Point Park Globe Spring 2019 Issue 10

IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE

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@PPUGlobe March 20, 2019

SAEM Club hosts Allissa Logsdon, Brighton Boys and Chris Jamison Kaisha Jantsch anaylzes how hate and violence still persist in America Baseball improve conference record to 6-3 with victory over Midway ppuglobe.com

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

Issue 10

Suspicious man outside GRW USG addresses

forum concerns

By Jordyn Hronec Co-News Editor

On Monday, March 18, Chief Besong sent two emails to the student body. In the emails, Besong described a suspicious person that had been spotted outside of the George Rowland White (GRW) 2 dance studio. It was also reported that the man had been looking through the windows of the studio. According to Besong, the Point Park Police increased their surveillance of the area. The police also monitored the area via security cameras. Attached to the emails were three photos taken from security cameras. The first email had two attached photos showing the suspicious man in question, walking along Boulevard of the Allies near the GRW. The third photo, attached to the second email, gave a clearer picture of the man. Besong urged students to call the Point Park Police at (412) 392-3960 or to use the Police Tip App (Tip411) if they spot the individual on campus again.

By Jordyn Hronec Co-News Editor

Submitted | Point Park Police Point Park Police have been tipped that a suspicious man has been seen looking in the windows of the GRW dance studio.

Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu

On Tuesday, March 5, the United Student Government (USG) held its forum for the Spring 2019 semester. Forum was promoted to the student body as a chance for students to express their concerns to senators.

During the event, students could write concerns on cards provided by USG and place them into a labeled box, as well as discuss their concerns in person with the senators and executive cabinet members who were present.

The event also included music and free pizza for constituents who submitted concerns.

According to Recording Secretary Sophie Burkholder, who also serves as chair of the student concerns committee, it is estimated that over 50 concerns were received during forum. However, Burkholder did have some concerns regarding how forum was conducted.

These concerns were brought up in the legislative

body meeting on Monday, March 11, as well as the student concerns committee meeting on Tuesday, March 12.

“I think it [forum] was a successful event,” Burkholder said while addressing the committee. “But I think just in the future when you attend other events that are USG sponsored or created, there’s a level of professionalism that needs to be conducted in those settings.”

Burkholder cited her statements made at the previous evening’s legislative body meeting. During the meeting, Burkholder discussed her displeasure with the conduct of senators present at forum.

According to Burkholder, the event was treated more as a social event where senators congregated and talked amongst themselves rather than a chance to discuss student concerns.

During the student concerns committee meeting, Burkholder recognized that she herself did not take action

CONCERNS page 2

Rejected applicant Gieseke addresses legislative body “There’s one reason why are still figuring out yourquestions USG cabinet USG it’s not like any other orga- selves, you are still figuring

By Andrew Brinker Co-News Editor

An applicant for the open position of United Student Government (USG) senator has come forward to denounce and question his exclusion from the latest group of newly appointed members.

Junior political science major, Dannys Marrero, applied for the position of senator in January, after USG published a press release notifying the student body that they were searching for more representatives to help diversify the Legislative Body.

Six other students applied, each of which were eventually appointed to the position of senator. Marrero was the only applicant not selected.

However, Marrero did not realize he was the only exclusion form the appointees until Monday, March 11.

“I was given no explanation as to why I wasn’t appointed,” Marrero said.

“Basically, they sent me an email that said, ‘we had some outstanding candidates such as you, but unfortunately you were not selected.’ No one ever gave me a real reason.”

The power to appoint senators is given solely to the president of USG. President Kaylee Kearns summarized the process behind approving senatorial appointments in a statement given to The Globe by USG Communications Director Shelby Fink, reading in part, “The decision of the approval of appointments after the application process was based

off the consideration of Executive Cabinet members, the initial goal of the appointment process, and ultimately, the President’s thoughts of how the senator could be integrated into the current Legislative Body.”

In the minutes of the January 28 Legislative Body meeting, it is written that when asked by a senator about the decision to not appoint one of the candidates, Vice President Brittany Arp told the body that there were hesitations regarding the candidate, which ultimately guided Kearns’ decision to reject Marrero’s application.

“It (the constitution) doesn’t say that I have to give specific reasons,” Kearns said when asked about the hesitations. “But I feel like the majority of my team was uncomfortable appointing someone, so we weren’t going to appoint that individual.”

However, Marrero believes that the decision to exclude him from the new group of senators was a calculated effort.

“One former senator approached me and told me that the reason I was not appointed was because I would go against the current leadership,” said Marrero.

Marrero went on to explain that he would bring a strong voice of opposition of the Executive Cabinet to the Legislative Body, which he cited as what he believed to be the true reason he

APPLICANT page 3

By Mitchell Drake USG Beat Writer

The United Student Government (USG) met on Monday to discuss senior voter eligibility and various student concerns.

Dean of Student Life and USG advisor Michael Gieseke spoke about the recent behavior and actions of USG at the beginning of the legislative body meeting. In his speech, Gieseke reminded members of USG that “any student government is not a typical student organization.”

He continued by saying that acknowledging that is an important step.

nization, it’s because it is the only organization that is completely public - for the world to see,” Gieseke said. “Not realizing what that means has value and consequences to it.”

He also noted that when other organizations have “growing pains” or internal struggles they do not have publicly released minutes or reportage. Gieseke called USG a “learning laboratory,” stating that all student organizations are given a chance to learn while gaining experience.

“Learning comes with failure,” Gieseke said. “You are all young adults who are still figuring out life. You

out what you believe, you are still learning how to learn.

You are all adults, sure, but you are all young adults who make mistakes.”

He reassured USG members that accidents, mistakes and apologies are frequent in workplaces and governments filled with seasoned professionals, ending his reprimand on a warm, encouraging note.

Treasurer Kortney Lampel came to a finalized amount spent on the first spring budget season of $13,237.52.

Lampel reported that the second spring budget spendings have amounted to $1,651.85.

USG page 2

SAINT PADDY’S PARADE MARCHES DOWNTOWN

Silks march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Gracey Evans | The Globe

Weather Forecast Today: Mostly Cloudy, H 53, L 40

Thursday: Rain Showers, H 48, L 34 Friday: Rain/Snow Showers, H 44, L 28 Saturday: Sunny, H 50, L 30

Sunday: Partly Cloudy, H 61, L 39 Monday: Cloudy, H 63, L 45 Tuesday: Rain Showers, H 61, L 42

Point Park

GLOBE

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

NEWS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

FAFSA deadline quickly approaching

By Sarah Cronin Staff Writer

George Santucci, the director of financial aid, says that he can’t believe that there are students who don’t fill out their yearly FAFSA by the May 1 deadline and miss out on receiving the Pennsylvania state grant. Santucci encounters this problem every year, and he’s been in financial aid for 30 years.

“It should not happen,” Santucci said. “Here at Point Park we send out email blasts, postcards, and a missing information letter, so there’s no excuse.”

FAFSA is the formal document from the federal government and the state that Point Park’s financial aid office uses in order to activate a student’s financial aid process. In order to qualify for Pennsylvania’s state grant, students must apply and fill out their FAFSA by the May 1 deadline, or else they will not be eligible to receive any federal aid.

“We cannot do anything in our office in financial aid for any loans or grants from the federal or state government at all without having the FAFSA,” Santucci said.

Santucci explained that the state of Pennsylvania has been very generous to Point Park’s students and families when offering the state grant in the past. This year the state grant was as high as $4,122. The state did de-

crease the amount to $3,233, but Santucci still believes that the amount the state is offering will be very beneficial to Point Park’s students and families.

“It’s important to apply for FAFSA so that students can qualify for their federal student loans, and for parents to be eligible to borrow parent plus loans if they choose to go down that route,” Kelly Staley, the associate director of financial aid, said. “But it can also qualify students for such things such as federal work study, which a lot of students want to do and don’t realize that it’s connected to the FAFSA.” Santucci explained that there are several myths that surround FAFSA applications. Many believe or have heard that the process is time-consuming and complicated. However, Santucci said that filling out the application is simple and easy enough to do on your own phone or on the FAFSA website.

“The easiest thing to do is to use the data retrieval tool where you can pull that information from the IRS since most families have already completed their 2017 tax returns,” Santucci said. “Using the data retrieval tool will make it really easy.”

Point Park’s financial aid office is open to answering any questions a student or parent may have when filling out the FAFSA application,

but Santucci explained that most of the application is self-explanatory and simple.

“Most students find it very easy and they’ve used the data retrieval tool to pull most of their information because if they do that there’s no question about income or anything like that,” Santucci said. “[FAFSA] made it that much easier where they’re just going to pull it right over for you so that you can do it.

If there’s any particular question, then call us.”

Santucci and the financial aid office encourage students to remember to complete their FAFSA every year before the deadline, even if they are not returning to Point Park University the following year.

“You can always change your FAFSA at any point in time during the year for a different college,” Santucci said. “Having it completed

by May 1 is still on time,and you have the choice to list up to 10 different institutions on [the application]. If you decide you’re not going for the whole year anywhere, then you’ll renew the next year’s [FAFSA] when it comes time.”

Santucci explained that the financial aid office will continue to send out emails and notifications to remind students to complete their FAFSA on time to prevent any students from missing out on receiving beneficial money.

Jordyn Hronec | The Globe

“I think everyone uses some kind of calendar through their phone or some kind of reminder,” Staley said. “You get so many emails from so many different organizations that a lot of times it either goes into spam or you just don’t pay attention to it.”

Staley said that sometimes students miss out on applying for FAFSA because they assume that their parents will fill out the document for them, and when parents are not aware of the deadline, it becomes possible for students to become ineligible.

“Since [parents] might not be getting the reminder emails that the students are, nothing happens because they’re not having it in their mind that they need to get it done,” Staley said. “The students should really be sure that they’re talking to their parents instead of assuming that it’s being taken care of.”

Tommy Bo Hansana, a senior musical theater major, has been a federal work study student at the University Center for four years. Hansana said that he filled out the FAFSA application himself, and has used the financial aid office’s resources for any help that he has needed.

“I do [the FAFSA document] by myself because my dad doesn’t know how to use a computer, so I have to essentially tell him to send me his taxes, send me everything, and I fill it out for him,” Hasana said.

Hansana explained that since he considers himself an independent person, the process was very easy for him.

“I was being able to contact financial aid and ask for help, asking them questions about how to fill out what I needed help with,” Hansana said. “They made it easier, so if anything, I feel like the students should reach out more.”

Sarah Cronin scroni@pointpark.edu

By Jordyn Hronec On Friday, March 15, Dean of Student Life Michael Gieseke sent out an email officially announcing the candidates for the upcoming United Student Government (USG) election.

This follows official announcements of candidacy from both Senator Jacob Berlin and current Vice President Brittany Arp, who are both running for president.

On Wednesday, March 13 at 10 p.m., Berlin held a campaign announcement rally in Lawrence Hall Lobby. Berlin addressed attendees in a ten-minute speech.

During the speech, Berlin discussed USG transparency, campus security and availability of resources.

“If Berlin wins, every single student concern will be posted and given an immediate action plan with it, so you know exactly how the issue is going to be addressed,” Berlin said.

Arp also announced her candidacy in advance, voicing her campaign promises, including more transparency and changes to commuter resources and security, in a Twitter thread.

“As Vice President, I have been instrumental in the reform of USG because a student government that doesn’t function properly doesn’t work for the students,” one of Arp’s Tweets read.

In addition to the Presidential candidates, three Vice Presidential candidates were also announced. Running for Vice President are: Recording Secretary Sophie Burkholder, Senator Alexa Lake and Monae Findley, a former USG Senator. There are also 13 senators representing each of the five schools that are running for election or re-election.

Elections are slated to take place during the week of March 25.

Student conerns committee meets following forum from CONCERNS page 1 to correct the issue during forum. She was assured by the committee members - Senator Dennis McDermott, Senator Kelly Saal, Senator Cole D’Alicandro, Senator Brighid Shanahan and President Pro-Tempore Megan Ortego - that it was the responsibility of all senators present to have demonstrated proper conduct.

“In terms of senators and USG conduct, senators need to be more aware of surroundings and what it [forum] is,” Burkholder said when asked about future changes to forum. “Dennis [McDermott] suggested having a more inclusive setting to make people more comfortable.”

McDermott’s suggestion involved using “standing tables” for senators to lean on rather than having senators sit at tables and potentially “hide” behind them.

Before reading and organizing the concerns received during forum, the committee conducted a brief discussion on how to better organize individual senators’ projects.

This was in response to a concern brought up by McDermott regarding verbal senator reports given during legislative body meetings.

“On a lot of senator reports people are more comfortable saying what they’re

doing every week, even if it’s a very similar thing,” McDermott said. “I don’t like saying the same thing when I haven’t made much progress and I’m just like ‘Oh, hey everyone, haven’t made any progress on that thing I said I was working on last week,’ so that’s why a lot of people don’t speak up during that.”

In response to McDermott’s concerns, the committee discussed possible solutions, such as a large whiteboard in the USG office or an online spreadsheet for senators to record their progress in a way that is apparent to curious constituents.

Vice President Brittany Arp, who was present in the room, also gave a suggestion.

“I personally thought it would be cool if we had, almost like a work order system, where you can see the progress,” Arp said. “So we would enter the concern and the student would be able to constantly see and follow up and have updates. I don’t know how feasible it is, but it’s something we can look at in the future.”

The committee ultimately decided that they first would adopt a progress recording system, and test out its efficiency in holding senators accountable. During the discussion, a large to-do board was presented to the committee

by Parliamentarian Matthew Spadaccia with which to record individual committee members’ progress on their chosen projects.

“It’s a slight pressure, people will see if you’re writing nothing on it,” Ortego said, discussing the importance of accountability.

The meeting then shifted to the task of reading and organizing the concerns submitted by students.

Submitted concerns included topics such as shuttle times, on-campus food options, commuter resources and the cleanliness of areas such as bathrooms and laundry rooms. The committee took turns reading aloud each submitted concern before organizing them into topics, such as student life, physical plant and clubs/organizations.

As concerns were read, the committee held a brief discussion, which in some cases, produced a course of action.

One specific concern expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of advertising that COPA Playhouse shows receive on campus. Senators discussed including Playhouse shows in the “Social Scoop” email blast sent out by the office of SAIL every Monday. Ortego, who writes and compiles the “Social Scoop” every week, stated that she

does not currently include Playhouse shows, but that it could be a future addition to the email. Burkholder also suggested that Communications Director Shelby Fink announce the addition via USG’s social media.

Spadaccia then spoke on the influence of the “Social Scoop” emails.

“Through research by an unnamed organization that I may or may not have been a part of, the “Social Scoop” actually accounts for over 30% of student engagement,” Spadaccia said.

Another concern addressed was the lack of security in Lawrence Hall during certain hours, allowing anyone to enter the building at any time by following students in, with or without an ID. Burkholder stated that she has contacted Chief of Police Jeff Besong about the issue.

At the conclusion of the meeting after all concerns were discussed and sorted, committee members discussed which concerns they would work on for the remainder of the semester.

McDermott plans to work on integrating radio into the elevators, per a student concern. Saal plans to work on improving parking and commuter resources. D’Alicandro plans to contact the office of SAIL to encourage clubs and

organizations to increase creativity when fundraising. (The Office of SAIL has since Tweeted out an infographic for clubs titled “Fun Ways to Fundraise That are Not a Bake Sale.”)

Shanahan plans to look into the amount of time it takes for the counseling center to schedule appointments for students.

According to Burkholder, as the current semester’s end approaches, the majority of the concerns received will be addressed during future semesters.

“We still have some [concerns] from last forum that haven’t been addressed yet because there were so many,” Burkholder said. “There’s a lot of concerns that we also got last semester. I will suggest in my turnover report for the next Recording Secretary that these concerns be looked at and I will tell them where the concerns are so they can locate them so they can be solved.”

Burkholder also stated that while duplicate concerns are not more important than other concerns, they may require more urgency in the order that they are addressed.

There is not a date selected yet for next semester’s forum, but according to Burkholder, forum must be held every semester in accordance with the constitution’s bylaws.

Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu

NEWS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

3

Kearns defends appointments USG talks resolutions from APPLICANT page 1 wasn’t included in the new appointments.

“They do not feel comfortable with somebody calling them out and holding them accountable for things they have or have not done,” Marrero said.

Marrero also made allegations regarding the current USG leadership’s general stance on conflict within the body.

“They want everything to be ‘Kumbaya’,” said Marrero. “That’s not what it’s supposed to be. You’re supposed to bring issues up.”

Kearns denied these allegations, saying that she had no problem with opposition to her administration.

“There is a good amount of healthy debate amongst the senators that are already in USG,” Kearns said.

The open senatorial appointments were initially announced on January 15 in a statement issued by USG

to the student body, citing a need “to further diversify the representation within the Legislative Body.” The statement did not detail the specific diversification the opening hoped to achieve.

Marrero noted that the wording of the statement made the call for diversity in USG’s representation appeared to be a call for racial diversity.

“If that’s the case, it doesn’t make much sense to me,” Marrero said. “Why pick even more people that make the problem worse, but then leave others out that meet that diversity request.”

But Kearns made it adamantly clear that racial diversity was not the diversity the open appointments were intended to improve in USG. “We were looking for diversity among majors and schools,” Kearns said. “I apologize for not explaining our definition of what we were looking for in diversi-

ty. That [race] was not a factor at play.”

Marrero, a person of color, confirmed Kearns’ rejection, saying that he believed that his race did not play a role in the decision to exclude him from appointment.

“It was a personal issue,” said Marrero.

In an email addressed to The Globe, Kearns, Arp and several current senators, Marrero asked USG to reconsider his appointment status, citing his knowledge of politics amongst other qualifications.

“As a very active student on Point Park’s campus, a TV producer for U-View, college athlete, of minority race, member of the LGBT community and Army/ ROTC member I believe I serve as the perfect candidate to fulfill the President’s goal in diversifying USG,” said Marrero.

Andrew Brinker anbrink@pointpark.edu

MARCH 11, 2019 - MARCH 16, 2019

Monday, March 11

Friday, March 15

Wednesday, March 13

7:26 p.m. - Frontier Hall Arrest Warrant

8:07 p.m. - Lawrence Hall Domestic 3:20 p.m. - Lawrence Hall Criminal Mischief 9:20 p.m. - Wood Street Robbery

Thursday, March 14 4:27 p.m. - Village Park Harassment

4:42 p.m. - Lawrence Hall Theft

Saturday, March 16 12:10 p.m. - Blvd. of the Allies Disorderly Conduct 1:35 p.m. - Playhouse Theft

from USG page 1 Senator Brighid Shanahan informed the body that every member of the student concerns committee chose at least one concern to work on as their senator report Vice President Brittany Arp and Recording Secretary Sophie Burkholder reported addressing and working on student concerns regarding security around Lawrence Hall. Senator Emily Sjoberg noted that the communications committee has decided to release the pre-formulated Meet Your Candidate event questions to the candidates and publicly onto PointSync.

Senator Dennis McDermott discussed his work in having WPPJ broadcast in the elevators, but was still awaiting confirmation on the plan.

“That way we can promote our awesome radio station that is all student run and we can really promote content that students want to hear,” McDermott said.

Senator Jade Steele told the body that she was continuing her work with CulinArt to accommodate and aid students with food allergies through ingredient-allergy labels in the dining hall. She has also worked on addressing concerns of cross-contamination between allergens in foods, especially with the ice cream scoop. Senator Alexa Lake reported trying to bring back weekly menu emails to students, which appear to have temporarily stopped.

Senator Mathew Johnson has begun working with Physical Plant to enact motion-sensing lights or finding better ways to manage lights in order to save on energy after observing how many lights around campus stay on indefinitely while on campus over spring break.

Senator Jacob Berlin presented a concern from senior students about their eligibility to vote on upcoming elections, even if they were set to leave in the following year.

Berlin cited Bylaw 500.2, which states that “the student body is eligible to vote.” This spurred a debate with other senators and Dean Gieseke about the definition of “the student body.” The body eventually moved to recommend to the Elections Board that eligible voters include all members of the student body, as defined by the USG constitution, should be eligible to vote. This includes current seniors.

Johnson officially introduced resolution 03182019 and 03182019.1 to the Legislative Body, both of which were the subject of intense conversation.

Resolution 03182019 was eventually sent back to the Rules Committee for revision and clarification, after pushback from multiple senators and members of the Executive Cabinet. The resolution, along with resolution 03182019.1, was written in response to the subject of transparency, which was debated in full length at last week’s meeting. In-depth discussions about Resolution 03182019 involved the questioning of the validity of requiring an advisor’s signature to close a meeting, the proposal of requiring a signature from the President Pro-Tempore to close a meeting instead of an advisor and general wording of the resolution.

Resolution 03182019.1, which deals with redactions from any USG meetings, was passed by the legislative body after more debate regarding the requirement of an advisor’s signature.

Open Forum brought about discussion on the upcoming USG elections, including conversation on shortening the election week to two days, and the logistics of changing out the electronic voting method through PointSync with paper ballots. The meeting concluded after just over two hours.

Mitchell Drake mjdrake@pointpark.edu

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES BOARD HOSTS ANNUAL DRAG SHOW

Top Left - “Alexa Chapman Killer” interacts with crowd members during CAB’s annual drag show.

Bottom Left - “Akasha L Van-Cartier” lip syncs during CAB’s annual drag show in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom.

Top Right - “Phoenix Fatale” does a split while lip syncing during CAB’s annual drag show.

Jared Murphy | The Globe

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

FEATURES

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

SAEM Club puts on multi-talented concert

Allissa Logsdon, Brighton Boys, Chris Jamison perform

By Amanda Myers Co-Features Editor

The Sports Arts and Entertainment Management (SAEM) Club hosted a tiered concert in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom on March 14 featuring Pioneer Records star Allissa Logsdon, two-thirds of local group The Brighton Boys and former “The Voice” contestant Chris Jamison.

The concert is a continuing part of the club’s spring concert series until the penultimate Spring Fling concert on April 12. The events started around 7 p.m. when Logsdon took the stage to perform originals, as well

as covers. Leading up to the concert, Logsdon was unsure if she was even going to be able to perform.

“I was really nervous leading up to it because I had laryngitis like only five days to the show and I had zero voice,” Logsdon, a senior SAEM major said. “I was petrified, I didn’t know if I was going to get it back and even if I did get it back if I would sound how I’d want to sound for something as big as [the concert].”

The event has been in production stages since December with organizers working on both the production and marketing side.

Kelsee McHugh | The Globe Pioneer Records’ star Allissa Logsdon played keyboard and sang original songs ahead of EP release.

PIONEER PUBLIC David Shirer

By Matthew Miramontes For The Globe

David Shirer is not just known around campus for his impressive and award-winning follicles on his upper lip, but also for his ability attitude that represents Point Park in the highest manner.

“I’ve been in facial hair competitions since 2014, it was something that I really found appealing,” Shirer, 31, said.

He also fills the roles of the Honors Program Assistant and Student Center Area Coordinator at Point Park University.

Shirer is calm as he sits behind his desk, directly connected to the gym on the 4th floor of the Student Center. He loves the environment at Point Park and after a short hiatus teaching at a school in Mississippi, he knew that he wanted to come back to his hometown of Pittsburgh for a career.

“Point Park has been a lot of fun, spending time with the students, the honors program aspects, or even the campus activities that get put together,”

Shay O’Neil is a freshman SAEM major and part of the club who worked on the event’s production.

“I’m in the club and I’m on the entertainment committee and whenever they gave us the flyer I was excited because I knew who he was [Jamison] so I wanted to be as involved as possible,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil worked ticketing at the event and worked VIP at the end for the meet and greets with The Brighton Boys and Jamison.

The event also served as fitting promotion for Logsdon’s concert at Stage AE on March 19. Pioneer Records had a table at the event and had flyers about the event which will also serve as her EP release party.

Aimee Renninger, sophomore SAEM major, is an operational intern for Pioneer Records and helped make sure everything was running smoothly for the event.

“She has her EP release party next Tuesday so we’re just going to promo real hard for that and a concert on Tuesday with collaborator Victor Gariseb, along

with Meg Wills who will be opening,” Renniger said.

“When I perform, I try to do covers that are a little more upbeat so it’s interesting for the audience.”

Allissa Logsdon

Singer/Songwriter Pioneer Records Fans for The Brighton Boys and Jamison also came out to show their support.

Freshman cinema production majors Adam Jackson and Justin Chadwick were in tow with posters that featured lyrics from The Brighton Boys.

“It’s like Charlie Puth but better,” Chadwick said.

The Brighton Boys also performed a set of stripped down originals and covers that included John Mayer’s “Something Like Olivia.”

Chris Jamison of ‘The Voice’ performs in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom.

Shirer said.

Shirer spends most of the time in the Honors Office or reporting through Student Affairs but tries to balance time for being involved with students as well.

Campus activities are a frequent portion of Shirer’s life as he is one of the organizers of the spring break trips to New York City and the fall trips to Washington D.C. for students of the Honors Programs.

Even when he is not busy with the curricular activities and his career, Shirer is focusing on his activism with insulin dependent Type 1 Diabetics that simply cannot afford or do not have means to battle against rising insulin prices.

“I just got this last week,” he said, pointing to a tattoo that states, ‘Type 1 Diabetic.”

After a brief intermission, Jamison took the stage to showcase his high falsetto voice that earned him a spot on season seven of “The Voice.”

He also talked about the process for writing his upcoming album due out in the spring and infused heartfelt connections into his song.

“Coffee in the Morning” was written as a promise to his new wife for their wedding reception.

Logsdon said the concert was an important experience given the artists involved.

“Leading up to it was stressful, but it worked out good,” Logsdon said. “[Jamison] and the Brighton Boys put on a good show.”

Logsdon describes her music as having a “creepy vibe” thanks to dark lyrics.

When she performs live she tries to infuse some fun, popular hits.

“When I perform, I try to do covers that are a little more upbeat so it’s interesting for the audience,” Logsdon said.

Logsdon will be performing at the Spring Fling concert on April 12 with Gariseb.

Kelsee McHugh | The Globe

Kelsee McHugh | The Globe

Shirer was diagnosed over 20 years ago but still tries to give others a voice that are without the ability

to get insulin.

Matthew Miramontes mrmiram@pointpark.edu

Send suggestions to admyers@pointpark.edu or pbcomun@pointpark.edu or reach out to the Globe on our social media pages.

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

A&E

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

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‘Queer Eye’ preaches self-care in new season

The Fab Five change lives in Kansas City, Missouri

By Amanda Myers Co-Features Editor

The realm of reality TV, or entertainment in general, was a senseless slog until a newly branded Fab Five returned to our screens with a modern reboot of “Queer Eye” last spring.

The new cast of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” have quickly become the needed role models of a generation in an overarching identity flux, helping contestants change their lives in different areas: style, decor, culture, food and grooming. Each episode of the new season three serves as a selflove reminder for both the show’s “heroes” and viewers, and makes it even easier to fall in love with the effervescent Fab Five.

The original “Queer Eye” ran on Bravo in the early 2000s and was one of the early explosions of queer culture on mainstream television. The show birthed stars like style guru Carson Kressley (judge on “Ru Paul’s Drag Race”) and food expert Ted Allen (host of

“Chopped”). The format originally centered on transforming the lives of straight guys, until they later began to mentor women, as well.

Today’s iteration of the Fab Five is a more on-thenose cast that’s determined to change the lives of contestants in a collaborative, caring manner rather than in an abrasive fashion, as was common of the media landscape back in the aughts.

There’s Karamo Brown, whose expertise lies in culture, and is more or less the in-house life coach of “Queer Eye.” Tan France is the style expert with a penchant for the “French tuck.” Antoni Porowski is the puppy-eyed food expert serving up simple, satisfying dishes. Bobby Berk is the inspiring decor export that transforms dull spaces into worthwhile settings. And Jonathan Van Ness is the hair flipping, heel wearing, ice skate-loving grooming expert.

This season places an important emphasis on self-love and self-care in a time where the phrase “treat yourself” has

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become a much needed wakeup call for people desperate to break out of their daily grind.

The first two seasons saw the cast transform lives on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia.

Now the boys’ home base is in Kansas City, Missouri, where they tackle preconceived stereotypes of the Midwest.

In the premier episode, the Fab Five meet their “hero” as they lovingly call their contestants, or rather “heroine,” named Jody. Jody is a hunter who lives in camo and tomboy-style clothes, her gorgeous mane of hair put up in a tight bun. Husband Chris nominated her because he wants to see her happy with herself again, and you can feel the love he has for Jody radiating off of him.

The Fab Five tackle the issue of femininity with Jody and show her that the term doesn’t only come in a pink, frilly box: Feminity is whatever makes you feel empowered. Brown brings together a diverse range of women to talk with Jody about what makes them feel feminine and Jody flourishes in this environment. She becomes more comfortable letting that side of herself show for her sake and not anyone else’s.

Nearly every episode is a tearjerker and a powerful transformative experience not only for the heroes and heroines, but for The Fab Five, as well.

Van Ness allows his flawless exterior to crack when he helps give widower Rob a new look. He recalls the loss of his step-father and the cancer scare of his mom and lets the tears flow. Berk connects with lesbian Jess who was kicked out of her home by her adopted family when she was 16. Berk had a similar experience living in cars and friends’ homes when he was kicked out of his home before he formed his own family in his mid 20s.

The roles of each of the Fab Five are also extended.

After that disastrous hotdog cooking episode in season two, Porowski redeems himself this run with meals that create a personal connection, as well as those that cross cul-

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-March 20 -8 - 10 p.m.

-The Andy Warhol Museum

RBG: International Women’s Day Screening -March 20 -5-8 p.m.

-BNY Mellon Corporate Offices

An Evening with Author Kevin Kwan -March 22 -8-11 p.m.

-Byham Theater

Vintage Pittsburgh 2019 -March 23 -10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

-Heinz History Center

Pittsburgh Humanities Festival -March 22-24 -Cultural District

tural boundaries (like a meat salad from Thailand called Larb). France looks to make people feel better in their own skin and embraces people’s natural style in a bigger way by incorporating quirky and identifiable elements of their personalities.

Brown also seems to be more of a major player than in previous seasons. He’s the wise sensei in a bomber jacket that always gives the right amount of support and love.

One of the season’s most heartfelt episodes centers around sisters Deborah “Little” and Mary “Shorty” Jones.

They run Jones Bar-B-Que, originally founded by their father. The partners in crime

never take a day off removed from their father’s legacy, and when they start to see themselves as people outside of the business, it only makes them more motivated to grow their restaurant.

“Queer Eye” is more than just a reality show -- it’s a reminder to embrace your inner hero or heroine. With five of the funniest, kindest and most charming co-hosts in show business, it’s a little hard not to feel empowered in the company of the Fab Five (even if it’s through a computer screen).

Amanda Myers admyers@pointpark.edu

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame plans induction Radiohead, The Cure, Stevie Nicks among 2019 honorees

By Amanda Myers Co-Features Editor

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame may not be as prestigious or highly regarded as it was in the previous century, but that doesn’t mean there’s not renewed interest and debate every time the committee announces the year’s inductees.

The 2019 class has sparked conversation in regards to diversity in both race, gender and genre with a lineup of artists from different backgrounds and time frames: The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Roxy Music and The Zombies. The ceremony will be held at the Barclays Center in New York on March 29 and will be televised on HBO April 27.

Though there is a lengthy time frame before

the special, it will be available to a mass audience.

Expect to see captured moments abuzz on Twitter and the rest of social media. This rings true for one Harry Styles who will be inducting Nicks.

Styles and Nicks have had a gushy professional love affair ever since he invited her down to a show at the Troubadour to duet on “Landslide” in 2017. Styles was also there to join Fleetwood Mac on “The Chain” when they were honored as the Musicares’ Person of the Year in 2018.

People have questioned why a female artist wasn’t asked to nominate Nicks, but Nicks specifically chose Styles given their bond. She even called him her “adopted son” in a recent Rolling Stone interview.

Radiohead proposed

another form of contention considering that they have no interest in the honor. Singer Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood have both rebuked the Hall of Fame. Greenwood plainly told one outlet of the induction: “I don’t care.” Members of Radiohead have never been one to rely on statues for validation of their art, but for some of this year’s artist, it serves as a reminder of their hard-earned success in the business.

Def Leppard has been a band that’s posed the question of “Why not?” when people ponder on their absence from the institution.

The 80s metal outfit was never warmly welcomed by critics, even when they did have albums and countless hits climbing up the charts.

Their story is similar to that of a band like KISS: a

band with legions of fans that other artists and critics in the industry refused to take seriously. Queen’s Brian May will induct Def Leppard.

The Cure also serves as a long overdue reminder that even though you have a worthy niche in music and can break outside of that with monumental hits, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be warmly welcomed into a prestigious club. The band’s brand of gothic/alternative rock is finally getting its due. Perhaps this opens the door for Nine Inch Nails who have been snubbed in recent years.

Jackson also crosses the threshold of genre to claim a statue at this year’s ceremony. People will often counter the inclusion of a pop or rap artist with

claims that they don’t fall in the rock and roll category. The Hall of Fame has blurred those dividing lines in recent years with the induction of N.W.A. and Run DMC and seems to only be continuing that push in the future. Rock and roll has fallen out of just a genre and more an attitude and form of expression by today’s standards.

Other artists in the 2019 class include Roxy Music and The Zombies who also feel like they should have been inducted years ago.

Who knows how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will shift their criteria going forward and who will be in next year’s class, but there will always be people quick to comment on the long debated institution.

Amanda Myers admyers@pointpark.edu

OPINIONS

O’Rourke & Obama: Vague Aspirations

By Mick Stinelli Columnist

Beto O’Rourke last week announced he will make a bid for the democratic presidential nomination in 2020. A media flurry immediately ensued, abound with think pieces, interviews and a Vanity Fair cover story. It’s a level of attention that has gained him comparisons to Barack Obama, and he’s even gained support from Oprah Winfrey.

O’Rourke became a presidential contender in the lead up to the 2018 midterm elections. Challenging incumbent Ted Cruz for a Texas senate seat, O’Rourke made national headlines, got a co-sign from Beyoncé and came closer to winning a senate election in Texas than dozens of Democrats before him. In the Democratic tradition, many declared his loss a victory, just as they did with Stacey Abrams’ failed vie for Georgia governor.

Now O’Rourke, a threeterm congressman, seems confident he can block President Trump’s second term. But as many in the media have made clear to him, there’s more to the presidency than opposing the party in power. He’s captivating, but unpolished.

His policies are unclear. In a race where healthcare is the number-one issue, it’s impossible to nail down his stance.

Just two years ago, he stated single-payer Medicare-for-all was the best form of healthcare. But this week in Iowa, he told reporters he’s “no longer sure that that’s the fastest way to get there.”

He often dodges questions about specific views by claiming he’s going to listen. On affordable healthcare, he says, “I’m open, if somebody has a better way to do this, including especially Republicans, I’m open to their vision of how to get there.”

“His policies are unclear. In a race where healthcare is the numberone issue, it’s impossible to nail down his stance.”

Mick Stinelli Columnist The Globe It’s these vague proposals, along with sweeping charisma, that bears similarity to Obama.

The New York Times columnist David Brooks in 2007 described Obama as “filled with grand but usually evasive eloquence about bringing people together and showing respect.” But, Brooks noted, upon further pressing Obama could offer more “small and concrete” answers.

This latter aspect - the ability to see the step-by-step process of how to achieve real policy goals - is perhaps O’Rourke’s greatest weakness. Even

in his captivating live events, he pales in comparison to Obama, who exhibited unparalleled oratory and excellent speechwriting.

“I don’t ever prepare for a speech,” O’Rourke told Vanity Fair. “I don’t write out what I’m going to say. I remember driving to that, I was, like, ‘What do I say? Maybe I’ll just introduce myself. I’ll take questions.’”

It’s a nice sentiment, and helps in appearing genuine, but it’s not a tactic that will take O’Rourke very far on a national stage. The ability to speak freely and listen are welcome aspects in a presidential candidate, but they don’t constitute an entire platform.

It’s a bizarre kryptonite for a candidate who seems, otherwise, impervious to ridicule.

When the Texas GOP tried to tear him down for being in a punk band, his popularity skyrocketed. When he lost his senate campaign, people pushed him to dream bigger.

But when asked questions on how he feels about immigration, he can’t give you a plan.

The Washington Post summed up O’Rourke’s unclear immigration goals as “no wall, few specifics.” It’s in this arena O’Rourke will have to improve if he plans to be more than a phenomenon. In a field where candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren seem to have an answer to every question, O’Rourke will need to have an answer, too.

Mick Stinelli mfstine@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

GL BE’S POINT

THE

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

Gun violence affects all This past Monday might have begun like any other Monday for some of us. This Monday marked the tenth week of the semester, so we are well adapted to our usual routine at this point.

This wasn’t the case in Utrecht, the Netherlands on Monday morning. This wasn’t the case in Christchurch, New Zealand last Friday.

This wasn’t the case in our very own backyard on Oct. 27, 2018, when a gunman killed 11 people and injured seven more at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.

These are three separate incidents that all have various impacts to every single person reading The Globe this week, and the latter is a clear incident that hits closer to home.

Journalism professors preach the seven news determinants: timeliness, proximity, impact, prominence, relevance, novelty and human interest. Proximity is the reason students at Point Park University in Downtown Pittsburgh recognize the Tree of Life tragedy over the other incidents mentioned earlier.

We may forget our university’s students represent 49 states and 33 countries as of the fall 2018 semester. Proximity value to a Pennsylvania or Pittsburgh resident is far from the proximity value to Point Park’s non-residential

and international students.

For example, the Utrecht shooting that left three dead struck a chord with a number of student-athletes who call the city or the Netherlands home.

However, we certainly did not see as much media coverage as we did about the larger-scale massacre in New Zealand or other tragedies in the United States. The Utrecht incident affected students, and we should be there in some capacity for those students.

We at The Globe do not wish to shove our views on gun violence or gun control down our readers’ throats, but we do hope our readers remain informed of news happening within and outside of our campus community.

Whether an act of violence includes three deaths or 50 deaths or strikes locally, nationally or internationally, it remains important to be as knowledgeable as possible considering we have global information at our fingertips.

As a university community, let’s stay informed and let’s stay sensitive to incidents like these. Even as a smaller private university, there’s no way we could know the ties that any given student could have to such a horrific event.

The Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu

Despite false reports and white skepticism, hate still remains in U.S. America remains a hub for hate, and maybe it is time we start acknowledging it

By Kaisha Jantsch For The Globe

Something remarkably rare happened at the end of this past January. Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollet, who is African-American and gay, filed a false hate crime report regarding an attack, it now seems, he orchestrated. His doing so makes the real victims of hate crime seem less legitimate and emboldens Americans who claim there isn’t a problem with hate in their nation, while there absolutely is.

The level of recorded hate in America has never been higher.

A recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), released February 20, reveals a sharp rise in the number of hate groups in the U.S. In its annual tracking of these groups, the SPLC found a record 1,020 of them, marking a 30 percent increase from the 714 hate-based groups the organization found in 2015.

The SPLC’s findings mirror those of the Federal

Investigation Bureau (FBI).

In its annual release of hate crime statistics, the FBI reported 5,850 hate crimes instances in 2015. In 2016, it reported 6,063 instances, and in 2017, 7,106 instances. That’s an 18 percent increase in three years. Thus, a pattern is clear.

Hate crimes are trending upward in America.

Yet, in a recent column for Townhall.com, John Hawkins, an opinion contributor for the site, claims that the majority of hate crimes are hoaxes. Dennis Prager, a well-known conservative mouthpiece, in a column for the same publication says, “There is little racism in America.” In other words, these two white columnists claim not to find prejudice-driven violence and discrimination in the U.S. Hawkins and Prager make this claim in spite of the fact that 50.7 percent of hate crime offenders are white, and 58.1 percent of hate crimes are motivated by race. They make them despite the fact that 15.9 percent of those same crimes

are motivated by sexual orientation, according to the FBI. Despite the 2015 murder of nine black worshipers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Despite the 2016 arson of the historically black, Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi and the words “Vote Trump” spray painted on its remains. Despite the mass shooting in the summer of 2016 at Pulse nightclub, a popular gay hangout, in Orlando, Florida that left 49 dead. Despite the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia and Heather Heyer’s resulting death in the Summer of 2017.

Despite the seven pipe bombs sent by a right-wing, pro-Trump, anti-immigrant extremist to prominent Democrats in October of last year. And despite the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, right here in Pittsburgh, that took the souls of eleven Jewish people, just months ago.

Despite all of this, they, and others like them, open-

ly deny hate. How can that be?

“In other words, these two whie columnists claim not to find prejudicedriven violence and discrimination in the U.S.” Kaisha Jantsch Graduate Student For The Globe Certainly, there are many reasons, including conditioning by their culture and upbringing, but one of the more significant among those is the string of doubt that men like Jussie Smollett pull at in the minds of so many Americans when

they cry wolf with hate crime hoaxes.

False reporting of hate crimes is remarkably uncommon. According to Audria D. S. Burch of The New York Times in her Feb. 22 article, “Hate Crime Hoaxes Are Rare, but Can Be ‘Devastating,’” though hoaxes are not formally tracked, the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, found that, “of an estimated 21,000 hate crime cases between 2016 and 2018, fewer than 50 reports were found to be false.”

Furthermore, “The center believes that less than one percent of all reported hate crimes are false.”

Unfortunately, however, even if they are few, acts like Smollett’s have tremendous power. But so does truth.

The truth is, even if Smollett’s hoax has you believing otherwise, hate is a problem in America. Don’t deny that truth.

Kaisha Jantsch kajants@pointpark.edu

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967 Editor-in-Chief: Carley Bonk Editor-Elect: Dara Collins Business Manager: Cortnie Phillips Faculty Adviser: Christopher Rolinson Administrative Adviser: Dean Keith Paylo The Globe board consists of Carley Bonk, Dara Collins and fellow editors. Opinion articles, letters to the editor, columns and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the position of the newspaper or editorial board. The Globe reserves the right to refuse advertising and edit all submitted articles and letters to the editor. Letters to the editor must be signed and include author’s contact information. The Globe offices are located at the corner of Wood Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard. Writers should address letters to:

The Globe 201 Wood Street, Box 23 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or globe@pointpark.edu

News Editors: Jordyn Hronec, Andrew Brinker Photo Editor: Gracey Evans

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Staff Photographers: Joie Knouse, Jared Murphy, Katie Williams, Nick Koehler

Advertising: Submit advertising related inquiries to globeadvertising@pointpark.edu All ads must be approved by the university.

The deadline for ads is Friday at 5 p.m.

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Sports Editors: Allison Schubert , Robert Berger Photo Editor: Robert Berger

Story Ideas: If you have a story you think the Globe can use, email globe@pointpark.edu Meetings: Mondays at 2:40 p.m. in the CMI Details: ppuglobe.com/contribute

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SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

7

All In with Allison

By Allison Schubert Sports Columnist

Softball on Deck

As promised last week, this week’s column is going to talk all things Point Park softball.

This year, the Pioneers are built around their veterans. Of the 17-player roster, 12 are returners and 11 are upperclassmen (four seniors, seven juniors).

The most important returners? Point Park’s entire pitching staff from last season. The trifecta of seniors Ashley Iagnemma, Tiffany Edwards and junior Katie Tarr combined to pitch every inning of last season, and all are back for this year.

The pitching staff has continued to be the biggest asset to Point Park for the past few seasons (at least for as long as I have been here), but I think that will change once Iagnemma and Edwards graduate at the end of this season.

Already this season, Iagnemma claimed the River States Conference (RSC) Softball Pitcher of the Week for the week of Feb. 25 - March 3. During that week, she pitched 19.0 innings in three games and accumulated a 2.58 ERA. On the offensive side, the Pioneers return sophomore outfielder Maddie Horn, who led the team in batting average (.350) hits (36), runs (19) and on-base percentage (.427) last year.

Another offensive stand out is junior third baseman Amber Cook, who hit .248 last season and led the team in RBIs with 16. Senior outfielder Shannon Davis also returns a .248 batting average from last season.

All five of the new faces on the field this season

come in the form of freshmen - two outfielders, one catcher, one pitcher and an infielder.

The outfielders are Carissa Scekeres from Latrobe and Taylor Goldstrohm from West Allegheny. Goldstrohm’s name should look familiar, as she was also a freshman standout on the soccer field earlier this school year.

Alicia Egner from Fruitland, Idaho came into this year as a shortstop, and Courtney Shoemake from Frostburg, Maryland. adds to the pitching staff, while Hailey Leitner from Cornell High School looks to get time behind the plate.

Looking at last year, Point Park was overshadowed by the RSC Champion Baseball team, but softball deserved to be recognized in their own light, making it to the final three teams in the conference and just shy of a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Nationals bid.

This year, Point Park is already 4-11 overall and 1-3 in RSC play, but as always, I urge you to not draw conclusions based on the beginning of the season. The first few games in conference play are all about finding your groove and getting back into the swing of things (pun intended) after coming back from Florida.

Will they make it as far as they did last year? I hope so. I think they have the potential to. It’s all about when they will hit their stride - it just cannot come too early.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Felix Castillo tosses a pitch in a 2018 match up. Castillo took a loss in game two of a three game series last weekend while lasting 4.2 innings and giving up 5 earned runs. On the year, Castillo has a 2 and one record.

Baseball claims two RSC wins Team sits in a 3-way tie for second place

By Robert Berger Editor-Elect

This past weekend, the baseball team took 2 of 3 games while facing Midway University on the road, improving their conference record to 6-3 on the year.

Point Park kicked off the series with a 9-6 victory over the Eagles in a nine inning contest. Junior Tyler Dobie came through with a pinch-hit three-run home run late in the game to help the Pioneers to the win.

Heading into the top of the eighth, the Pioneers were tied 6-6 with Midway.

Sophomore Ed Pfluger lead the inning off with a single through short which was followed up with sophomore Alejandro Pelaez being hit by a pitch. Pinch hitting for junior Julio Creazzola was Dobie with a shot over the left field fence on a 2-0 count. This secured the final score of 9-6.

Point Park opened up scoring in the second inning by putting two runs on the board. Senior Jake Forgrave was the first to cross the plate, who originally reached base on a lead-off walk. Pfluger put the second run up after a single off the bat of junior Cole Horew.

Midway answered back with a run in the bottom half of the second, but Point Park answered back quickly with three more in the top of the fourth off of three hits.

Midway’s biggest inning came in the fifth, after scoring five runs and at tying the game up at 6. The Pioneers gave up five hits and one walk in the inning.

Senior Felix Castillo started for Point Park and lasted 4.2 innings after giving up five earned runs on eight hits. Sophomore Ryan Huber finished the game and only allowed one hit through 4.1 innings. Both pitchers each struck out 4 batters through the game.

The teams ended the series with a doubleheader Saturday afternoon which Point Park split with the Eagles.

Game one took 12 innings, and Point Park fell after a walk-off home run from Midway’s Haden Fox. Horew started on the mound for Point Park and gave up two early runs in the first. The second however being unearned after a fielding error at second base.

The next runs wouldn’t come until the sixth inning when Point Park would get

on the board with a three run inning. All three runs came from Pfluger who hit a three-run home run to center field on a 2-1 count.

Taking a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning, Junior Marco Quintanar attempted to close out the game but gave up one run off a double to deep right-center.

Point Park was held scoreless the remainder of the game, and Midway ended the game on a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Concluding the series, Point Park left Versailles, KY with a 9-2 win against the Eagles.

Through the contest, the Point Park offense posted 14 hits on the scoreboard to guide the way to their victory.

Midway scored early taking a 1-0 lead to the third inning, but Point Park broke scoring open in the third inning. The team batted around the order and managed seven runs on seven hits.

Point Park would go on to score once in the sixth

and seventh innings to seal the deal.

Senior Nick Bucci started on the hill and lasted 5.2 innings. Bucci allowed no earned-runs and only gave up four hits to the Eagles. Quintanar finished out the final 1.2 innings while not allowing a single base runner.

Last week, Point Park also played a non-conference contest against Seton Hill which the team dropped 7-3.

Seton Hill took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, and Point Park responded fast with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth. Seton Hill however scored three more in the seventh inning and twice in the seventh to secure their 7-2 victory.

After taking on Washington and Jefferson in a non-conference doubleheader this week, the baseball team will resume conference play in their home opening series Friday and Saturday against Indiana University Southeast.

Robert Berger raberge@pointpark.edu

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior pitcher Nick Bucci throwing in a 2018 contest. Bucci got the win over Midway University in the third game of the series last weekend. Bucci threw for 5.2 innings allowing no runs and only four hits.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Softball strikes out this week, 1-5 since Florida

Point Park bats slow to start, heat up as week goes on but not enough

By Allison Schubert Co-Sports Editor

The softball team opened play up north this week, playing six games in four days but picking up only one win.

The Pioneers opened play at home, hosting non-conference Gannon for two games last Wednesday, March 13.

Only three batters made it on base, with the Golden Knights’ Madi Beining pitching a complete game without issuing a walk and zero errors on Gannon’s part. Those with hits, and the only base runners, for Point Park were sophomore Maddie Horn, junior Amber Cook, and senior Tiffany Edwards.

Senior Ashley Iagnemma pitched a complete game for Point Park, and held Gannon’s strong offense off until the seventh, when the Golden Knights scored their final three runs and solidified a win, 7-0.

Junior Katie Tarr got the nod to the mound in the second game, and pitched a complete game giving up two earned runs in 7.0 innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Point Park’s offense again could not get the bats going, registering only two

hits from Cook and freshman Taylor Goldstrohm.

Gannon again shutout the Pioneers, 4-0.

With their first games since Florida behind them, the Pioneers traveled to Owensboro, Kentucky. for their first River States Conference (RSC) games against Brescia on Saturday.

The first of the two games mirrored their previous two, with a slow offensive effort from Point Park contributing to a 4-0 loss.

Game two was a close match-up between the Pioneers and the Bearcats, needing 11 innings to produce any sort of result.

Point Park out-hit Brescia 16-8. Senior Tiffany Edwards, freshman Hailey Leitner, and Goldstrohm each tallied four hits apiece.

Cook hit a double with two RBIs and Horn had a triple and two RBIs. The bats hot for the Pioneers, they all of their runs in the 11th inning and ended the game on the opposite end of a shutout, 6-0.

Tarr pitched all 11.0 innings and racked up 13 strikeouts and two walks.

Coming off of the split with Brescia, Point Park spent the next day in New Albany, Indiana. for a series against IU Southeast.

The Grenadiers struck

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior pitcher Ashley Iagnemma tosses a pitch in a 2018 game. After seven starts on the year, Iagnemma has picked up 43 strikeouts with a 2-5 record and a 3.86 ERA. She picked up two losses over the weekend.

early, with two runs in the bottom of the first. Point Park chipped away at IU Southeast in the second. Junior Courtney Blocher hit a run-scoring single, making the score 2-1 at the end of two.

After another IU Southeast run, Cook’s RBI double cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth.

The Grenadiers’ cleanup hitter Maggie Lubbehussen had an RBI double in the fifth, and IU Southeast scored another run off an error to gain the final two

runs of the game and give the Grenadiers a 5-2 win in the first game.

The second game took nine innings, and Tarr pitched all 8.2 with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

Point Park held a 3-1 lead late in the game, but two last-minute runs scored by the Grenadiers tied things up at three at the end of seven.

A walk, sacrifice bunt, and a two-out base hit by the Grenadiers in the bot-

tom of the ninth resulted in a heartbreak loss for Point Park, 4-3.

Point Park will travel to Adrian, Michigan. on Saturday for a two-game series against Siena Heights before returning to Fair Haven Park for games on Tuesday and Wednesday, hosting non-conference two-game series against Malone and Waynesburg, respectively.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

Cheer completes second season as varsity sport

By Robert Berger Co-Sports Editor

After finishing just short of qualifying for the National Championship meet, The Pioneer competitive cheerleading team ended their season last weekend in Myrtle Beach competing in the Cheer Ltd. Nationals at Canam.

“It was definitely an unforgettable experience because our team has never done anything like that before,” sophomore Keera Frye said. “We got to compete at a national level against schools outside of the

NAIA, so it was competition we have never even seen before.”

The Pioneers were just 33 points shy of meeting the qualifying standard for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and competed this past weekend to end the year on the national stage.

“We have decided to pursue competing at the national level at the Cheer Ltd. National Championship this year in order to help our cheer program to grow and to gain exposure to competing at the national level,” Head Coach Bettina Herold said.

Emilee Fails | Point Park Athletics The competitive cheer team performs their routine as part of the Pioneer Showcase. This past weekend, the cheer team competed in Myrtle Beach as part of the Cheer Ltd. Nationals at Canam to end the season.

According to Herold, the Cheer Ltd. Tournament hosts a number of schools in various athletic divisions which she hopes her team can learn from for the coming years of the program.

The competitive cheer team just wrapped up its second year as a varsity program, and the team walked away with five top-three finishes in competition this year. The team also claimed an event win against Siena Heights University last month in Adrian, Mich.

“Our team has been through a lot this season, and I’m proud of everything we have been able to accomplish despite losing some people,” Frye said. “As we lost people, we each stepped up and gained new skills and worked to come together to end the year on a successful note.”

The team was also set to host their first home competition earlier in the season in a meet against Lourdes University, but was canceled due to inclimate weather. The team was however still able to perform an exhibition routine in front of a home audience for the first time.

Herold has coached the team the past two years they have been recognized as a sport and will return next year.

“Bettina is an amazing coach and leader,” Frye said.

“She puts so much into both the cheer and dance teams and is constantly thinking of new thing we can try and come together as a team to feed off each others skills.”

At the time of publication, results of the competition were yet to be posted. Check ppuglobe.com for the final results.

Robert Berger raberge@pointpark.edu

Submitted | Point Park Rugby Senior Joe Kelly stiff arms a Grove City defender during the team’s road loss last weekend. The team was defeated in their season opener 28-15 and are back in action at home March 30.

Rugby team drops spring season opener

Home opener on March 30

By Taylor Spirito For The Globe

The men’s rugby team dropped its season opening game 28-15 against Grove City College last Friday.

The Bisons were down 10-5 before halftime when sophomore lock Jared Slattery put Point Park on the board just before time expired.

Freshman winger Tyshawn Williams also scored while also making his first appearance on the field.

Senior Sam Allman also scored in the second half to keep Point Park in the battle, but they ultimately came up short and lost the war to the Wolverines.

“Grove City and Point Park has turned into a bit of a rivalry game,” senior cap-

tain Steven Reed said, “We have very similar play styles and they are on the same level ability-wise.”

Reed said that in his four years of playing rugby at Point Park, last Friday was the coldest game of his college career.

“The combination of wind and rain made it extremely difficult to stay warm,” Reed said.

The rugby men are back in action March 30 when they take on Saint Vincent College. The game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Highmark Stadium and will serve as the team’s home opener for the 2019 spring season.

Taylor Spirito trspiri@pointpark.edu