Point Park's The Globe Spring 2018 Issue 10 by Point Park Globe

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@PPUGlobe March 28, 2018

Paylo clarifies dress policy for grads

5 PAGE 8 PAGE 10

By Nicholas Horwat

Co-Arts and Entertainment Editor

Chloe Jakiela | The Globe

High school students lead a rally of approximately 30,000 people at March for Our Lives on Saturday, marching from the Pittsburgh City County Building to Market Square, protesting gun violence in solidarity with the national movement. Photo story on page 3. ors cords during commencement. “I have to say that I’m very proud that in our student body there are a number of students in our graduating class that do graduate with honors,” Paylo said. Students who identify as members of other organizations do still have the option to represent their clubs with graduation stoles, decorative vestments in

GRADUATION page 2

Sex offender arrested on campus pleads guilty, charged in trial By Nikole Kost

A registered sex offender that was arrested in Lawrence Hall last year pleaded guilty this morning to resisting arrest and trespassing. On Sept. 7, 2017, police approached Delbert Banks, 36 of Knoxville, in the George Rowland White dance studio on reports of suspicion, which led to an altercation resulting in Banks fleeing. Police tasered Banks, who then took off his shirt to remove the taser. Banks ran outside through the stairwell, setting off the emergency alarm, afterwards running into traffic where he was eventually arrested on the sidewalk on Boulevard of the Allies. According to police, Banks was in possession of a knife and a marijuana cigarette during the arrest. “I actually live on that block; I’ve seen the building before, but there is a sign that says only students are allowed,” public defender Andrew Howard said during the

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As graduation looms ahead for seniors in many organizations across campus, policy for what is acceptable decoration to represent those organizations on graduation day remains in place, according to Dean of Students Keith Paylo. “Policy is policy,” Paylo said in a phone interview. “The only cords that are acceptable in a sense for commencement are honors cords and the veterans cords.” Graduation cords are given out by the registrar’s office to eligible seniors, according to Paylo. “The veterans cords are camouflage looking, the honors cords are gold,” Paylo said. “That was a decision made years ago to give recognition to those who serve our country. The honors cords, of course, are something that have always been in place for those students who excel and are recognized not just as honors students, but those who graduate with honors.” Paylo said he is always impressed by the number of hon-

Non-traditional students share their reasons for returning for a degree Carley Bonk explores service industry’s sexual harassment problems Baseball undefeated in conference play, outscoring opponents

trial. Banks served two weeks in the Allegheny County Jail before posting bond. During Thursday’s trial, Banks said his education only reaches 10th grade, but has recently began culinary and business classes at the Community College of Allegheny County. Howard also mentioned Banks’ fiance is currently pregnant and was heading to a doctor’s appointment after the trial. Judge Jill E. Rangos of Allegheny County Criminal Courts of Common Pleas sentenced Banks to one year of probation, completion of his GED, and ordered Banks to have no contact with Point Park University and its property for no further punishment. Rangos described Bank’s behavior as a “minor incident.” “I hope as a father in the near future you will put this all behind you,” Rangos said.

Nikole Kost nkost@pointpark.edu.

It started with the idea of something big, and ended with an arrest. Not a literal arrest, though the show was closed by an entire cast in handcuffs. Alexander Popichak had plans of doing something big on television that was not news-focused, and Copen was in from the beginning. “Popichak asked me to do this a long time ago and he just said he wanted to do a TV show and to make it big,” Copen, a freshman cinema major, said.

POINT _ LIVE page 2

USG recognizes Christian club, discusses ongoing elections USG By Alexander Popichak USG Beat Writer

As Point Park’s United Student Government (USG) enters its election week, the legislative body recognized a new club. The club approved Monday, The U, is a branch of a youth group at Pittsburgh-based Amplify Church. Amplify is a non-denominational church and branches of The U have been set up at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Duquesne University. “The mission there is to reach as many people and bring as many people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ,” Sarah Pais, club president, said after the Mon-

day meeting. “I feel like Point Park really needs that right now so the goal is to complete that mission. To bring the word of God to as many people as possible.” USG has recognized another non-denominational Christianity-based club, the Body of Christian Fellowship, since 2004. The Body is associated with the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), a Pittsburgh-based nondenominational campus ministry organization. According to Body president Carrie Reale, the CCO hires campus ministers to carry out its mission of spreading the message of the Gospel. “Both groups [The U and the Body] want to bring essentially a college youth group onto campus,” Pais said. “We are just going to do it in a less traditional way so we would

just attract a different group of people. The Body tends to attract people who grew up in the church and already know and have the background. We are trying to attract the people who maybe never heard of it or don’t know anything about the Bible.” Pais, a freshman mass communication major, said the organization will probably not start meeting until the start of the fall 2018 semester, but said the group already has a support base of 20-25 students. In addition to recognizing The U, the legislative body discussed this week’s elections and last week’s USG debate. According to Josh Croup, USG Press Secretary and U-View News and Sports Director, the

USG page 2

Robert Berger | The Globe

USG Presidential candidates Hayley Hoffman and Kaylee Kearns debate at the CMI last Wednesday.

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Point Park

GLOBE

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Student clubs to be represented with stoles from GRADUATION page 1

LOCAL Brenda Dare, President of Dare Enterprises Inc. spoke to sports, arts and entertainment classes last week on the challenges of starting her own business. According to the Dare Enterprises website, after working in human resources (HR) at Xerox, Dare decided to create her own business in 1996. Dare Enterprises has since worked with various Pittsburgh businesses handling HR services. While speaking to Professor Teresa Gregory’s classes last week, she addressed the challenges of starting a business as a woman along with how to achieve success in the business. Gregory told the university website that she chose Dare because she was searching for a women who owned a small and has a strong HR background. ---A man was found shot dead on Ward Street in South Oakland Monday evening, according to the University of Pittsburgh Police. According to a tweet from Pitt Police, they believe the man was shot in McKeesport and transported to the 3200 block of Ward Street. He was then removed from the vehicle and left on the sidewalk where police found him. According to a WPXI report, a man was shot and killed on the same block in April 2015. Police are still investigating the crime. ---Nominations for the Outstanding Student Awards opened this week and will be live until April 3 at 11:59 p.m. Each year, the university awards students for academic achievements and contributions to the campus community, according to the university website. Students selected for awards will be presented them during a banquet at the Fairmont Hotel in April. In years past, nearly 300 students, faculty and family have attended the banquet. Along with awarding individuals for contributions to campus, students will also be named into the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. Last year, Point Park recognized nearly 5o students and organizations.

ALMANAC Spring 2006, Issue 11: Food service management and students clash over the music choice played in the Point Cafe. Students complained that WPPJ was only played throughout half of the Cafe, was barely audible, or shut off completely. Spring 2007, Issue 11: The university website gets its first major redesign since Point Park achieved university status in 2004. Spring 2009, Issue 11: President Paul Hennigan informs faculty and staff of possible salary changes depending on enrollment and the university budget.

colors that adhere to the organization’s choice. “Stoles are different in a sense that student organizations have decided to adopt those,” Paylo said. “We have not taken a hard line in eliminating them. It has just been a philosophy that it is respectful for students to...utilize that as a way to show pride for their organization.” Allanah Owens, vice president of Black Student Union (BSU) and senior human resource management major, is one of those students who is proud to represent her organization. “We knew that we wanted stoles to honor the seniors,” Owens said. “It’s something that is really important to us to honor those students who have been very involved in our club. It’s a nice present for myself and the other senior on the executive board.” BSU stoles are often identified by their black, red, green and yellow colors. The club’s executive board decided on a spe-

cific website, graduationstoles. com, for their seniors to choose and make customizations. As far as costs go, stoles usually are a bit pricier than the $15-20 cords, usually averaging between $25-50. Owens’ stole priced around $30, but at no cost to her due to duel funding from USG and BSU. “We requested 15 for each of our two stoles,” Owens said. “They usually grant us half of the cost of each one. BSU has been providing the rest of the funds for senior stoles for the past three years.” The USG finance committee reviewed funding for graduating senior stoles on March 9, according to USG Treasurer Justin Stocklas. Three organizations initially made requests for graduation ornamentation. BSU specifically asked for stoles, and Pre-Medical Club and Not On My Campus requested cords. “No one has reacted in being upset,” Stocklas said. “There was just a bit of confusion regarding university policy.” Paylo had a similar re-

Isabelle Opsitos | The Globe

Stoles typically cost anywhere between $25-$50, while cords are cheaper and usually cost graduates around $15-$20. sponse. “I’ve been at Point Park for 15 years and have not received any backlash at all in regards to that policy,” Paylo said. “There really just needed to be some clarifications. The university just doesn’t want each student group having different color cords because it takes away the intent of the cords as they were created.” Whether students wear cords or stoles on the day of their commencement ceremo-

ny, Owens said they all share a sense of pride for what they have accomplished in their time here. “It’s a proud moment to see all the cords and stoles because it shows that we did a lot,” Owens said. “I gave back to the school that provided me with all these resources and knowledge. It’s nice to recognize, ‘Wow, I had a lot of fun during it.’”

Carley Bonk cmbonk@pointpark.edu.

Election ballots open through Friday from USG page 1

stream of the debate has reached 1,500 people since Wednesday. “We had a good enough crowd [at the Center for Media Innovation watch party] that there were enough students to consume all of the pizza that we had,” Croup said Monday. There are two candidates for president, President Pro-Tempore Hayley Hoffman and Vice President Kaylee Kearns. Hoffman, a sophomore stage management major, said her goal for USG in the coming year is to improve the effectiveness of the organization in addressing student concerns. “I want to see this organization flourish,” Hoffman said after the meeting. “I want to bridge that gap between administration and the rest of the university. It’s not just bridging

the gap between administration and USG, it’s bridging that gap between all students and the administration.” Hoffman repeatedly criticized the leadership of current USG President Robert Bertha during Wednesday’s debate. In particular, Hoffman took issue with communication overall and said that senators were not as involved as they could be in decision-making processes. Kearns, a sophomore sports, arts and entertainment major, said her goal is to focus on the concerns of commuter students and “fixing” communication. “There needs to be a clear line,” Kearns said after the meeting Monday. “If something is coming from Dean [of Students Keith] Paylo’s office, and it’s trying to get out to the club leaders it needs to be quickly passed through USG if that’s the way it

needs to go. It needs to be clear and concise from the beginning to the end.” Kearns focused on continuing USG’s outreach during the debate and said her current position as vice president has prepared her to work as USG president. Kearns said she wants to take the organization further by holding fast to the organization’s goal of representing and serving students. Both Kearns and Hoffman have served on USG for two years and under two presidents - current president Bertha and former president Blaine King. The only candidate running for USG Vice President is Senator Brittany Arp. Arp is a freshman political science and legal studies double major and said she is running because she wants to strengthen USG’s relation with clubs and organizations.

“My vision for the organization would be, first of all, to get more senators,” Arp said Monday. “More senators, more representation. And then work with everyone on campus - whether they be administration, Culinart, club leaders, just everyone.” In addition to the livestream, USG also aired profiles of all senator candidates during the breaks of the show. Elections take place through Friday on PointSync at bit.ly/USG2018Election. All students registered for the Fall 2018 semester are eligible to vote - graduating seniors cannot unless they are going to be continuing onto graduate school. Disclosure: Sarah Pais is the co-online editor for The Globe.

Alexander Popichak apopic@pointpark.edu.

Student-led sketch show airs on YouTube from POINT _ LIVE page 1 “So I took that at his word and made it really, really big and kind of stupid.” Four months of writing, planning and recording had gone into the production of Point_____Live all leading up to the live show that was seen with great reception. The long process of putting the show together began in January when a group of writers and performers were collected. What the final product would look like was only known by the cast and crew until March 25 when it was finally all put live on stage. “We have never seen the full show until this very moment,” Copen said. Point_____Live was inspired by the weekly sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL), and its influence is clear. From a host monologue, to the live and pre-recorded sketches and even to the saxophone -focused music, the whole thing felt “live from New York.” Pioneer Records recording artist Gabe Reed was there for a live performance and unexpectedly got to appear in a live sketch himself. “They threw that at me totally last minute,” Reed said. “What you saw is what you got, I had no idea what I was doing.” Reed did enjoy his time on stage, and the show overall. He

was able to watch a livestream backstage and stated that the sketch “Babyhands” was his favorite. “I was not sure what the set up would be, I just brought my acoustic guitar,” Reed said. “I think it went well.” The show was performed live at the George Rowland White (GRW) Theatre, at a viewing party at the JVH Auditorium or live on a YouTube stream. Through the different ways to watch an audience of around 300 people viewed the show live. The GRW was sold out within a week, the livestream peaked at about 80 viewers and the viewing party had around 15 attendees. The recording of the show on the U-View YouTube page gained over 600 views in just under a day, making it already one of the most viewed videos on the YouTube page. Some sketches were packed with comedy that relate to everyday life in Pittsburgh and on Point Park’s campus, such as elevators, the Starbucks saga or a two part skit on the feud between Pizza Fiesta or Genoa’s, titled “Blood and Ranch,” were greeted with much praise from the audience. The jokes were not just centered around Pittsburgh and Point Park; a lot of the live sketches could be found funny

by anyone. Some of the standouts were the Ouiji Board Slumber Party and the News Night Tonight Now which was a remake of SNL staple Weekend Tonight. “The team of writers really worked hard to make sure that we had a mixture of local content and just general content,” Popichak said. It was more than just a sketch comedy show, however, there was also an overarching story arc between the sketches. One example is in sketch performer Ben Herdman was crushed by a wall, and the rest of the show is played without him. “I think overall it was really successful,” Popichak said. “I said repeatedly, if we get this

3/20/18 10:56 a.m. Harassment Academic Hall Arrest- No Campus Affiliation

Disclosure: Alex Popichak is the USG beat writer for The Globe.

CR do IM noE tRE cPr 3/21/18 OoRss 10:24 a.m. T Theft Nicholas Horwat njhorwa@pointpark.edu.

Lawrence Hall Under Investigation

7:36 p.m. Theft Lawrence Hall Unfounded

thing on the internet, people can see what is going on on the stage we’re successful. And it was beyond that.” Point_____Live was described as a once in a lifetime show but when asked if he would want to do the show again, Copen had this to say. “Absolutely! I know the cast wants to do it again, I know the writers want to do it again, so if Paul Hennigan is reading this newspaper, which I know he does, please let us do this again!”

3/25/18

12:15 p.m. Drug Violation Lawrence Hall Referred to Student Conduct

os s

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

FUTURE GENERATIONS MARCH FOR THEIR LIVES

Chloe Jakiela | The Globe

Jared Murphy | The Globe

Young people hold signs protesting gun violence at the March for Our Lives rally Saturday morning in solidarity with the national movement.

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FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Professor uses wide interests to help students By Lauren Clouser Co-Features Editor

Sean Elliot Martin’s office walls are covered in academic degrees and plaques commemorating his achievements in martial arts, including the new form he created. “I just can’t decide what to suck at,” Martin joked. Martin is currently a full-time instructor in the Criminal Justice and Intelligence Studies Department at Point Park, using his different interests purposefully to aid his students in the intelligence field. Martin’s degrees cover a wide variety of fields including a bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. in English, a professional certificate in intelligence, a bachelor’s in psychology, a master’s in environmental science and a doctorate in martial arts philosophy from his martial arts organization, which Martin stressed was not accredited. “I’ve taught a lot,” Martin said. “I’ve got a lot of experience teaching. I’ve got a decent knowledge based on a whole lot of different stuff. Intelligence is so eclectic, it’s so interdisciplinary, that I think learning a lot of different things helps me to fill in gaps and make connections for my students.” Martin started out at Point Park 18 years ago as an English professor. In addition to teaching English, Martin also used his martial arts expertise to instruct self defense classes, and met many intelligence majors through the program. The professors in intelligence began to hear about Martin from their students, and eventually invited him to teach intelligence brief writing. Martin received training and a certificate in intelligence and began to teach intelligence writing. From there, he was hooked. “Once I started doing this stuff I really fell in love with it,” Martin said. Martin said he considered quitting his job as a professor and joining the intelligence community as an analyst. He was then approached by Professor Michael Botta, the asso-

ciate professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Intelligence Studies. “Professor Botta called me and said: ‘Hey let’s have breakfast tomorrow, I want to talk to you about something,’” Martin said. Botta offered him some advice. “He said, ‘look, I think you would make a great analyst, you could go into the intelligence community,” Martin said. “[He continued] ‘I think you would make a great analyst, but you’re too good of a teacher to quit teaching. Instead of not teaching anymore, why don’t you teach this instead?’ So it was really his idea to start teaching intelligence,” Martin said. Gabby Widman, a sophomore intelligence and national security major, is currently in Martin’s critical thinking course. “He definitely knows what he’s talking about,” Widman said. “He has a crazy amount of facts that he throws out.” Widman said Martin’s wide interests are helpful in the classroom. “I think he’s talked about psych, criminal justice, intelligence,” Widman said. “That’s good for him to have because when he’s talking in class he’s touching on all aspects like outside of intelligence.” Martin’s other hobbies include woodworking, international freelance writing, medieval combat games, book writing, acting and martial arts, just to name a few. Martial arts is one of Martin’s longest-held hobbies. Martin started taking taekwondo courses at age 11 after being inspired by action movies. “I was a typical stupid kid who just thought it looked cool,” Martin said. From there, Martin continued to practice and learn new forms. “My interests evolved dramatically over the years, and I think it’s a lot more noble now,” Martin said. “I mean, not to be dramatic, but it’s about saving lives.” Eventually Martin began to develop his own form of martial arts called Kage-Es-

Dr. Martin is surrounded by his various degrees and awards inside his office.

sensu, meaning “shadow essence.” The form was officially recognized by the Eastern USA International Martial Arts Association in 2003. Martin said he founded the style in order to better aid those serving in the military and in law enforcement. “I’ve been around people in military and law enforcement for a long time,” Martin said. “As I got older I regretted that I hadn’t served in that way.” Martin still wanted to contribute. “I wanted to find ways that I could help,” Martin said. “I was too old to join as an enlisted guy at a certain point, obviously, so I thought: ‘How can I make a contribution so I can pull my weight and do my part?’” Martin realized that the techniques in other forms of martial arts were not always practical enough to be effective in military life-or-death situations. “When you’ve got real lives on the line this isn’t about looking cool or winning a trophy,” Martin said. “There’s a lot of ego and a lot of posturing and also a lot of adherence to tradition for tradition’s sake, and I try to be the first one to say there could be something better...When it comes to the martial arts, the reason I do it now is primari-

ly to teach people how to save their lives, and in the case of people I train who are professionals, how to save other people’s lives as well.” Martin worked with his students to perfect the form, which evolved as they found more effective techniques. Martin even consulted with physicians and chiropractors to ensure that certain techniques would have their expected effect. “I’ve had medical doctors who are horrified,” Martin said. “They say: ‘Wait, what would you do?’ ‘Well in this case I think this would be the medical result if we did this technique.’ And they say: ‘Yeah that’s what it will do alright, but please don’t do that to anybody.” Martin has instructed Kage-Essensu to not only his students, but to individual members enrolled in the military and police force as well. Martin described one of his best students, a police officer who signed up for what was considered the most dangerous shift in the city. Martin said the officer would call him every night when he used one of Martin’s techniques. Martin received calls frequently, until the officer called him one last time. “He actually called me just to say: ‘Hey, I called you to tell you I’m not going to call

Lauren Clouser | The Globe

you anymore when I use these techniques; just assume that I’m using them every night,’” Martin said. Martin also instructs Kage-Essensu out of his home where he teaches for free or uses the ‘barter system,’ which entails his students helping with woodworking in exchange for his lessons. Additionally, Martin continues to teach weekly classes at Point Park in Kage-Essensu. Gino Bovo, a longtime friend of Martin’s and the owner of a martial arts studio, has worked together with Martin to instruct before. “He’s a fantastic instructor,” Bovo said. “Just in the sense of the way he communicates his product. And one of the things I really enjoy about Sean when he teaches is how he’s very entertaining when he presents his product. Sometimes he’s comical about it. He’s never like this ‘Mr. Tough Guy’, he’s very professional.” Bovo spoke highly of Martin as a friend as well. “Sean, he’s one of the nicest guys you ever want to meet,” Bovo said. “Very polite, very professional, but a lot of fun...He’s a good guy, a very good guy. I think the world of him.”

Lauren Clouser lclous@pointpark.edu

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THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

From finishing degrees to changing paths

Non-traditional students share why they chose to return By Nicole Pampena Co-News Editor

After eight years of being away from Point Park, Laura Smith returned to complete the one credit she needed to earn her public relations and advertising degree under the university’s 2006 curriculum. At 52 years old, Thom Verdi is one month away from completing his funeral services capstone following decades working in the cosmetology industry. Whatever the reason may be, these non-traditional students uphold the notion that it is never too late to go back to school or follow a different path. As of 2017, non-traditional students account for just over 20% of undergraduates at Point Park, according to the 2017-2018 university fact book. Smith, 29, originally planned to walk at grad-

uation in May 2010, however she did not complete the required 70 hours of practicum to receive credit, resulting in an incomplete degree. “I should’ve went back to school that fall, but at that time I already had a full-time job working at iHeartMedia,” Smith said. “I was so mad that I didn’t finish at the time, so I never went back.” Despite not finishing, Smith spent the next eight years with steady nine-tofive jobs, starting out with event planning for nonprofits and later moving into the liquor industry, where she now is in her second year as a sales brand ambassador for Fireball Whiskey. Yet working full-time is what prevented her from finishing her degree. “It was a struggle,” Smith said. “I actually tried to come back to

Kelsee McHugh| The Globe 52-year-old Thom Verdi returned back to school to pursue a degree in mortuary science after a life of cosmetology.

PIONEER PUBLIC

Alex Elnicki By Lauren Clouser Co-Features Editor

Before Alex Elnicki came to work at Point Park, he was living in Los Angeles doing video production work. There, Elnicki worked for a production house that edited old movies for the internet so people could purchase a subscription to watch them. “The company I worked for, we would go through and pull them [the movies] out around the time of their birthdays or if they won an Oscar or something like that,” Elnicki said. “We’d blast over social media and make it look nice and HD and color corrected, and if there’s a scene they just

didn’t want from like a director’s cut we’d cut it out and pretty much just make it internet friendly.” Elnicki, originally from Pittsburgh, decided to return because it was expensive to live in Los Angeles. He came to Point Park to work as a studio technician in the Center for Media Innovation (CMI). He has been working here for just over a year. “I had never worked in academics before,” Elnicki said. “I had never worked at a university...It’s a different side of production for me, a different facet and a different skill set that I had never used before. It wasn’t just creative work, it was half business, half creative and social interaction with students.” Elnicki said his job changes every day. Sometimes he helps students working on projects, making sure that microphones and other equipment are working. Other days he helps with outside productions that book the CMI.

school about two years ago, but I couldn’t. It was a lot of running around down here, meeting with different individuals to try and get them to let me come back down here and make a comeback on my 2006 program guide.” Smith said that finding the right person to talk to about picking up where she left off was the biggest challenge she faced. “Students can usually come back within 10 years, when it’s easy to make things mesh, whereas someone here in the early 90s would have to come back new,” University Registrar Scott Spencer said. Now that Smith works independently with Fireball Whiskey, the job allows a more flexible schedule and the freedom to complete practicum, which is now nearing completion. In early March, Smith assisted Professor Aimee-Marie Dorsten with the regional Society of Professional Journalists conference held on campus. “I’m blessed to finally have the opportunity I have now to go back to school and finish this one credit that I need to finish my Bachelor’s degree,” Smith said. Despite receiving her degree, she plans to either stay within the liquor industry or move into event planning upon graduation. “Honestly I never even wanted to do ad or [public relations],” Smith said. “Event planning is my experience, that’s what I’ve done for the last eight years…before I moved into the liquor industry. It’s just something I’m doing for myself essentially right now.” Verdi, however, returned to school to steer his career in a completely different direction. Fresh out of high school, he moved from his hometown of Ashtabula, Ohio to Columbus to attend beauty school. “I’d always done the neighborhood people’s hair, and my sister’s a hairdresser, so I kind of

followed in her footsteps there because I watched her and learned and gave the neighbor ladies perms and color and all that stuff,” Verdi said. He went on to establish himself in the cosmetology industry, eventually working for L’Oreal as the director of education in their Matrix hair care division. Verdi saw a stable future within the company at the time, but had to step down and move to New York City when his mother fell ill in 2007. “I came off the road and I ended up going back into a salon and started selling jewelry… then became manager [of the jewelry store,]” Verdi said. “Then the economy kind of went to crap, and I got laid off.” Verdi then decided to pursue mortuary school after the lay-off in 2012. At 47 years old, he began attending Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Sciences (PIMS) on a 20-month program to receive an Associate’s degree in specialized business. “It all started out when I was 13 years old,” Verdi said. “My father had passed away and I had met the funeral director who took care of my family, and he kind of took me under his wing and got me interested. It’s kind of one of those things that just stayed in the back of my mind.” After receiving his license to be a funeral director in 2015 and practicing for two and a half years, Verdi came across Point Park’s funeral services capstone program—the only one of its kind in the area that would accept his 97 credits from PIMS. “I kept deciding that this is what I want to do,” Verdi said. “I can come back and complete my Bachelor’s…and I was able to do it in two semesters.” According to Spencer, transfer students can bring in up to 60 credits from community colleges, 70-80 credits from another fouryear institution, and must

complete at least 30 credits through Point Park to graduate. “We usually don’t take preparatory schools, technical schools, institutions not accredited at all,” Spencer said. “We also want to make sure the student is getting a good education at the same time.”

One of Elnicki’s favorite clients to work with was a New York City-based production company called Spacestation, which had booked the CMI to interview T.J. Watt, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Just seeing him come in here, he was really impressed with the space and got some photos taken,” Elnicki said. “We all just got to sort of talk with him for a little bit and he was just so down to earth.” Elnicki said the production company welcomed their involvement. “It was a production company from Manhattan just renting the space to do the interview,” Elnicki said. “They wanted us involved, they wanted us to feel like they weren’t just renting the space and leaving. They really wanted to work with us, so it was cool to set up with them in the photography studio and I just worked with them.” Elnicki said he enjoys working at the CMI because of the uniqueness of the

space, which attracts different students and clients. “It’s been cool to see who all has used the space,” Elnicki said. “Just the last

couple of months even it’s become really vibrant.”

“I’m blessed to finally have the opportunity I have now to go back to school and finish this one credit that I need to finish my Bachelor’s degree.” Laura Smith,

Public relations advertising student

and

Verdi described his time at Point Park as a “great experience,” crediting its diversity for his ability to fit in well with his younger peers. He hopes to move back to Columbus after earning his Bachelor’s, where he already found potential-- and promising-employment at two funeral homes. Both jobs offer the position of funeral director, allowing him to apply his knowledge of the embalming process, partially thanks to beauty school, and the operation of the funeral home as a business, thanks to the decision to be a student again. “The timing was right, so why not?” Verdi said.

Nicole Pampena nmpampe@pointpark.edu

Lauren Clouser lclous@pointpark.edu

Lauren Clouser| The Globe

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

A&E

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Book clubs engage readers around the Pittsburgh area

Groups cover a variety of books and topics, utilize local cafes and stores to discuss

The Big Idea Bookstore and Cafe, located on Liberty Avenue, often displays topical political commentary in their front windows. By Carley Bonk Editor-Elect

Alex Challoner wasn’t initially planning on starting her own book club when she moved to Pittsburgh from the West Coast - she actually wanted to join one. Grace Muller didn’t plan on starting one either, but when she and a few friends gathered together to discuss “Yes Means Yes” by Jaclyn Freidman and Jessica Valenti, that’s just what it blossomed into. Amanda Johnson said that with her job at The Big Idea Bookstore in Bloomfield, she sees that book meetings are commonplace and on a range of topics. Although the titles these book clubs discuss may be very different, the overarching goals of the groups seem to be the same - a chance to branch out and meet new people in the community and discuss a common interest: reading stories. A quick browse through libraries, bookstores and Facebook events in Pittsburgh will provide plenty of results

ing up reading the UK’s popular young adult series “Point Horror.” “It’s very similar to the Goosebumps series here in the U.S.,” she said in a phone interview. “I am a huge horror film fan as well. When I was browsing the different clubs that were already started in Pittsburgh, I couldn’t really find one that interested me so I started my own.” The group began holding their monthly meetings last September and has grown to 22 members on Facebook. The Library, a book-themed bar in the Southside, is the typical meeting spot. The discussions aren’t too structured, according to Challoner. “We usually kick off the discussion with whether or not we enjoyed it,” Challoner said. “The conversation naturally flows from there on different bits of the story.” The title selection process is pretty laxed as well, usually picking books that are 350 pages or less so that members are able to finish the text within the month. Challoner also mentioned she makes sure the

titles that are from different time periods and authors.” The first book the club read together was “Carrie” by Stephen King. Next month’s title is “Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury. Challoner finds the book club to be a great way to have a regular social gathering to look forward to. “I work from home as a personal assistant so this gives me an excuse to get out of the house and grab a drink while discussing books with people,” Challoner said. Muller, 29, of Friendship, is a part of a feminist book club with similar roots. “A couple of years ago, three of us were at brunch discussing a book,” Muller said in a phone interview. “We didn’t plan on a club, but that’s what it turned into. We had about 18 people at our last meeting.” The book discussions started in fall of 2014. The group meets around six times a year, and always at a different coffee shop around Pittsburgh. “We will usually have someone in charge of choosing a book and leading the discus-

Carley Bonk | The Globe Although the business identifies as an anarchist bookstore, many political ideologies are displayed throughout the space.

for book gatherings. The most difficult part, perhaps, is narrowing in on just one or two. Challoner, 36, of Carrick, said she had loved the horror genre since childhood, grow-

chosen books are easily accessible through local libraries. “I have a huge personal reading list myself, but always try to get input from others,” Challoner said. “We try to read

sion, often surrounding social issues,” Muller said. “We also have a pretty active Facebook group.” Many of the women involved have worked in the

Carley Bonk | The Globe

Carley Bonk | The Globe Shelves line much of the available wall space in the small cafe, filed by topics chosen through staff committees.

media or studied journalism, according to Muller. “We discuss a lot of media ethics and gender bias in the media,” Muller said. The club is looking forward to reading Hillary Clinton’s newest book, “What Happened,” a novel responding to her time as the Democratic candidate for president of the United States in the 2016 election. Muller and Challoner have similar sentiments. “It is definitely a commitment, but it’s a great way to meet new people,” Muller said. The Big Idea Bookstore in Bloomfield is another place one may find deep discussion of various literature. The small shop on Liberty Avenue is an “antiprofit, cooperative bookstore and cafe” that has called Pittsburgh home since 2001. The volunteer co-op is run by 20 people and hosts a variety of book discussions and guest authors. The large front window often displays politically critical posters under a shop sign that looks as if it were typed on an old fashioned typewriter. The book discussions aren’t always centered around politics though, according to volunteer Amanda Johnson of Bloomfield. “We have a mystery lov-

ers night and a vegan book club that that has met once a month for the past three years,” Johnson said in a phone interview. “We also will take a section from the store and read through a few of them as a group, one being Semiotext(e), a publisher of contemporary philosophy.” The Big Idea has a committee that consists of a few members of their volunteer staff that looks into favorite publishers and suggestions through word of mouth to come up with an order list of texts to fill the shelves. Staff keep a bulletin board in the store, distribute a newsletter and use Facebook and social media to share events with fellow book lovers. Johnson, who also participates in a book club at Sewickely Public Library, said her favorite part of being involved with book clubs is the ability to increase understanding of something she’s read. “When I read something, I may understand it a little, but when it’s brought up in discussion, someone else may have caught something I missed the first time,” Johnson said. “It’s like having a favorite class without being in college.”

Carley Bonk cmbonk@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

A&E

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

Jack White’s newest album as scattered as his persona By Amanda Myers Staff Writer

As reviews trickled in before the release of Jack White’s third solo album on Friday, one word stuck out amongst headlines: weird. If you are familiar with White and his thoughtfully constructed Tim Burton-like persona, the word doesn’t feel far off. White has never been one to stand in line with the rest of the industry. His voice, unfiltered and nuanced, has stayed persistent since his work with The White Stripes, and continues on the disconnected puzzle that is his newest project, “Boarding House Reach.” Weird, wacky and wobbly are just some of the adjectives that capture the tone of the record. Elaborate sections of the tracks merge contradicting sounds like bongos and screeching guitar. White goes full on 90s rap god at moments, turning to sweet country boy in a wink. This mishmosh of identity feels intentional for a musician at the crossroads of indie glory and super stardom.

Facing this, White tosses aside expected direction by creating his own road map. A new rockstar breed is developed with apex of the album, “Over and Over and Over.” White battles through the elements as his “shoulder holds the weight of the world.” It’s a gospel tinged head banger if there ever was one and will make for an earth-shaking live performance. While this song encapsulates White at the height of his guitar powers, this ambition falls flat on lead single and opener “Connected By Love.” What should be a gateway for ensuing grooves is instead a slow burning, miscommunicated message. Outside of looking at his life and the obstacles he has faced, the Detroit musician also tackles trials of our consumerist society. White is famous for his backlash of technology, brilliantly banning phones at recent concerts to form an in-the-moment experience. It may seem odd for an old school guy like White to lament over these trials while simultaneously dipping his toe into Pro Tools.

That’s because it is. But maybe White doesn’t care about these contradictions in his borderline egotistical music. He sees the world from a mad scientist point of view and expects the rest of the word to follow suit. The track “Everything You’ve Ever Learned” is a perfect example. It opens with an ominous “Black Mirror” sounding voice that repeats a cryptic phrase again and again. When White’s turn comes, he morphs into a camp counselor gone bonfire-side mad as he rages for listeners to take action. This commentary extends to the laughable and odd “Why Walk a Dog?” It’s unclear whether White is making fun of his own prose on the canine species or if he believes every word to be taken seriously. The technological aspect of his recent work is its strongest come the track “Hypermisophoniac.” Climbing effects gradually turn him into a video game character leveling up to the next stage. As a record, “Boarding House Reach” is far from

White’s best work, even if it’s his most ambitious. Interesting areas of technological rock dissolve the backbone of the album and leave White a little lost in the crossfire. The puzzle pieces need to be re-examined and repositioned to create a cohesive record, even if that was never the intention. Though White crams sound wherever it can be stuffed, he ends the effort sim-

ply, turning sweet and sincere. “Humoresque” is a delicate ditty that pitter patters like rain drops on a window and encapsulates a storybook wonder. When White is in this stripped-down state and executes it well, he makes the bells and whistles look unnecessary and exaggerated by default.

Amanda Myers amyers@pointpark.edu

Third Man Records “Boarding House Reach” by Jack White is weird, even for this artist.

Shawn Mendes surprises fans with two new singles

Josiah VanDien| Creative Commons Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes surprised his fans with two new songs. By Kayla Snyder Copy Desk Chief

Shawn Mendes surprised fans with not one, but two singles last week. With two dates of March 22 and 23 posted across his Instagram and Twitter, fans were left confused as to what they would mean. Some thought one of the dates would be the leading single to his upcoming third album and the second date would be the release date for the album. A week prior, one plain beige and one pink photo were posted all over his social medias, starting the frenzy of a new era for the singer-songwriter. The era marked something very different from the last two, which included darker colors such as blues and greys. Fans cracked the code quickly on Twitter creating rumors that the two dates symbolized the two singles he was going to release. The first was rumored to be called “In My Blood” and the second was rumored to be called “Lost In Japan.” The rumors were true. On the day of March 22, Mendes tweeted #InMyBloodAtMidnight confirming the first set of rumors. The hashtag quickly trended on Twitter until around midnight when the single dropped. “In My Blood” starts off with a very vulnerable tone coming from Mendes, chiming the lyrics, “Help me. It feels like the walls are caving in.” Compared to other songs, Mendes has never shown his vulnerability within his music, which marks a more mature sound coming on the upcoming album.

The song, which is focused on the struggles of dealing with anxiety, symbolizes an important time in the music industry and in the current societal discorse. Topics surrounding mental health are usually not described in raw statements, and if it is, it is something rare. When describing the lyric, “laying on the bedroom floor feeling nothing, overwhelmed and insecure, give me something, I could take to ease my mind slowly,” Mendes said in an interview with Billboard, that the lyric talks about his first time experiencing anxiety. “I think, to be honest, if you’re going to be talking about something and being that vulnerable and if it’s close to you, you have to go the whole way and be literal and say exactly how it felt and how it looked,” Mendes said in the interview. The song, mimicking Kings of Leon rock vibes, is the most abstract Mendes has ever gone with his music, typically staying in the pop music world. Mendes said in an interview that music is genreless now and that’s what his music reflects. The second single, “Lost In Japan,” is different from “In My Blood” entirely. “In My Blood” sports rock vibes and “Lost In Japan” exhibits old school Justin Timberlake vibes, mainly from the album “Justified.” At first, “Lost In Japan” starts off with an opening instrumental featuring a piano, which would typically mean that the song is going to be a slower, kind of ballad. The opposite happens. After a few seconds, the piano speeds up and the tempo

changes entirely to a very R&B heavy song, while keeping pop vibes that Mendes’ music is fmiliar with. Just like “In My Blood,” “Lost In Japan” tells a story that Mendes has never shared before: the overwhelming desire to go to a girl’s hotel room miles away, seemingly in Japan. Mendes, who is usually a “safe” writer showed his maturity in this song with the entire song focused on the repetitive chorus line: “Do you got plans tonight? I’m a couple hundred

miles from Japan tonight. I was thinking I could fly to your hotel tonight because I can’t get you off my mind.” However, in an interview Mendes said that “Lost In Japan” was created based off of a dream that he got physically lost in Japan and the next day he woke up and had a “cool piano” part in his mind, and thus the song was born. The singer-songwriter confirmed fan theories such as if the two songs would have the same effect as “Castle on

the Hill” and “Shape of You,” both by Ed Sheeran, had, labeling two different types of songs in preparation for his new album. Mendes has kept quiet about the album and its release so it’s expected for more music to be dropped in the upcoming weeks due to the anticipation on of his currently unnamed third album.

Kayla Snyder klsnyde@pointpark.edu

OPINIONS

GL BE’S POINT

THE

WEDNESDAY MARCH 28, 2018

Who run the world? Ladies.

It’s election week. This year’s United Student Government (USG) election is a little different from the past. Looking at the ballot, the majority of picks are notably female-identifying students, minus Conservatory of the Performing Arts (COPA) Senator candidate Matthew Spaccadia. This will be the first time since the 2007-2008 academic year that USG will have an elected female president, regardless of who wins the ballot this election. We specify “elected” president because during the 2009-2010 academic year, Sidnie Stevens, who was originally sworn-in as the vice president, took over the position after the resignation of then-USG President Ryan Deasy. Point Park students are notably more female-identifying than not, with 59.6 percent of the student body falling into that category, according to the university factbook. This raises the question of why, with a quickly growing female population, did it take a decade for another woman president? And it’s not just USG. While The Globe has had more recent female editors-in-chief. Both our editor-in-chief and

editor-elect positions are filled by women. Why is this significant? Despite participating in groups at usually the same rate as men, women may tend to feel under-qualified for positions, while men may tend to overestimate their abilities and take more risks when working toward leadership positions. The United States’ lower house of government is only 19.4 percent women, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, updated in January of this year. This leaves us in 100th place on the union’s list. Saudi Arabia ranks higher. While we acknowledge that great strides have been made toward gender equality, even just this past year, there are still miles to go before society truly evens the scale. More women across the country have been running in elections than ever before. The wave has hit Point Park and we think it’s long overdue. This is what makes the USG election so exciting. We at The Globe wish you the best of luck, ladies. And Matthew Spaccadia. The Globe does not endorse candidates.

The Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu.

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

The Waitress Tales: sexual harassment By Carley Bonk Editor-Elect

Sitting in silence at my desk in The Globe office two weeks ago, I read an article in The New York Times that moved me to tears. I was waiting to copy edit our last layout for the evening, well after most of our staff had already left. Instead of doing the pile of homework I had stacking up, I decided to peruse “The Tipping Equation,” by Catrin Einhorn and Rachel Abrams instead. The eye-catching splash page adorning this multimedia layout immediately pulled me in. Reading, hearing and watching women share countless stories of sexual harassment in restaurants kept me engaged to the very end. This article is the most connected I’ve felt to a story in a long time. As someone who has worked in the restaurant industry for years, I can attest to the fact that sexual harassment is often part of the average work day. In the wake of the international movement to expose sexual harassment, it is long overdue that we turn our scrutiny to an industry that seemingly normalizes, even encourages sexual harassment from customers, management and coworkers.

The “sex sells food” mentality just isn’t right. It heaps on an extra burden for many workers with too much weight already upon their shoulders. I don’t think I even realized the amount of sexual harassment I’ve personally dealt with in this type of work environment until I read this. I can’t tell you how many times working in a bar has made me feel uncomfortable, ashamed, frustrated, wishing I could afford to work somewhere that didn’t use the way I looked to sell their product. The employment of this complete multi-media technique of storytelling packs a bigger punch. The writers address that precarious boundary waitresses live with regarding their work - dressing themselves up for tips, but not too much to attract unwanted attention or advances from customers. This is a line I’ve been balancing for years, a realization that saddens me. In this twisted society, women can’t dress themselves up without considering the consequences that may involve. Their bodies aren’t solely their own, but society’s to judge how they feel appropriate. They cast their votes with a percentage of their check. It’s disgusting that we live in a society where mil-

lions of women have to worry about not being able to pay their bills, pay for their education or feed their babies if they speak up for themselves. I’m tired of the way servers are treated. So many women in this industry realize it at some point - their income relies on the public’s “generosity.” Oftentimes customers can take their “tipping power” to a shameful level, where they make women feel trapped by their harassment just because they need the money to pay their bills or feed their children. I was filled with gratitude to see The Times tackle sexual harassment in an industry that employs nearly three million people. The field is often filled with young people trying to work their way through getting an education, sacrificing social lives and schoolwork to do so; or single mothers who have to work nights and weekends to bring home the best tips to their children. Please read this article and remember these brave women’s voices when you go out to eat. Treat the waitstaff like people, not like dolls you own. A server has the responsibility to give you nice, prompt service - not to fulfill your sexual fantasies.

Carley Bonk cmbonk@pointpark.edu.

A dog person and a cat person walk into a bar, who leaves?

The argument is as old as time, but cats vs. dogs still plague the country By Allison Schubert and Emily Yurchison Co-Features Editor For The Globe

In a world full of divides in beliefs, we have curated two arguments for the most demanding and popular disagreement to date - dogs vs. cats. Allison Schubert, Co-Features Editor at The Globe and sophomore Broadcast major, and junior multimedia major Emily Yurchison weigh in. FOR DOGS: Allison Schubert Dogs versus cats. The argument is as old as time itself, but usually people will answer without any evidence to support their stance. Then there are those who think that they lie somewhere in the middle, as if being both a dog person and a cat person is not blasphemous. If you’re one of the “both of them are great!” people, let me help you clear it up: cats are great and everything, but dogs are simply better. Dogs are smarter. Both cats and dogs are used as therapy or emotional sup-

port animals, but have you ever seen a seeing-eye cat? Other than that being a simply ridiculous concept, the reason for that is because they don’t possess the brain capacity to learn how to be one.

“Of course, not all cats are like the stereotypes that I used in my argument, and not all dogs are like that either.” Allison Schubert

Co-Features Editor

Now I’m not saying cats aren’t smart. Cats can wander as far away from their homes as they want and return whenever, so that’s cool. They just aren’t as smart as dogs. The extensive variety in

breeds allows for more people to enjoy them because there is one out there for everybody. Like wrinkly dogs? Get a Shar Pei. Like curly dogs? Get a Goldendoodle. Allergic to dogs? Get a hypoallergenic one, like a Wheaten Terrier. I could go on, but you get the point. Dogs have more personality. Cats are very lazy, and their personalities reflect that. They eat, disappear, reappear, sleep, demand attention for a few minutes, repeat. Dogs are ever-changing, especially when they are just baby pups. Dogs have a way of communicating with humans that not even I will ever understand, but it’s their human-like qualities that make them so superior to other pets. Those who have never owned a dog can’t relate to that form of communication, and that’s why I think cat people are so closed-minded to the idea of dogs being superior. Like any argument, there are exceptions. Of course, not all cats are like the stereotypes that I used in my argument, and not all dogs are like that either.

There are good cats and there are bad dogs. No matter your preference, I will always stand by the fact that dogs will eternall. FOR CATS: Emily Yurchison I will not stand by while people spread slander about cats. I’m not saying cats are better or dogs are better. That’s simply not a fair statement. I am simply arguing that we end this absurd, drawn out debate. It has gone on long enough. This madness needs to end. I will not stand for people telling me my love for cats is wrong, and further, I will not stand for people telling me I’m wrong for loving both cats and dogs. Realistically, we should change our mindset and meet somewhere in the middle. I don’t care if you personally don’t like cats, but I will not sit idly by while people tell me my opinion is wrong because we have seeing-eye dogs and not seeing-eye cats, or that cats just aren’t as smart as dogs. Let’s face it, all animals are smarter than people. All animals are beautiful, complex and, frankly, adorable.

All animals deserve respect, especially because they can’t stand up for themselves. I am speaking up not only for cat lovers, but also for cats and domesticated pet moderates. Since when are we not allowed to like more than one animal? Love for animals should not, or ever be, mutually exclusive. Let’s get historical; Abraham Lincoln, arguably one of America’s finest presidents, had quite the soft spot for his pet cats, Tabby and Dixie. He reportedly once said, “Dixie is smarter than my whole cabinet! And furthermore she doesn’t talk back!” In closing, George Washington didn’t want partisanship in his blueprint of America, and I’m sure he also didn’t want partisanship in his household pets. Please, for me, and for animal lovers across the globe, end this madness. Respect all animals, respect all opinions and more importantly, respect one another.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu Emily Yurchison eyurch@pointpark.edu

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967 Editor-in-Chief: Emily Bennett Editor-Elect: Carley Bonk Business Manager: Autumn Barszczowski Faculty Adviser: Dr. Steven Hallock Administrative Adviser: Dean Keith Paylo 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 in rooms 710 and 712 Lawrence Hall. Writers should address letters to:

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Carmen Amadio, Staff Photographer Robert Berger, Co-News Editor, Delivery Assistant Sabrina Bodon, Online Editor Lauren Clouser, Co-Features Editor Dara Collins, Co-Sports Editor Josh Croup, Co-Sports Editor, Editor Emeritus Francesca Dabecco, Staff Writer Raffaele DiLullo, Staff Photographer Gracey Evans, Sports Photo Editor Sarah Gibson, Copy Editor Casey Hoolahan, Social Media Coordinator Nick Horwat, Co-A&E Editor, Copy Editor Eva Humphreys, Copy Editor Chloe Jakiela, Staff Photographer Nick Kardos, Political Cartoonist Katie Kelly, Staff Writer Nikole Kost, News Photo Editor Carley Lutz, Staff Photographer Derek Malush, Staff Writer

Dannys Marerro, PR Director, Staff Writer Josh McCann, Staff Writer Amanda Myers, Staff Writer Kayla Novak, Copy Editor Patrick Nucci, Staff Writer Danielle Nuttridge, Staff Writer, Copy Editor Hannah O’Toole, Social Media Coordinator Isabelle Opsitos, Graphic Designer Lauren Ortego, Co-Opinions Editor Nicole Pampena, Co-News Editor Alexander Popichak, Layout Editor, Editor Emeritus Veronica Rodriguez, Graphic Designer Sienna Rodriguez-Truley, Staff Writer, Delivery Assistant Allison Schubert, Co-Features Editor Jordan Slobodinsky, Copy Editor Kayla Snyder, Co-Copy Desk Chief, Co-Online Editor Michael Stinelli, Co-A&E Editor Beth Turnbull, Co-Opinions Editor Hannah Walden, Co-Copy Desk Chief

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

CROUP’S CORNER By Josh Croup

Sports Columnist

Softball keeps waiting...and waiting... Well, the softball team will have to wait some more to get the bats going. The Pioneers entered last week bracing for their first River States Conference (RSC) weekend at Cincinnati and Ohio Christian. They also entered last week with a home game on their schedule. Then came snow. Point Park had to postpone all of its games for last week, including its RSC openers. When Point Park played at Gannon University in a non-conference game Tuesday afternoon, it marked 11 days in between games. The Pioneers last played in the Lindsey Wilson - Campbellsville University Tournament on March 15-16. Those games came 14 days after Point Park’s spring break games in Florida. The Pioneers haven’t had a lot of live reps since returning from the Sunshine State. They enter the week 3-9 after a top-25-heavy schedule. None of those games on their schedule have been in conference yet, as the first RSC games are slated for March 30 against Carlow. The Pioneers’ bats have been quiet through the first 12 games, rarely getting chances to see live ball action beyond their own pitchers. Senior first baseman Kim Corcoran is one of two players hitting over .300 early in the season. The four-year player credits tough opponent pitching to the slow start. “We need to start hitting pitches earlier in the count when we’re facing these good pitchers, instead of getting behind in the count when we see their best stuff,” Corcoran said. “Early in the season, you want to jump on the first good pitches instead of waiting.” So while the Pioneers are waiting for conference games to come around, they can’t wait for the perfect pitches to hit, according to Corcoran. She is hitting .351 in 12

starts, while junior right fielder Shannon Davis is hitting .360. The lineup has shuffled around quite a bit early in the season. Corcoran has hit third in every game this year, while senior shortstop Lily Pruneda has hit in the second spot in the lineup in all 12 games. Point Park has experimented with other different lineup configurations throughout the early stages of the season, mostly returning players from last year’s squad. “I think we need to get comfortable where we are in the lineup,” Corcoran said. “The lineup keeps moving around a little. Once we get in our spots and learn the batters before and after us, we’ll start getting some hits together.” The team has a batting average of .224, but Point Park’s pitching staff has kept it close with those tough teams. Point Park’s team ERA is 3.10 through 12 games, the lowest mark in the conference behind Rio Grande’s 2.09 clip. Rio Grande has played 27 games. Tiffany Edwards has the fifth-lowest ERA in the conference at 2.53, while Ashley Iagnemma has the seventh-best at 3.16. The Pioneers few and far between early schedule has been out of their control. The Pioneers have played 12 games in 31 days between Feb. 24 and March 27. Between March 27 and the season finale at Malone College on April 24 - a span of 28 days - Point Park has 25 games on its schedule, not including any potential makeup games. They’ve been waiting for a while now to dive into conference play. That waiting is going to come to an abrupt halt this weekend against Carlow when Point Park enters the heart of the season.

Josh Croup jdcroup@pointpark.edu

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

Outdoor track and field begins race for first RSC title By Josh Croup

Co-Sports Editor

After an indoor track season that saw Point Park claim the men’s and women’s team conference titles, the Pioneers look to carry the momentum into outdoor season to claim the program’s first conference titles in the sport. The men and women have been edged out by Rio Grande in each of the last three River States Conference (RSC) outdoor championships, including last year’s event hosted by Point Park. “Rio Grande has a good group of young sprinters that will make a difference for them,” head coach Kelly Parsley told PointParkSports.com. “It’s always our goal to win conferences because we’ve been second every year, and we’re hoping this year will take us over the hump.” The teams began their quest for outdoor titles Saturday at the Cal U Early Bird Invitational. Throwing events were canceled due to cold weather. On the track, junior Anna Shields smashed her previous personal best in the 5,000 meters with a time of 16 minutes, 28.09 seconds, qualifying for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Outdoor Track National Championship. As she lapped her opponents Saturday, Shields slashed 19 seconds off her best time in the event that came at last year’s Ohio State University Jesse Owens Classic. She finished third in that event. Her 5K time is also the second-best by any collegiate runner this year. Shields qualified for nationals last outdoor season in the 800, 1,500 and 5,000 meters. She won the national championship in the 1,500 meters and placed second in the 800. She did not run the 5,000 meters at nationals, though she claimed the RSC title in the event. Last year’s NAIA Outdoor National Track Athlete of the Year looks to add more to her resume that also includes the 2017-18 NAIA Indoor National Track Athlete of the Year honor and two indoor national championships. She does not have a team outdoor title crossed off her bucket list yet, but Point Park has the tools to get the job done this year. Backing up Shields on the track Saturday was senior Olukemi Olugbakinro, who won the 200 meters with a 26.19-second finish. She won

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Senior Olukemi Olugbakinro highlighted the women’s sprints with a first-place finish in the 200 meter dash and third place finish in the 100-meter dash at the Cal U Early Bird Invitational last Saturday.

the event by more than a second. Olugbakinro also finished third in the 100 meters in 13.07 seconds. Kara Rohlf, now in her third year with Point Park, set her personal record in the 10,000 meters with a third place finish in the distance race, running in 39 minutes, 21.6 seconds. As usual, the men were led by the jumping core of Shaun Berry and Jryi Davis, who won the long and triple jump events respectively. Junior Michael Morris was second in the high jump Saturday with a leap of 1.9 meters. Junior Andre Lowery finished three spots behind Davis in the triple jump to finish fourth. Xavier Stephens picked up where he left off from

indoor season, setting the school record in the 1,500 meters. He qualified for the NAIA Indoor National Championships in the 1,000 meters. The sophomore’s 4 minute-2.04-second time in the 1,500 was good for fourth in the event. The NAIA B standard qualifying time is 3 minutes, 56.50 seconds. Point Park travels next to the Bethany Invitational in West Virginia on Saturday. The RSC Championship is slated for April 27 at Robert Morris University, hosted by Point Park. The NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships fall on May 24-26 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Josh Croup jdcroup@pointpark.edu

LAST WEEK’S SCOREBOARD MARCH 20 - 26 BASEBALL (21-2) (11-0) SETON HILL, POINT PARK - Postponed...............................................March 20 ASBURY 0, POINT PARK 11*...................................................................March 26 ASBURY 0, POINT PARK 4*....................................................................March 26 Next: March 27 vs. Asbury*; March 30-31 @ Ohio Christian*

SOFTBALL (3-9) (0-0) WAYNESBURG, POINT PARK - Postponed...........................................March 20 POINT PARK, CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN* - Postponed ......................March 23 POINT PARK, OHIO CHRISTIAN* - Postponed....................................March 24 Next: March 28 vs. Waynesburg, March 30 vs. Carlow*

WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CAL U EARLY BIRD INVITATIONAL....................................................March 24 Olukemi Olugbakinro: 1st, 200 m (26.19) Anna Shields: 1st, 5,000 m (16:28) Next: March 31, Bethany Invitational

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CAL U EARLY BIRD INVITATIONAL....................................................March 24 Shaun Berry: 1st, long jump (6.59 m) Jryi Davis: 1st, triple jump (13.81 m) Next: March 31, Bethany Invitational

225 Ross St.

411 7th Ave.

414 Smithfield St.

412-281-8822

412-391-3177

412-261-4840

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GOLF CARNEGIE MELLON SPRING INVITATIONAL 1 - Postponed .........March 22 Next: March 29, Carnegie Mellon Spring Invitational #2 *River States Conference Game

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Baseball rolling as one of top teams in NAIA early in 2018 By Robert Berger Co-News Editor

Undefeated in conference play thus far, the Pioneer baseball team is off to it’s best start in program history with a 21-2 overall record while outscoring opponents 171-35. The team was in action Monday afternoon making up last weekend’s series against the Asbury University Eagles. Due to snow that covered Green Tree Park, the team traveled to its former home venue at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa. for the doubleheader. “When you work hard and go since fall, few things distract you,” head coach Loren Torres said. “You put so much in that the cold weather isn’t much of a factor.” Offense was key for the Pioneers, as they outscored the Eagles 11-0 in the first game played. Point Park had seven different players get a hit, with junior Eric Montero, senior Richard Perez and senior Edberg Dominguez each tallying two. Junior Nick Beardsley started in game one for Point Park. While striking out seven batters, he lasted six innings, only giving up four hits through the contest. With the win, Beardsley improved his record to 4-1 in five appearances. “We have to keep dominating and do what we need to do in between innings, during pre and after the game. We have to keep taking care of

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Junior infielder Billy Kidd drives one of his three hits during the team’s home opener against conference oponent Cincinatti Christan. Through 22 games, Kidd is batting .345 and has reguarly started at second base.

ourselves,” Beardsley said. In relief to finish off the seventh inning was junior Ryan Huber. Making his sixth relief appearance of the season, Huber sat down all three batters. Currently Huber has a 1.42 ERA through 6.1 innings pitched. “We are very good defensively and we are achieving at our highest ability. We are achieving at our highest ability on the mound,” Torres said. Game two followed, and Point Park walked away with a 4-0 win.

Softball searches for consistent offense, schedule By Jordan Slobodinsky Copy Editor

Due to inclement weather, the Point Park softball team did not play last week. The Pioneers were slated to play against Ohio Christian and Cincinnati Christian to open up River States Conference (RSC) play. Perhaps conference play is just the type of motivation the Pioneers need this season, as they have started the year with a 3-9 record. Most of Point Park’s losses were to ranked opponents, but setting a strong tone to start a season can be vital to a teams success. “Losing is never our expectation when we take the field. It’s always tough when we walk away with a loss,” junior infielder Brittany Zeigler said. “There were some positives that came out of that weekend though so our mindset is moving forward to build on those positives.” The Pioneers have another positive heading their way: playing at home. Starting April 7, the Pioneers will begin a six-game home stand. Point Park hasn’t played at home since senior day last year on April 22. Despite the home field advantage, the Pioneers look to focus on finishing games after taking early leads. Point Park took recent early leads against No. 11 Lindsey Wilson

but ultimately dropped the decisions late in the game. “I don’t think it’s a problem for our team,” Zeigler said. “I think that it’s early in the season and it’s always tough to get going out of the gates. Some things did not go our way late in games so far but we are just getting started and more things will go our way as we start to play on a more consistent basis.” The Pioneers’ offense will search for consistency as the team gets regular playing time. Through 12 games, Point Park is hitting .224 as a team with 21 RBIs. On the other end of the spectrum, opponents that face the Pioneers through those same 12 games have a .253 batting average with 40 RBIs and seven home runs. The Pioneers’ pitching staff has kept them in games early in 2018. The team ERA is only 3.10 in 76.2 innings. “As long as we continue to do what we’re doing, then we are only going to get better. There is a lot of talent on this team,” Zeigler said. Point Park will return to its home field and test its talent against non-conference opponent Waynesburg on March 28. The Pioneers host Carlow on March 30 in the first conference double-header of the season.

Jordan Slobodinsky jeslobo@pointpark.edu

Junior Felix Castillo was on the mound and improved his record to 5-0. In his fifth start of the season, Castillo gave up three hits through five innings while allowing two walks. Senior Addison Domingo finished the final two innings and allowed only one hit while earning three strikeouts. Point Park took a 2-0 lead early in the second inning. After reaching with a lead off single, Perez came around to score the first run of the game after senior Ben Herstine ripped a single past the shortstop. Senior Jake Horew scored the second run after reaching on a walk and was driven in on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Billy Kidd. In the following inning, senior Chris Hernandez led off with a homerun to right field on the first pitch he saw. It was the first homer of the

season for the catcher and the fifth of his Point Park career. The last scoring effort came in the sixth inning. Herstine, who reached on a single, scored when sophomore Cole Horew singled down the left field line. Upon wrapping up on Monday, the Pioneers lead the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in team ERA at 1.54. They also lead the NAIA in opponent batting average at .191. The season began in 80-degree Florida weather one month ago at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. After losing 1-0 in their first game facing Warner University, the team answered with 19-straight wins. Along with grabbing seven wins in Florida, the Pioneers did so in a dominant fashion more times than not. In the series following the

Warner University, Point Park took on fellow NAIA school University of Michigan Dearborn. In the two-game series, Point Park outscored Michigan 32-2. The Pioneers took the first game 14-1 and game two 18-1. On the day, the team tallied 32 total hits. To conclude the Florida trip, the Pioneers faced NAIA school Judson University. Once again, the team heavily outscored its opponents, 234, racking up 30 hits between the two games. The first series of conference play came next as Point Park swept Indiana University (IU) Kokomo in a three game series. With offense leading the way once again, the Pioneers outscored the Cougars 26-5. In game two, the team notched 11 hits from nine different players. As conference play rolled on, Point Park continued the undefeated start as it next faced Brescia on the road. While the Bearcats held the Pioneers to their closest games of the season, they were still outscored 15-3. Finally, the Pioneers took on Cincinnati Christian in their home opener. While battling harsh temperatures and snow, Point Park extended its undefeated conference record. “We love the snow here at Point Park,” Beardsley said. “It’s tough and difficult but you just have to stay warm in between innings. I feel bad for the guys without the jackets.” Point Park looks to continue its undefeated conference record this weekend, as it faces Ohio Christian on the road in a four-game conference series starting Friday. Only the first three games will count toward Point Park’s conference record.

Robert Berger raberge@pointpark.edu

Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics Junior infielder Brittany Zeigler at bat during a game last season. As of March 26, Zeigler has started behind the plate in every game this season.