU exorcists. The full version is included in the book “The Possession” by Thomas Allen, who is another expert on the ordeal.

To sum up the entire ordeal, Waide states that “people believe what they want to believe.”

Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, there is no escaping the fact that the infamous exorcism of 1949 is—and will always be—a part of SLU’s history.