Point Park Globe Fall 2018 Issue 12

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@PPUGlobe November 14, 2018

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On Oct. 13, the Playhouse hosted a Grand Opening Gala event. The gala featured performances by students in the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) and a dinner to an audience of hundreds consisting of local and theatrical celebrities. The show was intended to showcase the talents of musical theater and dance majors to impress the public, high-profile members of theater companies and donors to the Playhouse.

While the Gala was generally well-received by its audience, the casting left some people of color in COPA feeling unrepresented. Some students started a group aimed at responding to the gala by improving representation of people of color.

Only a few black student performers were cast in the gala performance.

Tyquan White, a sophomore musical theater major and member of the group, said that all dance and musical theater students were asked to audition for shows in the gala, yet only four performers of color

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COPA students allege lack of representation

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Miss Coco Peru shares her experience in activism in drag with students Dylan Kersten reflects on consumerism as the holiday season approaches Women’s Basketball team opens 2018 season with a strong win

were cast.

“They had to have seen us,” White said.

Justin Rivers, a freshman musical theater major, commented on the placement of students of color in the gala performance. Rivers claimed that the placement of the black performers behind white performers is an act of colorism – prejudice against people with a particularly darker skin tone.

“When the audience sees the color of [the] person of color, they match their color to the performers around them and literally blends colors together – tricking the audience into believing the show is diverse,” Rivers explained. “Color should not matter in an academic, professional setting.”

White was not chosen to perform. He was required to work various positions around the Playhouse during the gala, and operated an elevator for guests. He expressed outrage at the image presented at the gala event, as “students that were white were performing, black [students] were working.”

White also expressed anger at how he was operating the elevator for actors, direc-

Issue 12

MISS COCO PERU MEETS PPU

Katie Williams | The Globe

Miss Coco Peru visited Point Park’s GRW theater last Thursday to tell stories and give words of wisdom. Miss Peru recalled significant moments of her life, like meeting her husband for the first time on a nude beach in Spain, and coming out to her parents as transgender. Read the full story in the Features section, page 4. tors and high-profile members of the theatre community that he and other students wanted to impress and network with to gain future career contacts and experience.

“They would never have known that I auditioned,”

COPA page 2

PB AND J GOES A LONG WAY

Katie Williams | The Globe

Students gather in the Lawrence Hall lobby to make sandwiches for the homeless. This “simple act of kindness” was presented by the Department of Community Engagement as part of Courageous Conversations: Hunger and Homelessness Awareness.

New seasonal USG “yeas” resolution to bars pop up constitution downtown USG

By Jacob Berlin For The Globe

By Amanda Andrews

Students will have multiple places to get in the holiday spirit by drinking some holiday spirits, while also helping charitable causes.

Two new holiday popup bars, Auld Lang Syne and Jingle Bar, will be taking over restaurant spaces in and near Market Square by the end of next week.

Auld Lang Syne, named for the traditional holiday song, will occupy real estate on the far dining room side of the Oyster House. Located at 20 Market Square, this venue recently housed the Zombie Den - a Halloween pop-up bar from the makers of the ScareHouse haunted attraction in Etna.

Last year, the Oyster House played host to Miracle, a nationwide chain of holiday bars which will be utilizing space on Liberty Avenue for this year’s iteration.

Jen Grippo, owner at the Oyster House, said Auld Lang Syne will be offering crafted cocktails, beer, wine and light bites. Additionally, Michael McCoy and Brian Laing, veteran drink specialists who curated the Zombie Den’s cocktail list, will be returning to arrange an expert list of sipping options for the holiday season.

One of the holiday popup bar staples is charity work, and a portion of sales at Auld Lang Syne will benefit the Women’s Center and Shelter. The exact hours haven’t been finalized, but

United Student Government (USG) unanimously passed Resolution 1112018 at Monday’s Legislative Body Meeting.

Resolution 1112018 called for the removal of By-Laws 202.1 and 202.21 in USG’s constitution as they were in contradiction with the executive accession process outlined in the constitution.

Parliamentarian Matthew Spadaccia clarified the definition of executive accession in regards to USG’s constitution.

“That is just the way [to determine] who’s next in line to the presidency,” Spadaccia said. “So first it starts off with the president, then if the president leaves, the vice president moves up, and then if both of those move up the president pro-tempore [takes the President’s position] - so the same way [it works] in the United States government, that line of succession to the presidency.”

The now null and void ByLaws, however, listed an alternative process of executive succession, where the president had some control over appointing positions.

“Those By-Laws, they give the president power to appoint somebody if the vice president resigns, dies, or [is] removed from office and gives the president power to appoint someone in that position,” Spadaccia said. “But if that’s not the case, if that position were to be vacant, the president pro-tempore would move to that position and the Legislative Body would

BARS page 3

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USG Beat Writer

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Sunday: Cloudy, H 34, L 24 Monday: Partly Cloudy, H 35, L 29 Tuesday: Cloudy, H 39, L 29

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LOCAL

COPA students call for New graphic design BFA degree available POC representation time now) we would like to call First full graphic design from COPA page 1 a meeting to discuss that lack White said. of representation through our According to White, his classes and performance op- degree at Point Park

Hundreds gathered in Point State Park on Nov. 9 to honor the victims of the mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue. The event was held just days after another mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, where a man killed a dozen people in a country music bar. The Rally for Peace began at noon with a minute of silence. Pittsburgh-native and actor Michael Keaton spoke to offer his condolences and express his pride in the community. Other speakers included actor Tom Hanks alongside Joanne Rogers, the wife of Pittsburgh icon Fred Rogers; Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, leader of Tree of Life congregation; Governor Tom Wolf and Mayor Bill Peduto.

---Last weekend, four students from the Honors Student Organization (HSO) attended the National Collegiate Honor Council Conference (NCHC) in Boston. Along with HSO Director Helen Fallon, students traveled to attend the conference to present ideas and in one student’s case - to moderate a panel. Senior HSO student Autumn Barszczowski won the NCHC Student of the Year award - an honor given to an outstanding honors student. Applicants had to have letters of recommendation as well as complete the application process in order to win the title. Disclaimer: Autumn Barszczowski is the newspaper delivery assistant for The Globe.

only real opportunity to show his talent came when he was approached by an intoxicated woman to sing in the elevator.

She was the only person White had the opportunity to perform for that night.

The director of the gala performance, Eileen Grace, has not yet responded to requests for comment.

from USG BEAT page 1

ing after Thanksgiving Break.

As such, USG President Kaylee Kearns decided to pass out two Globe articles by former Editor-in-Chief of the Globe and former USG Parliamentarian Alexander Popichak for a specific reason.

“President Hennigan is going to be at our next meeting since we won’t meet next week due to break, but the opinions one is kind of where Alex

elect a new president pro-tempore…That By-Law was contradicting, and [...] in the end the constitution outweighs the By-Laws, so it just made no sense to have those By-Laws still in there when they don’t mean anything necessarily.”

President Paul Hennigan is due to make another visit to a USG Legislative Body Meet-

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“I am tired of just talking about it and it’s only been a year and a half...”

Nia Bourne

Sophomore, Musical Theater major

Originally just a supportive group for COPA students of color, a Facebook group called “Family: (Color People of COPA)” has evolved to correct how COPA represents racial diversity. The shift of direction occurred seemingly overnight with a Facebook post that announced the group’s future plans.

“On behalf of a number of POCs in COPA that I have spoken with in response to the misrepresentation in the Gala (many of these discussions have brought up many other incidents and issues that have been going on for quite some

portunities,” the post began.

Nia Bourne, sophomore musical theater major and member of “Family,” had a discussion with White to share their grievances about the gala and overall lack of casting options for students of color.

“I am tired of just talking about it, and it’s only been a year and a half [since attending Point Park],” Bourne said.

Bourne explained the post spawned from their discussion, and was a call to action rather than a cry of angst.

The rest of the post detailed the first meeting would be with the student body of POCs in COPA “to discuss what the POC deserve from this program” and took place in the JVH Auditorium last Monday, Nov. 5. The Facebook group page currently has 58 members, and they’ve planned two other dates for meetings.

“No one has ever used these kinds of numbers to enforce or bring forth change,” White said.

The group said its future goals include plans to discuss more performance opportunities for students of color in all aspects of theater, campaigning for more faculty members that are open to hosting all-black musicals and overall casting of more students of color in leading roles.

They plan to express to the faculty their belief that the gala event misrepresented and disrespected students of color in its casting decisions.

Mitchell Drake mjdrake@pointpark.edu [Popichak] got his start with [...] talk[ing] about the tuition paradox,” Kearns said. “And the second one...is the article that Alex wrote. So if [senators] could please look over this and kind of know what it’s about when President Hennigan comes back because that’s really what he wants to focus on.”

USG also released their first newsletter on Monday via email, which included updates that have occured in this semester’s USG Legislative Body Meetings, such as the creation of the Disabilities Accommodations Committee and the activation of 10 student clubs.

Although the newsletter lists the Disabilities Accommodations Committee meeting time to be 3:15 p.m. on Mondays, the committee actually meets on 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. In an email sent out to the student body, USG states that a newsletter will be sent out on a monthly basis “to update everyone on the happenings of USG”.

As a part of the Communications Committee, Senator Montana Gabriele officially announced the newsletter’s debut.

“The newsletter was sent out [...] if you saw it. It looks really good in my opinion.

Not that I’m biased or anything,” Gabriele joked, which was well received by the Legislative Body.

The senators adjourned Monday’s meeting earlier than usual with warm wishes to each other for Thanksgiving Break.

Amanda Andrews aaandre@pointpark.edu.

By Jared Murphy For The Globe

After nine months in the works, the School of Communication at Point Park University has added a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design.

On Monday, Nov. 5, members of the university met and a proposal was presented to incorporate a BFA in graphic design as a new major. It was decided that Graphic and Interactive Design would be its own degree and Associate Professor of Multimedia Robert Meyers will be the head of the new degree program.

The new degree will be available to students starting in the Fall 2019 semester.

Meyers said this is the first full graphic design degree offered at Point Park.

Starting next year, students will be able to major in graphic design, instead of having a multimedia degree with a concentration in graphic design. This was the closest thing the university offered to a full graphic design degree.

“This is a more concentrated degree. Students will get more graphic design classes and it will help students be more prepared for future jobs,” Meyers said.

The proposal added six new courses, all based on graphic design. The degree will require 127 credits to graduate and will have its own prefix, GID. “A graphic design degree is a professional degree. The new degree is going to enhance portfolios and make students more employable,” Meyers said.

According to the Curriculum Proposal, transcripts and course enrollment has shown that students are choosing graphic design

courses and this suggested a degree in graphic design should be offered.

“At admissions events, high school students were asking for a graphic design major,” Associate Professor of Broadcast Journalism Thom Baggerman said.

“Graphic design is perfect for what we do in the School Of Communication.

Ultimately its just another way of communicating a message,” Baggerman said.

The Proposal also states that in the Pittsburgh area there’s an opportunity for a graphic design program to grow and be successful. There are graphic design programs at Carnegie Mellon University, Robert Morris University, La Roche College and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

“The great thing about what we have is we are in the center of Pittsburgh.

There’s graphic design firms all around us and we can bring them in part time,” Meyers said.

Courses that will be added are GID 250 Graphic Design History, GID 340 Interactive Graphic Design 1, GID 415 Typography 2, GID 440 Interactive Graphic Design 2, GID 490 Graphic and Interactive Design Capstone.

Another new course that will be offered next fall is GID 160 - Graphic Design Thinking.

According to the proposal, this course offers Graphic and Interactive Design students an introduction to problem solving methods used by graphic and interactive designers.

The proposal also states that some existing courses might have their prefixes changed to reflect the new major.

Jared Murphy jgmurph@pointpark.edu

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WEDNESDAY, November 14,

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USG sees improvement after tumultuous start

By Max McAuley For The Globe

The United Student Government (USG) is recovering from a rocky semester following censures against President Kaylee Kearns, the resignation of Parliamentarian Alexander Popichak and divisions within USG’s legislative body.

Matt Spadaccia assumed the role of parliamentarian two weeks ago and has already made headway toward the organization’s goal of amending the USG constitution, a mission put on hold after Popichak’s resignation.

Sophie Burkholder, a freshman senator of USG and member of the finance committee, said, “We are trying to make communication run better throughout USG.” Communication was a core problem for USG earlier in the year; senators complained that the executive cabinet failed to establish proper dialogue with students prior to an executive order retracting subsidies for student tickets at the Playhouse.

The executive order led to two censures against President Kearns, and left some junior senators feeling there was a disconnect between USG and the students.

“We are trying to become an ally again with the student body,” Burkholder said.

The major project for the finance committee at the moment is to clearly state and communicate their priorities on assigning funding for clubs.

Coming into this year, President Kearn’s main goal has been to nurture USG into a large healthy community.

“I wanted to bring in a bigger group this year.

When we started out we only had five or six senators,” Kearns said. This semester, the organization has appointed 20 senators, filling nearly all available seats with fresh faces.

With regards towards the new members, Kearns said, “I wanted them to know that they have a voice and everybody in this room is here to project their voice, and everyone is also going to listen as well.”

Another focus for Kearns this year is retention.

“I’m trying to keep members engaged and involved so that we can keep our size, and then we have more voice to conquer more things,” she said.

Also new to her executive position is Vice-President Brittany Arp, who is now on her second year as a member of USG. As vice-president of USG, Arp oversees the various committees of the organization.

New this year is the disabilities accommodations committee, a committee focused on seeking out locations on campus that aren’t accessible to people with disabilities, and making efforts to fix them.

Arp said she’s seen development in discussion of issues beyond simply voting in legislative body meetings.

“Last year we didn’t really discuss things openly in a meeting. Going into the meeting we always knew what we were voting on and how we were voting,” Arp said. “I think it’s great because we’re actually discussing issues and we’re making sure that we’re seeing every single angle.”

President Kearns, a junior sports, arts and entertainment management major, will hold the office of president through next semester. This is her third year as a member of USG, and will be her second year as a member of the executive board. Last year she was appointed vice-president in the fall semester.

United Student Government is doing all that it can this year to not only better itself, but to better their relations with the students with which they are to represent.

Max McAuley mmcaul@pointpark.edu.

OCT. 19, 2018 - NOV. 10,2018

Friday, October 19

Sunday, November 4

11:53 p.m. - Lawrence Hall Public Intoxication

8:00 p.m. - Lawrence Hall Theft

Monday, October 22

Wednesday, November 7

1:43 p.m. - Lawrence Hall Theft

N/A - Lawrence Hall Criminal Mischief

10:33 p.m. - Village Park Criminal Mischief

Thursday, November 8

Friday, October 26 9:40 p.m. - Lawrence Hall Drug Violation

Thursday, November 1 5:53 p.m. - Wood Street Public Intoxication

Friday, November 2 2:56 p.m. - Wood Street Harassment 5:00 p.m. - Wood Street Harassment

N/A - Lawrence Hall Forgery/ Fraud 11:40 a.m. - Lawrence Hall Drug Violation

Friday, November 9 N/A - Lawrence Hall Theft 4:56 p.m. - Wood Street Harassment

Saturday, November 10 N/A - Wood Street Theft 8:26 p.m. - Boulevard Apartments Public Intoxication

Need Help?

Call Public Safety at 412-392-3960

Pop-up bars donate to charities from BARS page 1 Grippo said she hopes to stay open “from 4 p.m. until midnight or later.” And while she was unable to offer any previews of the drink menu, Grippo said patrons are encouraged to come explore for themselves when the bar opens on Black Friday.

“It will be a wonderful experience,” Grippo said.

“You can come out and see what [our] version of a holiday bar will be like.”

Bob Wolfinger’s version of a holiday bar is one which is being touted as a nonstop party.

As owner of Pizzuvio at 268 Forbes Avenue, Wolfinger said that his pizza kitchen - which is currently closed for some menu changes and concept redesigns - will transform into Jingle Bar on Light Up Night.

“Holiday pop-up bars have been extremely popular across the nation,” Wolfinger said. “We thought, ‘Why not join in on the excitement?’ And you can come in and enjoy the moment.”

Jingle Bar is expected to seat 60 to 70 people and will be open every night un-

til New Year’s Eve, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. The bar will be open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. or later, while Friday and Saturday it will open at 4 p.m.

There will also be a DJ on the weekends from 9 p.m. to midnight, and random giveaways such as Penguins tickets throughout the night.

There will be 10 holiday-themed cocktails available, which customers can browse at JingleBarPGH. com. Roughly 10 different beers will also be available, as well as wine.

One of Wolfinger’s proudest aspects of the Jingle Bar is their commitment to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“They’re going to be our charity, and it’s an honor,” Wolfinger said. “Lucas Piatt, our landlord, lost his mother to Alzheimer’s. He’s very passionate about it and so are we.”

The Jingle Bar has ordered 1,000 Christmas cards with an Alzheimer’s sticker inside. Patrons can sign one for $5 and decorate the inside of the bar to show support. $2 from each

of one cocktail’s sales will be donated to the Association, and over 150 Alzheimer’s ornaments have been ordered as well.

Kaitlin Cliber, Bar Manager at the Oaks Theater in Oakmont, loves the idea of charitable pop-up bars spreading throughout Pittsburgh.

“We need more of them,” Cliber said. “It’s exciting. People want an experience. If they just want a can of beer, they can drink it at home. They want to linger for awhile and go to several places within walking distance. Pop-up bars create a pleasant atmosphere that’s like an oasis. It’s something they can’t get anywhere else.

And it’s a different cultural environment that you can’t get in the suburbs.”

“When you come in, you forget what’s happening in the outside world,” Wolfinger said. “Our staff will all be dressed in crazy Christmas stuff. With everything that’s going on right now…it’s just a good time that makes you feel good.”

Jacob Berlin jberli@pointpark.edu.

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Nationally recognized drag queen visits campus SAEM Club holds “A Conversation with Miss Coco Peru”

By Hattie Charney Co-Features Editor

From meeting Liza Minnelli to receiving a letter from the Vatican, Miss Coco Peru has led a life that others can only dream of.

Students gathered in the GRW Theater last Thursday night to listen to Miss Coco Peru in her series “A Conversation with Miss Coco Peru” hosted by Bambi, a local drag queen.

“I never felt really all male or all female. I was just sort of this in-between person,” Peru said.

Peru said that while she was dating a Peruvian gentleman, they went to Peru to visit his country, she came across the inspiration for her name, Coco.

“One night we went to a gay bar and you had to knock on this door and they opened up a little window and I guess if you looked gay they let you in,” Peru said.

She goes on to say she was introduced to a man named Coco, who left part way through their conversation before the show.

Once the show started, a “beautiful, glamorous drag queen” came out and it was the same man she had spoken with previously.

What fascinated her more than Coco’s appearance was the fact that in a homophobic country, which Peru was at the time, this young drag queen was brought onto television talk-shows and was publicly praised by the entire country.

“That got me thinking that there is something about owning 100 percent of who you are that people are wired to somehow respect.”

When she came back to New York, she saw a need in her community as well.

“I was seeing the AIDS crisis and seeing what it was doing to my friends in the city in general. I wanted to be an activist,” Peru said.

Peru’s first shows were politically based. She spoke about the AIDS crisis in New York City. Her first show was in response to a friend that was dying from AIDS. “You know, I was in my 20s and my friends in their 20s were dying,” Peru said.

“I was responding, I wanted to be this drag queen activist and once I saw the response I was getting, […]

It all fell into place.”

Peru knew from the start that this was the path that she wanted to take.

Peru was open about talking about how she came out to her parents in a climate that could have been negative.

She told a story about learning about coming out to her parents through a book she found in a gay bookstore in New York City. It told her not to cry, to write a letter, to rehearse it and then present it to her parents.

“So that’s what I did […]

I came out and they were terrific,” Peru said. “Then of course when I came out telling them I was going to do drag my mother said, ‘Oh well you always had to be different,’ and I told her, ‘That’s not exactly true, it’s not that I had to be different, I just was.’”

Peru then began her career in drag, and felt she had to be creative in the advertising for her shows.

She created a stencil that said “Miss Coco Peru: She knows” and went around at night to spray paint the stencil on sidewalks so she could get her name out there.

“I didn’t think of it as vandalism, I hate spray paint when I see it on walls, but I thought I had a higher purpose with my vandalism and it was to create a better world,” Peru said.

Her version of creating a better world was showing the courage that drag queens have and creating a future for anyone that wanted to do what she is doing now.

She called upon her role-models that she had growing up and wanted to be that for the new generation.

“One of the other things that really affected me was there were pictures that I had seen, I don’t know if it was in a documentary or in a book, but they were drag queens being arrested in gay bars and put in paddy wagons.”

Coco was still inspired. “[There] were photos of them waving out of the paddy wagon and still being fabulous as they were being arrested. I just thought that was so empowering that, even as [they’re] being arrested, [they] are going to show the world just how fabulous [they] are,” Peru said.

Peru said she doesn’t want anyone to go through the ridicule and the pain that she went through to get to where she is now.

“I wanted to be this person on stage presenting as female but then talking about being a boy and I wanted the audience members to sort of be like, ‘Oh wait a second, he looks like a woman but talks about being a boy’ and then I wanted them to realize ‘Oh wait a minute, it doesn’t matter,’” Peru said.

To Peru, it means something more.

“What matters is the story, what matters is the love or pain or grief or whatever it is that they can connect to. The gender and all of that stuff wasn’t what mattered, what mattered was that we are all humans and have the same experiences no matter what we dress like or how we identify and that’s what I wanted to do with Coco,” Peru said.

Peru is nationally recognized and is friends with celebrities like Liza Minnelli and Bea Arthur, although she chalks it all up to facing her fears and just going for it.

“Every time I’ve met celebrities that I’ve always wanted to meet, and some I’ve become friends with, it’s always in the back of my mind that I made the right choice when I decided to do this completely crazy idea of doing drag and creating Coco,” Peru said.

Peru encourages youth to do the same and to never look back on what could have been but instead keep pushing forward into the unknown and to always say yes, even if it’s scary.

“I’ll tell you, most of the things that scared me in my life turned out to be my most memorable and best experiences,” Peru said.

Peru was in the right

Katie Williams | The Globe Coco Peru talks to students in on Thursday, Nov. 8. at SAEM Club’s “A Conversation with Miss Coco Peru.”

place at the right time and that earned her a start to a career. She had said yes to helping a friend out by auditioning people for his 1999 movie, “Trick.”

Peru had read all of the different parts while auditioning people, which led to the directors and writers writing her a part to keep her in the movie because of how funny she was.

“It was a happy accident,” Peru said. “That moment chance of saying yes completely changed my life.”

Peru also got the chance to guest star on the television series “Will & Grace” in 2001 and reprise her role this past year in the reboot.

Filming for “Will & Grace” was scheduled around the original date for the speaking event, Oct. 18, which is why the event got pushed back.

Peru spoke about her one-woman shows that she is currently touring with as well as her YouTube channel that has become a global sensation.

People from all around the world watch Peru’s channel, including some priests at the Vatican.

“I also once got a letter from the Vatican,” Peru said. “I had done a special that aired on LOGO and one of the gay priests had the DVD, and got all the other gay priests to watch it. They were being very sneaky about it. The priest wrote me this letter to let me know that one of the bishops in the Vatican, when it was over, said ‘That Coco is doing God’s work.’”

Toward the end of the event, Peru took questions from the audience and heavily stressed the idea of being yourself and taking risks in life, in order to step out of your box.

“When you step into that spotlight, it can be scary but that’s where the magic happens. It’s show time kids and you’re on,” Peru said. “That’s what I really believe, that this is your moment here on Earth to be in that spotlight and create yourself. When you do that, all of a sudden these magical things start

happening in your life that reinforce your decision that make you know that you’re on your right path.”

The event came to an end when Peru did two short monologues for the audience that ended in a standing ovation.

The event was hosted by a local drag queen, Bambi, who kept the audience upbeat and attentive during the discussion. She attended Point Park University and had nothing but praise for Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management (SAEM) club presi-

“That’s what I really believe, that this is your moment here on Earth to be in that spotlight and create yourself. ” Coco Peru Drag Queen

dent, Nate Grossi.

“Nate and the SAEM Club did an amazing job,” Bambi said. “I’m always happy to come back to Point Park; it means the world to me.”

Grossi, junior SAEM major, was excited to have Peru come and perform for the students on campus. He said that she is the same as she is in person as she is on television or in her YouTube videos.

“We were really excited to have her because she’s been on many television shows,” Grossi said. “She’s huge. She’s one of the biggest drag queens and she did it from a time where it wasn’t as big. She’s really inspirational in that way.

That was a really cool opportunity for us to bring her here.”

Gary Van Horn, president of the Delta Foundation in Pittsburgh, a LGBT+ advocacy organization in Western Pennsylvania, was also present at the event.

Van Horn said he was inspired and got a feeling of hope from hearing Peru speak. He said it gives him hope that everyone could be more accepting but also gives him the drive to continue to work to change people’s minds and hearts regarding the LGBT+ community.

“I think that anytime people have a positive interaction with someone from the LGBT+ community and somebody as famous as Coco, it’s a positive for Pittsburgh and you know to give the perspectives that she has to young folks, alking about what it was like in the ‘50s and the ‘80s and talking about everything that they’ve gone through from Stonewall Riots to HIV and AIDS. It gives a perspective of where we are and how far we’ve come but also how far we have to go,” Van Horn said.

Peru has been in the drag industry for roughly 25 years and continues to push for the acceptance and the recognition that everyone deserves as a human being.

Peru left the audience with a challenge to step out of comfort zones.

“So I encourage you young people, while you’re young and your youth is so valuable, to really seize opportunities and to say yes to things and not let your fears or your doubts [stop you,] Don’t let any of that fear stop you because there’s a lot of stupid people in this world that are making it big.

That’s the thing, they’re too stupid to worry about their fears […] they’re not even thinking about whether or not they should be nervous,” Peru said.

Hattie Charney hecharn@pointpark.edu

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‘Chopped’ raises awareness for Pioneer Pantry

U View finishes first in second annual cooking competition

By Lauren Clouser Co-Features Editor

A microwave, a toaster oven and a blender were the only tools given to the contestants of Pioneer Pantry’s ‘Chopped’ competition.

Each four member team was provided with ingredients that could be found in any food pantry, and had 20 minutes to create a dish that would impress the panel of judges.

The second annual ‘Chopped’ competition was held on Nov. 8 in the Lawrence Hall lobby. The event was planned by Camille Downing’s Special Events Planning Class in order to raise awareness for the Pioneer Pantry.

U View, CAB, Good Luck Have Fun eSports Club and the rugby club all competed for the prize of a $50 Genoa’s gift card.

Two teams went head to head in two different rounds to determine who would make it to the final dessert competition.

U View faced the rugby club in the first round, and were told to make a dish that included white kidney beans.

The rugby team submitted a dish with kidney beans and mashed potatoes and U View created a risotto.

The panel of judges, which included Dean of Students Keith Paylo, Bob O’Gara, David Ralph and Bob Derda, discussed which dish was best, and made decisions off of a point based system that included categories like creativity and presentation.

“We had a criteria but it really was based on individual tastes so I think it became obvious after a while that some of us had differences in tastes, but that’s

PIONEER PUBLIC Prim Green

By Lauren Clouser Co-features Editor

Prim Green’s first airplane ride was from Atlanta, Georgia to Pittsburgh to move into her new dorm for her freshman year of college. Green had heard about Point Park from her friend and took a virtual tour of the campus before deciding the university was a fit for her.

“My first time ever flying was here to go to school by myself because my parents were working,” Green said. “So me and my friend, she helped me move in all my stuff and everything.”

Green, now a senior

Lauren Clouser | The Globe The U View team works to create a risotto with white kidney beans in the second annual chopped competition.

what made it interesting,” Derda said.

The panel of judges declared U View as the winner of the first round after comparing the risotto to Capital Grille.

Victor Nypaver, a senior broadcast production and media management major on the U View team, said the group tried to keep the dish simple.

“It was beautiful and really easy, simple flavors.

And that was our main goal because we didn’t want to get too complicated with anything,” Nypaver said.

Derda said the decision was a close one.

“The decision making process was we decided for ourselves, we graded each presentation ourselves and then compared notes. And again were very surprised at how close we were in each of the categories in each of the different presentations,” Derda said.

Nypaver said the first win didn’t come as a surprise to the team.

“I think for the first round we can all agree that we were confident in our winning,” Nypaver said.

CAB and the Good Luck Have Fun eSports Club went head to head next to create a dish using canned green beans.

The eSports club quickly moved to the blender to turn the green beans into a puree.

Ethan Green, junior cinema production major and member of the eSports team said they had planned to use the blender from the beginning.

“We kind of knew from the start we didn’t want it to be a solid form, it just felt very appealing, at least to me, puree sounds fancy,” Green said. “And the other two teams did not use a blender, at least to our knowledge, so we thought it would give us

broadcast production and media management major, has settled into Point Park and has become heavily involved on campus. Green is currently a Resident Educator (RE), the vice president of Point Closet and the vice president of the Black Student Union (BSU).

Green is in her second year as an RE, and is currently the RE for the 16th floor of Lawrence.

It was through the RE program that Green and Monae Findley launched the idea to start a clothing pantry for students on campus.

“Me and Monae were REs together last year and I was with her when she was talking to Dean Paylo about how we need somewhere where students can access clothing for free,” Green said.

Green said Findley enlisted her help because of her experience working with clubs, and now Green assists Findley with organizing the group and planning events.

“I’m honestly just there to help with Monae, anything she needs,” Green said.

Green became the vice president for Point Closet and

said part of the reason for her passion for the clothing pantry was because of her love of fashion.

“I’ve always loved clothes since I was younger, I get it from my mom and she’s a clothing connoisseur,” Green said. “When we researched, there are a lot of college kids who suffer from clothing insecurity I was like ‘let’s get on this, let’s do this.’”

Green is also currently the vice president of BSU, where she helps to plan events and address concerns.

“I help Brandon Rogers, he’s the president of BSU to kind of guide our exec board members to plan events, to make sure we are reaching black students with their concerns or anything they are having issues with on campus,” Green said. “That is a part of our mission and we stand strongly with that mission.”

In her limited free time, Green said she enjoys both roller skating and ice skating.

Green learned to roller skate at a young age because of her elementary school’s weekly skating night.

“I would be competing

a little skill points if we used the blender.”

The eSports club placed instant macaroni and cheese on the top of the puree and presented the dish to the judges. CAB created ‘pot pie soup,’ a dish that included green beans with gravy and mashed potatoes.

The judges voted for CAB’s plate, which advanced them to the final round.

Derda said the second decision was also a close one, and that both teams turned in impressive dishes.

“We watched how the teams worked together which is all part of the process. Some were quiet and we were kind of curious as to what would be the process and others would be more outgoing. But that didn’t really give any clue as to what the end result was, at the end each was very high quality presentation,” Derda said.

Green said he was disappointed that the eSports team didn’t get to continue.

“I think that next year we’ll definitely take it a little more seriously,” Green said.

The final round was a ten minute challenge, where both teams needed to make a dessert that included peaches.

At the end of ten minutes, U View presented a peach crisp and CAB had created a Caribbean cobbler with pineapple.

After much deliberation, U View’s peach crisp was ultimately declared the winner.

Nypaver said the U View team was surprised by the win.

“The second round we were definitely nervous on winning it all,” Nypaver said. “They [CAB] had a good first dish as well.”

The winning U View team consisted of Nypaver, sophomore broadcast reporting major Taylor Spirato, Samiar Nefzi, senior broadcast reporting major, and sophomore broadcast reporting major Taylor Spirito.

Courtney List, a senior advertising and public relations major, is a student enrolled in the special event planning course. List said the class had been planning the competition since second week of classes.

List said the event provided the food pantry with some much needed visibility.

“A lot of students and faculty don’t even know about it, so showing through this event that there is food that you can use and there is food that people can come up with and recipes that they can make up on the spot,” List said.

Lauren Clouser lclous@pointpark.edu

Lauren Clouser | The Globe

with some of the adults in the skating rink,” Green said.

Green’s future plans include getting an MBA in SAEM at Point Park.

“That’s my goals for right now and after that, wherever God sends me I’ll be there,” Green said.

Green said her dream job would involve fashion, ide-

ally as a creative director for a designer brand.

“Whatever my job, if that’s in fashion that would just be perfect for me,” Green said.

“I’ve always loved fashion because it’s a way to express yourself.”

Lauren Clouser lclous@pointpark.edu

6

OPINIONS

WEDNESDAY, November 14, 2018

THE

GL BE’S POINT

College students: unite!

Yes, we are still talking about the Squirrel Hill shooting. We don’t think you will, but you can scold us if you’d like. The last thing we want to accomplish is repetitive reporting. We don’t want to beat the proverbial dead horse, but we know when we need to keep talking about something.

In an age of expanding violence, it has become increasingly difficult to stay positive.

If there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that young people are incredibly resilient in times of trouble.

We at The Globe are wildly inspired by the activism and solidarity we’ve seen on display in our campus community and within colleges across the country. We feel pride for this display of activism each and every day - but now more than ever.

When the news of our everyday world becomes nearly impossible to bear, we’ve still seen brilliant examples of comradery and compassion that convince us there still is civility in this world. We’ve seen glimpses of the potential people have and the compassion that they

can show.

In the wake of such a gruesome act of hatred so close to home, simple letters of empathy to the victims and their families flooded in to show that if we all stand together - without prejudice - we are stronger.

Last Tuesday, students fought against administration for failing to provide shuttles to and from polling places.

Students joined together and demanded the shuttles they desired be provided. They wanted to eliminate anything that could possibly stand in the way of young voters exercising their rights, and that’s exactly what they did.

It’s moments like these the aftermath of disaster - that are most important to focus on.

If we all continue to stand together and advocate for human decency, hatred and violence surely will not prevail.

Don’t get lost in the chaos of the loss and sadness. Strive with your fellow neighbor for a better tomorrow.

The Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu.

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

What the election means for you

Despite historic voter turnout, challenges remain

By Shannon Hartnett Staff Writer

Nov. 6, was a day to be heard, a day to vote. The battle rages all day long from sunup to sundown. The results? A draw.

Democrats win the House of Representatives and Republicans hold control of the Senate. Our congress is divided and we are in a standstill. I believe that for the next two years no legislation will be passed. Both sides will propose policies only to be shut down by the other. Will there be change in our nation when our leaders are the equivalent of children fighting over who has the best toy?

We were bombarded for weeks and weeks to vote, to use our voice. We were led to believe a blue wave was coming, but the only wave we got was a farewell to policy change.

My reaction to the midterms is the same as I feel towards politics - a standstill.

The right and the left beat each other up and the needs of the people get left behind.

We no longer live in a democracy where what the people want is important. Instead the agenda of politicians is the priority.

Our political leaders are so consumed with proving their opposition wrong that

they forget to actually lead.

The outcome of this election leaves me with nothing but frustration. Congress will be locked down while the political parties argue over impeachment.

In this day in age, politics have become a new religion.

People invest themselves in knowing what to say to please other people around them without forming any thoughts of their own. Who cares if you actually agree with the policies as long as you don’t associate yourself with the party deemed corrupt for the day. Our election races have become a circus where people call each other names attempting to bring each other down. No longer can there be an idea of civil debate, because everyone feels the need to defend their opinions harshly and without empathy.

The United States is a country others look up to, but at the same time many mock our nation for becoming a groveling match for politicians. This past week I had a conversation with my little sister about politics. Her only response was “I don’t like Tom Wolf because his ads are always showing up when I’m trying to watch my Jenna Marbles videos on YouTube.”

The sad part is, many Americans would agree with this statement and many others

have similar ideals about politics. The difference between my sister and the voting population of America is that she is 13 and voters are supposed to be adults.

I blame politicians for the misinformed voting adults out there. While they publicly argue and throw insults around, voters don’t know what to think because democracy has become a jungle.

So I sit in frustration.

Frustration over lack of thought by the voting population and frustration over politicians who have seemed to forget that they are supposed to be running a country.

Looking towards the future, I pray for our leaders to turn the other cheek and listen to their opponents. We need to have civil debates again and salvage the little bit of respect from the public they still attempt to hold on to.

Maybe in the coming years the divided congress will find a way to please both sides without throwing the Constitution out the window.

Hopefully the 2020 election will produce a candidate ready to compromise with both parties and unite them.

Because what we truly need is a unified Democracy.

Shannon Hartnett snhartn@pointpark.edu

Costly convenience and the deepening debt that follows

By Dylan Kersten For The Globe

The five-minute ten meter dash through register lines is reduced to a near sprint with the rise of self-checkout. A grocery run is reduced to a short walk to the front door and maybe a quick “thank you.”

Day-long shopping trips for holiday gifts are reduced to a cozy 45-minute spree done at one website between episodes of “New Girl,” no shoes or shirt required.

Santa does not need to receive our wish lists until Dec. 23 this year, because we can get virtually anything shipped to us within one or two days.

While it may seem that I am concerned about the effects of the modern market on our physical activity, what has really caught my attention about its increasing efficiency is how this affects the human interaction of the transaction and the consumer’s consideration of the people on the other side.

Self-checkout allows the opportunity for us to enter and leave a store without saying a word to anyone. It also replaces the need for cashiers. Online grocery orders have a similar effect, except we can guarantee no interaction if we opt for an unattended delivery.

Christmas shopping on Amazon is a whole mess compounding on the issues of the aforementioned methods. If we buy from family members’ and friends’ wish lists, it leaves little to no room for thoughtfulness as we mindlessly click “Add to Cart” over and over.

The rapidity at which almost anything can be shipped to us should not be possible, especially around a holiday supposedly about everyone being with their families. I could write an entire article on the poor treatment of Amazon workers and the absurdity of the wealth disparity between Jeff Bezos and his average employee, but instead I am just going to suggest you do a Google search of “Amazon Christmas time working conditions.”

In all of these cases, the efficiency and convenience of our experience is valued over, and maybe without, consideration of the well-being of the employee doing the work to get the products into our hands.

We are getting more and more distant from the traditional site of an exchange.

But why should I waste the time and money it takes to buy local? Or go through a checkout line with a cashier?

Or leave my house at all? Is it not much easier to take these other routes? It is so much

more convenient.

It is much easier. But is easier always better? It is also convenient. But our convenience almost always inconveniences someone else - it is a selfish project. And this is where I get wildly freaked out. In a consumerist culture like ours where buying things constitutes much of our identity, the logic of the market penetrates into areas of our life where it is not welcome – chiefly, our personal relationships.

In making friends, you learn early on that friendships are not convenient. Disagreements are inevitable and they can be draining. Lamenting alongside someone for something you did not live through is a heavy weight to bear.

Sometimes humans experience irrational (or seemingly irrational) emotional and mental pain, and empathizing is simply difficult.

But in a society where we are told easier is better and convenience is a virtue, we find ways to avoid the inconveniences of loving and being loved by another. We shop for friends who are most like us to limit the possibility for conflict.

Instead of going to our friend’s side in a sorrowful time, we send them a text.

We divert conversation

towards something we can relate to when our role begins to require listening and careful speaking. We equate love with pure acceptance, even when we see our friends hurting themselves. We leave when someone tells us truth about ourselves that we do not like.

I catch myself doing any number of these mechanisms daily. When I think about my closest friends, it is haunting how much I have in common with them. It really makes me question if I have yet learned what it means to love someone when the majority of people I hold dear have so much capacity to give to me. Have I settled for an artificial kind of love that cannot bear inconvenience or difference?

We are a world desperately crying for empathy, but I fear we are using convenient pseudo-relationships as a pacifier.

If this logic continues, the ability for true, diverse community will be but a pipe dream. We are racking up a social debt we will soon not be able to repay.

Convenience is costly and it kills - sometimes literally in the case of overworked and abused laborers and often emotionally in our relationships.

This all reminds me of a scene from my favorite story, “The Little Prince.” The Little Prince meets a merchant who

sells pills that quench thirst for a week and save the consumer fifty-three minutes. “The Little Prince” asks what he is to do with that extra time, and the Merchant says, “Anything you like.”

“The Little Prince” replies with something profound: “As for me, if I had fifty-three minutes to spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water.”

Is the time and effort saved by convenience really worth it?

Or do we end up paying more than we thought? Do we really want manufactured, encapsulated friendships, or do we want to take that 53-minute or 53-week or 53-year long walk it takes to get to the deep spring of mutual love?

I have a humble suggestion for myself and for you to start the process of mending the wounds convenience has had on our relationships: next time you reach a break in conversation, do not turn to your phone or even your surroundings to be served. Put in the work to look your friend in the eyes and appreciate simply their presence. Rebel against convenience and efficiency by wasting time in silently loving your neighbor.

Dylan Kersten drkerst@pointpark.edu

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SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

All in With Allison

By Allison Schubert Sports Columnist

Soul of the City Pittsburgh is a sports town. Sports are the heart, soul and spirit of our old steel town.

Upon the publication of this newspaper on Wednesday Nov. 14, 2018, it has been 18 days since the Tree of Life Synagogue hate crime in Squirrel Hill.

The flag flew at half-staff that day, and it remains that way today.

That shooting sparked a fire in the soul of our city, and in the sports teams that make up a huge part of our identity.

The most followed of those teams are the Steelers.

They played the day after the shooting. If anyone could help the city heal in such a time of grief, it would be the biggest third of the glue that holds the city together.

Littered around social media was the now-infamous “Stronger than Hate” graphic - a play on the Steelers’ logo, with the star of David replacing the uppermost yellow diamond from the preexisting logo.

The Steelers held a moment of silence at their game… but that was it.

Among so much hatred, the Steelers wanted to keep as much normalcy as possible.

Fans still tailgated, terrible towels still waved and the Steelers still won.

The Pirates are in the offseason, but that third of the glue still did its part.

Hours after the shooting, they sent out a tweet that read: “Our hearts break at the news of this morning’s tragedy in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by this horrible event.”

The final third of that city-unifying glue is the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they sure did their part.

The Pens hosted a do-

nation drive before one of their games, with the players’ wives and girlfriends stationed at all of the entrances collecting money to be donated to both the Jewish Federation and the Pittsburgh Police. They also bumped up a pre-scheduled blood drive to donate to those who were being treated from the shooting.

Players sported a “Stronger than Hate” patch on their jerseys for their first game back in Pittsburgh after the shooting, and raffled off jerseys on their website to accumulate more donations for those affected.

Other NHL teams that played the Pens, including the Vancouver Canucks on the day of the shooting and the rival Washington Capitals, collected donations that would make their way back to Pittsburgh.

Former players and representatives from all three major sports teams were present at last Friday’s memorial at Point State Park as well, including Colby Armstrong, Roberto Clemente Jr. and Brett Keisel, among others.

The soul of the city did what it does best and kept the city united in such a time of hatred and grief and despair.

On a personal level, this kept me going. Covering Point Park sports and my love for these teams kept me sane.

Usually this column is dedicated to all things Point Park sports, but this week, I wanted to tackle something much bigger than all of us.

Sports are the fire of the city, and it is that fire that keeps us alive.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018

7

Women’s basketball picks up first win in home opener

By Allison Schubert Co-Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team picked up its first win of the season at home against Ave Maria (Fla.) University on Thursday.

The Gyrenes were in Pittsburgh on a four-game road trip and were previously undefeated before facing off in the CCAC-Allegheny gym.

Point Park was on the opposite end, having been defeated in all four games they had played up until Thursday.

“I don’t think there is any other team who has had a tougher out of conference schedule than us,” head coach Tony Grenek said after the game. “We are just trying to get prepared for Carlow and the conference season, but you also have to be careful of the team’s mental psyche… We try to preach the positive and assure them that they are doing tremendous against really tough teams.”

The first quarter fell in favor of Ave Maria 20-13, but the Pioneers edged out the Gyrenes by one point in the second 10 minutes 1716. Point Park went into the locker room down 36-30.

The Pioneers were out-rebounding Ave Maria in the first half, but the difference came in shooting.

Through the first 20 minutes of play, Point Park was shooting just 32 percent overall and went three for 13 from beyond the arc.

The second half turned things around for the Pioneers, who shot 56 percent in the final 20 minutes of the game.

“Our team chemistry is really building, and I think that showed in this game,” sophomore guard Michelle Burns said. “We are still learning and figuring things out, but I think as the season goes on, we’re going to be good.”

Point Park tallied 22 points in the third quarter led by a 13-0 run to put them up 50-44 late in the quarter, but the Gyrenes’ Taylor

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Sophomore guard Michelle Burns dribbles the ball into the offensive zone Thursday night against Ave Maria. The team picked up their first win of the season and Burns had a career high 28 points along with eight rebounds.

Allen hit two big treys in an eight-and-two run to close out the quarter and tie the game up at 52.

The Pioneers rallied in the fourth quarter and hit two huge treys of their own -- by junior guards Baylie Mook and Tyra James -- that set the tone for the remaining minutes.

After a strong defensive output in the final two minutes and some free throws, Point Park took the win 72-65.

Three Pioneers ended the night in double digits.

Burns tallied a career-high 28 points, 17 of which came in the second half rally and nine of which came from beyond the arc. She also collected eight rebounds on the night.

“In the off-season, I was just taking shots and was on the [shooting] gun all the time, trying to get there every other day,” Burns said. “I didn’t want to just be a shooter, I want to be a driver as well. Once I get in there and drive a few times, my shot turns

on, and that is what I was practicing the most.”

Sophomore forward Carly Lutz put up 11 points and nine rebounds, one away from another double-double. Rounding out the three was senior captain Kaitlyn Smith, who had 14 points on the night, five-for-11 from the field and shot 100 percent from the charity stripe.

“I think our schedule so far has been a huge help to us,” Smith said. “I don’t think we are going to face a team anywhere near as good, especially in the conference. We were right there with every single one of them and I think that shows how far we can go.”

The Pioneers had a brief break, but are back in action this weekend at the Marian (Ind.) Classic. Both opponents are ranked nationally. First comes No. 14 St. Francis (Ind.) on Friday and then No. 4 Marian (Ind.) on Saturday.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

Record-breaking season cut short in semifinals Women’s soccer “lit a fire” but failed to keep it burning

By Rachael McKriger Staff Writer

A record-breaking season for the Point Park women’s soccer team has come to an end.

Point Park began River States Conference (RSC) playoff action last Saturday against Indiana University East. The two teams had already met up this season, facing off on Nov. 25, where Point Park secured a hardfought 1-0 victory.

However, Indiana University East had other plans in the second tilt.

This time at Highmark Stadium, Indiana University East got on the board in the first half, with a goal from Evie Stepaniak in the 30th minute. To start off the second half, it took Indiana University East only two minutes for Kayla Amidon to double the lead to 2-0.

Goalkeeper Ashtyn Webb said that this time, Point Park focused more on defense.

“We forced them more inside so they couldn’t play balls from the outside and cross them in the box,” Webb explained. “We played with three in the back the first time we played them.

We were so disorganized and ended up going back to a four back halfway through the first half. Playing them this second time around, my defense had stepped up big time and I couldn’t be more thankful for the three I had in front of me that night.”

Despite a 2-0 deficit, Point Park didn’t let up.

In the 60th minute, freshman midfielder Britney Adrian scored on a header off a Gabby Widman free kick. Widman, a junior, said the goal “lit a fire” for

the Pioneers.

“It was do or die for us from the start of the game,” Widman said. “But knowing that we could find a way to get the ball in the back of the net gave us some hope.

We had them on their heels for most of the game which pushed us to fight and want to score again. We were trying to do anything to win.

Finding a way to win was the way to go. Now, unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted but we didn’t stop until that final whistle.”

With the season now over, Point Park officially sends off eight seniors, including defender Abby Magilocca. With her final college match over, Magilocca said that emotions were high for herself -and the whole team -- after the match.

“We all love each other like family and I will miss getting through the tough times that are a part of soccer and making memories with all of them,” Magilocca said.

“There is nothing else like being a part of a team, especially when you have such amazing people on that team, so I’ll definitely miss that!”

Meanwhile, the remaining members of the team will rest for a bit, but then will get ready to gear up for next season.

“Sadly we lose some key players, but a majority of the girls are coming back,” Webb said. “Losing two solid defenders [Magilocca and Asia Pennock-Franke], who have done a lot for me, is going to be tough but we have solid defenders coming back for senior year and hopefully some new talent to step up as well. I’m hop-

ing we continue our success going into our spring season following with the fall season.”

Webb is also looking back at the positives of this season, including an eightgame winning streak and placing first in the RSC. “Starting off the season 0-4 with losing some games at the last second or having the lead the entire game until the end is pretty rough,” Webb said. “But, the one thing I’ve always liked about this group of girls is that we never give up. No matter what the score is whether we are winning or losing we keep playing until the final whistle blows. So when we finally had momentum with our eight-game streak we were feeling great.”

Rachael McKriger rakrige@pointpark.edu

8

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Men start season with winning record

By Derek Malush For The Globe

The men’s basketball team tallied their first win of the season on Tuesday night with an 87-55 win over PSU-Shenango at their home court of CCAC-Allegheny.

“It was awesome for me and the guys to celebrate in the locker room after a win like that,” head coach Joe Lewandowski said. “We understand the process of winning and know that the highs are just as important as the lows in a game.”

Starting guards Kyle Carrington and Asim Pleas were not in the starting lineup as Carrington is dealing with a leg injury and Pleas is battling sickness.

The Pioneer lineup looked a bit different as Lewandowski started senior transfer guard Justice Cuthbertson and senior guard Tramell Perry in place of Carrington and Pleas, who combined for 39 points in the last game.

“It’s a next guy up mentality for us and these guys know this,” Lewandowski said. “So everyone is ready for a game time decision.”

Midway through the first half, the Pioneers saw their biggest deficit of the night as they trailed the Nittany Lions 17-11 on the scoreboard.

From there, Point Park never looked back as they hit a 25-8 run to end the first half, leading PSU-Shenango 36-25.

The depth of the Pioneer bench played a major role in

the win as they dropped 25 bench points.

Point Park’s defense was relentless as they forced 24 Nittany Lion turnovers, 12 off of steals and allowed them to drop just a total of four team assists.

“I feel as if we did a much better job locking in defensively,” sophomore guard Mark Shehady said. “We tightened up on our rotations and feel. Our togetherness was great.”

It was smooth sailing for the Pioneers coming out of the half as they stretched their halftime lead from 11 to 26 in just six minutes of play.

Led by sophomore sharpshooter Chance Wright, the Pioneers buried 16 3-pointers in the game on 35 percent shooting from the arc.

Wright’s five 3-pointers were accompanied by senior guard Daniel King who sunk four 3-pointers of his own in the winning effort.

“I try to lead by example and be a player who can make plays when they need to be made,” King said. “We focused on lowering our turnovers so that our offense could be simple.”

The Pioneers outscored PSU-Shenango in the second half by 21 points on 47 percent shooting from the floor.

Point Park finished with five players in double figures led by King who dropped 18 points.

Wright and Cuthbertson added 15 points of their own as Shehady finished 13 points

and senior guard T.J Bates dropped 14 on 63 percent shooting.

The Pioneers squared off against PSU-Shenango again on Saturday afternoon in Sharon, Pa., where they notched their second win of the season, squeaking out a 68-63 victory over the Nittany Lions.

“Everybody is new so [they’re] trying to change things like attitude and culture in order to win,” Lewandowski said.

The Pioneers were off to a rough start on Saturday as they shot just 32 percent from the floor and committed seven fouls in the first half of play.

King led the team in scoring in the first half as he dropped all 12 of his points on 50 percent shooting through the first 20 minutes.

With five minutes left in the half, the Pioneers scored just five points which led PSU-Shenango to finish the half leading on the scoreboard, 29-27.

“We are taking this dayby-day,” Wright said. “We’re just trying to improve as a team and get better then everything else will take care of itself.”

The Pioneers jumped back into the driver’s seat midway through the second half, taking just their second lead of the game at 47-45 on a Pleas 3-pointer.

It was turnovers and free throws late in the game that gave Point Park their chance at victory.

Forcing a whopping 13

Megan Bixler | Archived Photo Senior guard Asim Pleas drives toward a defender in a game last year. The team got its first win of the season against Penn State- Shenango Saturday.

turnovers in just the second half, the Pioneers were able to make the most of their opportunities as they scored 16 points off of 20 Nittany Lion turnovers.

Point Park also shot a pleasing 73 percent from the charity stripe in the second half which eventually sealed the victory for the Pioneers.

Bates and Cuthbertson were consistent at the free throw line late in the game as Bates went 4-6 and Cuthbertson made 4 of 5 to solidify the win.

“Playing with a new team does not rattle me at all,”

Cuthbertson said. “I’m just being myself and focusing on being a leader, teammate and an extension of my coaches on and off the floor.”

The Pioneers shot 41 percent from the floor and assisted on 14 of their 23 field goals.

Point Park (2-1) will hit the road again on Tuesday as they face off against Washington Adventist on Nov. 13 for an NAIA non-conference game. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. in Takoma Park, Md.

Derek Malush dwmalus@pointpark.edu

Women’s volleyball fails to snap quarterfinals curse

By Dara Collins Co-Sports Editor

The women’s volleyball team’s recent winning streak snapped in the first round of the River States Conference (RSC) Volleyball Championship last Friday, bringing the season to a close.

Although the team ended its season prematurely, some of the women did not walk away empty-handed.

Six Pioneers added conference accolades to their resumes during the award ceremony on Friday.

Senior right-side hitter Ashley Taylor and senior outside hitter Jordan Dixon earned All-RSC First Team honors. This is Taylor’s second year in a row receiving First-Team recognition.

“We helped one another develop over this season, so it was amazing to win this award with [Jordan],” Taylor said.

Senior libero Morgan Dangelo, senior middle hitter Destiny Tucker and junior setter Julia Menosky were named to the All-RSC Second Team. Dangelo earned a spot on the Second Team last year as well and was also named a Champion of Character.

Menosky claimed a spot on the all-conference First Team last season.

Point Park named sophomore outside hitter Camryn LaMonaca its Champion of Character for the 2018 season.

“It was really a surprise that they were able to pick just one of us,” LaMonaca said. “We’re all really close friends, and we all support each other no matter what.”

The award ceremony took place after a disheartening loss that ended the Pioneers’ season and the seniors’ collegiate careers.

Point Park, the No. 2 seed in RSC East, opened

LAST WEEK’S SCOREBOARD NOV. 6 - NOV. 13 WOMEN’S SOCCER (11-8) (7-2)

IU EAST 2, POINT PARK 1**........................................................... Nov. 7 Goal: Adrian

VOLLEYBALL (19-12) (12-4)

IU SOUTHEAST 3, POINT PARK 1**............................................... Nov. 9

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Next: Nov. 16 @ NAIA National Championship

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Next: Nov. 16 @ NAIA National Championship

MEN’S BASKETBALL (2-1) (0-0)

PSU SHENANGO 55, POINT PARK 87............................................ Nov. 6 POINT PARK 68, PSU SHENANGO 63............................................ Nov. 10 Next: Nov. 19 @ Bryant & Straton, Nov. 20 @ Villa Maria

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (1-4) (0-0)

AVE MARIA 65, POINT PARK 72..................................................... Nov. 8 Next: Nov. 16 vs. (14) Saint Francis, Nov. 17 vs. (4) Marian

*River States Conference **RSC Playoffs

championship play on Friday against Indiana University (IU) Southeast, RSC West’s No. 3 seed.

The teams faced one another earlier this season in late October where the Grenadiers topped the Pioneers 3-2. Point Park was on their way to a sweep when IU Southeast battled through extra points in the third set and stole every set from there on out.

“All I thought was, ‘I’m not ready for this to be my final game of my career, so I need to crush it,’” Taylor said.

This time, the Pioneers jumped on the scoreboard first, but the Grenadiers finished set one strong, winning 25-20. The Pioneers did not give up without a fight as set two proved neck and neck with the lead never surpassing three points.

Point Park claimed the final points to win by a mere margin of two, 25-23.

That same mere margin knocked the Pioneers down after set three when IU Southeast claimed victory 25-23. Point Park trailed by six in the middle of the set before coming within reach of IU Southeast.

IU Southeast controlled set four from start to finish winning 25-19, sending the Pioneers packing after a 1-3 loss. Point Park finished its season 19-12, 12-4 RSC. The errors of the match loomed across the stat sheet with 12 ball handling errors and 24 attack errors, all coming from Point Park’s primary hitters.

“We could have put more confidence in one another,” Taylor said. “I think the thing that killed us was our unforced errors. If we would

Emilee Fails | Point Park Athletics Junior middle-hitter Destiny Tucker attempts a spike against Rio Grande earlier this season. Tucker was named All-RSC Second Team last weekend.

have eliminated the errors on our side, we would have won for sure.”

Nonetheless, the green and gold did put down a number of kills with Dixon and Tucker leading with 11 apiece. Menosky recorded 23 assists, and junior setter Brittney Bianco had 15.

“I know I watched a couple balls which is never good, but I also could have switched my decision making and switched running my offense at times of who I was setting,” Menosky said.

Junior outside hitter Haley English played a big defensive game with the team-high 26 digs. Dangelo collected 20 digs, and Dixon and Menosky earned double-doubles with 16 and 12 digs, respectively.

The Pioneers have now lost in the conference quarterfinals three years in a row. However, Point Park did advance to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship during the 2016 season

because it was the top team in the RSC that year.

The championship hosted by Indiana University (IU) Kokomo continued last Saturday with the remaining four teams, all belonging to the RSC West Division. IU Southeast went on to play first-place IU Kokomo in the semifinals and lost in five sets. The Cougars then claimed RSC Championship gold in the final round.

“I am so sad the season is ending, but I’m more sad that I won’t ever be playing with the seniors again,” Menosky said. “I’m going to miss hanging out with them every day and all the memories I’ve made with them.

They are my sisters, and it’s very bittersweet.”

The bittersweet feelings hits hardest with the seniors.

“I can’t believe its over,” Taylor said. “I’ve never felt a heartbreak worse than my volleyball career ending.”

Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu