Point Park Globe Fall 2018 Issue 14

IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE

4 PAGE 5 PAGE 6

@PPUGlobe December 5, 2018

325 is the number of mass shootings in the United States in 2018 alone as of Dec. 3, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Since Columbine, more the 219,000 students have experienced gun violence at school, according to the Washington Post.

Mass shooting is defined by the FBI as four or more people shot and/or killed in a single event, at the same time and location, not including the shooter.

After the Oct. 27 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill that left 11 dead and six others injured, a problem that once seemed distant now felt significantly closer to home.

For students at Point Park, which is located just over five miles from Squirrel Hill, the question has now become, “Could it happen here?”

Campus security has been a source of unrest recently, as student complaints regarding the door security system and inconsistent desk attendants surfaced - both of which could be seen as potential flaws in ensuring student safety.

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Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

Security concerns return following mass shooting

By Andrew Brinker For The Globe

Justine Szurley spreads empowering messages through handmade crafts Editor Allison Schubert recognizes unparralleled Point Park athletes Editor-in-Chief Emily Bennett reflects on her time filling the role

Point Park Police Chief Jeffrey Besong released the following statement regarding desk attendants: “Point Park now has all of its buildings locked down, which lessened the need for desk attendants at many locations.

“With card access now required, police officers patrolling 24/7, more than 500 security cameras and a student body that consistently reports problems to Public Safety, it’s a pretty secure campus. That said, there is a constant reevaluation of security needs and Point Park is always looking to improve.”

While all buildings on campus are locked, some students have complained that getting past the door system is as simple as trailing behind another student with access to the building.

“The door system is reliant upon the student body to use it effectively,” Matthew Mays, sergeant in Point Park’s campus police force said of the system. “There’s always going to be complaints and things like that, but if the student body is using it effectively [and] staff are using it effectively, it works.”

Sgt. Mays also drew attention to other security

Issue 14

SCOOPING ICE CREAM FOR CASH

Gracey Evans| The Globe

Taylor Colbert and RJ Lane, senior cinema production majors, scoop ice cream as part of their bake sale to raise funds for their Production 4 film in the West Penn Lobby on Monday. P4 films are not funded by Point Park University and it is completely up to the students to raise their own funds for their films, according to Colbert. Lane and Colbert are co-directors for their P4 film titled “Still Holding On.” mechanisms on campus, noting that Point Park was leading the way in security technology among universities in Pittsburgh.

“Card access is our number one system,” Mays said.

“We have over 500 video cameras monitoring the campus.

We have officers on patrol, on foot, bicycle and vehicle and an engaged student body and staff members. You know if they see something suspi-

cious, they report it to us.”

In 2017, Point Park saw just three reported and acted upon incidents of burglary on campus, which includes “the unlawful entry of a struc-

SECURITY page 2

Rifts return in USG with one week left Rugby fundraiser participants USG

NEWS ANALYSIS

By Amanda Andrews USG Beat Writer

United Student Government (USG) passed four new resolutions at this week’s legislative body meeting to reform its constitution as part of the effort the organization is taking to revise the document.

One resolution, however, raised some controversy.

The resolution updated the dress code of USG, which currently requires senators and executive cabinet members to don the iconic USG polo and restricts various types of casual attire like hats or sweatpants.

The resolution, Parliamentarian Matthew Spadaccia claimed, would expand the dress code to allow USG members more flexibility and act more in accordance with how senators and executive cabinet members actually dress for USG. Senator Jacob Berlin had a prepared, written speech protesting the resolution, urging his fellow senators to vote against it on the grounds that passing it would “eliminate possibility for freedom of individual expression” and called the resolution “toothless legislation.”

Berlin went on to criticize not only the requirement of the USG uniform, but some of the common practices exercised by USG as a legislative body.

“Respectfully, those who run the organization - the paid advisors we appoint - do not have any requirement for USG attire at the meetings. Also, our president is not wearing a USG polo [today],” Berlin said. “At a USG meeting, we have to keep our phones put away, we have to wait until we’re called on to speak, we have to excuse each others’ absences and now we have to dictate exactly what color and type of pants we wear under the table. This is not a mature organization, this is a daycare. There is no other politically elected body in America which requires uniforms.”

(The U.S Congress does not have a required “uniform,” although it does have a dress code).

Berlin’s derisive remarks inspired equally passionate responses from fellow senators, many of which were in defense of the president, the constitution and the organization. Senator Dennis McDermott was among the first to speak out against Berlin.

“Although I appreciate the good intentions that you’re going for, I don’t appreciate the attacking na-

ture of the intentions that you’re using,” McDermott said. “The language and vocabulary you’re using is coming at us in a very vociferous way that doesn’t suggest trust. You talk about trust, and you talk about all us being adults here and you’re calling individual people out in the room about not wearing a uniform. Now I can see where you’re coming from, but I would appreciate a better tone in the way you’re doing it.”

Senator Jessica Wrzosek said since the USG uniform is subsidized by the organization’s budget, it made the organization economically accessible and welcome for anyone who wanted to join.

A few senators did support Berlin and agreed that the dress code policy for pants went a little far. When it came to the vote though, there were only two nays and the resolution passed with a majority of senators’ approval.

The other three resolutions concerned other USG logistics. One stated it would be the vice president’s responsibility to locate venues for USG legislative body meetings. It passed with a unanimous vote from senators.

Another made a change to a constitutional by-law

USG page 3

sign contract to keep it “PG”

By Mick Stinelli Co-news Editor

Last Wednesday, one of Point Park’s most popular fundraisers brought hundreds into the Lawrence Hall Ballroom for the eighth year in a row: Rent-A-Rugger, where members of the rugby club offer themselves - and a date itinerary - up for auction to the highest bidder.

After the money is counted, it’s time to focus on the formalities: a contract, where both bidder and rugger must agree that the date is a platonic event.

“The contract is essentially saying that there won’t be any prostitution on the date,” Caleb Gretsky, a rugby player and member of the club’s executive board said.

“It’s very simple.”

Gretsky, a sophomore production major, said the club’s leaders sit the players down to explain the seriousness of representing the club as cordial and professional.

“We’re gentleman, the people who buy you are expecting a polite date, and any actions that you do on your date reflect in this club,” Gretsky said.

“Me and [Rugby Club President] Steve [Reed] drilled it into our guys’ heads that we’re a respectul club,” Logan Platt, the club’s vice president, said. “It’s really

just to make sure everything stays PG.” Platt, a junior public relations and advertising major, said there’s a lot of effort that goes into making sure the perception of the club is positive.

“If we had any doubt that any of our guys wouldn’t uphold that positive perception, we wouldn’t let them participate in Rent-A-Rugger,” Platt said.

Meghan Fitzsimmons, a freshman broadcast reporting major, was a first-time attendee at Rent-A-Rugger.

“They just auction them off, which is weird, because they’re people,” Fitzsimmons observed. She said the event was fun and a good time, and she ended up bidding $35 on her friend.

A first-time renter, Fitzsimmons didn’t know that she was required to sign the contract promising not to have sexual relations with her rugger, and said she wasn’t informed that it was necessary. But knowing there were terms in writing is a good thing, in her opinion.

Realizing that there was such legalese involved was a surprise to Courney List, the rugby club’s “rugby mom” who volunteers to help the team with fundraisers and events.

CONTRACT page 2

Weather Forecast Today: Snow Showers H 32, L 25

Thursday: Snow, H 36, L 25 Friday: Cloudy, H 30, L 21 Saturday: Partly Cloudy, H 32, L 24

Sunday: Partly Cloudy, H 35, L 21 Monday: Cloudy, H 35, L 21 Tuesday: Partly Cloudy, H 35, L 24

Point Park

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2

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

NEWS

New semester carries new courses

By Mitchell Drake Staff Writer

The incoming spring of 2019 brings another semester for Point Park students, but also brings new courses available that allow for even more enrollment opportunities.

The majority of the following classes were drafted and began to take shape in Fall 2018, but some will debut in Spring 2019, according to Angela Sexton, assistant registrar.

With the creation of the new community engagement and social change minor, its coordinators also began courses such as CENG 150: Intro to Community Engagement, CENG 250: Advocacy and Social Change, CENG 350 Social Inequalities and Health and CENG 450: Community Engagement Seminar.

Students taking CENG 150: Intro to Community Engagement will learn to assess community needs through human-centered design thinking and explore approaches to social change, strategic planning and conflict management according to the course description in undergraduate catalog. The course will also examine how power, privilege and oppression affect communities with outdoor education and community building exercises.

CENG courses were supplemented in February 2018, when a minor in women’s and gender studies was added. The new classes included CENG 160: Intro to Women and Gender Studies and CENG 360: Feminist Theory.

The CENG 160: Intro to Women and Gender Studies course will have students examine the construction of identities such as gender and biological sex across nations and cultures, within academic disciplines and how gender is perceived in popular media. Students will also seek to understand women’s issues in the U.S.

and internationally, paying particular attention to how race, sexuality, class and other factors create differences among groups.

The course is intended to promote ways in which students can work individually and together to promote social change in an effort to advance the equality of all people.

In Jan. 2018, the class NSET 182: Are We Alone?

The Search for Life in the Universe was added as an option for the Investigate Science Core Objective for Honors students. The course allows students to explore astrobiology, the study of life in the universe, and to have students form their own evidence-based conclusions about whether life exists elsewhere in the cosmos. The course is organized by Brendan Mullan, Assistant Professor of Physics and Assistant Director of the Honors Program.

“Students will conduct independent research on topics related to a term in the ‘Drake Equation,’ a mathematical framework for estimating the number of intelligent civilizations in the galaxy,” Mullan explained.

Alongside astrophysics, students will learn topics in geology, biology and chemistry to understand potential alien life. They will also be treated to an informative trip to the Allegheny Observatory to learn about Pittsburgh’s role in advancements in astrophysics and will explore various pieces of science fiction.

“At the end of the semester, students combine their results for all terms in the Drake equation to estimate the number of civilizations in the Galaxy,” Mullan said.

For journalism majors, Spring 2019 brings the new JOUR 319: Data Journalism and Visualization. Christopher Rolinson, professor of photography, environmental journalism and photojournalism coordina-

tor, took advantage of the Heinz Endowments’ Next Generation: Environmental Journalism grant to create a course in data analytics and reporting.

“The course will benefit students by providing a needed skill in modern journalism,” Rolinson said.

The data journalism course would teach students where to find reliable data and how to uncover stories buried in spreadsheets and PDFs. Students learn to use various software to analyze, “scrub” and present what they find in the data, combining the tenets of journalism with computer-assisted reporting skills.

Combining analysis and traditional reporting tools to create a data-driven news package is a skill that Rolinson believes aspiring journalists require to maintain a career in online-driven media outlets.

A new bachelor’s degree in Social Justice Studies was created in April 2018, spawning courses like SJS 101: Foundations in Social Justice Studies and SJS 175: Intro to Human Geography.

SJS 101 provides an introduction to conceptualizations of social justice, including distributive justice, deliberative justice and redistributive justice. Students will also offer analysis social justice, namely, liberalism, Marxism and post-structuralism.

SJS 175 introduces students to the fundamental concepts of human geography and learn about geographies from across the world, paying considerable attention to the ways in which social inequalities work through and are reinforced by different geographic patterns. The course also serves to introduce students to some of the key sub-disciplines of human geography, including urban geography, economic geography and political geography.

Mitchell Drake mjdrake@pointpark.edu.

Jared Murphy | The Globe

Caleb Gretsky, sophomore Cinema Production major, dances on the catwalk during the annual Rent-a-Rugger event in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom.

from CONTRACT page 1 “I was shocked in the sense that it’s kind of humorous,” List said of realizing the contract was necessary.

She said the stipulations made sense, and ease a lot of the nervous feelings people might have on their dates.

When bidders select a rugger, they don’t just select the athlete but also the prospective date. Gretsky was the night’s most valuable bid, racking up $150 for a night of

hot cocoa and ice skating at The Rink at PPG Place.

“I’m still shocked,” Gretsky said Sunday.

At this point, the contracts haven’t been disseminated yet, but Platt assured they would be signed before the dates.

“We follow up with our guys at a meeting level, as well as at a personal level,” Platt said.

The club doesn’t follow up with the bidders out

of respect for their privacy, Platt said.

But for Courtney List, there wouldn’t be any follow-up needed, seeing as she bid on a date with Platt for $20.

“I actually have a boyfriend that’s not on the rugby team, so it was very clear that no prostitution will be happening,” List said.

Mick Stinelli mfstine@pointpark.edu.

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from SECURITY page 1 ture” in order to commit of variety of crimes. The two years prior combined saw only three as well, according to the 2018 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which is published on the university website. Unfounded reports are removed from those crime statistics.

In regard to guns and gun-related incidents, the security system has been effective. Over the past three years the university has had zero arrests for weapons violations on campus.

Mays additionally discussed potential active shooter situations on campus.

“Our officers are trained to go direct-to-threat,” Mays said. “So, we’re not staging [and] waiting for a swat team.

We’re going directly to wherever the call comes in.”

Point Park’s condensed size allows for quick responses to emergency situations from public safety. In total, the campus stretches five blocks from the Monongahela River to Forbes Avenue, all clustered around Wood Street.

“For any emergency our response time is sub-oneminute,” Mays said. “So, we’re confident in our policies and our procedures. We’re confident in our officers.”

While active shooter situations will always remain a possibility, university officials feel they’re doing as much as they can to protect students.

“We try to do our best to make the campus as safe as we can,” Dean of Student Life Michael Gieseke said. “But I’m never going to sit here and say we are guaranteed 100% safe.”

Training and practice drills have been one method Point Park has utilized to make students feel safer and more prepared for an active-shooter situation.

Recently, public safety officers held informational sessions for freshman in University 101 classes where a video on ALICE was shown and student questions were answered.

Outside of the classroom, however, Gieseke said reoccurring training would be difficult to enforce.

“I believe we are making a good-faith effort,” Gieseke said “I think unfortunately most people, but young people in general, have the initial mentality of ‘It can’t happen

to me.’ And so, if we were to do it all of the time, I don’t know that the participation level would be at a point that we would get what we want.

I think students themselves would have to believe it’s valuable and important for it to be something that they participated in.”

Resident Educators (REs), who occupy each floor of residence buildings at Point Park and advise students, do receive mandatory training at the beginning of the year.

“All REs go through a two-week intense training prior to the school year starting in which they go over many things and this [active shooter situations] is definitely one of those things,” Gieseke said.

“Working with our police department and getting that ALICE training and understanding their role. That is a part of their training.”

Kooper Sheeley, a Lawrence Hall RE, said he feels the training at the beginning of year is important for REs to receive so that they can properly protect their residents.

“I feel like the Office of Student Life provided adequate information,” Sheely, a sports arts and entertainment management major said. “I don’t know that I’d call it training, but they provided me with every detail and stepby-step procedure to follow.”

REs are not trained or informed additionally outside of their beginning of the year training session.

“I think refreshing the information would be beneficial, as it’s always important to keep these kinds of training sessions current in your memory,” said Sheeley.

Faculty and staff are introduced to ALICE during their university orientation and can receive training if requested.

With mass shootings in the United States still on the rise, it is likely that campus security will continue to be an area of focus in the coming semesters.

Sgt. Mays feels that Point Park’s campus and students are as well-protected as possible.

“I’m a father of two young boys and if they were of college age, I would feel safe with them coming here.”

Andrew Brinker anbrink@pointpark.edu

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

3

Desk security to change again during spring 2019 semester

Residents must enter through Lawrence Hall from USG page 1 to state that the president would chair all executive cabinet meetings and be able to vote in the case of a tie. It passed despite one nay and one abstention.

The third resolution reinforced that the parliamentarian would be the authority on constitutionality and it passed unanimously.

USG also had public safety come in as those week’s guest speakers. Assistant Vice President Jeffrey Besong presented with two other members of the public safety department and Presley, a golden Labrador retriever puppy who will soon be in training as a therapy dog.

Besong came to answer any questions about Public Safety and clarified some changes that would be coming in the spring.

Starting after the holidays, the desk attendant works overnight in Academic Hall will move to Lawrence Hall from 10 p.m to 6 a.m, Besong said, indicating the move was required since more people come through Lawrence Hall than Academic.

“So unfortunately, if you’re in Thayer, we’re going to ask you to go through in the evenings through Lawrence Hall,” Besong.

“That’s what we’ve been asked to do by students, and we’re always talking to all of you and we take that into every opportunity we have or every change we make.”

Current Communications Director Allison

Schubert and Recording Secretary Hannah Steiner will be resigning effective next semester. Executive cabinet will prioritize filling the positions of finding a new communications director and recording secretary.

Reportedly, they have already received five applications for the two positions.

Kearns stated that Schubert and Steiner cited academic reasons for resigning.

In the course of a single semester, the discord and drama that characterized the September meetings has largely dissipated, leaving with it a functional and sometimes overambitious legislative body determined to rebrand USG. This semester’s election and the new senators have directly affected a shift in dynamics within the student organization.

This group seems intent on truly representing the student body and insist they are thoroughly committed to doing so with trying to make USG more accessible to students through monthly newsletters, poster boards, new committees and radio shows.

With USG revising its constitution, it does seem like this long-plagued student organization is finally on the mend.

Discussions this semester have been long and sometimes still contentious, however. Senators are not so much debating the validity of the president and her decisions any longer, but arguing in more abstract terms as to what USG should

stand for and how it should represent the students, both of which are questions that are not easily and quickly answered.

With the intensity of their rhetoric, it can be hard to remember these senators are also students who are involved in various different clubs and organizations as well.

Many USG senators felt their responsibility to the students is second only to academic requirements and that their roles are 24/7 jobs. In fact, they typically quietly reprimand any senator who does not agree with this idea.

There are a few major players in debate, including Senators McDermott, Alexa Lake, Mathew Johnson, Emily Harnett and President Pro-Tempore Ortego and Parliamentarian Matthew Spadaccia, most of whom are newcomers. They repeatedly challenge USG and university norms - even guest speakers sometimes if they feel it is in the interest of the students.

It’s unclear if this fervor continues into next semester, at least with as much intensity, and whether the possible election of new senators in the spring could change the current playing field.

Amanda Andrews aaandre@pointpark.edu.

New Studios.

New Lineup.

THE SOUND OF

POINT PARK UNIVERSITY WPPJRadio.com

“Old Man and the Sea” tests Playhouse as innovative space Directors conducted coast-to-coast search to cast actor for lead role

By Carley Bonk Editor-elect

The Pittsburgh Playhouse will be the location of the worldwide stage adaptation premiere of Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning piece, “The Old Man and the Sea” this February.

The show, adapted for the stage by A.E. Hotchner, one of the late Hemingway’s closest friends, will test the Playhouse space for production innovation, according to Ronald Lindblom, the uni-

versity’s artistic director.

“I wanted to use this opportunity as a way to show how an artistic laboratory can work and that means everybody’s involved in this,” Lindblom said. “[The Playhouse] is designed to do for the arts nationally, what the Robotics Institute does to the scientific community nationally.”

The multimedia production will incorporate film, projections and an original score by local rock band, Cello Fury. The show will kick off a partnership with

RWS Productions, run by Point Park alum Ryan Stana.

Joe Christopher, VP of Commercial Theatre Ventures at RWS, said the story is essentially an allegory of Hemingway’s life, and what makes this play unique is that Hemingway is actually one of the three characters.

“What you see in the play is almost parallel to Santiago struggling with trying to catch this marlin and everything that he goes through,” Christopher said, describing the plot of the novella. “You’re also seeing

Robert Berger | The Globe Stacks of Heminway novels, collections and criticism sit in the basement of the University Center. Hemingway was one of the most celebrated writers in American literature, winning a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize before his 1961 suicide in Ketchum, Idaho.

Hemingway who’s actually writing it in real time, and how they inform each othof their struggles, in terms of who’s informing who as the [novella] is written.”

“The Old Man and the Sea” was a novella published in 1952. Hemingway captured the struggle of an elderly Cuban fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish in 85 days.

He embarks on a three day journey without his young companion, Manolin, whose family has deemed Santiago unlucky. The allegory features the strife of man against the natural world.

“It’s basically a story that says a man could be destroyed, but he can’t be defeated,” Lindblom said.

“It’s about being a little tiny speck out there, that big ocean and that indomitable spirit of us knowing our own mortality, but we’re going down swinging.”

President Paul Hennigan said the administration is honored to host the worldwide premiere of the classic.

“It’s the first time it’s ever been done in the theater. It’s going to be in the Highmark Theater which is incredible,” Hennigan said. “I’m really excited to see what they’re able to do from a multimedia perspective with this show coming up in February. The new

Playhouse is clearly demonstrating to all of us the opportunity, the potential, the creativity, the flexibility it’s just an amazing space.”

Lindblom confirmed that four seniors have been chosen as filmmakers for the production - Tyler Morris, Isabelle Opsitos, Drew Praskovich and Raul Toledo.

“They’re really talented seniors and I couldn’t choose so I hired them all,” Lindblom said. “All four are working with a video designer creating the video that’s going to be used in this in the show.”

He also said the casting is almost complete. David Cabot is a local actor casted as Ernest Hemingway and Conservatory alum Gabriel Florentino will play the young boy, Manolin.

The production team of around 45 members are awaiting confirmation from an accomplished New York actor who is slated to play the old man.

“We’ve looked at both L.A. and New York to cast the right person that we want for this role,” Lindblom said.

“The Old Man and the Sea” will run in the Playhouse Highmark Theater from Feb. 1-17. Tickets are on sale now at the box office.

Carley Bonk cmbonk@pointpark.edu

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

FEATURES

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

HMR Apparel features messages of empowerment

By Lauren Clouser Co-features Editor

Justine Szurley said she has gotten negative pushback for her clothing line, particularly at markets open to the general public.

Szurley, a freshman psychology major, recalled a time when a man approached her at a market and disagreed with a slogan on one of her shirts that said “Girl is Not an Insult.”

“I was like: ‘Well it’s not [an insult], that’s an entire population of people,’” Szurley said. “‘Girl can mean strong, girl can mean anything you want it to mean.’

And he’s like: ‘Oh, so you’re sensitive.’”

Szurley said she gets this sort of reaction frequently, but that the good feedback usually outweighs the bad.

“I do get a lot of people saying to me, ‘Oh you’re just complaining, this is unnecessary, this is only for women’ that kind of thing,”

Szurley said. “So I do get pushback as far as the messages I’m conveying, but for the most part I find that the positive reaction is always way better than the negative ones.”

Szurley is the founder and owner of Hear Me Roar (HMR) Apparel, a clothing line that makes messages of empowerment and equality wearable.

Szurley’s products include items like shirts, tote bags and hats that bear phrases like “Girl is Not a Not an Insult” and “Let Boys Be Feminine.” One of Szurley’s favorites is a sweatshirt with a tombstone that reads “Gender Roles,” with hand-embroidered and hand-painted flowers.

Szurley, who describes her brand as trendy rather than fashionable, said representation and the messages on her products are what’s most important to her.

“I would even go further and say it’s about making a

Submitted | Linday Goranson Szurley’s products include hats, shirts, patches, bags and more featuring messages of female empowerment.

message wearable but also universal,” Szurley said. “All of my sizes are unisex and everything like that. And I try to get just as many men and androgynous people to be models as I do have women to be my models.”

Szurley said that growing up she was involved in a lot of male-dominated activities like ice hockey or her high school’s JROTC program, which inspired her to create messages of empowerment.

“Something that’s really important to me is empowering women, making sure that women know that they’re strong and they’re capable and they can do whatever they want to do,” Szurley said. “That was a huge passion of mine.”

Szurley’s company has landed her a second Youth Maker Scholarship at Pittsburgh’s Handmade Arcade, Submitted| Linday Goranson an independent craft fair Freshman psychology major Justine Szurley poses with one of her that boasts over 200 differ- favorite products for Handmade Arcade. ent vendors. for the participants to start clothing.”

Szurley will receive a their own businesses.

Szurley said she rebooth at the fair on Dec. The program also en- ceived support from her 8 and a stipend of $200. couraged Szurley to pursue friends and family. At the She said her booth will in- a clothing line that featured beginning of HMR, she clude embroidered hats, messages of empowerment. reached out to her friends screen-printed tote bags “The biggest advice I for help. and more. got from Startable was your Koda Calma, Szurley’s “There’s going to be a business should be what friend from high school, lot of things there,” Szurley you’re passionate about; has helped Szurley put said. “I do have some new that’s how I found mine,” photos and videos together shirts that I’m really excited Szurley said. for HMR. about, I have some tie dye Szurley uses “She kind of just went button ups that are very an- screen-printing, embroi- to all of our friends and said drogynous-styled.” dery and painting to make ‘hey I have a new business Szurley created the com- the designs that she creates I would love it if you guys pany in 2017 after attending herself. The screen print- could help,’ Calma said. “We Startable Pittsburgh, a pro- ed items are the quickest, all loved the mission stategram for youth makers that but it is still part of a larger ment and what she was dooffered mentorships and process. ing with the business and so business classes. At the end “You have to make the we all jumped on the opporof the session, the program design, you have to devel- tunity to help her out.” provided startup money op the screens, which I do Calma described Szurmyself,” Szurley said. “Then ley as determined and kind the printing process itself so I mean to print a t-shirt, 30 seconds, but overall it is a longer process to get everything ready.”

Szurley learned how to embroider from her mother.

“My mom was always very crafty when I was younger and she taught me how to cross stitch and embroider and everything so I used to just do it as a kid and do silly stuff,” Szurley said.

At Startable Pittsburgh, one of the mentors did embroidery, and Szurley realized she could use the craft for her business.

Justine Szurley “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Owner of HMR Apparel I can actually do that and Freshman psychology major that would actually be really cool on some products’ and I started to get back into it and it went like that,” Szur- hearted. ley said.

“Justine is incredibly Szurley does her print- outspoken but she stands ing at the graphic design up for people who have had business of her former hard times,” Calma said. teacher from Seneca Valley “She also takes time to lisSenior High School. ten to other people, espe“A former teacher of cially about feminism and mine owns a graphic de- their own experiences in orsign business. We’re family der to help them.” friends with him so I’m forFortunato called Szurtunate that he lets me use ley “the definition of a his facility and I’m able to go-getter” and praised her print there,” Szurley said. determination.

Her teacher, Steven “I’ve never met a high Fortunato, taught Szurley school student, freshman in for two years and worked college student that has been with her in a women’s engi- more driven and willing to neering club. go after what she wants,” “She has taken advan- Fortunato said. “So I think tage of every opportunity she’ll do some serious damthat she has ever been giv- age in this world, not just en the chance to use,” For- with her clothing company tunato said. “It just kind of but with all things.” worked out really well that I still had my screen printing business so she could Lauren Clouser lclous@pointpark.edu utilize that to do all of her

“The biggest advice I got from Startable was your business should be what you’re passionate about, so that’s how I found mine.”

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

5

Rugby Club holds annual Rent-A-Rugger event

By Hattie Charney Co-features Editor

In a packed Lawrence Hall Ballroom last Wednesday, Point Park Rugby Club hosted its unique annual event.

Rent-a-Rugger is the club’s largest fundraiser. The objective of the evening is to auction off dates with players from the team.

President of Rugby Club and senior economics and finance major, Steven Reed, said the club started Rent-aRugger in 2010.

“They have done it every single year and we wanted to keep the tradition going,” Reed said.

Vice-President and junior public relations major, Logan Platt, said they began to plan early on in the semester because of how large the event it is.

“It’s in the back of our minds from the beginning of the semester because we al-

ways know it’s going to come around, and it’s our biggest fundraiser of the year, so we’re always prepping for it,” Platt said. “We know it’s going to come around but we really start hitting the preparation hard probably in October.”

Every rugger got the chance to walk a runway and show off to potential bidders.

The “ruggers” came out on stage to a song of their choice and a short bio was displayed on a projector, as well as details of date they planned for the highest bidder.

Some ruggers kept it simple by just walking the runway, while others were more elaborate, coming up with routines.

Freshman economics and finance major, Chris Newell, was one rugger who put on a show.

“Dave [Armitage] and I were actually supposed to come out and just kinda do the rock, paper scissors thing

Hattie Charney| The Globe Players walk stroll down the runway during the Wednesday night event.

PIONEER PUBLIC Dennis McDermott

By Hattie Charney Co-features Editor

Freshman secondary education major, Dennis McDermott, can usually be spotted on campus wearing an iconically orange bucket hat.

“The bucket hat, there’s not really a story,” McDermott said. “A friend gave it to me in Nebraska and I wear it because I don’t want to mess with my hair in the mornings. I don’t want to wake up early enough to mess with my hair so I just wear it every day. I can’t believe it became iconic because of that, is the funny part.”

McDermott said people have taken to his bucket hat so much that they started to buy him variations of bucket hats.

“People are getting me bucket hats so I can diversify a little bit, I got a nice green bucket hat that

matches Point Park so that’s great,” McDermott said.

McDermott, who moved to Pennsylvania recently, wasn’t sure where he wanted to attend university at first, but once he visited Point Park, he knew he was in the right place.

“I loved visiting here.

It was like the best place I’d ever been,” McDermott said. “I don’t know why but I’ve never had the idea of like the university being only three buildings and you take an elevator everywhere and I love that for some reason and I still do.”

McDermott is from a small town in rural Nebraska with a population of about 1,000 and coming to the big city has been a change in his everyday life.

“I can’t believe that I’m here, I go out and take my bike to work and stuff like that and I look up at the buildings surrounding me and it’s like ‘Wow, this is happening,’” McDermott said.

While at Point Park, McDermott has gotten involved with several clubs including one that he started himself, The Ultimate Frisbee Club.

“I just started that because I played a little in Nebraska but it wasn’t ever a club sport or anything,” McDermott said. “Then I

with whoever lost [would] take off the belt and it would be small things like that,” Newell said. “But Jared [Slattery] hyped it up and he was like ‘No, you gotta take off the clothes,’ so I was like ‘alright,’ it was pretty much improved as we were going through.”

Platt said some guys started planning their routines weeks in advance in order to put on a show for the audience.

As prepared as the guys thought they were, veteran members of the team said they were nervous before the show, but not as nervous as some of the freshmen.

“The younger guys were especially nervous,” Reed said. “The guys who have done it before I would say weren’t as nervous but the young guys, especially the freshman, were nervous because they didn’t know what to expect.”

Newell said he was nervous and definitely did not expect to be shirtless during the event.

The team raised about $1,225 for its upcoming spring season. The highest bid of the night was for sophomore cinema production major, Caleb Gretsky, at $155.

“It was definitely a shock, wasn’t expecting [it] to go that high but it feels good.

It was enjoyable,” Gretsky said. “Honestly, I’m glad that everyone went for more than just five bucks but it is definitely an honor to be the highest bid this year.”

Gretsky said that even though he stuck to the same routine of ripping off his shirt and dancing, he went moved to Pennsylvania and there was a team here at the high school that I went to and I was like ‘This is really fun and I’m actually decent at it.’”

The club has gotten a lot of interest thus far. They are hoping to do more with the club and heavily advertise this spring semester.

WPPJ Radio Station has become one of McDermott’s favorite parts of coming to college. He started his own show, ‘Sad Fella Hours’, which quickly became as iconic as his orange bucket hat.

“There was a meme-y thing like ‘sad fella hours’ for the longest time,” McDermott said. “And I wanted to start a radio show and I don’t know how I decided that but I just did and I just loved it.”

McDermott serves as a senator in the legislative body of the United Student Government (USG). He sits on the rules committee that is very involved with the clubs on campus.

“I just love working with all the clubs and asking students what’s going on and then maybe even trying to fix some of that for them,” McDermott said.

Politics is an area that McDermott could see himself getting into in the future and he views this as a step-

Hattie Charney| The Globe Freshman Michael Horan takes the Rent-a-Rugger stage for the first time.

for more this year than he did last year.

Allison Roup, junior sports, arts and entertainment management major, won dates with not one but two ruggers. She said she wasn’t expecting to come to the event and win a date with anyone, and that she just wanted to support the rugby team.

“It’s nice to see the confidence and that we have a rugby team with good guys,” Roup said.

For the senior members of the team, this is their last Rent-a-Rugger event.

“It’s kind of sad because it’s something that we look forward to every single year, but at the same time it feels nice knowing that I don’t have to get up on stage and look like a fool again,” Reed said.

Reed and Platt agree this event would not be able to happen without help from the university and media services.

“We really appreciate all the help we get from the school,” Platt said. “SAIL really helped us out and Sydney Keller in event services, she really helped us out.”

Overall, the audience and members from the team loved coming out to raise money for the club and have fun in the process.

“It’s just a big team bonding honestly,” Gretsky said. “We just get so hyped together and just everything that happens just adds onto that.”

Hattie Charney hecharn@pointpark.edu

Hattie Charney|The Globe ping stone and a learning experience. In the upcoming semesters, he plans to stay in USG and continue to support and voice the concerns of the student body.

“I’d like to stay a senator ideally because I feel like I can have the most impact,” McDermott said.

“But ultimately if I feel like I need to get into another position to make a bigger impact or something like that then, yeah, I would do that as well.”

Hattie Charney hecharn@pointpark.edu

6

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

OPINIONS

THE

GL BE’S POINT

Another semester for the books. We’re relieved, to say the least.

For the last several terms, our Globe family has shrunk. As some of our best editors graduate and move onto honorable endeavors, we’ve found it hard to replace them.

We strive to serve our readers with the best content possible - unbiased, interesting and important news on our campus. When our staff shrinks, that task becomes much more difficult.

We are proud of the journalism we have curated this semester - throughout such a challenging season. But now, we are asking for your help.

We want to diversify the voices in our eight page newspaper every week. We want to hear about what our audience cares about most, things we may not hear about ourselves within our School of Communication bubble.

Writing truthfully and concisely is a skill employers value across a multitude of careers. The Globe is a great place to practice that, as our seasoned writers and editors can help you put forth your clearest

Webkinz cons kids into classism

By Sarah Gibson Co-news Editor

The Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu.

I’m a stressed college kid, alright? I’ve been looking for ways to chill out at the end of a bad day. This semester, I had a friend recommend I log on to my old Webkinz account. So, that’s what I do to relax now.

You can’t tell me there’s not something calming about the concept of an online stuffed animal universe.

However, I’ve noticed some changes to come to Webkinz since I last used my account, and I’m not impressed. Since I last logged off, Webkinz introduced lots of new content and roped off most of it on the website for users who pay for different types of premium memberships. Webkinz has introduced different kinds of advertising techniques, including pop-up ads for companies like Goldfish crackers and sidebar ads for something called eStore points.

These eStore points are a type of currency in Webkinz that can only be bought with actual money. $5.00 is 5,000 points, $30.00 is 33,000 points, and the maximum amount you can buy is for $125.00, and it’s 175,000 points.

While charging money for certain items in an online game isn’t new (et tu, Club Penguin?)

I’ve never seen it done to this extent. You want to go shopping? Too bad half of the instore products can’t be bought with Kinzcash, which Webkinz

your most valued inanimate objects and much more. Naming your circumstances and situations - giving things the importance of giving them a name - means that they hold value.

When I was in high school and didn’t approve of my friends’ crushes, I would purposely get their names wrong. Jesse became Jesús and Danielle became Debbie. Names have some power, certainly.

Our names are not where we find our sole meaning, but they are usually what distinguish us from others. They could be a huge component of our identity - when someone asks the question, “Who are you?” we normally respond with our name. Call it habit or social construct, but a name serves as a serious tool for distinction. If you did something really awesome in life, like fly to the moon, you would want to be remembered by name, right?

Transcending across all languages, names abound.

Though variations are vast, there is a widely systematic and cross-cultural constancy of practices related to name-giving. We give proper names to people, cities, monuments, landmarks, touches of nature, books, movies, non-human things that make us happy (favorite guitars, tomato plants we want to stay alive, small ladybugs we discover on the windowsill). When I was a kid, I used to name the raindrops

that would race down the car window of our minivan.

My dad actively defends his decision to name me on the basis of an admiration for Emily Dickinson, who, in my perspective, is a semi-overrated poetess with some seriously repressed homoerotic longings.

When I grew up a little, I came to know that Dickinson wasn’t just “hope is the thing with feathers,” in a similar way that I discovered Bruce Springsteen wasn’t just “Born in the U.S.A.” She was abnormally gloomy and as morbid as an undertaker, but she somehow mastered how to turn words into bodies of hope, desire and aspiration. She was a bit of a rebel with her improper use of punctuation, too. (In that sense, she’s a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.)

She wrote this weird poem for her brother where she debatably compares herself to the garden of Eden and/or begs her brother to come back to Boston. I think it’s about home.

Here’s a little snippet, for your reading pleasure.

“There is another sky, Evere serene and fair, And there is another sunshine, Though it be but darkness there; Never mind faded forests, Austin, Never mind silent fields-Here is a little forest,

Be the change you want to read voice.

As a strictly volunteer-based organization, we ask you to consider joining us in bringing the truth to our peers and professors. If you don’t see what you care about in our stories, we ask and welcome you to share your own.

There’s a reason we had to make little charts detailing personal and professional goals throughout high school.

It’s significant to make goals so you continue to aim toward what you feel is most important in life. Maybe you’ve created a goal for yourself to write more in the coming year. Maybe you’ve said, “I wish I used my camera more.” Make a goal for yourself and see it through.

As The Globe moves into a new semester and a new phase of its journalistic life, we are eager to see new faces and present fresh ideas to our Downtown community.

If you’re unsure, come by and check it out for yourself.

At the very least, you’ll be able to put faces to the names of the dedicated student journalists that bring you The Globe every week.

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

hands out like candy now that it has lost value in the wake of the introduction of things like eStore points, Full memberships, and Deluxe memberships.

Yes, two kinds of special memberships. The first is Deluxe, which also costs real person money. The website says that for one month, it only costs a whole dollar...

-for the first month. Every subsequent month, the renewed price is $5.99 per month. For some people, that’s not a lot of money. However, it’s still a sleezy thing to do by putting it in such small print, because you know they know kids won’t read it. However, if you want the real Webkinz experience, the Deluxe membership pretty much gives you access to everything that Webkinz has available.

Are there other options?

Yes! The Full Membership offers much less in the way of exclusive content for the user.

How much is it? Just the price of one new Webkinz every year.

It’s just a steady intake of the product you might be lucky to get in the first place.

I might sound silly, but I don’t like what this website could be teaching children. I miss the Webkinz where even if you only had one pet, you were in it forever. You had a virtual family. Now, unless you are in the position to spend your money, you can’t play certain games, get certain jobs at the

employment office, attend certain classes, take your animal on a virtual vacation, or buy the rug that would really tie your ‘Kinz’s room together. Is there not something subtly classist about this? There’s not any way for someone who doesn’t have money to get eStore points.

There’s no exchange rate of Kinzcash for eStore points, and you can’t sell rare items for them. Children will be forced to ask their parents for money for Webkinz, which the parents may not have.

I wouldn’t have these problems if I thought Ganz was a good company, but I don’t. I’d understand it even if they just had the ads, because sometimes those are necessary. But Ganz is not a good company, and what they’re doing is not rooted in necessity. If there’s a problem purchasing something online, and those online items somehow don’t make it to your account, Webkinz is not responsible, nor will they try to help you.

What I think my point is, Webkinz is trying to con as many children out of as much money as possible while they’re at the targeted age demographic, and it honestly has ruined the magic of my online baby animals for me. Webkinz shuts you out until you’re willing to shell out enough money to be a part of the in crowd.

Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu

What’s in a name? A farewell letter from the editor

By Emily Bennett Editor-in-Chief

My name is Emily. You probably know 73 Emilys.

We’re everywhere.

There’s at least three of us at any given time waiting for our coffee at Starbuck’s. You definitely have at least three of us in the each of your classes.

When I started school here, there were two people with the name Emily Bennett enrolled.

There are so many of us that I’m not even permitted to be bitter about any of my ex-boyfriends going on to date other Emilys. It’s become blasé. I almost wait for it now.

This may be a confusing time to be alive on this big blue marble, but if there’s one thing I’m unwaveringly sure of, it’s that the world is chock-full of white 20-somethings named Emily.

My parents, who both possess what I confidently believe to be higher than average IQs, named me Emily, and I’ll admit I’ve never forgiven them for it.

Emily is an admittedly forgettable name, and as a kid, I felt the need to compensate for the forgetability of my moniker.

(Now, not so much.) My birth year of 1997 saw the entrance and the excess of the Emilys, Jessicas, Ashleys and Sarahs of the world.

Names are important. You may not be responsible for naming yourself, but you could be in charge of naming your pets,

Whose leaf is ever green...”

There is another sky…

She’s telling her brother the story of their home. There is another sky means “come back, there is another place for you.”

I think she’s saying she would give anything for her brother to come back.

Home is something special. I left my West Virginia home when I began college here three and a half years ago. I left a soft, green yard, a dog and a cat, a tiny town with a church around each bend.

I swapped it for a semi-small city called Pittsburgh, and it slowly but surely advanced its way into a sect of home-ness in my heart.

Clutching a yellow notebook plastered with a shameful sticker (“Punk Rock is Good For You”), Emily Bennett - freshman edition, scooted nervously into a pitch meeting for The Globe. I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t really know how to write anything, save for short stories related to space and teenage longing. Admittedly, most of what I knew about journalism was Rory Gilmore-related. I took a pitch, and here I am.

What could home possibly mean for so many? Is it a collection of people, images, smells?

Is it a place? Or places? For some, it may be a memory, just a wisp. For others, it is aunts and uncles and raucous conversation across a table covered in food.

For me, home turned into a place filled with people who had subscriptions to the New York Times daily crossword puzzle. Home was a chalkboard covered in quotes from delirious, late-night copyediting stretches. It smelled like hot coffee, looked like fonts and margins, and felt an awful lot like the real world.

The Globe gave me a place to be more than another Emily. It gave me a chance to challenge myself. It gave me opportunity. It gave me the chance to document a presidential election year up close. It gave me the gift of celebration when the 50 year mark came around for The Globe. It allowed me to brainstorm weekly with my brilliant, show-stopping peers.

It has frustrated me, broken my heart, electrified me back to life, and circled back round again and again. If I lived a thousand lives, I could never say thank you enough.

Former graduating editors have used some space in their farewell letter to let everyone know where they’re headed post-grad. My plans are to clean out my car and finish a book I’ve been nursing for about a month. Sorry! (And thank you, thank you, thank you.)

Emily Bennett elbenne@pointpark.edu

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

The Globe board consists of Emily Bennett, Carley Bonk and fellow editors. Opinion articles, letters to the editor, columns and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the position of the newspaper or editorial board. The Globe reserves the right to refuse advertising and edit all submitted articles and letters to the editor. Letters to the editor must be signed and include author’s contact information. The Globe offices are located at the corner of Wood Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard. Writers should address letters to:

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

Editor-in-Chief: Emily Bennett Editor-Elect: Carley Bonk Business Manager: Carrie Reale Faculty Adviser: Aimee-Marie Dorsten Administrative Adviser: Dean Keith Paylo Advertising: Submit advertising related inquiries to globeadvertising@pointpark.edu All ads must be approved by the university.

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

News Editors: Mick Stinelli and Sarah Gibson Photo Editor: Gracey Evans Features Editors: Lauren Clouser and Hattie Charney Photo Editor: Kelsee McHugh Sports Editors: Dara Collins and Allison Schubert Photo Editor: Robert Berger Opinions Editor: Jordan Slobodinsky Arts and Entertainment Editor: Amanda Myers Online Editors: Nicole Pampena and Sam Fairchild

Copy Desk: Hannah Walden Nick Horwat Social Media Coordinators: Beth Turnbull Hannah O’Toole Public Relations Coordinator and Business Manager: Carrie Reale Delivery Assistant: Autumn Barszczowski Kortney Lampel Graphic Designer: Alysse Baer

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

All in With Allison

By Allison Schubert Sports Columnist

Semester Standouts It is the last issue of the semester, and I honestly cannot believe that this is my 14th column already.

Like the academic semester, the athletic semester has flown by. There has been at least one standout moment or event or person in each sport that we have covered in this section so far.

This week I want to highlight all of those achievements before we move on to the holidays and everyone forgets about school for a month. So, let’s begin.

GOLF

The standout from the fall golf season has to be Joey Walz. Walz is a junior transfer from NCAA Division I Marshall University.

She had two individual tournament wins in three starts and is easily the best golfer to come through Point Park.

In my time here, the golf teams have flown under the radar, and for the first time, they were gaining schoolwide attention because of Walz and the talent she brought to the golf team.

VOLLEYBALL

The standouts in the world of volleyball just so happen to be the tallest and shortest players on the court for the Pioneers - Ashley Taylor and Morgan Dangelo. Both seniors, Taylor has made it clear that she is Point Park Athletic Hall of Fame material and Dangelo is one of the best liberos that the Student Center Gym has seen. Taylor and Dangelo have something else in common - both belong to the 1,000 club. Taylor recorded 1,000 kills and Dangelo tallied 1,000 digs very early in the season.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The women’s soccer team saw a very impressive season, finishing 11-8 on the season and 7-2 in River States Conference (RSC) play, enough to clinch first in the RSC standings going into playoffs. Although the team lost 2-1 in the semifinal round of the playoffs to IU East, their effort was not lacking. Stars from the team this year come in the form of seniors Abby Magliocca and Asia Pennock-Franke, juniors Gabby Widman, Ashtyn Webb and Chloe Bowser and freshmen Britney Adrian, Taylor Goldstrohm and Tia Horew. Widman, Webb and Bowser were all named to the All-RSC First Team and Horew was named the RSC Newcomer of the Year.

MEN’S SOCCER

The men’s soccer team faced a similar fate after a 2-1 loss in the RSC Quarterfinal matchup against Brescia. Standouts on the team included seniors Marc Bentley and Juan Somoza, sophomores Geert Bijl and Mitchell Roell and freshman Lorenzo Diaz. Bijl and Diaz were named to the All-

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

7

Shields, Rohlf qualify for NAIA national meets ahead of track seasons

Shields qualifies for 3,000 meters, Rohlf first-ever marathon qualifier

RSC First Team and Somoza was one of two goalkeepers named to the All-RSC Second Team. Most notably, Bijl, a Dutch-born player who transferred from Missouri Valley College, led the team with nine goals and 20 points this year.

CROSS COUNTRY

The standout from the cross country season, of course, is Anna Shields who grabbed the title of fastest woman in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa when she won the national championship by seconds. There is not much else to say then she is the best athlete in Point Park history and will be for a long time.

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Anna Shields competes in the 2017 Youngstown Invite. On Saturday, Shields qualified for the 3,000 meter event for the NAIA Indoor National Championship meet. Shields also qualified for the 3,000 during the 2016-2017 season.

TRACK AND FIELD

The track and field standouts come early on in the season in Anna Shields (again, yes) and senior Kara Rohlf. Shields, who needs no more credit to her name, has already qualified for indoor track nationals in the 3,000 meters after setting another record in the Tiffin Alumni Meet. She ran a 9:55.56 in the meet. Rohlf is now the first person in Point Park history to qualify for the marathon at nationals after competing individually in the Nittany Valley Half Marathon. Honorable mention goes out to sophomore Alex Barr, who missed qualifying by just three seconds.

By Dara Collins Co-sports Editor

Although the indoor track and field season does not begin until this Friday and the outdoor track and field season does not begin for a couple months, the Pioneers wasted no time to begin a list of athletes to

send to nationals.

Coming off of a career-best cross country season, senior Anna Shields refuses to slow down with indoor track just around the corner. The decorated runner competed in the Tiffin Alumni Meet and qualified for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athlet-

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team is off to a rough start after facing four different ranked opponents in the preseason, but standouts on the team have to go to senior captain Kaitlyn Smith, sophomore guard Michelle Burns and head coach Tony Grenek. Smith posted a career-high 23 points in an RSC loss to IU Kokomo on Saturday, but she has never failed to remain optimistic in what the team can do.

Burns continues to lead the team in scoring, despite being only a sophomore. So far this season, Grenek has done an amazing coaching job of the Pioneers. In a tight game (which ended in a Point Park win) against Ave Maria (Fla.), I credit Grenek’s coaching job alone to the win.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

And finally, the men’s basketball team has already tallied as many wins this year as they did in the entire season last year - four. After going 4-22 last year, the men, under new coach and my former head coach Joe Lewandowski, are sitting alone in first place in the RSC standings with a record of 4-4 on the season and 2-0 in RSC play.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Kara Rohlf competing in the 2017 RSC Championship meet. Rohlf became the first Point Park runner to qualify in the marathon for the NAIA National Outdoor Championship meet which will be held May 25.

LAST WEEK’S SCOREBOARD NOV. 27 - DEC. 3 MEN’S BASKETBALL (2-4) (0-0)

CARLOW 69, POINT PARK 79*...................................................... Nov. 27 IU KOKOMO 66, POINT PARK 67*................................................ Dec. 1 Next: Dec. 8 vs. (11) WVU Tech*, Dec. 10 vs. Washington Adventist

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (1-6) (0-0)

CARLOW 73 POINT PARK 63*....................................................... Nov. 27 POINT PARK 65, PSU-GREATER ALLEGHENY 38...................... Nov. 28 IU KOKOMO 77, POINT PARK 71*................................................. Dec. 1 Next: Dec. 8 vs. WVU Tech*, Dec. 15 @ (18) Rio Grande*

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Next: Dec. 7 @ YSU Icebreaker

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

TIFFIN ALUMNI MEET.................................................................. Dec. 1 Shields: 3,000 m (9:55) NAIA National Qualifier NITTANY VALLEY HALF MARATHON......................................... Dec. 2 Rohlf: Half marathon (1:29:40) NAIA National Qualifier (Marathon) Barr: Half marathon (1:23:33) Next: Dec. 7 @ YSU Icebreaker

COMPETITIVE CHEER AND DANCE

ics (NAIA) Indoor National Championships and claimed a school record in the 3,000 meters.

Shields finished the event in 9 minutes, 55 seconds. 22 seconds passed before another runner crossed the finish line. The track star only needed to finish the event in 10 minutes, 35 seconds to qualify for the national meet.

Shields has now qualified for an event in the NAIA Indoor National Championship 13 times, 19 with the addition of outdoor events.

This is the second time Shields qualified nationally in the 3,000.

One day later, two more Pioneers hoped to get a head start on the season.

Sophomore Alex Barr and senior Kara Rohlf competed in the Nittany Valley Half Marathon in State College, Pa., this past Sunday.

The duo hoped to qualify for NAIA nationals in the marathon.

Barr and Rohlf had to finish the half marathon in under 1 hour, 32 minutes to meet the national qualifying standard. Rohlf completed the feat in 1 hour, 29 minutes, 40 seconds to hit the A-standard in qualifying for the national meet, the first-ever Pioneer to qualify nationally for the marathon.

Rohlf claimed a new school record with her qualifying time and was the fourth female finisher overall.

Barr ran a new personal best at 1 hour, 33 minutes, 22 seconds, just shy of the qualifying time.

Shields will compete in the 3,000 meters at the NAIA indoor national championships in Brookings, S.D., on March 1-2, and Rohlf will compete at the outdoor national championships in Gulf Shores, Ala., on May 25.

The trio will be joined by the rest of the men’s and women’s indoor track and field team to officially begin the season this Friday at the Youngstown State Icebreaker.

Next: Dec. 7 @ Concordia University

*River States Conference

Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu

8

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Undefeated in RSC play after buzzer beater Men already match win mark from last season

By Derek Malush For The Globe

The men’s basketball team opened up River State Conference (RSC) play last week with back-to-back RSC victories, first defeating Carlow University 79-69 on Tuesday night and then edging Indiana University (IU) Kokomo 67-66 on Saturday.

“We don’t worry about win streaks or winning the game,” head coach Joe Lewandowski said. “We worry about making winning plays consistently and that’s what we did this week.”

The Pioneers were off to a slow start when they went up against the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the country in IU Kokomo (averaging 95.8 point per game), as Point Park never led the Cougars once throughout the first half.

It was a defensive battle as the score at the end of the first 20 minutes stood at just 30-23 in favor of IU Kokomo.

The Pioneers held the offense to just 38 percent shooting in the first half and a season-low 34 percent for the game.

Five minutes into the second half, Point Park stole the lead for the first time on senior guard Asim Pleas’ 3-pointer that put the Pioneers ahead at 33-32.

“We realized that [IU Kokomo] was playing at our tempo,” Lewandowski said.

“That allowed us to hang around and give us a chance down the stretch.”

With less than three minutes remaining in the game, the Pioneers had lost their lead and saw themselves down by 10 points at 61-51.

Point Park then dug deep and shot seven for 10 from

the field in the last two minutes. Sophomore guard Mark Shehady buried a 3-pointer with 35 seconds to go that dwindled the Cougar lead down to just two points at 64-62.

The Pioneers intentionally fouled on the ensuing possession. IU Kokomo made just one of the two free throws, keeping Point Park’s chances of victory alive with 28 seconds remaining.

Senior guard Daniel King grabbed the missing rebound and quickly ran it up the floor where he dished it to senior guard Justice Cuthbertson, who then sunk a 3-pointer with 20 seconds to go to tie the game at 65.

“We trust each other and we keep playing no matter what,” Cuthbertson said after the game.

A Pioneer shooting foul then sent IU Kokomo to the free throw line with 10 seconds remaining for two shots.

The Cougars went 20-37 at the charity stripe for the game, only able to bury one of the two free throws late, giving them the lead at 6665.

Coming out of the timeout with 10 seconds to go, the Pioneers passed the ball around the arc looking for the open man in Cuthbertson, who then drove the lane with two seconds remaining for the game-winning layup.

“My team had trust in me,”Cuthbertson said. “It’s all about resilience and playing the whole 40 minutes.”

IU Kokomo inbounded the ball with two seconds left and missed the full court heave for the win.

Point Park held IU Kokomo to just 29 percent shooting the second half as the

Submitted| Point Park Athletics Senior guard Justice Cuthbertson finished Saturday’s game against IU Kokomo with 19 points and a game winning layup with two seconds left. 17 of his points were scored in the second half.

Cougars made just nine of 31 from the floor the last 20 minutes.

The team was led by Cuthbertson, who scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half while also adding five steals, five rebounds and three assists to his credit.

Pleas also aided the Pioneer victory by scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds and securing two steals.

In their first RSC game of the season four days prior, Carlow jumped out to an early lead in the first half on Tuesday as they led the Pioneers 14-8 in the first six minutes of competition.

Point Park shot just 33 percent from the floor in the first half and went a dull 1-17 from behind the arc. Poor

shooting for the Pioneers kept them from taking a lead into halftime as they trailed the Celtics 34-30 after the first 20 minutes.

The Pioneers started connecting from downtown coming out of the half, burying three of their seven 3-point attempts to take a commanding eight-point lead midway through the second half. It was sophomore guard Chance Wrights 3-pointer that gave them the eight-point lead and the Pio-

neers never looked back.

“We know we can compete and beat any team,” Shehady said. “These last two games have really proven that.”

Senior guard T.J. Bates drove to the hoop and was fouled for an and-1 late in the game to put the Pioneers up by 10 points with under two minutes to play.

Bates then made the ensuing free-throw to put Point Park up by their biggest lead of the night at 11.

The Pioneers improved their field goal percentage with their second half shooting that jolted them to 44-percent shooting for the game.

Point Park held strong on defense, forcing 19 Celtic turnovers and finished with nine team steals to help propel them to their third win of the season.

The team was led by Bates who scored 18 points on 58-percent shooting as he also added six rebounds to his credit.

Sophomore guard Kyle Carrington added 17 points of his own on 66 percent shooting from the floor. He also grabbed five boards and dropped three of the teams nine assists on the night.

Point Park (4-4) (2-0 RSC) continues RSC play as they take on No.11-ranked WVU Tech on Saturday with tip-off at 3 p.m.

Derek Malush dwmalus@pointpark.edu

Women open conference play

By Allison Schubert Co-sports Editor

The women’s basketball team had a busy week, playing three games in five days and beginning their River States Conference (RSC) schedule, but was only able to pick up one non-conference win.

The Pioneers began their week on Tuesday, hosting cross-city rival Carlow to open RSC play at CCAC-Allegheny.

Point Park and Carlow were neck-and-neck throughout the first ten minutes of play, with the Pioneers only down by one at the end of the first quarter.

Junior guard Ariana Sanders led a scoring rush in the second quarter, when the Pioneers out-scored the Celtics 23-16. This run would put Point Park up 3933 before heading into the locker room.

The Pioneers defense remained strong in the second half, forcing 32 Celtic turnovers throughout the game, but it was the Point Park offense that cost them the game.

Point Park scored 12 points in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, and shot just 32 percent for the entire game.

Carlow’s 26-point showing in the final ten minutes handed them the win 73-63.

Sanders led the Pio-

neers with 18 point and nine rebounds in the game, 13 of those points coming in the first half scoring run.

Sophomore guard Michelle Burns notched 16 points of her own. The Celtics out-rebounded the Pioneers 55-38 and shot 52 percent in the second half.

Putting their first RSC loss behind them, the Pioneers traveled to McKeesport, Pennsylvania for a non-conference match against PSU - Greater Allegheny (PSUGA).

Point Park flaunted the depth on its bench, with 11 players seeing minutes in the game and all 11 reaching the scoring column.

The Pioneers took an early lead, which they built up to a 17-point lead by halftime.

They held the Lions to just five points in the fourth quarter, taking the win 65-38.

Junior guard Tyra James had a team-high 12 points, followed by Sanders and Burns with nine points apiece. Guards Baylie Mook and Sierra Dawson contributed points from the bench, adding in eight and seven points, respectively.

Point Park won in every aspect of the stat sheet, out-rebounding the Lions 40-27, out-shooting them by 11 percent, and forcing ten more turnovers than PSUGA. With a fresh win under their belt, the Pioneers came back to CCAC - Allegh-

eny for another RSC match against Indiana University Kokomo.

The first quarter foreshadowed the remaining half hour of play, with the game knotted at 16 after the first ten minutes.

The Cougars took advantage of Point Park’s 32 percent shooting and edged out the Pioneers 34-29 by the half.

Both teams shot 50 percent in the second half, leading the score to bounce back and forth for all of the final 20 minutes.

The Cougars pulled out a 77-71 win with a few big baskets in the final few minutes of play.

Point Park had a big offensive effort regardless, with senior captain Kaitlyn Smith leading the team and recording a career-high 23 points. Two other Pioneers tallied double-digit scoring numbers in Burns and James, who had 19 and 12 points, respectively.

Sophomore forward Carly Lutz led the rebounding effort with 11 grabs, six of which were in the offensive zone. Sanders added nine rebounds, six points and seven assists.

Point Park will take a brief break before hosting RSC opponent WVU Tech on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

Submitted| Point Park Athletics Senior guard T.J. Bates drives toward the hoop against IU Kokomo Saturday. Bates put up seven points while grabbing 6 rebounds in the contest.

Submitted | Point Park Athletics Senior guard Kaitlyn Smith dribbles into the offensive zone against IU Kokomo Saturday afternoon. Smith lead the team in points with 23 but the team lost 77-71 . They continue conference play this Saturday.