Issue 1 Fall 2020

IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE

@PPUGlobe September 2, 2020

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Co-Features/A&E Editor Tia Bailey reviews Taylor Swift’s album “folklore” Editor-in-Chief Jordyn Hronec writes to student body regarding COVID-19 Women’s Soccer hires a new head coach, John Newbery ppuglobe.com

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

Issue 1

University STAFF DISINFECTS CLASSROOMS “de-densifying” campus to combat the coronavirus Jordyn Hronec and Jake Dabkowski Editor-in-Chief and Co-News Editor

Lawrence Hall, one of Point Park’s two primary freshman dorms, has been notorious for its lack of a functioning HVAC system, an issue that has plagued many residents during the warm months at the beginning and ending of the school year.

However, this has posed a new problem in the age of COVID-19, especially as the university worked throughout the summer to re-open campus for the Fall 2020 semester after an emergency early closure in the spring. And in an effort to lessen the amount of residents in Lawrence Hall, nearly 150 students are currently living in the Hilton Garden Hotel, located on Forbes Avenue just outside of Market Square.

“The final decision was probably made sometime in July, then we started to investigate opportunities that we may have to de-densify Lawrence Hall, it was going to be in our best interest,” Dean Paylo, whose office oversees the Office of Student Life, said. Paylo also clarified that it was only Lawrence Hall residents that were affected.

“There’s a couple reasons for that,” Paylo said. “One, the ventilation system and the HVAC doesn’t exist in Lawrence Hall, so we know that for a number of reasons, including that the CDC [Center for Disease Control] recommends that fans do not blow on individuals and things like that, and so that made us think, because sometimes in August and September and sometimes in October, the only way to keep

CAMPUS CHANGES page 3

Jared Murphy | The Globe

University staff disinfects classrooms with electrostatic sprayers filled with Clorox 360 twice a week.

Black Lives Matter protesters clash with local law enforcement Nardos Haile Co-News Editor

After months of Black Lives Matter protests and a string of protester arrests, on Saturday, Aug. 15, a low visibility arrest of a protest marshal in Oakland conducted by the Pittsburgh Police sparked a social media controversy and confrontation between protesters and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

The protest marshal, Matthew Cartier, was a part of the grassroots student-led organization Black, Young, and Educated, who have organized many of the protests called “Civil Saturdays” held every Saturday in Pittsburgh over the summer. Cartier’s obligations as a marshal was to help clear traffic for the

crowd of protesters.

“Our relationship with the police and Pittsburgh [have] already been on thin ice. I would say there wasn’t really much of a relationship before. Now that thin line that we had is completely gone,” Nicholas Anglin, the co-founder of Black, Young, and Educated stated.

Cartier claimed on his Twitter that the Pittsburgh Police approached him in an unmarked van and lured him closer by pretending to need directions around the march.

“When I approached the van to provide directions, the passenger grabbed me and multiple other men sprang out of the back of the van heavily armed to arrest me,” Cartier said.

The criminal complaint against Cartier stated he

Jared Murphy | The Globe

Lorenzo Rulli, a Pittsburgh activist, is one of the mutliple protest leaders who have been targeted by Pittsburgh Police who faced charges.

was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, failure to disperse, and obstructing highways.

During a press conference held by the Mayor’s Office and the Pittsburgh Police on Aug. 15, the police claimed the protesters were unwilling to communicate with the police in advance about planned protest routes.

Mayor Peduto denounced the low visibility arrest of Cartier and said it made him uncomfortable.

On Saturday evening, controversy between protesters and Mayor Peduto began with his tweet that said, “The right to assemble is a guaranteed right, the right to shut down public streets, is a privilege. That privilege is sanctioned by laws and codes.”

Mayor Peduto continued to mention that these privileges were upheld by laws and codes. “In Pittsburgh, we worked with ACLU & CPRB to create our codes,” he said.

In response to Mayor Peduto, the ACLU commented, “Just a quick reminder: Abducting protesters off the street, as officers did yesterday in your city, isn’t just flat-out wrong — it’s a violation of your own policies.”

The Director of Communication of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Andy Hoover declined to comment on the validity of criminal charges that Cartier faces.

Nonetheless, in a statement, Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of PA,

Theft -

Aug. 26, Lawrence Hall

Drug Violation Aug. 29, Village Park

PROTESTS page 2

Weather Forecast

Today: 80 Storms H 80 L 69

Thursday: Storms, H 80 L 66 Friday: Partly Cloudy, H 75, L 53 Saturday: Sunny, H 75, L 55

Sunday: Sunny, H 80, L 60 Monday: Partly Cloudy, H 76, L 57 Tuesday: Showers, H 75, L 58

Point Park

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BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS ENGULF THE CITY OVER SUMMER

Top left: A peaceful protest in the wake of George Floyd ended abruptly when Pittsburgh police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters on Centre Avenue on June 1, 2020.

Top right: A protester flushes their eyes with milk to help subdue the effects of tear gas on Liberty Avenue on May 30, 2020.

Bottom left: A protester throws a canister of tear gas back towards Pittsburgh police on Washington Place on May 30, 2020.

Jared Murphy | Pittsburgh City Paper, The Globe

Protesters not convinced of Peduto’s support from PROTESTS page 1

expressed that Mayor Peduto had previously consulted with the ACLU to develop guidelines in the handling of protests. “However, based on eyewitness accounts, the arresting officers were in clear violation of their own guidelines.”

Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, continued, “Once again, police in Pittsburgh have shown why people are in the streets protesting for Black lives and against police brutality.”

“Even when their behavior has been exposed for all to see, Pittsburgh Police continue to abuse the people they are meant to serve,” Shuford said.

In response to the arrest of Cartier and frustration with Mayor Peduto and Pittsburgh Police, on Wed. Aug. 19, protesters congregated at Mellon Park for a protest rally and began a march to Mayor Peduto’s house. Calls for Peduto’s resignation ran through the theme of the protest.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s reporting, after the police put a 10 p.m. curfew in order, they declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, pushing the crowd of protesters to Mellon Park. Once at the park, police deployed canisters of pepper spray.

In a statement released

by Mayor Peduto on Aug. 21, he said, “I have repeatedly watched interactions between police and protesters that escalated to uses of less-lethal weapons, arrest methods and other actions that I do not support, and which run counter to our

common principles. This is not the reform I wanted, and that I continue to believe in today.”

These new guidelines include an overhaul of the current higher-ups in the Office of Public Safety, and new oversight and structure for Police Special Response Teams, which formalizes the abolishment of “jumpout arrests of protesters by non-uniformed police in unmarked vehicles,” said the mayor.

Anglin, a young organizer, wasn’t impressed with Peduto’s back and forth stances and even called for his resignation.

“Mayor Peduto basically stood with the police and said it was our fault. Then he flipped his statement and said ‘I’m going to make sure this never happens again’ and said he supported us.

It just looks like their police force is completely disorganized and desperate.”

In the wake of the social unrest, Mayor Peduto will implement new guidelines in hopes of reform, but Anglin isn’t sold on Peduto’s plans.

“It shows he wasn’t a good leader and he completely disregarded the Black community in Pittsburgh,” Anglin said. “He tries to appeal to both sides but without giving any policy to back it.”

Anglin is still determined in the fight for social justice and Black lives despite the arrest of protesters in Pittsburgh.

“They’re trying their hardest to silence the movement, it is as clear as day,” Anglin said.

Nardos Haile nmhaile@pointpark.edu

Students successfully change university’s academic plans Amanda Andrews Editor-Elect

The road to developing Point Park’s health and safety plan, let alone its academic plan, for students enrolled this semester has been long and involved. The university administration, however, has not been alone in developing its vision of how the university will operate this fall.

Dennis McDermott, president of the Student Government Association (SGA) along with several other student advocates, have been routinely meeting with Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs, Keith Paylo, as well as President Paul Hennigan every week since early July. In these meetings, McDermott has sometimes partnered with Emily Harnett, Alex Frank and Sophie Burkholder to promote student concerns about returning to campus.

“Dennis and his colleagues, his fellow student leaders, have made it very clear to us what the interests of the students are and what the concerns of the students are,” Hennigan said in Point Park’s Student Town Hall on Aug. 6. “And I will tell you that as a result of the approach that Dennis and his fellow student leaders have taken, they had a direct impact on our decision to transition to a Hyflex modality for the fall as well as the interim grading policy that we’re putting in place for the fall.”

In the middle of the Spring 2019 semester, Point Park, along with many other universities in the world,

scrambled to develop a plan to accommodate students’ and faculties’ learning needs while adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it became apparent that the pandemic was not a temporary problem that would be resolved by the start of the fall semester, universities had more time over the summer to draft plans for how academics would be handled.

On July 7, Point Park released its initial “On Campus Learning And Operations” guide, totalling over 30 pages. In this first version, plans for grading and learning were not as clear cut. There was no provision for all-remote learning throughout the entirety of the fall 2020 semester, although it did include the current policy of all classes being taught remotely following Thanksgiving Break and a proviso for all classes to be moved to exclusively online learning should the circumstances call for that decision. Additionally, pass/no credit would not be offered for virtually any class, as it had been in the Spring 2019 semester.

McDermott said students’ concerns about this first version of the plan came “right away” on social media. “...there were many students upset about the plan, felt it wasn’t detailed enough, and we were a month away, and we did not feel safe enough about going onto campus,” McDermott said. “I recognized it for the problem that it was; this is an emergency, tuition is due in less than a month, people have to figure out their loan

companies and they don’t even know if they want to be at Point Park.”

In a meeting with the COVID-19 Student Committee, a subcommittee of the Student Government Association formed shortly after the pandemic started, McDermott and SGA members discussed changes students wanted to see to the university’s plan. The COVID-19 Tip Sheet, created by Alex Frank, detailed students’ most pressing interests for the fall semester, including creating an all-remote option for the entire semester and extending pass/no credit into the fall semester among other concerns about health and safety. The list circulated around social media and student leaders like McDermott presented it to Hennigan, Paylo and Assistant Provost Dr. Jonas Prida.

According to Prida, pass/no credit was originally only going to be offered the Spring 2019 semester due to the wildly uncertain circumstances teachers and students found themselves in. At that time, many local universities and others nationwide were adopting pass/no credit policies as a temporary grading measure, but most have reverted to standard policies for the upcoming academic year.

However, Prida said that McDermott was able to argue a strong case on students’ behalf for why this policy was still necessary for the Fall 2020 semester.

“That was all driven by student concerns and I mean that legitimately, especially

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Student leaders advocate for students’ concerns from ACADEMICS page 2 coming out of this semester.

Part of me was extremely happy for Dennis and his leadership in making this happen.

He did a great job of letting all of us in the meeting know that this was an important position for students,” Prida said. “And so it was really easy in some ways just to say yes because when students advocate that much for their own learning, it’s kind of what you want.”

Other students have been emailing him about the pass/ no credit option as well, which Prida said lent credence to McDermott’s argument that this was an important policy to still offer for students.

Point Park is not the only university in the country continuing a version of pass/no credit. Princeton University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst are two notable institutions that have extended the policy into the fall semester as well.

There are currently no plans on extending pass/no credit into subsequent semesters, but Prida said since a pass/no credit policy exists in the university’s handbook, that it is easy to adjust and potentially extend. While the pass/no credit option seems like the perfect solution for

students’ grading woes during the pandemic, Prida does warn that there could be side effects from opting too many classes for pass/no credit.

“So that’s one of the potential long term implications of having pass/no credit go on for two or three semesters is a student might take multiple no credits and then that shows up weirdly on your transcript,” Prida said. “It also might extend time towards graduation because a student, instead of taking a “D” in the course which will still get you credits, decides that they’re going to take the “N” (no credit) version of it. And so that student might end up having to be in university for another semester, another semester and a half and so there starts to be some financial implications there and so I think that’s why it’s important to sort of look at this long term and not just as a thing that solves a temporary problem quickly.”

Pass/no credit will be offered through a much similar process like last semester, and students will be receiving more information about the process later in the semester.

To start, students will have to adjust to classes provided this fall before even considering pass/no credit. The learning model the university

came up with was largely developed by an executive team, including Hennigan, Paylo and Provost John Pearson and inspired from similar models at other universities, namely Vanderbilt University.

The details of the learning model were originally published on Point Park’s website on July 17. At that time, the university said the plan had been updated to reflect the evolving nature of the pandemic situation and feedback received from faculty and students alike.

The model has been specifically adapted for Point Park’s programs, according to Prida. The model breaks down five different learning models: hyflex, hybrid, remote, blended and face-to-face. Hyflex classes will follow a more traditional path, meeting up online at the assigned class time every other week or so, while hybrid classes will involve more online activities done outside of a scheduled class.

Blended learning will combine elements of hybrid and hyflex, but will likely be one of the least used options, according to Prida. Hyflex will be the default model for courses unless the faculty decides otherwise or the student has opted for all remote learning.

Having a remote learn-

ing option for the entirety of the semester was one of the demands on the COVID-19 Tip Sheet that was realized in this new announcement. Towards the end of July, the administration began sending emails explaining how students could use PointWeb to select any class to be remote for the semester. The university has maintained, however, that an “overwhelming majority” of students want on-campus classes.

“We disagree, me and university, about that to a point.

I wouldn’t say it’s incorrect. A lot of people do want to be on campus,” McDermott said.

McDermott estimates around a little under half of students at Point Park want to be on campus, based on a survey he conducted of about 400 students. Of those who do want to be on campus, he said approximately 25 percent want all in-person courses with no accommodations and 25 percent want a hybrid. He said this survey reflects different results than the statistics the university is citing when they make these statements.

“The survey they’re referencing directly was taken at the end of the school year last semester,” McDermott said.

“A lot of circumstances have changed since then, so I no

longer think it’s accurate, so I really wish they would stop referencing it.”

In the town hall, Prida said about 15 percent of students had opted for all remote classes. By August 24, a few weeks after that town hall, around 25 to 27 percent of students had chosen to do all their classes remotely with a similar percentage of students deciding to take their classes all on campus. Prida also estimates around 50 percent are doing a mix of online and onground courses this fall.

Even with more options for learning and grading now available for students this fall, university administrators and student leaders are nonetheless encouraging students to bring forward any concerns.

There is a current hashtag, #PPU4U, meant to bring attention to those issues.

“I’m a firm believer in a lot of the times the supposed problems to universities can be solved by listening to the students who go there,” Prida said.

Amanda Andrews aaandre@pointpark.edu

150 students sent to live in Hilton Garden Hotel from PROTESTS page 1 those places cool is with fans.

And also Lawrence had the closest proximity of students being with each other inside of the residence halls.”

The CDC’s “Covid-19 Guidelines for Shared or Congregate Housing” do recommend that considerations be made for “working with building maintenance staff to determine if the building ventilation system can be modified to increase ventilation rates or the percentage of outdoor air that circulates into the system.” The CDC’s guidance for on-campus housing settings also recognizes that less risk is posed with on-campus housing open “at lower capacity.”

According to Paylo, every student currently living in the Hilton Garden Hotel is living alone, with one student per room. Paylo also stated that there are several Resident

Educators, or REs, living in the Hilton as well to assist those students, just as they would in the residence halls.

“I personally have not had one complaint,” Paylo said.

“It is a very nice hotel, I have seen the types of rooms we have over there, it’s not far from campus...the hotel has been as accommodating as possible, they’re very nice rooms...they’re not on campus, that’s the main thing I would have heard, and I think leading up to it, the unknown would’ve been the main thing, and that’s human nature.”

As of right now, it is unclear how long students living in the Hilton can expect to stay there, but according to Paylo, the university is preparing for several different scenarios.

“It felt a little weird living in the hotel at first because it didn’t really feel like I was at college. It almost felt like

I was on vacation,” Lillian Puntz, a freshman Forensic Science major who was moved into the Hilton Garden Hotel, said.

Alongside these concerns, Puntz and others have expressed understanding with the decisions the university is making.

“Despite concerns I think the school has handled everything regarding COVID very well. It is better to be overly cautious than to end up not being cautious enough, and I would rather be on campus under these regulations than not be on campus at all. I am hoping that in the future we will be about to lift some of these regulations, but I am OK with the way that things are right now,” Puntz said.

“If it’s measures to keep everyone safe and it means we don’t all have to go home it’s probably the best thing to do,” Dan Russo, a sophomore broadcast production

major, said.

Another recent change to come out of Paylo’s office had to do with a change in personnel with the university’s Health Center, located on the second floor of Thayer Hall.

This year, the Health Center will be staffed by two UPMC-provided nurses.

In previous years, only one nurse was employed by the Health Center.

“We believe that we will be in a better place and better prepared by having more personnel in the health center to help our students,” Paylo said.

According to version 7 of the “Operations Manual for Returning to Campus,” available to view on Point Park’s website, the Health Center will be open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Paylo stressed that administrative assistant Christin Smerkol will also be available to assist with

“the flow and coordination of appointments.”

Paylo also stated that the hours for the Health Center would be subject to change.

“Those hours may change slightly to have more coverage, we are not planning to have 24-hour service, however we do have a 24-hour telehealth service for students to call in if they would like a consult with a physician, even after hours.”

Paylo urged any students with questions regarding the Health Center’s operations or the university’s COVID-19 plan in general to consult Point Park’s website for information and updates.

Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu Jake Dabkowski jcdabko@pointpark.edu

SGA appoints members to executive cabinet

Senators to face censure, removal for not following COVID-19 guidelines SGA

By Sarah Gibson SGA Beat Writer

The Student Government Association (SGA) of Point Park University started its first meeting of the Fall 2020 semester by appointing four new senators to the legislative body. The senators, Sophie Burkholder, Maggie Hier, Jordyn Hronec and Mya Jackson, have all had previous experience with the organization as senators and members of the executive cabinet. The motion to appoint these senators ran unopposed by any member of the body.

Following the appointments, President Dennis McDermott revealed who would be filling the roles in the executive cabinet for his administration. Cole D’Alicandro was chosen for the role of Recording Secretary, Kasey

Newman will be fulfilling the role of Treasurer, Zachariah Washington was chosen for Parliamentarian, and John Ziegler, in his debut year partaking in SGA, will be the Communications Director.

The motion to pass this executive cabinet went unopposed.

President McDermott then reminded those present that election forms to become an SGA senator were open until Friday and that voting would be taking place some time next week. The senators voted in during that election will be able to attend their first meeting as senators on Monday, September 14. President McDermott informed the legislative body that his summer report will be published soon but gave a brief overview of the things he helped accomplish during the summer, including but not limited to interviewing and choosing executive cabinet members,

forming the COVID-19 Student Committee, and convincing the school to add remote learning and pass/no credit options for the fall semester, a change he said the university administration has given SGA full credit for.

Vice President Bryce Hayzlett also gave a brief report on his summer activities involving SGA, which included speaking with Kurt Kumler, Director of the Counseling Center, in order to address numerous complaints given by Point Park students regarding the quality of care available.

Treasurer Newman also gave a report, centered around the implementation of prevention and education lessons regarding Title IX in City-University Life classes while also crafting a guidebook for student organizations. Her goals for the semester include budget transparency, fair

and equitable treatment of all clubs, and to be a student liaison between SGA, SAIL, and student organizations.

Recording Secretary D’Alicandro’s report consisted of going through student concerns sent into SGA and digitizing them, and Communications Director Ziegler mentioned plans for a possible collaboration with WPPJ, an organization of which D’Alicandro is the General Manager, for a possible podcast.

Following the reports of senators, it was time to nominate and vote on who would fulfill the role of President Pro-Tempore. Burkholder was nominated by Senator Jackson and ran uncontested and unopposed in the final vote.

Finally, President McDermott presented to the legislative body a set of COVID-19 guidelines specifically geared towards members of the organization to hold them to a

higher standard. Rules on this list include a limit of seven people in the SGA office not including the President and Vice President and the possibility of a senator being censured or removed if revealed that they were not following university health and safety guidelines.

President Pro-Tempore Burkholder filed the motion to recognize these rules which was seconded by Jackson, and then unanimously voted in.

After giving the senators the opportunity to speak during an open floor, the meeting was adjourned, with the next meeting scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, as Sept. 7 is Labor Day. Disclaimer: Jordyn Hronec is both a SGA senator and Editor-In-Chief of The Globe.

Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu

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Honors Program takes precautions, prioritizes student safety during Welcome Week activities

By Kylie Thomas Co-Features/A&E Editor

Normally the Honors Program puts on a weeklong orientation that includes bonding activities, a scavenger hunt, exploration into outer neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, an important service project and more to bring new students into the honors community. New students are given mentors, who are returning sophomore, junior, senior honors’ students. These mentors take students through every step of the orientation.

However, due to the coronavirus, certain changes were made to put students’ safety as the top priority. These changes have made a short orientation a months long process.

Mya Burns is the president of Point Park University’s Honors Program. Over the course of these past few months, they have been tasked with putting together a Welcome Week filled with fun, education and safety.

“We actually started planning Welcome Week during last semester before the coronavirus hit the United States and didn’t finalize the schedule until close to Welcome Week,” Burns said.

“Obviously that schedule is nowhere near what ended up happening, but virtual options and other precautions were always floating around as ideas.”

Burns advocated for students to have a virtual orientation option, which the Honors Program provided.

This allowed students to still be involved in orientation activities from the safety of their own home. They were able to join all of the presentation Schoology conferences and even participate in Zoom calls with their mentors.

“It’s important for students to get the experience of Welcome Week, but not at the cost of their health or the health of those around them, especially for commuter students,” Burns said. “One of the biggest changes we made was making activities less mandatory to where students could stay home if they didn’t feel comfortable. Especially since we have students coming from all over we want to make sure everyone feels as safe as possible.”

For students who participated in the in-person Welcome Week, there were many safety measures put in place.

Students and mentors were instructed to wear a mask at all times whether students were inside or outside. Everyone was also recommended to check their temperature twice a day and before coming to sessions.

“We were spread between around 10 classrooms in West Penn so that mentors and mentees could socially

distance from others as well as their own group,” Burns said. “We streamed all the panel discussions into each classroom which was interesting since we had technical difficulties but really provided us to be as safe as possible as well as provide those virtual options.”

The safety precautions by the Honors Program and Point Park University were abided by and appreciated by mentees and mentors alike.

“I appreciated how coronavirus has been handled by the Honors Program and the university,” said freshman journalism major, Caitlyn Scott. “I felt a sense of safety due to limitations like how many students could be in a classroom, staying six feet apart, wearing masks at all times, and limiting touch.

I really think they’re doing their best to give us the safest return and keep us here as long as possible.”

Even though Burns made sure that students were safe, there was still a lot of fun and service learning through the orientation. Students were still able to cautiously participate in the scavenger hunt, neighborhood excursion called City as Text and annual trivia contest for a free dinner.

“We limited the excursion assignment to five neighborhoods, South Side, North Side, Strip District, Downtown and

Mount Washington,” Burns said. “These neighborhoods are within walking distance so students could stay distanced and didn’t have to take public transportation unless they were going up the incline, decreasing the risk.”

New students still enjoyed the Welcome Week as much as in past years. Being out in the city for excursions and scavenger hunts are two of the main highlights for students during a regular Welcome Week and this year’s were no exception.

“I really enjoyed getting to know the city more than I already had,” said Scott. “ I had been to Pittsburgh a few times before orientation but still had never seen areas like the Cultural District, which was neat to explore.”

This year, the Honors Program had to find a new partner for the service learning portion. Normally, the partner is the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Mentors and mentees clean up the litter on sidewalks Downtown. As a cleaner alternative, Burns found the Foundation of HOPE, which provides currently incarcerated and previously incarcerated individuals with a sense of community.

“We collected toiletries to put in tote bags with the Foundation of HOPE logo on them for the after-care program to help recently released

individuals,” Burns said. “We also wrote letters of encouragement to those who are currently incarcerated. It was a very engaging and heartfelt activity but allowed people to stay socially distant and have limited contact while still giving back to the Pittsburgh community. It allowed us to share our message for the rest of the year of community, engagement and support.”

Burns plans to continue on the mentor program throughout the semester since it’s such a vital part of the honors experience.

Though, according to Burns, safety will always come first for the Honors Program.

“I definitely want mentors to stay engaged with mentees throughout the year,” Burns said. “REs are a great resource, but I want to make sure that new students in the program have access to someone who has experience in the Honors Program and honors classes. So once I figure out a safe way to have more mentor and mentee interaction there will definitely be more opportunities for that interaction.”

Disclamer: Mya Burns is an online editor and delivery assistant for The Globe.

Kylie Thomas kjthoma@pointpark.edu

PIONEER EXPERIENCE PROMOTES SAFETY AND FUN

New students and Pioneer Ambassadors participated in a modified Pioneer Experience the week before classes began.

Top left: Students write letters to the senior class of 2020 to congratulate them.

Top right: Vittoria Brigliadoro and Patrick Corso participate in a paper airplaine contest.

Bottom left: Pioneer Ambassadors stuffed condoms into “get it on” envelopes.

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‘folklore’ tops charts after “Dead to Me” new surprise mid-summer release season two brings

By Tia Bailey Co-Features/A&E Editor

Rating: Where to listen: Any streaming service Price: Free with streaming serice subscription Taylor Swift is known for changing her sound in almost every album. She’s explored country, pop, and now she’s moving onto indie folk.

On July 24, Swift released her surprise eighth studio album, “folklore,” onto streaming platforms. “folklore” is classified as an indie folk/pop album, and was produced by Swift herself, along with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dressner.

Swift wrote and recorded the album while in quarantine the last few months and announced the album the day she was releasing it.

The album consists of 16 tracks with a bonus track on the deluxe edition.

Most of the songs follow a few different storylines, and some show different points of view from other characters. “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty” are a trilogy of songs that tell the story

of James, Betty, and an unnamed girl. “betty” is from the point of view of James, who cheats on Betty and tries to make it up to her. “cardigan” is told from Betty’s point of view after being cheated on by James, and “august” shows the point of view from the unnamed girl James cheated with, who romanticized their affair and also ended up getting hurt. “the last great american dynasty” tells the true story of Rebekah Harkness, the previous owner of a mansion Swift owns in Rhode Island.

The song “invisible string” is about a lover who she sees herself tied to by an “invisible string.” Fans have speculated that a line in the song is a shout-out to ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas.

The line “Cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart/ Now I send their babies presents” is a nod to Jonas and his wife Sophie Turner’s new baby and shows that there are no more hard feelings between the two.

On Aug. 21, Swift tweeted out that she sees songs from the album as “chapters,” and that each chapter has a different theme. She put the different chapters

into their own playlists and onto different streaming platforms. Swift is sharing a new chapter playlist to Twitter every few days.

Although the indie sound of “folklore” is new from Swift, the album did exceptionally well on the charts, and fans are loving the change. “cardigan” was released as the album’s single, and immediately shot to number one on the Hot 100 list, and the album as a whole has spent four consecutive weeks at number one of Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart.

Additionally, on Billboard’s Alternative Streaming Songs list, “cardigan” peaked at number one, “exile” featuring Bon Iver peaked at number two and nine other tracks from “folklore” made the top ten list. “folklore” is perfect for fans of indie pop, especially if they are already fans of Swift. The album has at least one song that all listeners can relate to, especially those who have had their heart broken at some point.

Tia Bailey tbaile@pointpark.edu

Photo Courtesy of It’s Charlie on Creative Commons

more surprises

By Tia Bailey Co-Features/A&E Editor

Rating: Where to watch: Netflix Price: Free with streaming service subscription On May 8, Netflix released the second season of the dark comedy show, “Dead to Me.” The first season of the Netflix show followed Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy’s (Linda Cardellini) friendship after they met at a grief group. Jen’s husband, Ted, was killed in a hit-andrun, and Judy said she was there because her husband died of a heart attack.

However, it is revealed that not only does Judy not have a dead husband, but that she also is responsible for Ted’s death, and was convinced to drive away by her boyfriend, Steve (James Marsden). She befriends Jen out of guilt.

Season One ended with Jen finding out that Judy is the one who killed her husband, and the finale showed Jen shooting and killing Steve in her backyard, calling Judy for assistance after.

The second season of “Dead to Me” picks up almost immediately after, and follows Jen and Judy in the aftermath of the murder.

Judy tries to reconcile her friendship with Jen and does everything she can to make her forgive her for lying about Ted’s death, and this comes into play in key parts of the show. Viewers see just how far Judy will go for Jen’s forgiveness.

A new character, Ben, is introduced. His arrival is initially a shock, but he and Jen grow close throughout the season.

The show also shows how Jen’s sons, Charlie (Sam McCarthy) and Henry (Luke Roessler), are dealing with their mother’s odd and sometimes neglectful behavior. This is the cause

of Jen’s main character development throughout the show. One can tell that she does love her sons, but she prioritizes her own drama over them and only pays attention to them when they act out.

The finale has a misleading, happy ending, and just when the characters find some peace, an unexpected event ends the season with yet another cliffhanger.

The characters do not change very much from the first season to the second, and the changes that are made are only slight. While Judy still strives for the approval of others, she is able to stand up to her mother Eleanor (Katey Sagal), who we are introduced to in the second season .

Jen learns to be more present and upfront with Charlie and Henry, and she does begin to actively try to sort out her own feelings instead of allowing herself to fly into a rage (some of the time, that is). She also becomes a slightly more forgiving person.

Overall, the second season did provide more plot twists, character development and of course, cliff hangers. Season Two was just as much of a wild ride as the first, if not more. It will be interesting to see how the events from the finale transpire in the future.

The show currently has a 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been renewed for a third and final season. The third season will be delayed due to production delays because of the coronavirus.

Tia Bailey tbaile@pointpark.edu

How to have fun in college while still social distancing

By Kylie Thomas Co-Features/A&E Editor

College is the time to make new friends, explore new places, and be social. But with a global pandemic comes social distancing. Social distancing is creating a physical distance between persons to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. While this might sound upsetting for a college student, there are actually many ways to be social without coming in close contact with others.

Technology can be a great asset to stay social and safe.

There’s games like Jackbox Games where you don’t even have to be in the same room as others. Jackbox Games are party game packs, as long as one person has it, all others can play as well, using their phone as the controller.

There’s an array of different games from Quiplash, where players fill in funny prompts, to Trivia Murder Party, which pins players against each other in trivia to escape a murderer.

Jackbox Games packs can be bought and installed

on a laptop through the gaming platform, Steam. From there, players can video chat through Zoom on their laptops and share the screen of the game.

If you’re not looking to spend money, there are many other options for laptops.

Want to have a movie night?

There’s Netflix Party, which is a Google Chrome extension.

With Netflix Party friends can sync up anything on Netflix and watch it together. The service even provides a chat so friends can discuss the movie or show.

Scener is another virtual watching option. Scener is another Google Chrome extension that lets friends video chat while streaming movies or shows from major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more. This extension allows for more social interaction through the video chat feature.

Sometimes, technology isn’t enough for healthy, mental stability. There are ways to social distance while still hanging out in person. One

of the best ways to do this is just by being outside. Being outside allows for easier social distancing since you can spread out. There are plenty of places around Pittsburgh that you can stay six feet apart.

The Point is a great spot for picnics and study sessions.

There’s plenty of room to distance but it’s a relaxing spot where you can just sit and talk for hours. The fountain is cooling in the heat and places you in the middle of the rivers and city. There’s also different ways to walk throughout The Point, as well as the city.

Pittsburgh is a walkable city, which is great for when you want to adventure with friends. The Mister Rogers statue is a short walk across to the North Shore. It provides a relaxing spot to unwind, look at the water, and listen to Mister Rogers’ voice. Also on the North Shore are the Water Stairs near PNC Park. This is another relaxing spot to listen to the running water over the steps and even walk through them.

If you’re looking for something to actually do while being social, Pittsburgh is a great place to explore art of all sorts. There are inside art installations like at Wood Street Galleries, which features different artists with changing exhibits. Point Park students all get into a number of art museums for free, like the Andy Warhol museum.

A lot of these museums are now open and taking special precautions to keep customers safe. Though, if you want to stay safe and socially distanced, there are a number of art installations outside.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has a bunch of installations throughout downtown. Agnes R. Katz Plaza is also known as Eyeball Park. It features eyeball shaped seating and a huge fountain right in the middle of Pittsburgh’s theaters.

Close to Agnes R. Katz Plaza is the Trust Oasis. It’s a spot that features different pop-up art experiences. Recently featured was the Prismatica display. Prismatica was filled with big, colorful,

spinning prisms that rang out as you spun them. There’s new installations every few months and it’s a great spot for pictures.

There’s plenty of other small art installations throughout the city. They’re like secret Easter eggs that are discovered by walking and exploring downtown. As well as official installations, Pittsburgh is also filled with graffiti and artists of all kinds.

It may be upsetting to have to stay distant from others while at college, but there are ways to be social and remain distant from one another. The use of technology and being outside are two great starts to making campus a safer place for everyone. Instead of attending a house party, take a walk around the beautiful city or have a virtual movie night. Your mental health and your physical health will thank you.

Kylie Thomas kjthoma@pointpark.edu

6

OPINIONS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

THE

GL BE’S POINT

2020 brings strife, students bring change Pioneers, it has been an intense several months since we have last seen each other on campus.

Between a global pandemic that has altered life as we know it and a protest movement, the likes of which has not been seen since the 1960s, we are constantly dealing in extraordinary circumstances. And those are only the main two current events that have captivated national attention.

Despite a myriad of different ongoing issues, 2020 seems to revolve around similar buzzwords: division, anger, isolation, loneliness, frustration, exhaustion. These words do indeed encapsulate the “unprecedented times” we have found ourselves in.

But if those words embody our situations and our reactions to said situations, it fails to touch on the one lesson we have learned from it all: the immense weight of responsibility.

Because we wear masks and distance to protect ourselves, our families, even the strangers we come to pass on any given day. We protest and call for equity and justice for Black people whose pain and suffering under an oppressive system has long been ignored. We

bring awareness to a campus culture of sexual assaults and harassment on social media to better Point Park for future students.

While advocating for these causes and so many others does ultimately help everyone, we do it for the betterment of others. We do it because there has been a call to action, and we want to answer it. Yes, it is exhausting and can, at times, lead to frustration, anger, division and even loneliness. But there is every chance that the decisions we make will lead to a better reality than the one we are living in in 2020.

This isn’t to say, of course, that breaks shouldn’t be taken, Pioneers. Your mental and physical health are most important to take care of, so when you need to destress, we highly encourage you to do so. But we owe it to ourselves and those around us to act responsibly, call for accountability and prioritize empathy above all else.

It is the only way forward.

Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Letter from the Editor: Do not take all of the blame for what happens

By Jordyn Hronec Editor-in-Chief

Typically, a new Editor-in-Chief of The Globe would address the student body in a Letter from The Editor in the first issue of the year, and in that letter, they would introduce themselves and explain their vision for The Globe during their tenure.

However, things are not so typical right now. And I do not have such a luxury.

But what I do have is the time and the space to convey to you a very important message.

As you all know, Point Park, like many other universities, has decided to open its doors, its dorms and its classrooms to thousands of students in the middle of a global pandemic.

If you don’t recall, Point Park closed early last school year, forcing students home suddenly and moving all of its classes to an online, remote format.

Nothing has improved since then. In fact, the situation has worsened, significantly. It is no secret that within the first few weeks, (if we are lucky, days if we are not) cases of COVID-19 will appear on campus. No amount of mask-wearing, hand-washing or social distancing will prevent this. With thousands of students arriving on campus from all over the country and the world, the virus will spread.

No one should be surprised if the systems that Point Park has in place to quarantine the sick and trace those who they were in contact with become over-

whelmed, causing the university to close once again.

I describe this situation as something that is inevitable rather than theoretical.

Throughout the summer while plans were being made and students were expressing concerns, I addressed the infection of students, faculty and staff as a “when” rather than an “if” scenario to administrators.

And from administrators, who may have simply been trying to express optimism, the spread of COVID-19 was an “if.” Optimism, though, should never be valued over realism when lives are on the line.

When students, faculty and staff become infected and the university closes, the narrative that is pushed will be that it is the individual community members that are to blame. Someone didn’t wear their mask enough, didn’t wash their hands enough, didn’t stay six feet apart from their classmate. Students were partying too much. The “no guest policy” was broken. Students didn’t quarantine before arriving on campus.

The university will not hold itself accountable for its own irresponsibility in opening back up, holding classes in person, filling residence halls, when cases of COVID-19 are exponentially higher than they were in March. No one making the decision to prioritize education over health and safety will face consequences. None of the administrators in their top floor offices will face any blame, nor will they have to leave those offices as often as

the rest of us to mingle with the community and risk infection.

The university social media accounts will remain silent on the fact that students, faculty and staff are getting sick and will instead continue to post silly photos of Black Diamond II wearing a face mask made out of last year’s move-in day tee-shirt.

This isn’t what I wanted for my time as Editor-in-Chief. In fact, it feels like my worst nightmare is coming true. In a perfect world, I would write about how The Globe has inspired me since the tenth grade, and of how I dreamed to one day be in the position I’m in right now. Except, this part wasn’t in my dream. I could have never imagined the horrors we face.

But the student body must remember to stand its ground and to not accept the shifting of the blame. And we must cease the in-fighting while still holding each other accountable to do what we can to keep each other safe.

At the end of the day, students, remember who is responsible for what happens.

It’s not you, and it’s not me.

I can’t promise that everything will be okay. But I can promise you that whatever happens, The Globe will be here to let you know about it.

Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu

Universities provide false security during COVID world

By Jake Dabkowski Co-News Editor

On March 12, 2020, Point Park University students received an email announcing that all in person classes would be cancelled until the next Wednesday, where they would be resumed online. At the time, there were 1,300 confirmed cases of coronavirus in America, and zero confirmed cases in Allegheny County.

Five and a half months later, students are flocking back to campus, when things are objectively much worse.

The United States has over 5 million confirmed cases and over 173,000 deaths. Allegheny County has over 9,500 confirmed cases. The university and the president’s office assures students that they have the best interests at heart, and I want to believe that they do, but it is clear that the real reason they insist on holding classes this semester is almost purely financial.

The issue isn’t the fact that they’re trying to make money. They’re a private university in a capitalist society where higher education is a

for-profit commodity. There is absolutely room for criticism about the role they play in that system, but it’s unfair to them for us to pretend to be shocked by the fact that they want our money.

The actual issue right now is the fact that they, and universities all across the country, are opening full speed ahead despite having experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci who went on record saying that this fall through spring will likely be one of the darkest periods in American history. Despite President Hennigan’s assurances that everything will be fine, the school’s plan feels sketchier than a pair of Light Up Skechers.

Best case scenario is that everyone comes back to school, people slowly become exposed to the virus, we go home for winter break, either exposing our families or are exposed by our families, and then return to school in January, just in time for everyone to get sick.

But here’s what’s more likely to happen, and we all know is what probably will happen. A bunch of big par-

ties will get held in Oakland, a bunch of irresponsible students will expose the entire school to COVID, we all get sent home and then our families are now exposed.

Another issue: commuters. Point Park has laid out guidelines for people living on campus, but they have no ability to police someone who drives to and from campus each and every single day. A person could easily go out to a party, or even worse, someone they live with could say “that COVID thing is a liberal hoax, I refuse to wear a mask to go to Applebee’s” and they involuntarily get exposed.

It’s easy to pretend Point Park is a liberal bubble that is impervious of any anti-mask beliefs, but there are almost certainly students on campus who think the whole thing is media propaganda.

All it takes is one idiot and the whole thing’s ruined for everyone else. Just the other day a video went viral, showing hundreds of Penn State kids huddled in a large group, not wearing masks, doing some sort of “we are” chant.

Editor-in-Chief: Jordyn Hronec Editor-Elect: Amanda Andrews Faculty Adviser: Aimee-Marie Dorsten Administrative Adviser: Dean Keith Paylo The Globe board consists of Jordyn Hronec, Amanda Andrews 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

Advertising: Submit advertising related inquiries to globeadvertising@pointpark.edu All ads must be approved by the university.

The deadline for ads is Friday at 5 p.m.

Details: ppuglobe.com/advertising Story Ideas: If you have a story you think The Globe can use, email globe@pointpark.edu Meetings: Mondays at 2:40 p.m. via Zoom Meeting ID: 850 464 1704 Details: ppuglobe.com/contribute

Overall, the plan of trusting students to make the right decisions when it comes to social distancing is one of the worst plans I have ever heard in my entire life. Sure, I trust myself, my friends, and most of the people on campus to make smart and safe decisions this year. But for every 99 social distancers, there’s always going to be that one person who thinks they’re invincible, not realizing the people that they’re putting in danger with their inconsiderate actions.

At the same time, it’s a two way street. I don’t trust the student body as a whole to make smart decisions, but more importantly and more urgently, I have almost no faith in the school to make smart decisions. During peak flu season last year they did not restock the soap on my floor’s communal bathroom for two weeks, despite the R.E. being informed and phone calls to public safety eventually being made. For two weeks during the peak of flu season, there was no soap. And I’m supposed to believe that unprecedented

News Editors: Jake Dabkowski, Nardos Haile Photo Editor: Jared Murphy

precautions are being taken to combat the spread of COVID. One precaution they’ve announced is that they’ll be cleaning the elevators, something that I assumed they already did. I wish I could find more things they’re doing, but most emails don’t actually have concrete directions, they’re just fluff and buzzwords. As the Talking Heads once said “you’re talking a lot, but you’re not saying anything.”

But when the emails for any sort of payment comes through, those instructions are so specific you’d think they were a manifesto. Because ultimately, this whole thing screams “give us your money first, ask questions after.”

I want to believe that Point Park will be a safe space for learning this fall.

I think everyone wants to get back to classes and away from their families, but I think it is absolutely fair to have apprehensions about the situation.

Jake Dabkowski jcdabko@pointpark.edu

Public Relations Co-Coordinator: Mya Pici

Features/A&E Editors: Tia Bailey, Kylie Thomas Photo Editor: Joie Knouse

Graphic Design: Samuel Williams

Sports Editor: Luke Mongelli, Mason Strawn Photo Editor: Mallory Neil

Staff Writers: Zoey Angelucci, Azariah Ford, Samantha Hindman, Stephanie Kroll, Victoria Josephine Sadauskas

Staff Photographers: Katie Williams

Opinions Editors: Sarah Gibson, Shannon Copy Editors: Amara Phillips, Azariah Ford, Samantha Hindman, Stephanie Kroll, Victoria Hartnett Josephine Sadauskas Online Editor: Mya Burns Delivery Assistant: Mya Burns Copy Desk: Sara Cronin, Chandni Shah Social Media Coordinator: Mia Funari, Matt Zierden

hletics es, the es and

7

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

Mascot Mania: Who’s left?

By Sarah Gibson For The Globe

Hello! My name is Sarah Gibson. You may know me as the SGA Beat Writer for the Point Park Globe, but if you’ve seen the Pioneer Sideline on UView, you’ve probably also seen me as the Senior Mascot Correspondent, a role I’ve held for about a year now. At the Pioneer Sideline, my job was to cover the best that the mascots of the sports world had to offer, and now I’m extending that coverage to the Globe!

And while sports may be on hold, I don’t think this could have come at a better time.

Something I’ve always loved about mascots is that there is an air of levity to them.

They charm the audience and intimidate the other side.

Their job requires a certain amount of joyfulness and charisma. If there was ever a time where sports fans and nonfans alike could use that spirit, it’s now. When the world is at a standstill, when the stadiums are forced to close their doors, when every sport you’re watching is a rerun, when the lights go out, who’s left?

Your friends, the mascots.

I think when everything started locking down, I wasn’t really thinking about how this would affect the execution of the role of mascot. It only occurred to me that the execution could change once it did.

I was on TikTok, a serial time waster for me during the quarantine, and I saw a video of Gritty (because of course it was Gritty) doing trick shots with a ping pong ball and some pots and pans. I smiled. ‘Well, we’ll be back someday,’ I thought to myself. And I don’t even like the Flyers. I hate them.

But the presence of a mascot serves as a pleasant distraction and a fresh ignition of the fan’s flames that we have had to temporarily douse in the times of athletic COVID bubbles and empty stadiums.

Not only that, but the platform mascots are now more rapidly taking to reach their audiences and are also drawing in the appreciation of non-

sports fans as well. I understand that mascots have been on Twitter, TikTok, and other platforms for a while, but I think Gritty was the first mascot to break the barrier from a sports-based icon to a mainstream cultural icon, which set the stage for the new vehicle of mascot performance: TikTok. It’s other social media sites as well, but in terms of a funeral procession, every other platform is a sad loved one, but TikTok is the main event, driving the hearse out front. TikTok is an empire based on silly, partially non-vocal trends that are hyper-connected to each other and streamlined to an audience that has been algorithmed to perfection.

Gritty’s trick shots have been pretty great, but there have been some other mascots using TikTok to its full potential, including the San Antonio Spurs’ Coyote mascot, who made some waves by dueting TikTok dances and claiming himself to be the Spurs’ official “Mask-cot” whenever they started playing again. (It’s all pretty cute and clever, but I’ll warn you before you look it up that this mascot looks like one of my sleep paralysis demons.)

Another one to catch up on is Benny the Bull, of the Chicago Bulls, who celebrated his 50th birthday in quarantine, pulled off the Timothee Chalamet challenge with a mascot twist, and reminded people to stay in their homes because “it isn’t that hard.”

At the end of all of this, I guess what I’m trying to say is that to some extent, this is all temporary. It may change the way we do certain things for a while, but regular sports, vacations, game nights, they’re not gone for good. I don’t know if looking at a slam-dunking coyote nightmare makes you feel any better about that, but it makes me smile. And it serves as a gentle nudge to the ribs. The lights may be out, but they’ll turn back on again.

And your friends will be waiting.

Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Athletics prepares for fall with new COVID-19 precautions

By Luke Mongelli and Mason Strawn Co-Sports Editors

On Friday, Aug. 14, all fall sports athletes returned to campus to begin training and practices for their respective upcoming seasons.

Point Park University, the River States Conference, and the NAIA have cleared all fall sports to continue on schedule for the Fall 2020 semester, throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with Point Park Sports, Athletic Director John Ashaolu expressed his attitude towards the upcoming fall season.

“We are very excited to welcome back our student athletes to campus,” Ashaolu said. “It has not been the typical offseason in the department or for the student athletes at their respective homes, but we are looking forward to having the fall teams back to get ready for their upcoming seasons.”

According to Point Park University’s official sports website, Point Park University’s Department of Athletics, in conjunction with others from around the conference and UPMC, have been working during the offseason months to create a return to play plan along with a plan to keep athletes

healthy for contention.

Three sports will kick off this fall for Point Park this year: both men’s and women’s soccer and cross country, as well as women’s volleyball.

The return to play plan is also in accordance with guidelines created by NAIA, the RSC and by state and local officials. The timeline for the plan is as follows: Aug. 1 - Fall student athletes instructed to begin self-quarantine for 14 days in preparation of return to campus. International student athletes instructed to return to campus by this date in order to self-quarantine and begin preseason training Aug. 15.

Aug. 14 - Fall sports student athletes arrive to campus (Volleyball, M+W Soccer, M+W Cross Country) Aug. 15 - Fall sports first day of preseason training (as allowed by the NAIA). Training groups limited to 10 student athletes, and all training must be non-contact for the first 14 days.

Aug. 29 - Fall sports begin full-contact preseason training. Training is limited to 50 or fewer student athletes.

Sept. 5 - First date of intercollegiate competition (as allowed by the NAIA).

Masks or face coverings must be worn by student ath-

letes who are not in competition and also by all coaches, staff and athletic trainers.

Screenings for temperature and symptoms will be conducted daily and before every training session or competition.

Student athletes with a high temperature or symptoms will be isolated with medical protocols to follow.

All participants must be committed to hand sanitizing and hand washing on a regular basis.

“I think they are doing the best they can to keep us safe,” sophomore men’s soccer player Diego Romero, said “And it’s good that they didn’t cancel the season this year.”

The first sporting event of the year will be an away match at Grace College in Indiana on Saturday, Sept.

5. The first home game will be Saturday, Sept. 12 against Lourdes University, although this game will be played at Montour Junction Sports Complex, in Coraopolis, PA.

Mason Strawn mtstraw@pointpark.edu Luke Mongeli lrmonge@pointpark.edu

Esports team builds, prepares to kick off first active season

By Luke Mongelli Co-Sports Editor

The Point Park esports team will have their first active season for the Fall 2020 semester.

In December of 2019, Point Park University unveiled the newest addition to the athletics department as the eighteenth varsity sports team on campus.

“Point Park University is a leader in growing the gaming industry in Pittsburgh and our region,” Director of Athletics John Ashaolu in an interview with Point Park Sports, said. “Point Park staged a major esports tournament in Pittsburgh and has offered courses and programs on the business of esports.

The next logical step for the University is adding an esports team to our varsity sports programs...We continue to try to find new ways to engage our students, and tapping into the growing popularity of esports is bound to create excitement among both current and prospective students.”

Associate Athletic Director and Director of Athletic Communications Kevin Taylor thinks that esports will change the sports scene at Point Park for the better.

“It’s another opportunity for student-athletes to have a college athletics experience and be a part of everything that entails,” Taylor said. “From being a part of a team, learning and growing your knowledge and skills and getting involved in a growing industry of esports are just a few of the things that we are looking forward to.”

The esports team will be run by Chris Gaul, former head coach of Northern

Virginia Community College (NOVA).

“It’s another opportunity for student athletes to have a college athletics experience and be a part of everything that entails...from being part of a team, learning and growing your knowledge and skills and getting involved in a growing industry of esports are just a few of the things that we are looking forward to.”

Kevin Taylor

Associate Athletic and Director of Communications

Director Athletic

“Chris Gaul quickly emerged as the number one candidate during the search for our head esports coach and compliance coordinator,” Ashaolu said. “His experience as the head coach at Northern Virginia Com-

munity College, where he started the program from the ground up, has prepared him to be the architect of our new program.”

“I plan to grow and develop a full-fledged varsity esports program that will compete at the highest level,” Gaul said in an interview with Point Park Sports.

“I aspire to put Point Park on the map as an esports powerhouse and the go-to esports program for many student-athletes.”

Gaul said he has big expectations for the team this season and is looking to make an impact right out of the gate.

“I am most excited to get the students together and get the season started,” Gaul said. “As our first season, the expectations are in a unique spot overall, but this also allows us to grow and develop our talent over time. The ability to mold fresh talent is huge for us and an opportunity that we are embracing with open arms.”

Tryouts for the esports team will be held on Sept.

5-6 for Rocket League, and Sept. 12-13 for the first round of League of Legends, and Sept. 19 for the second round.

“We have recruits from all over the country who have come here to represent Point Park Esports,” Gaul said. “That said, we still have positions on the teams available to current and new Point Park students who are interested in playing or being involved in the program.”

Luke Mongelli lrmonge@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

8

New head coach brings spark to Women’s Soccer Coach John Newbery will look to create an atmosphere of success at PPU Luke Mongelli

Co-Sports Editor

Point Park University’s Women’s Soccer team heads into the Fall 2020 season under new leadership, fresh young talent, returning veterans and new guidelines.

In January of 2020, Point Park appointed John Newbery, former coach at University of Cumberlands in Kentucky, as head coach for the women’s soccer team.

Newbery spent five seasons at Cumberlands, and made a large impact on the field.

“The biggest adjustment is to the style of soccer that we are going to play. Point Park has consistently had very aggressive and talented teams, and I want that to continue that as a part of our DNA and culture while adding in a style that plays to our advantages, both tactically and technically. We want the game to be played at a very high tempo and to attack our opposition as much as possible,” Newbery said. “This will be done in a multitude of ways based on what the opposition gives us.

The ultimate goal is to make a brand of soccer that is entertaining for fans, addictive for the players on the team, and miserable for the other team to play against.”

Many returning players have already experienced a coaching change here at Point Park and are only interested in looking at the future. 20-year-old Junior midfielder Emily Gillot thinks this is what the Pioneers need to get on track.

“He’s definitely brought a very strong sense of leadership and organization,” Gillot said. “He’s very thorough about his goals and exactly how to best set us up to achieve them. Some noticeable changes are how strategic our training sessions are.

He’s very good at breaking down plays and then building them back with each progression to a game like scenario that has allowed us to already see success on the field,” Gillot said.

Returning Junior forward Taylor Goldstrom is also adjusting to Newbery’s new play style.

“Coach John Newbery has made a lot of changes compared to the past coaches we have had,” Goldstrom said. “Every coach has a different playing philosophy, so the biggest adjustment as far as the team goes is just to get used to playing a different way than we have in the past.”

Goldstrom also added that Newbery is implementing different training processes for the team.

“The changes Coach has brought to the team so far would be the intensity to practices and going over a lot of tactical details with us.

It’s good because it makes us pass, make runs, etc. with purpose and thought, so when we get to the games, it will just come naturally to us. He holds us at a high standard and expects us to get there with every practice, that way we are constantly challenged and competing,”

Goldstrom said.

In addition to the most recent staff change, a large wave of incoming freshmen are joining the club, along with many returning upperclassmen to lead the team in the upcoming season.

“With every player in the program, the expectation is that they come in ready to compete for time on the field. Playing time is a privilege that is earned day in and day out as you compete within your team,” Coach Newbery said. “This applies to the incoming freshman, transfers, and returning players.”

Newbery also added that training and leadership will intertwine.

“The way the women’s soccer program will continue to improve is by making our training harder than games and having your teammates push each other, regardless of their current class or history in the program. What we have seen right now is that the incoming players are hungry and want to prove themselves and show that they belong,” Newbery said. “Our returning players have a bit of a chip on their shoulders as they expect more out of this season and want to succeed in ways they haven’t before.

Due to this, I have seen a fire and an expected standard that they have imparted on the new recruits of what it will take to succeed and thrive not only in our conference, but eventually at the highest possible stage

within the NAIA.” Bailey Boyd, a 21-yearold senior midfielder, thinks that the large group of incoming players will face the club with some challenges.

“We are a very young group this year which brings along its own challenges in terms of getting everyone on board with what we want to be as a program,” Boyd said. “It just means we have to take more time in training sessions to get on the same page and getting used to everyone’s own personal strengths and weaknesses.

If anything, the role the incoming class brings is a lot of potential that the conference has not seen from Point Park in a while,” Boyd said.

Other players are anticipating the incoming freshman class with a very positive outlook.

“We have a very strong incoming freshmen class as well as transfers that I’m really excited about making an immediate impact on the team,” Gillot said. “There’s a lot of talent, and I’m really excited to see them find success on the field this season.”

In conjunction with having to adapt to new players, a new coach, and a new gameplan, the players and staff also have to overcome COVID-19 in compliance with local, statewide, NAIA, and River States Conference guidelines.

“All of the incoming and returning players had to self-quarantine 14 days before they got to campus and once on campus we

have consistently had all the players and coaching staff screened to follow the NAIA and Point Park protocols,” Newbery said. “The practices for our first two weeks of the preseason has been where the largest changes have come to our sport.

Usually a preseason consists of our whole team practicing together and getting to know each other through practices and scrimmages.

This preseason, in keeping with our protocols, we have had to keep our practices to smaller groups of 10 or less players, which for soccer is a new concept when working on tactical parts of the game, but not so different when working on fitness and technical aspects that can be done in smaller groups,” Newbery said.

Players included are being affected by the pandemic as well.

“The effects COVID has had on the team thus far have slowed the adjustment process and team chemistry down a lot due to the fact that we were only able to practice in small groups,” Boyd said. “The goal is to stay aware of the ongoing pandemic and strive to have the full season which means gettting screened everyday before training sessions, wearing masks, and refraining from gathering in large groups outside of the team setting.”

Luke Mongelli lrmonge@pointpark.edu

STUDENT ATHLETES ADOPT NEW SAFETY PRACTICES

Depicted are coaches wearing masks, the distancing that was required for Phase 2 of the return to play and masks being kept handy by student athletes and coaches.

Photos courtesy of Point Park Athletics