Globe fall 2016 issue 2

IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE

Globe

4 PAGE 6 PAGE 9

Point Park

@PPUGlobe September 7, 2016

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

Three alumni perform in “The Toxic Avenger” cabaret show Jane McAnallen advocates use of trigger warnings on campus Josh Croup previews men’s and women’s soccer seasons

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ppuglobe.com Issue 2

Media Center to open doors Biden, VP hopeful with speakers, photo exhibit Kaine speak before Labor Day parade

By Matt Petras Co-News Editor

The opening ceremony for Point Park University’s newest facility, the Center for Media Innovation (CMI), scheduled for Sept. 13, will feature a student-run photo exhibit, a talk from “Serial” co-creator Sarah Koenig and more.

“I’m troubled by the path the media industry has been on for a while,” director of the CMI Andrew Conte said.

“The narrative for the past ten years has been about the decline and how things aren’t tenable in the media business.

It’s time to turn that around.”

The Center will feature photo, television and radio studios, a multimedia newsroom, a space for presentations and more. Student groups like the Globe and U-View will use this space for activities previously held in other parts of the university’s campus.

The gears were turning before the fall semester, however. Over the summer, some students and faculty were already working in the media center.

Photojournalism student Julian Kovacs made visits to the CMI throughout the sum-

mer to prepare for a student photo gallery on freedom of speech to be held on the opening ceremony. The gallery will feature subjects such as protest, police violence, and censorship, according to Kovacs. Kovacs worked with Communication Technology graduate student Laura Quinn and professor Chris Rolinson gathering and compiling student photographs for the exhibit.

“It’s an amazing space and very high-tech,” said Kovacs.

“It feels like you’re in NBC’s studio in New York City.”

CENTER page 2

photo by Chloe Jakiela

Senior journalism major Phil Poupore captures video of Bill Flanagan from Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Paul Hennigan, President of University and Andrew Conte, Director of the Center of Media Innovation.

Point Park earns recognition in national collegiate publication

By Iain Oldman Co-News Editor

Following a summer in which the school failed to make several college distinction lists, Point Park University has finally earned itself a national award.

Point Park University was named Thursday as one of the Colleges of Distinction for the 2016-17 school year.

“This honor validates our commitment to providing students with a personalized

support system that allows them to flourish,” Point Park President Paul Hennigan said in a press release. “The University offers numerous real-world learning opportunities that prepare students for success from the moment their careers begin.”

The Colleges of Distinction award is given out to universities which satisfy the four criteria set forth by Colleges of Distinction, an annual publication. The publication is intended to serve as a guidebook to students

looking to apply to colleges and universities across the United States. Colleges of Distinction boasts a circulation to over 40,000 guidance counselors on their website.

The four criteria that Colleges of Distinction evaluate include engaged students, great teaching, a vibrant community and successful outcomes.

“High student engagement in college is one of the keys to a successful under-

By Josh Croup Editor-in-Chief

Vice President Joe Biden walked in last year’s Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh, stopping to shake hands and take selfies with parade-goers, including members of the Point Park women’s soccer team. The Vice President returned to Pittsburgh Monday for Pittsburgh’s Labor Day celebration, but this time, he accompanied a man he hopes will replace him in the White House.

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, Hillary Clinton’s running mate and potential future Vice President of the United States, joined Biden on a stage at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11th street Monday prior to Downtown Pittsburgh’s Labor Day Parade. The two spoke about Clinton’s plans for the economy and praised the contributions of workers and unions in front of a crowd of a few hundred people.

President of Pennsylvania’s American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFLCIO) Rick Bloomingdale made the first remarks of the morning and wasted no time taking a jab at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, comparing him to “your drunk uncle at your picnic today.”

United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo Gerard introduced Kaine and praised the senator’s support of workers over the years.

Gerard referred to the 2016 election as the “most important election in the history of the country.”

Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parade is considered one of the country’s largest and is typically a celebration of local unions. While Kaine and Biden each spoke to the importance of unions in the economy, neither missed

the chance to take a swing at Trump.

Kaine compared the election to a job interview and criticized Trump for not answering questions from the American people.

“You wouldn’t hire somebody for a summer job who wouldn’t answer your questions in a job interview, and he wants you to hire him to be president of the United States,” Kaine said.

“He thinks we’re chumps.

Donald Trump thinks he can blow this by us, that we’re gullible. But I’ll tell you, Pennsylvanians aren’t gullible… he’s going to learn something very different on November eighth.”

A number of local and state political figures were in attendance for the speeches, all of which are democrats.

Gov. Tom Wolf, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald, President of the Allegheny County Labor Council Jack Shea, Pennsylvania Congressmen Mike Doyle and Tim Murphy, Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Pennsylvania House of Representatives Minority Leader Frank Dermody and Pennsylvania’s democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Katie McGinty were all in the crowd for Monday’s speeches.

Biden was the main speaker and took the podium following Kaine, addressing the crowd for about half an hour under a cloudless sky.

Biden strutted to the podium, took off his navy sports coat and tossed it on the ground below as he removed his sunglasses, Kaine by his side.

“I’ll tell you what,” Biden said. “My name is Joe Biden, and I work for Hillary Clinton and whatever the hell this guy’s name is.”

KAINE page 2

COLLEGES page 2

University brings on fourteen new full-time faculty members

By Hannah Walden For The Globe

Among the masses of new faces at Point Park University for the 2016 fall semester are 14 new full-time faculty members working across several departments.

Many of the academic departments hired at least one new full-time faculty member, but not all of them are new to Point Park. Several have been with the university for several semesters, serving

Weather Forecast

as adjunct professors.

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

Sandra Mervosh is a Pittsburgh native and spent the last 20 years at Point Park as an adjunct professor of human resources (HR) in the Humanities and Human Sciences department, but only recently moved to the School of Business full-time. Mervosh earned her M.A. at La Roche College, as well as two personal certificates for HR.

Mervosh strongly believes that HR is a true business degree and can be used in every company and that education should be all about the students and focused on students gaining knowledge that they will use in their careers.

“It’s not about me,” Mervosh said. “It’s about the students learning and developing in their fields. My job is to support you and your application to your careers.”

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Today: T-storms H 90, L 70

FACULTY page 3

Thursday: Partly cloudy, H 92, L 70 Friday: T-storms, H 86, L 70 Saturday: T-storms, H 86, L 62 Sunday: Sunny, H 79, L 55 Monday: Sunny, H 82, L 60 Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, H 85, L 64

photo by Chloe Jakiela

Democratic Vice President Joe Biden speaks to supporters of Presidential Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton Labor Day morning.

Globe Point Park

2

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Co-creator of hit podcast ‘Serial’ Kaine, Biden stress to speak at Center grand opening importance of CENTER page 1 ups, representing groups like classes are in the center] unions, make case for The from yet,” the chair of the School most high-profile UpGruv and The Incline.

Later in the day, the of Communications Thom guest at the ceremony is no Clinton presidency newcomer to newsrooms Pittsburgh Center for Sports Baggerman said via phone collective bargaining process for their first union contract.

Biden said Clinton The parade kicked off couldn’t have picked a better shortly after 10 a.m. from running mate in Kaine, who the staging area, but Biden he said is highly qualified did not walk in the parade for the job he has served for like he did in 2015. Wolf, nearly the past eight years.

Peduto, Fitzgerald and Mc“Hillary is really going to Ginty, among others, each need him,” Biden said. “Not joined in on the parade fesbecause she’s not the smart- tivities that went through est person to seek that office, Point Park’s campus on she is. But because the plate Boulevard of the Allies. is so full.”

Junior counseling psyThe 73-year-old Scran- chology major Hannah ton, Pa. native told the crowd Hepler was sitting at the he was offered a scholarship corner of Wood Street and to the University of Pitts- Boulevard of the Allies burgh to play football, but in front of Lawrence Hall ultimately decided on the when she found out Biden University of Delaware in the would not make his return state where to campus he served as Monday.

U.S. Senator While disfrom 1973appointed, 2009.

He Hepler said called Pittsshe still enburgh “aljoyed the most home.” parade.

Biden “I was celebrated quite disapunion workpointed that ers in the I didn’t get crowd and to see him criticized this year,” the U.S. Hepler said.

Chamber of “I underCommerce stand he has and some other things democrats to do, so it’s for “tip-toetotally cool. ing around” It gives us a Joe Biden unions with real world Vice President of words like experience.” the United States “organized Local labor.” He unions and said Kaine marching bands flooded the understands unions. streets Monday morning “[Unions] have liter- for the parade. The sound ally, not figuratively, built of bagpipes drew freshman this country,” Biden said. dance major Cecilia Benitez “The sacrifices unions have out of her dorm to watch the made, all the dues you’ve parade with her roommates. paid, all the picket lines “It was pretty exciting you’ve marched in, all of because I’ve never really that has benefited not only been to a parade like this beyou, it’s benefited every fore,” the Miami native said.

American worker.”

“We have elf parades, but not Point Park adjunct fac- like political parades.” ulty members successfully negotiated their first union contract last year and the Josh Croup university’s full-time faculty jdcroup@pointpark.edu. members are currently in the

from KAINE page 1

and studios. “[Koenig] has got her roots in traditional journalism, but then when she started doing storytelling she put a new twist on it and reached a whole new audience,” Conte said.

She will be giving the keynote speech for the ceremony.

Along with her speech, there will be some Q&A panels with several media figures.

From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. there are “#MediaPioneers” panels, with guests like Michelle Wright of WTAE and Luis Fabregas of the Tribune Review, according to Conte. There will also be officials from newer start-

Media and Marketing will host a presentation with Chris Eames of ESPN and James Kerr of AT&T, according to Point Park’s website.

Despite the ceremony still being on the horizon, classes have already begun in the building since the start of the fall semester, and will continue to be held going forward. Some communications classes, such as Advanced Reporting and Multiplatform Magazine Reporting, are scheduled in the CMI, whereas others like Broadcast News Reporting are scheduled in other campus buildings.

“There’s no particular process for [deciding which

Monday.

Baggerman also said that classes outside of the communications umbrella could also be scheduled in the CMI in the future.

“There’s no guarantee that a lecture class, like a cinema class, couldn’t end up in the [CMI],” Baggerman said.

On the prospect of the CMI, Baggerman shares the excitement others involved have.

“It’s a place where students and professionals are going to interact on a regular basis,” Baggerman said.

Matt Petras mapetra@pointpark.edu.

“Hillary is really going to need [Kaine]. Not because she’s not the smartest person to seek that office, she is. But because the plate is so full.”

Point Park left off ‘Colleges That Change Lives,’ Forbes 660 lists from COLLEGES page 1

graduate education,” Tyson Schritter, executive editor for Colleges of Distinction, told the university. “With an increasing emphasis on handson learning techniques, Colleges of Distinction applauds Point Park for practicing methodologies that prepare students for their futures.”

Point Park University is one of 33 colleges in Pennsylvania to win the award.

La Roche College is the only other school in the greater Pittsburgh area to receive the award.

The national recognition comes at the end of a school season where Point Park was left out on multiple respected collegiate recognition lists.

Point Park University was not among the top 660 schools named by Forbes magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges List.” There were 41 Pennsylvania colleges listed

in the report, with Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa. taking the top spot.

Point Park University also received a “C” grade from Forbes in their Financial Grades report. The report assesses the “fiscal soundness” of colleges and universities by balancing three categories – balance sheet strength, operational soundness and other higher education specific health indicators.

Lauren Pope’s “Colleges That Change Lives,” a publication similar to “Colleges of Distinction,” also left Point Park University off of its list.

Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. and Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa. were the only Pennsylvania schools featured on Pope’s list.

Iain Oldman idoldma@pointpark.edu.

photo by Julie Griffith

Democratic Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Tim Kaine shake hands before they speak to supporters of Presidential Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton Labor Day morning.

AUGUST 25 - SEPTEMBER 2ND

Poll Average Pennsylvania: Presidential Candidates

46.0

Clinton

40.0

Trump Johnson Stein

6.0

Poll Average Pennsylvania Senate: Toomey vs. McGinty

McGinty

Toomey

41.5 41.0

2.0 Source: RealClear Politics

McGinty picks up key party support

Outside groups Trump ramps up spending on TV ads spend millions in Pa.

Progressive favorite and Democratic Senator of Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren will campaign for Pennsylvania U.S. Senate hopeful Katie McGinty starting Sept. 9. McGinty has been endorsed by President Barack Obama, as well as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders urged his supporters to contribute money to McGinty’s campaign in an email sent Monday, Aug. 29. McGinty was named alongside three other Democratic Senate candidates in the email.

Source: Politico

The Donald Trump campaign has purchased its largest television ad buy, clocking in at around $10 million, which is over double what the Trump campaign has spent thus far. Pennsylvania is among eight states to receive this ad, which stacks Hillary Clinton and Trump’s economic plans against each other.

Even with this recent surge in spending in multiple states, Trump’s overall advertising spending falls significantly short of Clinton’s ad campaign . In total, Clinton has spent $68 million on TV spots.

Source: NBC News

An analysis by the Brennan Center has revealed that outside groups have spent over $30 million on the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Katie McGinty and Republican incumbent Pat Toomey.

Pro-Toomey organizations have engaged in campaign related activities in Pennsylvania due to financial aid from respective groups with ties to Michael Bloomberg and the Koch brothers. Pro-McGinty efforts come from financial aid from groups like Planned Parenthood, labor unions and a Harry Reid-backed group.

Source: The Washington Post

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

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Liberty Bridge temporarily closed due to fire damage

By Iain Oldman Co-News Editor

All traffic routes across the Liberty Bridge are closed due to structural damage incurred during a fire that broke out Friday afternoon.

PennDOT officials said the fire, which reached temperatures of more than 1,200 degrees, damaged a 30-footlong steel beam under the bridge. Wild sparks from

construction crews on the bridge ignited plastic piping, which spread to a tarp attached to the bridge, according to PennDOT officials.

The Liberty Bridge is currently under a two-year, $80 million renovation construction project.

All traffic lanes across the bridge will close for at least a week. Police officials are stationed at all entrances for the bridge to direct motorists

and assist traffic detours.

Public Schools and 12 other school districts operate don a 2-hour delay Tuesday due to the expected traffic delays.

The Liberty Bridge averages 55,000 vehicles a day across all lanes, leading the Pittsburgh Port Authority to add multiple alternate routes for commuters.

Port Authority has added limited bus and light rail service to its schedules to ac-

commodate the inflow of additional riders. Commuters should expect delays to their normal routes, and the Port Authority advises riders to allow extra time for travel.

Twelve bus routes will be added on lines impacted most by the traffic delays. In addition, Port Authority will operate two extra two-car trains throughout the week.

In a press release distrib-

uted Monday, Port Authority reported that PennDOT has offered to pay for the cost of additional service throughout the week.

Commuters can visit the Port Authority website for full details regarding route delays and additions.

Iain Oldman idoldma@pointpark.edu.

photo by Alexander Popichak

Sparks from renoviation work on the Liberty Bridge ignited a tarp covering a section of the bridge and started a fire that it to close. The bridge was fully closed on a work day for the first time in its 88-year history.

Eight departments bring on instructors for fall semester from FACULTY page 1

COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

Ben Schonberger is the only new full-time faculty member brought on to the School of Communications for the 2016 fall semester.

Schonberger earned his B.F.A. in Photography and Computer Imagery from Shepherd University in West Virginia and earned his M.F.A. in Photography at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Schonberger has exhibited his work as part of exhibitions in Chicago, Guatemala, Tokyo and Australia.

DANCE DEPARTMENT

Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts’ dance department brought on two new full-time faculty members.

Mark Burrell, who has participated in multiple Tony award-winning Broadway productions, joins the university as an assistant dance professor. Burrell attended the Juilliard School of Dance, though halfway through his degree he took two years off school to do many shows for Broadway including “Fosse,” “Cats,” “7 Brides for 7 Brothers” and two versions of “Pippin.”

Burrell worked as the assistant choreographer of the Radio City Rockettes and was cast in the film and stage version of “The Producers,” and has also done considerable commercial work. Burrell went back to school and earned his B.F.A. at the age of 25.

The second addition to the school’s dance department is Colleen Hooper, a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, who received her M.F.A. and Ph. D. in dance and spent time teaching modern dance and dance history at Temple after graduation.

Hooper has danced for several professional companies in New York and Philadelphia, including Merian Soto, Katherine Kiefer-Stark/The Naked Stark, Beau Hancock, George Russell, Emily Faulkner

and Red Dive, a Bessie award-winning Site Specific dance theater company.

Hooper specializes in site specific choreography, which is choreography that is presented in non-traditional stage spaces. Her most recent projects have been focused on water conservation and how people use modern technology.

“The name and history is what drew me here,” Hooper said. “The students are hungry for training and to apply themselves so early into the semester.”

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Denise Beverina-Moore is one of four full-time faculty members hired by the Education department. Beverina-Moore has been working at Point Park since 2010 as an adjunct professor and developed and taught the course Differentiated Teaching and Learning and also worked as the student teacher outreach coordinator. She now joins the department as a full-time education instructor and continues as the student teacher outreach coordinator.

Prior to teaching at Point Park, Beverina-Moore spent more than 30 years in public education and taught at Waynesburg University and California University of Pennsylvania.

Ronald Dufalla joins the Education Department as a full-time instructor of education. Dufalla spent more than 30 years at Brentwood Borough School District after earning his Ph.D. of Philosophy, Educational Administration at the University of Pittsburgh.

Most recently, Dufalla has spent the last 10 years as an adjunct professor teaching M.A. Educational Administration at Point Park, training teachers to become principals and was recently involved in the doctoral program where students can earn their Ed.D. certification to become superintendents.

Elisabeth Ehrlich also starts the fall semester as a full-time instructor of edu-

cation for the Education department. Immediately after earning her Ph.D. at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Ehrlich began working at Point Park as an adjunct professor, and even delayed her retirement to focus on her work at the university.

Ehrlich teaches an online class, as well as graduate classes such as Teaching and Learning, Emerging and Teacher Leadership and Educational Administration.

Eric Stennett, an Army Reserve veteran of three operations, was brought in by the Education department as the director of Ed.D. in leadership and administration program and a fulltime faculty member.

Stennett worked in public education for 25 years before being hired by the university.

As of now he is working on growing the program and updating technology and resources, mainly through social media as this is a popular way to connect with students outside of the classroom.

Stennett has set up two Twitter pages for his courses to share the success of the program and students. He created the hashtag #WhoYouAreIsHowYouLead, as a way to share his philosophy with his students.

different than in a medical university, but in a good way,” Thomas said.

LITERARY ARTS DEPARTMENT

Chris Girman is the only new full-time faculty member brought on by the university for the fall semester to the Literary Arts department.

He earned his M.A. in law at the University of Texas, his M.F.A. at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and his Ph. D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Girman went on to teach middle school for four years in South Texas and at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Girman shakes up the first day of class as a meetand-greet mixed with class requirements and expectations with mini lessons, which are lessons that help students apply what was learned to lessons that will consequently follow. As students give their names, majors and hometowns, Girman asks students to also describe a childhood image that has shaped them into who they are today, while creating a comfortable and trusting environment.

NATURAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Pittsburgh native Kristy HUMANITIES AND HUMAN Long joins the full-time faculSERVICES DEPARTMENT Associate professor of psychology Jill Thomas is the newest faculty member for the Humanities and Human Sciences department, having previously taught at State University of New York (SUNY) and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Thomas hopes that undergraduate students will continue their degrees after achieving their B.A. and she certainly practices what she preaches as she has degrees that not only make her a teacher but also make her a clinical psychologist, practice therapist and sex therapist. “[Point Park] has a great vibe, a lot of positive energy, especially within the students. It is much

ty as an instructor of natural sciences. Originally from the South Hills, Long went to the University of New Mexico for her M.A. Afterwards, Long worked lab science at the Los Alamos National Lab on various projects involving nuclear materials for 10 years.

Another addition to his department is Yaser Roshan, an assistant professor of electrical engineering. Roshan received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in Mashhad, Iran.

Immediately prior to coming to Point Park, Roshan was a post-doctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where

he earned his doctorate in Philosophy, Mechatronics Systems Engineering.

Roshan has worked as a project manager or research engineer for multiple private sector companies, including The MathWorks Inc. and Unity Integration Corporation.

THEATRE ARTS DEPARTMENT

Tracey Brent-Chessum has been teaching at Point Park as an adjunct professor since 2013, later teaching online courses from 2014-16. This semester, Brent-Chessum will teach multiple theater courses.

Brent-Chessum attended the University of Maryland in Washington, D.C. in 2007 for her Ph.D. In 2010, Brent-Chessum founded the Pallas Theater Collective, a non-profit organization that provides theater students and scholars with opportunities to work outside of the academic year in theater productions. Earlier this year, the Pallas Theater Collective was named a nominee for The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theater Company at the Helen Hayes Awards.

Prior to teaching at Point Park, Brent-Chessum taught at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

April Daras was also hired by the theater department as a full-time faculty member beginning in August. Daras will serve as a visiting artist for the theatre department.

Daras received both her bachelor’s degree in theater and Masters of Fine Arts degree in directing from Florida State University, before working at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, W.V. as an associate professor of theater. She has been serving as an adjunct faculty member at Point Park since 2013.

All new faculty members started classes as full-time professors at the start of the fall 2016 semester.

Hannah Walden hwalde@pointpark.edu.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

FEATURES

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Three alumni perform together with Pittsburgh CLO Comedy, horror fuse together in production of ‘The Toxic Avenger’

By Kayla Snyder Copy Editor

As a freshman, Katie Sexton remembers looking up to seniors Caroline Nicolian or Quinn Patrick Shannon and aspiring to be like the upperclassmen at Point Park. Now, Sexton has the opportunity to perform alongside both Nicolian and Shannon in the Pittsburgh CLO’s upcoming production of “The Toxic Avenger,” which opens Sept. 22.

“I thought they were both the most talented people so I’m excited to get to share the stage with them,” Sexton said. “It’s cool to get to do a show with people you thought were so awesome when you were younger.”

“The Toxic Avenger” is set in a polluted town in New Jersey. Due to the fact that the pollution issue was becoming worse, a scientist named Melvin Ferd the Third researches how to fix the problem. He ends up falling into a vat of toxic waste and transforms into a mutant-human named The Toxic Avenger who kills all of the bad guys and saves the day.

According to the Pittsburgh CLO website, the show is described as an “unexpected love story and

a laugh-out-loud musical horror-comedy.”

The three alumni casted in the show, Nicolian, Shannon and Sexton, all credit the university’s program to a lot of their success.

Nicolian, a 2009 graduate and Pittsburgh native, said that she learned the most about her talents while she was on stage at Point Park.

“While I was [at Point Park], I played such a wide variety of roles that got me to expand my horizons,” Nicolian said. “I wasn’t stuck in any kind of type or box. I learned the most about my craft while I was there.”

Nicolian starred in numerous productions since graduating from Point Park including “First Date” and “Jacque Brel is Alive and Well Living in Paris.” Although Nicolian has performed on stages outside of the university, she recalls her favorite shows being at Point Park.

“To this day, ‘Jane Eyre’ is probably still one of my favorite shows,” Nicolian said. “I got a chance to do that when I was a sophomore with Playhouse Junior… My fondest memories are back when it wasn’t about the job and the money.”

Sexton, a 2011 graduate and New Hampshire na-

tive, has since relocated to about it, because it is really New York City. Some of the hard, but I think knowing shows under her belt in- that helps you realize you clude “Oklahoma,” “South just have to keep going.”

Pacific” and “Evil Dead.”

Shannon, a 2008 gradShe recalled her profes- uate, has starred in various sors giving shows such her the opas “Guys and portunity Dolls,” “The to further 39 Steps” her craft to and “Plaid become a Tiding.” He well-rounddescribes his ed peracademic caformer and reer at Point informing Park as a her of the mixture of difficulties training and of being in classwork. the theater “My exbusiness. perience at “You rePoint Park ally do have was that it’s to be a triall about ple threat the trainto keep your ing there,” own when Shannon you’re out said. “You there,” Sexconcenton said. trate on the “They teach training and you reality. you concenThey don’t trate on the tell you that classwork you’re goand everying to be a Katie Sexton thing else star. They Musical Theater Alumni will follow.” tell you that Point Park University All three you’re realalumni said ly going to the prohave to work hard to get the fessors at the university jobs and to compete. I don’t helped them advance their know how many schools ac- talents, but Jack Allison tually do that. They’re real was mentioned by all three.

“I thought they were both the most talented people so I’m excited to get to share the stage with them. It’s cool to get to do a show with people you thought were so awesome when you were younger.”

Allison no longer works at Point Park but he spoke about seeing the three perform and progress in their careers.

“I remember when they first started in the program,” Allison said. “They were novices but when they finished they were experienced performers. They’re incredibly talented and I’m proud that they’re working in the professional theatre.”

The performers mentioned working in the theater business is not an easy thing to do. Shannon stresses that aspiring performers have to trust themselves and their skills.

“A lot of young kids lose [trust in themselves] in college and when they get out of college,” Shannon said.

“If you know you’re talented, keep that confidence and don’t lose it.”

The Pittsburgh CLO’s production of “The Toxic Avenger” runs from Sept.

22 to Dec. 18 at the Cabaret at Theatre Square on Penn Ave. For more information, students can visit the Pittsburgh CLO’s website at pittsburghclo.org.

Kayla Snyder klsnyde2@pointpark.edu

Point Park After Dark returns with night of gaming Pokemon serves as inspiration for Campus Activities Board

By Eddie Trizzino Co-Features Editor

Over the summer, Leah Sero would occasionally go on night walks around the city with her friends, seeing many other people also roaming about all looking for the same thing: Pokemon. These walks inspired her to make the theme of the first Point Park After Dark event of the fall 2016 semester, Pokemon After Dark.

“I would be out and see people looking for Pokemon, The Point is a big hype spot for Pokemon,” said Sero, a sophomore sports, arts and entertain-

ment management major and pioneer series coordinator or the Campus Activities Board (CAB).

Pokemon After Dark will be held Sept. 10 in the Student Center Gym from 8-10 p.m. Point Park After Dark is a monthly event hosted

by CAB that has a different theme every month, along with different kinds of activities which are planned out by Sero and CAB’s Pioneer Series committee.

“The goal of Point Park After Dark is to give the students a safe alternative for a Saturday night, and to have the Student Center utilized more,” senior business major with a focus in

marketing and CAB Vice President of Marketing Eva Smith, said.

Pokemon After Dark will be held in the Student Center gym, where there will be TVs set up with retro gaming systems such as a GameCube and Wii and current systems such as the Xbox and Wii U. Aside from video games to play, Sero said that they are also raffling off the hat that the character Ash wears in the Pokemon cartoon.

Sero said she was not much of a Pokemon fan until Pokemon Go was released over the summer but thought that a night of gaming would be a good

photo by Julie Kooser

Senior public relations major Victoria Lines searches for Pokemon in preparation for CAB’s Point Park After Dark event on Sept. 10. Students will throwback to classic game consoles and enjoy everything Pokemon.

way to begin the Pioneer Series. She said she thinks freshmen will appreciate the atmosphere the most.

“It’s going to be a more laid back event. Freshman Frenzy was so much for them, so it’s kind of aimed at them,” Sero said.

Pokemon Go, which is a free mobile gaming application, was released to download over the summer, and has since been downloaded more than 100 million times, according to the application page on the Google Play Store.

The virtual reality app lets users look at a map on their phone to find real-world locations of Pokemon, which they then go to in order to catch it and add it to their collection. In addition to the creatures, the game also features Pokestops, ingame checkpoints, where players can stock up on items, and gyms, where players can take challenges and gain achievements.

Junior counseling psychology major Hannah Hepler said she has always been a fan of Pokemon, playing every game in the series since it first began.

She said she appreciates the new aspects Pokemon Go brings to the table.

“It’s such an active game, you could go out for a short walk that ends up turning into hours,” Hepler said. “It’s sort of like a little kid’s dream to go out and catch Pokemon in real life. I really like how it brings them to life.”

Sero said she was surprised to find how much Pokemon merchandise existed.

“I had no idea there were so many Pokemon games,” Sero said, explaining the process of getting ready for the gaming night.

Like all Point Park After Dark events, the club will provide food, snacks and beverages in the Student Center. Hepler expressed interest at the idea of playing the old games.

“It’s really rewarding to just go back and play the old games and remember playing them for the first time,” Hepler said.

Eddie Trizzino eatrizz@pointpark.edu.

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

5

Playhouse begins new season with ‘Wig Out!’ ‘Wig Out!’ to debut in Pittsburgh area, explores drag culture

By Kelsey Wolfe For The Globe

Divas, drag queens and disco scenes are set to take the stage this week at the Pittsburgh Playhouse’s Rauh Theatre. The REP Professional Theatre Company will open its 2016-17 season with the premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s vibrant Off-Broadway play “Wig Out!” Cassia Sakmar, marketing and public relations coordinator for the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University, said during a phone interview that this is the first time “Wig Out!” will be performed in Pittsburgh and the surrounding regions. “[Wig Out!] is really an interesting exploration of the drag culture and also fits into the important themes that are relevant today in society with gender identity and stereotypes,” Sakmar said.

Set in an early time of HIV in the homosexual and drag culture, the show centers on the story of Eric, a gay man in New York City.

Eric meets and falls head over heels in love with Wilson, otherwise known as Ms. Nina, a cross-dressing man who is a member of the House of Light. She introduces Eric to her world and to her family, just as they are being challenged at an upcoming drag ball.

“Wig Out!” is a show filled with lively characters that explores the mean-

photos by John Altdorferf

Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “Wig Out!” will premiere on September 9th at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. The show is set in New York City and represents the early days of drag and alternative culture. ing of home, family and love, while bringing to life the competitive and fierce world of the drag ball.

The show is filled with local talent, including some Point Park alum. Tomé Cousin, director of “Wig Out!” is a Point Park graduate himself. According to Sakmar, “Wig Out!” was a show that Cousin really connected with and found

important to bring to light.

Cousin claims the show is like nothing the audience has ever seen before. “‘Wig Out!’ is a high voltage exploration into New York City’s underground Harlem Voguing Ball culture that is loaded with explosive characters, costumes, music and dance,” Cousin said in a press release.

The REP Professional Theatre Company will be opening the 2016-2017 season with their production of “Wig out!”

Freshman musical the- about,” Sellars said. ater major Elise Dorsey The show is set to run said shows Sept. 9-25 like “Wig in the Rauh Out!” are Theatre at important the Pittsbecause a burgh Playlot of people house in deal with Oakland. issues that Opening are shown night will throughout feature Miss the show.

Thea Trixx, “This a local drag show will queen, with have an efa “Talk Befect on somefore” starting one, whether at 6:15 p.m. it helps them There accept who will be a spethey are or cial ASL permakes them formance on question evSaturday, erything they Sept. 24 at think they 2 p.m. know about Cassia Sakmar Tickets this culture,” Marketing and Public Relations range from Dorsey said. $10 to $29 Coordinator, S o p h o - Pittsburgh Playhouse and can be more dance purchased major Briby conanne Sellars tacting the believes that making peo- Pittsburgh Playhouse’s box ple aware of ongoing social office at 412-392-8000 or issues is important. by visiting pittsburghplay“Not a lot of people in house.com. our generation are aware [of social issues], and it brings it to the surface that Kelsey Wolfe more people need to know kjwolfe@pointpark.edu

“[Wig Out!] is really an interesting exploration of the drag culture, and also fits into the important themes that are relevant today in society with gender identity, stereotypes.”

CAB CELEBRATES LABOR DAY AT PIONEER PICNIC Interested in Writing for the

?

Join Us for Our Pitch Meetings! photo by Julie Kooser Students mingle at CAB’s Pioneer Picnic on Monday. From left to right: Sophomore dance major Angelica Jones, junior SAEM major Navajah James, junior journalism major Erin Massie, and sophomore dance major Faith Kazmierczak.

Mondays at 2:40 in the Center for Media Innovation Newsroom

6

WEDNESDAY, September 7, 2016

OPINIONS

Pokemon GO! a backpedal for humanity

The

Globe Point Park

By Laura Byko

Co-Opinions Editor

Point Park’s supernatural rumors debunked As we settle into our second week at Point Park, we at the Globe have decided to put public service back in journalism and debunk some of the rumors floating around Point Park. We polled our newsroom, and these are things people have heard about Point Park that need clarified.

THE SIXTH FLOOR OF THAYER HALL

We need to start at the beginning of Thayer Hall’s existence. Thayer Hall was built from the ground up

by Point Park. Thayer Hall was not a parking garage, a mental institution or anything other than a collegiate/dormitory building.

The oldest building on campus, according to the university’s archives, is the Wood-Boulevard corner of Academic Hall. It began as a hardware store and was later bought by the university.

It was built onto over the years but the floor heights and such remain the same.

Why is that relevant?

When Thayer Hall was built onto Academic Hall, it was built with equidistant floors, while Academic Hall wasn’t. This means that the two buildings don’t match up – meaning that the sixth floor of Thayer doesn’t match up with the sixth floor of Academic (where

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

the elevators for Thayer actually live). This is why the elevators do not go to the sixth floor of Thayer Hall.

THE SHUFFLER

The Lawrence Hall Shuffler is the resident ghost and ghost story which floats about campus. There is some validity to some of the supernatural claims but by and large the identity of said ghost has been disputed.

Lawrence Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus. It started out as the Keystone Athletic Club and then the tower was added, making it the Sherwyn Hotel. In March 1967, Point Park bought the Sherwyn Hotel and renamed it David Lawrence Hall – which one of the first editions of the Globe suggested was among the possibilities.

According to Point Park’s 5oth anniversary history book, in the agreement of the purchase of Lawrence Hall, there came a resident who was permitted to live there even though the university had purchased the building. The story goes that Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Michael Musmanno lived on the 16th floor of Lawrence. Apparently Musmanno was upset by reading in the Post-Gazette that the university had planned to evacuate all res-

idents, and Musmanno decided to see if the university would allow him to stay.

Musmanno was one of the most respected jurists in the history of the state, and demanded a certain amount of respect. Specifically, one student recalled that Musmanno called down to security to have someone bring an elevator to the floor to pick him up. That said, he rarely spoke to students during the stint of his stay.

Anyway, Musmanno died in 1968, a year after the university took on the building. Stories conflict as to the specific details of his death, but he officially died at a nearby hospital after suffering from a stroke. Musmanno was the only tenant that stayed at Point Park through the acquisition. It’s most likely if there is such a person as the Shuffler, it would be Justice Musmanno – a man of distinction who just wanted to live in a place he called home and give the student life a try.

So here’s the point: Point Park is an extremely safe campus, and if you are being haunted by someone, odds are it’s just a kind spirit that was once a judge living on the 16th floor.

The Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu.

A change came to Point Park over the summer, and it’s not a change for the better.

No, this change is insidious, it is dangerous and it is woven into the very fabric of our campus.

I am referring, of course, to the Pokemon Gym located at the water wall in Village Park.

Putting our campus on the front lines of the storied Pokemon Battles is a disgrace.

We college students should be battling our ideas, not our terrifying, toothy monsters. We should be facilitating discussions, not sending upsettingly humanoid creatures out to fight until they return, defeated and unconscious.

When I’ve raised this argument before, with friends, they’ve told me that it’s possible to have fun with a video game and also take an active part in intellectual debate. To this, I’ve replied, “Video game?”

Because here’s the thing: these monsters are in our city. They’re on our campus.

I’ve seen them on my phone screen. It’s like I’m taking a picture of my surroundings, and a Pokemon is right there, lurking. I can’t see it with my eyes, but I can see it with my phone, and what is a phone but a more powerful set of eyes that can also text people?

While some of them look friendly enough, others have clearly been engineered by a god who seeks only to punish them. A pile of purple slime named Grimer, trapped in an eternal grimace? A duckbilled, perpetually aflame

Magmar, with knives for fingers and twin tumors above its eyes? A dead-eyed Magikarp, flopping its hours away with no reprieve to its agony in sight? These creatures have been condemned to a life of pain since the moment they entered this world.

And yet, we as humans seek only to brutalize them more, even though their very existences are marked by unnatural pain. They are bodyslammed, water-gunned, signal beamed, confused, slashed, mud-slapped, tackled, frost-breathed and fire-blasted.

What causes them this pain? Other Pokemon, their own kind, locked in battle not because they wish to be but because they are compelled to be by humans.

These humans, they’re not fighting for ideas. They have no religious imperative, no government commanding them, no righteous cause.

They win control of a small piece of land (say, a water wall) for a short period of time.

They crave only the power. Power over their own living Pokemon, power over the dead Pokemon they’ve left in their wake, power over their own shockingly fragile mortality. You say you belong to a color-coded team, you Pokemon trainers, but you don’t fool me.

Your team is yourself, your team is your desperate desire not to die, your team is your need to own something and make it remember you even when it’s dead.

Laura Byko lobyko@pointpark.edu.

Including trigger warnings, common courtesy

By Jane McAnallen Copy Editor

To welcome incoming freshmen, the University of Chicago’s Dean of Students John Ellison sent them a letter telling them there would be no trigger warnings or safe spaces on campus in defense of “freedom of inquiry and expression.”

The Dean equated these measures to harassment and threats, and included a document recounting University of Chicago’s “scandalous commitment” to academic freedom.

For a leader in an academic institution, it seems Edgy Ellison couldn’t be bothered to even do a modicum of research on the other side of the issue.

While he claims to be building a campus that welcomes all backgrounds and thrives on diversity, he is creating a space where already privileged students can dominate classroom discussion.

Here’s an example of what Edgelord thinks trigger warn-

ings are: in my house, I’m not allowed to talk about One Direction. This is because my roommate has strong feelings about One Direction, and if I say they’re a bunch of untalented dummies, it upsets her.

Here’s a fun example of an actual trigger warning: my roommate and I are talking with other people, and One Direction comes up. I then say something like, “Hey, I’m about to insult One Direction.” Fun! Let’s be clear. Trigger warnings are not emergency brakes for discussions that make you uncomfortable. They do not censor debates, and demanding them is not harassment. They are a simple warning that the content about to be freely shared is sensitive. It’s a heads up.

What banning safe spaces does is keep the diversity he’s so proud of from thriving. It puts an undue burden on minority students by denying them places where they can relate

their lived traumas without some bonehead trying to debate them on it. When you take that space away, you hand the power to control discussion to those privileged enough to live without even having the issues being discussed personally affect them.

“[Trigger warnings] are a simple warning that the content about to be freely shared is sensitive.”

Jane McAnallen Copy Editor, The Globe

If the University of Chicago really wanted to extend “civility and mutu-

al respect,” their leaders would have some empathy for those of a different background. Giving students of color a heads up when you’re planning on discussing racial violence is a courtesy. Planning on showing a film with rape in it? Never a bad idea to say, “Hey, this has some rape in it.”

Additionally, Edgy McEdgerson says they won’t cancel speakers if their topics prove to be controversial. First of all, I’d like to know one time that has even happened at any university ever. Secondly, if you are using students’ tuition to procure a speaker who is so openly offensive to the point where students protest, maybe consider why they don’t want their money supporting a bigot’s livelihood. Maybe consider that funding hate speech is different than supporting free discussion. You can seek out dissenting opinions without paying a racist to come to your school.

When I took a class on Pop Culture, we watched “Boys Don’t Cry,” and many people in the class were very upset by a very upsetting film. It would have been nice to know what was coming, but I didn’t go to class. I didn’t write the essay.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t discuss violence against transgender people or rape. I would never advocate that any topic of discussion be banned in a classroom. But as someone who regularly cries during sad commercials, I needed a trigger warning to participate in that class to the best of my ability.

At Point Park, it’s up to each individual professor to decide whether or not they want to include trigger warnings in their class. But if you want me to be able to share my voice, I need to feel safe doing it. Sometimes that means trigger warnings.

Jane McAnallen jhmcana@pointpark.edu.

COVERING THE WORLD OF POINT PARK UNIVERSITY NEWS SINCE 1967

Globe Point Park

The Globe board consists of Josh Croup, Alexander Popichak 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 the author’s contact information. Offices are located in rooms 710 and 712 Lawrence Hall. Writers should address letters to:

Advertising globeadvertising@pointpark.edu All ads must be approved by the university.

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

The Globe 201 Wood Street, Box 23 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Story Ideas If you have a news, sports, opinions or feature story that you think The Globe can use, email globe@pointpark.edu.

Josh Croup, Editor-in-Chief Alexander Popichak, Editor-Elect Autumn Barszczowski, Business Manager Dr. Aimee-Marie Dorsten, Faculty Adviser

Emily Bennett, Co-Copy Desk Chief Sabrina Bodon, Online Editor Laura Byko, Co-Opinions Editor Dara Collins, Copy Editor Rania Draklellis, Copy Editor Gracey Evans, Sports Photo Editor Francesca Fronzaglio, Co-Sports Editor Julianne Griffith, Layout Editor Alex Grubbs, Copy Editor Casey Hoolahan, Co-Social Media Editor Chloe Jakiela, News Photo Editor Arianna Khalil, Graphic Designer Julie Kooser, Features Photo Editor Jane McAnallen, Copy Editor Maggie McCauley, Public Relations Coordinator Jonnah Mcclintock, Copy Editor Kayla Novak, Copy Editor

Hannah O’Toole, Copy Editor Iain Oldman, Co-News Editor Isabelle Opsitos, Copy Editor Lauren Ortego, Copy Editor Nicole Pampena, Copy Editor Matt Petras, Co-News Editor Marissa Rayes, Co-Social Media Editor Carrie Reale, Co-Copy Desk Chief Michael Richter, Co-Sports Editor Karly Rivera, Co-Features Editor Jordan Slobodinsky, , Copy Editor Kristin Snapp, Copy Editor Kayla Snyder, Copy Editor Gerri Tipton, Online Editor Eddie Trizzino, Co-Features Editor Beth Turnbull, Copy Editor Johanna Wharran, Co-Opinions Editor

The Career Development Center Invites You…

Tuesday, September 27 12:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Student Center Network with over 100 employers hiring for internships, full-time and part-time jobs!

Please register online and view employers attending at: https://pointpark.joinhandshake.com , click “Fairs” & “Join Event”

To Login to Handshake – Select Point Park University Sign-on, enter current Point Park username and password (same as your email login)

Remember to bring plenty of resumes and dress professionally!

Don’t forget to schedule a resume review appointment with a career counselor prior to the fair via Handshake by clicking on the “Appointments” tab.

Questions? Contact the Career Development Center: 412-392-3950, careerdev@pointpark.edu

8

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

SPORTS

British native kick-starts PPU men’s soccer career with homeland connections

By Brittany Droppa For The Globe

For Sheffield, England native Josh Williams, moving away from home was a part of chasing his dream.

Williams, a Point Park Men’s Soccer central defenseman, began playing soccer in England at the age of four.

Williams’ first ever soccer coach, Andy Loukes, is the reason why Williams knows about Point Park University.

In fact, Loukes’ son, Jonty Loukes, was Williams’ soccer captain his freshman year at Point Park.

Williams said soccer is very common in England and serves as a pastime for what seems like almost everyone.

“It’s pretty much all everyone does back home,” the junior history major said.

“Every kid plays soccer.”

Two years ago, Williams moved away from England to pursue his collegiate soccer career -- an experience that Williams prides himself in and calls his “biggest accomplishment”.

“I reached the end of a contract back home and wanted to go to a university alongside playing, so knowing someone here gave me that bridge to do both,” Williams said.

His freshman year, Williams was named to the 2014 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC)

Men’s Soccer All-Conference an easy pick.” team, an award that considAccording to Point ers athletes in specific posi- Park’s 2015 statistics, Wiltions and is voted on by the liams started 12 of the 13 conference’s coaches. games he played in. During Along with his award, those 13 games, Williams Williams’ favorite soccer attempted five shots and memory is beating Univer- scored one goal. sity of Northwestern Ohio “[He’s] an agile player during his freshman year in who isn’t afraid to put his overtime in his first game at body where it hurts…[WilPoint Park. liams] always gives 100 per“It was just cent, [is] very such a good committed, scalp for us and always and gave us so wants to get much confithe best out dence for the of himself,” year,” Williams Carr said of said. his friend Accordand co-caping to assistant tain.

Men’s Soccer Jason Edwards William’s coach Jason Assistant Coach pregame ritEdwards, Wil- Point Park Men’s Soccer uals include liams has grown listening to to become an essential player English Rap, something that during his time at Point Park.

Williams notes is “really dif“It would be hard to re- ferent from music here.” place Josh this season,” EdWilliams fills up the rest wards said. “We have to keep of his free time by relaxing, him healthy and fit.” spending time with his friends, This year, Williams was and keeping up with his friends chosen as one of two cap- and family from England. Wiltains for the men’s soccer liams, a history major, plans team alongside close friend on becoming a graduate assisand teammate Paul Carr, tant for St. Vincent’s for their whom he became friends men and women’s soccer upon with six years ago back in graduating. He later wants to England. use his history degree to teach “It’s clear to see why high school or college level stuJosh is captain,” Edwards dents and is hopeful to stay in said. “He has great com- the United States. mand of the team and in the field, [and] makes sure evBrittany Droppa eryone does their jobs. It was bldropp@pointpark.edu.

“It would be hard

to replace Josh this season. We have to keep him healthy and fit.”

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Reps from ESPN, AT&T to visit PPU dia Marketing. “The Center helps students connect and network. It’s a great learning experience.”

Students don’t necessarily have to show an interest in sports to come out to the event. All students from any major are encouraged to attend.

“Business is business,” Veydt said. “These people deal with people every day, and everyone needs to know in whatever their career is how to talk to people, how to work with people and

By Victoria Bails For The Globe

The Pittsburgh Center for Sports Media and Marketing is bringing two accomplished professionals to Point Park on Sept. 13 to discuss live sports trends and the influence they have on their fans.

Chris Eames and Jamie Kerr will team up at 1 p.m. in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom as part of the Center for Media Innovation grand opening day to speak about “The Speed of Live: Why Sports Matter Most to The best way to learn Fans & Brands.”

Eames, Vice Pres- is not necessarily out ident of Multimedia of a book, but it’s from Sales at ESPN, has previously worked people who are in that with Mike Fetchko, position, who were once co-founder of the Center, and wanted in our shoes to come out to Point Park to explain to stu- Kelsey Veydt dents what he does, Graduate Assistant what ESPN does and Pittsburgh Center for Sports Media the trends of the in- and Marketing dustry. Kerr, Director of Corporate Sponsorship at AT&T, is a cli- how to communicate.”

Although sports seem ent that Eames works with to be the main topic, closely. Their companies these businesses deal with worked together to create broadcast reporting and the SEC Network, which advertising, so it’s not only covers sports at the collerelating to sports, arts and giate level. entertainment manage“The best way to learn is not necessarily out of ment majors, but it’s also a book, but it’s from peo- relating to students in the ple who are in that posi- School of Communication.

The Pittsburgh Center tion, who were once in our for Sports Media and Marshoes,” said Kelsey Veydt, keting plans on utilizing the graduate assistant at the new CMI building.

With this Pittsburgh Center for Sports new space, they plan on foMedia and Marketing. cusing more on the media Students can expect to aspect of sports.

The Center learn about the background of Eames and Kerr, what their wants to possibly use space jobs consist of and their daily available in the CMI building responsibilities at work. Stu- for smaller seminars “We’re using it right off dents will also gain a better the bat,” Veydt said, explainunderstanding of live sports ing that there will be events and how they influence our in the near future.

Both the culture and how involved Center and the CMI would media is with sports. On top like to work with each other of that, Eames and Kerr will to support and market for be discussing sponsorships each other’s events. for sports and how sponsors “Mike [Fetchko] and Tom connect to the sports fans. At [McMillan] always do their the end, there will be a Q&A best to get interesting speakpanel for students to ask ers for these events,” said Eames and Kerr any quesDani McSweeney, who is also tions that they may have. member of the Student Advi“They’re really going to emphasize branding,” said sory Board.

Jess Martin, a Student AdVictoria Bails visory Board member of the vbails@pointpark.edu.

Center for Sports and Me-

“

.”

PPU WOMEN’S SOCCER LOSES TO TOP-RANKED SPRING ARBOR

Photo courtesy of Sam Robinson Point Park Athletics,

Defender Josh Williams screams in anger about a referee’s call during last Wednesday’s match against Washington and Jefferson College. Point Park defeated the Presidents 2-1 in overtime.

Photo by Sami Exler

Junior forward Anna Powell fights to keep the ball from the defender in order to get a shot on goal. Point Park lost to NAIA No. 1 Spring Arbor Saturday 4-0.

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

SPORTS CROUP’S CORNER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

9

MEN’S SOCCER WINS SEASON OPENER IN OVERTIME THRILLER

By Josh Croup Sports Columnist

2016 men’s and women’s soccer season preview It was possibly the longest two minutes of Louise Delaney’s life. After all, she was about to score arguably the biggest goal in Point Park women’s soccer history.

With less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation time of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) Tournament championship game at Highmark Stadium, West Virginia Tech junior defender Alex Blumer battled Point Park sophomore midfielder Noel Hartle inside the penalty box in front of Golden Bear’s net, creating enough contact for the referees to take notice.

The referees blew the play dead, charged Blumer with a penalty, awarded Point Park a penalty kick and sent the Point Park fans sitting in the bleachers at Highmark stadium into a frenzy.

The Pioneers called on Delaney to take the penalty kick. Only sophomore goalkeeper Martha Reyna stood between her and a conference championship. Senior Beth Millican had no doubt in her mind her teammate was about to make Point Park women’s soccer history.

“We knew she had it,” Millican said after the game.

“We knew it was good.”

She placed the ball on the ground 12 yards in front of the goalkeeper and anticipated her strike. Reyna made a move to her right as Delaney’s shot went to the goalkeeper’s left side and into the back of the net.

She had it. It was good.

Delaney’s successful penalty kick lifted Point Park past West Virginia Tech 1-0 for the first conference championship in program history. Point Park advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship Opening Round for the first time and fell to No. 1-ranked Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 5-0.

The Pioneers finished last year 12-7-2 overall with a 6-2 KIAC record, good for second in the conference behind Asbury (Ky.). This year, they look to return to glory and repeat as conference champions.

The Pioneers were picked to finish third in last year’s preseason poll behind Rio Grande (Oh.) and Asbury. This year, Point Park claimed the second spot in the crowded River States Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll behind Asbury.

Asbury, Point Park, Rio Grande and West Virginia Tech all received first place votes in the 2016 preseason poll. Yes, I know these polls are meaningless. What this tells us is we really have no idea who is going to win this conference.

Point Park opens conference play on Sept. 29 at home vs. Asbury. The Pio-

neers will square off with West Virginia Tech and Rio Grande in consecutive matches on the road with two days of rest in between on Oct. 20 and 23.

All bets are off when the River States Tournament begins Nov. 5. If the Pioneers learned anything from last season, it’s the importance of home field advantage in the post season.

If they want more playoff games at Highmark Stadium in November, they’ll have to prove themselves against tough competition on the road this year and win their matches they’re supposed to against teams at the bottom of the conference.

It’s not going to be easy by any stretch.

Point Park lost seven seniors to graduation, including Millican and goalkeeper Erica Roney, who were both first team all-conference selections. Point Park also graduated four second team all-conference players in defenders Jillian Evilsizer and Jasmine Meichle and forwards Leeza Tokarski and Alyson Joyce.

The 2016 Point Park team looks a lot different from the 2015 squad. Along with a plethora of fresh faces, the Pioneers return 2015 all-conference defender Paige Manning, the speedy 2015 second team all-conference forward Erin Gilmartin and a number of high-potential upperclassmen.

To make it even more challenging, the Pioneers will get thrown into the fire right from the start with a tough non-conference schedule that will test them in September.

Point Park’s first home game is against NAIA No. 1-ranked Spring Arbor (Mich.) Sept. 3 at noon.

Ten days later, the Pioneers travel to Georgetown (Ky.) who was in the “receiving votes” category of the NAIA Preseason Top-25 Coaches’ Poll. Point Park lost 6-0 to then-No. 8 Spring Arbor on the road last year and escaped with a 1-1 tie vs. then-No. 24 Georgetown last season.

It’s not supposed to be easy.

It won’t be easy for the men’s soccer team, either.

For starters, Point Park will have to go through the No. 1 team in the country in Rio Grande in order to win a conference championship. The RedStorm rolled through their regular season schedule last year going undefeated in conference play and won their second straight conference championship en route to a national championship.

Rio Grande brings back three NAIA All-Americans to a team that defeated Point Park 4-0 in the regular season last year. Point Park will visit the defending national champs Oct. 23.

Three days before Point

Park plays Rio Grande, it will travel to West Virginia Tech in a rematch of last year’s KIAC Tournament Semifinal match on Oct. 20.

West Virginia Tech, which is in its second year in the conference, defeated Point Park 2-0 in both the regular season and KIAC Semifinals last year. The Golden Bears are in the “receiving votes” category of the NAIA Top 25 preseason poll and made a national tournament appearance last year.

Point Park graduated All-KIAC First Team midfielder Dominic Canello and All-KIAC Second Team goalkeeper Zak Borzovoy and midfielders Max Flick and Zach Rafalowski. The Pioneers had a record of 10-7-1 and a 4-2 KIAC record last year and saw their streak of three straight KIAC Championship come to an end.

The Pioneers do, however, return senior defender Paul Carr, who led the Pioneers with seven goals in 2015 and junior defender Josh Williams for his third straight year as a starter.

The duo from Sheffield, England will captain this year’s team.

Alan Ramos returns to the Pioneers for his junior season after leading the team in scoring in 2015 with his 11 goals and two assists.

Ramos picked up this season where he left off last season with a game winning goal 31 seconds into overtime of the Pioneers’ season-opener against Washington and Jefferson College.

Ramos’ goal put the Pioneers ahead and sealed the victory, but freshman Roberto Whitley started the scoring in the 23rd minute with his first collegiate goal. It was hopefully the first of many goals for the Liverpool, England native on the year.

We also got a chance to watch the new freshman goalkeeper Manuel Pajzer from Germany last week.

Pajzer, who replaced the two-year starter Borzovoy, allowed one goal in each of the teams’ first two games, totaling seven saves.

Pajzer has big shoes to fill. Ramos set the bar high for himself in 2015 and other teams now know about Point Park’s secret weapon. Who knows? Maybe Whitley will turn into this year’s secret weapon for the Pioneers.

The men’s team is going to have to play the role of the underdog in 2016 and will rely on the strong mix of veterans and freshmen to carry them past strong West Virginia Tech and Rio Grande teams.

The question is, can they step up to the challenge?

Josh Croup jdcroup@pointpark.edu.

Photo by Cara McLaughlin

Nathanael Van Der Walt passes the ball to a teammate on Sept.

1 during the home opener against Washington and Jefferson College. Point Park defeated the Presidents 2-1.

Photo courtesy of Sam Robinson Point Park Athletics,

The Point Park men’s soccer team celebrates Alan Ramos’ game-winning goal in overtime against Washington and Jefferson College on Sept. 1. The Pioneers defeated the Presidents 2-1.

Photo by Sami Exler

Junior forward Anna Powell fights to keep the ball from the defender in order to get a shot on goal. Point Park lost to Spring Arbor, 4-0.

Photo courtesy of Sam Robinson Point Park Athletics, Midfielder Noel Hartle fights for the ball against Spring Arbor Saturday at Highmark Stadium in Station Square.

10

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Point Park goes 2-2 at Battle of the Boulevard see the impact Ashley Taylor can make on the court.

“We’ve been working Point Park’s volleyball hard,” Taylor said. “And only team headed into the annual with 11 girls, technically nine Battle of the Boulevard this since two are out right now, weekend with a 1-9 overall it’s very dynamic for us and record looking to bounce we just need to push harder.” back from a rough start.

Point Park had to come Their first match was on from behind in two of the Friday morning against Lawthree sets against Sienrence Tech (Mich.). Point na Heights. Meng kept her Park won the first set 26-24 squad relaxed and focused but fell in the next three sets despite facing a few five, six, 25-23, 25-14 and 26-24. or seven point deficits.

Senior setter Emily Meng “I try to make sure evalmost posted a triple-double eryone is loose and reset afrecording 22 assists, seven ter every point so that we’re all on the same page and not stressing out,” Meng said, who tallied 23 assists, four kills and eight digs in the 3-0 win over Sienna Heights.

Point Park returned to the court Saturday morning for a rematch against Montreat (N.C.).

Montreat beat Point Park at home on Aug. 19 in a tight 3-2 match.

Point Park sought Photo by Gracey Evans revenge on its home Senior middle hitter, Nikki Inquartano, makes a successful spike against court.

The Pioneers Lawrence Tech. Point Park lost, 3-1.

By Michael Turk For The Globe

kills and 10 digs. Outside hitter Shiloh Simonson registered eight kills. On defense, sophomore libero Morgan Dangelo led the way with 16 digs and middle blocker Nikki Inquartano had six blocks.

In match No. 2, Point Park faced Sienna Heights.

Behind Ashley Taylor and Madeline Poirier’s 16 combined kills, Point Park was able to cruise to a 3-0 set sweep. The results of these three sets were 26-16, 25-20 and 25-20. After sitting out last season, Point Park got to

Photo by Gracey Evans

Freshman outside hitter, Madeline Poirier, and senior middle hitter, Nikki Inquartano, protect the net from a set from Lawrence Tech.

Photo by Nicole Kost

Setter Emily Meng, a senior at Point Park, sets the ball to her teammate Julia Menosky, a freshman defensive specialist.

Menosky dinked the ball to score a point against Lawrence Tech. set the tone early against the Cavaliers winning set one 2513. Set number two and three were closer, but the Pioneers came out on top both times 25-19 and 25-15.

Point Park was strong from the service line as they recorded 15 total aces as a team. Five of those were from the deep float serving middle blocker Nikki Inquartano. Inquartano was all over the court in this match, adding six kills and a block to her stats.

“I’m just staying focused and keeping a goal,” Inquartano said. “My goal this year is to be top 10 in the NAIA.” Other numbers for the match include Shiloh Simonson leading the way in kills with nine. Freshman outside hitter Poirier hit .364 for the match, and Point Park hit .266 as a team.

In the final match of

the Battle of the Boulevard, Point Park played fellow River State Conference opponent Rio Grande. Although they are conference opponents, this match did not count towards their conference for records for both teams.

Point Park couldn’t keep up with Rio Grande in the final match of the Battle of the Boulevard. Rio Grande won by the set scores 25-20, 19-25, 25-22 and 25-20.

Simonson had a huge game for Point Park, recording 13 kills and 11 digs.

Meng dished out 24 assists and tallied 11 digs. Taylor added eight kills and hit .316 for the match. At the net, Inquartano came up with seven blocks.

Michael Turk mjturk@pointpark.edu.