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@PPUGlobe April 17, 2019
PPU students join new wave of young people playing table-top RPGs Senior staff pen farewell letters reflecting on their time at The Globe Baseball team pitches a combined no-hitter against CCU ppuglobe.com
Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967
Issue 14
CMI premieres new STUDENTS SAVOR ‘SPRING FLING’ O’Donnell fellowship Carley Bonk Editor-in-Chief
The Center for Media Innovation (CMI) has established a partnership with the Allegheny Foundation to fund the $20,000 Doris O’Donnell Innovators in Investigative Reporting Fellowship for a journalist to utilize creative storytelling in underserved markets or “news deserts.” “It puts the CMI at the center of this emerging national problem as news outlets close and shrink their coverage areas - something that I’m personally passionate about and it’s something that the CMI really got involved in with research and community outreach over the past year and a half,” Director of the CMI Andy Conte said. “The fellowship allows us to take that to another level and have us really at the center of the national conversation on what’s happening with news deserts.” Conte has been re-
searching news deserts since 2016. Recently, he’s been working with students in the McKeesport area in developing reporting techniques at a community level. “There was a daily newspaper - McKeesport Daily News - and it closed at the end of 2015,” Conte said. “Now it’s a city of 20,000 residents, and they don’t have a local newspaper. There are some things happening there now. A new startup called the Mon Valley Independent is trying to do some reporting in McKeesport and as an online group - Tube City Online. But it’s still not the same as having your own daily newspaper.” Part of the requirements for this fellowship is a commitment to academia as well. “The person has to be on campus, at least once in the fall, winter and spring, and then come back to campus at the end of the academic year to show off their
FELLOWSHIP page 3
Students decorate pots for small succulents given out by CAB.
Jared Murphy | The Globe
Younger generations turning to University pioneers K-pop instead of American music eSports in Pittsburgh Jordyn Hronec Co-News Editor
In Newark, New Jersey, a line stretches the length of the sidewalk in front of the Prudential Center. The line makes a sharp left at the corner, and continues, past the stadium and through the small city. Newark stands in the shadow of New York City, and while it is home to the New Jersey Devils, it makes an unlikely host to an event of this magnitude. It is 3 p.m. on a Friday. And the vast majority of the crowd is made up of teenage girls. They stand in merchandise lines, scavenging through what has yet to sell, they dance together in an open space, they talk to each other, animatedly
and excitedly. They attempt to sing along to the various songs playing, none of which are in English. The fans who bought floor tickets are camping out as they have been for days before. This scene is not uncommon for boy band concerts. In fact, many would say that boy bands always garner the attention of young women. But this boy band, BTS, is from South Korea. BTS is part of a new music sub-genre is captivating the hearts of many young people, not only in America but all over the world -K-pop. South Korea has been steadily producing music groups and cultivating the industry of K-pop, which really took shape in the
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nineties. K-pop had its first breakthrough in America in 2012 with the song “Gangnam Style” by Psy. Today, K-pop has a different reputation. The music and performances are characterized by colorful visuals, fast-paced and clean choreography, and large music groups made up of attractive, young artists. BTS is made up of seven young men, talented in vocal performance, dancing and rap. The industry is dominated by a few large entertainment companies -such as SM, JYP, and YG, who are considered to be the “big three.” Companies recruit artists at young ages to one day be a part of a group, using their cultivated talents and good looks to produce content and bring in revenue. It is an industry that has a clear aesthetic, and for outsiders, appears to produce content at an efficient and perfected pace. And via the power of the World Wide Web, K-pop has broken the language barrier and has infiltrated the Western world. Alexis Ligus, 18, from Pittsburgh and a freshman history student at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, has been an active fan of K-pop music and groups since 2011. According to Ligus, she was introduced to the music through YouTube.
K-POP page 5
Jordyn Hronec Co-News Editor
In 2013, the United States government officially moved to recognize professional video game players as athletes, thus classifying competitive gaming as a sport. Competitive gaming, or eSports as it is known by many, has been growing in popularity over the past several years, especially in America. The 2013 decision by the U.S. government was crucial as it allowed professional gamers from overseas to obtain visas. This in turn allowed them to play in America, bringing the eSports scene with them. However, the eSports scene in Pittsburgh, compared to other cities in America, is small, according to adjunct professor of the Rowland School of Business, Chuck Berry. Berry teaches classes on the business of eSports to SAEM students. “There are around 40 colleges that give scholarships for eSports,” Berry said. “eSports is big on the college scene, and Pittsburgh has been late to come to the party.” But on Point Park’s campus, eSports has taken root in more ways than one. The Wood Street Zombies eSports club (formerly known as Good Luck Have Fun eSports) was established during the Fall 2018 semester. Ethan Green, a junior cinema production
major, serves as both treasurer and president of the club and is one of its founding members. “Last year, me and a group of guys were playing in a college-level eSports game for a game called CS Go,” Green said. “There were five of us playing, and we were playing under the title of Point Park, and Point Park caught wind of it, and at first they had an issue with us using the school’s name without them knowing. But then through that conversation, they said that they were actually interested in starting an eSports initiative at Point Park. So they said, why don’t you guys start a club and just kind of do this thing. And so the next year, we had a meeting with our advisor, Jaime [Ballesteros], and from there, the club started.” Green also said the club’s name change was a result of wanting to have more solid branding in relationship with a mascot. So far this year, the club found success in hosting a Mario Kart tournament, which according to Green, attracted 30 to 40 students. The club has also formed a relationship with Point Park’s formal eSports initiative by the Rowland School of Business, which was started by the dean of the school, Steve Tanzilli.
ESPORTS page 10
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
NEWS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Club brings joy to nearby shelter residents By Jordyn Hronec Co-News Editor
In a small room in the basement of a building, three students perform a karaoke version of Dolly Parton’s “Nine to Five.” Sitting in front of the students are the building’s residents, mostly older people who all watch and smile. Sometimes they talk quietly amongst themselves. One of the residents performs with the students. They sing off-key, and they don’t know all of the lyrics, but no one seems to mind. One room over, six students stand behind a lunch counter. As residents approach the counter, one of the students hands them a pre-made lunch bag with a smile and a pleasant greeting. The residents don’t know the students’ names, where they’re from or what they’re studying. But they enjoy their company all the same. However, they do know one student, Lauren Reuther. She is a frequent visitor. Reuther, a freshman psychology major, has been visiting the residents of the Wood Street Commons since her first semester at Point Park. “I went to the Wood Street Commons with a class that I had,” Reuther said. “While I was there, I saw that the residents didn’t have much to do and they all just kind of seemed bored.” Reuther decided to do something about it. So she started a club on campus, which has taken root during the Spring
2019 semester under the name Point Park Cares. Point Park Cares aims to provide entertainment and activities for the residents of Wood Street Commons at least once a month. In the club’s constitution, approved by Point Park’s United Student Government (USG), Point Park Cares’ mission statement is outlined. “The goal is to connect with our neighbors on Wood Street to contribute and support their needs,” the constitution reads. “Most of the residents, whom are older in age, do not have the opportunity to interact with people in the community, especially young people. This is where Point Park students step in and make connections, human to human.” The Wood Street Commons is a building located just across the street from Point Park. According to Caitlin Crawford, the habilitation specialist for Community Human Services (CHS), the building houses just about 260 residents. CHS is the private charity organization that provides housing and services in the building. The organization provides housing for those in need of short-term and long-term shelter and respite during recovery from medical procedures as well as those affected by homelessness caused by mental illness, according to Crawford. The relationship between Point Park and Wood Street Commons began with a class taught by Dr. Sera Mathew, Assistant Profes-
sor of Community Engagement in the Department of Community Engagement. Crawford said that the class, Introduction to Community Engagement, which included Reuther, helped in painting the cafe in the building, as well as donating things like coats, games and books. Following her experience in class, Reuther went through the process of creating her club, which involved establishing officers, gathering at least ten members, and submitting the club’s constitution to USG. Mathew serves as the club’s advisor. Since the club’s establishment, it has organized several events at the Wood Street Commons. Events include parties, a game night and a yoga night. On Saturday, April 6, Point Park Cares participated in the USG sponsored Pioneer Community Day. Pioneer Community Day is designed to provide students with the opportunity to volunteer with several different organizations in order to give back to the Pittsburgh community. A number of students who signed up for Pioneer Community Day were sent with Point Park Cares to the Wood Street Commons. There, students prepared and served bag lunches for residents. They also sang karaoke. “I think a lot of the residents really enjoy, not just having something fun to do, but just talking to people who aren’t in their situation and talking about their lives and everyday
things,” Reuther said. “A lot of them, when we go over there, just can’t stop talking. And that’s because they don’t get that, and they seem lonely. And it’s just nice to feel like I’m actually helping people, and that all of the people in my club are getting something out of it...not material things, but the satisfaction of helping someone. I really enjoy it.”
“I think a lot of the residents really enjoy, not just having something fun to do, but just talking to people who aren’t in their situation and talking about their lives and everyday things.” Lauren Reuther President Point Park Cares There are about 20 members of Point Park Cares, according to Reuther. Club members Zofina Fink and Megan Reiff
are frequent volunteers. They believe that the work Point Park Cares does is extremely important. “As a human being, we need to be understanding of people’s situations and get to know people for who they are rather than their situation,” Fink, a freshman undecided major, said. “We get to see a different side of the community that is usually just pushed to the back,” Reiff, a freshman public relations and advertising major, said. “Because people just don’t care about the people here that much.” Grace Tyler Frank-Rempel, a freshman intelligence and national security and global cultural studies double major, volunteered with the club during Pioneer Community Day. She also serves on USG, specifically the Rules Committee that helped initiate the club. “I thought volunteering was a pretty cool experience,” Frank-Rempel said. “I do wish we had the ability to help more. But it was fun being able to interact with the residents.” Crawford said that often, residents are overjoyed to be able to talk to the students and enjoy their company. “I’ve heard a lot of positive stuff coming from residents,” Crawford said. “They get excited to have people coming here. They ask what the students are doing here and why they’re spending their time here. I think more than anything, its disbelief.”
Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu
CAB’S ‘SPRING FLING’ EVENT CELEBRATES END OF 2018-19 YEAR
On Friday, April 12, the Campus Activities Board put on “Spring Fling.” The event was in celebration of the end of the 2018-2019 school year. Students enjoyed live music, free Moe’s queso and activities such as potting succulents and making seaglass necklaces. CAB also provided ice cream, cotton candy, burgers, walking tacos and mocktails. Spring Fling was named the Event of the Year for 2019. Top left: Joie Knouse | The Globe Top right: Jordyn Hronec | The Globe Bottom left: Jordyn Hronec | The Globe
NEWS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
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USG prepares for summer ATHLETES PIED IN PARK USG By Jordyn Hronec Co-News Editor
The United Student Government (USG) held its second-to-last meeting of the semester on Monday, April 15. The legislative body sought to tie-up loose ends and discuss resolutions that will affect USG as it moves into summer session under a new administration. There was also extensive discussion on the floor regarding the discharging of the Pioneer Community Day ad-hoc committee. Senator Kooper Sheeley, who serves as cochair of the committee, argued against discharging it. “Because in the motion that was made, there was designated year given, and it was just to do the task,” Sheeley said. “But the task was to plan Pioneer Community Day. And we did plan 2019, but we also set the date for 2020. So technically, as a committee, we would still have a goal.” Sheeley also argued that the Pioneer Community Day committee would benefit from having a full year to plan the
event. Typically, the committee is formed during the school year and is discharged following Pioneer Community Day. “What good is dissolving a committee going to do if you’re just going to reinstate it later on?” Sheeley said. “If you keep it standing you can have a bigger day. The entire point of Pioneer Community Day is to be a community-wide event. Dissolving it is essentially saying ‘hey, it’s fine, we can make this again in three months and have the people doing it have their heads explode.’ This was a difficult day to plan in three months, and giving it extra time, however much time that would be, would be more beneficial to this day.” The motion to discharge the Pioneer Community Day committee failed on the floor. However, Senator and President-Elect Jake Berlin stated that a potential standing committee would be discussed during the Rules Committee meeting later that evening. The body also moved to adopt two Resolutions brought forward by Rules Committee. The first Resolution, 04082019, was brought back to the legislative body after being tabled last week. The Reso-
lution was initially tabled as a needed section of the legislation was missing. Resolution 04082019 moves to increase the office hours for the Recording Secretary, Parliamentarian and Communications Director from four hours to five. It also establishes new office hours for the Treasurer, with two being served in the USG office and eight hours served in the office of SAIL. The Treasurer’s stipend will also be increased from $500 to $1,000 due to increased office hours. Another Resolution, 04152019, was also passed by the legislative body. This Resolution moves to increase the stipend for the President from $1,000 to $1,500. It also increases the Vice President’s stipend from $750 to $1,250. These increases coincide with the increase in the Treasurer’s stipend. These adjustments also follow an audit of hours served in relation to stipend amounts. Senator Berlin and Parliamentarian Matthew Spadaccia, who both serve on Rules Committee, informed the legislative body that neither Berlin nor Senator and Vice President-Elect Alexa Lake, who also serves on Rules Committee, voted in favor of
Jordyn Hronec | The Globe
Jake Berlin, a junior mass communications major, pies a member of the men’s soccer team during a fundraiser on Thursday, April 11. bringing this Resolution to the legislative body meeting. According to Berlin and Spadaccia, both Berlin and Lake abstained from this vote. Berlin also noted that discussion regarding this Resolution began long before this year’s election. The Finance Committee also moved to apply the Spring 2019’s leftover budget to the upcoming summer session’s budget. It was pointed out that the alternative to rolling over these funds would be to allow the funds to be released
away from USG and back into the university. The legislative body voted in favor of this motion. Next Monday, April 22, the legislative body will meet in Student Center 701 for the final time this semester. During this meeting, Berlin and Lake will be sworn in to office. The newly-elected senators for the Fall 2019 semester will also be sworn in.
Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu
CMI journalism fellowship allotted $20,000 from FELLOWSHIP page 1 work,” Conte said. “We’re going to do a celebration of innovative media at that point. We’re hoping that we can have an event where we celebrate the award winner and the fellowship winner and I’d like to have them present their work in detail and be able to see questions from students and from the public.” Doris O’Donnell was a reporter from Cleveland with a career that spanned over six decades. She worked for the Cleveland News, the Plain Dealer, the mayor of Cleveland and then moved to Greensburg for the Tribune Review. She’s covered landmark events throughout her career.
“She’s turning out to be a really interesting character,” Conte said. “We’re all reading up on her and keep finding these really great photos of her. There was one of her on a tank, her talking to the baseball player Ted Williams from the Red Sox, her with all these dignitaries and one with Eisenhower.” The Allegheny Foundation, founded by Trib publisher Richard Scaife, felt O’Donnell was an appropriate namesake for the fellowship award, according to Lou Corsaro, Managing Director of University Marketing and Public Relations. “Richard Scaife became friends with Doris O’Donnell through her working at the Trib,” Corsaro said.
“She’s fascinating, and she was doing it at a time when a lot of women had to fight to be able to do those kinds of jobs and have that kind of access.” Trustees are looking forward to a unique partnership with the CMI according to Matt Groll, chairman of the Allegheny Foundation said. “It combines impactful investigative reporting with innovative methods of disseminating the resulting product to a multitude of audiences, especially to those in underserved neighborhoods,” Groll said. The CMI will begin accepting applications in May. As acceptance closes, a five judge panel will evaluate the applications based on value, innovation, engage-
OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDS 2019
ment, diversity and ability. The judges include NPR journalist David Folkenflick, Amber Hunt of the Detroit Free Press, Brentin Mock of Citylab, News Desert Researcher Penny Abernathy from the University of North and Carl Prine, editor of the Navy Times. “There’s still a lot of journalists hungering to bring muscular and important accountability journalism and innovative reporting to readers, viewers and listeners,” Folkenflick said. “I think there’s probably an even greater hunger among these Americans in areas where local news is on the decline for that kind of coverage. This was a terrific way of trying to provide a bit of a mark and inspiration for that. It’s important
efforts with a terrific approach.” The $20,000 award will be split into eight monthly installments of $2,000 and a $4,000 bonus one the project is completed. The CMI is planning to announce the award winner in September. The Allegheny Foundation is funding the project through a threeyear period. A page with the application is to be launched soon through Point Park’s website. “We’re really hoping that it’s something innovative, and fresh and different,” Conte said.
Carley Bonk cmbonk@pointpark.edu
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Monae Findley accepts the Outstanding Program of the Year award for the Pop-Up shops put on by the Point Closet.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
FEATURES
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Tables turn on table-top role-playing games By Sarah Gibson
Co-Copy Desk Chief
When Sam Brooks, a 27 -year-old Inventory Manager from Mars, Pennsylvania, first wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons, he had to convince his step-mother that it wouldn’t make him a satanist or a serial killer. “My step-mother was operating under the old impression that D&D brought kids to worship the devil,” Brooks said. “She eventually did some research for herself and realized that wasn’t true and I was allowed to play.” Dungeons and Dragons is what is known in the board game community as a Table Top Role Playing Game (TTRPG). Every player creates a character and then roleplays as said character in an adventure designed by the Dungeon Master (DM). First published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Dungeons and Dragons garnered lots of attention during a period of time in the 1980’s known as the “Satanic Panic.” Many religious organizations claimed that the game encouraged sorcery, worshipped demons and was used as a recruitment tool for real like satanic cults. Despite its torrid history, Dungeons and Dragons and the playing of other TTRPGs has become an incredibly popular hobby. Google Trends, a Google app that can track how often a term has been searched and when, displayed that even over the past few years, interest in TTRPGs and D&D (An abbreviation for Dungeons and Dragons) has skyrocketed. This can be displayed by the rise in numbers of TTRPG related businesses, Google searches (As presented in the graphics presented) and statistics provided by Roll20, an app used to play TTRPGs online that now represents a projected 60% of the game’s
PIONEER PUBLIC Diego Febres-Cordero By Amanda Myers Co-Features Editor
Diego Febres-Cordero, 25, has had a nonlinear college career, taking him from local universities like Gannon in Erie, to studying all the way in Spain. The junior PR and Advertising Major started at Gannon University on a soccer scholarship and went to CCAC after a few years before making the big move to Spain to study
player base. In the last year, virtual games of Dungeons and Dragons went up 52%, which is more than the increase two years before, which was 27%. In addition, it has sparked an entire company, “Wizards of the Coast,” who write extra content for the game and are also responsible for public games held in game stores across the country that anyone can join. But, for the most part, games are played between small groups of friends across the world. So, why is the old game quickly gaining popularity? According to Jonas Prida, assistant provost and 20year Dungeons and Dragons player, D&D and other TTRPGs have always offered inclusivity on a level seldom seen in other games. “In the days before the internet, it was where you could hang out with fellow nerds. No one really cared if you had a retainer or watched Monty Python, as long as Grondor the Mighty showed up every weekend with his axe,” Prida said. He added that unlike most other board or video games, Dungeons and Dragons and other TTRPGs weren’t played competitively, but collaboratively. “TTRPGs also aren’t competitive in the same way as other gaming events,” Prida said. “One reason I enjoyed playing was that we had to work together to overcome the Tomb of Horrors, instead of working against each other.” To Brooks, more diverse and applicable media forms give TTRPGs more of a stage to be introduced to complete strangers to the hobby. “Quite a few famous people have said they love playing TTRPGs. Vin Diesel has talked a decent bit about loving it [...] To further this point, with the rise of popularity in video streaming services there has, for the last few years, been a rise
in streaming [of TTRPGs],” Brooks said. “The most popular I can think of is the Critical Role series which averages 35,000 viewers while they are live and generally gets a couple 100,000 when they then post those streams to YouTube.” While Brooks and Prida have been playing for a longer period of time, new players are joining. Point Park student and journalism major Mitchell Drake, who gathers with his friends several nights a week in a vacant classroom to play, notes why he and his friends were drawn to the game only recently. “I think that games like D&D are popular with younger people because they are solely based on uncensored hypotheticals,” Drake said. “It hits the sweet spot of creativity and endless possibility that only few other experiences can match.” While generally agreed upon that the process of playing a TTRPG is unique, many of those interviewed also agree that it can be socially and academically beneficial for those who take part, such as Chris Sichi, a full-time Technician at the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park. He has been playing board games, especially Magic the Gathering, for eight years, and argues that in a day that is dominated by the screen, TTRPGs and other tabletop games offer a much needed respite from digital communication. “Technology has created a social and experiential disconnect for a lot of people,” Sichi said. “We spend a lot of our time engrossed in our devices. For me, when I’m playing Magic or any other tabletop game, nothing outside that table and those friends really matters.” In Brooks’s Dungeons and Dragons group, every single member has a full-time job. In Brooks’s opinion, his participation at Dungeons
at the University of Granada. All of these experiences helped give him a better outlook on education and determine what he wanted to do. “It definitely was a process of elimination and that sucks to say cause its so expensive,” Febres-Cordero said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I took a lot of exposure to things, my commitment to education, and found a creative aspect to the marketing side that I like.” Febres-Cordero has been to 19 countries the last time he checked, with a trip to Portugal in August as the most recent. Growing up, he often made visits to Venezuela and South America where most of his family lives. “My parents wanted us to be more exposed to that type of environment, get us that home feeling that we were missing,” Febres-Cordero said.
The Cultural Experience Abroad program in Spain was a way for him to continue that in his adult life. It was originally supposed to last four months, but Febres-Cordero stayed for 11 months and detailed the rewarding experience. “I lived on my own in an apartment, we had to go to the market, interact in Spanish, they wanted you to get out there and be interactive in that environment, we met so many people and got a lot of connections around the city,” Febres-Cordero said. “Everything there is so fresh, in the morning you’d go get a lot of loaf of bread and the next day that loaf of bread would be stale.” Seeing the sights around Granada changed his attitude toward learning and wanting to be in school which has carried on to his time at Point Park. “Greek life at Gannon was a lot more controlling,
Kelsee McHugh | The Globe Schinel Koch plays Dungeons and Dragons last Monday.
and Dragons has helped him professionally. “It helps me maintain a social life as I and my friends progress into adulthood and continue to gain responsibilities and obligations. It keeps my mind active and creative,” Brooks said “I would also argue that it has actually helped me in my professional career in the areas of problem solving and working in a group with others.” The same can be said for Max McAuley, who, instead of playing the game as a character, is a DM for his Dungeons and Dragons group with Drake. This means that he designs and moderates the adventures that his group goes on. He has also noticed the game acting as a great facilitator for creative thought. “They try to break my plans at every chance they get,” McAuley said. “It’s fun though. It keeps me thinking on my toes.” McAuley welcomes this new age of TTRPGs, complete with streaming, a larger audience and more accessible materials. Sichi, while not only acknowledging that the business has been growing previ-
ously, expects it to grow well into the future. “I think it’s going to continue to grow,” Sichi said. “More and more people will realize that playing board games isn’t what’s portrayed in stereotypes from 20 years ago.” Prida, who played such games 20 years before, was thrilled to see such a renaissance. “It pleases me to no end that TTRPGs came back,” Prida said. “As much as I like computer screens and video games, there is something to be said for sitting around the table, drinking a bunch of Mountain Dew, pulling out a bag of dice and erasing your character’s ability scores because of an unfortunate encounter with a mummy.” And lastly, Brooks could not be more thrilled with how the public is responding to TTPRGs, and shared how they’ve affected him personally. “Playing D&D and other TTRPGs has utterly changed my life for the better, and at the same time almost completely consumed it,” Brooks said.
Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu
Submitted | The Globe
if you weren’t involved in Greek life you didn’t really have a social life,” Febres-Cordero said. “This is a campus where people hang out, there’s always something to do.” Febres-Cordero plans
to work internationally for a major PR firm and travel to countries in Asia after graduation.
Amanda Myers admyers@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
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
5
K-pop craze takes over the young generation from KPOP page 1 “I didn’t choose this,” Ligus said. “I was recommended a [YouTube] video by the algorithm, and here I am seven years later.” Ligus said that the first K-pop song she listened to via YouTube was called “Trouble Maker” (performed by a duo of the same name consisting of individual K-Pop artists, named Hyuna and Hyunseung). According to Ligus, at first, she didn’t even realize that the song was in Korean. Christiana Cates, 18, from Pittsburgh and a freshman journalism major at Point Park University, also discovered the genre through YouTube in 2015. “I was watching a lot of YouTube videos and I came across the REACT channel and they were reacting to K-pop videos,” Cates said. “I saw EXO’s ‘Call me Baby’, and BTS and BIGBANG... they were the big three. So I started looking into more videos and now three years later, I know a lot and I’m still into it and I love it.” Cates has since started a “K-Pop Dance Club” on her college campus, where members of the club learn and perform choreography from K-Pop performances. These types of clubs, as well as clubs dedicated to Korean music and culture, are increasing in popularity on American college campuses. “I was inspired by my love for Korean Culture, dancing, and K-pop,” Cates said. “First I was into anime, and then I got into K-Pop and then I started liking East Asian culture as a whole. It’s something to be physically active and have a club of my own.” According to Cates, the club has already begun to perform and connect with the student body through music. “We had a Halloween Social party where we ate snacks and did K-pop dances,” Cates said. “We have general dance meetings a couple times a month where we learn a routine. Now we’re starting these ‘busking’ sessions every month...it’s like an outdoor street performance.”
Kaylee Wendt, 21, Pittsburgh local and a junior psychology major at Penn State and friend of Ligus’, is also involved in a K-Pop organization on her campus, K-pop Music and Dance, or KPMD. And online, Cates, Ligus and Wendt all participate in “fandom”, or a community of fans dedicated to K-pop, expressing both their interest in the music as well as the artists themselves. “I am on Twitter almost constantly,” Wendt said. “The K-Pop community on there is extremely widespread, and it’s really easy to find information and updates.” For K-pop enthusiasts looking to connect with other fans online, delving into the world of fan culture comes with a whole new set of vocabulary. In the world of K-pop, the word “idol” is used to describe individual artists in groups put together by large, influential music companies, of which there are only a few in South Korea. Fans often refer to their favorite idol in a group as their “bias.” “I follow a lot of fan accounts, and different fandoms,” Cates said, describing her online activity. “Depending on who my bias is, I’ll follow bias-specific pages. I follow K-Con to see what concerts are coming up. That type of thing.” “K-Con” is a yearly convention dedicated to K-pop that takes place in both L.A. and Newark, which tends to be the east-coast stop of choice for Korean artists, as it’s close to New York City but more easily accessible. K-Con, which has been occurring since 2012, is sponsored by South Korean company, CJ E&M, which is involved in entertainment and mass media. CJ E&M owns Mnet, which is a television channel dedicated to music, comparable to MTV in America. Mnet also has a hand in the event that is attended by fans from across the country. However, apart from the largely innocent following K-pop groups have garnered, there are fans whose
New Studios. New Lineup. THE SOUND OF
POINT PARK UNIVERSITY WPPJRadio.com
Alysse Baer | The Globe
obsession runs deeper than simply attending a concert or dancing to music.
“‘First I was into anime, and then I got into K-Pop and then I started liking East Asian culture as a whole. It’s something to be physically active and have a club of my own.’” Christiana Cates Freshman Journalism
These fans are referred to as “saesangs’”, and their obsession has driven to activities such as causing car crashes, infiltrating hotels, and attempting to kidnap K-pop stars. “Saesangs are one step up from a regular stalker,” Ligus said. “Stalkers might break into celebrity hotel rooms just to catch a glimpse of someone...saesangs spend money traveling and following groups around. They are desperate for idols to notice and remember them. They love idols, but are willing to physically harm them, just so they are remembered... they’re nuts, and they’ll spend thousands.” But while saesang fans display their dedication via extreme measures, regular fans such as Ligus, Cates and Wendt, show their support through attending concerts and buying music and merchandise. Ligus estimates that she has spent a minimum of $2,000 so far on her favorite groups’ music and merchandise, partly due to shipping costs from South Korea. Ligus has also attended two BTS concerts so far, both in Newark, spending $350 on a ticket for the first, and $800 for the sec-
ond. Ligus said that at the second concert she attended, she waited outside of the venue for over 24 hours. “It was miserable and cold, and I was hungry, but I was looking forward to the show,” Ligus said. “Those two hours made it all worth it.” Wendt was also in attendance to both shows. “Seeing BTS in concert was interesting, because not only was I able to compare the concert experience to concerts of American artists, but because I was able to see everyone, people from all different backgrounds, in the middle of the Prudential Center in Newark,” Wendt said. “They were singing in notso-perfect Korean at the top of their lungs, being filled with so much joy for three hours of their lives. It’s something I will never forget.” However, it is not just fun-filled concerts, conventions and merchandise sales that mark the K-pop fan experience. According to Ligus, fans of K-pop groups are entirely allegiant to their chosen favorite group, sometimes creating conflict. Arguments are often based on award shows and voting, as well as accusations of plagiarism. Ligus, however, does not engage in this conflict. “There are fan wars, but they’re an absolute waste of time,” Ligus said. “We’re all fans of different groups, we all have a different experience, but it’s similar. We all have similar tastes in music and similar dedication...fan wars are a small, but significant part of the experience.” Wendt has also experienced unrest in the K-pop community. “There is often conflict between fans and fandoms, and intense fanwars that encourage malicious behavior,” Wendt said. Apart from this, Ligus and Wendt instead cite the friendships they have made in the K-pop fan world as being the most valuable part of their experience. “The friendships I’ve made have held up,” Ligus said. “And they’ve changed a little bit over the years. I’ve made new friends, especially online. The presence
of an online community has been incredible. Suddenly, you can be talking to someone over halfway across the world every day.” “Being a K-pop fan is something that has helped me and brought me so much joy, because it has allowed me to meet the people in my life that I consider my absolute best friends, people I care about more than anything,” Wendt said. “It allows for an instant connection, a bond with another person centered around a passion for music that surpasses any connection I’ve had with people who are interested in similar American music as me.” But aside from the colorful and shiny appeal of the K-pop aesthetic, as well as the promising interactions of the K-Pop fandom, it is truly the music that keeps listeners coming back for more. “I think K-pop just fits my personality more,” Cates said, thinking about how K-pop matches up to the American music scene. “In recent years, I haven’t been into American music. It can be very obscene with cursing, and it’s not me. With K-pop I can listen to music without hearing cursing or anything. I also like the groups and the companies and how they form their unique choreography.” Ligus feels similarly. “For me, it’s not so much about the lyrics,” Ligus said. “The music sounds good and has a good beat... although when translated, the lyrics do have a good message. And I’m down for any song that has a good message.” Wendt cites that for her, K-pop simply provides an overall experience that American music cannot. “K-pop doesn’t stop at offering music,” Wendt said. “It instead provides a production, an entire experience that includes choreography, high-quality videography, concepts and storylines that span over a number of months and years. There is a level of commitment to impressive craft that doesn’t at all come through in American music.”
Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu
6
A&E
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Millennial Dictionary of the creative generation Meme-worthy words create new language for youth By Dara Collins Editor-Elect
From a Thayer Hall dorm room full of females, a passing student may hear, “Oh girl, slay!” Then, passing through Village Park on the way to class, a student might look over at a cute couple by the fountain and describe them as “goals.” The younger generation may as well scrap the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and create its own for the amount of slang terms and phrases it has created. As a part of this generation that has coined the unusual terminology, I am here to explain the definitions and usage of some common terms. With the help of my peers, the Internet and specifically Urban Dictionary, The Globe presents an excerpt of The Millennial Dictionary. Adulting “Adulting” is used as a verb and is the act of taking on responsibility like that of an adult or an individual living an independent life. For example, this type of responsibility includes paying rent and utility bills as well as other payments mom and dad used to take care of. Usage: Adulting is hard. Dope “Dope” is used as an adjective, contrary to the older generation’s usage of this word. The younger crowd has strayed from such synonyms for illegal drugs and prefers to be blunt on the topic. Nonetheless, millennials enjoy using this term to describe something that would otherwise be known as cool or great. Usage: That concert last night was dope! The guitar solo was amazing.
Extra
cide when to go public.
“Extra” is used as an adjective, and the most common term to compare it too would be “dramatic.” One who acts in an extra manner is dramatic and over the top. The actions of the extra individual prove quite unnecessary. Usage: She was super extra at that event. She was screaming at the top of her lungs which was definitely unnecessary.
Salty
Goals “Goals” is used as an adjective and is typically used to describe something positive to strive for. Many phrases incorporate the word on social media including “relationship goals,” “body goals,” “life goals,” etc. Of course, this phrase can be twisted with sarcasm, and an individual could joke that an unideal situation is goals. Usage: Carley and Zach are so sweet. They’re literally goals. Lit
“Salty” is used as an adjective, and millennials most likely will not be referring to food when using this term. When someone is salty, they are angry, irritated or could even be holding a grudge. A salty individual typically wears this feeling on their face. Usage: I am still salty about Hannah spilling cranberry juice on my white shirt. Same “Same” is a complicated term. “Same” equates to a feeling that makes complete sense or none at all. For example, an individual could see someone sleeping in an unusual public space and respond with, “same,” indicating they are equally as tired. On the other hand, an individual could look at an inanimate object and respond with, “same,” leaving an interpretation wide open. Usage: *Watches an individual scream from stress* Same.
“Lit” is used as an adjective, and can oftentimes be interchangeable with “dope.” While “dope” is a more calm way of saying something is cool or great, using “lit” takes the description up a few notches. Something that is lit is amazing, incredible or, dare I say, super dope. Usage: Nicole’s birthday party was lit last weekend!
Shook
Lowkey
“Slay” is used as a verb and is used to compliment an individual on the way they executed something, whether it be choosing an outfit, dancing, winning an award, etc. Usage: Jordan, those shoes are dope. You’re slaying the outfit today.
“Lowkey” is used as an adjective and is used to describe something that small-scale or to be kept hush hush. This term is the opposite of “highkey,” which is also a part of the millennials word bank. Usage: Let’s keep this relationship lowkey until we de-
“Shook” is used as an adjective and has varying meanings. Typically, this term means an individual is surprised or shocked but could also mean startled or scared. Usage: I am still shook she said that. Slay
V
What’s Goin’ On?
Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Francisco Giants: FREE SHIRT FRIDAY -April 19 -7 - 10 p.m. - PNC Park, 115 Federal Street
Your high: Yearbook Inspired Comedy
-April 19 -9 - 10:30 p.m. -Arcade Comedy Theater, 943 Liberty Ave.
Comedy Royale
-April 19 -9 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. -Arcade Comedy Theater, 943 Liberty Ave.
Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical -April 20 -8-11 p.m. -Byham, 101 6th Street
Kiss the Sky - Jimmy Hendrix Tribute
-April 20 -9-11:30 p.m. -Hard Rock Pittsburgh, 230 W. Station Square Drive “V” is abbreviation for the word “very,” and this creation supports those who call the millennial generation lazy. It is a quick and efficient way to express the enhancement of how an individual feels, whether it be sad, happy, excited, worries, etc. “V” can possibly be accredited to abbreviated text lingo. Usage: I barely got any sleep last night. I’m v tired. Woke “Woke” is used as an ad-
jective and simply means to be aware and have knowledge of an individual’s surroundings, socially, politically, economically, etc. When an individual is woke, they are knowledgeable, informed and open-minded, the opposite of ignorant and close-minded. Usage: The Globe is, in fact, woke and knows exactly what happens on its campus and within its Downtown community.
Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu
Oakland house shows offer intimate experience Dylan Kersten talks about community-based scene By Amanda Myers Co-Features Editor
Pittsburgh has a number of affordable venues available to college students, like Mr. Smalls, Rex Theater and Stage AE, just to name a few. But for those that want a more intimate and gritty experience complete with sweat and tears — house shows are the way to go. A house show typically consists of a bare bones set up in the basement or living room of someone’s house. The DIY branded scene has been around as early Mozart’s time, but gained significant traction when it helped launch genres of hip hop and punk in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Dylan Kersten, a senior global cultural studies major, has his own band, String Machine, that have been heavily involved in the house show scene in Oakland. He appreciates both attending and performing at house shows due to an unbridled sense of intimacy. “Being on the same level as the people is really significant, there’s no feeling of ‘I’m in the band I’m on
the stage’ cause there’s no stage,” Kersten said. Kersten joined the Butler-based String Machine in 2016, taking over the synthesizer for the experimental folk outfit. They were connected to the DIY scene in Oakland through a show at Black Forge Coffee House and started playing house shows there in 2017. The process for going to a house show happens in a more roundabout way than simply ordering a ticket online from Ticketmaster. In order to avoid issues of permits, events are mainly posted on Facebook under the name of the venue and require an invite from either the owner or one of the bands to attend. This creates a niche community built on a name-to-name basis and keeps heavy ticket fees at bay in exchange for a cheap cover charge. Playing in someone’s basement is also different than performing at a designated venue given the pressure of built in sound expectations. “Whenever we’ve played Smiling Moose or Funhouse at Mr. Smalls, whenever
you can actually hear yourselves it’s a little more nerve wracking, cause you’ll hear if you mess up,” Kersten said. “House shows are like, ‘this is the stuff we’ve been practicing for a while and now you guys get to hear it with us.’” According to Kersten, the scene is a great way to make new people and is designed with that built-in aspect of being half about the social side and half about the music. “I love to meet new people, the house scene is very conscious of the environment and want to make sure it’s cool,” Kersten said. “You make friends with bands who are touring.” For those cautious of the idea of going to a stranger’s house for a show, Kersten recommends checking out Mr. Roboto Project in Pittsburgh first. The venue has a smaller DIY feel and gives audience members an idea of the kind of music they’re in for. A lot of the house shows are cross genre, featuring everything from emo, to hiphop, to metal. People should not only be open to explor-
String Machine performing at the Bushnel.
ing new genres, but also to acclimating themselves to the environment. The sound isn’t going to be as crisp or clean compared to a concert at Stage AE because these venues weren’t built for that. What Kersten likes most about the house show scene is the fact that everyone has access to the music and to each other, as well. “The fact that the bar-
Stuart Lewis | Submitted
rier between artist and like concert goer is almost entirely broken down, I have no sense of superiority as a musician and I’m not intimidated to talk to other band members if I go to a show as an audience member,” Kersten said. “There’s no hierarchy, everyone’s part of it.”
Amanda Myers admyers@pointpark.edu
OPINIONS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
7
Nick Horwat
Amanda Myers
Copy Editor
Co-Features Editor
When I was a freshman I knew I wanted to be involved in journalism; that’s why I chose it as my major. But after two years I hadn’t gotten involved in anything, and was unsure if I wanted to continue on that path. On the verge of transferring schools and changing majors, I can thank a close friend, who shall remain nameless but he’s a good dargon, for talking me into signing up for The Globe. Quickly I was back on track with what I wanted to do with a revitalized love for writing. I started off as a copy editor, and wrote for the men’s soccer team every week. Quickly I became the co-arts and entertainment editor, where I found even more opportunity. I wrote some of my favorite pieces for that section that I have literally hung up on my bedroom wall. I may not have been here all four years of my college career like some of my peers, but I am proud of the time I spent here. I felt like I was finally doing something worthwhile. Every Monday afternoon to night (sometimes late night) was a great experience and worth every second. At The Globe I have made hopefully lifelong friends, and hopefully being here was just the first step of a long and fun career in this business. I have nothing but gratitude for The Globe. I wish everyone at The Globe the best in the future with whatever it is they do, and in the words of Bill Moushey, “What’s the nut?”
My time at The Globe has afforded me with the chance to not only gain professional experience, but to grow as a person, too. I’m a transfer student, so I came a little late to the game and joined The Globe as a copy editor last Spring semester in my junior year. From that position, I was able to see the ins and outs of the newspaper machine and the tireless dedication the staff had in putting together the best paper possible. Becoming A&E editor last fall really solidified my place as a staff member, as I was able to share my love of music and movies via numerous reviews. Writing about concerts I’ve been to, like Kiss or Alice Cooper, gave me the opportunity to share my passion with people who may never have heard of those artists before. Adding features editor to my title this semester also allowed me to branch out into covering events I would have never thought to write about prior. I became a more active person on campus as a result, and a more rounded person over all. My journalism classes taught me a lot about the traditional rules of journalism, but nothing beats real world experience. The Globe has showed me how valuable teamwork is, especially in the journalism business. I’m going to miss the content portion in covering entertainment on campus, but I’m going to miss Monday nights working at The Globe more.
Nick Horwat njhorwa@pointpark.edu
Robert Berger Co-Sports Editor
My freshman year, I was incredibly hesitant to work at The Globe. As a multimedia major, I felt I had no business in the newspaper world, and thankfully I was wrong. Ever since my first article my freshman year, The Globe has been the one constant thing in my life through these past four years. Once I joined the staff my sophomore year, I really had found my on-campus family. The past few years I’ve been incredibly fortunate in holding the news and sports section editor positions as well as serving as sports photo editor. The Globe has given me some incredible opportunities from meeting with and interviewing Bill Hillgrove, Greg Brown and Paul Steigerwald for my first published article. Getting to sit down one-on-one with NBC’s Mike Emrick. And even getting hit with a police baton in the middle of a Donald Trump protest, which was well worth it for the photos I got out of it. Along with those moments, I also had the chance to be involved with a number of landmark events Point Park has seen these past four years - from elections, creeps on campus and the countless conference championships our athletic teams have won. Also, Anna Shields. I also can’t forget the amazing students I’ve had a chance to profile. But, nothing can com-
Dara Collins | The Globe Globe seniors from left to right; Amanda Myers, Gracey Evans, Carley Bonk, Robert Berger, Jordan Slobodinsky. Not pictured; Nick Horwat.
A farewell letter from the editor By Carley Bonk Editor-in-Chief
As I sit on my front porch writing this letter, I am filled with a deep sense of sadness and impending emptiness. The bright spring weather doesn’t reflect what it feels like to have to say goodbye to a friend that has greatly contributed to molding me into the person I am today. That friend is The Globe. I started at The Globe nearly three years ago. As a newly transferred student, I didn’t know anyone here. As someone who had a rocky friendship or two at my previous university, I put up a wall and kept my distance. I didn’t live on campus and didn’t make the effort to reach out to meet new people here. But The Globe was different. As I became an editor and spent countless hours with the staff that put together this incredible product each week, that wall slowly began to chip away. Working so intensely and with such dedication next to these talented journalists, I couldn’t help but want to build relationships here. And as I stepped into the roles of Editor-Elect and Editor-in-Chief, it became essential. It hasn’t been a secret pare to the friendships we built as we spent each Monday night in the newsroom. I write this as I look on at all of the staff at their respected computers, doing our jobs for the final time this year, and for some our final time ever. It’s no doubt we are all walking away from The Globe with immense journalism experience under our belts. With this as my last published article, it will make my 99th written piece. As a freshman, I’d never believe it was possible to write that much through college. I unfortunately missed the 50th anniversary celebration a few years back, when a number of Globe alumni came back to Point Park for a celebration. However, I can’t wait for the next anniversary event to be able to come back and see this staff once again and catch up on the amazing things they have all done in our lives after The Globe.
Robert Berger raberg@pointpark.edu
that the staff here has been working hard to cover controversial stories on this campus - in fact, it’s in our job description as journalists to do so. The Globe has received a lot of backlash for calling out the shortcomings of others in our paper every week. And as the head of this organization, I felt the need to defend not just my writers - but my comrades. These reporters work tirelessly week after week to bring news on our campus to a critical audience. I will not stand for their work to be put down by those that do not care to understand our process. It is common for journalism students to hear that the careers they are entering into are “thankless jobs.” That addadge rings true now more than ever in the era of “fake news” and a general public mistrust of the media. We are certainly learning and understanding that as students producing news for a campus audience. I’ve learned that the work we do here isn’t alway going to be appreciated - and that’s okay. But if I didn’t at least try to build my staff up with my own appreciation and defense, I wouldn’t have been happy with my tenure as Editor-in-Chief and I wouldn’t be
happy with myself as a human being. If you take one thing away from this farewell letter and my time leading The Globe, I hope it is this: remember that journalists are people too. We are your friends, your neighbors and fellow students. We strive to bring you the truth because we care that you are informed citizens. The Globe has been a trusted friend through my time here at Point Park. The staff here broke down my wall and let me into their lives as a trusted companion. I could never return the favor of the amount of hard work they put in to create the best product week after week, but I certainly tried. I’ll leave you all with what has essentially become my mantra: we are not in the business of making people happy. We are in the business of relaying truth to our audience - a daunting sacrifice we make for the sake of democracy.
Jordan Slobodinsky
in the world, to the friends who supported me in my journalistic decisions, to my peers who pushed me to make a better section, I cannot thank you enough. Beth Turnbull was someone who I had the pleasure to share the opinions section with, and without her guidance I would have never been able to bring you this section for the past year. I have watched this paper take several forms, and I have worked under four different editors. All of them are astounding people who I have nothing but respect and most of all love for. Without this newspaper, I would not be the person who is here today. The future of this paper, is in strong hands and in the leadership of amazing people. As I venture forward into this world, my memories of this newspaper will guide me when I am lost, and help to become who I want to be. Thank you, for everything.
Opinions Editor
My freshman year was not an ideal year in my memory. I was a terrible student and a terrible human being, who was more concerned about having fun and playing games rather than improving myself. The first eight months of 2016 were especially terrible for me, and I really hated who I was. Toward the end of the academic year in the Spring of 2016, I got an email blast asking for people to sign up for The Globe, and without hesitation I signed up. When I returned in the Fall of 2016, I never imagined that a school newspaper could change my life, but that is what it did. Here we are in 2019 and I find myself amongst friends, in a newsroom where we are all taking pride in what we do. I have made friendships and memories that I would not trade for anything and that is with every staff I have been with at The Globe. From the seniors who showed me the courage to put my work out
Carley Bonk cmbonk@pointpark.edu
Jordan Slobodinsky jeslobo@pointpark.edu
Gracey Evans News Photo Editor
When I got accepted to Point Park in April 2015, I knew I wanted to be a part of something big when I got to college. I had been a part of my high school newspaper staff and immediately wanted to join the college newspaper staff. Even though I wanted to join The Globe, I was scared. I was a timid freshman that had never been away from home before and I didn’t want to fail, but I had help along the way. I am glad to have been on staff since day one of my freshman year and will be a member of The Globe until I graduate. Throughout that time, I am thankful to have made lasting friendships. I have photographed many different things from therapy dogs on campus to traveling to Washington D.C. to cover the inauguration. Throughout my time with The Globe, I have won a few Keystone Press Awards, I have won first place nationally for breaking news photography through SPJ, and have been a finalist for the Golden Quills. After graduation, I will be a sales photographer for Mom365 at Magee-Women’s Hospital and will continue to grow my personal business, Gracey Evans Photography. I am forever blessed to have been a part of The Globe. People say the “true college experience” is partying, being a rebel and such but my true college experience was being a part of The Globe. This is Gracey Evans, news photo editor, signing off.
Gracey Evans glevans@pointpark.edu
OPINIONS
Friendships have no terms, conditions By Dara Collins Editor-Elect
I want you to think of your best friend. How long have you known each other? How did you meet? How do you spend a typical Saturday night together? What would you do without them? What would you do if they stopped being your friend because they did not support a decision you made? I hope you don’t have to answer the last two questions like I have. I experienced a traumatic event some time ago that has thrown me in the front car of a roller coaster ever since – but that’s not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about concerns a tweet that relates to my situation and may very well relate to someone reading this. The tweet read, “Hey. Idk who needs to hear this but – Stop abandoning friends because they keep going back to abusive significant others!! I know it’s hard to see them go through that but it’s going to be even harder when they realize they want out and feel like they have no one to turn to!!!” If I could scream this to the world’s population from the top of Mount Everest, I absolutely would. Leaving an abusive relationship, emotional or physical, is difficult as it is. Now add every negative comment from family, friends and even the peanut gallery, and the difficulty continues to rise. The situation is confusing, draining and it hurts emotionally, physically and mentally. The last thing an individ-
ual wants to feel in this type of situation is alone. The moment this individual feels like they will lose their friends and family, they will panic. They may already feel as though they have disappointed their partner, and that is the cause of the strain in the relationship, and when disappointment to friends and family joins the equation, it’s a recipe for disaster. Whether the individual wants to admit it or not, they need you. I want every single person reading this who has had a friend in the midst of a difficult situation to know that they need you. Now, you might argue that the relationship, while it may not be yours, is becoming detrimental to you in some way. I do not disagree this can occur, but how can you completely withdraw from someone you call a friend? You do not have to be their shoulder to cry on 24/7, and you are certainly not obligated to listen to the individual rant about their partner only to turn around and invite them over later that day. However, the moment you become absolutely unapproachable, you are no longer a friend. The moment you become cold and present the individual with a choice between their friends and the relationship, you should have never been considered a friend in the first place. Now, let’s discuss another argument. You could genuinely fear for the individual’s safety. Alina Sheykhet, a 20-yearold University of Pittsburgh student, was found dead in her off-campus apartment on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017. Sheykhet had
filed a Protection From Abuse (PFA) form after ex-boyfriend Matthew Darby broke into her home a couple weeks prior to the murder. From 2008 to 2017, more than 1,200 women, men, children and law enforcement died as a result of domestic violence, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. I understand the concern for a friend’s safety. You have every right to care for their well being, and the statistics certainly back up the concern. Unfortunately, the individual will not always listen to your concern. Clouded judgement is the result of a troubled relationship. Ultimately, it is your friend’s choice. There are arguments to both sides, and I completely understand both sides as I have been on both sides of the spectrum. I hope if anyone takes anything away from this it is to be a friend above all else. Friends will voice opinions that an individual in a bad relationship will not like. Friends will urge an individual to hang out in a group to avoid one-on-one interaction with someone who may cause them harm. Friends may even offer to watch a date from afar or third-wheel. This is all okay. What’s not okay is calling someone a friend only to leave them when they need you most. A signature at the bottom of a terms and conditions section does not and should not determine a friendship, so let’s not act like it does.
Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
GL BE’S POINT
THE
8
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
A paper for all
It seems that students have been more vocal about the content they see and read in The Globe this semester. Some members of our staff have decided to speak up and respond to commendation and critique alike, specifically through social media, and others have even decided to voice their opinion through the pages of our paper this week. Here’s the cool thing about a student newspaper that The Globe’s Sarah Gibson touched on in her piece - anyone, literally anyone at this university, can publish a piece of work in this publication. All of these voices as well as every response the paper receives, in physical or digital format, promotes democracy. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address ends with the sentiment, “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” The Globe has represented a diverse student body of different backgrounds, ages, races, ethnicities, religions, since 1967. As a staff, we try our very best to always remain mindful of our audience and to cover the most newsworthy happenings in our community. Unfortunately, the Globe suffers from some pitfalls. For instance, we are only a weekly newspaper. Some stories have a longer shelf life than others and may miss the opportuni-
ty to be published in our print edition. Additionally, the sad truth is our staff is dwindling. We have a restricted number of staff that is able and willing to cover the happenings around us – but that’s where you all come in, the other puzzle piece of our democracy. If you want to see something covered in The Globe that we are lacking, tell us or tackle it yourself. We are accepting of all majors here at The Globe. If you have an opinion you want the community to know, submit it to The Globe in a letter to the editor or in a 500-word opinions piece. And of course, if you dislike our work, you have the right to tell us in person or in a comments section. In the same breath, freedom of the press allows us to publish these pieces you may not like. As long as a story adheres to our Globe standards, we have an obligation to allow a writer’s voice to be heard. Please refrain from shaming The Globe as a whole for publishing material you may not agree with. One writer does not reflect an entire organization, but our writers have just as important of an opinion as you. After all, we are a publication of the people, by the people, for the people.
Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu
Opinions have a place in journalism; respect them By Sarah Gibson Co-Copy Desk Chief
I love journalism. I really do. I think the fact that the President has called the press the “enemy of the people” has raised awareness for all of the good that journalists do. At a time where elected officials are trying to discredit the press, it’s very important to pay attention to what that press is saying. However, not every part of a newspaper is news. Newspapers have had plenty of ways for readers and columnists to voice their opinions for years, and if you don’t know where those opinions are appropriate, it might be confusing for someone reading the paper. I know a few people who have asked me questions about this, I figured it might be a good idea to talk about different types of opinions that can be found in a newspaper. First, you have letters to the editor. These are exactly what they sound like, and the best part is: anyone can write them! If you have a gripe or something you wish everyone
could know, write it and send it in. The Globe publishes nearly every letter we get, given that it’s appropriate. For instance, last year we declined to publish a letter sent to us by the KKK, for obvious reasons. The most recent letter we published was from Alexa Lake preceding the USG election. We don’t get these often, so if you’re interested in sending one in, write it up and send it to globe@pointpark.edu Next, you have run-of-themill opinions pieces. Again, these can be about anything. We have a page of them in The Globe every week. The key differences between letters to the editor and opinions pieces is that in traditional papers, opinions pieces are written by staff and letters to the editor are written by readership. However, because The Globe is open to everyone at Point Park, you can write either if you’d like. No matter what your major, year or writing experience is, you can write for The Globe if you want. All you have to do is ask! However, like letters to
the editor, we prefer that you don’t use hate speech or deliberately spread misinformation. If you write an opinions piece, your piece will have to adhere to The Globe’s writing standards (which is really easy, so don’t worry about it). If you’d like to write an opinions piece, contact our opinions editor or the Globe email at globe@ pointpark.edu. After that, you have Editorials, but we call them The Globe’s Point. The Globe’s Point is a short opinions piece written every week that everyone in The Globe reads and signs off on before publishing it in the paper. An Editorial is essentially the official opinion of the paper. Lastly, you have reviews. A review is what sparked the writing of this piece, since last week, many students had a problem with a review of a show put on by our COPA students. While reviews are opinions on pieces of work, be it movies, albums or theatre pieces, they go into the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) sec-
tion because the reviews are written regarding a piece of A&E. If you’d be interested in writing reviews in the future, hit up our A&E editor or The Globe email at globe@pointpark.edu. While I know that scathing reviews can hurt, they’re allowed to be published in the paper, and it isn’t The Globe’s fault that you didn’t like it. Reviews aren’t always positive pieces. If The Globe only allowed positive pieces to be published, it would be unfair to those who wanted to write a real and honest review of something they saw. Furthermore, The Globe doesn’t gatekeep who can and can’t write a review. We are an open organization, and anyone can write for The Globe if they want to. Granted, if they do, that doesn’t mean it’s the official opinion of the newspaper (You will only find that in The Globe’s Point) but they are using The Globe as a medium to have their voice heard. It saddens me when I hear someone say “Shame on The
Globe for publishing this!” in regards to a negative review, because in the name of a fair and unbiased paper, it would be a shame if we didn’t publish something based on whether it was positive or negative. Choosing not to publish something based on whether it’s positive or negative is bias because it would be censoring the author over a piece that is otherwise held to the standard and quality of what The Globe publishes. While I’m not trying to step on any toes here, I am trying to educate you on why we can’t do away with negative reviews, and why if we did, it would actually be indicative of a problem. I love what my fellow classmates at Point Park do, in all schools and organizations, but I also love The Globe, and whether I agree with a review or opinions piece or not, I will defend The Globe’s right to publish it. Want to rebut? Write a letter to the editor.
Sarah Gibson
sagibso@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
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SPORTS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
All In with Allison By Allison Schubert Sports Columnist
I’ve Been to the Year 2000 Another year in the books here at The Globe, and this issue, we are focusing on the Millennial generation coming to an end at universities worldwide. To start, the phrase “millennial” is defined differently by everyone it seems. For me, I consider a millennial to be anyone born between the years 1980-1999 - that is, anyone who was born in the years leading up to the change of the millennium. This year, a lot of the freshmen that came in were born in late 1999 and even 2000. Personally, it makes me feel SO old that there are people that are young adults that were born in the year 2000. This week, I wanted to focus on the millennial athletes that have changed the course of athletics here at Point Park most recently and the future of the Pioneers with the non-millennial athletes that have made their debuts this season. The two millennial athletes that most stick out in my mind are cross country star Anna Shields (obviously) and women’s basketball standout Kaitlyn Smith. All too often, we have heard that millennials are lazy, disloyal, technology-driven, overly-sensitive clones of one another. Both Shields and Smith challenge every single one of those assumptions. Lazy? Smith is the executive director of the Campus Activities Board, was the senior (and only) captain of the women’s basketball team, boasts a 3.98 GPA, and is most recently the winner of the Outstanding Student Leader award at the Outstanding Student Awards this past Friday. Shields, well, I don’t think there is a person on this cam-
pus that does not know the story of Anna Shields at this point. In addition to her 3.7 GPA, she has achieved an immense amount of awards, recognitions, and records in cross country and track and field - all of which can be found under her biography on the Point Park Sports website. Most recently, she set a facility record at a 95-year-old facility. 95 years of runners and she is faster than all of them. Disloyal? They are both captains of their teams and I think that says enough. Technology-driven? It is impossible to live in this day in age and not rely at least partly on technology, which is not a personality trait anyway. Overly-sensitive? Again, they participate in athletics, which is telling enough to me that they aren’t. Clones? Not only are they both independent, successful women, but if they are the same as every single other one of their peers, how do they shine so bright among the slew of student-athletes that exist in the world? On the opposite side of the spectrum lies Taylor Goldstrohm and Hailey Leitner and Abel van Beest, all of which are freshmen that have proven themselves in their sports and in the classroom. Goldstrohm, a two-sport student-athlete. Leitner, a standout softball newcomer. Van Beest, another twosport student-athlete and star among the men’s soccer team. They may not be millennials, but I think the future of the Pioneer athletic programs are pretty safe in the hands of Generation Z.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
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Baseball pitching staff throws combined no-hitter versus CCU By Robert Berger Co-Sports Editor
Last weekend, the Pioneer baseball team threw a combined no-hitter while picking up a 22-0 victory over conference opponent Cincinnati Christian University (CCU). The no-hitter came in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon which was part of a three game series, which Point Park swept. Juniors Marco Quintanar, Ruben Ramirez and senior Robelin Bautista’s all pitched in the effort. Quintanar started things off throwing for 4.0 innings. After walking the leadoff batter, he retired the next 12 batters and picked up four strikeouts. Two big innings were responsible for the blowout win as Point Park tallied 11 runs just in the first inning. The offense sent 16 batters to the plate in the process. After a scoreless second inning, Point Park added 10 more runs in the third inning. Sophomore Ed Pfluger and senior Jake Forgrave were both 1 for 1 with a walk and two RBIs. Forgrave blasted a two-run double to help break open the first inning. Pfluger finished off the inning with a two-run double of his own. The day before, the Pioneers picked up an 11-0 win against the Eagles. Originally scheduled for nine innings, Point Park got the job done in seven, putting into effect the seven run rule. The Point Park offense tallied three home runs on the day. The first came in
Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Felix Castillo got the win in game one Thursday afternoon versus CCU.
the fourth inning when junior Antonio Carrillo came through with a three-run homerun to deep center which made the score 4-0. Two innings later, Erik Montero hit a grand slam to left field which made the score 8-0. Then in the sixth, Burroughs nailed a three-run home run to right field, making the score 10-0. Senior Felix Castillo was on the mound and went the distance in game one. Defensively, the team played perfect. In the opening game Saturday afternoon, the Pioneers picked up the victory to a score of 8-4. CCU made it a close contest by taking a 4-3 lead in the sixth due to a couple of unearned runs, but Point Park took it right back in the bottom half of the inning. Starting on the mound was senior Nick Bucci who threw for 4.1 innings. After CCU posed a threat in the
Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu
Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Freshman Alyssa Campbell qualified for the NAIA National Championship.
Shields ranked 4th in collegiate 1500m By Robert Berger Co-Sports Editor
This past weekend, senior Anna Shields of the women’s track and field team set a facility record while winning the 1,500 meter event and posted the fourth best time in all of collegiate track this year. Competing at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic, Shields went head-to-head against a number of NCAA Division I athletes, and still managed to put up her record-breaking time of 4 minutes, 15.60 seconds. Shields was trailing at the halfway point of the race, but managed to make a break for the lead and didn’t look back from there. With the win, the senior qualified in the event at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship meet later this season. She was victorious in the 1,500 at the past two NAIA
championship meets. Freshman Alyssa Campbell also competed in Bucknell and posted a personal best time in the 5,000 meters event. Campbell finished with a time of 17 minutes, 43 seconds and qualified at the ‘B’ standard for the NAIA championship meet. With the team splitting up this weekend, another group of runners competed at the Westminster Invitational, which included freshman Nia Goodman picking up two top-10 finishes. Her top finish of the day was finishing fifth in the 200 meters in 27.36 seconds. Following that race, she competed in the 100-meter hurdles finishing in eighth in 17.211 seconds. On the field, junior Mackenzie Mangum placed ninth in javelin with a toss of 32.19 meters. On the men’s side, junior Xavier Stephens picked up
fifth, the Pioneers turned to junior Ryan Huber to finish the remaining 4.2 innings, and he got the victory to improve to 9-0 on the year. An error allowed CCU to tie the score at 3-3 with one out in the sixth. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly by Noah Brewer put the Eagles in front 4-3. Cole Horew led Point Park going 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. He was involved in five of Point Park scoring plays. The Pioneers added on o their lead with Ed Pfluger’s fifth homer of the year to lead off the seventh. Tyler Dobie and Luis Mujica added RBI doubles in the eighth to bump the advantage to 8-4. The team will continue conference play next weekend at Asbury University.
Robert Berger raberge@pointpark.edu his second NAIA nationals qualification while competing in the 1,500 meter event. Stephens competed at Bucknell an set a school record with a time of 3 minutes, 54.13 seconds. Earlier this season, Stephens qualified in the 800 meter event. Also at Bucknell for the men’s team was freshman Daniel Jacobs throwing javelin. While competing amongst a number of NCAA Division I athletes, Jacobs placed ninth with a 57.42 meter throw. On day two of the Bucknell meet, the men’s team notched three top-10 finishes. The 4x800 relay team highlighted the day placing fourth and setting a school record. The team of freshmen Doug Kostelansky and Jared Thompson. senior Andre Bennett and Stephens earned the placement in 7 minutes, 58.48 seconds. The team was just short of qualifying for the NAIA championship meet, but their finish is currently ranked eighth best in the NAIA. Junior Chance Callahan took second place in the long jump on day two with a jump of 6.94 meters. Michael Morris competed alongside him and ended the day with a sixth place finish. This week, the team will split up again and compete separately. Wednesday a select group will travel to Beaver Falls for the Geneva Invitational. The following day, another group will be in action at the Slippery Rock University Open. The following week, the team will compete in the River States Conference Championship meet.
Robert Berger raberge@pointpark.edu
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019
SPORTS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Softball splits RSC contests and Courtney Blocher, Amber Cook, Delaney Baumis, Chandler Krelow and Hailey Leitner each with one. The doubleheader sweep of Slippery Rock came with junior Katie Tarr on the mound and a strong defense behind her. Tarr threw 15 total strikeouts and the defense committed zero errors throughout the course of the game. This time Point Park got on the board early with Horn hitting a sacrifice fly to bring home freshman Alicia Egner in the second inning. The next inning, Leitner hit a double to bring home Edwards. Edwards was four-for-four with two runs in the nightcap. Julia Hoon pinch hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Blocher hit an RBI single to right field for Point Park’s final run in the sixth. The Pioneers gave up one run in the seventh inning, but the defense finished it out and took the 5-1 lead to complete the sweep of Slippery Rock.
Saturday, the seniors of Point Park were recognized prior to the doubleheader against Rio Grande, again at home. The team is graduating four seniors this year: Iagnemma, Baumis, Edwards and Shannon Davis. After the ceremony, Iagnemma took the mound for the first game. Point Park tallied three hits compared to Rio’s four, but two homers, one in the first inning and one in the fifth, from the RedStorm gave them the edge for a 2-0 win. Tarr again pitched the entirety of the second game, striking out 13, walking none, and facing just two batters over the minimum in her complete 7.0 inning game. Tarr is now 9-5 for the season and has recorded double-digit strikeouts in each of her last seven complete-game appearances. In the sixth inning, Edwards delivered an RBI with a hit up the middle to bring Horn home for the eventual winning run. An insurance run was scored later the same inning when Paula Ambrose, who was pinch running for Edwards, scored on freshman Taylor Goldstrohm’s base hit. Point Park is now 9-5 in the RSC, placing the Pioneers in third and just 1.0 behind second-place IU Southeast. Only four conference games remain for Point Park this season with the next two coming in the form of a doubleheader at Carlow, who also calls Fairhaven Park home, on Friday.
Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Ashley Iagnemma celebrated her senior day this past weekend.
Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu
By Allison Schubert Co-Sports Editor
The softball team played four games in five days this past week, picking up two non-conference wins and dishing out the first conference loss to No. 1 in the River States Conference (RSC) Rio Grande. The first of these games came last Wednesday when the Pioneers hosted NCAA DII non-conference opponent Slippery Rock University at Fairhaven Park. Senior Ashley Iagnemma pitched all 7.0 innings of the first game, giving up three hits and one walk while striking out nine in the shutout. Freshman Carissa Scekeres reached base in the fourth before sophomore Maddie Horn knocked a fly ball to the center field fence, bringing Scekeres home for the only run of the game. Point Park registered nine total hits: Scekeres and Tiffany Edwards with two apiece,
Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Anna Shields competes during the 2018 Westminster meet.
Shields honored with award in her name By Allison Schubert Co-Sports Editor
This past Friday, students were recognized for their hard work all year at the annual Outstanding Student Awards at the Fairmont Hotel. Every year, two awards are given to one male athlete and one female athlete that best exemplify the characteristics that contribute to a true Point Park Pioneer: the Don Kelly Student Athlete Leadership Awards. These awards were named after Don Kelly, a Point Park alum and former student-athlete that now plays baseball at the professional level for the Major League Baseball team the Miami Marlins. Soccer midfielder Andre Bennett was the male recipient of the award, but when the female award winner was named, she was caught off guard. Not only was Anna Shields named the female recipient of the award, but
Dean of Students Keith Paylo also announced that from now on, the recognition awarded to the female recipient will be called the Anna Shields Student Athlete Leadership Award. “It’s an incredible honor to have an award that will henceforth be in my name,” Shields said. “When I was told about the decision, I was surprised and very grateful. It means a lot that Point Park has been so supportive of my athletic career here. I also take it as a statement of confidence in my potential after graduation, as Don Kelly has a successful professional career in baseball.” Not 24 hours after receiving an award that will be just a fraction of the legacy she leaves behind at Point Park, Shields set a facility record in the 800-meter race in Bucknell’s Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium - a stadium that has stood for 95 years.
Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu
Pittsburgh eSports scene finds growth at Point Park from ESPORTS page 1 Hannah Johnston and Marcyssa Brown, both junior SAEM majors, serve as interns for the Rowland School of Business and are leading the initiative to bring eSports to Point Park. Johnston serves as the content manager for the initiative and Brown is the team manager. The effort to create an eSports team began during the Fall 2018 semester with a Super Smash Brothers tournament hosted by the Rowland School of Business. The Wood Street Zombies eSports cub was also present at this event. The top three winners of the tournament, Milton Melendez, Brandon Staab and Ryan Wolfe, were offered a spot on the official Point Park Super Smash Brothers eSports team. So far, the team has only been practicing and participating in small-scale tournaments, focusing solely on Super Smash Brothers. “We’ve had several practices,” Wolfe, a freshman cinema production major said. “Technically we’ve been going to tournaments, just not officially. Hopefully in the future there are more events and more tournaments outside of the school, and to compete with other people that are on other teams. That’d be nice.” The PPU eSports initiative also has established relations with the Pittsburgh Knights, a professional organization that partners with the Steelers to host several different eS-
Jordyn Hronec | The Globe Students play Super Mario Strikers at the tournament hosted by the Rowland School of Business Friday, April 12.
ports teams in the city. The Knights have teams that play Super Smash Brothers, PUBG, Hearthstone, Paladins, Smite, Gwent, Battlegrounds and Fortnite. “We have practiced with professional players from the Knights and have gotten actual advice from them,” Staab, a freshman forensic science major, said. Steven Abate is Pittsburgh’s top Super Smash Brothers player and plays competitively for the Knights. He met with members of Point Park’s team and shared advice and strategy tips to the players. The Pittsburgh Knights, along with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Cleveland Cavaliers, are partnering with the PPU eSports initiative to put on the first eSports event in Pittsburgh, the “Steel City Showdown”.
The tournament, which is set to last from May 10-12, will take place at the Playhouse. The tournament will consist of three games, NBA 2K, NHL 2K and Super Smash Brothers. It is open to the public, and will cost players $10 to compete in Super Smash Brothers and $20 to compete in either NBA 2K or NHL 2K. For spectators, tickets are $5. Winners in each title will be awarded $1,500. According to Johnston and Brown, the future of eSports at Point Park is dependent on the success of the tournament. “It will be interesting to see how this event goes, because right now, we actually don’t know how big eSports is in Pittsburgh,” Brown said. “There’s been no big tournament this year. So this May is going to show if
it’s really viable. But I think it’s interesting to be in the middle of trying to bring eSports to Pittsburgh. I feel like all cities can have it, you just have to have the culture and the reach.” Along with the May tournament, the PPU eSports initiative is also playing host to an eSports summer camp for high school students as a part of an effort to recruit more future players. This past Friday, the PPU eSports initiative hosted a second Super Smash Brothers tournament in order to recruit more players for the team. The Wood Street Zombies eSports club was also present at this tournament and had other games set up for students to play as well. “Originally when the school proposed the idea of having a club, they wanted it to be this group of students
that plays games so that if the school ever wanted to start a team, they would have this pool of students that they can pull students from,” Green said. The PPU eSports initiative is looking to expand its efforts in the future. “Our outlook on the future of PPU eSports is not until around 2020,” Brown said. “We don’t know if PPU eSports is going to be in the background or if it’s going to work with the Wood Street Zombies.” “It also depends on how the May event turns out,” Johnston said. “I think that’s a big factor in figuring out if eSports is going to be big in Pittsburgh.” Future expansion plans include creating teams that specialize in different games as well, such as Overwatch or Fortnite. There are also hopes that in the future, the eSports teams could become a part of Point Park’s athletic department, which would create potential scholarship opportunities to students who are recruited to the school’s official teams. “A lot of schools actually offer scholarships to eSports players,” Johnston said. “They do put in a lot of hours, especially if they were to practice as much as we wanted them to. So we would love to give them some form of scholarship, and I think that’s a big part of why we want to be housed under athletics.”
Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu