A crowd of over 400 gathered Wednesday evening at Saint Louis University for a peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestine. Encampments and protests across the country have been met with police crackdowns and brutalization, like Washington University’s controversial response to a protest on its campus Saturday which resulted in the arrests of over 100 people.

SLU DPS and police made no arrests during the nearly three-hour protest, barring two detainments made at the end of the event from a personal conflict.

Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier said she worked with SLU President Fred Pestello to ensure the event did not escalate.

In a letter before the protest, Pestello promised SLU would “meet peace with peace” so students could “engage in advocacy” without disrupting SLU’s operations.

The Occupy SLU Coalition, the student group who organized the protest, instructed attendees to not physically engage with authorities or disruptors.

A handful of counter protesters were in attendance, holding Israeli and American flags. They were ignored by the crowd and dissipated throughout the protest.

Police kept their distance from the event, and spontaneously shut down Grand between Lindell and Laclede to allow protestors to safely sit on the street for a teach-in and chants.

One of the primary goals of the protest was demanding SLU administration call for a ceasefire.

“There are lots of folks who are very quiet, including our university. [SLU] has not called for a ceasefire, despite other institutions having the courage to do it,” said Marquis Govan, a core member of the coalition and social work undergraduate at SLU.

Students also called for a divestment from Boeing Co., a notable weapons manufacturer of the bombs being dropped on Palestine.

“As a Palestinian Gazan student, how am I supposed to feel safe at an institution who invested in and profited off the murder of my family?” said Intimaa AbuHelou, a public health master’s student at SLU who lost members of her family to an Israeli missile strike in early January.

This protest was also in solidarity with those who attended Washington University’s attempted encampment last Saturday. It culminated when Southern Illinois University Edwardsville history professor Steve Tamari was tackled by police which left him with a broken hand and multiple broken ribs. 

SLU’s protest concluded around 8:50 p.m. as the crowd split naturally.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Lauren Hutchens

Protestors chant in unison as they walk down West Pine at Saint Louis University on May 1, 2024. The protest consisted of a multitude of signs and chants.

A crowd of over 400 gathered Wednesday evening at Saint Louis University for a peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestine. Encampments and protests across the country have been met with police crackdowns and brutalization, like Washington University’s controversial response to a protest on its campus Saturday which resulted in the arrests of over 100 people.

SLU DPS and police made no arrests during the nearly three-hour protest, barring two detainments made at the end of the event from a personal conflict.

Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier said she worked with SLU President Fred Pestello to ensure the event did not escalate.

In a letter before the protest, Pestello promised SLU would “meet peace with peace” so students could “engage in advocacy” without disrupting SLU’s operations.

The Occupy SLU Coalition, the student group who organized the protest, instructed attendees to not physically engage with authorities or disruptors.

A handful of counter protesters were in attendance, holding Israeli and American flags. They were ignored by the crowd and dissipated throughout the protest.

Police kept their distance from the event, and spontaneously shut down Grand between Lindell and Laclede to allow protestors to safely sit on the street for a teach-in and chants.

One of the primary goals of the protest was demanding SLU administration call for a ceasefire.

“There are lots of folks who are very quiet, including our university. [SLU] has not called for a ceasefire, despite other institutions having the courage to do it,” said Marquis Govan, a core member of the coalition and social work undergraduate at SLU.

Students also called for a divestment from Boeing Co., a notable weapons manufacturer of the bombs being dropped on Palestine.

“As a Palestinian Gazan student, how am I supposed to feel safe at an institution who invested in and profited off the murder of my family?” said Intimaa AbuHelou, a public health master’s student at SLU who lost members of her family to an Israeli missile strike in early January.

This protest was also in solidarity with those who attended Washington University’s attempted encampment last Saturday. It culminated when Southern Illinois University Edwardsville history professor Steve Tamari was tackled by police which left him with a broken hand and multiple broken ribs. 

SLU’s protest concluded around 8:50 p.m. as the crowd split naturally.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Lauren Hutchens

Protestors chant in unison as they walk down West Pine at Saint Louis University on May 1, 2024. The protest consisted of a multitude of signs and chants.

A crowd of over 400 gathered Wednesday evening at Saint Louis University for a peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestine. Encampments and protests across the country have been met with police crackdowns and brutalization, like Washington University’s controversial response to a protest on its campus Saturday which resulted in the arrests of over 100 people.

SLU DPS and police made no arrests during the nearly three-hour protest, barring two detainments made at the end of the event from a personal conflict.

Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier said she worked with SLU President Fred Pestello to ensure the event did not escalate.

In a letter before the protest, Pestello promised SLU would “meet peace with peace” so students could “engage in advocacy” without disrupting SLU’s operations.

The Occupy SLU Coalition, the student group who organized the protest, instructed attendees to not physically engage with authorities or disruptors.

A handful of counter protesters were in attendance, holding Israeli and American flags. They were ignored by the crowd and dissipated throughout the protest.

Police kept their distance from the event, and spontaneously shut down Grand between Lindell and Laclede to allow protestors to safely sit on the street for a teach-in and chants.

One of the primary goals of the protest was demanding SLU administration call for a ceasefire.

“There are lots of folks who are very quiet, including our university. [SLU] has not called for a ceasefire, despite other institutions having the courage to do it,” said Marquis Govan, a core member of the coalition and social work undergraduate at SLU.

Students also called for a divestment from Boeing Co., a notable weapons manufacturer of the bombs being dropped on Palestine.

“As a Palestinian Gazan student, how am I supposed to feel safe at an institution who invested in and profited off the murder of my family?” said Intimaa AbuHelou, a public health master’s student at SLU who lost members of her family to an Israeli missile strike in early January.

This protest was also in solidarity with those who attended Washington University’s attempted encampment last Saturday. It culminated when Southern Illinois University Edwardsville history professor Steve Tamari was tackled by police which left him with a broken hand and multiple broken ribs. 

SLU’s protest concluded around 8:50 p.m. as the crowd split naturally.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Lauren Hutchens

Protestors chant in unison as they walk down West Pine at Saint Louis University on May 1, 2024. The protest consisted of a multitude of signs and chants.

A crowd of over 400 gathered Wednesday evening at Saint Louis University for a peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestine. Encampments and protests across the country have been met with police crackdowns and brutalization, like Washington University’s controversial response to a protest on its campus Saturday which resulted in the arrests of over 100 people.

SLU DPS and police made no arrests during the nearly three-hour protest, barring two detainments made at the end of the event from a personal conflict.

Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier said she worked with SLU President Fred Pestello to ensure the event did not escalate.

In a letter before the protest, Pestello promised SLU would “meet peace with peace” so students could “engage in advocacy” without disrupting SLU’s operations.

The Occupy SLU Coalition, the student group who organized the protest, instructed attendees to not physically engage with authorities or disruptors.

A handful of counter protesters were in attendance, holding Israeli and American flags. They were ignored by the crowd and dissipated throughout the protest.

Police kept their distance from the event, and spontaneously shut down Grand between Lindell and Laclede to allow protestors to safely sit on the street for a teach-in and chants.

One of the primary goals of the protest was demanding SLU administration call for a ceasefire.

“There are lots of folks who are very quiet, including our university. [SLU] has not called for a ceasefire, despite other institutions having the courage to do it,” said Marquis Govan, a core member of the coalition and social work undergraduate at SLU.

Students also called for a divestment from Boeing Co., a notable weapons manufacturer of the bombs being dropped on Palestine.

“As a Palestinian Gazan student, how am I supposed to feel safe at an institution who invested in and profited off the murder of my family?” said Intimaa AbuHelou, a public health master’s student at SLU who lost members of her family to an Israeli missile strike in early January.

This protest was also in solidarity with those who attended Washington University’s attempted encampment last Saturday. It culminated when Southern Illinois University Edwardsville history professor Steve Tamari was tackled by police which left him with a broken hand and multiple broken ribs. 

SLU’s protest concluded around 8:50 p.m. as the crowd split naturally.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Lauren Hutchens

Protestors chant in unison as they walk down West Pine at Saint Louis University on May 1, 2024. The protest consisted of a multitude of signs and chants.

A crowd of over 400 gathered Wednesday evening at Saint Louis University for a peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestine. Encampments and protests across the country have been met with police crackdowns and brutalization, like Washington University’s controversial response to a protest on its campus Saturday which resulted in the arrests of over 100 people.

SLU DPS and police made no arrests during the nearly three-hour protest, barring two detainments made at the end of the event from a personal conflict.

Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier said she worked with SLU President Fred Pestello to ensure the event did not escalate.

In a letter before the protest, Pestello promised SLU would “meet peace with peace” so students could “engage in advocacy” without disrupting SLU’s operations.

The Occupy SLU Coalition, the student group who organized the protest, instructed attendees to not physically engage with authorities or disruptors.

A handful of counter protesters were in attendance, holding Israeli and American flags. They were ignored by the crowd and dissipated throughout the protest.

Police kept their distance from the event, and spontaneously shut down Grand between Lindell and Laclede to allow protestors to safely sit on the street for a teach-in and chants.

One of the primary goals of the protest was demanding SLU administration call for a ceasefire.

“There are lots of folks who are very quiet, including our university. [SLU] has not called for a ceasefire, despite other institutions having the courage to do it,” said Marquis Govan, a core member of the coalition and social work undergraduate at SLU.

Students also called for a divestment from Boeing Co., a notable weapons manufacturer of the bombs being dropped on Palestine.

“As a Palestinian Gazan student, how am I supposed to feel safe at an institution who invested in and profited off the murder of my family?” said Intimaa AbuHelou, a public health master’s student at SLU who lost members of her family to an Israeli missile strike in early January.

This protest was also in solidarity with those who attended Washington University’s attempted encampment last Saturday. It culminated when Southern Illinois University Edwardsville history professor Steve Tamari was tackled by police which left him with a broken hand and multiple broken ribs. 

SLU’s protest concluded around 8:50 p.m. as the crowd split naturally.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Lauren Hutchens

Protestors chant in unison as they walk down West Pine at Saint Louis University on May 1, 2024. The protest consisted of a multitude of signs and chants.

“Late Night with the Devil” is not a horror movie, at least in the sense that scaring the viewer is quite low on the film’s priorities. What brings substance to the film is not the lack of jumpscares, nor is it even really about the plot itself, instead it is about the journey, not the destination. Lucky for the viewer, this journey is played out across some of the most fun and engaging blends of visual styles one will ever get to watch. 

All that is not to say “Late Night with the Devil” is all eye candy, far from it. Every actor does a great job capturing the atmosphere and mannerisms of the 1970s, but the film is held quite carefully in the hands of David Dastmalchian. Without a performance as immersing and perfect as Dastmalchian’s, the film does not work, as simply as that. He was long overdue for a starring role, and he did so perfectly here, depicting an angsty, ominous and confusing fictitious rival to powerhouse host Johnny Carson.

The film finds Dastmalchian, as Jack Delroy, in a desperate attempt to match Carson’s ratings and earn a contract renewal. Set on Halloween night, Delroy’s plan involves an entirely supernatural lineup of guests, which one can guess goes poorly in a horror movie. This tortured character’s grief, desperation, and near-absolute selfishness are played so masterfully that one feels both disgusted by and pity for Delroy throughout. This plot is not complex, and it is not difficult to see where things are going, but that does not matter. If you come to the movie for a plot twist you have never seen before, you can turn away now. 

Now is the time to dissect what truly makes the film a must-see. “Late Night with the Devil” uses the visual medium to its fullest extent, doing things that are far too fun to miss. The film’s admittedly hard-to-explain plot opens with a fictitious documentary about Delroy’s late-night show, then the viewer actually watches the episode of late night, interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage from the documentary. The entire film plays out in real-time as the late-night show is taped, which adds to the slow-burn tension since literally every minute of the film is building towards its climax.

This dichotomy is visually noted with the use of color and black-and-white cameras for the show and documentary, respectively. Though many films have recently jumped on the trend of using half color and half black-and-white cameras, this movie does it in a way that works because it genuinely serves a purpose. The color shots are grainy, and the set design’s colors pop in a way that screams 1970s, while the black-and-white ones are a bit clearer and look exactly how one would expect documentation of behind-the-scenes to look back then. There is even a third visual style used at a vital moment in the film, but that is best seen rather than explained. 

The film caught itself amid a scandal when it came out that it used AI-generated art in a handful of the “Be Right Back” commercial screens, but this takes up such an insignificant amount of the runtime that it is quite difficult to let this ruin the rest of the film. While that art was not made by artists, so much of the film was, and the film’s particular strength is in practical effects. The effects, like everything else in the film, are very era-accurate, as they look quite similar to those used in John Williams’ “The Thing,” as well as every classic David Cronenberg flick. 

The 93-minute runtime of “Late Night with the Devil” may sound short, but do not expect it to feel as such. So much is fit into the brief time that the viewers will find themselves feeling quite different when the credits roll than they did when they sat down. As for whether that’s a good or bad thing, that is entirely up to the viewer. As a tip, maybe try not to focus too hard on the hypnotism scenes, to avoid driving home with one more entity in the car than was originally present.

If asked what they thought of a television pitch that saw a married couple hosting an HGTV show that went comically wrong due to a curse put on them, the average viewer would probably think it sounded like a fun idea. That’s what everyone thought they were getting when the news of “The Curse” first came out. They did, in some sense, get that TV show. However, the show that they actually got goes above and beyond that dumb premise and proves that Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie, and Emma Stone are all geniuses in their own right.

“The Curse” is set in Española, New Mexico, and finds Whitney (Stone) and her husband Asher (Fielder) attempting to film the first season of an HGTV show produced by Dougie (Safdie). However, unlike other HGTV shows that skew towards a more conservative audience, Whitney and Asher’s show, “Flipanthropy,”  is focused on a go-green motto. They purchase land and build Whitney’s climate-conscious homes in an attempt to reverse the damage humanity has done to the climate.

At the front end, this appears to be an altruistic effort, for all of about twenty minutes, until the viewer is let in on where Whitney gets the funds for these outrageously expensive homes. Her so-called “slumlord” parents own copious amounts of low-income real estate that have far from acceptable living conditions for its predominantly minority residents.

Despite this horrific underbelly of Whitney’s family tree, she promptly shuts down any insinuation that she has any connection with her parents whatsoever, all the while accepting funds from them whenever she pleases. Not only this, but the unfathomable cost of the homes she is building being unattainable to the low-income residents whose town she is gentrifying appears entirely lost on her.

The city of Española, as is common in the southwestern region, is filled with indigenous people. Despite Whitney and Asher’s best attempts to virtue signal their way into the respect of the town’s indigenous people, their patronizing fetishization of Native American spirituality is as uncomfortable as it is laughable. Many scenes feature the two of them falling for blatant sarcastic stereotypes presented by the indigenous natives making fun of them, and it doesn’t get any easier to watch this painful awkwardness as the show progresses.

The show does not stop there with making the viewer uncomfortable, and when the topic of Asher’s genitalia repeatedly comes up, you’ll even find yourself wishing you were back to watching the scene of Asher painfully rapping Dead Prez and replacing the use of the n-word by just actually saying “n-word.” 

The sickeningly awkward writing of this show is carried on the back of Fielder and Safdie’s fascination with non-actors, as well as the three leads’ powerful performances, including what may be Stone’s best body of work. Every scene that features her incredible impersonation of the performative white liberals who treat minorities like animals at the zoo is so real that the viewer nearly starts to harbor bad feelings for Stone herself.

There is so much else that could be talked about in regards to “The Curse,”  including a finale that guarantees your jaw is on the floor from start to finish, but the bottom line is that Fielder and Safdie both took the best parts of their filmmaking and blended it beautifully to comedically draw attention to the performativity of upper-class liberals. The Curse is a beautiful dramedy, if even that term could describe a show this bizarre, that sheds light on how disgustingly this nation has continually pillaged the indigenous folks on whose land we reside.

If you go into “All of Us Strangers” expecting a Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott love story, as many viewers did, you will leave it a bit surprised. While this arc is explored, and beautifully at that, it makes up only a few of the film’s most valuable scenes.

Where the real power of the film comes from, surprisingly, is any time Jamie Bell and Andrew Scott share the screen. Every time Adam, played by Andrew Scott, and his father, played by Jamie Bell, interact, the viewer is subjected to an uncomfortably real and emotional bond as Adam grapples with his father’s outdated views on homosexuality. The scenes with Claire Foy as Adam’s mother also cut deep, but there is something about the fragility depicted by Bell and Scott that hurts particularly bad.

“All of Us Strangers” does not include any villains, because that is not what real life is like. Adam’s parents are not hateful and homophobic just for the sake of being hateful and homophobic. Like many people, they are confused, ignorant and scared of the unknown. This makes for uncomfortable mutual embarrassment and guilt between Adam and his parents.

There is, of course, still the dynamic that many walked into the theater looking for: Harry, played by Paul Mescal, and Adam’s relationship. This on-screen relationship is nothing short of beautiful, and despite some complications that are evident if one has seen the film, Harry and Adam feel so real and pure. Their constant care for each other is moving and wonderful to watch.

Almost none of the film features anyone else other than Adam, his parents and Harry, which adds to the entirely desolate London that the film depicts. The city of London feels totally empty to the viewer, leaving only these characters to focus your attention on. This atmosphere builds on that dream-like mood, adding slight discomfort to the mix.

It is not only London, though. The entire film plays out like a dream, with a blurry line differentiating the real world from fantasy. At times, this can be gorgeous, and scenes feel warm and fuzzy as viewers float on the train alongside Harry and Adam. At other times, the movie feels like a nightmare, but not the ‘monster chasing you’ kind of dream, more the ‘that one conversation you always dreaded having’ way. Emotionally devastating scenes are ripe in “All of Us Strangers,” but it is all for the betterment of this cathartic and emotionally exhausting experience.

Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” is a beautifully directed movie, and flies by even faster than its already brief runtime. Adam’s story is one that will resonate with many, and likely devastate all, but there is little chance you will leave the movie without feeling things that are valuable to feel, regardless of the pain.

I attended the Descendants of Saint Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE) teach-in on Feb. 8, and to my surprise, I was one of 15 SLU students in attendance. Being at 11 a.m. a school day didn’t help, but the turnout still shocked me. For a school that prides itself on social change and social action, I am not sure that those are the words I would use to describe my first two semesters at SLU.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Robin Proudie, the founder of DSLUE and a descendant herself, a handful of times. Not only are Proudie and her organization’s request for a monument to the enslaved reasonable, but it is excessively unreasonable not to do so. If we can have buildings named after William DuBourg and Peter Verhaegen, both enslavers, we can certainly build a monument to their enslaved. After all, those are the people who actually built the campus these men’s names are plastered all over.

Proudie isn’t seeking for the entire problematic history of SLU to be washed away and overtaken by DSLUE, in fact, far from it. She does not want to pull DuBourg’s and Verhaegen’s names from campus. “It’s not about taking their names down, because when you remove that, you remove the history. They were the founders, but what we want to look at is adding our ancestor’s names to the buildings, [and] telling the complete story,” said Proudie. Proudie made efforts to join forces with some of SLU’s committees to see this plan through but was denied entry to said groups.

When considering this request, I find it saddening that the administration here at SLU would do anything but welcome it with open arms. But, much to my disappointment, little of note has happened at all in the eight years since the Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation research project began. A well-researched historical archive is good, but more must be done.

It seems that SLU is under the impression that merely publicizing this gruesome history and notifying the descendants, sometimes with the offer of free basketball tickets, is the end of their obligation to the descendants. For a school that prides itself on social change, justice, and action, I find this to be a stretch. If we can afford to spend sixteen million dollars on a new Jesuit center, something tells me we can find the money to get a monument for those who built the campus we live, walk, and eat on every day. 

But, back to the title of the article, I want you to do something about it. If you are a student, I want you to sign petitions, show up to events, and speak your mind about a monument being built. If you are an alumni, I want you to contact your fellow alumni and see to it that your generosity towards your alma mater is dependent on it living up to the social change it loves to advertise. If you are faculty, I want you to start this dialogue, really start it, and get this up the ladder in any way you can. If you are an administrator, I want you to do what you already know is right—what Ignatius, Jesus and anyone of love would do– to be on the right side of history.