April 2017 Roar

April 2017

Penn State Beaver Roar

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

News

Vaping policy causes hot air SAMMY POOLA Staff Writer

spp5259@psu.edu

A recent incident involving vaping on campus has brought issues involving Penn State’s smoking and vaping policy into question.

On Feb. 21, the fire alarm was set off in Harmony Hall at 10:40 p.m.

Sophomore Lauren Hudnall was the resident assistant on duty at the time.

Drawn by the amount of smoke in the area, she found seven students vaping in a dorm room on the third floor.

“When I got upstairs, the entire hallway was filled with this fruity smoke,” said Hudnall.

Hudnall said the students used a plastic container to cover the smoke detector in the dorm room to avoid setting off the smoke detector.

However, the excess smoke from the seven individuals began to overflow into the hallway, where another smoke detector was triggered.

Vaping is allowed in the dorm rooms of Harmony Hall, but not in the hallways.

Hudnall said that the main issue at hand was a violation of fire protocol by covering the smoke detector.

Aside from this incident, the campus community has been very good about following the rules regarding smoking, and more recently vaping, over the years, said Police Chief Anthony Budris.

According to Budris, vaping and smoking both fall under Policy AD-32. This policy prohibits smoking in all university facilities at all locations.

On the Beaver campus, smoking and vaping outside of the facilities must be done at least 30 feet away from the entrance.

While the policy on smoking is consistent throughout all of Penn State, the policy on vaping varies a bit depending on the campus.

“Vaping is sort of up in the air at this point,” said Budris.

While smoking and vaping are considered the same under Policy AD-32, they have unequal restrictions. For example, students are per-

POLICE BEAT

Chalkboards, bulletin boards reported to be vandalized On Feb. 26, a resident assistant reported that someone partially burned a small poster on the bulletin board in Harmony Hall.

Then on March 16, an employee reported that a chalkboard was damaged in the General Classroom Building.

Another chalkboard was reported damaged in the GCB March 27.

University Police have investigated all three incidents, though no charges have been filed.

ODOR OF MARIJUANA DETECTED

Freshman finance major Joshua Paiva smokes from his vape in Harmony Hall.

mitted to vape in their dorm rooms, but smoking in the dorm is prohibited.

Sophomore Jonathon Michalek is a former Penn State Shenango student who now attends Penn State Beaver.

He initially began vaping as an alternative to cigarettes.

Michalek described the Shenango campus as much more relaxed about the vaping policies in place.

At the start of his spring semester in 2016, Michalek said that students were allowed to vape in the hallways of classroom buildings.

Also, there was a partially enclosed smoking shelter located on the campus, so that students could avoid inclement weather.

Through vaping, Michalek was able to go from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day to vaping only a few times a day.

He said that he was able to regain his full sense of taste and smell and rid himself of a persistent cough since he started vaping.

]Also, Michalek cut his initial bill of $150 a month for cigarettes down to only $16 a month for vaping juices and accessories.

The decision to include vaping in the smoking policy on the Beaver campus was made at a Campus Executive Council meeting last March.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Michael Hay was the sole proponent to keep vaping separate from the smoking policy.

Though he personally does not smoke or vape, Hay said he felt that adding vaping to the smoking policy would be an arbitrary violation of students’ rights.

Hay said that the main reason the policy was passed was because Safety and Environmental Health Specialist Brandi Baros referred to documentation that proved that there was a presence of free radicals in vape smoke.

However, the potential presence of these free radicals didn’t concern Hay. He said that free radicals are commonly found in many places,

The Roar/Chris Rotondo

such as the exhaust from cars.

“My wife is sensitive to odors, but we don’t ban perfumes,” said Hay. There is a clear divergence in opinions regarding the decision to place vaping under the smoking policy.

Hay said that Baros was unable to provide him with a copy of the documentation that dealt with this issue.

Baros said that she did not present Hay with the report because evidence of the presence of free radicals in vape smoke can be found with a simple Google search.

According to Baros, the reason she advocated for vaping to be put under the smoking policy is because of the air quality issue it presents on campus.

Baros said that students would vape near Sharon Hall at the Shenango campus and their vape smoke would get sucked through the HVAC system and find its way into her office.

“If it’s enough to set off a fire alarm, it’s more than just water vapor,” said Baros.

An employee reported an odor marijuana outside of Harmony Hall Feb. 28. Another report of an odor of marijuana in Harmony Hall was made March 21. Police are investigating.

On April 2, a campus police officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from a vehicle on University Drive. According to a police report, police also found an underage person drinking in the vehicle. Police said charges are pending.

SOMEONE REPORTED SELLING BOOZE TO MINORS

On March 5, an anonymous caller reported to University Police that a student has been selling alcoholic beverages to students under 21 years of age on Beaver campus. Police are investigating.

SHOES STOLEN FROM LOCKER ROOM

On March 20, a student reported that shoes were stolen from a locker in the locker room in the gymnasium. Police are investigating.

April 2017

News

Penn State Beaver Roar

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Online classes test self-discipline Before entering the non-traditional classroom, be aware of your study habits ALEXEY STERN Staff Writer

ams8317@psu.edu

As online classes become more integrated at Penn State Beaver, students and teachers alike seem to share a very similar concern: proceed with caution.

Although the advantages that online classes have to offer are clear, there are many pitfalls of which students need to be wary.

According to Advising Coordinator Gretchen Samchuck, students should be cautious when thinking of adding an online class to their schedule.

“Students usually take an online class because of its convenience. Students that have other obligations can fit this type of class more easily in their schedule,” Samchuck said.

“It really comes down to self-discipline. Procrastination can really be

a killer for some. I think it is because of how much less direct accountability there is.” Samchuck said.

Her advice for students thinking about taking an online class is to take the course as seriously as you would a traditional class.

“Think strategically about the pockets of time in your schedule and treat the online course as if it was a real class,” said Samchuck.

Student Nick Goodbread, a senior majoring in information sciences and technology, is finishing up his last online class this semester.

As a student who has taken online classes in the past, he likes both traditional and online classes equally.

“What I love about online classes is that you can handle the class however you want, wherever or whenever it suits you best,” Goodbread said.

“On the other hand, I do miss the direct feedback a professor can

only give you in person,” Goodbread added.

Instructor of education Sonya Kitsko, who teaches both in traditional classrooms and through the internet via video conferencing, is a firm believer that the greatest advantage online classes have to offer is accessibility.

“Young students from K-12 to older, unorthodox students who might already be parents now have access to an education that they might not have had before,” Kitsko said.

“But as a teacher, I definitely think that one-on-one human connection is lost and it makes it a lot harder to know if your students are actually learning.”

As online classes will be further integrated into campus life, Kitsko said that she still believes traditional classrooms should be preserved and

valued.

“I just don’t want to see faces being traded in for screens,” Kitsko said.

Morgan Stillwagon, a sophomore, has only taken one online class so far.

“It felt very convenient for my schedule and now I have more time for my other responsibilities such as work,” Stillwagon said.

“I plan on taking more online classes in the summer so that I can work full-time and still have some time for myself.”

But unlike Goodbread, she does have a preference toward traditional classrooms.

“There is so much more interaction and personal experience in a normal classroom. And there is so much less depth to each lesson in an online class. It is also harder to ask questions that way,” said Stillwagon.

Instructor Kevin Bennett, who

teaches two online classes of his own, agrees with Stillwagon’s sentiments.

“Honestly, I think a lot of important information is lost in online classes,” Bennett said.

“When students watch a professor in person try to put together a coherent thought and present a thread of information to students, they learn a valuable lesson on how real people communicate.”

Bennett also said he believes, like Samchuck and Kitsko, that online classes should only be taken with caution.

“Students need to be aware of their own tendencies, habits and patterns when it comes to studying and planning a schedule to get work done,” Bennett said.

“If you acknowledge to yourself that you don’t have much self-discipline, then online classes might not be ideal for you.”

“I feel like they’re not as time consuming as other classes.”

“You need self-discipline in order to succeed in those classes.”

PERSON IN THE BISTRO

How do you feel about online classes?

“I like them due to the fact that they switch up your schedule.”

Alex Mammay

Junior

“I find them more motivating because you use your own motivation to succeed.”

Jonalyn Gormley

Freshman

“If you need help, it’s kind of tough without directly being there.”

Leighton Markus

Senior

Natalie Delgadillo Sophomore

David Kozak

Junior

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

News

“Donna could make you laugh and forget that you were feeling miserable just seconds before you walked through the door.”

Interim chancellor remembered as commited educator, passionate leader

ADAM ESPINOZA Staff Writer

ate5052@psu.edu

After a little more than a year of retirement, former Interim Chancellor Donna Kuga, a long-time campus administrator, faculty member and former student, died March 8 following a battle with cancer.

This was Kuga’s fourth bout of cancer in 18 years.

During her 35-year career she was a kinesiology professor, volleyball coach, athletic director, director of academic affairs and interim chancellor.

Madlyn Hanes, vice president of the Commonwealth Campuses, said at Kuga’s memorial April 2 that Penn State has lost a good friend and strong advocate in Kuga.

“Donna was unwavering in her passion and dedication to the university,” Hanes said.

Kuga has received many teaching, advising and research awards over her years at Penn State, but one of her greatest accomplishments was the creation of the shared Administration of Justice degree program, Hanes said.

Kuga was part of the team that developed the shared academic program among Beaver, New Kensington and Shenango campuses, the first shared program in the university, Hanes said. It is a model that’s continued to be duplicated across the university “Donna was invincible,” Hanes said of her colleague and friend. “You wanted Donna on your team. You wanted Donna to lead your team.

She would never let you down.”

While she was dedicated to her

Penn State Beaver File Photo

Donna Kuga’s sister, Linda Kuga Pikulin, president of PepsiCo Canada, spoke at graduation in 2005.

Penn State Beaver File Photos

Above: Donna Kuga, then director of academic affairs, speaks at the retirement dinner for Chancellor Gary Keefer in 2014. Below: Kuga, a former athletic director and volleyball coach, poses with volleyball players for a photo.

work, Kuga would always make sure to have time in her day for her family and her three Labrador Retrievers, Georgia, Lexi and Martina, said her

longtime administrative assistant Dee Mooney.

“When I first met her, I learned very quickly these were her babies,”

Mooney said.

“If something had to be scheduled, arrangements would have to be made to have someone attend to the girls. Donna was as close to her family as she was to her labs. I admired that about her.”

As a kinesiology faculty member and former athletic director and coach, Kuga maintained her love for the gym and the intercollegiate sports the gym housed.

Kuga was a four-time recipient of the Penn State University Athletic Conference volleyball coach of the year, and reached out to Assistant Athletic Director BJ Bertges when

she took on the role of volleyball coach to help her be successful That is just the type of person Kuga was, Bertges said.

“Donna always remembered everyone she knew,” Bertges said. “If you met her once she would make sure to always say hello next time.”

Hanes said Kuga had a great personality and said she was “magical” in creating laughter.

“Donna could make you laugh and forget that you were feeling miserable just seconds before you walked through the door,” said Mooney.

Everyone that met her had something nice to say about Kuga. She was well loved and respected by so many people.

“She touched the hearts of everyone that crossed her path and I will always remember that about her,” Bertges said.

Roar adviser Daniel J. Pinchot contributed to this report.

April 2017

News

Two take retirement incentive WILLIAM DERRY Staff Writer

wfd5070@psu.edu

At the end of June, Penn State Beaver will say goodbye to two long-time faculty and staff members.

Dee Mooney, a staff assistant in Academic Affairs, and JoAnn Chirico, a senior instructor in sociology, are both retiring as part of Penn State’s voluntary retirement incentive program.

Dee Mooney Mooney, who has worked at Beaver for more than two decades, is a core part of the Academic Affairs office, according to Carey “She really has embraced using techMcDougall, director of Academic Affairs. nology to run the office sufficiently,” said “She is highly skilled and holds a lot of McDougall. information about how this office runs,” “We started using digital signatures said McDougall. “She loves doing what she where appropriate and now when faculty does and it’s hard to see people go who are want to handwrite their signatures, she says, really good at their job.”

‘Oh come on, get on board, we’re using Since Mooney’s role in the Office of Aca- digital signatures in this office,’ so it’s been demic Affairs is so extensive, she has spent great to see her adapt and learn,” she said. a considerable amount of time coming up While Mooney has had a lasting impact with a plan on how to set up the office for on the Office of Academic Affairs, Chirico her successor. has made her mark in the classroom and That plan includes making files more community. accessible for someone who did not make Chirico, who is in her 19th year at Beathem, creating a list of her duties and con- ver, not only teaches sociology and adminisstructing a timeline of when certain things tration of justice, but also leads the campus’ need to get done throughout the year. civic and community engagement minor.

Although technology was not used as “We were one of the first campuses to get much when Mooney started compared to that minor in civic and community engagenow, she has adapted to it and has even ment and I have continued to push it [forhelped others use it. ward],” said Chirico.

JoAnn Chirico

Sophomore Brittany Garza has taken three of Chirico’s courses, including the aforementioned minor, and enjoyed working with Chirico.

“It was a great experience doing service learning with Dr. Chirico,” said Garza.

“I learned that we need to be more involved in our communities and to involve our youth in civic engagement at a young age.”

Chirico has also published two textbooks during her time at Beaver and is working on a third that is scheduled to come out in June.

One thing that she hopes students remember is something that she had said in every class that she has taught at Beaver: inequality is the root of all evil.

Mooney and Chirico will both be missed, McDougall said. “They are [both] extraordinary people.”

Penn State Beaver Roar

Three staffers retire, two new ones hired Three Penn State Beaver staffers have retired, and one new person has joined the staff.

On Feb. 28, the husband-andwife duo of Dave and Diane Hunt retired.

Dave Hunt worked for Penn State Beaver for 35 years and retired as the Physical Plant supervisor. His job was to oversee the maintenance Keller and custodial staff and to maintain the campus building and grounds.

Diane Hunt spent 25 years at Penn State Beaver, retiring from her role as a staff assistant in the finance office. She was often the person at the window to 101 Ross Administration Building who would process payments with students, help them complete their student loan paperwork online and even remind students to get their bills paid.

Raffle A new financial assistant, Johnna Raffle of Raccoon Township, began work April 3. Raffle most recently worked as the head teller at WesBanco in Monaca.

The Physical Plant supervisor position has been posted for applicants, but the interviewing process has not yet begun.

In addition, Annette Keller, the assistant manager of the Penn State Bookstore on campus, retired April 7.

Keller had worked in the bookstore for 17 years.

The new assistant manager is Robin Marchitelli of Rochester. She began work April 3.

Empty soap dispensers, old water filters found on campus GARRETT TROY Staff Writer

glt6@psu.edu

Penn State Beaver’s new soap dispensers, installed over the winter break, are causing some concern because they are running out of soap faster than the service can refill them.

The school installed the new soap dispensers throughout campus over the winter break.

However, many restrooms have been reported by students and faculty as being out of soap.

This is problematic for some stu-

dents and staff, especially those taking an art class in the Michael Baker Building.

“The soap dispensers are new,” said Adam Rathbun, director of finance and business.

“They needed a break-in period.

We keep track of when they run out and who is using them and when they are used,” Rathbun added.

They could run out of soap in a day if the soap dispensers are being used in a high-traffic area, he said.

The art room always needs soap because the students work on multi-

ple projects such as sculpting, pencil drawings and pastels. These projects tend to make your hands dirty, said David Todd, art lecturer.

“We can’t be running out of soap.

It is essential to have soap,” Todd said.

“Back when we had the old soap dispensers, I used to change the dispensers myself,” he added. “It is kind of a pain in the butt. Art classes are very soap oriented.”

In addition to the soap dispensers, there have been reports of filtration stations across campus that have dirty

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filters.

These stations fill water bottles up with filtered water. Students are encouraged to use the hydration stations as a means of reducing the number of empty water bottles that make it to landfills.

There are three colors that are shown at each of the filtration stations: red, orange and green.

“Green means good. Orange means the end of lifespan of the filter and red means the filter needs to be replaced,” Rathbun said.

“The water filtration stations are

visually checked every day and physically inspected once a month,” Rathbun added.

Freshman Ben Sally said he’s only used the filtration stations a couple of times “But when I used it, it was yellow. It really didn’t worry me that much.”

“I think it needs to have more stages instead of three,” Sally added.

Rathbun said maintenance and custodial workers are assigned to monitor the filtration stations, and noted that the filters are changed as often as needed.

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

News

Physician general visits Beaver ISABELLE LORI COOK Staff writer

Izc5052@psu.edu

Dr. Rachel Levine, the physician general of Pennsylvania, came to Penn State Beaver on March 22 to talk about two seemingly different topics – transgendered rights and the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic.

While talking about the importance of LGBTQ rights and health, she also talked about her personal transition and the years leading up to it.

She is the highest-ranking transgender person in Pennsylvania as the physician general, where she works closely with Gov. Tom Wolf who appointed her.

Levine said that she grew up in the greater Boston area where she attended an all-male prep school. She played hockey and was a linebacker on the football team.

She graduated from Harvard and is working as a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine in Hershey. She later got married and had two children. She spent those years as a man named Richard, but she always felt different.

“I felt like I always had this secret, I had this idea that my gender was

“

I felt like I always had this secret, I had this idea that my gender was wrong,”

Rachel Levine

Physician General of Pennsylvania

wrong,” says Levine.

“I had no real way to identify how I felt. So I kept it to myself and lived with it for years.”

Levine had spent 50 years as Richard, and it wasn’t until six or seven years ago that she became Rachel.

She was working for Penn State at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center when she started the transition process.

She talked about how helpful Penn State was in this process. She said the university never questioned her reasoning or if she could still preform in her field.

They never thought about making her leave; in fact, they gave her a promotion.

“I feel that I did have a small impact on the school and the students. I was the adviser for the LGBTQ club at University Park and I gave speeches there as well as at other Penn State campuses, obviously.”

Many students said they were happy to learn about her story.

Freshman Jonalyn Marie Gormley got to meet her after her speeches.

“She was a very lovely person and I liked being able to approach her about her position as well as her opinions on the drug epidemic here in Pittsburgh,” Gormley said.

Sophomores Katie Work and Sarah Foose both said they enjoyed Levine’s speeches. Foose was able to talk to her after the event about a personal story, and Levine was able to give advice on the situation.

During a question-and-answer session, Michael Hay, associate professor of chemistry, questioned why he should change his personal beliefs to conform to hers.

He said that he tries to avoid pronouns when talking to someone who is transgendered because it is hard for him to call someone he knows was born one sex, but now identifies as the opposite sex, by the new name or pronoun.

Levine had a simple response.

“That’s how I present myself, and I’d ask you to respect me.”

She also added how it’s a courtesy to call her by her new pronoun and how she would never ask someone to conform to her beliefs.

The Roar/Daniel J. Pinchot

Dr. Rachel Levine shares her story as a transgendered woman and talks about the heroin and opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania.

Levine talks about heroin and opioid epidemic SHAY BARCHIE Staff Writer

smb628@psu.edu

Dr. Rachel Levine, the physician general of Pennsylvania and the highest-ranking transgendered official in the state, delivered a compelling message to Penn State Beaver students and faculty March 22 about transgendered rights.

Surprisingly she offered an even more compelling talk about tackling the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic.

“The biggest health crisis is the opioid substance, overdoses, hero-

in and prescription pill addiction.

Shockingly, 10 people per day die from these addictions and overdoses,” said Levine.

Sophomore Spencer Myers said the data Levine provided was a real eye-opener.

“The percentages were very surprising. It’s a shame on how many people are affected in this area and in the country,” said Myers.

Levine was appointed to her post

by Gov. Tom Wolf and continues to work closely with him on the drug problem in this state.

She is a professor of pediatrics and

psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey.

The drug problems in Pennsylvania are taking place in urban, suburban and rural areas.

“Southwest Pennsylvania is the worst spot in the country that has this big of a drug problem,” said Levine.

Brenda Schultz, personal and career counselor, said the prevalence of the drug problem in southwestern Pennsylvania is alarming.

“It’s scary because we are a very small portion with a big problem in our area and we live in a large

world,” said Schultz Levine said drug addiction is a condition that needs to be treated.

“Addiction is a medical problem and a chronic medical brain disease,” said Levine.

Heroin seems to be the most dangerous because it is a deadly and powerful drug.

“Heroin is very cheap and it is everywhere. It costs about $5 to $7 dollars,” said Levine.

There is now an online program to help support patients who are addicted to drugs, called the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.

“We also have expanded treatment throughout the state called Centers of Excellence,” said Levine.

There is another treatment, called Naloxone, to help those who are trying to get over their addiction.

“It is available at any pharmacy in the state and I am able to give out a big handful for the state. It can be in a nasal spray or the injections.

The nasal spray is around $100 and the injections are around $4,000.

This treatment does help to save your addiction,” said Levine.

“We have all hands on deck to fix this drug problem,” she added.

April 2017

News

Penn State Beaver Roar

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Updates give gameroom new look MATTHEW PALAHUNIK Staff Writer

mgp5156@psu.edu

The game room has gotten renovated this year and now has a new floor and new furniture.

The game room is located on the lower level of the Student Union Building next to the bookstore.

The room’s update has replaced the old carpet with a brand new flooring as well as new couches with slanted backs, new stands for the televisions and a table with built-in outlets.

Adam Rathbun, director of Finance and Business, said that the room needed an update “[The] flooring [was] old and mildewy” and the room had not been very clean.

He said the room’s ventilation system wasn’t working properly, which was only discovered during the recent renovation.

The vent was accidently closed, causing the air to stagnate and allowing an odor to appear due to lack of circulation.

Rathbun said the renovations cost

New pool table, chairs, wood floor and TV enhances the game room experience for students.

$23,800, including $7,000 for flooring, $12,372 in furniture, $3,786 for a new pool table and roughly $500 to $700 for a ping pong table that has

not yet been installed.

Sophomore Peri Coleman, secretary of the Game Room Club, approached the Student Facility Fee

The Roar/Brittany Jackson

committee in order to get funds for the renovation.

She said the staff were very supportive of this initiative to make the

room better.

Coleman said the updates will allow the room to be kept cleaner.

The furniture is designed to be cleaner, and the club bought cleaning supplies for the room.

The new furniture is also designed to be more comfortable with slanted backrests for better support.

Galen Sexton, president of the Game Room Club, said he is happy to see the room get the update it needs. “[Its] good to have new stuff.”

Sexton said the club plans to move the furniture around to make a completely new room.

Sophomore Adam Woodcock spends a lot of time in the game room. “I love it” and “It is fantastic”, said Woodcock.

He loves the new flooring because it means no more stains which the carpet was plagued by. Woodcock also said, “We can now keep it clean.

Hopefully [it can] stay nice for years to come.”

With the vent now working, Woodcock said how it is much easier to breathe in the room.

Students frustrated about Starfish replacing eLion SAVANA C. GRIGGS Senior Staff Writer

scg5198@psu.edu

Starfish has been slowly invading the emails of every student across the campus, and despite good intentions, there are some students who either don’t know what to make of it, or they do not like it at all.

Starfish has been sending early progress reports to students’ emails since the beginning of the fall semester.

It is supposed to be a student network that helps the communication between the student and the adviser.

Academic Advising Coordinator Gretchen Samchuck said that Starfish is also a tool to help students with resources on campus.

The first purpose is to replace

“

Students will be able to communicate with their adviser and communicate with their instructor and then the adviser can see what the faculty member is saying about the student.”

Gretchen Samchuck

Academic advising coordinator

things that students once had in eLion.

“Right now [Starfish] is maybe not launched in that way yet, because it’s kind of being broadened in phases, so we were using it to replace mainly things that we were missing from eLion,” said Samchuck.

Starfish was also put in place to give more interaction between the instructor and student by way of the progress reports early on within the first three weeks, and then by midsemester being notified if they are doing less then C-average work.

The main goal with Starfish is to be a social world within Penn State.

“Students will be able to communicate with their adviser and communicate with their instructor and then the adviser can see what the faculty member is saying about the student.

So, there’s more of an interrelation between how they can best support the student. It’s a student advocacy for the student,” said Samchuck.

However, students are feeling more of a disconnection than anything else.

Sophomore Jack Haser says that he hates Starfish.

Haser kept getting emails from Starfish that were saying he was in danger of getting less than a C-average in his matrices class.

The only problem he was having with these emails was that he dropped the class a week before it even started.

“They have too many systems going on. I wouldn’t hate [Starfish] if it didn’t try to fail me,” said Haser.

Sophomore Vanessa Jackson is also not a fan. Jackson said that she has tried to use Starfish in the past, but the problem is that whenever she looks up her homepage it would say, “Not Available.”

“There’s nothing you can use it for. If it’s not available, there’s noth-

ing I can use it for,” said Jackson.

Nonetheless, Instructor in English Tiffany MacQuarrie managed to find a great use for it over the summer when she advised new students who came in for New Student Orientation.

“Before, a new student’s consultant would come into a room and chat with a faculty member about the results of the consultation they had with that student,” MacQuarrie said.

“Starfish helped to eliminate that, which made it much more efficient, in some ways, because consultants simply added their notes in Starfish.

So, whenever I met with a student I would just pull up the notes to see what direction I was going to go in when I was advising that particular student.”

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Viewpoints

New era of smoking Vaping should have same restrictions as cigarettes

MANAGING EDITOR Brooke Doerfler

bmd5296@psu.edu

PHOTO CHIEF Evan Pinchot

emp197@psu.edu

BUSINESS MANAGER Brianna Ditri

bbd5033@psu.edu

PAGE DESIGNERS Khalia Adams

ksa5120@psu.edu

Shay Barchie

smb628@psu.edu

Jerilyn Borowsky jab1066@psu.edu

Jeremy Brown

jjb5772@psu.edu

Nick Casasanta nec5137@psu.edu

When we were kids our parents all told us the same things: Pay attention in school, don’t do drugs and stay away from cigarettes because they’ll kill you. But the one thing that many parents didn’t see coming was vaping, and it’s starting to annoy so many people that maybe it should be the next thing to add to that never ending list.

Vaping, inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device, is becoming commonplace in society now and many people have mixed feelings about it.

Some people assume it’s better – healthier – than smoking cigarettes.

Others see it as a means to stopping one’s addiction to smoking. But there are also people who see vaping as a

gateway to cigarettes (or worse). And some believe the chemicals in the vapor being inhaled are as bad as any cigarette produces.

Years ago it was understood that the “rebels” and “burnouts” would pick up smoking cigarettes and nobody seemed to care in most places.

But today, instead of avoiding the people standing around a smoking tower, you run the risk of walking behind a vaper and getting hit with a giant cloud that smells like some sort of terrible candy.

Is it safe, as some people contend?

Or is it loaded with harmful chemicals that can cause incurable damage?

Who really knows?

The worst part of this new craze isn’t the potential health risks that may be involved, it has to be the

annoyance that it causes for people around those who vape.

Everyone has a story of a time they saw someone vaping in the worst imaginable places. It seems like nowhere is safe from these mushroom clouds as bathrooms, classrooms and especially dorm rooms are all fair game.

On the surface, vaping is really no different than smoking: it’s annoying, it’s distracting and it smells bad.

Penn State Beaver is right to keep vaping out of places like classrooms and gymnasiums. But the best advice is for people who vape to be considerate of those around them and simply not vape in public buildings. Nobody wants to walk into a cloud of any kind of smoke while entering a building, or any public place.

Ty Cole

wtc5037@psu.edu

Adam Espinoza ate5052@psu.edu

Tiarra Gordon

tag5361@psu.edu

Savanna Griggs scg5198@psu.edu

Brittany Jackson brj5080@psu.edu

Chris Rotondo

ctr5138@psu.edu

Zach Ulrich

zau5001@psu.edu

ADVISERS Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu

Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu

Get out of your comfort zone Do you remember being in high school and all of the times that people would say “go out and try something new” while you just sat there and counted down the days until graduation?

It’s nice to see that some college students have heeded that advice.

In this issue of The Roar alone, you can read about a Penn State Beaver student who is interning at Disney World, a group of students who went to Puerto Rico on a spring break trip to learn about culture and communication, and still another student who came to Penn State Beaver from Phoenix to find success in Administration of Justice.

If only more students would take advantage of the opportunities around them to explore the world or be all that they can be.

For many college students, these are the most fun and exciting times of your

life where you get to be on your own and make your own decisions. Some students thrive in this new environment and are eager to get out there and explore all the possibilities at their fingertips.

However, for some students staying in their dorm room for 16 hours a day and only coming out to eat and go to class seems to be the norm.

Why would anyone want to do this when there are so many opportunities out there just waiting to be taken advantage of?

At Beaver, just like any other Penn State campus, there are a variety of things that any student can sign up for that most people would kill for. There are students studying abroad in Austria and France.

There are trips to beautiful places like Puerto Rico.

Yet, most would rather stay home and binge watch Shameless on Netflix while

lying in bed.

Some students have become so lazy that they see these opportunities as a hassle that interrupts their daily lives more than it will enrich their future.

Just think, instead of spending a semester in your dorm or at home complaining about how bored you are, you could be exploring a whole different country, studying a new culture or interning across the country – and having all sorts of fun experiences that will last a lifetime.

Your time in college is short. See the value in what is right in front of us.

Some of us may eventually take advantage of this one day and have more to show from our college days than your “Recently Watched” list on Netflix. Get out there and try new things, meet some new people. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone who will help you get a job down the road in your life.

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: bbd5033@ 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.

April 2017

News

Penn State Beaver Roar

9

New IST project will enhance learning EMILY DIETRICH Staff Writer

erd5208@psu.edu

At the beginning of the semester, Ashu Kumar, instructor in Information Sciences and Technology, and two IST students began working on a product that will improve learning and teaching in higher education using voice technology.

A few months into their project, the opportunity arose for them to showcase their idea in a Penn State sponsored competition, and although they did not win, they have gained attention for their innovative technology as well as Penn State Beaver.

The 2017 Open Innovation Challenge, otherwise known as The Penn State Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology, is organized by Teaching and Learning

Ashu Kumar

with Technology, a group that works with Penn State faculty to strengthen their research, teaching and learning.

The symposium is held every year at University Park and centers around

bringing people together to transform education.

There were 40 entrees, and Kumar was one of the five faculty chosen to present his idea at University Park on March 18.

“We wanted to make a voiceenabled class assistant,” said junior Evan McStay, one of the two students working with Kumar. “It will be able to take attendance and grade students on their participation.” In short, the device will be able to distribute points based on the response of the teacher.

McStay and junior Sumanth Sriramoju are no strangers to coding or voice technology. Sriramoju has worked on a similar project utilizing voice technology in IST 402 alongside Kumar and was asked to work on the classroom assistant shortly

Cole, Cepull are Beaver’s new SGA leaders EVAN M. PINCHOT Staff Writer

emp197@psu.edu

Penn State Beaver’s Student Government Association has two new leaders, junior Ty Cole and sophomore Brenna Cepull.

During the week of Feb. 20, SGA held its week-long annual. Students voted to choose a new president, vice president, secretary, and senators for the student government.

Cole, a Roar staffer, and Cepull, brought a lot of attention to the election through their campaigning. The two went as far making a Twitter account to spread the word of their candidacy throughout campus.

Cole, the newly elected president, is a student-athlete who is involved in different campus activities.

“I wanted to get more people doing things on campus, not just with activities but by joining clubs and getting involved as well,” says Cole.

Running alongside Cole was Cepull, another student athlete who is involved in campus activities such as Business Club, Varsity Club, and

The Roar/Evan Pinchot

New Vice President-elect Brenna Cepull and President-elect Ty Cole.

Beaver’s chapter of THON. When asked to join Cole in running for a spot in SGA she was excited to join, as she, too, saw this as an opportunity to get more people involved on campus.

Current SGA President Adele Smith, a sophomore, said she believes that the SGA is going to be welcoming a great group of people for the

upcoming semester. Smith, who will be transferring to University Park next semester, is confident that Cole and Cepull will succeed in their new roles.

“I know both Ty and Brenna have good heads on their shoulders,” says Smith.

According to Student Activities Coordinator Jen Toof, who also serves as one of the co-advisors of SGA, Cole and Cepull seem to be well suited for the jobs they’ve won.

“They’re active student leaders,” says Toof.

Toof said she believes that she has already seen an increase in student involvement through this year’s SGA election. According to her, students should want to get involved every year, not just at particular times, as the student government truly is the voice of the students.

Along with Cole and Cepull, there were also other positions that were voted on in this election. Freshman Siu-Len Navarro was elected as the new SGA secretary while spots for senators were also voted on, but the results haven’t yet been finalized.

after. McStay, on the other hand, was given the chance to work alongside Kumar during the Lions Den competition and became a good fit for helping him with the classroom assistant.

“I did not choose them based on their experience,” said Kumar. “I chose them because they showed a passion for technology.”

Although their project has gained a lot of attention, the work that Kumar and his students have done is no easy feat. Since voice technology is very new, there is not a lot of previous data to go off of. “We have the support of the administration,” said Kumar. “One of the major challenges we face is how we can make it work.”

Along with having to figure some things out for themselves, McStay and Sriramoju have battled fitting

in time to work on the project as students. “I can be very demanding with time,” admitted Kumar. “I’ve sometimes asked them to work entire weekends on this project, but we gain a lot in the end.”

According to Sriramoju, even though the competition is over, they are not done with the project. “We hope to submit it on Amazon first, and then we plan on submitting it to Google.” Although this is only a prototype, Kumar and his students hope to sell the classroom assistant in order to receive grants, which will allow them to work more on the project.

Within the next few weeks, Kumar hopes to meet with McStay and Sriramoju to finalize the product to get it out of the prototype stage. He also hopes to be able to test the application in one of his classes next fall.

Faculty Senate names Work student alternate EVAN M. PINCHOT Staff Writer

emp197@psu.edu

Though she didn’t win a slot as a student representative on the university-wide Faculty Senate, sophomore Katie Work will serve as the alternate student representative to the committee.

Work, a business major, ran for the job of student representative this spring after being nominated

by Senior Business Instructor Dan Smith.

After the results of the election came back, Work was a few votes short of becoming a student representative.

She had lost to Barry Pawloski from Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Matthew Clifford from Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Work said it wasn’t until after the election results came through that David Christiansen, the associate vice president and senior

Katie Work

dean for academic programs, asked Work to serve as the alternate student representative for the committee.

Work is very involved on campus as she is co-chair of the Campus Activity Team, sitting on the Student Activity Fee committee, a Lion Ambassador, peer leader, and a member of the Fightin’ Beavs hockey team.

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Want to write for The Roar?

Join Roar staff in writing the articles, taking the photographs, and designing the paper this Fall.

Earn credits while you have fun, meet new people, and learn the basics of newspaper production.

Contact Dan Pinchot djp114@psu.edu or Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu for more information

April 2017

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

11

Students donate hair for cancer patients ISABELLE LORI COOK Staff Writer

izc5052@psu.edu

On March 24, sophomores Nicholas Pelino and Andrea Blakemore walked into Head Hunters in the Beaver Valley Mall to donate their hair. This was the day they had been waiting for, for more than a year.

This was a special moment for the two friends to share together and they brought close friends to join in on the event.

When they first walked into the salon, stylist Bernice Schotsinger questioned if Pelino’s hair was even long enough. He needed at least eight inches to donate, and they weren’t sure if he had grown it out long enough.

Schotsinger sat Pelino in her styling chair to measure his hair. She sorting his hair into small sections, tying it section with tiny, clear hairbands close to his head and measured with a hair pick. Once she decided that he was good to go, she continued to tie up the rest of his hair.

Blakemore also had her hair measured by stylist Joy Poore the same way Pelino’s was be-ing done.

Seated together, the two laughed as they watched their hair being put into these little ponytails.

Pelino and Blakemore will be donating their hair to Pantene’s program called Beautiful Lengths, which will use it to make wigs that will be donated to cancer patients.

All of this started back in August of 2015 when Pelino decided to grow out his hair, just because he could.

It wasn’t until Blakemore talked to Pelino of her past experience with donating her hair that he decided to grow it with a cause.

Blakemore has donated her hair three times before and loved the experience. “It’s different each time,” she said, adding that she is usually sad to see her hair go, but she knows it’s going to a good use.

Blakemore said she didn’t have any intention of growing her hair

again until talking with Pelino. She also added that her grandmother had passed away last year from breast cancer which further inspired her.

They inspired each other to go on this journey together.

Schotsinger started on Pelino’s hair first, cutting the small sections right behind the hairband. As soon as she made the first cut, the atmosphere changed.

“I can’t believe how short it is!”

Blakemore said of Pelino’s hair.

Only a few seconds after Pelino’s first cut came Blakemore’s. They lit up with excitement as the cut continued and neither could wipe the smile off of their face.

They both kept talking about how different they felt. They explained it as feeling light and free. In less than 30 minutes, both were done.

“It hasn’t been this short in forever,” Pelino said while looking at the mirror.

Pelino had a special reason for donating his hair. His mother passed away four years ago from pancre-atic cancer. Pelino said it was hard for his mom to lose her hair, and remembered how much her wig meant to her. He wanted to give back and help people feel that same way.

Both said the process of growing out their hair was not easy, though Blakemore admitted she was used to it since she’s donated it before.

Pelino said he had a hard time getting used to his growing hair. He was most frustrated with it in the summer, when he liked to put his windows down in his car to stay cool With his long hair, this became difficult and he had to wear his hair up in a ponytail.

He struggled keeping his hair tamed as well. He learned use a flat iron on it, which took him longer to get ready in the morning.

Pelino and Blakemore both said they were excited and proud that they donated their hair together, and neither would have done it without the other.

The Roar/Brooke Doerfler

Top: Stylists Joy Poore, left, and Bernice Shotsinger measure Andrea Blakemore, left, and Nick Pelino’s hair before cutting it.

Bottom left: Blakemore and Pelino smile after their hair has been cut.

Bottom right: Pelino watches as Shotsinger trims his long locks.

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Features

Tour guide Carlos, second from left, gives a history lesson on La Plaza De Armas in Old San Juan to, from left, Juliette Storr, Matt Palahunik, Alexis Sheffield and Will Derry.

The Roar/Brooke Doe

Submitted by The University of Puerto Rico

Above: Students meet with University of Puerto Rico students in their communication classroom.

Right: Doerfler captures a view of Old San Juan from an early fort.

The Roar/Brooke Doe

April 2017

13

Students spend spring break in Puerto Rico Editor’s note: During spring break, freshman Will Derry, senior Brooke Doerfler, sophomore Matt Palahunik and senior Alexis Sheffield joined Juliette Storr, associate professor of communications arts and sciences, on a cultural emersion trip to Puerto Rico. The trip was offered to students in intercultural and film communications courses. The students, all staff members for The Roar, were assigned to submit a journal about their experiences. Below are highlights from the students’ journals.

SUNDAY

erfler

erfler

Penn State Beaver Roar

Submitted by Karen Kackley

Brooke Doerfler, Will Derry, Alexis Sheffield and Matt Palahunik sit on a rock after a short hike to La Coca falls in El Yunque rainforest.

To spend the day in the rainforest was utterly amazing. I have never been more excited to wake up and see one of my dreams become reality.

We went traveling up the mountain into the lush forest and made our first stop at this view that overlooked a huge portion of the island. After taking lots of pictures, we went to a small waterfall where we took even more pictures. We traveled further up the mountain and then hiked to a giant waterfall were people were swimming and having fun. I loved going into the water and going under the falls. We packed up and then visited an observation tower where we got even more breath-taking views.

We traveled back down the mountain and had lunch at a plaza on the beach were I had my first whole coconut drink and it was good. It was starting to rain now so we went back to the hotel in Fajardo and went to bed, excited for what the rest of the week was to bring.

Matt Palahunik

MONDAY

We woke up early to go to the University of Puerto Rico to meet with its communications students.

The campus is beautiful and the conversation was great. We chatted about social media use and how Puerto Rican news is heavily influenced by the government. In addition, we learned about the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, a commonwealth that has not reached statehood. It was eye-opening to say the least.

We headed to Casa Bacardi for a tour. There was a presentation on the history of Bacardi rum and the role it played in the Caribbean during the Cold War, then we saw how rum is made.

It was a great way to learn about local perspectives and the non-textbook history of the island.

Brooke Doerfler

Continued on page 14

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Features

Students enjoy fun in the Carribean Continued from page 13

TUESDAY

Our four-hour tour of Old San Juan with our tour guide, Carlos, included stops at Columbus Square, the castle of San Cristóbal, La Casa Estrecha, which is the smallest house in the world, the cathedral of San Juan Bautista and Hotel El Convento, a luxury hotel. While touring the distinct and vibrant streets of Old San Juan, Carlos not only provided us with in-depth information about Puerto Rico’s history and oldest settlement but also shared his perspective about the tropical island.

Following the tour, we ate lunch at Patio De Ana, which was near the cathedral of San Juan Bautista.

Will Derry

WEDNESDAY

Carlos returned the following day as our guide for our cultural daytrip to the city of Caguas. We began the tour downtown where we visited the old Mayor’s office, the museum of Popular Arts, the Sweet Name of Jesus Cathedral, the Herminio Torres Grillo Tobacco museum, the house of Carlos Manuel Rodriguez and the Composer museum. Before strolling through Caguas’ beautiful Botanical garden later in the day, we ate lunch at Lechonera Los Amigos, Carlos’ favorite place to get authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. I ordered the pork with rice and beans and a sweet potato and it was delicious.

Will Derry

THURSDAY

Today we were back in Old San Juan for the entire day. Dr. Storr spilt us up into two teams for a scavenger hunt around the city. It was Matt and Will against Brooke and myself. We had to interview locals on their culture. As Brooke and I were running on the blue cobblestone road, we came across four parrots. I couldn’t resist, so I stopped to take pictures with them. I even kissed one on the lips! It must have been good luck since we won the hunt.

Later that night we had a private tour around the city. To see Old San Juan lit up at night was breathtaking. I will never forget this experience.

Alexis Sheffield

FRIDAY

We finally made it to the beach!

After sleeping in a little, we headed to Seven Seas Beach on the northeast coast. It was the most perfect weather of the whole trip. The sky was clear, the water was warm and the beach was mostly empty. Almost four hours passed while Matt, Will, Alexis and I splashed around.

For our last meal together, we went to a fabulous dock-side restaurant near the hotel. We talked about what we liked during the trip, what we would have changed and shared many laughs as we thought about the week. It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

Brooke Doerfler

The Roar/Brooke Doerfler

Top: On the final day, the students and Storr spend the day at Seven Seas Beach.

Above: Before dinner on their last night, Brooke Doerfler, Matt Palahunik, Juliette Storr, Alexis Sheffield and Will Derry took a group photo with the view from their hotel in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Left: During the cultural scavenger hunt on Thursday, Alexis Sheffield stopped at a street vender to play with some parrots in Plaza De Colon in Old San Juan.

April 2017

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

15

The happiest intern on Earth Sophomore Taylor Myers is spends her semester interning at Walt Disney World in Orlando TY COLE

Staff Writer wtc5037@psu.edu

Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

This quote stuck with sophomore Taylor Myers as she was applying for internships and jobs around the country.

“Growing up, I dreamt of working for Disney and being able to work at a place so magical as this one,” said Myers.

Myers is now doing an internship for Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

“I first heard about the program through my best friend’s older sister who had applied a few years ago,” Myers said.

“Around 40,000 students apply every year and only 4,000 are accepted,” Myers said.

And she was one of the lucky 4,000 of those who were accepted.

“I’m so in love with it,” said Taylor of her Disney internship.

“It doesn’t feel like a job; I don’t feel like I’m going to work. I get paid to make magic everyday for people around the world.”

Her job lets her interact with so many people daily, but of course there is always going to be a twist with a job at Walt Disney World.

The Roar/Ty Cole

Taylor Myers poses in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World.

Myers is in the merchandising department, but at Disney they call it “merchantaining” because of the heavy emphasis on entertaining guests even while selling them products.

Taylor’s mornings start like clockwork from day to day. Her normal day has her waking up at 4 a.m.

She takes the Disney employee

shuttle to work at one of the four parks, then works a 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. shift.

She works five days a week on eight hour shifts.

“I have to interact with guests a lot of the time,” Myers said. “I get to play with toys, sell stickers and just interact with guests.”

“One cool piece of my job is par-

ticipating in the Disney lingo used all over the parks,” she added. “We use different lingo to help preserve the magic.”

If Myers is working in a Star Wars store, she greets her guests with “Hello, Jedis!”

“Stuff like that just makes me smile,” she said.

Myers said her work is just fun. “I love going to work because it’s not actually work to me. I love having fun and being able to make peoples day on a daily basis,” she said.

“The sky is the limit with these kind of internships,” said Brenda Schultz, Penn State Beaver’s personal and career counselor.

Schultz said every experience helps prepare students for their future profession.

“Just practicing your skills, gaining surface knowledge on a job and learning along the way can be a great experience for students looking into their future,” said Schultz.

Sophomore Nick Pelino is also interested in doing the Disney internship.

“I applied for the internship and I’m currently in ‘submission’ which is basically me waiting for them to decide if I get the position or not,” said Pelino.

Pelino has always loved Disney.

He has a Jungle Book shirt that he’s very proud of and even wears Woody shoes like those in Toy Story around campus.

“My mom got me going to the parks when I was little and its always been a huge part of my life,” he said “I want to meet new people and network with different people from around the world.”

Myers also said one of her favorite parts of the internship is the networking piece.

Myers realized that it is a small world after all because she has met individuals and new friends from every part of the world.

“Meeting so many people and the networking opportunities this job has brought me is unbelievable. I have friends from New Zealand, Japan, just all over the world. It’s truly a wonderful experience.”

Myers said she had a few tips for students applying or trying something new. “Be enthusiastic, be yourself and have confidence.”

Taylor officially completes the internship May 25.

“I strongly encourage everyone to apply for this internship,” Myers said.

“Being here is such a blessing and I’m thankful for the opportunity of being here,” Myers finally adde

First college grad in family finishes as Phoenix police officer HALEY PAUL Staff Writer

hxp169@psu.edu

Students overcome adversity with classes all the time. A lot of them may have circumstances that may lead to obstacles on their way to graduation.

Senior administration of justice major Albert Araiza Jr. faced obstacles and paved his way to success.

And as graduation awaits Araiza in May, he’s proud to boast that he’s already gainfully employed as a

police officer in the city of Phoenix, Arizona.

Araiza traveled from his home in Phoenix to enroll at Penn State Beaver in the fall of 2013.

While at Beaver, he finished all the classes he needed for his degree, except his internship.

The Phoenix Police Department took him on as an intern where he completed 20 weeks of training and has now been working as a policeman for the Phoenix PD during the 2016-17 academic year.

Utilizing the credits from his police training to complete his Penn State degree turned out to be a difficult task.

“The police academy can transfer 7.5 credits towards electives and they needed to be finalized before they came to Penn State,” said Mari Pierce, associate professor of administration of justice.

Pierce explained that a number of students enroll in the police academy while working on their degree and receive part-time work while being a

full-time student.

Araiza was just five credits short of getting his degree. Since November 2016, his credits from the Phoenix Police Department have been.

Araiza has been in constant contact with Beaver to ensure that he will meet the graduation requirements for May. “I felt like it sucked because I was so close to my degree, putting in all this work just to come up short,” said Araiza.

While you can go to the police

academy to become a cop, people go to college to better their career for the future.

“He is probably the most hardworking kid I know on this campus.

Everything he ever said he was going to do, he did. He was very dedicated,” said friend and old teammate, sophomore Ryan Onderko.

Fortunately, Albert’s credits transferred and he will graduate in May. “I’m excited. I’ll be the first in my family to graduate college,” said Araiza.

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Features

Tull theater brings entertainment to Sewickley

CHRIS ROTONDO Senior Staff Writer

ctr5138@psu.edu

Are you looking to have a fun time without going into Pittsburgh? Do you like going to the movies but are tired of the giant multiplexes? If so, The Tull Family Theater may just become your new favorite hangout spot.

Located at 418 Walnut St. in the heart of Sewickley, The Tull Family Theater is a new, independent, nonprofit theater that houses two screens and a wide variety of cinema.

The theater is named after sponsors Thomas and Alba Tull; Thomas Tull is the founder and CEO of Legendary Pictures, as well as a part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“With [the Tull], we’re able to bring new films as well as independent and arthouse cinema to Sewickley,” said Karen Ferrick-Roman, director of communications and education at the theater. “Even if you have the time and money to go into Pittsburgh for a cinematic event, there is nothing like that that is accessible in the northwestern Pittsburgh region.”

The theater is owned and operated by the Village Theater Company, a

The Roar/ Chris Rotondo

The main theater is intimate with 169 seats, a state-of-the-art sound system and a 34 by 14 foot screen.

nonprofit group that was organized to create the theater. The group’s board of directors helped in securing donations for the theater, as well as locating a spot for it to be built.

Ferrick-Roman, who is a former Penn State Beaver adjunct faculty member and former journalist at the Beaver County Times, said that the nonprofit was “something great to become a part of.” “With this theater, a group of leaders came together and said, ’How can we make this happen?’” Ferrick-Roman said.

In addition to housing two screening rooms, the theater is also home to The Esmark and Bouchard Family Community Room, a soundproof space designed for art galleries as well as performances, events and private rentals.

“The space was designed as a way to give back to the community,” said Tim Hadfield, a member of the theater’s board of directors. “Among other things, we want to provide local Pittsburgh artists with a space to showcase and sell their work.”

After years of planning, funding and preparation, the theater opened its doors in mid-February.

In addition to showing new mainstream films, such as “Beauty and the Beast,” the theater also showcases documentaries and independent, family, arthouse, foreign and classic films.

The theater also offers monthly programs, such as Classic Tuesdays, a series showcasing both Hollywood and international classics that takes place on the first and third Tues-

day of each month. Upcoming films in this series include “Singin’ in the Rain” and Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon.”

The Family Fun series takes place on Saturdays and offers films for the whole family, such as the Harry Potter series.

The Cultural Screenings series showcases music, dance and art from around in the world.

The theater also works with local schools to provide educational programs for students of all ages.

“The theater sounds right up my alley,” said Katie Work, a sophomore business management and marketing major. “It’s always a better experience to see something on the big screen.”

Ferrick-Roman hopes that the theater provides an educational experience for people of all ages, as well as a sense of community and belonging.

“We are only here because of support from local groups, families and individuals,” Ferrick-Roman said.

Tickets typically cost $11 for adults, but Penn State Beaver students can receive a discounted rate of $8.75 with their student ID. Ticketing information and show times can be found on the theater’s website at thetullfamilytheater.org.

Goodbye Beaver campus, hello World Campus ZACH ULRICH

Senior Staff Writer zau5001@psu.edu

Jen Toof, residence life and students activities coordinator, will be leaving Beaver after the spring semester.

After four years in her current role, she has accepted a position with Penn State’s World Campus, Penn State’s online college.

Toof has been involved in a lot on Beaver campus. She works in the student activities suite and lives in Harmony Hall.

She has a split role here at Beaver.

In the residence life job, she is in

charge of community building, getting students involved in activities and building student relationships.

In her student activities role, she is involved in leadership development and student activities.

Part of her job includes all the activities that takes place in Harmony Hall and to hire and oversee the resident assistants.

Recent Penn State Beaver graduate Maura Francis was a resident assistant in Harmony Hall for two years and worked with Toof for both years.

“My first year as a resident assistant was Jen’s first year as the coordinator, so it felt like we were both

The Roar/ Brianna D’Itri

Jen Toof plays a game of pool in the game room in Harmony Hall.

adjusting to our new roles together.

Jen was very supportive in both roles and did her very best to help us reach our goals as student leaders,” said

Francis.

Toof said she will miss working with Beaver’s students, many of whom she’s grown quite fond of.

“I’ve been with family from students to colleagues. Everyone picks each other up and that is somewthing I will miss,” said Toof.

Associate Director of Student Affairs Amy Gartley said Toof will be missed.

“Jen brought so many new things to the table,” said Gartley.

The question is, what is next for Toof?

She will be moving on to World Campus where she will be the assistant director of student conduct and outreach to the students at World Campus. She will live at University Park.

April 2017

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

17

The spotlight is on you

Cellar Dwellers use improv to entertain students RYAN LOCKHART Staff Writer

rnl5086@psu.edu

Imagine a dark room with its only light coming from the stage. It’s Monday and your classes are over, you’ve come for one thing: The Cellar Dwellers.

On March 20, The Cellar Dwellers, an improv group based in Rochester, came to Penn State Beaver for a Game Room Club event.

After entering the Student Union Building auditorium, the Cellar Dwellers began preparing for their show on stage.

Suddenly the people on stage begin to introduce themselves. After a round of applause, the first of many skits began.

“It was originally my idea to bring them here,” said Zach Buerkle, a sophomore member of the Game Room Club. “I suggested it to the Game Room Club and we discussed doing it.”

Buerkle explained that he knew the Cellar Dwellers wanted to do a show outside of their usual area, and he wanted to bring something here that he was interested in.

The Cellar Dwellers also applauded audience participation. Before the show, they put out a bucket and paper for you to suggest future ideas

The Cellar Dwellers performs a skit on the stage in the SUB auditoium on March 20.

for a skit in their show. During the show, the suggestions of audience members could be heard as the Cellar Dwellers asked for ideas, places, events and things from the audience.

One of their first sketches of the night had three audience members go out of the auditorium, while the audience decided who each of them

would be. The game was a talk show, where none of the guests knew who they were and must guess their identity at the end based on hints from the questions they are asked. Each participant guessed their character: Kermit the Frog, a beach and a gold tooth.

The Cellar Dwellers asked for a

The Roar/Evan Pinchot

participant from the audience to come up on stage and participate against one of their own in a guessing game. Sophomore Spencer Myers volunteered and the show was on.

The Cellar Dwellers acted out different topics from singer Cher to Disney World, eventually leading to Myers winning, filling the room with

roaring applause.

“It was exciting to go up on stage.

I’ve participated at one of their shows in the past, and it’s really fun to get on stage with them,” said Myers, who won a Taco Bell gift card for winning his game.

Later, the Cellar Dwellers called for two more audience members to come up for a new skit. The sketch was for each to move one of the performers on stage while they act out a scene. Among the chosen audience members was Buerkle.

“It’s always a little nerve racking to go up on stage,” said Buerkle. “I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, but it was in front of my friends so it was fun.”

The event was very successful in raising $60 for the Beaver County Humane Society and collecting a box of donations including treats and food for the animals. “We really hope we can do it again, or at least promote people to go to their show,” said Buerkle.

When the show ended, the Cellar Dwellers took to the stage to thank the audience. They expressed their interest in coming back again, and with that the show was over.

The Cellar Dwellers preform every Friday evening at the Beaver Valley Bowl in Rochester.

Beaverfest wants you to celebrate semester’s end NICK CASASANTA Staff Writer

nec5137@psu.edu

BeaverFest offers a number of different fun and free activities here on campus as the spring semester is winding down.

The theme of BeaverFest this year is blue and white, and the festivities run from Wednesday, April 19 to Friday, April 28.

BeaverFest kicks off April 19 with

a spring health event that includes massages from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

April 20 is Harmony Hall appreciation night where there will be lip sync battles from 8 to 10 p.m.

April 21 is the Earth Day festival during the day and a bonfire and sport court games with glow sticks kicking off at 8 p.m.

April 23 is the Student Government Association cardboard city in Beaver at 7 a.m.

At noon on April 24, there will be a lion bench party where people are invited to take pictures at the new Nittany Lion bench. There will be pizza, drinks, music and free T-shirts.

On April 25, there will be stuff-aplush with possible volleyball at the sport court from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. pending the weather.

April 26 will be the research fair, called the Undergraduate Exhibit in the SUB Lodge. There are no events

scheduled for April 27.

Senior Jake Debo said he’s looking forward to BeaverFest again this year.

“BeaverFest was a great way for me to relax and relieve some stress that came with finals week last year.”

BeaverFest will wrap up activities on April 28, which is when to wear your favorite Penn State attire. There will also be an outdoor movie at 8 p.m. behind Harmony Hall, sponsored by the Business Club.

Jen Toof, residence life and student activities coordinator, said BeaverFest is a nice distraction during the crunch of the end of the semester.

“The goal of BeaverFest is to provide students with a break from studying and finals with stress relief opportunities,” she said. Toof’s favorite part is seeing all of the students come together and celebrate as the semester comes to a close.

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Features

Michael Baker after dark Building used for late-night studying and social life

NITA WILLIAMS Staff Writer

new5130@psu.edu

The newly renovated Michael Baker Building holds a number of classes during the day, but many classroom lights are still on after most everyone has gone home.

If you were to walk through the MBB at 10 p.m. on a weeknight, you are more than likely going to see students scattered among the computer labs, IST and engineering-design rooms, but they aren’t all studying.

The distractions and lack of motivation set in, and students start rationalizing work time and play time.

Freshman student Jeremy McGovern is most likely to be found doing physics homework or serenading his peers while playing guitar.

Sophomore Nicole Chemini said, “We once dumped 250 bouncy balls over the railing and into the downstairs hallway in order to test the coefficient of restitution. Wink, wink.”

A coffee pot is used at all hours to satisfy students’ caffeine needs. Naps are frequented on the downstairs hallway furniture or on beanbags that make their home under tables in the Edesign room.

When asked what happens in the MBB after dark, sophomore Nick Beier responded with, “It’s mostly depression and (messing) around.”

If you are caught sleeping or doing something ridiculous, it is likely that you will get your picture taken which will later be edited into an original meme by freshmen Nick Finch and Shaun Manatt.

Watching YouTube videos and playing video games with classroom projectors is a popular way to destress after long nights of strengths and

The Roar/Brooke Doerfler

Above: Quintin Lemashane, Peter Poplos, and Matt Makarczyk work on the computers.

Far right: Quintin Lemashane has dinner while working on homework with classmates Peter Poplos and Matt Makarczyk.

Near right: Joey Mucha works out equations on the whiteboard.

physics homework.

Junior Matt Makarczyk provides his peers with hard rock or country music playing just loud enough to drown out whatever thought process they had going on beforehand.

Trips for food become necessary, but the lateness of the hour means that the doors to the MBB will be locked upon return. Students pass

the time waiting for their peers to let them back inside by staring at the jug of milk by the door and wondering who turned it upside-down.

Students can also be found bowling in the hallways with a jumbo set of plastic pins for toddlers.

“We even got [Assistant Professor of Physics Leo] Takahashi to play with us once. He bowled the first

strike,” said sophomore Dominic Fontaine.

It’s not uncommon for chess challenges to be issued and battled out on a chess set made in the 3D printer.

Janitor Bob Harker attempts to keep up with the daily trash accumulation by the students and criticizes their lack of cleanliness, telling them

they will bring ants into the building if they aren’t more careful.

Most of the students who regularly stay to work in the Michael Baker Building are engineering majors.

Sophomore education student Adele Smith said, “I avoid the MBB when I don’t have a class because it feels like the engineers’ domain and I’m trespassing.”

April 2017

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

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Undergraduate exhibition to focus on student work JORDAN DAVIS Staff Writer

jed53@psu.edu

The Roar/Shay Barchie

Juliette Storr teaches business communications in the Michael Baker Building. Storr is producing a documentary on gender equality in the Bahamas with the help of alumnus Dante Massey.

Storr’s documentary tackles gender equality in Bahamas

SHAY BARCHIE Staff writer

smb628@psu.edu

The Bahamas is a gorgeous and warm place to be, but it’s not problem free.

Gender equality is a major problem in the Bahamas. That is why Associate Professor of Communications Arts and Sciences Juliette Storr, who is from the Bahamas, wanted to make a difference.

Storr has created an inspiring, two-hour long documentary called, “So, You Think You is Women, Hey?” It is based on gender equality, discrimination, the pay-equity issue and gender mainstream in the Bahamas.

“The documentary is about balancing males and females and developing relationships,” explains Storr.

Her main goal is to touch the issues of gender violence and the social economic issues. She wants to help people understand the challenges and problems in society.

“This is a major problem and it needs to be fixed, so I felt that it was best to make a documentary because there are a lot of visual learners, and it will help them understand the issue a lot easier,” said Storr.

Storr didn’t do this alone. She invited communications alum Dante Massey to join her on this adventure just two weeks after graduation, and he didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Massey is her videographer, and he has enjoyed this experience every step of the way. “This is my first gig in video after graduating in 2014, and it has been nothing but a fantastic learning experience. She has been such a joy to work with,” said Massey.

Storr got into doing this documentary because she saw this issue throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

“I wanted to do something different and engaging since the Bahamas are against gender equality,” said Storr. “This documentary will help

the global conversation.”

So she decided to start that conversation by entering her documentary in the Pennsylvania Film Festival Camra in March in Philadelphia. She will also be showing her documentary here at Penn State Beaver in the fall, in the Bahamas, and at the new Tull Family Theater in Sewickley.

Senior Brooke Doerfler, The Roar’s managing editor, works closely with Storr in her public relations classes. “Dr. Storr is so powerful, and she has a lot of experience in so many fields that its very inspiring,” said Doerfler.

The documentary is not the only current project for Storr. She will also be taking a trip to China this June to teach various subjects to their students for five weeks. While she’s there, she plans to travel a little as well.

Storr has also written a book that took 10 years to complete, called “Making Caribbean News Relevant, Comprehensive and Independent.”

Racing heart, sweaty hands and tapping feet are things students experience right before a big presentation in class. Imagine having to go to another state to present in front of a conference full of strangers who are working professionals nonetheless.

That is what seniors Allison Crouse and Nicole Long had been preparing to do for the International Academy of Business Disciplines 29th Annual Conference in New Orleans April 6-8.

They presented their research, “Facebook: An effective tool for small business marketing?”

Students and faculty on campus will have a chance to experience Crouse’s and Long’s presentation when they deliver it again for the upcoming Undergraduate Exhibition held on campus April 26.

“I’m excited for the students on campus to hear about our research,” says Crouse. “I think it makes it interesting that we actually went out to talk to these businesses instead of just surveying students on campus.”

Their research is on small businesses and how they advertise, especially in regard to social media.

They focused on about 50 small businesses in Beaver County. With their research, they wanted to find out how they advertised and what type of advertising small businesses thought was more effective.

“We wanted to see how they advertised their business and if they advertised through Facebook, did they think it worked,” Long said.

Undergraduate Exhibition presentations will take place in the Student Union Building Lodge and oral presentations will be held in

SUB Room 16.

The awards ceremony will be held after the last oral presentation in Room 16.

Faculty organizers welcome all students to submit work in three categories: creative activity, engaged scholarship and research.

For the creative activity, students will be able to submit creative forms like writings, videos, twodimensional art, three-dimensional art, technology or digital design.

Engaged scholarship forms will contain community service or an engaged learning project.

Research is where students will be submitting a research project completed in the following categories: arts and humanities, science, math, technology and social sciences.

Each student participating in the exhibition will have a faculty sponsor.

Senior Instructor in philosophy Irene Wolf said she is passionate about this exhibition.

“That’s what the exhibition is all about, to highlight all the wonderful things students are doing on campus. It’s the capstone of academics.”

Students are encouraged to take part in the Undergraduate Exhibition and to attend in order to support fellow students.

“Sometimes students don’t think they can do this, but they’re surprised and then they win,” Wolf said. “It makes your heart warm when you see that.”

Crouse said that she is excited to be a part of the exhibition.

“I think it’s important to find out what people are working on and to see what other majors are able to accomplish while they are here.”

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Features

Campus welcomes Snapchat with takeovers MOLLY VERONE Staff Writer

mev5149@psu.edu

Penn State Beaver has recently joined the realm of Snapchat.

Director of Public Relations April Johnston created the Snapchat with the help of senior Brooke Doerfler with the hopes of reaching students where they are already spending their social media time.

Johnston said Snapchat was used most among students compared to other social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram which the campus is already connected on.

Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows one to send videos and pictures to someone else that will disappear in a matter of seconds and can also be used for messaging.

“We thought it would be a good way to stay connected with the students and to let them know what is happening. Some students do not regularly check their email, but we know they use Snapchat daily,” Johnston said.

On Snapchat, the social media team posts different stories for certain days of the week. On Mondays, there is a “what’s happening this week” Snap Story sent out.

Then on Tuesdays, it is “take over Tuesday.” Each Tuesday Johnston will have a different student take over Beaver’s Snapchat for the day.

So far, sophomores Nicholas Pelino and Adam Martinez have taken over.

Both said they had a blast having it

for the day.

“The best part of taking over the Snapchat for the day for me was being able to fully document my day, and having other Penn Staters see what the day in the life of another student is like,” Pelino said.

Martinez said his favorite part was going around to different offices on campus. “It was fun putting staff on the Snapchat and teaching them more about it.”

The Snapchat account was given to Doerfler while she and other students were in Puerto Rico over spring break on a study abroad trip.

Doerfler posted daily pictures and videos of the adventures of her and her fellow students.

“I loved having the Snapchat in Puerto Rico,” said Doerfler, who is managing editor of The Roar. “Partially to be able share with students what we were doing and to spark interest in students to study abroad.”

Freshman William Derry, also a Roar staffer, went on the Puerto Rico trip too.

“I liked having the Snapchat,” Derry said.

“One of the administrative assistants from the Academic Affairs office, Dee Mooney, said she was watching our trip the whole time through Snapchat. It was awesome that our staff and faculty could see what students were doing over break.” Derry said Mooney said it was fun to watch the trip and see the places they vis-

The Roar/Brooke Doerfler

Left: Students enjoyed Puerto Rico’s Geofilters during their spring break trip. Right: Brooke Doerfler and Alexis Sheffield snap a photo while walking with two students from the University of Puerto Rico.

ited in Puerto Rico.

“I even sent them a message using Snapchat while they were there,” Mooney said.

Beaver’s account is not the only friend Mooney has on Snapchat, though.

“Heck no. I have all kinds of friends on Snapchat,” she said.

Students can also participate in games through Snapchat. So far, they

have done puzzle games.

Doerfler is the one behind the Snapchat during the games.

She sends out a snap saying to find a hidden emoji in the picture. Once the followers find the emoji, they screenshot it, circle it and then send it back to her to be featured on the campus story.

Freshman Alexander D’Itri follows the Snapchat. He said it is an easy

way to stay informed, but he likes it more for the entertainment.

Students can easily add Snapchat, since there are fliers all over campus with a Snapcode on it.

Currently Beaver’s Snapchat has about 70 friends, according to Johnston. She said since she just started it, she is happy with that number for now. She hopes to see it continue to gain friends.

University to create new Mental Health Hotline to help in crisis JERILYN BOROWSKY Staff Writer

jab1066@psu.edu

Penn State is in the process of creating a Mental Health Hotline and it will come with a new $4 mandatory fee.

When this program up in running, it will function as a 24-hour hotline that will serve campuses across the university.

Christopher Rizzo, director of Student Affairs, said that this program

would provide immediate response for students who are in crisis and in need of counseling.

He said that this support will not only benefit students but can also help faculty, staff, friends, parents and family member as well.

This hotline is designed to support troubled students and those around them who are hurting. The hotline will be run through the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park.

“I think it can be a good tool and support to directly respond to students in crisis and to help Penn State community members assisting students experiencing concerns,” Rizzo said.

Sophomore Adele Smith, the Student Government Association president, said that the mental health hotline fee for students was originally set at $15, but it was lowered after student leaders opposed the steep fee.

Smith also said University Park’s

class of 2016 started the movement behind this hotline by establishing an endowment to support Penn State’s Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.

An assessment is supposed to take place during the summer to identify what additional needs that each campus will have.

Some students like sophomore Laura Savoldi aren’t quite sure what kind of changes that this hotline will bring. She is not sure what this

hotline will provide for the students along the lines of being able to give the student advice.

If the hotline employees are able to give students the advice they need, it can help in the long run, Savoldi said. Yet if the hotline isn’t able to give any advice, it could possibly hurt in the end.

“I don’t know anything about it, but psychiatrists are hard to find, and hopefully the hotline can help someone,” she said.

April 2017

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

21

Vic’s Oven serves up unique pizza for a low price NICK CASASANTA Staff Writer

nec5137@psu.edu

If you’re looking for a great deal on some good quality and unique pizza, Vic’s Oven has some outstanding food.

Vic’s has been open for a little over a year and is located about a 10 minute drive from campus at 212 Bridge St. in Bridgewater.

The pizza shop is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Owner and Founder Vic Stahl said business is good.

“I am very happy with the success I am having, but with every new business comes growing pains,” Stahl said.

One such growing pain is that, at the moment, Stahl is the only driver to deliver pizza.

Vic’s limits delivery to within 10 minutes of the shop.

“I hope to get a few more drivers in the future and be able to expand the boundary of our delivering to

reach a larger area,” he said.

But it’s definitely the quality of the product, coupled with the affordable price, that keep’s Vic’s customers coming back.

A 10-inch round pizza is $7.50 and a 14-inch round pizza is $11.50.

There are three groupings of toppings ranging from an additional 50 cents per topping to $3.

All of the specialty pizzas are $10.50 for a 10 inch and $17.50 for the 14 inch.

Vic’s also has a number of specialty pizzas, including Hunky-Alley which is a white pizza with mozzarella cheese with caramelized onions, kielbasa, fried potatoes and cheddar cheese.

Another specialty pizza is the Italian Stallion which is pretty much a hearty Italian sub made into a pizza.

It is a white pizza with onion, mozzarella, bologna, salami, pepperoni and ham, finished with lettuce and tomatoes tossed in a homemade Italian dressing.

They also have a Sicilian pizza

The Roar/Nick Casasanta

Vic’s Oven is a quaint pizza shop in the heart of Bridgewater’s business district. Customers can dine in and enjoy the people watching along with their pizza or grab their order and dash back to the dorms.

which is only sold in tray style, which means six slices per tray for $7.50.

Along with specialty and classic pizzas, the menu also includes breadsticks, hot sandwiches, salads, calzones, pizza rolls, and more.

For broke college students, the

quality and taste of the pizza is unbelievable for the prices charged.

A large 14” round pizza with half cheese and half cheese and bacon with an order of breadsticks only costs about $18.

“I would like to expand the menu

by continuing to add more specialty pizzas and eventually have a system for customers to place their orders online,” Stahl said.

Vic’s Oven will deliver hot, fresh pizza to Penn State Beaver but closes at 8 p.m.

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Sports

Baseball starts off strong EVAN M. PINCHOT Staff Writer

emp197@psu.edu

It’s been said that repeating a championship is one of the hardest things to do in sports, but that’s exactly what the Penn State Beaver baseball team is aiming to do this season.

Led by five seniors, the Beaver baseball team is already on track to make its way back to the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs and hopefully snag a championship for the second year in a row.

Beaver currently holds an 8-6 overall record, playing very well against their out of conference opponents. In conference play, the team sits with a 4-2 record, good enough for third place in the Western Division standings of the PSUAC. In its most recent conference matchup April 2, Beaver took an 11-6 victory on the road at Penn

The Roar/ Khalia Adams

Nick Casasanta throws a strike April 2 against PSU DuBois in win 2-1.

State Mont Alto. Mont Alto took a two-run lead at the end of the first inning, but Beaver answered with three runs in the third inning. In the fourth, senior Jordan Price hit a 2-RBI double, followed by three more runs in the fifth, another in the sixth and one in the ninth.

Leading the offense was senior Blaise McCarty who went five for five with two RBIs. Senior Nick Casasanta threw eight innings, striking out six of the 36 batters he faced.

Beaver also took a 4-3 win April 3 against Bethany College at home.

The team started off the season

with its annual trip to Vero Beach, Fla., where it played well against some tough talent and familiar foes.

After going 2-4 during the spring trip, the team traveled back with a lot of confidence in its players.

Freshman Scott Hughes is one of the new members of the team who’s excited about the season. Hughes has already been integrated into the team as one of its core members and says he feels very comfortable with where he is.

“Everything has just clicked together so far and the chemistry with the team is nice,” says Hughes.

The leadership on the team is big this year, with five seniors playing pivotal roles this season both on and off the field. Casasanta, Price, McCarty and seniors Jake Debo and Zach Ulrich are all key leaders.

“I think we honestly have a really solid shot at (winning the PSUAC championship) again,” says Price. “I

hate to sound that confident, but I just really do.”

Coach Jack Hilfinger, who is coming into his eighth season coaching at Beaver, said he believes he has a winning team this season.

While Hilfinger doesn’t believe that there is much pressure on his team to repeat their championship this season, he does feel that other teams are gunning for them more than ever as defending champs.

“We have a target on us because we are champions,” says Hilfinger.

“They’re coming after us and that’s okay because we are champions.”

The team has faced some setbacks from the start of the season, as five players were deemed ineligible for the start of the season. This could hurt the team in the long run as it now sits at just 16 players on the roster while losing a lot of depth that could have proved useful later in the season.

Softball looks to flip season after slow start in Florida HALEY PAUL Staff Writer

hxp169@psu.edu

The Penn State Beaver Lady Lions softball team earned two wins March 30 against Penn State Mont Alto on the road, bringing the team’s record to 6-9 overall and 6-0 in the Penn State University Athletic Conference.

The Lady Lions came back after a tough loss in double headers against Grove City the day before.

In the first game, Beaver scored two runs in the first inning and Mont Alto answering back with its only run that game.

In the fifth inning, freshman Lacey Weible got the ball rolling for Beaver after hitting a single that they would soon start their winning streak.

Beaver kept its streak going scoring seven more runs in the next two innings taking the first game 8-1.

There were strong performances by senior Jenna Petrucci producing two

RBIs and sophomore Brittany Garza who produced three RBIs. Defensively, sophomore Vanessa Jackson contributed by having six strikeouts.

In game two, the Lady Lions claimed another victory over Mont Alto 11-2. Feeding off of the great offense from the first games, Beaver continued to shine with its hitting, gaining an early lead.

Beaver ended the game in the six inning, upsetting Mont Alto on its home turf. Garza led the team in the second game too by bringing in three more RBIs. Freshman pitcher Torey Cassidy proved herself defensively by only having two errors the whole game, stopping Mont Alto from scoring any further.

The Lady Lions had a tough start to their season, going 0-7 during spring training in Myrtle Beach.

The team traveled back to Pennsylvania to claim a four-win streak over back-to-back double headers

The Roar/ Evan Pinchot

Lacey Weible bats against Grove City March 29 in the 5-3 loss.

against Penn State DuBois March 25.

With only one senior, six sophomores and four freshmen, the Lady Lions are beginning to click with a young team.

After senior captain Rachael Charlier graduated, the team gained two

new captains: sophomores Brenna Cepull and Vanessa Jackson.

“Losing Rachael was, I think, a big fall for all of us because she was very vocal. She was a very strong leader,” Cepull said. “But now we don’t have as many upperclassmen as we used to and I think it shows that

everyone needs to step it up; even the sophomores and freshmen need to be vocal. We can’t just have one leader.”

The coaching staff for the team changed as well, adding freshman Jessica Hughes’ dad, Mike Hughes, to the team led by Coach Andy Kirschner.

“I think he is a great asset to our team. He helps us with our hitting; the more the better,” said sophomore Dina Cable.

Looking toward the rest of the season, Kirschner is optimistic for the remainder of the season.

“We are always slow starters, but the talents there,” said Kirschner.

Kirschner said he aims to get back to the PSUAC championship and back to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association championship, where Beaver placed eighth last year.

“It’s not unrealistic. It’ll take everyone firing at all cylinders, for sure,” said Kirschner.

April 2017

Sports

Penn State Beaver Roar

23

Fightin’ Beavs in championship series again KARL TRUSKOWSKI Staff Writer

kzt5265@psu.edu

With an 8-0 win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania March 30, Penn State Beaver’s inline hockey team earned the right to face Slippery Rock University in a best-ofthree series to determine this season’s champions.

The Western Pennsylvania College Roller Hockey League (WPACHRL) championship series is slated for April 5, 6 and, if needed, 26 at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Complex on Neville Island.

This is the fifth time in six years Penn State Beaver has played in the championship series, having won the championship in 2015.

Coach Justin Vorbach said he is very happy with his team. “Pulling in that championship is what matters

The Roar/ Adam Espinoza

Dom Rossi sends a slapshot into the net in the 8-0 win over IUP March 30.

most right now.

We have the most talent on our team that we’ve had since 2009.”

The Fightin’ Beavs dominated in the playoff game March 30.

With eight goals being scored

against IUP by the end of the second period, the mercy rule was applied and the game ended before the third period began.

Among those eight goals, sophomore defenseman Brendan Rossi had

five of them.

He also had one assist, thus racking up six points total. Rossi became the team’s leading scorer after his demolition on IUP’s goaltenders.

Other goals were scored by freshman Jaret Mielnicki, who had two, and senior Dom Rossi with one.

Finishing second in the standings with an 8-7 record, the end-of-theseason stretch was not an easy one for Penn State Beaver’s hockey club.

The team lost four of its last five games.

What caused the downhill fall of the team? Commitment issues, says Vorbach.

“People were missing games due to work and other personal things,” Vorbach said. Even though this may have brought the team down, Vorbach was very optimistic about going into the playoffs.

Vorbach said his strategy was to utilize his most important and consistent players. “Go out there with all the intent of winning. Do or die,” he said.

In terms of looking forward to next year, the team’s biggest key to grab is chemistry.

Vorbach said that he wanted to capture that as his team advanced and he plans to grasp that chemistry next season.

“We’ve established an identity and it’s time to take that and make other people play our game where as before we were just going with the ebb and flow.” Vorbach said.

He added that the biggest moment of the season was when Penn State beat IUP March 2, a 12-6 win that represented payback after IUP had beaten Penn State a couple games in a row.

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Penn State Beaver Roar April 2017

Think pizza is pizza? Then call up that chain delivery joint. But if you want something unique, a specialty pie handcraaed by a true culinary artist, give Vic’s Oven in Bridgewater a call.

Vic’s Oven does pizza right. Everything at Vic’s — from our speciality round pies to our Sicilian square-style pizzas — is made from scratch and made to order, using nothing but the freshest toppings and ingredients. Traditional pepperoni? We’ve got you covered. Looking for something a little more imaginative? How’s Chicken Bacon Ranch hit you?

And that’s just a taste of what you’ll find at Vic’s. We’ve also got calzones, pizza rolls, breadsticks, hot sandwiches, and salads — all made with the same quality ingredients you’ll find in the pizza. And all of that hand-craaed goodness costs about the same as what you’ll pay at the chains.

Vic’s Oven. You’ve never tasted anything like it!

Check out our menu online

We deliver to Penn State Beaver!

724-371-0499

212 Bridge Street, Bridgewater

vicsoven.com