Point Park Globe Spring 2019 Issue 6

IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE

5 PAGE 6 PAGE 7

@PPUGlobe February 13, 2019

Editor-Elect Dara Collins reviews decades of lovable romantic comedies Sarah Gibson reflects on feminism in the romantic novels genre Cheer and Dance placed first in every competition over the weekend ppuglobe.com

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

Issue 6

Indoor track and field achieves Public Safety soon back-to-back championship titles to update PointAlert

Robert Berger| Point Park Athletics

Michael Morris competes in the high jump last Saturday in Tiffin, Ohio at the RSC Indoor Track and Field Championship. Both teams won the RSC title. “We overcome so much here at Point Park... It’s a challenge without having facilities and to overcome that, winning a championship makes it a little sweeter” coach Kelly Parsley said.

By Robert Berger Co-Sports Editor

By Amanda Andrews For The Globe

For the second year in a row, both the men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams are conference champions after spending this past weekend in Tiffin, Ohio.

“The conference teams were definitely coming for us, so this victory was a little sweeter than last year’s because the conference has gotten so much better,” head coach Kelly Parsley said. “I hope a part of that is because of the success of our program, to get those programs sort of jump started.”

Earning 158 points on the day, the women’s team defended their title in the second ever River States Conference (RSC) championship meet. Behind the Pioneers was Rio Grande University with 130 points and Cincinnati Christian University (CCU) who scored 112.

On the day, 14 athletes from the women’s team earned all-conference honors after the team was victorious in eight different events.

In the summer of 2018 in the back of the GRW Theater, an incoming freshman student sat with his mother. He idly chewed Extra gum and tried to conceal his phone while he scrolled through his notification feed. All the families in the auditorium were sitting in these chairs for the last two hours without break, hearing presentations from administration and faculty about all there is to know regarding the “Pioneer Experience.” PowerPoints concerning financial aid and public safety lulled most newcomers to sleep or sent them on their mobiles for a much needed distraction. Throughout these presentations, administration officials on multiple occasions stressed the importance to parents of their students signing up for the PointAlert system.

Created in 2008, PointAlert is an opt-in service provided by the Department of Public Safety that sends out notifications of any pressing emergency to students, staff and faculty- at least, students and faculty who are signed up for PointAlert. Since its inception, the number of those using PointAlert has

TRACK page 8

increased by 50 percent.

Public Safety Vice President Chief Jeffrey Besong said that the scenarios which require PointAlert to be used have to be very particular.

“An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to the health and safety of the campus community or significantly disrupts its programs and activities,” Besong said. “Examples of alerts include a fire or a chemical leak requiring the evacuation of a building, or an ongoing criminal incident that requires members of the campus community to take action to ensure their safety.

The message will direct you where to go for further information or what action to take. Less urgent messages will be sent using the campus e-mail system.”

An example of this happened just two weeks ago when Point Park University was closed for two consecutive days for the first time since 2010. Students signed up with PointAlert received two brief texts from campus police announcing the cancellations of the university and classes and that “essential personnel only should report to work.”

ALERT page 3

USG meets with Provost Low budget options to avoid overPearson said.

USG Senator Jacob Berlin spending on Valentine’s holiday asked whether the department

By Mitchell Drake USG Beat Writer

The United Student Government (USG) met today to discuss issues with Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Provost John Pearson and Assistant Provost Jonas Prida in an unexpectedly long two-hour legislative body meeting.

Pearson opened the floor to answer various questions and complaints with his department.

Senator Alexa Lake pointed out a distinct lack of connection between Academic Affairs and the student body, as some students feel a noticeable distance between themselves and the department when reporting issues.

Pearson stood adamant that his door is always open to students, stating that his job is to keep “hands on backs” and make academics better. He stated that his department is constantly trying to improve academics departmentally, focusing on one department at a time for evaluation and review.

Academic Affairs conducts these reviews every five years, which reportedly leads to greater experiences and comfort based on student feedback and instructor review.

“Half of what I do is like what a cheerleader does,”

is more insistent on making decisions supported by mulled data analytics or on intuition and experience. Pearson gave a mixed response, commenting on how data has fueled key decisions yet still stating that he relies on his own sense of morality and intuition.

“Data gets us so far, but what decisions that would benefit the greatest amount of students are the most important,” Pearson said.

Senator Dennis McDermott addressed the concerns of first-semester students regarding the inconsistency in curriculum taught in different City-University Life courses.

Recounting his own time in the course, he was disappointed and frustrated at how the course did not teach him anything about Pittsburgh or give any help on living in a downtown, vertical college environment.

Prida assured that a master syllabus (that will be applied to every section of the course) is being created to ensure that students are gaining what is to be originally required from the course. Pearson added that the hiring of multi-disciplined instructors to teach the courses was intended to lead to a more rounded experience for stu-

USG page 3

By Sarah Yobbi For The Globe

Jaimy Gallagher owns The Pretzel Shop and offers sweet treats for low prices from $1. Trader Joe’s offers good cuisine that Anthony Yoder cooks in his apartment, and spends “roughly 20-25 bucks.”

Wanting to impress someone on Valentine’s Day can be difficult when you’re a broke college kid.

However, impressing your date doesn’t have to break the bank. Nice gifts don’t always have to be diamonds or a meal from a five-star restaurant. Gifts for your significant other can be anything from food to flowers or both, for less than $30.

Several places very accessible to Point Park students can supply you with all your valentine needs.

The Pretzel Shop has been up and running since 1927, so they have it down to a science how to make the best pretzels. Gallagher, 53, not only is one of the co-owners of this family owned business, she is also an incredibly creative pretzel twister. Gallagher can make all sorts of shapes out of pretzel dough.

“We can do all kinds of cool things, for Valen-

tine’s Day we do hearts, love knots, all sorts of stuff.”

Specialty pretzels are as cheap as 80-cents apiece. Of course, depending on what is being made, prices may differ. For the average hand sized heart outline, they are $1 a piece.

The Pretzel Shop is located at 2316 E. Carson Street in the South Side of Pittsburgh. Only a 10 minute car ride from campus or a quick ride on the 48 bus will drop you off at the corner of E. Carson and 24th street. Caitlin Trocano, 26, has worked at The Pretzel Shop for several years says, “We can make dessert trays too. This would of course cater to a larger group of people. If it’s just you and your friends celebrating each other, this works for that.”

These cookie trays cost $21.40 when tax is included. Trocano mentions these cookie trays are worth the price considering they have roughly three and a half-dozen cookies as well as some other pastries, all homemade.

However, some valentines prefer something made by their date. Yoder, 21, a screenwriting major at Point Park University shops at Trader Joe’s for ingredients to make his homemade

fettuccine Alfredo and garlic bread. Yoder is able to get all the ingredients he needs for dinner and dessert for any date night spent at home for under $30. Trader Joe’s dry pasta starts at 99 cents and goes up depending of course on the kind of pasta purchased. To make the sauce Yoder uses heavy cream and butter, as well as seasoning.

A pint of heavy cream ranges $2.99-$3.49, and butter is only $2.99. For the garlic bread, Yoder buys a loaf of bread, in the $3 range, and can use the remaining butter bought in the rest of his cooking. For dessert, Yoder either buys their pre-made cupcakes or cookies, or the brownie mix they offer also in the $3-$5 range.

Catherine Bowen, 80, of Mt. Lebanon has been purchasing Trader Joe’s flowers for years. Bowen continues to purchase these bouquets, “they last for a while, and people know what they mean.” Bowen continues to express her love for the stores flowers by mentioning their longevity. Bowen also goes as far to compare Trader Joe’s flowers to her local florist for a fraction of the price. The pink roses were only $10.99.

LOVE page 4

Weather Forecast Today: Snow Showers/ Wind H 32, L 29

Thursday: Mostly Cloudy, H 49, L 41 Friday: Showers, H 45, L 28 Saturday: Snow Showers, H 34, L 22

Sunday: Snow Showers, H 35, L 24 Monday: Partly Cloudy, H 36, L 28 Tuesday: Snow Showers, H 40, L 27

Point Park

GLOBE

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

NEWS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Student team places second at first GfK NextGen Data Science Hackathon contest Four students design smart speaker using data

By Dara Collins Editor-Elect

A team of four Point Park students placed second in the inaugural GfK NextGen Data Science Hackathon Competition.

GfK, short for the company’s tagline “Growth from Knowledge,” is a global market research company that connects data and science to answer questions from businesses concerning consumers, markets, brands and media in the present and the future.

The student team of Tanner Campbell, Alexa Lake, Edwin Obuya and Sabrina Tatalias were given 10 days to analyze raw data given to each competing team and design a smart speaker that would generate the most profit.

“We were supposed to get this data and make a business plan for a smart speaker,” Campbell, a senior Information Technology (IT) student said.

“Who’s your target market?

What price are you going to sell it for? What shape is it going to look like? What features is it going to have?

We had to do all of that, and we determined it based on our algorithm we wrote to guess the sales outcome of each said feature. So we wrote an algorithm that guessed each said feature and whichever was the most profitable one, that’s what we went with.”

The team was given two sets of data in the form of Excel spreadsheets. One data set included infor-

mation on smart speakers sold in the last three years.

The information included features of different speakers including dimensions, Bluetooth, ethernet and price, according to Campbell.

“Market research is always tricky because if you use historical data, that may not be a good picture of what’s going to happen in the future because trends tend to change,” Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Voortman said.

The second data set was a smart speaker survey, and Voortman, the student team advisor, said the students had trouble deciphering this data set.

“There were questions, answers and you could see which answers were the most popular, and all of these surveys were related to smart speakers […] to get an insight in what the demand would be for different types of speakers and features,” Voortman said.

The team analyzed the two data sets and created a neural network to create their smart speaker. A neural network is a set of algorithms, modeled after the human brain’s neural network, designed to recognize patterns and make predictions.

“They used to exist in the 80s, but then the interest died down because there was not enough computational resources, but lately they have been brought back for two reasons,” Voortman said. “There are more computational re-

sources and also, people figured out…if they build layers of these neurons, the performance improved.”

An example of a neural network that those are familiar with is image recognition.

“How it works is it focuses on the lower level features of the image like corners,” Voortman said.

“That would be like the first layer of the network would recognize corners or curved edges, things like that. The next layer could be a simple shape like a square, and the next layer could maybe recognize a face, and a face consists of multiple smaller parts. That’s the idea of a neural network.”

The team created this neural network to predict the revenue for a given speaker. The student team had the help of existing software to assist in the creation of the neural network.

“Nowadays you don’t build these things from scratch,” Voortman said “There is existing software that you can use. If you program, there is something called a library, which is a pre-existing piece of software. You can take a library, and you can use the library to do certain tasks.

Nowadays, a lot of programming is just pulling in different libraries.”

With the software and the libraries, the students still had to prepare the data, according to Voortman.

“We convert the values into binary, which means

like ones and zeros, so if it had a Google Home feature which you can talk to, that was a one,” Campbell said.

“If it didn’t, that was a zero.

We put all those inputs into an algorithm that based an output on what the sales would be for that year.”

At the conclusion of the competition on Jan. 28, the student teams presented their process and findings in five-minute presentations and fielded questions from a panel of judges for another five minutes. The teams were assessed on their data skills and business intelligence, as well as other criteria. “[The judges] wanted to know why [the team] was making a recommendation and what data did they use,” Voortman said. “Everything you claimed had to come with evidence from the data.”

Campbell said the team created a PowerPoint to present to the panel through a virtual meeting, as the competition was remote. Following the presentation, the Point Park team was notified that they finished in second place behind three undergraduate students from City University of New York.

The Point Park team and Voortman were not aware how many teams participated in the competition. Voortman said it was not disclosed how many teams competed.

With the Hackathon in the past, the IT department is looking forward to the Data Jam later this month.

Data Jam is an event that will explore and teach students about software used to analyze data like the student team did during the Hackathon.

Students will learn about Tableau, a data visualization software, and Weka, a machine learning tool to build predictive models during the two workshops on Feb. 20 and March 6, respectively, and will give a poster presentation on their data on April 3.

“Even if you don’t have a strong background, you will learn those skills,” Voortman said.

Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu

By Dara Collins Lyft is celebrating Black History Month by providing one free ride up to $10 to museums, memorials, relevant cultural sites and Black-owned businesses in cities across the United States and Canada for the entire month of February.

This month also marks Lyft’s one-year anniversary partnering with Black Girls Code, an organization that provides young women of color opportunities to learn skills in programming and technology at a time when they are thinking about their future careers.

According to Lyft’s website, as of Sept. 2018, 47.6 percent of Lyft’s team members identified as a minority group, 10.2 percent identifying as Black or African American.

The Lyft organization is dedicated to inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

Riders can find the full list of discount codes and locations to visit nationwide and in Canada on Lyft’s blog. Pittsburgh’s specific discount code is BHM19PIT, and riders can visit the August Wilson Cultural Center and Senator John Heinz History Center, both within a mile of Point Park University.

According to Lyft’s blog, each code is valid for up to $10 off a one-way standard Lyft ride to or from one of the participating locations in each listed city. The discount code is valid until the end of the month, and codes must be limited to one per Lyft account while supplies last. The rider must still pay for a tip, applicable cancellation fees, damage charges and/or taxes.

ALMANAC February 12, 1970 The Globe published an editorial fearing a future similar to George Orwell’s novel, 1984, as the titular date steadily approached.

The editorial piece cited events in the Vietnam War, as well as statements from the Nixon administration, to support this argument. The editorial warned against the government’s tendency to “re-define words for its own purposes.”

Annual career and internship fair hosts employers

By Jordan Slobodinsky Opinions Editor

Over 80 employers convened in the Student Center Gym last week as Point Park held its annual career and internship fair. The event, which is hosted by the Career Development staff, serves as a meeting point for both students and employers alike. According to Cheryl Guyer, the internship coordinator for Career Development, 252 students attended the fair.

The employers at the job fair ranged from a myriad of different professions.

“The Career Development Center always sets a high standard for the career fair,” Guyer said. “We want to connect as many students

to employers as possible.”

Normally, the fair is organized by Career Development’s director Angela Scaramucci. This year, Guyer organized the fair due to Scaramucci being on maternity leave.

“The ability to network with employers that you are familiar with, and ones that you might not be, is what is great about the career fair,” senior PR & Advertising student Nicholas Poprocky said. “It gives students the opportunity to discover so many doors that could potentially open up as a career path once they graduate.”

Employers were greeted to a breakfast at 10:00 a.m. before heading to set up their tables. After tables were manned by the

employers, students made their way to the fifth floor to begin the hunt for careers.

Students were able to meet with many high-profile employers. Companies like BNY Melon, KDKA, Entercom Media, and Stage AE are just a few of the highlight employers for the fair.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how well the fair went and with the responses we got. We had a great response from employers as they left,” Guyer said.

Accompanied by all the off-campus opportunities, Point Park also had some tables at the fair. Jessica Hobson, the Cooperative Education Specialist for Career Development, headed a table for Point Park students interested in the

program. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) also hosted a table, encouraging students to apply for their executive board positions for next semester.

“We have multiple positions open for a lot of different opportunities. The board has a lot of potential to boost your resume and gain hands-on experience,” Emilee Fails said, the Vice President of Marketing for CAB. “The fair was a great opportunity to meet various employers, not just us.”

Joining Point Park in the fair was 45 students from other schools. These schools included Westminster College, Thiel College, the University of Pittsburgh, Seton Lasalle, and various other schools.

“Those students from other schools were more than we usually get. In terms of students from Point Park, we had about the same as last year, if not a little more,”Guyer said.

As for employers, Guyer said that those that came were productive with engaging with students and trying to create a relationship with students early. Most had either internships or entry level positions open for anyone trying to get their start somewhere.

“We greatly appreciate everyone who came and we hope all who attended got a great experience out of it,” Guyer said.

Jordan Slobodinsky jeslobo@pointpark.edu

NEWS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

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PointAlert to be updated due to user errors from ALERT page 1 Currently, there are 1,300 Point Park students registered with PointAlert and 400 more staff and faculty signed on according to Besong. However, student enrollment alone for the fall 2018 semester has been recorded at 4,099, so there are many who have decided against opting in for PointAlert.

For junior animation major Shannon Heinl, she does not see having PointAlert absolutely necessary for her to hear updates about campus safety.

“Usually...I know they also send an email and such, and I have that open in my browser, so it’s just easier,” Heinl said.

Heinl also said that

1,300 Currentl y,

students on to Poare signed intAlert.

Currently,

400

staff members are signed on to PointAlert.

4,099

student s were enrolled for Fall 2018

PointAlert use has increased by

50%

since inception in 2010

she has considered getting PointAlert but has not had the time to actually complete the registration process yet.

“An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to the health and safety of the campus community or significantly disrupts its programs and activities.”

but said that the text alerts have been inconsistent for him this semester.

“I need to refresh my PointAlert because I did have it at one point,” Clay said. “However, the alerts that I’ve been emailed about haven’t been correlating to my text alerts.”

A serious problem the Department of Public Safety has been grappling with is students who are improperly registered with PointAlert and thus do not receive alerts as they should. Chief Besong has offered to assist anyone with setting up and validating their account as this is a common issue

across campus. To continue troubleshooting solutions to student PointAlert accounts, the Department of Public Safety is preparing to make the system more automated in the near future.

“In the summer, PointAlert will be an automated option to enroll,” Besong said. “Students will be presented with a message on logging in to their student portal as well as correspondence from our Police Department with information about PointAlert. They will be offered a chance to opt out of this enrollment.

They can also opt out after the fact from their student

portal. They are also free to opt out at any time via text or visiting our website. A similar process will exist for our faculty and staff on our faculty and staff internet.

Our goal is to remove some of the validation steps as we are seeing a large number of people who remain not validated or do not wish to put forth effort to subscribe despite wanting notifications.”

The Police Department is hopeful that these changes will encourage more student and faculty utilization of the PointAlert system.

Amanda Andrews aaandre@pointpark.edu

FEB. 5, 2019 - FEB. 12, 2019

Jeffrey Besong

Chief of Police, Point Park Police Elliot Clay, a junior cinema arts major, found PointAlert to be a satisfactory system for issuing alerts for students.

“Yeah, it’s really effective. I mean I think that everything’s detailed, and it’s very informational as to where an incident may be and how long it is and stuff like that,” Clay said. “Almost every time that I can recall they give you a time code, they’ll say ‘suspect has been apprehended’ or whatever it may be, and it works fairly well.”

Clay was receiving alerts from PointAlert regularly,

Tuesday, February 5 10:27 p.m. - Academic Hall Criminal Trespass 10:27 p.m. - Academic Hall Criminal Trespass 10:27 p.m. - Academic Hall Criminal Trespass *All three charges are for the same occurrence.

Clubs discuss grievances with USG funding bylaws from USG page 1 dents, but it has become more of an inconvenience according to feedback.

Prida touted his department’s work on trying to make high-impact programs, such as the study-abroad program, to become more accessible to a wider range of students. As the study-abroad program can come with a hefty price tag, Academic Affairs is trying to adjust budgeting to make the program accessible to students that normally couldn’t afford to take part.

Prida also commented on his department’s strides toward making instructors use non-gender specific pronouns for students that require them to improve comfort and reduce awkwardness for non-gender binary students.

Conflict arose during the public comment of agenda items segment, where a group of Black Student Union (BSU) and Point Closet members expressed their frustration with a violation letter sent by USG. According to the letter, read aloud by Lake, Point Closet had violated a bylaw that forbade clubs to use allocated funds from USG to buy supplies for fundraisers. Treasurer Kortney Lampel read that a receipt from Target had revealed that decorations and candy had been bought using $80 that was allocated by USG. The letter explained that Point Closet was to be banned from applying for the next USG club allocation budget period until the $80 was paid back to

the USG holdings budget.

President of Point Closet Monae Findley expressed anger at USG’s actions, criticizing the harshness of the ban. According to Findley, no member of USG approached Point Closet about the violation before the ban.

Vice President of Point Closet and BSU Prim Green voiced her anger at the situation, stating that USG should not have made such a strong move on a bylaw that the club was unaware of. Lampel and both heads of Point Closet engaged in a back-and-forth argument on whether the funds came out of pocket or not.

President of BSU Brandon Rogers weighed in, stating that previous funding disparities do not allow for clubs to properly plan for future expenses, and that knowing the bylaws and rules upfront would benefit both parties.

The argument spanned from the opening of the legislative body meeting to the later open floor session.

Additionally, the communications committee approved a town-hall debate-style way of allowing the student body to further engage with candidates and become more involved in USG position races.

USG also recognized the new club, A Voice for the Innocent, a chapter of a larger cross-college program that allows victims of sexual assault to cope and thrive with musical and poetic projects.

Mitchell Drake mjdrake@pointpark.edu

@PghEventsOffice

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

FEATURES

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Pittsburgh offers students affordable options Dining out, gifting treasures and staying in on Feb. 14

Jared Murphy | The Globe Brian Ulizio, a sophomore, perfroms on stage in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom during the ‘Lip Sync Battle’ hosted by the SAEM Club.

those with a busy schedule to get together while also saving money. The 48 bus also reaches a stop just a few minute walk away from the movie theater.

Christian Barker, 20, an acting major, likes to base his dates around the seasons.

Since Feb. 14 is during the winter season, Barker likes to take advantage of the PPG Place ice skating rink that is set up before the holidays.

Tickets are only $10 apiece, which leaves an additional $10 to grab coffee or hot chocolate at one of the many coffee shops near PPG Place.

Starbucks specifically, you can purchase two medium hot chocolates for around $3 a piece. Dunkin Donuts just across the way, you can purchase two medium hot chocolates for $5.03 altogether once tax is rounded up.

Kyle Kuhns, 20, a sports, arts and entertainment management major, likes to keep his date nights laid back with his girlfriend.

“Honestly, at first we would go and get some fast food, come back to my place and watch a movie,” Kuhns said.

The meal Kuhns and his girlfriend purchase costs no more than $15. Kuhns continues mentioning that he could easily have movie style popcorn at home for virtually a third of the cost. Orville Redenbacher popcorn is available at Rite-Aid for $4.69 a box. There is a RiteAid located just three blocks from campus.

One of the many convenience stores near campus can help anyone stock up for a night in with your Valentine. Some things one may need for a movie night include boxes of candy, a bottle of wine, and some good

best option. I toured a funeral home and it solidified it.”

Back home in Swarthmore, Pa., a town right outside of Philadelphia, Gabriele has spent the past two years working at the Kevin M. Lyons Funeral Home. Gabriele continues to work there on breaks from school, and plans to work there after graduation as well.

Gabriele’s responsibilities at the funeral home include funeral planning, paperwork, and other services including general upkeep and traffic control. But she also gets to assist in body removal and the embalming process.

“We do removals, where we go and pick up dead people and bring them back to the funeral,” Gabriele said. “The exciting part is that we do the embalming, and the dressing and the makeup. Because there’s only so many employees, everyone does pretty much everything. I want to be a mortician, so I want to focus on embalming, but one day I want to own my own place.”

In order to become a professional, licensed funeral director, Gabriele is currently earning a bachelor’s degree in

mortuary sciences, with a concentration in business and a minor in psychology. Gabriele finds the minor to be rewarding as well.

“I find psychology to be important in my major because we have to deal with all different sorts of people in their worst times,” Gabriele said.

“It’s important to know how people work so that you can properly comfort them and make this time of their life as easy as possible.”

Gabriele is looking forward to the rest of her time in the program.

“Point Park is only one of three schools on this side of the country that offers this major where I can get it with a bachelor degree,” Gabriele said. “The program works with PIMS [Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science], so it’s the best program on this side of the country. I do two years here, one year there, and one year back here.”

Gabriele is currently preparing for her junior year at PIMS. “I’m excited to go there,” Gabriele said. “It’s a whole 12 months there. You start in

from LOVE page 1 Brian Malarkey, 22, a Point Park University communications major, enjoys seeing movies with his boyfriend. However, we all know movie tickets can be pricey.

Luckily, the South Side movie theater located near the Cheesecake Factory off of E. Carson Street is accessible to students. This theater offers student discounts when an ID is presented, but also has

$5 ticket deals on Monday nights.

“We only spend $10 on tickets and $15 on popcorn, drinks and snacks.”

Malarkey and his boyfriend both enjoy being able to see new features, especially for half the cost of the normal price. Valentine’s Day this year falls on a Thursday, but that doesn’t mean everyone needs to celebrate it on the exact date. Having a deal like this available allows

STYLISH STUDENTS PERFORM IN SAEM ‘LIP SYNC BATTLE’

PIONEER PUBLIC Montana Gabriele

By Jordyn Hronec News Editor

Montana Gabriele knew from a fairly early age that she wanted to work with the dead. Now, Gabriele, a sophomore funeral services major, is making that childhood dream a reality.

“I dissected a cat for a seventh grade science project, and I went to a Catholic school so there was only 13 of us in a class...they asked for volunteers, so I ended up doing most of it,” Gabriele said. “Then I wanted to go into doing autopsies, but that requires medical school. So this was the next

old Orville Redenbacher.

EngineHouse 25, a winery located on Penn Avenue in Lawrenceville has bottles of wine as cheap as $20. Of course, they get more expensive the harder they get to pronounce. The bottle of Riesling is only $20, they offer Sauvignon Blanc for $25, and many more divine selections. Although this winery isn’t exactly close to campus, it is accessible to students via the 88 bus, only a fifteen minute ride from the Wood Street Station.

Braxton McCollum, 20, an acting major, elaborates on how he and his girlfriend enjoy having a spa night together. McCollum says, “I’ll go to the store, grab a few products, I can either paint her nails or something.

Sometimes we get the pore strips and we’ll eat Ben and Jerry’s together.” This is something McCollum and his girlfriend truly enjoy and it goes to show that dates differ on individual preference.

Some couples are super laid back much like Braxton and his girlfriend. The pore strips that McCollum mentions are the Biore brand and are available at Rite-Aid for $5.45. Rite-Aid also sells individual pints of ice cream for less than $5. Valentine dates don’t need to be over the top or absurdly expensive. If you can find something you both enjoy, the money spent, or not spent, does not matter.

“Since we’ve been in college we’ve resorted to giving each other rocks.” Josh Jackson, 21, a mechanical and electrical engineering major says he and his girlfriend Abbie, 20, a sports, arts and entertainment management major, have resorted to finding pretty stones and gifting

them to one another because of how expensive it is to buy each other gifts or to go out to dinner consistently. Usually for a date night together they will walk to the Wine and Spirits on Smithfield street and grab a bottle of vodka and have good conversation for hours on end.

“Monday through Friday it’s a different $2 draft at Genoa’s.”

Abbie enjoys being able to go out with Josh, and being able to get beer for $2 is perfect for college students over 21 on a budget. This allows Josh and Abbie to get out for a night without breaking the bank. Genoa’s is located on Market street and is only one block from Academic Hall making it extremely accessible to students. Comparing this to a place like Local located on E. Carson Street, where a margarita costs almost $10.

Sometimes, it’s better to find the simple things around and take advantage of them. This is another great example of spending time with your Valentine without spending all your cash, too.

Date nights do not have to break the bank, especially in college. Point Park students have many options as to what they can do for a special occasion to celebrate a loved one, or even some best friends. Valentine’s Day has become a very versatile holiday, and these options are great to embrace that. The entire point of Valentine’s Day for most is to spend time with people you love, these ideas just give you that opportunity without the stress of spending more money than you have.

Sarah Yobbi sgyobbi@pointpark.edu

Jordyn Hronec | The Globe

September and go through to the next September, so for two weeks of my senior year, I’ll be at both schools. You go there from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and there are embalmings on Saturdays...

PIMS has over 200 bodies prepared for us to use, and we’re going to put on a mock funeral for our final project.”

Gabriele is excited for her future as a funeral director, as well as the influence she can

have over her community.

“I do plan on being involved in my community wherever I end up,” Gabriele said.

“Funeral directors tend to get to know their communities very well since people are always in and out of their doors. I hope I have the money to make donations, and help my community however they need.”

Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu

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

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

A&E

Streaming Rom-coms getting steamy this Valentine’s Day

By Dara Collins Editor-Elect

Love fills the air as Valentine’s Day grows near every year, and couples and singles alike begin looking for a new way to celebrate the Hershey kiss-filled holiday.

It comes as no surprise that many college students prefer a cheap celebration.

The dormitories on campus come equipped with cable television, but the truth is, anything other than a basic cable package for the off-campus residents of Point Park proves pricey. Fortunately, Netflix saves the day.

Whether this Valentine’s Day includes a night in or a night out with your significant other or if it is all about “me, myself and I,” Netflix boasts a number of hilarious yet tear-jerking movies to end the day with a good ‘ole rom-com.

MONSTER-IN-LAW (2005)

Jennifer Lopez is a queen of romantic comedy in this film alongside Jane Fonda, the devil incarnate turned mother-in-law.

Lopez’s character, Charlie, works odd jobs, lives in a messy apartment and has friends who worry about her love life. The worrying ends when Charlie falls in love with Dr. Kevin Fields who happens to run past Charlie as her horoscope tells her love is right in front of her. We love a cheesy Hollywood scene.

Viola Fields (Fonda), Kevin’s mother and famous newscaster, loses her job to a young female replacement - and her sanity - and detaches from reality for a few months.

The storyline revolves around Fonda’s plot to break up Charlie and Kevin when Kevin proposes on his mother’s first day “fresh off the funny farm,” as Viola’s assistant, Ruby, put it. Without a doubt,

Ruby remains the highlight of this movie with one liners to leave you in tears.

Charlie throws a few punches of her own, literally and figuratively, as Viola continues to sabotage her son’s relationship, and Viola finally comes to terms with the marriage as Charlie is about to walk out.

This movie certainly serves a lot of laughs until the fairytale wedding ending and is high on the list of Netflix’s rom-coms this Valentine’s Day.

PRETTY IN PINK (1986)

The 1980s could not have a great romantic comedy without Molly Ringwald. In “Pretty In Pink,” Andie Walsh (Ringwald) isn’t part of the “cool crowd,” but she finds good friendship in her best friend Duckie, who is secretly in love with her.

Rich boy Blane begins talking to Andie and asks her out on a date. A series of events unfolds in which Duckie is upset with Andie and hurt, and Andie and Blane seem unfit to be in one another’s very different lives.

With senior prom approaching and no date, Andie’s desire to go to the dance remains. She creates an original dress combining the gifted pink dress from her father as well her boss’s old prom dress.

Even with the stunning dress, Andie has second thoughts of being alone in the crowd until she reconciles with Duckie at the dance.

Blane, showing his true colors, realizes his friend made fun of Andie constantly because she would turn him down, shakes Duckie’s hand and apologizes to Andie and professes his love to her. Duckie convinces Andie that Blane is unlike the other rich kids and she should go after him.

“Pretty In Pink” portrays

the battle of the social classes with genuine character prevailing, and good character will always outweigh the materialistic aspects of life. A movie with good morals and a love story proves a great way to end the holiday.

TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE (2018)

A summer hit from last year, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” is about a high school junior, Lara Jean Covey, who writes deep love letters to her intense crushes. The letters are fully addressed but never sent – that is until Lara Jean’s younger sister finds them hidden in her closet and sends out all five letters, because what else are little sisters for?

Naturally, Lara Jean is mortified as she becomes aware her letters have gone public after three of the five boys approach her with letters in hand. However, the mishap works in Lara Jean’s favor.

A shy Lara Jean begins to date tall, dark and handsome Peter Kavinsky, a letter recipient and the popular jock of the school who has recently split from his girlfriend, who also happens to be Lara Jean’s exbest friend. But there’s a catch – Lara Jean and Peter are fake dating to make the ex-girlfriend jealous.

Cue storyline of fake dating evolving to real feelings, a break-up-make-up scenario, with a dash of heartstring-tugging moments, and Lara Jean and Peter live happily ever after.

ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING (2008) Similar to “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging” depicts the “embarrassing” life of Georgia Nicholson, a 14-year-old girl embarrassed

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

5

New Studios.

New Lineup.

THE SOUND OF

POINT PARK UNIVERSITY WPPJRadio.com by her looks, family and love life – we’ve all been there, girl.

On the first day back to school, Georgia and her friends spot two new boys, twins Robbie and Tom. Georgia creates a master plan to win Robbie over her enemy “Slaggy Lindsay.” Part of the plan includes “snogging lessons,” in which Georgia goes to a boy’s house to learn how to kiss in various stages – not sure if we’ve all been there.

Nonetheless, Georgia continues her plan. She tags along with her friend who is dating the other twin and later attempts to make Robbie jealous by bringing another boy to Robbie’s band’s show, all the while in the midst of a possible family crisis as Georgia believe her parent’s marriage is in jeopardy.

Of course, a teen love story should always end with a happy ending. At Georgia’s fifteenth birthday party hosted at a new club, she discovers the male handyman her

mother has been spending time with is in a relationship with the male club owner, eliminating her worry over a broken family.

Better yet, no one showed up to Lindsay’s party, and Georgia’s best friend throws her chicken cutlet-like fake boobs into the crowd when Lindsay attempts to embarrass Georgia at her own party.

Who could forget the best part of all, as Robbie’s band sings the hit song, “Ultraviolet,” a song he wrote for Georgia, and they begin their journey as a couple.

Of course, there are a number of options to pick when it comes to Netflix and other streaming services.

When looking for something not quite like “My Bloody Valentine,” this list is perfect to get started.

Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu

‘One Day at a Time’ shows growth in third season

By Amanda Myers Co-Features Editor

Jim Brickman Share The Love -Feb. 14 - 21 -7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

- Byham Theater, 101 6th Street

Valentine’s Skate

-Feb. 14 -7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

-Massmutual Pittsburgh Ice Rink, 100 Four PPG Place

Puppy Love

-Feb. 14 -5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

-Smallman Galley, 54 21st Street

MAKEnight: My Snarky Valentine (21+)

-Feb. 14 -6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

-Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, 10 Children’s Way

Cupid’s Undie Run

-Feb. 16 -12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

-McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon, 211 N. Shore Drive

The sitcom format has become a troupe of TV that often assumes the form of cheesy, forced laughter.

With “One Day at a Time,” however, Netflix finds a comfortable spot for a rebooted sitcom that is accessible for all generations.

Now on its third season, the show has proved a propelling force in an area of increasing acceptance when it comes to issues like sexual identity, anxiety and alcoholism that are tackled with a straightforward approach that doesn’t undercut the real meaning of the material.

Norman Lear helmed the original that ran from the mid 70s to the 80s, and returns as an executive producer for this modern take on an immigrant family fighting through personal struggles and those that society has placed upon them. Earlier seasons of “One Day at at Time” ate up the narrative of the Trump administration, tackling what it was like for the Cuban family to be told to “go home.” For its third season, a heavier emphasis is put on the identities of our

beloved characters as they fight for their own voices to be heard.

Justina Machado, who plays veteran and nurse in training, Penelope, has been the star of the show since the get go, even when basking in the light of the legendary Rita Moreno (Penelope’s mother Lydia). After finding love and losing it in the wake of her divorce to husband Hector, Penelope must wrestle with what she really wants out of life. Does she need a boyfriend to be happy?

The support group she attends with her fellow veterans is also given more screen time and taps into issues of anxiety and depression. Lydia, whose blood is stronger than Cuban rum, would play it old school and disregard these feelings, but Penelope faces them head on and communicates with her children.

Daughter Elena is more confident after coming out as gay in the first season. Her character often feels like a PC spokeswoman from the depths of Tumblr - like when she confronts her brother Alex with the issue of consent after the family discovers an alarming post on his Finsta.

For all of the applicable

material that is covered on the show, what stands out the most is the fact that the lighter moments are just that light. Lydia takes marijuana infused lozenges at the opera, Penelope’s boss Dr. Bekowitz plays spy at a family dinner.

No matter what nationality you are, you are lured in by the family dynamic.

Neighbor Schneider is constantly coming over for a reason. An absent father figure and a lineup of step moms has left him disconnected to reality, but when he goes over to the Alvarez’s, he is welcomed instantly.

His attempts at being more Cuban are playful and don’t come off as offensive because there is a genuine love all around.

I know I sound corny right now, but corniness can be a good thing every now and then. Even when the political infrastructure is crumbling around you, if you have a family to come home to at the end of the day, then you have something worthwhile.

And “One Day at a Time” reminds us of that with each passing episode.

Amanda Myers admyers@pointpark.edu

OPINIONS

Romance novels are not anti-feminist

By Sarah Gibson Co-Copy Desk Chief

In the age of feminism and female empowerment, there is a certain stigma that comes with reading romance novels.

Scratch that, I think there’s always been a stigma, but I think it’s more easily seen today. I feel like when a lot of people think of empowered women, they think of tough “Girlboss” CEOs or women who take part in activities that were previously ruled by the patriarchy.

This isn’t to say that those women aren’t empowered, but I do think society is quicker to label a woman as such when she sheds her femininity for the sake of her advancement in a particularly male-dominated field. My question is, why do women have to shed their femininity to finally be seen as strong? Is this not enforcing the concept that to show femininity is to be weak?

This applies to women who read and write romance novels. For years, as someone who loves reading and writing fiction, I always felt like people were more interested in the science fiction and mystery stories I’d write. If I wrote anything in romance, it wasn’t taken as seriously as a genre because, to some degree, people thought of it as wish fulfillment for lonely women. And to some degree, it was. But where is the problem in that?

I feel like most genres are read for their own fair share of wish fulfillment. To look at the op-

posite end of the spectrum, why do men take such an interest in James Bond? As a character, he’s not particularly interesting, and I think he was written that way. He was written so a demographic could insert themselves into his role.

James Bond was written for wish fulfillment based on stereotypical masculine ideals.

“When it all comes down to it, I see romance as valid an interest as any other genre of the medium.”

Sarah Gibson Co-Copy Desk Chief The Globe These two concepts together are why I think it can be hard for people to see reading or writing romance novels as somewhat of a serious hobby or job. People still kind of have this idea that to take part in something very traditionally feminine, especially in consuming this specific genre of media, means that they themselves are weak and wish to be dependent on someone, because it is usually assumed the media itself is about wor-

shipping men or yearning for the comfort of men. This is a misconception, considering that more LGBTQ+ romance literature is being written than ever. And, while I have some opinions on the tropes within the romance genre and how they can be toxic, I don’t think the genre itself is toxic.

What makes romance novels valuable for me is the discovery of perfect companionship. I’ve always enjoyed the idea of romantic love and soulmates because I like the idea of this plane-transcending connection that brings two people together. I think that’s what other people like, more or less, but not in so many words. The reason people like romance is because the experience of following a character through the journey of finally finding that connection is a very universal feeling. You can want it, have felt it in the past, or be feeling it in your life right now. I see a lot of emotional merit in stories like that.

When it all comes down to it, I see romance as valid an interest as any other genre of the medium. Regardless of how feminine it is or who publishes it, there’s nothing wrong or unfeminist with consuming it. Isn’t the point of feminism that women should be able to do whatever they want, and that we shouldn’t expect or pressure them into acting in any other way?

Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

GL BE’S POINT

THE

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Change is a useful tool A faculty member recently suggested The Globe’s advisor rotate on an annual basis. Just like spring peeking around the corner, this concept of change sounds like a fresh idea.

The Globe staff itself experiences change every semester. The Editor-in-Chief and Editor-Elect rotate yearly, and the editorial staff rotates every semester. Familiar faces return and others graduate or take a hiatus, leaving room for fresh, eager students to fill positions.

In fact, we experience change every week as new writers claim stories to contribute to the student-run newspaper. The Globe encourages all voices to echo through the pages of our paper.

The change in leadership in question could only help us as an organization.

The changing leadership within our staff provides the latest ideas and suggestions to create a better edition of The Globe than the last.

The Globe staff appreciates its faculty advisor because it needs an outsider’s perspective. We sit in our office on the corner of Fort Pitt Boulevard and Wood Street every Monday from roughly 3 p.m. to the late hours of

the evening. It’s easy for us to get lost in the organized chaos that is The Globe.

The Globe wants all past advisors, our current advisor and all future advisors to know we appreciate and consider all critiques, suggestions and comments made on our paper as a whole and individual stories. Our talented staff and contributors thrive as individuals, and we continuously grow thanks to your guidance.

To achieve further growth, our advisor should annually rotate. Last semester, Dr. Aimee-Marie Dorsten emphasized storytelling and becoming unified throughout the paper. As a result, our consistency and writing progressed throughout the semester.

This semester, Professor Christopher Rolinson emphasizes visuals. As a result, our photographs are becoming stronger, and we are becoming more comfortable and playful with graphics.

The last two semesters alone have proved a change in leadership proved valuable for The Globe, so it can only benefit us more moving forward.

memories of America’s failed war in Vietnam are still fresh in the minds of many.

The Venezuelan people have suffered greatly under the Maduro regime. Much of the world agrees that outside help is required to help the

struggling country. But the U.S must be wary of interfering in another regime change.

We must strive to inspire democracy, not to abolish socialism.

The Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu

Trump needs to reject authoritarianism

By Mick Stinelli Columnist

Recent weeks have seen increasing turmoil in Venezuela as countries around the world continue to back Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader, and delegitimize Nicolás Maduro, the president whose recent election was denounced by much of the western world as a sham.

A populist demagogue who spawned out of the United Socialist Party of Hugo Chávez, Maduro led his country into a state of decay, where hyperinflation rendered their money worthless and left thousands fleeing the country to seek refugee status. He has constantly undermined the electoral process.

He’s ambivalent to the needs of his people, and loses their support more and more every day. Maduro deserved a strong rebuke, and with the U.S. loosening diplomatic ties, he got one.

President Trump has denounced Maduro’s regime since his first days as president, speaking with opposition party leaders and inviting them into the Oval Office.

However, Trump’s tough stance on Venezuela is small

potatoes compared to his cozy relationships with other autocrats. He turned a blind eye as Viktor Orban dismantled Hungary’s democracy.

He refused to rebuke Russian President Vladimir Putin for meddling with the 2016 election. He has all but absolved Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for directing the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

It’s time for the president to denounce authoritarianism in all of its forms. Whether it comes from Hungary’s rightwing Orban or Venezuela’s left-wing Maduro, populist demagogues are populist demagogues. Whichever side of the aisle you sit, authoritarianism should have no friend in the United States.

Maduro is an easy, leftist punching bag for a president who loves a foil. He’s the perfect embodiment of the socialist boogeyman that Trump often accuses Democrats of being. If Florida voted a Democrat as their governor, Trump warned last year, “Florida will become another Venezuela, and that is not good.” This fear mongering is perfect for Florida, where many Hispanic-Americans moved after leaving commu-

nist countries like Cuba and Venezuela.

At last week’s State of the Union speech, the president said, “We are born free, and we will stay free…. America will never be a socialist country.” The line was a clear jab at the new class of Democrats, particularly those like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders who declare themselves “Democratic Socialists.” This line lays bare Trump’s agenda. He is not interfering in Venezuela because of his concern for their citizens - whatever happened to “America first?” - but because it is a way for him to score political points with conservatives.

One wonders that, while there is a great need in Venezuela, whether the United States is the ideal hero to carry it out. In 1960, the U.S orchestrated a coup to overthrow the first democratically elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo because the prime minister was too cozy with communist China and Russia. The CIA funded Afghan militants to push Russians out of Afghanistan; some of those militants went on to develop the terrorist group Al Qaeda. And

Mick Stinell mfstine@pointpark.edu

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967 News Editors: Jordyn Hronec, Andrew Brinker Photo Editor: Gracey Evans

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

Staff Writers: Mitchell Drake, Shannon Hartnett, Amanda Andrews

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Copy Desk: Hannah Walden, Sarah Gibson

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:

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Social Media Coordinators: Joie Knouse, Tia Bailey

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

All In with Allison

By Allison Schubert Sports Columnist

Success Flu

It seems like all of the sports that are currently in season are seeing recurring successes recently.

It’s kind of like the flu - one team gets it, then it spreads to the next, then the next, then eventually the entire athletic department gets it.

Let’s say that it started with cross country, which is now indoor track and field.

Amidst all of the individual successes of Xavier Stephens, Anna Shields, different relays, jumpers, etc. that we have covered in The Globe thus far, the most recent success to come out of the world of indoor track and field are conference championships.

The women’s indoor track and field team clinched its fourth straight conference title with the River States Conference (RSC) Women’s Indoor Track and Field championship title, dating back to the same event last year. The other titles come from the cross country and outdoor track and field seasons earlier this school year.

Highlights from the women include Shields being named RSC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year with four individual wins in the 600, 1000, mile and 3000. Head coach Kelly Parsley was also named the RSC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

The men’s indoor track and field team claimed its second in back-to-back wins in the RSC Men’s Indoor Track and Field championship meet.

The biggest momentum push came from a podium sweep in the 800, led by Stephens and followed by Jared Thompson and Doug Kostelansky. Parsley was also honored with the RSC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

The track and field teams eventually gave the success flu to the basketball teams, starting with the women’s team and making

it to the men’s.

I’ll make this part brief so you all can just read the two basketball stories that Robert Berger and I wrote this week (shameless plug).

The women’s team is now 12-14 overall and 8-7 in RSC play, clinching the third playoff spot for the post-season with a chance of moving up to second.

Only IU East and WVU Tech sit above them.

The men’s team has been more competitive this season than any other season I have witnessed at my time here. They are currently in the fourth-and-final spot for the post-season, boasting an 8-15 overall record with a 5-10 RSC record.

They, too, only have one game left in the regular season, finishing up in Circleville, Ohio for a game against Ohio Christian this Saturday.

With two teams winning championships and two more with secure spots in the post-season, the flu was then spread to the cheer and dance teams.

Both teams placed first at a matchup hosted by Siena Heights.

Cheer had two big victories on the night, the first came as they placed first of five teams in the invitational competition and the second coming in a head-tohead duel against the host, Siena Heights.

Dance also claimed first at Siena Heights, and tallied one of their highest scores of the season while doing so.

This is the Pioneers’ third win of a 3-0 sweep during their big weekend on the road.

With the spring sports right around the corner, they should be taking notes from all of the winter sports’ successes.

This is one flu worth catching.

Emilee Fails | Point Park Athletics Junior guard Baylie Mook attempts a layup against Alice Lloyd last month.

Mook has put up double-digit point totals in the past three games.

7

Dancing into golden weekend

By Dara Collins Editor-Elect

The cheer and dance teams served routines nothing short of spectacular following a weekend at the Siena Heights Saints Spectacular and the University of Saint Francis Invitational.

Both teams competed at the Saints Spectacular on Feb. 10, in Adrian, Mich.

The cheer squad participated in a dual matchup against host Siena Heights as well as the full competition against four other universities.

Against Siena Heights, Point Park finished with its highest score of the season, 79.33, which topped the Saints at 62.75, by nearly 20 points. After the full invitational, Point Park remained at the top of the pack with a score of 76.22. The Pioneers suffered zero deductions in both performances.

The next closest score and No. 2 spot belonged to Concordia with 70.68 points, a university that Point Park

had fallen to twice at the beginning of the season.

The Pioneers average score on the season improved to 75.58, but Point Park actually dropped in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) standings and is now ranked at No. 17 after eight events.

The dance team added another victory on the day and its third of the weekend when it topped four teams at Sunday’s competition.

Point Park earned the first-place score of 90.27 ahead of Aquinas College at 86.87, Siena Heights at 83.87, Adrian College at 75.25 and Concordia University at 60.07. The Pioneers’ score is the second-highest of the season behind the Dec. 7 performance at Concordia that earned them 92.00 points.

The other victories of the weekend came just the day before at the Saint Francis Invitational. The Pioneers placed first of the three teams in attendance in both

competitions of the day.

In the first meeting, the Pioneers scored 71.75. Point Park improved its performance in the second meeting and finished first again with a score of 76.00 points.

Saint Francis and Saint Xavier University placed second and third, respectively, in both meetings.

The dance team’s average points per match decreased by less than a point from last week to 80.51 after 10 events, and the team fell to the No. 7 spot in the NAIA. With the 2018-2019 regular season in the books, both teams look ahead to the NAIA Northeast Regional Qualifier on Feb. 23.

The Pioneers will return to Adrian, Mich. to compete at Siena Heights for the competition, and the advancing teams will then compete at the NAIA National Championship on March 8-9 in Davenport, Iowa.

Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu

Emilee Fails | Point Park Athletics The competitive dance team competes at the inaugural Pioneer Showcase at Gateway High School last month. This past weekend, the Pioneer Cheer and Dance Teams competed in Sienna Heights. Both teams walked away victorious and the cheer team scored a season high 79.33 while dueling Siena Heights.

Women clinch playoff berth Senior Night win grasps at least 3rd place

By Allison Schubert Co-Sports Editor

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Before last Tuesday’s game, the women’s basketball team honored two of its star members for Senior Night.

Seniors Kaitlyn Smith and Sam Weir celebrated further with a 74-50 win over conference opponent Rio Grande following the pregame ceremony.

Smith and Weir made up half of the four starters that ended in double digits on the night.

Both of the seniors tallied 16 points apiece, and Weir made it a double-double with 11 boards and two blocks added to the mix.

Sophomore guard Michelle Burns added a teamhigh 19 points, and junior Baylie Mook rounded out the four with 10 points and five rebounds.

Throughout the entire 40 minutes, Point Park never trailed. Mook contributed her points early, as she made her tenth and final point when the Pioneers were up 14-9.

Point Park climbed up to a 22-point lead in the first

half, but a 7-0 run by the RedStorm ended the half.

Despite the late run, Rio Grande, which was down three starters, trailed 41-26 at the end of the first 20 minutes.

With the seniors continuing to lead the team, Weir and Smith each made big shots in the third quarter to put the Pioneers up 63-38.

Point Park’s lead reached 27 points at one point in the last 10 minutes before head coach Tony Grenek allowed the seniors and the rest of the starters to sit for the final three minutes.

The Pioneers’ bench held onto their lead, eventually solidifying the 74-50 win.

After the big Senior Night win, Point Park headed to Beckley, W. Va., for a matchup against the River States Conference (RSC) East Division leader WVU Tech, which is receiving votes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Top 25 Poll.

Prior to Saturday’s game, Point Park was the only team to dish out a loss to the Golden Bears in RSC play, a twopoint differentiated game at CCAC - Allegheny.

The Pioneers shot only 36-percent overall compared to WVU Tech’s 42-percent, resulting in an end to Point Park’s four-game win streak.

Weir posted another double-double with 13 points and 17 rebounds, Smith tallied 10, and Mook extended her double-digit streak to three games, chipping in 11 points.

Point Park was outscored in each of the four quarters, and the Golden Bears took home the victory 78-60.

As of Sunday morning, Point Park sits in third in the RSC East and is officially headed to the post-season.

The Pioneers are 2.0 games out of second place behind IU East.

In order to clinch a home playoff game, the Pioneers would need to beat IU East, followed by Carlow doing the same the next day.

Only one game remains in the regular season for the Pioneers. Point Park will hit the road to take a trip to Circleville, Ohio to take on Ohio Christian on Feb. 16.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Indoor track and field victorious in RSC

from TRACK page 1 After four individual event wins, Senior Anna Shields was awarded RSC Indoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. On the day, she scored 42.5 team points.

Shields earned her individual victories in the one mile, 600 meter dash, 1,000 meter run and the 3,000 meter run.

In the 600 meter, Shields ran the best time in the NAIA by 11 seconds and qualified in the event for the NAIA National Championship meet.

In the one mile race, freshman Alyssa Campbell followed Shields across the finish line just one second after her. In one of the closest races of the day, Campbell completed her laps in 5 minutes, 28.22 seconds while third place finisher Mackenzie Neher of IU East finished in 5 minutes, 28.92 seconds.

“Two days ago, I found out I had the flu, so I was just trying my best,” Campbell said. “The girls have been conference champs for years so I’m just so excited to be a part of this.”

The Pioneers began the day with a victory in the 4x800 meter relay. The team consisted of senior Taylor Celich, sophomores Alyssa Boyd and Reba Bartram and Campbell.

“Even though I’m a senior, I feel no different than the sophomores and freshman I’m running with in the 4x800,” Celich said. “They

are young but they know exactly what they’re doing and are incredibly knowledgeable about the sport.”

The Point Park middle distance runners earned 16 points in the women’s 600 meter dash while the score was tight. Shields took first and junior Kim Stamets placed third.

“We are definitely smaller on the sprint side and my recruiting has been focused on that,” Parsley said. “We have 18 recruits for next year… so I’m working on getting short sprinters.”

Sophomore Reba Bartram also earned an individual win in the 800 meter dash with a time of 2 minutes, 26 seconds.

The 4x4oo meter relay team of sophomore Selena Canello, Stamets, Shields and Bartram won by finishing in 4 minutes, 16 seconds with Ohio Christian University taking second.

The final win for the women came in the last event of the night in the distance medley relay (DMR). Boyd, Campbell, Celich and freshman Nia Goodman claimed first in 13 minutes, 28.65 seconds.

On the field, sophomore Miranda Schry claimed third place in the triple jump with a leap of 9.76 meters.

The men’s team was just as successful last Friday scoring 156 points. Behind the Pioneers was IU East and CCU scoring 142 and

120 points, respectively.

One of the most crucial wins of the meet came in the 800 meter dash. The Pioneers claimed all three spots on the podium and earned 24 points as junior Xavier Stephens and freshmen Jared Thompson and Doug Kostelansky placed in that order. After this event, Point Park took the lead and never lost it from then on.

Junior Bryan Gutierrez set a conference record in the 3K with a first place finish in 9 minutes, 21 seconds.

Just one second ahead of second place finisher Drake Dickerson of OCU. “Bryan Gutierrez was the outstanding runner of the meet for us.” Parsley said. “He came back and won the 3K which was huge for the program, and once he won we knew we were going to win” Like the women’s team, the men also won the 4x800 race.

The team consisted of freshmen Robert Hays, Thompson and seniors Dannys Marrero and Andre Bennett.

Competing in the 600 meter dash for the Pioneers was Bennett. The senior earned RSC all-conference honors by finishing in third place in 1 minute, 26 seconds.

Also putting up a strong effort on the track was Stephens. Stephens took the top podium spot in the men’s one mile finishing in 4 minutes, 33 seconds. He also claimed first place in the

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Anna Shields competes in the 3K last Friday. Shields won 4 individual races and was awarded RSC Indoor Track Female Athlete of the Year.

800 meter dash.

Stephens was also part of DMR alongside Kostelansky, Marrero and Bennett.

The squad earned eight team points with a second-place finish. Eight points also came from the 4x400 meter relay team of Thompson and seniors Anthony Reina, Bryan Partika and Andre Lowery.

“I think we went into the meet this year as an underdog, so it felt really good to win it again this year,” Stephens said.

Senior Michael Morris contributed 17 points in the winning effort competing in the high jump, triple jump and the long jump. Morris placed second, third and sixth respectively in those events. For his performance, Morris was awarded RSC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.

Chance Callahan put up

a strong showing in the triple jump placing second with a leap of 13.56 meters.

Morris and Callahan were among the 12 men to earn RSC-all conference honors.

For the second year in a row, coach Parsley was named RSC Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track Coach of the Year.

“We all love coach. He is so passionate about track and cross country and I think its just great,” Celich said. “He is awesome in the fact that he truly cares about and he is involved.”

The team will travel to Kent State on Friday for the Kent State Tune Up in preparation for the NAIA National Championship meet coming up Feb. 28-March 2.

Robert Berger raberge@pointpark.edu

Men guaranteed post-season

By Robert Berger Co-Sports Editor

Emilee Fails | Point Park Athletics Junior guard Chance Wright attempts a layup against Asbury University last month. Wright scored 13 points last week against WVU Tech.

After a busy seven days for the men’s basketball team, the Pioneers finished the week dropping two conference games and picking up a non-conference win on the road.

Last week’s conference play opened up Tuesday at home as Point Park was defeated 54-66 to the University of Rio Grande. The second loss came on the road Saturday after falling to West Virginia Tech University (WVU Tech) 87-73, and the weekend concluded with a 72-66 victory at Wilberforce University.

“We are at the point in the season where defense is going to win games. You’re not always going to have your offense,” head coach Joe Lewandowski said.

Originally, the Pioneers were scheduled to play at Wilberforce the first of the month but the game was postponed due to inclimate weather. As a result Point Park rescheduled the road matchup for last Sunday.

Successful 26 out of 59 times from the field, Point Park finished shooting 41 percent. From beyond the arc, the team connected on seven of 20 shots taken.

Senior guard Asim Pleas lead the Pioneers in points ending the day with 20. Pleas was successful on 50 percent on two-point baskets going 7-for14. From three, he shot 3-for-6.

Sophomore guard Kyle Carrington followed in the point totals with 19. Carrington’s contributions included shooting 7-12 from the field and a perfect day at the free throw line with five shots made.

Behind Pleas and Carrington was sophomore guard Mark Shehady who finished the game with 11 points and seven assists.

Heading into the half, Point Park lead the Bulldogs 32-28 and added 40 more to the scoreboard by the final buzzer.

The day before, Point Park tipped off against the ninth ranked team in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), WVU Tech.

Point Park came out strong in the first half with senior guard Daniel King scoring 11 points in the first 20 minutes. The effort included three treys and two free throws. Pleas contributed 10 points in the half.

After the hot start, Point Park was up by 16 with 9:53 left in the first half. WVU Tech, however, began chipping away at the lead and the teams went into the halftime break tied at 39.

Coming out of the break, the Golden Bears maintained the momentum of their comeback and Point Park only took the lead once after a 3-pointer from the hands of King at the 17:40 mark making the score 44-42.

WVU Tech controlled the rest of the game after going on a 17 point run, holding the Pioneers scoreless for five minutes until King drained a 3-pointer with 12:49 remaining.

Following the run, the closest Point Park came to breaking the deficit was when trailing by eight with 3:24 left in the game.

King finished leading the team in points with 22 which included going 6-for-10 for three. Sophomore guard Chance Wright finished behind him with 13 points.

“Chance is playing with a lot of confidence right now and I think a lot of it comes from practice,” Lewandowski said. “He’s one of the guys that when he’s open, we want him to shoot. It’s plain and simple.”

The Pioneer’s week be-

gan at home Tuesday of that week taking on the University of Rio Grande.

The visitors came out strong taking the lead from the beginning of the game on a 9-2 run and only losing it one time in the contest.

Point Park struggled from the field in the first half shooting 11-for-28, but went 4-for-8 from behind the 3-point line. King lead the team after the first 20 minutes with 12 points.

While Rio Grande took the lead form the start, Point Park only trailed by six a majority of the game, and the halftime score was 30-28.

Point Park came close a number of times in the second half at making a comeback but couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities. The closest chance came after Shehady was successful on a field goal with 9:18 left. This tied the game at 46, but was the closest the team got to taking over the game.

“Rio did a great job out rebounding us. They put size on the floor and when that happens we struggle on the boards,” Lewandowski said.

Point Park’s leading scorer was King with 17 points at the conclusion. Carrington followed with 12 points coming off the bench. Wright ended the game with nine points after three successful treys.

After the week, Point Park is now 9-15 overall and 5-10 in conference play. After the loss on Tuesday, Rio Grande picked up a conference win against Carlow University improving their conference record to 6-10. After spending the past few weeks in 3rd place in the RSC, Point Park dropped to fourth in the standings.

Point Park will finish the regular season against conference opponent Ohio Christian University this Saturday.

Robert Berger raberge@pointpark.edu