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Penn State Beaver Roar
News
October 2016
One vote difference Hillary and Donald go vote for vote at Penn State Beaver in mock election NATALY M. VIGNOLINI Staff Writer
nmv5135@psu.edu
If the results of Penn State Beaver’s mock election, held Oct. 5, are any indication of what might happen in the Presidential Election in November, this event will leave many people sitting on the edge of their seats. Sec. Hillary Clinton won the mock election by just one vote against Donald Trump, with “none of the above” coming in third with 16 percent of the vote. The Roar held the mock election during common hour in which 109 students and 23 faculty and staff cast ballots voting on their choice of candidate, along with providing their political party and indicating important issues. While the presidential vote was unnervingly close, what was clear is that the overwhelming majority of voters – 77 percent – don’t approve of the personal attacks that have dominated the campaigns. The mock election was held just days before the release of a bombshell recording of Trump talking to celebrity journalist Billy Bush about women in derogatory terms. Trump called the exchange “locker room banter” and apologized via social media. In the mock election, 45 percent said they were Democrats to 31 percent Republican and 18 percent independent. Clinton, the Democrat, barely scraped by with 48 votes, while Republican Trump managed to pull 47. “None of the above” received 22 votes, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson 16, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein 1. Sophomore Cody Campbell said he was happy to vote for Johnson, an alternative to the controversial mainstream candidates. “[Voting for Johnson] feels better on my con-
Getty Images
Donald Trump waits his turn while Hillary Clinton speaks during the second presidential debate Oct. 9.
“
There’s more of a chance of Trump starting a nuclear war than Clinton, but I’m still voting for him.”
Paul Lutz Sophomore
scious. Hillary Clinton is a continuation of Obama, and Trump doesn’t know anything.” Voting third party seems to be a controversial matter that some people are strongly against. JoAnn Chirico, senior instructor in sociology, wouldn’t consider a third-party vote.
“When people vote for third party candidates they are throwing their vote away.” Chirico, who identifies as a Democrat, said she voted for Hillary Clinton for many reasons. “I trust her. I don’t know why other people don’t. I even voted for her in 2008.”
Chirico also said that she voted for Clinton because of her years of public service working with families and children. “Clinton was instrumental in the Iran Nuclear Agreement, and in health care reform,” Chirico said. Health care was one of the top issues, with 65 students, faculty and staff indicating it’s important in the unofficial poll. Jobs and the economy are seen as most important, with 117 votes, followed by government spending at 83 and national security at 72. Sophomore Paul Lutz was one
student concerned with government spending. Lutz, who identifies as a Republican, voted for Trump, though he conceded that Trump doesn’t really have a concrete plan for anything, including cutting spending. “There’s more of a chance of Trump starting a nuclear war than Clinton, but I’m still voting for him,” Lutz said. Some students said they believe that their vote doesn’t really make a difference. Out of 109 students, only 76 indicated that they plan on voting. Sophomore Mia Mattes said, “So many other people vote that mine doesn’t really matter.” In fact, Mattes said that not voting is a kind of voting. Freshman Ashley Taylor said voting matters. “Voting really does make a difference. It certainly can’t hurt anything.”
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
News
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Universal disgust surrounds presidential candidates CHRIS ROTONDO Senior Staff Writer
ctr5138@psu.edu
Election years often stand for many things to people. They can be a time for change, a time for discussion or even a time to have pride in our country. For senior psychology major Alex Ribeau, the 2016 election is a time for disgust. What does Ribeau think of the major candidates? “Disgraceful.” “Donald Trump? Hillary Clinton?” Ribeau asks. “These are the two best candidates we can choose from?” For many, this year’s presidential election has become a dissatisfying race, a choice between the lesser of two evils, with division on both the Republican and Democratic sides. Republican Donald Trump, the billionaire business mogul and reality television star, has had numerous controversies since he announced his campaign in June 2015. These controversies range from offensive comments towards individuals or groups of people, to his proposed building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, to his recently leaked 2005 conversation with former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush, in which Trump said he could get away with kissing and groping women because he is “a star.” Democrat Hillary Clinton has also had her fair share of controversies, including her use of her own private server for work related emails during her tenure as Secretary of State and the deleting of over 30,000 emails, which were not work-related, according to Clinton. Senior Dan Kovalesky, an Administration of Justice major with a political science minor who is a registered Democrat, says that he is voting for Trump. “This election is unprecedented,” Kovalesky says. “There has never been an election with so much hate towards the candidates.” Kovalesky, who has voted in every election since 2012, said that he voted for President Barack Obama in 2012 and for Sen. Bernie Sanders
Freshman Logan Jones voting during the mock election held by The Roar in the Brodhead Bistro during common hour Oct. 5.
The Roar/Zach Ulrich
Senior Shavon Allen registers to vote for the Nov. 8 general election.
in the April primary. But he says that he had a change of heart on many of Trump’s policies after the primary. “With Trump, we’ve seen mistakes corrected, fiscal prosperity and proper negotiation,” Kovalesky said. “I believe that Sec. Clinton would be more likely to go to war with Russia.” Despite accepting his GOP nomination in July alongside running-
mate Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, many prominent Republicans have withdrawn their support from Trump following the release of the Access Hollywood tapes. In response, Trump says that he will “never withdraw” from the race, calling the sexist banter “locker-room talk.” Juliette Storr, associate professor of communication arts and sciences,
says the choice is clear to her. “It’s a no-brainer that Hillary is the better candidate,” Storr says. “Trump’s personal character, along with his lack of experience and his racist, sexist and xenophobic comments, are proof that he is not qualified to be president.” Storr added that Clinton has been unfairly framed as a “hawkish woman,” noting that there is a double-standard between Clinton and other male politicians. “The sensation around her is just a distraction,” Storr says. “Hillary’s not perfect, but her record as a civil servant makes the choice clear.” Clinton, along with running-mate Tim Kaine, U.S. senator from Virginia, became the Democratic nominee in July. Clinton has been backed by Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former competitor Sanders. Sarah Henderson, a sophomore animal science major, says that she is voting for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson of New Mexico, calling him
The Roar/Zach Ulrich
“honest.” “With Trump or Clinton, I see the country going to hell in a hand basket,” Henderson says. “I don’t think that someone like Trump should be running a western country.” Kovalesky says that Trump’s comments about women “really bothers [him]. I would never talk like that to women, ever.” However, he still supports Trump. “At this point, we have to look past their personalities because they’re both terrible people.” “Do we really want a president who uses the word ‘pussy?’” Storr asks. “This is not locker-room talk; it is just offensive.” With less than a month to go until election day, Ribeau says that he is unlikely to vote at all. “This election made me look at many Americans in a negative way.” Storr, however, has pressed the importance of voting, particularly in this election. “In a democratic country, we ultimately get the president we deserve.”
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Penn State Beaver Roar
News
October 2016
Printing is limited for Beaver students WILLIAM DERRY Staff Writer
wfd5070@psu.edu
After years of unlimited free printing on campus, Penn State Beaver students now have a 175-page print allotment per semester. Penn State Beaver is one of the last Penn State campuses to implement the print allotment strategy, say school officials. The policy has been in place at other campuses for years. The print allotment varies from campus to campus but the average is 150 pages, according to an email sent to students. “One of the things that they found across campuses is that if we give students an allotment of printing, they’re more conscientious about how much they print,” said Carey McDougall, director of Academic Affairs. “The campus has a commitment to sustainability and one of the ways we can be more sustainable is to use less resources.” Those resources include paper, ink, toner and money. Ted Froats, the director of information technology, has tracked printer usage on campus since 2009. To determine the average number of pages each student used per semester, Froats divided the total page count of the semester by the student full-
The Roar/Hannah Yuhhasz
Students should consider what they print now that the campus’s printing policy limits free output.
time equivalent count, which he then graphed by month and year. Froats said his graph helped, but ultimately data from other Penn State campuses served as a guide in determining how many pages each student was allotted. “We came up with a number that was higher than the Commonwealth Campus average and higher than the University Park allotment and a number we felt was enough for students, given how much they printed out before,” said McDougall. If Beaver students go over the 175-page threshold, then they will
be charged 15 cents per printed color page and five cents per printed blackand-white page. Furthermore, printing in color deducts three pages from students’ print allotment, whereas printing in black-and-white only subtracts one page. Since students are still adjusting to the new strategy, McDougall is offering to reimburse students who may have printed an excessive amount of color copies without understanding the policy. Students should go to the Academic Affairs office in room 202 of the Ross Administration Building to request the reimbursement.
Students are not the only group affected. Faculty members, especially those who require students to print, have had to make adjustments as well. “I have mixed feelings about it,” said Kristen Olson, associate professor of English, who requires students to print out coursework. Olson has taught a poetry and arts course for a number of years during the fall semester but decided to move it to the spring semester this year to have more time to find alternative ways for her students to print. The course requires students to
print out a lot of classwork, which would deplete their allotment. She believes that there is a willingness from administrators to refine the allotment for certain courses but that it will take time. “I see both sides but I hope it doesn’t take too long for a pedagogical way to be accommodated,” said Olson. “Anything that requires nuance requires time.” Students can check how many pages they have left by visiting http://clc.its.psu.edu and clicking on the Printing tab under navigation, then selecting the Print Management Utility link. Also, if the printer jams or runs out of ink during a print job, students will be reimbursed but will need to fill out a Print Credit Request form at http://clc.its.psu.edu/printing/credits. They can take it to the Information Technology offices in Room 2 or 6 of the General Classroom Building. The policy is open for future adjustment.“If we see that it’s harming classrooms or students in a fiscal or pedagogical way, we will adapt it,” McDougall said. “We’re not trying to charge students anything. We’re just trying to be more sustainable and thoughtful about how much we print on the campus.”
Mobile friendly website tells the story of Penn State Beaver ALEXIS SHEFFIELD Staff Writer
azs269@psu.edu
Penn State Beaver launched a new mobile friendly website this summer. On Aug. 16, Beaver was the tenth campus within the Penn State system to change its website. Its new user-friendly image, found at beaver.psu.edu, has been redesigned to complement the web site at University Park. The purpose of the new website is to tell the story of Penn State Beaver and attract potential students, said
Cathy Benscoter, marketing and web specialist who served as project manager for the web site change. When you visit the home page, you will find several large photos and stories depicting various aspects of student and faculty engagement. The new web content-management system, called Drupal, supports many new positive features, Benscoter said. The updated technology is mobile friendly and allows users to easily view content on their smartphones, tablets, desktops and personal laptops. Navigation is also more
precise with this feature. For example, if you are a student looking for the Bistro menu, you would simply click “current students” which will lead you to “How Do I” where you will click “find the Bistro menu,” which will then take you directly to the menu site. Overall, this site has fewer options than the previous website but is more simplistic. The pictures enhance the overall design of the site, urging viewers to explore more about the campus. The transition to the new website
went rather smoothly, said Benscoter, who is also co-advisor of The Roar. Benscoter said there was a lot of preparation required for this transition, some of which began a year ago. Senior communications major Brooke Doerfler, who is also managing editor of The Roar, began the cataloging process in late April. April Johnston, director of Public Relations, also played a big role on the project. “My job is to tell the story of Penn State Beaver, and this website is built for storytelling,” said Johnston.
Johnston said this new website makes her job writing stories for the web site easier because none of her stories get lost on the new site. Doerfler said she was able to provide a student’s perspective as she organized and recognized content that was useful for students. Benscoter attributes much of the project completion to Brooke Doefler. She said Doefler played a crucial role. “I could not have done this without Brooke. She played a major role in the development of the web site.”
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
News
5
LionPATH receives mixed campus reviews ALEXEY STERN Staff Writer
ams8317@psu.edu
Now that LionPATH has been fully implemented as the official student information system at Penn State, most returning students have mixed reactions to the new system. Senior Leighton Markus said he misses how easy it was to work in eLion. “The transition between eLion to LionPATH has been very tedious. It’s tedious because (in eLion) all the categories were posted at the top of the page and easy to find,” Markus said. “But on LionPATH, I have to bother to go on different pages to just find what you’re looking for.” Markus said he’s gotten used to LionPATH, but still thinks it’s subpar compared to eLion. “The user interface just sucks in my opinion,” he said. “It seems a lot harder to navigate. Honestly if I was a freshman it would even be more confusing to me because at least as a senior, I had enough experience to at least know what I was looking for.” Freshman Jake Tarasenko said he doesn’t have much of an opinion about LionPATH. “Since I’m a freshman, I didn’t really know the other older systems so I am just fine with LionPATH.” Since thisbeginning of the semester, Junior Taja Finley said LionPATH is starting to grow on her.
Students can select classes to put in their shopping cart on LionPATH.
She said, “I don’t like how I can’t find certain things still in the new system. Billing and financial aid
was so different that it was a pain to adapt. Scheduling classes was the biggest pain; on LionPATH it is more
complicated and harder to schedule classes.” Advising Coordinator Gretchen Samchuck said she feels the pain the students are experiencing by switching to a new system, but noted that there are many enhancements with LionPATH that students don’t realize. “What is great about LionPATH is that it puts more control and power in the student’s hands,” Samchuck said. “When we still used eLion, students had to see me to change their major. But now they have the independence to change their major and even their campus through LionPATH. Samchuck said she knows that students are frustrated, but urged them to be patient and to give LionPATH a chance. One big frustration, according to Senior Instructor of Psychology Kevin Bennett, has to do with degree audits. Bennett said LionPATH makes it easier to find the major requirements for students, but degree audits have been problematic and give students too much information. He said he doesn’t like the way degree audits present information, and it’s making it harder to advise students using them. Director of Enrollment Daniel Pinchot said LionPATH has also caused problems for students with
transfer credits. The process of evaluating transfer credits is more complicated and time consuming in LionPATH, Pinchot said, and many students are still waiting for their transfer evaluations to be loaded to their record even as they prepare to schedule for the spring. Pinchot is a co-advisor of The Roar. Bennett said he’s discovered some great features in LionPATH that make it easier for students to schedule. He said the “shopping cart” function allows students to pick multiple classes and see various scheduling possibilities. Beth Hewitt, assistant to the financial officer, works with students on paying their bill, and she’s concerned that students may not be doing everything that’s expected of them in LionPATH. “With LionPATH, students have a lot more power and responsibility when it comes to paying their bills,” she said. Hewitt said students need to stay on top of their account statement and make sure to do everything on their LionPATH “To Do List.” Hewitt said her biggest challenge has been re-educating returning students on how to manage their financial aid and pay their bill. “As far as freshmen and future students, I think it will be easier for them to work with the new system.”
Students and faculty make the switch from Angel to Canvas ALEXEY STERN Staff Writer
ams8317@psu.edu
Unlike the frustrations with the change to LionPATH, students seem to be much happier with the change from Angel to Canvas. Junior Taja Finely said she actually prefers Canvas over Angel. “Canvas is more interactive and engaging, and everything is just there to see, and now it’s a lot easier to
communicate with professors,” Finley said. “Also, now you get notifications from Canvas through email and text, instead of just having to check Angel daily. You were always wondering with Angel about new assignments and upcoming tests, but with Canvas I’m able to have peace of mind.” Senior Leighton Markus said he doesn’t mind Canvas, and in some ways says it is even better than Angel.
“A great example would be how you have a phone app for Canvas while Angel didn’t offer one,” he said. “As far as the user interface, despite the fancy colors found on Canvas, nothing really improved. The app is what really made the difference for me.” Senior Instructor of Psychology Kevin Bennett is still using Angel instead of Canvas. He said he plans on switching to Canvas, but he is just
reluctant. “It’s because I am familiar with (Angel). I’ve been doing it for 12 years. I really feel like I just mastered Angel, and I am just procrastinating on changing into Canvas,” Bennett said. “I do like Canvas for my one class, and if I had a time to switch I would,” he added. “I like it so far. I’m getting more comfortable with it and am going to launch all my classes
in Canvas next year.” Bennett said he likes how much more interactive Canvas is than Angel and plans to utilize the new improvements. Bennett said. “The biggest advantage is the easier communication,” he said. “So I plan to use it on my phone and be ready to keep in contact with students better. Canvas is clearly a better system on so many levels.”
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Penn State Beaver Roar
News
October 2016
Campus welcomes new chancellor ALEXA DIPIETRANTONIO Senior Staff Writer
and151@psu.edu
Penn State Beaver was nearly “love at first sight” this summer for newly named chancellor, Jenifer Cushman. Cushman remembers coming through the main entrance the first time, past the pond and geese and up the hill where she could begin to see the classroom buildings. Her first reaction? “It’s a lovely campus,” she said months later. While the campus is beautiful, she said, everything is not all about looks. There’s much more for her to be optimistic about in this new job she began July 1, ending a more than two-year lapse since the last permanent chancellor retired. She said that the campus and the people in it are very welcoming. And it’s those welcoming people that Cushman believes are going to help her lead this campus to the next level. Although quiet at first, Cushman lights up when speaking about different initiatives she has planned. She’s taught German and is passionate about international learning. Penn State Beaver has a large number of international faculty, as
The Roar/Ty Cole
Chancellor Cushman talks to Lion Ambassadors about their experience giving tours to prospective students.
well as some international students, but Cushman would like to build upon that. She has the idea of Beaver students doing projects with other students around the world. Cushman’s friendly personality fits well with Beaver’s small, tight-knit community, almost like a family. Having most recently served as dean of Ohio University’s Zanesville regional campus, Cushman has a love for small campuses. She said small
campuses are “able to provide better personal support for each student.” One of her first tasks was to meet with faculty, staff and students. Cushman has met with different clubs and organizations throughout the semester. During her visit with resident assistants and coordinators in Harmony Hall, Cushman asked about their hometowns and favorite hobbies. She did the same in a meeting with Lion Ambassadors, asking
what they liked about the campus and what could be improved. “I thought she was very down to earth,” said senior Allison Crouse, who attended the Harmony Hall meeting. Crouse said Cushman came across as someone she could reach out to because she’s approachable. “I like how she wants to connect to the students and that’s something Penn State Beaver needs to make it an even better campus,” Crouse said.
Instructor leaves industry to join IST faculty EVAN M. PINCHOT Staff Writer
emp197@psu.edu
Penn State Beaver has welcomed a new faculty member, Ashu Kumar, to the IST department this fall and he is feeling right at home. Kumar has been in a corporate setting for years and looks to make his transition to academic life a smooth one. Kumar, instructor in Information Sciences and Technology, has made a big change from the corporate world to his new job at Penn State Beaver. He has worked for companies such as Mylan Pharmaceutical, but now looks forward to teaching at Penn
State Beaver full time. Kumar admits it’s a big change for him. “Because what I was doing is nothing like what I am doing now, it was like a new career for me.” Kumar has been an adjunct faculty member here since 2014, and he’s also taught for a year in New Delhi. He said that he likes teaching and that when the full time position was open he thought, “It would be fun.” Carey McDougall, director of Academic Affairs, said the campus hired Kumar “because of his teaching and industry experience that matches well with the IST program needs.” Kumar has worked with McDougall and other campus officials to
develop the recently launched Lion's Den competition, similar to TV’s Shark Tank, which encourages students to develop a new product to pitch to a panel of judges. “He is already excelling and I believe he will continue to excel,” McDougall said in an email to The Roar. “Instructor Kumar is innovative and responsive in continually improving his pedagogy.” Kumar said he is happy to be here full time. “I am much more connected with students,” says Kumar. He likes this, and thinks that he can use his experience from his corporate jobs to help prepare students for the work ahead of them.
The Roar/Chris Rotondo
IST Instructor Ashu Kumar
Cushman said she is looking forward to getting to know even more students and understanding what they like about Penn State Beaver and any concerns they have. The chancellor position became vacant after longtime Chancellor Gary Keefer retired in 2014 after being diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Keefer died in December 2015. Former Director of Academic Affairs Donna Kuga postponed her own planned 2014 retirement to become interim chancellor, a role she held until she retired in January. Director of Academic Affairs Carey McDougall replaced Kuga. She said she enjoyed her time as interim chancellor, but was anxious to show Cushman around. Cushman said she wants to develop a vision to keep Penn State Beaver growing and to stand out. Her first step is to connect with the community and industry nearby to establish relationships for student internships, jobs and scholarships. McDougall said Cushman values everyone’s ideas, experiences and input. “She wants to be a community player and get involved.”
Retirement brings on staff changes A retirement in Student Affairs has resulted in some staff members shifting positions. Jill Bender, the staff assistant for residence life and student activities, moved into the job left vacant when Denise Turyan retired from Student Affairs last summer. Then Billie Brown, a staff assistant in Continuing Education and Athletics, filled Bender’s vacant position. Both Bender and Brown have been longtime employees on campus.
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
News
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Dorm students notice enrollment spike KATELYNN CROWE Staff Writer
kcc5226@psu.edu
Talk to people who live in Harmony Hall and they’ll tell you the dorm is more crowded than ever. Same thing for the Brodhead Bistro, especially during common hour. There’s only one explanation for this increase: enrollment is up. This fall there are 734 students enrolled, up from 705 last year, said Daniel Pinchot, director of enrollment. Pinchot said that Beaver saw a significant increase in out-of-state students this fall, in part because of the 1+3 program that diverted students originally headed to University Park to other campuses. Because too many freshmen accepted their offer of admission to University Park this fall, there wasn’t enough housing for all 8,800 students. So Penn State offered scholarships and cost savings to students who were willing to divert to another campus for their first year, with the guarantee of finishing their final three years at University Park. Pinchot, who is also a co-advisor to The Roar, said there are nearly 50 new out-of-state freshmen enrolled this fall, nearly double the number from last year. Eleven of those outof-staters are on the 1+3 plan.
During common hour, the Brodhead Bistro is bustling with students.
“The out-of-state students add more to the campus,” Pinchot said. “They have a more diverse upbringing and new perspectives on things. We are also out-of-state friendly (because of housing and our close proximity to a major airport).” Pinchot said the size of the campus can also be a plus, especially in recruiting athletes. “We are a smaller campus. This gives more opportunities for athletes,” he said. “And since we are small, this helps with the transition to UP.”
The enrollment increase did bring some changes to the Housing and Food Services office. Jeremy Lindner, director of Housing and Food Services, said there are 180 students living in Harmony Hall, an increase of 30 compared to last year. The building can hold up to 212 students. Lindner said the biggest issue he faced was that some students who requested a single room couldn’t get one. Lindner also expects fewer room-
The Roar/Jordan Davis
mate changes. “Fuller actually makes it easier to follow the process,” Lindner said. “Students have to put their name on a board to request to change roommates (through eLiving), but some just don’t put their names on at all and try to move into an empty room with a desired roommate. Since the building is fuller, not many students can get empty rooms.” Higher occupancy also means better service, Lindner said. “When there is a fuller building,
that means more students, less budget cuts and more services to provide for the students,” Lindner said. Xiaoying “Eva” Zhou, a sophomore business major from China, said she’s definitely noticed more students on campus and in Harmony Hall than last year. “I have noticed that Harmony Hall is more crowded, especially the lobby and Bistro,” she said. “But I don’t mind it. I like to see different faces.” More students mean more activities, she said, noting that she’s part of a group of students who regularly utilize the campus shuttle trips. “This Sunday, I’m going to Carnegie Museum. Last week, I went to Station Square,” she said. Zhou plans to move to University Park next year, but said she really likes the time she’s spent at Beaver. “I like the small campus because I can be closer with the faculty and staff here,” Zhou said. Freshman engineering major Feranmi Akinpelu agreed, saying he really likes starting his college education at Penn State Beaver. Akinpelu is from Maryland, but originally from Africa. “The structures of the classes are nice,” he said. “I feel like I can have a relationship with my professors because the campus isn’t as big as UP is. This campus gives me the confidence that I need when I move to UP.”
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Penn State Beaver Roar
News
October 2016
Commuters unaware of sexual assault notices KATE SERNA Staff Writer
kys5434@psu.edu
Two sexual assaults in Harmony Hall have been reported to Universtiy Police since the start of the semester, but there is a good chance that only people who live in or hang out at Harmony Hall are aware. Nine days into this semester, a Residence Life coordinator reported that a student disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted in Harmony Hall on Aug. 29, according to University Police. A second incident of possible rape was reported by a third party Sept. 8. The alleged rape took place Sept. 4 in Harmony Hall. University Police were unable to disclose information on whether the same people were involved in both of the incidents. No charges have been filed, and the assaults remain under investigation, police said. In compliance with the Clery Act, campus police posted a timely warning on the doors of Harmony Hall. The Clery Act is a federal law that requires institutions to collect crime reports from campus security authorities such as University Police. Timely warnings are Clery Actrequired notifications that the university can distribute via print, email and/or text message to alert the campus community of a potential or ongoing threat. Text warnings are sent through the PSUAlert text messaging system, to which all students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to subscribe. While some campuses, such as University Park, seem to report all incidents via PSUAlert and list them on a university-wide timely warnings web page at timely-warnings. police.psu.edu, it is not a federal or Penn State requirement. Penn State’s Clery Act Compli-
The Roar/Brooke Doerfler
A sign outside of Harmony Hall notified students of a reported Sept. 4 sexual assault.
ance Manager Tracie Bogus said it is up to the campus to determine how to communicate a timely warning. “It is at the discretion of the campus police to determine whether or not an incident constitutes as a threat to campus,” Bogus said. In Beaver’s case, the timely warnings were not sent via text message or email, leaving many commuters in the dark that the sexual assaults had been reported. “If an incident occurs in the dorms, even if the threat is contained, outsiders and commuters are going to hear about it. The story can get twisted,” said sophomore Leah Berry, a commuter. “An initial text would stop the ‘wild fire’ spread of wrong information and a false alarm to students.”
Junior Kylie Steel, another commuter, agreed. “It is ridiculous that I haven’t heard about this until now.” The timely warning posted by the campus police informed readers that the victims and offenders were familiar with one another. The warning provided no other details. The nature of the incident led campus police to believe that there was no threat to the campus, said Police Chief Anthony Budris. “Every crime can occur differently,” Budris said. “This was not a guy-jumping-out-the-bushes situation. If so, students would have received emails and text messages.” Burdris said University Police will send a text message and email when an incident reaches a level of emergency. This incident did not reach
that level, he said. “We are legally required to act on any incident that is reported,” said Chancellor Jenifer Cushman. Cushman said that the process of determining how to notify the campus of an incident is based on a balance between student needs and federal law. “Our first priority is to meet the needs of those involved and make sure that they get in contact with the right resources,” she said. Cushman also said that the campus avoids alarming people if they feel there is no need to. Cushman said she is open to change. She plans to talk to Penn State Beaver’s security response team, senior leadership and student organizations to gain feedback about the best form of communication to use in the future. Cushman said that posting the timely warning on the doors to the Brodhead Bistro may be more effective because both residents and commuters use it. Chris Rizzo, director of Student Affairs and the Title IX resource officer on campus, attributes the last month’s sexual assault reports to campus programs such as Stand for State that address sexual violence. “Our programs are about impacting campus culture,” Rizzo said.“When you talk about the issues and bring information and resources to individuals, it’s likely to increase reporting.” More than 400 students have participated in such programming at Penn State Beaver to learn the importance of reporting an incident such as sexual assault. “We want to make sure that students are aware of threats and that we take threats seriously,” Cushman added. “We are a part of a society that makes it difficult for women to report sexual assault. We want to make that easier.”
POLICE BEAT
Weed on campus reported to police
University Police received three reports of marijuana at Penn State Beaver since the start of the semester. On Sept. 24, a campus employee reported that he was told a student had a large amount of marijuana on campus. Police are still investigating. The other two incidents Oct. 6 and 7 were of the smell of marijuana in Harmony Hall. Both are still being investigated. Suspicious person spotted Penn State Police issued a PSUAlert around 2:30 p.m. Oct. 5 after receiving a report of a suspicious person in the woods. The text alert said a “possible dangerous person (was seen) on the WalMart trail.” The white male holding a machete was spotted by a student who told police. Police checked the area but found no one. Reward offered University Police are offering a reward leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever is responsible for burning door name tags and posters in Harmony Hall. A crime alert was posted on the entrances to Harmony Hall Oct. 6 asking people with information to contact Officer Bryan Cattivera at 724-773-3840. The notice calls these incidents “a major fire hazard and safety violation.” Any reports will be kept confidential, the notice states. Theft and vandalism reported On Sept. 18, a student reported cash stolen from a car parked in front of the gym. Police are investigating. An employee reported Oct. 6 that the bulletin board in Harmony Hall was damaged. Materials were ripped down and the board was slashed with a knife. An investigation is ongoing.
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
News
Renovations make Michael Baker hottest classroom building on campus MATTHEW PALAHUNIK Staff Writer
mgp5156@psu.edu
From newly renovated chemistry labs to rooms teeming to the brim with computers, these are only but a few new additions that came with the newly renovated Michael Baker Building. The $10 million project included two chemistry labs, a physics lab, an engineering workshop with advanced machinery, a communications lab, studio and screening room, a onebutton multi-media studio, three computer labs and newly renovated classrooms. Adam Rathbun, director of Finance and Business, said the project brings the MBB into the 21st century. Amber McConahy an instructor in information sciences and technology, spent most of last year in the Library basement where her classes and office were temporarily located. McConahy now spends her time in the newly renovated MBB. “I was shocked when I walked into it,” she said, adding that it’s nice for her work day to be centralized in one place. McConahy describes the building before the renovations as “old and outdated.” Like anything new, there are bugs, she said. McConahy wishes that the IST team room was connected to the classroom next door to make class time easier. The rooms are separated from one another and, as a result, students enrolled in polycom classes can’t follow along for class. Instructor Sherry Kratsas teaches computer science and engineering. The new building has allowed her students to thrive, she said Her classrooms and office are now all in the same hallway, allowing her full access to her resources. “It’s convenient and productive.” She said she loved how she and other faculty had
Austin Walker uses a whiteboard to solve equations in a classroom in the Michael Baker Building.
The Roar/Garrett Troy
Left: One of the hallways in the newly renovated Michael Baker Building.
Above: One of the many newly renovated classrooms.
a say in the layout of the classrooms. The new building has state-ofthe-art computer classrooms with all the software students need to complete their assignments as well as new machinery and lab rooms for projects, Kratsas said. “We now have a good location
to use equipment,” said Kratsas of the engineering workshop on the lower level. Equipment like a drill press and ShopBot CNC router allows students to carve designs in certain materials; there is also talk of a 3D printer being added in the near future.
These new classrooms also have shelves to hold supplies and work stations to create projects. “It’s nice to have the space and machinery in place to take advantage of,” said Kratsas. Kratsas was also excited for the One Button Studio which will allow
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students to create videos and demonstrations for class. Students will be able to create videos with the resources like lighting, mikes and a green screen without having to have extensive knowledge of the equipment. “I love this place,” said Michael Hay, associate professor of chemistry. Hay said the difference is “night and day.” “The old building had no air conditioning and poor heating”, Hay said. Due to the condition of the old building, chemistry classes were forced to permanently relocate to the Laboratory Classroom Building several years ago. Hay said he loves the layout of the new chemistry classrooms. He also said he loves the fact that his office is connected to the lab classrooms. “I could be doing experiments back in my laboratory and easily see a student who comes in my office and go help them,” Hay said. The campus also acquired new equipment, Hay said, such as hoods that contain dangerous fumes and a glove box, a sealed compartment that allows the user to adjust the atmospheric conditions necessary to perform certain experiments. Keith Willson, instructor in physics, called the renovated MBB “a tremendous improvement,” saying “They did a lot of things right.” Willson said the old building was like a “dungeon” with no big windows, little natural light and no people. “The new renovations were a big physiological improvement to the place.” Willson loves seeing students lounging in the new building. The old MBB had no areas for people to congregate so the place was always desolate and quiet. The new layout brings people into the building. “It looks inviting,” said Willson.
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Penn State Beaver Roar
Viewpoints
MANAGING EDITOR Brooke Doerfler
bmd5296@psu.edu
BUSINESS MANAGER Marlee Bandish mgb5265@psu.edu
PAGE DESIGNERS Ty Cole
wtc5037@psu.edu
Alexa Di Pietrantonio and151@psu.edu
Chris Rotondo
ctr5138@psu.edu
Kate Serna
kys5434@psu.edu
Zach Ulrich
zau5001@psu.edu
ADVISERS Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu
Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu
October 2016
Take a stand for safety Thanks to university-wide events like Stand for State, our campus community has an ongoing dialogue about how to make students safer and better prepared in dangerous situations. In fact, since the beginning of the semester, two sexual assaults have been reported to University Police by bystanders. It is great that students and staff feel comfortable and confident enough to report questionable behavior. But there’s a problem. Many students on campus had no idea that there was one – let alone two – reported sexual assaults since the beginning of the school year. “Timely warning” signs were posted on Harmony Hall’s entrances within a few days of the assaults, but this didn’t help the commuter population learn of these incidents. It boils down to the question of, “Should a PSUAlert text have been sent out to the campus?”
We believe this answer is a booming “yes.” In compliance with the Jeanne Cleary Act, when University Police receives a report of concerning behavior, it is up to the police to decide how to alert the campus community. This alert can come in the form of a paper sign, website banner, text message, email, voice message or posting it to Penn State’s timely warning website. However, after spending hours navigating Penn State’s safety and policy websites and running into conflicting or missing information on all of them, we still don’t know if, how or when we will be alerted in the event of a campus threat. In fact, on Sept. 10 at University Park there was a reported sexual assault with an eerily similar description to the timely warnings posted on Harmony Hall’s doors. This University Park incident is cataloged and documented
on timely-warnings.police.psu.edu and is labeled “Possible Threat to the Community, ‘Your Right to Know,’” as are all reports found on this site. And yet, Beaver’s page on the site is sitting blank with no warnings listed. Beaver is among 16 campuses that claim on this website that “there have been no incidents reported,” including the Harrisburg campus, which has more than six times the number of students at Beaver. That leaves us to wonder just how many timely warnings go out across the university that aren’t publicly available to all students and community members. As a university that is taking a stand against sexual assaults and violence, it’s time for us to get on the same page about how timely warnings are sent out. After all, WE CARE. WE ACT. WE ARE.
Use your vote. It makes an impact. Love ’em, hate ’em or just barely tolerate ’em, there are two presidential front-runners everybody knows about: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. How do you feel about those options? Do you know there are two third-party candidates on the ballot? For many Beaver students, this will be the first election that they will vote in, and it is sad that this election is becoming somewhat of a drawn-out joke that the whole country is sick of. But this isn’t a joke; it’s your future and you need to take a stand by voting. During The Roar’s mock election,
30 percent of those polled said that they were not planning to vote in November, even though 89 percent said they’re registered. Now get this: in the mock election, Clinton won by only one vote over Trump. Let us say that again: one vote can make a difference. The next time you want to say that your vote won’t matter, know that you could be the deciding factor as to who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Let’s take this conversation a step further. Do you know what the final four candidates stand for? If the overload of political news seems too much to navigate
through, The Roar would like to recommend a web site to help you: www.isidewith.com/political-quiz. This independent site asks for your viewpoints on hot issues on a scale format and gives you an unbiased answer of which presidential candidate’s stances are most like your own. Voting isn’t a time to be rash or complacent. And you shouldn’t just vote for whomever your parents or your Facebook friends like. You have to consider whose viewpoints align with your own. In a word, you have to think. With Nov. 8 just around the corner, educate yourself and get out there and make your vote count.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor are encouraged and can be emailed to: bmd5296@ psu.edu. Please include your full name, address, email address and cell phone number.
ADS FOR CLUBS Free advertising space is offered to any universityrecognized organization or club to promote upcoming events. The space is limited to one eighthpage ad per club per edition. To reserve space, email The Roar business manager at: mgb5265@ psu.edu.
The content and opinions of this publication reside solely with the authors and not with the Pennsylvania State University or the Penn State Beaver Student Activity Fee Committee.
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
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Penn State Beaver Roar
October 2016
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
Features
Harmony Hall’s three-year plan is finished EMILY R. DIETRICH Staff Writer
erd5208@psu.edu
The three-year plan of renovating the inside of Harmony Hall finally came to fruition this summer for Jeremy Lindner, the director of Housing and Food Services, and his staff. However, more changes are on the way that will hopefully continue to improve students’ quality of life. The overall goal of this summer’s renovations made to Harmony Hall was to improve the aesthetics of its former cream-colored walls and curtains that were original to the building. To give the students more of a “homier” feel, Lindner and his staff decided on new flooring, paint and furniture in the resident’s rooms, study room and lobby. “Students were really positive in feedback,” said Lindner. “Some of what we did with furniture is based off of the suggestions I’ve gotten from students in the past.” The renovations took place between May 9 and Aug 16, which lasted all summer. With a project of this size, there are always unforeseen roadblocks. For Lindner and his staff, there were some issues when trying to remove the previous floors of the hall which ran the project about three weeks behind. “Every week a product runs behind is a week that every project
The Roar/Haley Paul
New furnishing adorns Harmony Hall lobby. The rooms were updated as well with new furniture and flooring.
manager is running behind,” said Lindner. “Three weeks in the summer is a lot of time. But once we got the flooring down, everything moved along.” Due to these renovations, the hall definitely has a different feeling to it, according to sophomore Vanessa Jackson. “I like it better than the old Harmony Hall because, for one thing, everything is new. And also, they really spent a lot of time thinking about students’ needs in the new renovations.” One thing that seems to confuse
a lot of students are the green walls inside their rooms. “It just doesn’t make sense that everything else is mostly Penn State colors and then all of a sudden when you get into your room there’s a green wall,” said Jackson. Lindner has heard the same feedback from students, and he said that he was trying to give the rooms a “homier” feel. “We are trying to make it feel more like a home rather than just a building you live in for a year.” What a lot of students do not
realize is that the recent renovations made to Harmony Hall are not the only changes that Lindner and his staff have prepared. The leftover money from the renovations to the hall is being used to renovate the bathrooms in the Bistro over Thanksgiving break as well as the addition of trim to the staircases in Harmony Hall. In the upcoming weeks, students will also be seeing a new touchpad ordering system in the Bistro. “The hoods of the grill make it hard for the employees to hear the
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orders given to them,” said Lindner. Students’ orders will appear on a screen that the employees can read off of. This way, students can ensure that they are getting exactly what they ask for in a timely fashion, he said. Lindner says he is planning to replace the generator in Harmony Hall between semester break. There are also plans to make an addition to the front of the hall in the near future. “The building was designed to face the other way, so we want to make it seem like the front is actually the front,” said Linder. During the summer of 2017, Lindner hopes to completely renovate the kitchen in the Brodhead Bistro because the staff is still using some of the original cooking equipment. There are also plans to change up the signs in the food court, as well as some of the colors. “The maroon went on in 1998 when they renovated the last time,” said Lindner. He is also hoping to get a new walk-in refrigerator for the staff. “As a student, it’s not something flashy that you see all the time, but it will help us do better service.” The overall hard work of Lindner and staff have not gone unnoticed or underappreciated, according to Jackson. “The staff spent all this time renovating things for us and you can tell that everyone definitely appreciates it.”
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Penn State Beaver Roar
Features
October 2016
Pokémon GO no longer a go at Beaver RYAN LOCKHART Staff Writer
rnl5086@psu.edu
Just as school started this fall, the students of Penn State Beaver had begun to lose interest in the most recent craze, Pokémon GO, due to school work and a lack of free-time. Since its teaser trailer was released last holiday season, longtime and returning Pokémon fans have been dying to take their chance at catching ‘em all. As of July 6, this dream finally came true for many players around the world. This free-to-play mobile game, from developers Niantic, features the ability to literally catch and battle with Pokémon found on your phones using augmented reality. “It uses GPS to know where you are and to spawn in Pokémon,” said sophomore Spencer Myers. When the app says there is a Pokémon nearby, it is up to the player to go out and find it in the real world using their phone, explains Myers. Once they are found, you have to throw Pokéballs at them using your touch screen until they are caught. Factors like using berries, put-
The Roar/Marcus Smith
Shelton Hilliard still occassionally plays Pokémon GO on campus. Although Pokémon GO was a craze all over the country this summer, many Penn State Beaver students and faculty are now over it.
ting a spin on your throw or just being accurate with the Pokéball can increase your chances of catching the wild Pokémon. Players can then use their Pokémon to battle others for control over “gyms” where you can train your
Pokémon, which one of three teams control, said Myers. At the release of the game, most of Pokémon Go’s players were those who had heard about it from social media or from their friends. “I heard it came out from friends
IT fee eliminates need for laptops ALEXANDER D’ITRI Staff writer
avd5623@psu.edu
For students at Penn State Beaver, having their own laptop is not necessary, according to the Frequently Asked Questions page of the Penn State website. Computers equipped with any software a student might need for any class is available in many places around campus. If you are majoring in architecture, graphic design or education, a Mac laptop is considered a class requirement. But for any other major, students are not required to provide their own computers. Director of Information Tech-
nology Ted Froats said students are already paying for the computers provided on campus. “There is no reason to pay for them twice.” All students are required to pay an IT fee each semester – $252 for a full-time student – which helps pay for the computers and other devices on campus. Froats says that with no campuswide requirements and all software provided, he only recommends a personal computer or laptop for commuter students, especially those who cannot spend extra time on campus. Cassidy Terrill, a freshman communication major, said she gets by without owning a laptop by borrow-
ing a laptop from a friend or using computers in the library for all of her work. It is convenient, she said, because she’s a resident and can use the library anytime. Commuter Vincenzo Croce, a freshman information sciences and technology major, said he prefers having his laptop, as it can be used for non-school work as well. “I don’t think it was a necessity, but it is convenient to work on things from home,” said Croce. John Chapin, professor of communications, suggests that students who plan to transfer to a different Penn State campus or another college should check the policies of where they are going as it may be different.
and media, but I was already aware of the game before it released,” Myers said. “It seems that people mostly play because their friends play,” says Myers. When students stopped playing, so did their friends. Michelle Kurtyka, instructor in kinesiology and assistant to the director of Academic Affairs, said she stopped playing Pokémon GO at the beginning of the school year. She said she had heard about the craze on TV, even before her kids had heard about it. “Even though I showed it around, I only knew one other adult who played it.” While it was a massive hit over the summer, most students are no longer taking the time to search for Pokémon. After school started, said Kurtyka, Pokémon GO wasn’t as important to catch Pokémon anymore. “I had too much work to play.” Kurtyka said she did see new students playing during New Student Orientations held over the summer. “They kept using the Pokéstop oncampus and talked about Pokémon nearby as they went to catch them. Yet, I haven’t noticed anyone playing
so far during school,” she said. “Every once in awhile I see someone playing or talking about the game, but it’s rare,” said sophomore Galen Sexton, president of the Game Room Club. The sole Pokéstop on campus can be reached from the Game Room and students used to collect it, but don’t anymore. Most of the loss of interest on campus can be summed up to the lack of things to do in the game at Penn State Beaver. There aren’t any gyms to capture on campus and there is only one Pokéstop, said Kurtyka. “It would be cool if there was a gym here. It’s a pretty significant establishment; there should be one gym at least.” While most students are losing interest in Pokémon GO, players like Myers said they would start playing Pokémon GO again if more updates were released to add new content. Updates are said to be released in the coming months. GameInformer magazine has reported that Niantic will be releasing new updates soon, including things such as trading, trainer battles and new Pokémon.
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
Features
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Students make nature trail come to life NITA WILLIAMS Staff Writer
new5130@psu.edu
On a small campus like Beaver, there are more trees than there are buildings, but sometimes even the crowd of 700 students can be too much. There aren’t that many places to get away and enjoy nature. That all changed this summer. Now there is a place where the air smells fresh and earthy, the sound of running creek water meets your ears, birds fly from branch to branch while squirrels hop through bushes, and you can admire the leaves on the trees changing color. Penn State Beaver added its very own attraction to campus. A new nature trail that stretches from the gym, behind the Laboratory and General Classroom Buildings and all
The Roar/Kate Serna
The nature trail begins at the gym and travels down to the softball fields.
the way to the softball field now lays in the woods on campus. What started as a project for a Sustainability 200 class back in
the spring semester became a reality for sophomore Austin Schorr and juniors Jared Boggs and Julie Worst when the idea for the trail was
approved by Adam Rathbun, director of Finance and Business. The idea was taken to Rathbun by Angela Fishman, instructor of mathematics and sustainability project advisor, and her students. Schorr said the trail was sought so that Beaver could be on the same level as other Penn State campuses that also have nature attractions. The project took the entire summer to complete. Less than a dozen students, both current and past, carved the trail with no power tools of any kind and took on the work with elbow grease. “I’m impressed with how fast we got it done actually,” said Schorr. “Students can now go enjoy the scenery and wildlife.” Fishman commended Schorr on leading the project and making the trail come to life. “For all the stu-
dents involved in clearing the trail, they will leave knowing they left something behind for all future students to enjoy.” Many students have already begun to enjoy the trail. Fishman said that she has found students on the trail who have since volunteered their time to continue maintaining it. Fishman said there’s been some littering and evidence of small fires on the trail. Campus police have been notified. Jimmy Lutz, another sophomore who helped with the project, said, “I hope our hard work will be appreciated. It’s really beautiful.” The nature trail begins by the socalled Walmart trail by the corner of the gym parking lot. As Rathbun puts it, “It’s a good way to get away from everything for a little bit.”
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Penn State Beaver Roar
Features
October 2016
WHITE WATER RATFTING
The Roar/Matt Palahunik
The Outdoors Club sponsored a white water rafting trip to Ohiopyle State Park in September. Some of the students who went were, from left, Erica Sheets, Jordan Kahley, Savannah Cornejo and Elissa Sheets front right.
The Roar/Leanne Kunneke
Sproutz employees prepare wraps for customers to enjoy. Wraps, soups, and salads headline the menu.
Local restaurant sprouting healthy eating options for local patrons TY COLE
Senior Staff Writer wtc5037@pu.edu
“Healthy as you want it to be” is the motto the employees at SoupHerb Sproutz use to get customers to get in the right mood for their food. “That’s how we like it here at Sproutz,” says Manager Tina Lanctot. “We want people to enjoy a healthy, natural experience when they come see us.” The menu consists of meat or vegetable wraps, soups and salads all made with fresh ingredients each day. Most of the menu is priced in the $5 to $15 range. “The Chipotle steak wrap is straight fire. I get it every time I go,” says freshman Scott Hughes. “It’s a very bright, fun and inviting
place to eat. Everyone is really polite and the service is quick,” added Hughes. Freshman Justin Francona said the same thing about Sproutz. “I get the Chipotle steak wrap and it just melts in my mouth whenever I eat it,” said Francona. Sproutz also serves different flavors of veggie chips along with their meals. “The veggie chips are really good to have along with the meal,” Francona said. “They have some flavor along with the sauce you can dip them in.” Sproutz’ opened in the summer of 2015 and has been gaining in popularity ever since. As soon as you walk in, you see green everywhere. It really sets the
mood for healthy eating and enjoying your experience. The inside has a café-type feel to it as people are sitting down either enjoying a view of Beaver or talking to one another. “This was my daughter’s idea,” manager Lanctot said. “She told me there were no healthy places to eat in Beaver County, so she decided she wanted to create one.” Lanctot said they don’t offer a student discount but are looking into it for the future. Sproutz is open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The restaurant, located at 570 Third St. in Beaver, is also looking for college students to join their staff.
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
Sports
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Men’s soccer off to hot start EVAN M. PINCHOT Staff Writer
emp197@psu.edu
Penn State Beaver’s men’s soccer team, looking to defend its 2015 championship, is having a strong season so far and currently sits tied for first place in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. With just two weeks left in the season, the team has an 8-5 overall record, 6-1 in conference play. The team is tied with Penn State Hazelton atop the conference standings with two conference games left against Worthington Scranton Oct. 15 and Greater Allegheny Oct. 19. In its most recent three-game winning streak, Westmoreland County Community College went scoreless over Beaver in a 6-0 victory Oct. 6, Beaver resoundingly defeated Penn State Wilkes Barre 17-0 on Oct. 9, followed by a tight 3-2 win over New Kensington Oct. 10. The team faced a lot of potential challenges including the loss of key
players from last season including leading scorer Marcus Smith and Lamont Wright, both seniors who ran out of eligibility. “It definitely hurt us at the beginning of the year,” says senior Jonathan Pogozelec, who is considered by many of his teammates as a leader both on and off of the field. He said he believes that the team has thrived even with a lot of new additions. Pogozelec said the team has brought in many “skilled players,” and because of this the players have really started to mesh after their first two games, both of which were losses to out-of-conference opponents. “We certainly are a family,” says freshman Zach Petey. Petey has played 10 out of 12 games and started eight, with two goals and two assists. “It feels good to be a part of this team,” Petey said, adding that he was welcomed from the beginning and thinks this has contributed to the younger players’ success.
The Roar/Alexa Di Pietrantonio
Anthony Voss dribbles against a defender in Beaver’s loss to Washington Adventist Sept. 1.
Junior Logan Ridgley said the 10 new freshmen players have “created an entirely new team for us.” Many of these players have gotten their
share of minutes in the game, he said. Another challenge that the team has faced this season is the fact that their head coach, Jim Van Kirk, has
taken the head-coaching job for Beaver’s women’s soccer team as well as the men’s team. Despite his time now being split between two teams, players say it hasn’t had a negative effect. “It doesn’t affect us much at all. He is still very dedicated to us,” Ridgley said. “The only time I see it affecting us is when we warm up before games and he isn’t there to get us prepared because he is coaching the women,” says Pogozelec. Van Kirk is optimistic about his dual role. “It has taken away some of the time, but it hasn’t affected my coaching.” The team has looked very impressive and has met the high expectations players have set for themselves. “Once you go (to the championship), that’s your expectation every year,” Van Kirk said. “Expectations are high.” Ecchoing his coach, Pogozelec said, “We gotta go back.”
Lady Lions look for strong second half of season SAVANA C. GRIGGS Senior Staff Writer
scg5198@psu.edu
After finishing the last season with a glorious Penn State University Athletic Conference championship, the Penn State Beaver women’s soccer team has faced some trials and tribulations this year. The Lady Lions started the season off struggling with the adjustments of having a new coach, Jim Van Kirk, who also coaches the men’s soccer team, and having fresh faces on the roster. However, things may be changing as Beaver’s record improves to 4-8 overall, 2-4 in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. The team celebrated two recent wins against Westmoreland County Community College on Oct. 6 and Penn State
Worthington-Scranton on Oct 9, with a loss to Penn State Brandywine tucked between them on Oct. 8. Beaver easily defeated Westmoreland CCC 6-1 in the second matchup for the teams this season. Senior Jessica Spina scored two goals in the first 10 minutes to start things off right for Beaver, and also scored the team’s final goal of the game. During the 14-4 win against Worthington-Scranton, Beaver scored 10 out of its 14 goals within the first half alone. It was clear from the first few minutes that Worthington-Scranton was struggling. In the head-to-head game with Brandywine, Brandywine dominated Beaver during the first half with great ball control. The stand-out performance for Beaver came from freshman Lauren Banks, who scored a
The Roar/Alexa Di Pietrantonio
Courtney Harden passes against rival Penn State Brandywine Sept. 24.
goal with no assist during the first half-hour in the 3-2 loss Van Kirk has a great outlook for upcoming games. “I think we’re at that point now at mid-season, and I think everything’s kind of flowing,” Van Kirk said. “There were some bumps in the road.
We played a couple tough teams and had a couple hard losses so we should pick up steam here over the next couple of weeks. We should get some wins, so that’ll boost morale also.” Sophomore Courtney Harden says that the return of sophomore Morgan Stillwagon is a big morale
booster for the players. Stillwagon played for the first time Oct. 1 in a loss against Penn State Schuykill since being injured with a tear in her ACL and another injury in her meniscus from last season. “I’m very excited to have her back. I almost cried the first game [she played post recovery],” Harden said. “I think she’s going to come out almost as strong as she has been in the last few years she’s been playing.” Van Kirk said he has adjusted to the dual roles of coaching both the men’s and women’s teams. “It’s hard. Just trying to juggle everything is tough, but I’m so passionate about the sport that it’s something I enjoy doing. My thing is that as long as the effort is being put in by the players, the effort is being put in by me,” said Van Kirk.
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Penn State Beaver Roar
Sports
October 2016
Lady Lions volleyball starts season strong ZACH ULRICH
Senior Staff Writer zau5001@psu.edu
The Penn State Beaver Lady Lions volleyball team is off to a great start in Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) play with a conference record of 8-2 and sitting in third place. The team is on a two-game winning streak and has won four of its last five matches. “This season has been fun, exciting and a little bit crazy,” said junior cocaptain Roxy Kie. The Lady Lions, with an overall 12-10 record, started the season with a tough non-conference schedule, but Head Coach BJ Bertges planned for that to happen. “I think that helped us prepare for conference. [It was a] tough nonconference schedule by design,” Bertges said
The ROAR/Khalia Adams
The Lady Lions celebrate a goal against Penn State DuBois on Sept. 28. Beaver defeated DuBois 3-0.
The Lady Lions started the season 4-5 before heading to PSUAC to play. “Playing a tough non-conference helped us prepare for our conference schedule,” said junior co-captain Julianna Kon. Just when the Lady Lions thought
they had everything going well, they lost one of their key players. AllAmerican junior co-captain Jenna Petrucci fractured her ankle in a 3-0 loss to Butler County Community College Sept. 26. “Losing one of our leaders is hard,” Kon said.
The Lady Lions haven’t skipped a beat, winning four out of five games since the injury. The team includes four new freshmen: Alexis Albrecht, Amanda Mike, Brooke Tomasko and Bridgette Woodford. “They’ve been tremendous,” said Bertges.
The Lady Lions have also had strong play from sophomore Morgan Cannister, Kie and Kon to lead the team in a great start to conference play. First, the Lady Lions battled against rivals Penn State Greater Allegheny, winning 3-0. The team was led by Cannister who had 11 kills and Mike who followed with six. The Lady Lions then played the Kent State Tuscarawas, losing 3-0. Tomasko led with six kills. The Lady Lions will be back in action Oct. 12, when they travel on the road to face Penn State Fayette. The 2016 campaign is still young, but the Lady Lions have a lot to look forward to in the years to come. The team has no seniors on the roster and will have most of their players returning. “Our core group will set the tone and embrace what we want the program to look like,” said Bertges.
Beaver wrestling team gets pinned ROB TRHLIN
Senior Staff Writer
1, 2, 3. Ding, ding, ding. The wrestling team got pinned. Due to few athletes participating and limited success in matches, the Penn State Beaver wrestling team was cut from the athletics program late last spring. The decision was made with little fanfare and kept low key. The announcement was made in April to the handful of wrestlers on the squad, and word trickled around the gym to some other student-athletes. “It was a difficult decision, but after reviewing our initial vision for the program we felt as though the students were not getting the student-athlete experience we had envisioned for them,” Chris Rizzo, director of Student Affairs, said in April. Since the squad became an official part of Penn State Beaver athletics in 2011, it has had the fewest number of wrestlers on a squad in the Penn
State University Athletic Conference. Over the past four seasons, the squad went a combined 9-39 and has never had a winning season. “It doesn’t surprise me. We just don’t have the numbers for a full squad which hurts us on our overall score,” said sophomore Donnie Kerr, a member of the squad last year. Kerr, who is at University Park this fall, said last spring that he has no hard feelings about the squad no longer being a part of Beaver athletics. “It is what it is, and I know I enjoyed my time wrestling for Beaver and hanging out with my fellow wrestlers,” said Kerr. The past few years, the wrestling team has started with enough players for a squad but due to injuries and students becoming ineligible because of low grades, it has ended with fewer than four players in the past three years. This past year the team started their season with six and ended with
Penn State Beaver Athletics
Sean Newkirk throws an opponent during a wrestling match in 2012 during the squad’s second season.
only two wrestlers. Only having two wrestlers compete in a match is not great for the squad’s overall score and brings down the team score dramatically. “The small numbers can really bring down the team’s overall score causing them to not put up the
numbers it takes to have a winning squad,” said Assistant Athletic Director BJ Bertges. Since the team had fewer wrestlers than other schools, it was forced to forfeit matches, giving free points to the opponents. Even with wrestling being an indi-
vidual sport, you need to have more wrestlers to compete and earn a higher score for the squad, Bertges said. “We know we have small numbers and we tried to bring in more wrestlers, but we have not had enough incoming guys,” sophomore Ivan Rodriguez said last spring. Rodriguez wrestled his freshman year. “I wish we still had the squad, but now it gives us a chance to focus on school and our futures,” said Rodriguez. The decision to cut wrestling was made after Coach Carl Yanek began recruiting new athletes for the 201617 academic year. Yanek did not return requests to comment. Rizzo said the athletic department worked with recruits to see if they would like to continue at Penn State Beaver or to assist them with looking into joining other squads like Penn State Mont Alto and DuBois. Editor’s Note: Senior Staff Writer Rob Trhlin filed this article last spring semester before graduating.
October 2016 Penn State Beaver Roar
Sports
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PSU Beaver Athletics/Justin Vorbach
Bryce Hodge protects the goal in the scrimmage against Le Roche.
Forfeits boost Beavs’ record The Roar/Zach Ulrich
Forward Grant Rombold faces off against Le Roche is a scrimmage game Oct. 13 at RMU Island Sports Center. The Fightin’ Beavs played Le Roche after winning a forfeit against Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The Penn State Beaver Fightin’ Beavs started their season with a 2-1 record. The two wins were the result of forfeits by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Redhawks on Oct. 13 and Carnegie Mellon University on Sept. 29.
The team lost 7-0 against Slippery Rock University on Oct. 6. The Fightin’ Beavs will face Carnegie Mellon Oct. 20 and Slippery Rock Oct. 27, both at 9:30 p.m. at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.