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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
News
‘Anarchy’ in Harmony Students complain about bad behavior and loud noise during quiet hours Elizabeth A. Hain Staff Writer
eah5150@psu.edu
Everyone knows college students like to get loud and have fun. But according to some Harmony Hall residents, there’s a little too much noise and revelry in the dorms, especially after 10 p.m., when quiet hours are to be enforced. The coordinators who oversee Harmony Hall, however, say this is a never-ending complaint and contend the problem is being dealt with, just as it always has been. “It could be 3 a.m. and people will be running around. It’s seriously like a party every night!” freshman Desja Ashmore said. Ashmore said she thinks the rules are not being enforced during the late night and early morning hours. According to freshman Paul Toma, a third-floor resident, the majority of the noise and bad behavior is on the first and second floor. “Third floor’s the place to be” to get some peace and quiet, he said. Sophomore Brittany Martin agreed, saying that’s why she chose to live on the third floor. “Second floor is complete anarchy!” Third floor Resident Assistant Crystal Johnson said the only time the third floor is loud is when people from other floors, or visitors, come up, and even that is rare. Freshman Alan Kosan, who lives on the first floor, said there’s lots of inconsiderate behavior, such as loud music and video games. “There’s a lot of pranks and unruliness. Water fights, shaving cream on door knobs. The maturity and age combination is mostly the cause,” he said. According to Associate Director of Student Affairs Amy Gartley, there have been 51 documented noise violations in Harmony Hall up to this point in the academic year, just two less than the 53
ROAR FILE ILLUSTRATION/Justin Vorbach
Noise during quiet hours continues to be a problem for Harmony Hall residents with 51 documented noise violations filed so far this year.
violations for the same period in 2010-11. “I wouldn’t say it’s an issue. It’s just going to happen,” said Resident Coordinator J. Parker Goolsby. But at least one RA thinks it is a problem. “Yes, it’s an issue,” RA Darlene Coulanges said. She said she’s gotten complaints from some students about the excessive noise after quiet hours begin at 10 p.m. “(The noise) disturbs those who need quiet,” she said.
RA Matt Walker said he knows students are getting cited for disturbing the peace. “It helps that Robin and Parker told us no more warnings after 10 p.m.,” Walker said. “I like the amnesia that people get when they are getting (written up). People say, ‘I didn’t know quiet hours were 10 p.m. I thought they were 1 a.m.’” Goolsby and fellow coordinator Robin Schreck said they have talked to students about the issue, and they encourage students to report violations.
“We did give the students the opportunity for the quiet hours to change,” Goolsby said. “The RAs and coordinators aren’t in every single room every night. We aren’t encouraging students to snitch, but if there are problems you need to call.” Sophomore J.J. Figas, president of the Resident Hall Advisory Council, said most residents support quiet hours, according to a recent RHAC vote. “Although everyone in the hall did not vote,” Figas said, “60 per-
cent voted to keep quiet hours the same, rather than 12 or 1 a.m. on the weekends.” Martin said the problems she sees in Harmony Hall aren’t just about noise. Drinking in the dorms is much worse this year than last year, she said. There have been 12 alcohol possession violations this year, compared to eight during the same period last year, according to information Gartley provided. “Noise and bad behavior go hand-in-hand,” sophomore Emma Myers said. “I don’t care if people drink, but I don’t want to hear your intoxicated stupidity.” Myers also said people are not trying to hide their drinking this year and it shows through their behavior. “I think the coordinators and a few of the RAs are not acknowledging the bad behavior,” Myers said. Schreck said RAs and coordinators can only respond to things they know about. “I can acknowledge situations if I see it or if it is brought to my attention. But if no one informs me about it, I can’t do anything about the situation.” Sophomore Chelsea Ostop said that when she had a noise problem with the resident above her, Shreck told her to address the problem directly with the resident. Ostop said that’s something the coordinators should do. Schreck stands by her advice, saying adults need to learn to solve their own problems. “I tell students that if they have a problem with their neighbor, I encourage them to knock on that person’s door and ask them to stop the bothering behavior.” Schreck said it’s a matter of respect for your neighbors. “Most people I meet with regarding noise say, ‘I wish whoever complained would have talked to me first so I wouldn’t have gotten in trouble by the RA.’”
March 2012
Penn State Beaver Roar
Page 3
News Harmony Hall Students complain
Dirty bathrooms gross out residents
“
The bathrooms are the same as last year: disgusting.”
Alnycea Blackwell Staff Writer
aab5314@psu.edu
Janice Anderson is armed with disinfectant bleach, Lysol and window cleaner. Goggles shield her eyes and gloves cover her hands. “I do this on a daily basis,” says Anderson. She sprays some window cleaner and begins to wipe the mirror. “Some days are worse than others.” Anderson is one of the two janitors in Harmony Hall. Her job is to keep it clean. Though responsible for the whole building, there are some areas that seem to have the most trouble with staying clean: the bathrooms. “This is a good day,” Anderson said on a Wednesday morning before spring break. With only toilet paper on the floor and toothpaste-stained sinks, it is a good day indeed. Harmony Hall bathrooms have been known to look a lot worse: food in the sinks, improperly disposed sanitary napkins, trash on the counters, unflushed toilets and bodily fluids on toilet seats. And students say the state of the bathrooms is not a reflection on the cleaning staff. Instead, they say it is a reflection on the residents. “The bathrooms in Harmony hall are very disgusting and it has nothing to do with the janitors,” sophomore Nathalee Beneche said. “It’s the people living in the dorms.” “People don’t really take responsibility for keeping it clean,” junior Kyung Min Kim said. Kyung, who is also a Roar columnist, has lived in Harmony Hall for a year. The problems with the bathrooms have been around for a while. A story in the October 2010 edition of The Roar reported residents complaining about students leaving the bathrooms a mess, with food in sinks and hair in the showers, in much the same way as now. “The bathrooms are the same as last year: disgusting,” sophomore
THE ROAR/Corey Wright
The first floor men’s bathroom sink in Harmony Hall looks more like a trash can.
Gina Richman said. Richman is not alone. Ask any woman in Harmony Hall if the bathrooms are disgusting and chances are she’ll say yes. Ask any
guy, on the other hand, and the answers may vary. The reason, according to custodian John Ward and Housing and Food Services Director Jeremy
Lindner, is simple: the women’s bathrooms are worse. The women’s bathroom often have hair dye and hair strands in sinks, improperly disposed tampons and menstrual
Gina Richman Sophomore
blood left on toilets, they say. Anderson, however, said she believes the men have the worst bathrooms. But even those divided over which bathrooms are the dirtiest agree the people behind the dirty bathrooms are freshmen and sophomores. They are new to living on their own and are used to their parents picking up after them, Lindner said. They are not used to cleaning up their mess, he added. “I think students see my staff as housekeeping,” Lindner said. “We’re pretty much going on as adults. Everyone should know how to clean up after themselves,” said freshman Danielle Joyner. Notes have been left in the bathrooms from students in Harmony Hall begging their peers to clean up after themselves. Though some may think the notes did not help the problem, Lindner and Anderson both think the condition of the bathrooms has improved. And this fall there may be an even bigger improvement. Housing is installing key access cards to room doors and bathrooms. Students on each floor will have access to the bathrooms by their cards. If anyone makes a mess, Housing and Food Services may be able to track down who did it by checking whose card was swiped. Until then, students must find a way to improve the bathrooms themselves, though that may be easier said than done. “I don’t know how it can be improved. We tried to talk to the people. They still throw food in the sinks. They still leave tampons around,” Beneche said. But for Joyner, the solution is easy: “Follow the rules.”
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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
News
HFS proposes changes Amanda Palombo Staff Writer
amp5831@psu.edu
Chris Hurley, senior director of Housing and Food Services, came to Penn State Beaver March 14 to talk with students about ideas for improvements to the Brodhead Bistro and Harmony Hall. One change planned for next semester is the addition of wireless key card access in Harmony Hall. Swipe units will be installed on the doors of each Harmony Hall room over the summer. Rather than have actual room keys, students will use their Penn State ID cards to gain access to their rooms, similar to hotel rooms. Other ideas being considered, Hurley said, include: n Switching from Pepsi products to Coke products. Penn State’s existing contract with Pepsi is set to expire soon. Hurley said if a vendor other than Pepsi would be selected, the Bistro would have to replace many of its other existing products, such
Sign welcomed to campus
as Frito-Lay chips, Lipton tea, Sobe drinks and Naked juice because they are all owned by Pepsi. Hurley said a decision is expected soon, but did not provide a timeline. n Installing a permanent stage in the Bistro dining area. Existing Bistro events, such as karaoke, require workers to erect a temporary stage from risers. A permanent stage could allow for more programming opportunities in the Bistro. n A meal plan for commuters. A commuter meal plan would allow for charges to be placed on the student’s bursar bill and students would be able to pay for it with financial aid. Commuters who use LionCash currently get a 10 percent discount. n Expanding seating area outside. There are two existing tables outside the Bistro, and Hurley said it’s possible that area could be expanded to allow for more.
Student charged for ecstasy Penn State Beaver Police charged sophomore resident Jessica Davis of Pittsburgh with possession of ecstasy on Feb.15. Davis was charged after another resident reported Dec. 5 what she thought was drug sale activity with information and pictures of the pills. When police searched Davis’s Harmony Hall room, she gave police two pills she admitted were ecstasy.
Junior resident Ileana Muhlach of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, pled guilty to disorderly conduct Feb. 23 and paid a $300 fine plus costs. Police charged Muhlach with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia on Nov. 3.
Four charged with underage drinking
Officials smell marijuana in Harmony Hall
Four freshmen pled guilty to underage drinking March 19 and are required to attend classes about alcohol use. Campus Police had charged Anthony Pittavino of Cranberry, Matthew Humenik of Wexford, Stephen Eveleth of Gibsonia and Jennifer Bacvinskas of Pittsburgh with underage drinking.
A resident assistant called police services at 1:00 a.m. on March 15 to report that she could smell an odor of marijuana coming from room 137 on the first floor men’s side of Harmony Hall. Police reported that they, too, could smell marijuana and searched the room but did not find any marijuana.
A residence life coordinator found the four drinking alcohol in Harmony Hall at 1:15 a.m. Feb. 17.
Resident pleads guilty
THE ROAR/Alexa Shank
Students driving onto campus since spring break have noticed a new sign near the duck pond. The sign, purchased by the Student Activity Fee Committee for about $600, announces campus events for students and visitors.
PSU launches openness website for public
Zeke Nowakowski Staff Writer
zeke4531@yahoo.com
Penn State’s Board of Trustees has created a new “openness” website for students, alumni and supporters in an attempt to be transparent amid the controversy surrounding the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Penn State President Rodney Erickson and the university’s board of trustees announced the new website, www.openness.psu. edu, Feb. 13. Among the facts listed on the openness website is the $5.7 million cost of responding to the
scandal, including legal fees and nearly $4 million in “crisis communications.” The site also lists Erickson’s $515,000 a year salary, as well as the salary of new football coach William O’Brien at $950,000. Also on the site are links to the University Budget Office, Rightto-Know information, hotlines and several other sources. “This new website represents reform and change and our commitment to improve the University’s openness with the public,” said Karen Peetz, chairwoman of the board, in a press release on Penn State Live.
The press release also says, “The website is consistent with the new policies of open communications that were announced by Erickson, Peetz and Keith Masser, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees.” The university will try its best to respond to all questions from media and to post answers, unless barred by law, contract or privacy rights, according to Erickson. The website hasn’t gotten much attention from students, though. “I really never heard of it before but it sounds like it’s legit, and that it would be really helpful,” sophomore Drazen Rakic said.
March 2012
Penn State Beaver Roar
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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
Viewpoint
Thon shows what’s right about PSU Managing Editor Brandon Perino bjp5053@psu.edu
art director Amy Green
aig5089@psu.edu
Business Manager Patrick Vaughan plv5009@psu.edu
EDITORIAL Editor Lydia Moon
ljm5207@psu.edu
Page Designers Wendi Barnett
wkb5019@psu.edu
Jennifer Kirby
jmk5907@psu.edu
Alexa Shank
ads279@psu.edu
Olivia Skonieczny ols5006@psu.edu
Dan Trzcianka
dvt5050@psu.edu
Caitlin Vodenichar cav5119@psu.edu
Corey Wright
cjw5372@psu.edu
Jenn Zuratovic
Back in November, Penn State received more than enough news coverage. As the weeks went by, every news station and newspaper covered at least one story with the words “Penn State scandal.” But the real story that should have been broadcasted, printed and released for the country took place during the weekend of Feb. 17-19 when 15,000 Penn State students raised more than $10.6 million for kids with cancer. All of the money that Thon raises goes to the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. During the 46-hour dance marathon, 708 dancers represented 370 organizations. These dancers were not allowed to sleep or sit during the 46 hours. Dance Marathon is organized entirely by students. In fact, it’s the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. But Thon is not meant for Penn State students at all. Thon weekend caters to families with kids with cancer who receive help from the Four Diamonds fund. This year, 300 families attended. All of the families were announced and walked across the stage to applause. As every single child walked across the stage with parents who were grateful to still have their child with them, you could barely contain the tears. It was awe-inspiring to
think that by being involved in Thon, in some small way you helped that child, that parent and that family. But Thon weekend wasn’t about tears; it was about smiles. The tempo picked up and suddenly you were at a big dance party. Dancers were encouraged to play with the kids. Kids performed in a talent show or walked the catwalk for a full Bryce Jordan Center. As the final minutes of Thon weekend approached, the past 46 hours seemed to have flown by. The anticipation was building as the grand total was about to be revealed. Starting from the dollar sign, number by number was revealed until a full Bryce Jordan Center screamed at the total: $10,686,924.83. Thon had set another new record. Despite the events of the past year, Thon had still managed to exceed last year’s total. And Thon reached that goal to exceed last year’s total thanks to the efforts of 370 organizations. Leading up to this moment, thousands of students stood in the cold soliciting money, spent late nights planning events and counted money for hours. In the words of legendary coach Joe Paterno: “When they say, ‘We are Penn State,’ this is what they’re talking about.”
jrz5049@psu.edu
Advisers Terrie Baumgardner tbm2@psu.edu
Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu
Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu
Wanted: Maturity in Harmony Hall
Harmony Hall residents, it’s time to grow up. College is a time of transition, from childhood to adulthood. For many students, it is the first time they will live on their own without a parent looking over their shoulder. With this new sense of freedom comes responsibility. Students are now responsible for cleaning up after themselves, keeping their noise level to a reasonable level and maintaining a cordial relationship with their neighbors.
In Harmony Hall, residents seem to have shirked these responsibilities, leaving others to suffer the consequences. If you do not clean up after yourself, charges are distributed throughout the floor or hall. It is not fair for others to have to pay for your mess to be cleaned up. Do you really need to be running down the hallway at 3 a.m.? You are interrupting the sleep of someone else, who may have to wake up in four hours for class. It is not fair for you to keep others awake because you are indulging
in stupidity. The same courtesy should be extended to your neighbors. If it is late at night or early in the morning, you should keep your noise level to a minimum. This is the easiest way to avoid having your neighbor call a resident assistant to report you. Harmony Hall is a stepping stone to living in the real world. The sooner residents realize and acknowledge these responsibilities, the sooner they will be prepared for when they live on their own.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Roar is published several times each semester. Letters to the Editor are encouraged and can be emailed to: roar-editor@ psu.edu by the 20th day of each month. Please include your full name, address, email address and cell phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published.
FREE ADS FOR CLUBS Because The Roar receives funding from the Student Activity Fee, free advertising space is offered to any universityrecognized organization or club to promote upcoming events. The space is limited to one advertisement, one-eighth of a page in size, per organization or club per month. To reserve space, email The Roar business manager at: roarbusiness@psu. edu by the 20th of each month.
March 2012
Commentary
Traveler or tourist? Kim knows In the last nine years, I have never visited other countries as a tourist but rather as a traveler. Travelers find new places to stay without knowing when to move again. Tourists, however, visit other places keeping in mind that they are going back to their home. Travelers get immersed in the cultures they experience, but tourists don’t. Instead, tourists analyze the cultures they see. Simply put, a traveler experiences and a tourist analyzes. I prefer to be a traveler rather than a tourist because I want to experience the cultures through my heart and not just my mind. Culture is about human life and how we interact with one another. It is not about empirical data. Once we start analyzing the culture, we become distanced from the people we meet. Our minds
in my own words
Kyung Min Kim can grow but our hearts can’t be nourished through this approach. Recently, I went to the Navajo reservation in Arizona on a campus service learning trip. My understanding of the Navajo reservation was that it was like a third world country. With this image of the Navajo reservation, I somehow felt myself advantaged. I believe people from developed countries would all think the same way when they go to third world countries. In the past, I met some people when I lived in Thailand, a third world country. Those people believed that they had better lives
than the people in Thailand. If that is what they get from traveling, are they traveling to feel superior to others? The purpose of traveling must be aimed at finding the beauty of the human connection. Experiencing this beauty begins with the thought that we are all humans and there must be something that bonds us. When we find this commonality, we start realizing that we are connected regardless of language, nationality or ethnicity. With this gift that life offers, we see our hearts nourished, not our heads getting bigger. It is fascinating that people with different languages, nationalities and colors all communicate without a common language. Even if they speak in different tongues, you see them laughing, smiling, crying and hugging together.
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Hydrate yourself Fill up your water bottles at the hydration stations in the gym, the LCB, the GCB, the library and the SUB. Get involved with the campus’ green efforts by volunteering to help monitor how many bottles we save. Contact Dr. Matt Grunstra at mbg16@ psu.edu for more information.
HELP MAKE PENN STATE BEAVER GREENER
Penn State Beaver Roar
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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
Spotlight
The ROAR/Cathy Benscoter
Above, the interior of the dilapidated Hartenbach house is in disaray with newspapers from 1949 spread across the floor of the living room. Below, the house has become an eyesore to motorists at the intersection of Old Brodhead and Chapel roads.
HISTORY REMEMBERED
PSU to demolish old house Monica M. Pitcher Staff Writer
mmp5317@psu.edu
What once was a vast two-story structure with furnished red accents, that once sheltered the Hartenbach family for more than 100 years and once took part in founding the Penn State Beaver campus, has now become old, vacant, weathered and worn down. The old Hartenbach farmhouse, located at the front of Penn State Beaver across the street from Monaca Turners and Chapel Road, will be demolished at some point this spring. The old farmhouse is covered in dead brown vines on all sides, and the entire front porch is hidden behind thick shrubbery that towers up close to the second-story windows. Looking through the side door into the house reveals nothing but darkness, and the
stuffiness of the air hits you before you step foot in. Remnants of window glass and chunks of the ceiling and walls coat the soft floors. The walls are covered with large sheets of faint green peeling paint. On the floor are the remains of birds that made their way into the house and never found their way out. The top floor consists of three bedrooms and a bathroom that hasn’t been taken care of for many years. With every step, you risk stepping on shards of glass, wood chippings, paint and bird skeletons. But the old Hartenbach farmhouse wasn’t always in this kind of shape. In its prime when the house was first built Hartenbach House See Page 9
March 2012
Penn State Beaver Roar
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Spotlight
“
I’ve seen the house a few times driving into the campus but I never really knew why it was there.”
Continued from Page 8
in the early 1880s, it held many unique contents. For example, the carpets throughout the house were hand woven. The dark wood staircase had etched into it eccentric designs, which were also done by the hands of skilled craftsmen. Parallel to the stair case, tiny handprints from the Hartenbach children escalating diagonally up the wall stood out with hues of blue and yellow. Not only was the farmhouse a vast structure, but the land it stood on was also of large acreage. “The farm occupied the entire left-hand side (of the campus), from the entrance with the two pillars continuing up the path all the way to the baseball field located next to the gym. The land also continued to the other side of Brodhead Road,” said Director of Finance and Business Luke Taiclet. Ralph and Margaret Hartenbach, along with their two children, a son and daughter, lived in the house and ran the farm. “At the edge of what is now the parking lot for the Brodhead Cultural Center, the Hartenbachs would set up a stand filled with picked vegetables, eggs, milk and other goods that were to be sold to the public,” said Dave Hunt, supervisor of Physical Plant. “Hardly anyone from the family would ever stay to run the stand, so when people decided what they wanted to purchase, they would simply put their money in a basket next to the stand and leave,” Hunt said. The farm also had a few ice ponds. When the ponds would freeze over in winter, the Hartenbachs would harvest the ice in large blocks to keep for themselves and to sell to the public. The Hartenbachs also made their own wine in their basement. Years passed and eventually the children moved out. The son, Henry, moved into the small house on top of the hill from the Hartenbach’s house near Harmony Hall that most recently housed a museum. The daughter, Vivian, moved to New Jersey and later to Frederick, Pa., where she still lives with her husband. The son died at a young age due to an unknown disease that he had acquired form doing yard work around his house. “After the Hartenbach’s son passed away, the house on the hill was purchased by the University and it became the Baker-Dungan Museum – at least 30 years ago,” said Amy Krebs, director of Campus and Community Relations and director of the Brodhead Cultural Center.
Valerie Stannard Sophomore
Above, the inside of the Hartenbach house displays the hand-crafted rugs. Left, the former BakerDungan Museum sits atop the hill near Harmony Hall. The ROAR/ Cathy Benscoter
The museum was named for two of Beaver County’s earliest settlers – George Baker and Levi Dungan.” Krebs said the museum has since been vacated and is used as storage space. The Hartenbach barn was also replaced by the Gusti Amphitheater. Ralph Hartenbach died of old age years after his son had passed. Margaret Hartenbach lived until age 93 but became very limited in her mobility in her old age. As a result, she became confined to the main floor of the house. But she always managed to attend events happening at the amphitheater. “We would wheel her down in her wheelchair and when she grew tired we would wheel her back to her house,” said Hunt. “She was a very nice woman.” With Margaret’s immobility, the house started to deteriorate from the second floor down. Margaret Hartenbach donated the premises to the campus shortly before she had passed away in December of 1998. Long before she donated the house, she had also donated all of the farm land to add on to the campus as well. Since her passing, the Hartenbach house has been utilized by the campus for the storage of records and other items. With the crumbling of the structure over the years, the items are being transferred to the house on the hill. Even though the Hartenbach house is large, students don’t seem to notice it or know much about it. “I’ve seen the house a few times driving into the campus but I never really knew why it was there,” said sophomore Valerie Stannard. The house won’t be there much longer, but some work needs to be done to it first. “Before the house comes down it will be abated due to asbestos being found throughout the outside of the house, and there is also belief that it’s even in the glazing of the windows,” Taiclet said. Taiclet also added that after the house is demolished, nothing is planned to replace it. But possibly within several years a new parking lot for the amphitheater or another type of structure will be put in place where the house once stood.
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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
Features
Students serve others on Navajo Nation trip Vivian Kleijnjans For The Roar
vjk5034@psu.edu
Over spring break in March, seven students and three faculty and staff members went to the Navajo Nation in Arizona for service learning with the program Amazade. The non-profit organization places individuals with volunteer programs around the world. Students and Senior Instructor in Sociology JoAnn Chirico, Senior Instructor in Philosophy Irene Wolf and Residence Life and Activities Coordinator Robin Schreck were split into three groups. Some went to the Tuba City boarding school, some to the senior center and some to the home of a desperate local resident, Alice Parker. “It was a short trip where I worked long hours and made friends that will last a lifetime,” senior James Barum said. “My only regret is that I did not jump on an opportunity like this earlier in my life.” When arriving at the Navajo Reservation in Tuba City, many of the students were in for the biggest culture shock of their lives. It was like being in a third-world country. The poverty was more extreme than many have ever seen. More than half of the natives that live in Tuba City are unemployed. Half have no running water, and about 40 percent do not have electricity in their homes. There were wild dogs, wild horses and even wild chickens roaming the town. The Tuba City boarding school is one of the top-ranked boarding schools in the entire country. The students are extremely bright, with remarkable test scores. Penn State students Barum, freshman Candace Emanuel and junior Joshua Williams, as well as
Wolf, were paired with younger kids doing everything from tutoring and lesson planning to sitting and talking one on one. “Helping the students at Tuba City’s Boarding School helped me to become a stronger student,” Williams said. A few students, along with Chirico, worked in the senior center. Here they washed dishes, served lunches and sewed with some of the seniors. They also worked on a program similar to Meals on Wheels, helping to prepare and pack up lunches and then deliver them to about 80 different homes. Some of these homes were miles into the desert. The students who went to Parker’s house did a different kind of service. Instead of serving the entire community, they helped a single individual who was in dire need of assistance. Parker’s home would be considered unlivable by most people’s standards. She had fallen through the floor boards in several spots, and windows and doors were taped off with a thin piece of plastic in an attempt to keep out the cold desert draft at night. Parker had no running water and the only electricity she had was an extension cord running from her son-in-law’s home next door. Sophomore Alex Angleton and senior Christine Walzak helped make Parker’s home more livable, staying past their required hours to make it the best they possibly could. Some of the students donated their own money, raising more than $200 to pay for paint and carpeting for Parker’s home. Angleton also built a window for Parker. The students used one of the old floor boards to close off a storage
room that brought in cold drafts at night. “I knew going into this trip I was going to have the opportunity to teach others about where I came from and other general information,” Walzak said, “but I never thought these individuals would teach me not only more about their culture, but more about myself.” Along with Penn State Beaver’s crew, 22 students and faculty from Penn State DuBois also attended. The students visited Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma’s Well, the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and a few museums to learn more about the Navajo way of life. They also participated in the sweat lodge, something extremely sacred to the Navajos. The sweat lodge is three rounds of sitting in a mud hut with lava rocks that have water dumped on them. Each round is hotter and hotter. By the third round, the lodge is about 150 degrees and participants stay for about a half hour. The Navajo say that the first round purifies the body, the second purifies the mind and the third purifies the soul. Tourists are usually not able to participate in such an activity as it is so sacred and spiritual to the Navajo. “The trip was a great experience for everyone,” Schreck said. “We learned many things about the culture, past and present. The interaction with the locals was interesting and educational. [I’m] definitely looking forward to doing this trip again next year.” “It was a breathtaking experience,” Williams said. “It brought everyone together. Penn State students living, suffering, experiencing and learning side by side over 2,000 miles away! It was an experience of a lifetime, a trip I will never forget.”
March 2012
Penn State Beaver Roar
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Courtesy of Kay Wijekumar
Kay Wijekumar and Jonathan Clise observe the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Germany.
Top: Robin Shreck tutors a girl at the Boys and Girls Club. Bottom left: A young Navajo girl climbs on a railing. Bottom right: James Barum, third from left, and Sheng Wei, far right, gather at Hogan with students from other Penn State branches to reflect on the service. THE ROAR/ Kyung Min Kim
IST students present at Berlin conference The IST 440W class for international travel has been an asset to the program in providing international experiences for our students. Kay Wijekumar, associate professor of information sciences and technology, took seven students to Berlin, where they gave a presentation at the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) Conference. Students who attended were Jonathan Clise, Valerie Cycholl, Sean Dickey, Roger Garza, Edward Knotek, David Rorick and Jay Watt. The presentation was delivered as part of Wijekumar’s capstone course, Information Sciences and Technology Integration and Problem Solving.
The conference was attended by more than 120 technology professionals from around the world. The information technology marketplace is now steeped in a global society where students have to learn to adapt to other cultures, work with people from different countries, and develop skills while communicating with a global audience. This travel program helps them get the skills necessary to successfully navigate this global workplace and provides each student with additional skills when they enter the workforce. Employers have been impressed by the depth and breadth of these experiences and students have an excellent placement rate that can be attributed to programs like this.
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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
Features
Thon raises $10.6 million Lydia Moon
Senior Staff Writer ljm5207@psu.edu
It is 6 a.m. Saturday morning – about a quarter of the way into the 46-hour Dance Marathon Feb. 16 to 19 – and a sense of drowsiness has finally set in. Penn State Beaver’s dancers J.J. Figas and Angelique Mathews sway back and forth to stay awake as balls zoom by from people playing catch. A new band begins to set up on the stage erected in the Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park campus. There are people everywhere and the only way to navigate the floor is to push through them. Figas’ eyes are beginning to droop, and things have to be repeated to Mathews three times before she understands. It is hour 12 and they still have 34 more hours to go. The Penn State Inter-Fraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly known as Thon, raised more than $10.6 million for kids with cancer this year. Thon is more than just a Penn State student organization: It’s a Penn State tradition. It reminds students why they are proud to be Penn State. Penn State Beaver contributed $7,131.30 to the total this year. Fundraisers from the year included a mini-dance marathon, date auction, three canning weekends and proceeds from the My Bloody Valentine dance. A year of fundraising culminates with Thon weekend, a 46-hour nosleeping, no-sitting dance marathon. This year, there were 708 dancers representing 370 organizations, including Penn State Beaver’s two dancers, Matthews and Figas. “It was the best experience of my life,” Matthews said. “It will always be something I remember and keep with me everywhere I go.” Matthews should always remember the experience. Early Sunday morning, she had an allergic reaction on the soles of her feet after medical personnel had wrapped her ankles to prevent
The ROAR/Amy Green
Top: The Bryce Jordan Center was filled to capacity during the first day of Thon Feb. 17. Bottom: Beaver dancers Angelique Mathews and J.J. Figas pose with the Nittany Lion mascot during a break from a watergun fight.
swelling. “I was really afraid for her,” freshman Alicia Prestia said. “But she kept going even with her swollen feet.”
The Bryce Jordan Center reached near full capacity on Sunday, the final day of Thon weekend. At 1 p.m. on Sunday, Family Hour began. Some people say
Family Hour is the reason to come to Thon weekend. “Family Hour tears your heart to pieces and then puts it back together again,” freshman Emily Young said. “After three days, everything falls into place and you realize why you’re there: for the kids.” Family Hour began with a video showing former Four Diamonds children who have survived pediatric cancer. The first speaker was the mother of Bryce Carter, a 13-yearold who was diagnosed in February 2011 and now is in remission. Next was the father of Charlie Beecher, a perky 5-year-old who has been cancer free for 15 months. Then all 300 Four Diamonds families in attendance were announced and walked across the stage to the sound of applause. Carrie Myers and Aubrey Minnaugh, friends who were both diagnosed as children with cancer and are now in their twenties, talked about how they both now work at
the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. The final speaker was Vinnie Carano, a dancer representing Penn State Schuylkill. As Carano spoke, the Four Diamonds tattoo on the back of his left arm was visible. He talked about how his sister lost her battle with cancer in 1996, how the Four Diamonds Fund meant so much to his family, and how he danced this weekend in memory of her. Family Hour ended with a video in remembrance of all of the kids who lost their battle with cancer. “Family hour is a huge reality check and suddenly the reason why Thon even exists is right in front of your face,” Figas said. “The families’ stories are just so heart wrenching, and all you can do is cry. But it is also a huge inspiration. You see the amount of strength that the kids have and it gives you a final push to make it to the end.”
March 2012
Penn State Beaver Roar
Page 13
Features
Artist fills hallway with photographs
“
Caitlin Vodenichar
People don’t really look at abandoned places, but I think they have a sense of beauty.”
Staff writer
cav5119@psu.edu
Walking through the Student Union Building, students can see “Standing Still,” a collection of original black-and-white artwork on display. Junior Kyung Min Kim is the artist who created this exhibition as part of a class project. A native of Korea, Kyung uses photography as a form of self-therapy for dealing with depression, anxiety and insomnia. He wants the photos to help the audience connect with the inner loneliness and solitude he believes everyone deals with. “People see the loneliness and it is comparable to what they feel,” Kyung said. After 15 sessions of shooting, Kyung had to choose from an assortment of more than 10,000 photographs but could only select a few for the exhibit. “It was very hard to select the photos,” he said. “Every photo has something in common and if one doesn’t go
Kyung Min Kim Junior
The ROAR/Dan Trzcianka
Kyung Min Kim, junior, has his phtotography in the Student Union Building Hallway. Kyung has his current show “Standing Still” hanging in the hallway.
with the theme, I can’t put it up.” Freshmen Alexis Hoffman and Tony Pittavino are the featured models in the display. “[These] two were better at
revealing their emotions,” Kyung said. He said that he doesn’t give many directions to models: They just do what they want and
he captures it.Kyung has worked with nine models for this project, all of whom he had never met before asking them if they would participate.
“All of them said yes,” Kyung said. “It was very good luck.” Each shooting session began with Kyung finding a spot to take the photos. He said he wanted to find places that were abandoned instead of capturing the models in fancy buildings. “People don’t really look at abandoned places, but I think they have a sense of beauty,” he said. Kyung has been working on this exhibit for three years and will have a selection of paintings on display beginning the first week of April. He is also working on a series of four more presentations he hopes to display this fall.
Filmmaker highlights real cost of electronic devices Caitlin Vodenichar Staff Writer
cav5119@psu.edu
Mike Ramsdell, photographer and filmmaker, wants you to know that cell phones are killing people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With six million dead, as many as 1,200 rapes a day and the displacement of millions over the past 15 years, Congo is the Holocaustlike country that is suffering the worst atrocities in the world today, Ramsdell said during a March 15 presentation on campus. Much of what is fueling this unrest has to do with the mining of valuable minerals that are abundant in the Congo, Ramsdell said. Most of the mining is led by ruthless
warlords who are forcing thousands of Congolese into unsafe, deplorable conditions to mine these minerals so the warlords can ultimately sell the precious minerals to companies in western nations. These workers are digging for tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold — minerals used in nearly all electronic devices, including cell phones, Ramsdell said. The people who work in the mines don’t get any of that money from the sale of those devices. Wa r l o r d s co ntr ol mas s ive amounts of land and the people living there and keep all of the profit from the sale of the minerals for themselves. Because of the way they are being mined, these minerals are
called “conflict minerals,” and that is the topic of Ramsdell’s latest documentary project, “The Conflict-Mineral Project.” Ramsdell said there is a consumer push for electronics to be made with conflict-free minerals from certified mines, which would require manufacturers to disclose the percentage of minerals in their products coming from certified mines. “We don’t want to boycott [the electronics]. We want Congo citizens to make money,” said Ramsdell, who visited Penn State Beaver a year ago for a screening of his film “The Anatomy of Hate.” Ramsdell said many Congolese have come forward to tell their stories for his documentary.
One clip he shared featured a woman, Renee, who had been raped several times and had her home set on fire in 2009. She suffered third-degree burns all over her body and her youngest child died in the fire. Although Renee and her fellow villagers have experienced tremendous hardships, Ramsdell said they still maintain hope for the future of the Congo. “[Ramsdell] opened me up to a lot of stuff I didn’t know was going on in the world,” sophomore Emma Myers said. “It really makes you feel fortunate for everything you have.” The issue of certifying mines is being pushed by a program called the Conflict-Free Campus Initia-
tive, which any college can get involved in. So far, eight campuses have signed onto the project. Ramsdell stressed that college students are some of the most avid consumers of electronics. With their cell phones, computers and video games, they are the ones who hold the power to force companies to stop buying conflict minerals and instead buy from certified mines. “We are all the storytellers. When enough people decide to change the story, the world changes,” Ramsdell said. Certifying mines is the most important focus at this point, but Ramsdell said once this issue is taken care of, the next issue will be the treatment of Congo’s citizens.
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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
Features
Black man tells how he befriended KKK Elizabeth A. Hain Staff Writer
eah5150@psu.edu
There was a mysterious vibe in the room as students took their seats Feb. 28 and waited for the keynote speaker to take the stage in the Student Union Building auditorium. Not many people get the chance to meet someone who is friends with members of the Ku Klux Klan – especially when that someone is black. Daryl Davis, author of “KlanDestine Relationships,” spoke about his breakthrough with the KKK and the lessons he learned: Ignorance breeds fear, people fear what they don’t understand, and, if that fear is not kept in line, it will breed hatred. Davis’ journey to learn about the roots of racism came at a young age and soon sky-rocketed him to a place where no black man would ever think to be: sitting face-to-
THE ROAR/Zach Benscoter
Musician Daryl Davis shows off his piano skills by playing “Johnny B. Goode” for students. Davis wrote the book “Klan-Destine Relationships.”
face with Roger Kelly, the national leader of the KKK. Not only was Davis able to meet with Kelly, he was able to shake his hand, show him respect and gain respect from Kelly as well. Before he knew it, Davis began
attending rallies, meeting alongside Kelly and learning the ways of people who at one point hated everything he stood for. “We had more in common than contrast,” Davis said. “I like him as a person, but I do not like what he
stands for.” He told the audience that people do not need to respect what another person may have to say, but they must respect the person’s right to say it. Davis was not the only person who was learning new things. Over time, he shared his viewpoints with Kelly and the members of the KKK. He was able to change the minds of others to the extent that some even left the KKK, including Kelly. The audience was in complete awe as Davis turned, reached in his knapsack and pulled out three KKK robes and hoods – one belonging to Kelly himself. Abhijit Dutt, instructor in Information Sciences and Technology, asked Davis, “Why do you think Kelly’s viewpoint changed?” “Because he was introduced to me and because if you stay in the same frame of mind, you will never grow,” Davis answered.
Davis said he was able to overcome his fears and those who hated him and his race through simply speaking. “Any of us can employ tools of communication,” Davis said. Freshman Desja Ashmore described her reaction to Davis’ presentation as speechless. “I give him so much credit because it takes so much courage to stand up for something that so many people feared at his time,” she said. “This presentation is something everyone should see and I highly recommend it,” she added. Davis concluded his presentation by emphasizing the need to give people the opportunity to present their platform and to challenge others’ perspectives, both politely and intelligently. Davis challenged the audience by saying, “My method worked. How many robes have you collected?”
Campus hires two full-time faculty members Danielle Fullwood Staff Writer
dgf5053@psu.edu
Many students at Penn State Beaver do not realize that one of the two new faculty members recently hired isn’t actually new. That’s because Tiffany MacQuarrie has been teaching here for about seven years. Donna Kuga, director of Academic Affairs, recently hired MacQuarrie as a full-time English instructor and Ana Fontes as an assistant professor of psychology. MacQuarrie, known as “Mrs. Mac,” teaches various English classes. Kuga said she hired MacQuarrie, in part, because she has been a successful part-time faculty member for quite some time. MacQuarrie is an alumna of Penn State Beaver and first started working here in 1993 in Student Affairs and admissions.
Ana Fontes
Tiffany MacQuarrie
She left for six years to work at Robert Morris University in admissions before coming back to teach. “I loved working with college students and I loved English, so I put the two together,” MacQuarrie said. “Mrs. Mac tells lots of stories
in class and uses humor to keep us interested,” sophomore Brent Kotuba said. MacQuarrie made quite an impact while being a student at Penn State Beaver. She played softball and was even interviewed on a KDKA-TV talk show, “Pittsburgh
Today,” about activities happening on campus. Kuga said she also looks for diversity while hiring new faculty members. Penn State Beaver, she said, is the second-most diverse branch campus. Fontes adds to that diversity. She’s originally from Brazil but came to the U.S. as an undergraduate with a volleyball scholarship at the University of Texas. She also wrote for the newspaper and was the sports editor. “I wanted to be a volleyball player and journalist,” Fontes said. “I didn’t take an interest in psychology until grad school.” Fontes stayed in the U.S. as a graduate student at the University of Texas, where she earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in psychology. She teaches Introduction to Cognitive Psychology and
Advanced Cognitive Psychology this spring. Fontes chose Penn State Beaver because she can get to know her students better and interact with them while being a part of the Penn State system. Sophomore Megan Kelley said she likes her new instructor’s style. “To make things interesting in the classroom, Fontes has us do a lot of research to make connections and rewards us for learning,” Kelley said. Kuga said she looks for many qualifications while hiring new faculty. They must have teaching experience, a master’s degree, be able to teach a wide range of topics and be rigorous in the classroom. “The thing that’s most important when hiring new members is that they need to love to teach undergraduate students,” Kuga said.
March 2012
Penn State Beaver Roar
Page 15
Sports
Equipment coming to Wellness Center Jamin Jackson Staff Writer
jmj5228@psu.edu
When the work on the new Wellness Center is finished next month, the center will open with more than $100,000 in new equipment. Despite the plastic covering and green insulation still visible on the right side of the building, campus officials expect the Wellness Center will open a week or two before the end of the semester. At the moment the Wellness Center is about two weeks behind schedule, according to Luke Taiclet, director of business and finance. A backup with the brick being delivered is the reason for the delay, said Taiclet. The last phase of the project, which includes the landscaping outside the building, will be done during the summer after the facility opens. Since the beginning of the project, students and faculty have been looking forward to the new center. The Wellness Center will have two levels. The first floor will have bicycles facing the new 24-foot windows. On the second floor mezzanine, treadmills will also face the windows. Taiclet said the new building looks beautiful inside. The large windows allow for a beautiful view of the campus. Additional lights will be added to make the spacious center bright. The color scheme will correspond to Penn State’s colors, blue and white. The old location of the weight room will be converted into a classroom for kinesiology classes. The area that the fitness equipment is now in will be converted to storage space for maintenance and athletics equipment. Taiclet said the new equipment includes treadmills, bicycles, aerobic machines and weights. The newer workout equipment and weights from the old fitness center will also be transferred to the Wellness Center.
Work continues inside the new Wellness Center. The 24-foot windows provide a great view of campus. Campus officials are trying to have the center open before the end of the semester. Photos courtesy of University Relations
The new Wellness Center was designed by WTW Associates Architects of Pittsburgh. The design team included representatives from the campus and the University Office of Physical Plant. Overall the new Wellness Center’s design and construction meets
Taiclet’s expectations. Students will appreciate the extra space to work out in, he said, as well as the new equipment and the beautiful campus view the facility will provide. Students are excited about the upcoming fitness center.
“I’m glad the gym is receiving new fitness equipment for students because now when the fitness center is crowded, I will still be able to lift weights without being interrupted by someone else,” senior Tony Houghton said. Junior Julian Taylor said the old
fitness center made students feel crowded and uncomfortable. Students criticized the old fitness center for lack of equipment and little space, he said, and the new Wellness Center might be the solution to more students exercising on campus.
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Penn State Beaver Roar
March 2012
Sports
There is no ‘I’ in team
Lady Lions softball players say they’ve become a family Zakary Taylor Staff Writer
zwt100@psu.edu
The Penn State Beaver women’s softball team opened its 2012 season March 17 with two losses in a doubleheader hosted by the St. Vincent College Bearcats. The Lady Lions lost 2-1 in the first of two games. The score was tied at 1 throughout most of the game until St. Vincent scored the winning run on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth. St. Vincent won the second contest 5-1. The Bearcats scored two runs early in the first inning and never relinquished the lead. Sophomore Nicole Bowersox batted in Penn State’s only run of the game. The 0-2 start came after a disappointing showing at the Fast Pitch Dreams Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Lady Lions went 1-6 in the tournament, which was held over spring break. “We need to stay together,” senior Lindsey Scialdone said. “We need each other to get on base and score. Without that, we won’t be successful.” Despite the slow start, Penn State Beaver softball fans have plenty to be excited about. Led by Coach Andy Kirschner, the Lady Lions are a talented group whose
Courteousy of BJ Bertges, Athletics Department
Lauren Pier slides into home plate during the Fast Pitch Dreams Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
core remains largely intact from last season. In 2011 the team went undefeated in the Penn State University Athletic Conference and finished fifth in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
Powered by their strong bats, the Lady Lions believe they still have what it takes to not only contend for the PSUAC championship but for the USCAA National title as well. “We’re going to be better than
last year. We are dedicated enough to be the best team,” junior Ashley Watkins said. This confidence is backed by Kirschner, who may be the biggest believer of all. “This is the most talented group I’ve had since I’ve
been here,” he said. “We have good chemistry”, sophomore Myranda Raymond said. “When we are on the field we are in sync.” “We are like a family,” junior Korey Freyermuth added. “I wouldn’t trade them for the world.” Freyermuth shoulders a heavy burden as the team’s lone pitcher, but her teammates refuse to let her carry it alone. “Being the only pitcher, the team relies on me more. I hate to lose. It’s hard when teams have seen you before. You have to change things up,” Freyermuth said. “It’s tough but I have a team behind me to lift me up.” Freyermuth’s determination does not go unnoticed by the team. “In Myrtle Beach, Korey showed all she has. She pitched every inning of every game. She showed how much heart she has. She’s a team player.” Scialone said. The Lady Lions will close out March by facing the rest of their non-conference opponents before moving on to their PSUAC rivals in April. Kirschner said it will not be easy. “Going undefeated in the conference last year was hard and we have a strong non-conference schedule this year,” he said.
Fightin’ Beavs inline hockey team one win away from No. 1 Amanda Palombo Staff writer
amp5831@psu.edu
With the success of their last few games, the Penn State Beaver Fightin’ Beavs inline hockey team is making a comeback in the Western Pennsylvania College Roller Hockey League. Right now, the Fightin’ Beavs are No. 3 in the league, and if the team wins its next game – the last
for the regular season – they will lock in first place. The Fightin’ Beavs finally got revenge against Clarion University on Feb. 23, beating them 4-3. The team had lost to Clarion 4-3 on Feb. 8. In the previous game, the team beat Duquesne University 10-7, helping to improve its record to 8-5-0. Sophomore Shane Reger and
freshman Brady Sipe are among the top three players in the league in points and goals. Alumnus Justin Vorbach still stands as the No. 2 goalie in the league. With playoffs starting the week of March 26, sophomore Cliff Bryant and the rest of the Fightin’ Beavs are confident about their possibility for having a championship.
“We should have no problem going all the way if we play the way we’ve been playing,” said Bryant. “Clarion is our only real competition, and we should meet them in the championship. The rivalry between the Fightin’ Beavs and Clarion has not always been this way. Last year, Clarion wasn’t as competitive as the team is this year.
The Fightin’ Beavs’ Feb. 29 matchup against Geneva College that was canceled because of a rink problem has been rescheduled for March 21. If the team wins this game, it will play its first playoff game at 8:30 p.m. March 29. If Beaver loses to Geneva, the team will remain in third place and play its first playoff game at 8:30 p.m. March 28.
March 2012
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Sports
Baseball team kicks season off with a rocky start Darius Donelson Staff Writer
dmd5448@psu.edu
After returning from a spring break trip to Vero Beach, Fla., with a 3-4 record, the Penn State Beaver baseball team is off to a slow start recording just two losses to Point Park University March 15 and a loss to Notre Dame of Ohio March 18. Despite the 3-7 start, the team is geared up to make some noise in the Penn State University Athletic Conference this season. Three-year coach Jack Hilfinger said with the return of junior outfielder Markus Allen, senior pitcher Ronnie Wilkins and sophomore second baseman Andy DiPietrantonio, the Lions are set to make a deep run in the playoffs and take the championship, just as they did two years ago in Hilfinger’s first
season. Last year the team finished 11-18-1 and made the playoffs, but fell short of the championship. Hilfinger said the Lions have great leadership coming from the juniors and seniors. He also said the the new members this year are good and will bring a lot to the team as a whole. “We’re progressing. The teams we played had positive comments about our team versus last year’s team,” Hilfinger said. In the most recent loss to Notre Dame of Ohio, the two teams were tied at four apiece through the seventh inning. Notre Dame scored in the bottom of the eighth to take the game 5-4. Sophomore Garrett Covalt, Markus Allen and freshman James Pashuta each had two hits. Also, junior Jim Musgrave scored two
runs. Sophomore Tyler Schuster pitched just over seven innings, giving up three earned runs on nine hits while striking out three. The second game of the doubleheader with Notre Dame was rained out. In its previous matchup to topranked Point Park, Beaver lost both games of a doubleheader on the road. Beaver fall 9-1 in game one of the doubleheader. Schuster pitched three innings and gave up seven earned runs on seven hits. Freshman Steve Galamarini pitched three innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits. The Beaver offense totaled six hits in the game including doubles from Musgrave and juniors Tom Lewis and Cory Wagner. Junior Grant Scott scored Beaver’s lone run in the sixth inning on a sopho-
more Mike Karas RBI. The second game featured a more competitive contest, but the result was the same as Beaver fell 4-1. Senior Ronnie Wilkins pitched four innings and gave up only one earned run on three hits. His relief, junior Vinny Beatty pitched two innings and allowed two runs on two hits. The Beaver offense compiled six hits, including three from Karas and two from Covalt. Beaver’s only run was scored in the fifth inning when Karas singled and later scored on a Covalt RBI single. On March 25 the Lions begin conference play at Penn State Brandywine. “This is a solid program we have here at Beaver, and every year it’s the same expectations: make the playoffs and win the PSAUC championship,” Hilfinger said.
Courteousy of Athletics Department
Markus Allen waits on base for the next at bat.
Page 18
March 2012
Penn State Beaver Roar
Sports Men SET RECORD, finish regular-season 21-4
Lions fall at USCAA nationals Andrew DiPietrantonio Senior Staff Writer
ahd5039@psu.edu
The Penn State Beaver men’s basketball team came up short not once but twice in critical tournaments this spring, despite having the best regular-season performance on record. Beaver finished the regular season 21-4 overall, 16-1 in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. The men entered the PSUAC playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the PSUAC and the No. 2 team nationally in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. However, things did not go as planned. After first-round byes in both the PSUAC and USCAA tournaments, the three-time PSUAC champions and last year’s USCAA third-place team fell in both contests. Coach Marcess Williams said the excessive amount of time his team had between the PSUAC and USCAA tournaments – 11 days – may have contributed to the loss at nationals. “We had good practices, but not enough great practices,” Williams said. “We were ready for games, but what we did before the games was not good enough preparation.” In the quarterfinal round of the USCAA tournament, the Lions faced off against the College of St. Joseph of Vermont. Two free throws from junior Nick Miller started a 5-0 run for Beaver to open up the game. St. Joe’s quickly responded, as they tied the game at 10. Senior Tony Houghton made a quick layup and started a 10-0 run for the Lions as they took a 22-12 lead. The first half stayed in Beaver’s hands, but St. Joe’s started to fight back and brought the game within two with 3:27 remaining. After tying the game at 34, thanks to free throws from sophomore Markes Royster, Beaver trailed at halftime 38-40. St. Joe’s defense took over in the second half, and Beaver began to fall behind quickly. After bringing
The ROAR / Alexis Shleton
The Penn State Beaver basketball team huddles around Coach Marcess Williams, center, to regroup and get back on the court.
“ “
We played a good team and we did not come out and play our best. We didn’t shoot well, we had too many turnovers, and we just didn’t score when we needed to.” Coach Marcess Williams
We couldn’t seem to get back on track. We needed to limit our turnovers.”
the game within nine with 4:19 left in the game, St. Joe’s closed the game on a 16-5 run. Beaver lost 86-66. Miller and sophomore Chris Weathers led the team with 17 points each. “The layover took a toll on us,” Miller said. “We couldn’t seem to get back on track. We needed to
Nick Miller Junior
limit our turnovers.” Weathers said there wasn’t just one reason the team lost. “We lost sight of the little things and needed to focus more. We were out rebounded and just weren’t making the passes we needed to be making.” Williams said despite a successful regular season, the team came up short.
“We played a good team and we did not come out and play our best. We didn’t shoot well, we had too many turnovers, and we just didn’t score when we needed to,” Williams said. The team faced similar results a few weeks earlier as they fell to Wilkes-Barre in the PSUAC final four. The men faced a completely different Wilkes-Barre team than they faced when they stomped Wilkes-Barre by 44 points during the regular season. Weathers opened up the game with a quick layup as Beaver took an early 15-6 run. Weathers then expanded the lead to 10 with less than nine minutes left as Beaver continued to take control of the game. Wilkes-Barre brought the game within five with 30 seconds left in the half, but junior Julian Taylor had a layup in the closing seconds. Beaver went into halftime ahead 42-35.
Things changed in the second half as Wilkes-Barre went on an 8-2 run to bring the game within one. Senior Tyler Care hit a three pointer to expand Beaver’s lead; but things quickly changed when Wilkes-Barre went on a 13-8 run to take a 56-55 lead, their first of the game. Beaver trailed by as much as eight, but soon started to make a comeback. Taylor tied the game at 80 with 1:56 remaining, and free throws from Hougton gave Beaver the lead back, 82-80. Wilkes-Barre closed the game on a 6-0 run, as Beaver lost 86-83. Miller led all scorers with 26 points, followed by Weathers with 15, Taylor with 12 and Houghton and senior Darius Prince with 11 each. After the loss, Miller said, “We came in too confident and we took it easy and didn’t put the team away when we had the chance to.” Now that the grind of the season is over, the men are already getting ready for next year. “We want to get the gold ball back and bring the first national championship to the PSUAC,” Weathers said. Taylor agreed. “I am hungry to win it all.” Miller said next year’s challenge will be in leadership. “We need to find a leader for next year,” he said. “With the gym being open all summer this year, it’s going to give us a chance to bond as a team sooner.” Weathers added, “The upperclassmen need to really step it up. We need to take what we learned from the seniors and lead the team next season.” “My favorite part of every season is watching the team come together on and off the court,” Williams said. “The evolution from being a bunch of guys to a team is what I like the best, when I know my players have each other’s back no matter what.” Three players were recognized as All-Americans by the USCAA. Miller was named First Team AllAmerican, and Prince and Weathers received All-American Honorable Mention.
March 2012
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Sports
Lady Lions come up short in PSUAC tourney Andrew DiPietrantonio Staff Writer
ahd5039@psu.edu
The Penn State Beaver Lady Lions started this season out rocky, losing four players for unspecified reasons and gaining a new head coach who was forced to bring the team of eight remaining players together. However, as Coach Tim Moore and the team came together, the end result was unexpectedly good, the season ending in February with a 15-10 record, 12-4 in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. The team beat Penn State Hazelton 57-45 in the first round of the PSUAC tournament Feb. 21, but lost to Penn State Brandywine 63-49 in the final four Feb. 24. Anyone who has followed the success of this team over the past four years – PSUAC champions three consecutive years, and runners up in both the PSUAC and United States Collegiate Athletic Association last year – might be disappointed at the Lady Lion’s season. But those in the know say the team has accomplished much. When, with only eight women, the Lady Lions were unable to even have an inter-squad scrimmage in practice, a few guys from the dorms would come and challenge the team in practice. Most of the time, however, the eight women had to break things down to 3-on3. This, Moore said, allowed the team to focus on the little things— the little things and great defense allowed the team to start out 8-1. “The 8-1 start was impressive to say the least, and I am completely satisfied with the team this year,” Moore said. “With having so much inexperience and lack of depth, they greatly exceeded my expectations.” Even with the impressive start and despite a season full of adversity, junior Co-captain Brittany Tomaselli said she wished for more. “I would have liked to have done better, but after what the team went through at the beginning of
Courtesy of Athletics Department
Hali DeSarro gets ready to make a play on the court in a game against Geneva College. To the right, Brooke Mulneix, drives for a layup against Penn State DuBois.
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With only having eight girls, many of them played through injuries. Coach Tim Moore the season (with the resignation of Coach Bert DeSalvo), I am surprised we came together and did so well,” Tomaselli said. The Lady Lions have played strong, even in the disappointing season-ending loss to Brandywine. Seeking revenge after a loss to Brandywine back in January, Beaver came out strong, as junior Co-Captain Brooke Mulneix hit a three pointer to open up the game.
Beaver made five three pointers in the first 7:15 of the game to take a 19-7 lead. Brandywine soon responded, but Tomaselli picked up a steal and layup to give Beaver a 10-point lead with just under four minutes left in the half. The Lady Lions went into halftime up 32-26. Brandywine picked up strong defense in the second half, and went on an 11-4 run to take the lead. Freshman Amanda Temple hit a free throw to tie the game at 37, but Brandywine took the lead again. Freshman Kayona Ward scored six straight points to keep the Lady Lions within seven. Another three pointer by Mulneix brought the game to within four, but Brandywine went on a 10-0 run to end the game 63-49. Mul-
neix led the team with 15 points, all three-pointers. After the loss, Tomaselli said, “Next year we will most definitely be returning to the playoffs because we will have more experience and Coach Moore has done a nice job recruiting and the girls coming in next year will make an immediate impact on the team.” Sophomore Coleen Mead agreed. “I am satisfied with how the team did because we are young. I can’t wait for next year to see how much better this team will be after playing together for one whole year.” “A few more freshmen will be coming next year to give us some depth,” Mead added. “We will all be a year older and more experienced and have a little wisdom on
the court.” Mead was an excellent threepoint shooter this season, ending the year with 44—just behind the leading three-point shooter Mulneix, who ended the year with 46. “The number doesn’t matter as much as it does helping the team get the W,” Mead said. Mulneix, meanwhile, also led on defense with 59 steals, followed by Tomaselli with 53. “The lack of depth on the team this season caused us to do many things different as a team, but I am satisfied with how well the girls played this season,” Moore said. “With having so few girls, we always had to monitor the conditioning. We couldn’t over-practice because we needed the girls to have their legs during the game. “With only having eight girls, many of them played through injuries. Next year we will have more bodies and that will help us with the physical aspects of the game,” Moore added. Three players were awarded PSUAC All-Conference honors. Mulneix and Temple were named to the PSUAC All-Conference team, while Tomaselli was named PSUAC All-Conference Honorable Mention.