Point Park Globe Spring 2020 Issue 7

IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE

5 PAGE 6 PAGE 7

@PPUGlobe February 19, 2020

Read The Globe’s first restaurant review on Cherries Diner Jordyn Hronec explains the type of candidate Democrats should elect Men’s basketball clinched their second-straight postseason run ppuglobe.com

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

Issue 7

Conservatory reinvents STUDENTS LEARN TO WRAP THEIR ROCKET dance concentrations Jordyn Hronec Editor-Elect

The incoming freshman class of 2024’s dance majors may be the first students to experience a brand-new structure to the dance program in the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA).

According to the program chair, Garfield Lemonius, concentrations will no longer be offered to dancers, and the option of obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree, rather than a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, will no longer be available. This change comes in favor of offering more opportunities for cross-curriculum between schools for dance majors, with focuses in education, entrepreneurship, choreography and leadership.

Currently, the program offers both a B.A. and a B.F.A. option for dancers, as well as requiring dancers to pick a concentration of either ballet, modern or jazz within the dance major.

“The goal is to do away with concentrations as they are and as they relate to focusing on technique area,” Lemonius said. “Right now

it is a constant focus on ballet, modern and jazz, and the faculty decided that in order to prepare dancers to be versatile movers, we will move away from them focusing just on technique and focus on them being overall versatile movers.”

Lemonius also said that the decision to eliminate the B.A. option was made due to the amount of students who chose the B.F.A. over the B.A. “We found that the majority, I’d say 90-percent, of the incoming freshman would select the B.F.A.,” Lemonius said.

According to the Point Park website, the current B.A. program requires 120 credits to be completed, while the B.F.A. program requires 130-134 credits. However, the main difference between a B.A. degrees is that the B.A. is considered to be an academic degree, while the B.F.A. is considered to be a professional degree, with less of a focus on liberal arts.

Lemonius explained that in order to make the program change, a new program guide had to be cre-

DANCE page 3

Katie Williams | The Globe Psychology major Trinity Jensen smiles while playing in a ball pit at Campus Activities Board’s space-themed Condom Carnival in the Student Center Gym on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020.

Clerical workers reach contract agreement

WHAT’S GOIN’ ON? ON CAMPUS

SPRING BREAK IN THE CITY

Wednesday, Feb. 19

Beauty and the Beast

NEDA Informational Table

Feb. 14-23 Benedum Center

9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Lawrence Hall Lobby

Campus Canines

PGH Fashion Summit

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Lawrence Hall Lobby

NEDA “Gather Around the Table”

Feb. 24, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Union Trust Building

Point Park Idol

Post Malone

4-6 p.m., Lawrence Hall Ballroom 7-9 p.m., Lawrence Hall 200

Feb. 24, 8 p.m.

PPG Paints Arena

NEDA “Open Mic Night”

The Lumineers

7-9:45 p.m., JVH Auditorium

Feb. 25, 7 p.m.

PPG Paints Arena

Thursday, Feb. 20

NEDA Informational Table

CATS

9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Lawrence Hall Lobby

Mindfulness Workshop

Feb. 25 - March 1 Benedum Center

NEDA Polaroids with The Factory

Pittsburgh Winter Beer Festival

1-2 p.m., West Penn 511

4-6 p.m., Lawrence Hall Lobby

Faculty Dance Concert Bake Sale

Feb. 28-29, 7:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Centaur Cinema

Sportsburgh 10K Tour

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Lawrence Hall Lobby 7-9 p.m., WP 260

March 1, 9-11 a.m.

PPG Paints Arena

NEDA Film Screening

7-9:45 p.m., JVH Auditorium

Friday, Feb. 21

Faculty Dance Concert Bake Sale 6-10 p.m., GRW Lobby

Saturday, Feb. 22

Faculty Dance Concert Bake Sale 12-10 p.m., GRW Lobby

Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball vs. Ohio Christian University 1-2:30 p.m. & 3-4:30 p.m., CACC Allegheny

Sunday, Feb. 23

Faculty Dance Concert Bake Sale 12-6 p.m., GRW Lobby

Alysse Baer | The Globe

Dara Collins Editor-in-Chief

Clerical workers at Point Park University reached their first contract agreement with the institution as members of United Steelworkers (USW) on Feb. 10, 2020, according to a USW press release.

“We are pleased to have come to an agreement with our clerical workers, who play an important role in the day-to-day functions of the University,” Point Park’s Managing Director of Marketing and Public Relations Lou Corsaro said.

The contract affects six employees at the university, according to Corsaro. Damon Di Cicco, president of USW Local 1088 and adjunct faculty member in the School of Communication, explained the employees affected are those who work in the copy center or the mailroom.

This is the first contract the university’s clerical workers reached as a part of USW, and the agreement includes a wage increase, the first the employees have had since 2017.

“I think the real issue is that they hadn’t had a new contract for quite a long time with their previous union, so

there was still an old contract that was still in effect that was protecting them in a variety of different ways, but it hadn’t been renegotiated for several years,” Di Cicco said via phone. “As a result, they hadn’t seen a raise, or any of those kinds of material gains in a long while.”

The USW press release details the improvements of the new contract. Point Park’s clerical employees will receive an immediate 2.75 percent wage increase for 2020 and a lump-sum bonus.

Wage increases are also ensured for the next two years.

“That means that the six people represented by this contract, they will get whatever raise the rest of the staff receives, but if the rest of the staff receives no raise, they still will get a one-percent increase,” Di Cicco said. “If the university were to freeze wages due to low enrollment or low revenues or whatever the reason might be, our members will still get a minimum of a one-percent raise.”

The agreement also includes improved vacation benefits. Di Cicco explained that new hires will be eligible for more vacation sooner.

CONTRACT page 2

Weather Forecast

Today: Cloud H 38, L 21

Thursday: Cloudly H 31, L 17 Friday: Sunny, H 37, L 20 Saturday: Sunny, H 46, L 27

Sunday: Cloudy, H 49, L 35 Monday: Rain, H 46, L 38 Tuesday: Cloudy, H 51, L 39

Point Park

GLOBE

2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

NEWS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Students react to Senator Bernie COOKIES BAKED WITH LOVE Sanders winning New Hampshire Buttigieg follows in second with 24.4% Jake Dabkowski Co-News Editor

Senator Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic Primary with 25.7-percent of the vote. He earned nine pledged delegates.

Pete Buttigieg came in second, with 24.4-percent of the vote, also earning him nine pledged delegates. Amy Klobuchar came in third, with 19.8-percent of the vote, earning her six pledged delegates.

No other candidates met the 15-percent vote threshold for viability, meaning that both Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden did not receive any delegates.

“This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump,” Sanders said, during a speech late last Tuesday night, after CNN projected him as the winner of the state’s primary.

Buttigieg took the opportunity to congratulate Sanders in his speech, but also criticized Sanders, saying that most Americans don’t want to choose between revolution and the status quo.

These results come off the back of the Iowa Caucus, which had problems with reporting results. Results were logged in on an app, which inaccurately reported results, forcing the Iowa Democratic Party to resort to having the results called in by phone. The results are still not fully in. Questions have been raised by many about the integrity of the results, as well as Buttigieg’s campaign’s connection to the app.

“I can’t help but think there was something shady going on. If the Democrats want to beat Donald Trump, they have to band together instead of doing all of this infighting. It’s a waste of energy,” Dan Russo, a freshman broadcast production major, said.

Buttigieg and Sanders both declared victory in Iowa. Buttigieg won more delegates, however Sanders won the popular vote. Many Sanders supporters view Sanders’ success in New Hampshire to be indicative of his ability to win the nomination.

“I believe the results are a good indicator of the success Bernie showed in Iowa, which was questioned by supporters of other candidates,” Ava Scassera, a freshman intelligence and national security major, said. “New Hampshire solidified as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.”

“The New Hampshire primary solidified Bernie Sanders as the official front runner in the 2020 race,” Marc Palombo, a freshman acting major, said. “It also showed the fallout of Joe Biden’s candidacy and showed that South Carolina is his last hope to regain momentum.”

Biden left New Hampshire early in an effort to campaign in South Carolina.

Appearing on Meet the Press last Sunday, Biden admitted that South Carolina was important for his campaign.

“I think I have to do really well in it,” the former Vice President said, adding, “I’m

confident we’re going to be in good shape.”

Klobuchar’s third place finish came as a surprise to many. Klobuchar describes her campaign as being for the people who stayed home in 2016 but now feel as though they may have made the wrong decision.

“We’ve beaten the odds,” Klobuchar said, in a speech after the results were reported. “My campaign has always been about reaching out and not shutting people out, but bringing them with me.”

According to polls conducted by Business Insider, Klobuchar polls highly with the 45-60 and 60+ age demographics, however she does poorly with the 18-29 Demographic, something that seems to be representative of Point Park.

Shortly after the polls closed, Andrew Yang announced on Twitter that he would be dropping out of the race. Colorado Senator Michael Bennet announced he was dropping out as well, and Former Governor of Massachuessets Deval Patrick announced a few days later that he was also dropping out.

The next steps in the Democratic Primary are the Nevada Caucus on Feb. 22, the South Carolina Primary on Feb. 29 and Super Tuesday on March 3, which is the Primaries for several states all on the same day.

Pennsylvania’s primary will be held on April 28.

Jake Dabkowski

jcdabko@pointpark.edu

Rules committee set to present recommended by-law changes SGA

By Sarah Gibson SGA Beat Writer

In their last meeting before spring break, the Student Government Association of Point Park University (SGA) heavily encouraged involvement among the senators and executive cabinet members. The meeting opened with Communications Director Kari Dettorre encouraging SGA staff to come to the “self-love fair” on Tuesday, Feb. 18 and help out. The fair is an event that is a part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDA). Senators were encouraged to come and were told that they would be able to use their involvement at this event in lieu of one office hour.

Proceeding this, the finance committee recommended SGA provide emergency funding to PRSSA, whose account had been frozen due to a misunderstanding, and the club was requesting $620. The legislative body unanimously voted to grant them the emergency funding.

Following this, Recording Secretary Jordyn Hronec reminded the legislative body that Come Complain Again! would be held on March 2. They were also reminded that there would be food at this event.

During the second open floor portion of the meeting, President Pro-Tempore Bryce Hayzlett requested the thoughts of senators on the SGA dress code. He explained that the dress code was going to be addressed at the rules committee meeting which would immediately follow the legislative body meeting that day. After some senators shared their thoughts, Prim Green from the Graduate Student Association (GSA) spoke up to ask the legislative body what they were currently working on. Senator Dennis McDermott volunteered to share that he was currently working alongside Pioneer Pantry, Last Call for Food and 412 Food in order to help food insecurity at Point Park, which is around 40-percent, the highest of any schools in the Pittsburgh region.

While Senator Jade Steele was not present, The Vice President did mention that she was heavily involved with working with CulinArt in order to try to get a hold on their cross-contamination problem.

After this, Green of the GSA presented plans for a commuter resource trip involving taking a shuttle to the Monroeville Convention Center to talk with Port Authority officials about the possibility of obtaining

Alexis Wary | The Globe Education major Victoria Wills makes chocolate chip pancakes during Campus Activities Board’s Love, Pittsburgh event held in Lawrence Hall 200 on Monday, Feb. 10.

bus passes for Point Park students. The meeting adjourned with the reminder that because next week is spring break, the next SGA legislative body meeting will be in two weeks.

At the proceeding rules committee meeting, the topics of the semester requirement, uniforms and office hours were discussed.

After some deliberation from those involved and a vote, the rules committee voted to propose the deletion of the by-law that requires candidates to have one semester of SGA experience before running for president, in an effort to make it more open to everyone, and to accommodate those who had gotten experience in student government in high school. After much deliberation it was decided that in regards to the dress code, the committee would recommend that the dress code by-law be changed to be more open-ended and up to the discretion of the President Pro-Tempore.

When the rules committee meeting passed an hour in length, it was suggested that the meeting officially end early, though members could stay back and continue to talk about the final issue of enforcing office hours if they so desired.

Sarah Gibson

sagibso@pointpark.edu

Tuesday, February 11th N/A - Lawrence Hall Drug Violation

Alysse Baer | The Globe

Contract includes vacation, grievance improvements from CONTRACT page 1 Additionally, the contract includes an improved grievance procedure.

“Their old contract that they had been working under was a little bit out of date in terms of who they should go if there is a grievance, which is basically when the union thinks that the contract has been violated in some way,” Di Cicco said. “We were able to just get that process spelled out more clearly and I think more efficiently than it had been in their old contract.”

The negotiation process to achieve the updated agreement was relatively short, according to Di Cicco.

“The nature of the process is one side makes a proposal, the other side has to go check on various types of information to see what the appropriate counter proposal would be, so the whole back and forth took a few months, but it was only about half dozen meetings, I think,” Di Cicco said.

According to Di Cicco, the contract was agreed upon overall. In the press re-

lease, Di Cicco describes the agreement as fair.

“I would say there were a few points of disagreement,” Di Cicco said. “On the whole, it was pretty cordial.”

This announcement comes after the tentative contract agreement between the university and adjunct faculty last fall. Point Park employs nearly 340 adjunct faculty members, and the new agreement also increased wages among other improvements.

The Globe made an attempt to reach some of the affected clerical employees, but a response was not received at the time of publication.

“I don’t think anyone was expecting earth-shattering changes,” Di Cicco said.

“My sense is that people are content with what we were able to get. I think it’s a step forward, it’s definitely an improvement in a number of ways, and it represents a good compromise between a union and the university.”

Dara Collins

dmcolli2@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

3

NEPTUNE-IN FOR SEX EDUCATION AT CONDOM CARNIVAL

Campus Activities Board’s (CAB) annual Condom Carnival was held on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Student Center Gym with an intergalactic theme. Multiple student organizations including Student Government Association, Student Accounting Association, Rugby Club and many others created carnival-style games for students to enjoy while learning about safe sex and collecting condoms, candy and other prizes.

Top left: Megan Gloecker| CAB Top right: Megan Gloecker| CAB Bottom left: Megan Gloecker| CAB

Dance program creates new plan for future classes from DANCE page 1 ated, and that it is in the process of being approved.

Lemonius stated that hopefully, it would be approved by the faculty assembly in time for fall 2020’s new freshman class.

Lemonius also explained that under the new program guide, a dancer’s freshman year would still be practically identical to what it is now.

Lemonius described several different options in the works for dancers to expand their education beyond the dance program, including the opportunities to minor or double-major in education, business or sports, arts and entertainment management.

“For dancers who are simply thinking about expanding their career opportunities at Point Park, one way would be what we call, and we borrow this from HDTV, DIY, where they can design it themselves...so the point is for them to really go outside of the department, to couple their degree with a minor or a major.”

“I personally love the idea of no concentrations,” Makenzie Farleo, a current senior dance major with a

concentration in jazz said.

“It creates an opportunity for dancers to become more versatile in their dancing, which is a must in the dance world now.”

Farleo also said that during her time at Point Park, she was able to build versatility into the current curriculum.

“I grew up a ‘bun head,’ so when I came to Point Park I chose to switch up the path I wanted to take to more commercial dancing, so I chose jazz,” Farleo said.

“I think I took enough classes that kept me versatile in a way where I was still taking both ballet and modern classes along with my concentration jazz classes.”

“I feel like it’s not important what concentration you are, and I feel like it actually hinders you and kind of puts you in a box,” Cecilia Alves, a sophomore dance major with a concentration in ballet, said. “For me, I would think of myself as a ballet concentration and I think that people would see me that way. But I think if you just labeled everyone as ‘dance,’ there wouldn’t be so many cliques within the dance program.”

Alves also is working towards a minor in psychol-

ogy, and she said that with the current programming, scheduling classes in psychology can be difficult.

“All of my classes that I wanted to take this semester for my minor were all during dance class times,” Alves said. “So if there was a way for them to build that into the program, then that would be really helpful.”

The Point Park dance program currently sits on the OnStage Blog’s “Top 30 College Dance Programs List.”

“The B.F.A Dance program offers concentrations in ballet, jazz or modern,” the blog reads under a section titled “Why we love it.”

“Esteemed faculty include Judith Leifer-Bentz, a former member of the Martha Graham Dance Company and Jay Kirk, who has danced professionally with the Americana Dance Theatre, Dallas Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Chicago Ballet.”

Lemonius stated that

the program must make changes in order to keep up with changes in the dance world and continue to be nationally ranked.

“In order to be recognized continuously as a, ‘top program’ in the country, we have to make sure that our curriculum is inclusive and that we have diverse talent in our dancers,” Lemonius said.

Jordyn Hronec

jthrone@pointpark.edu

AMERICAN IDOL BUT MAKE IT POINT PARK

Correction

ü

In last week’s photo “Cupid’s Arrow Strikes Pittsburgh,” the names of the individuals in the foreground were reversed. Marcie Koenig was on the left, and Theresa Maxon was on the right.

Joie Knouse | The Globe Giovanni Mori performs in the Lawrence Hall Lobby during Point Park Idol on Feb. 13, 2020.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

FEATURES

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Student director debuts play Campus expands in Thayer Hall basement animal visitors Sara Cronin Co-Copy Desk Chief

Sophomore acting major Jeremy Beveridge debuted and directed his first play at Point Park this weekend with the visually captivating and dynamic “Constellations.” Originally written by British playwright Nick Payne, “Constellations” explores the complexities in a relationship between the play’s only two characters, Marianne and Roland.

Unlike other plays, “Constellations” is written in a way that is entirely open, experimenting with theories about “multi-universes.” In fact, it was Payne’s unique way of storytelling and concept that initially drew Beveridge to the play in the first place.

“The interesting thing about the writing and what caught my attention is that the author writes it as though [Marianne and Roland] are in several different universes,” Beveridge said. “Supposedly you never see the same two people twice if you think about the different multi-universe theories that are out there. It’s just so intriguing.”

The majority of Payne’s “Constellations” is quick, witty dialogue. In the style of the play, Marianne and Roland hold conversations with one another, but, in an abrupt moment during the play, the two will “restart” the entire bit of dialogue over again in a completely different tone. This added twists to what the original conversation and tone had been about, hinting that the relationship was taking place in several different universes.

Payne’s open concept allowed Beveridge to add some of his own style to the play but also presented some of its own challenges. “[The play] was such a blank canvas for me to be able to pick up and go, ‘Here’s what I want to do with it,’ and just mold it into what I wanted it to be,” Beveridge said. “I

PIONEER PUBLIC David Jarzen

By Amanda Andrews Co-Features/A&E Editor

David Jarzen started at Point Park four years ago as just another promising performer accepted by the conservatory, knowing little of how vital he would become to the entire theatre department.

The turbulent controversy of “Adding Machine” rocked the university’s foundations last semester. It triggered and ultimately exposed students’ internalized struggles to be heard, but the cast of “Adding Machine” and other outraged students ultimately spoke their

think the most difficult thing was the process of making sure I didn’t change what was said or change the points of the play while still being able to make it my own.”

Beveridge also decided to add a concept of his own to “Constellations” to give the play an additional and unique creative touch. Beveridge conceptually implied that the events that the audience watched between Marianne and Roland already took place and that Roland is looking back on his time spent with Marianne.

In order to convey this concept, during transitions throughout the play, the audience watched a cute, candid video recorded by Roland of him laughing, exploring and enjoying himself with Marianne. They were shown in a variety of locations—anywhere from beautiful art museums and coffee shops to dorm rooms as the two continue on in a conversation about struggles, dying and life in a voiceover. Beveridge’s concept helped audience members piece together how deep Marianne and Roland’s relationship went as well as how much Roland truly cared for her in the midst of her own inner turmoil as she dealt with the effects of an unwanted sickness.

It was the talented junior performance and practice major Vanessa Vivas who brought the humorous and intelligent character of Marianne to life, while Josh Leon had audiences both laughing and crying as he played the easygoing and caring character of Roland.

Vivas’ and Leon’s incredible performances and chemistry in “Constellations” helped make the play truly memorable for the audiences that filled the small room in the Thayer Hall basement over the weekend. Audience members audibly gasped in disbelief as Roland and Marianne

delivered news of sleeping with other partners, laughed as Roland gave his bee monologue with a special ring in his pocket and blinked with tearfilled eyes as Roland gripped Marianne’s scarf in the final concluding scenes of the play.

“I think [the play] was phenomenal,” sophomore photography major Alicia Angelo said. “I thought it was really well done and portrayed.

It was also really emotional.”

At the start of the play, audience members are strangers to the lives of Marianne and Roland but, by the end of the play, the two characters almost feel like friends after watching the two experience relatable and strenuous situations together.

“The chemistry between the two of them worked out really well,” sophomore information technology major Dylan Morgan said. “At first I was confused, but once [the play] started talking about quantum physics, I could start to understand. The end especially got really intense and emotional.”

Overall, “Constellations” challenges its audience to carefully choose how they dictate their relationships with those they love and care most about.

“I think a good lesson from the show, especially in the way that I’ve done it, is just how important the time you have is, and doing what you want to do with who you want to do it within that time that you have,” Beveridge said. “You’re given only so much of time, so what are you going to do with it?”

Beveridge would like to encourage others to continue to support himself and Pinnacle Production in viewing, “And Then There Were None” debuting March 14-16, and “The Credeaux Canvas,” debuting on April 4-9.

minds and demanded change.

Jarzen, president of the COPA Theatre Club and former member of the “Adding Machine” cast, stepped forward as the students’ spokesperson during the town hall-style meetings held last semester. Now, he is serving as a co-chair along with President Paul Hennigan of the Theatre Advisory Committee.

“I think it was just it was a lot going on last semester at the end, and not a lot of people knew how to tackle a lot of things,” Jarzen said. “That’s why—I stepped up a little bit and said that I would be the middleman between a lot of people, the voice for the students between the administration.”

The committee meets monthly, but Jarzen said he keeps busy with doing the necessary research and doing outreach to organizations that can help the university’s situation.

He has consulted with officials at 1Hood, a local anti-racism organization, as well as representatives for conscientious

theatre training.

Jarzen, along with the artistic director and dean of COPA Steven Breese, sent an email out to conservatory students last month detailing the committee’s progress. Some of the biggest changes listed included the guarantee of a woman and person of color on every creative team for the 2020-21 season, an intimacy coach present on every production set and two more town hall meetings scheduled for the spring semester.

“I’m proud of the line of communication that we’ve opened,” Jarzen said of the progress of the committee.

“The clear path to be able to speak our minds and be heard and not have fear of retaliation but have the right to say what we want and the right that it will be listened to.”

Some hurdles still remain.

One of the chief concerns of the committee members is to actually bring in an expert outside consultant.

“Something that we’re really striving towards is trying

Sara Cronin scroni@pointpark.edu

Campus invites dogs, ducks, cats to entertain students Dianna Navarrete Staff Writer

On Jan. 13, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) celebrated National Rubber Ducky Day with a rubber duck themed event titled “Just Ducky,” consisting of carnival style games and live ducks in Lawrence lobby.

“It started as a joke to have a whole rubber ducky themed event,” Shelby Armetta, sophomore business management and CAB Special Events Coordinator, said. “Then we’re like, wait a minute, this is actually a pretty cool idea.”

Armetta said that the idea of getting real ducks also started out as a joke, until the committee decided to actually make it possible.

“We eventually worked it all out in less than a week, got the contract through procurement and got the payment figured out, and did all of it from Tuesday to Monday,” Armetta said. “It was very chaotic, but it worked out.”

Olivia Davis, freshman multimedia major, said that she was surprised to see live ducks. Based on the theme of the event, she just thought there were going to be rubber ducks.

“I was like ‘oh wow, there’s ducks in the lobby,’” Davis said. “They usually don’t bring in live animals, besides the therapy dogs.”

Megan McKenzie, sophomore journalism major, agreed with Davis in which animals other than therapy dogs were never brought to campus before.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this at Point Park. I know they have therapy dogs, but I’ve never seen ducks, so it’s really exciting,” McKenzie said.

Armetta said that the event exceeded her expectations in

all factors, especially how excited the students were to be at the event and interact with live ducks.

“I think the overall attendance for the event was 181.

The first hundred people were all there when the first 30 minutes of the event.” Armetta said. “It worked out really well, that people enjoyed playing the games to get the tickets to then go see the ducks.”

Keith Timmins, six-year owner of the petting zoo Pony Time Ranch, said that he has brought his animals to campuses before. However, he did say that it was difficult bringing his ducks to Point Park, as a result of the traffic and city environment.

Timmins said that he cares about his animals and likes it when people interact with them, saying that animals make people of all ages happy.

“People don’t get a chance to learn about animals or interact with them. How are they going to care about them?”

Timmins said. “They’ll care more about keeping them safe in the wild and stuff like that, if they get to see what they’re about.”

Armetta said that she loves animals and believes that many other students do too, especially with how the “Just Ducky” event proved to be a big hit.

CAB is always creating fun, new activities in hopes to help students socialize and destress. While planning for the “Just Ducky” event, they came up with the idea to bring cats from Animal Friends to campus in the near future at the event “Campus Cats,” which differs from the usual Campus Canines and calls out to cat lovers as well, said Armetta. It was originally scheduled for Feb. 18, but has been postponed.

Dianna Navarrete dnavar@pointpark.edu

David Jarzen | Submitted

to bring someone in to facilitate a larger conversation, and it’s not that it hasn’t happened yet it’s just that it’s a little slow-going,” Jarzen said. “Our committee, the theatre steering committee, is working hard every day to make sure

that someone is able to come in here and help heal the community.”

Read the full story at ppuglobe.com

Amanda Andrews aaandre@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

A&E

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

5

‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ proves to be an enjoyable watch Sarah Gibson Co-Opinions Editor

Rating: Where to watch: Local theaters Price: around $10 We took bets at the table in the Burgatory next to the McCandless Crossing Movie Theatre as to how many fart jokes “Sonic the Hedgehog” would have. After much deliberation, I settled on one. One fart joke. “Sonic the Hedgehog” would have three. It exceeded my expectations in regards to fart jokes, and it exceeded my expectations for the quality of the movie.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” was surprisingly fun. I was expecting to laugh but only in the sense that it was so bad. I legitimately laughed at some of the jokes in this movie. I didn’t think the CGI was bad, and you know what? Jim Carrey was great.

I also don’t normally appreciate when a movie sets up

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

for a sequel, but the way this movie did made me stand and clap at the end. No joke.

The premise of the film, while a bit played out, gets the job done for a kids film.

Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), a cop, wants to know what it’s like to save a life, so he decides to leave his small town. Sonic (Ben Schwartz), who has been hiding his own existence for exposition reasons, begs Wachowski to hide him as a fugitive from the govern-

ment. After being harassed

by Dr. Robotnik (Carrey), a scientist hired by the government to find Sonic, Wachowski and Sonic are on the run as the movie turns into a road trip buddy-comedy all the way to San Francisco, where the movie’s climax takes place.

There were some things I wasn’t a big fan of, namely, the audible product placement. Whenever I watch a movie, I can ignore the fact that they all drive Chevro-

let cars or only drink Coke products. I completely forget any of that. But this movie had three major audible mentions of product placement, namely for Olive Garden, Zillow and Fitbit.

I cannot hear those brands names without thinking “Wow. Zillow bought product placement in a movie.

This movie. Yikes.” Granted, one of those brands is mentioned in a way that I think is rather funny, so I want to give it a pass, but

it’s still painfully obvious.

Another one of my least favorite parts is Wachowski’s character.

Nothing against Marsden, but his wife’s character was better written, and his own character reminds me of something like The Smurfs live-action movie or the terrible CGI Easter bunny movie. He’s too everyman.

I felt like some of his writing, along with some of the dynamics in his relationship with Sonic, was lazy.

My last problem with the movie is that Sonic flosses twice. Like, the terrible dance move. I was about to cry at the end and then Sonic flossed, and I immediately stopped. Carrey’s dance sequence, however, made up for that easily.

Overall, “Sonic the Hedgehog” is a fun kids movie that possesses some genuinely cool world-building, original jokes and Sonic Flossing. But if you’re asking me, the good things outweigh the bad.

Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu

‘To All the Boys’ Charming Cherries Diner’s food is affordable for students sequel stays true to the original film

By Amanda Andrews Co-Features/A&E Editor

Rating: It can be hard to believe, and amongst the busy shuffle of the city, a traditional diner sits right on the corner of Market Square.

Cherries Diner of 212 Forbes Avenue is a comfort food oasis in the heart of downtown. Most importantly, its food is not only quality, but is also affordable for broke college students.

The vibe is fairly relaxed.

It’s a quaint, little place where you seat yourself, and you don’t have to worry about bringing company with you either. Multiple people sit alone at tables, casually drinking their coffee while they catch the latest news from Channel 2 from either of the affixed TVs on the bright, deep-red walls. Of course, there are also tables for big parties for those interested in enjoying a big brunch with friends.

I have to admit — it’s not the first time I’ve visited this place. Ever since I saw the sign outside advertising $3 for two eggs and toast, I was instantly hooked. The affordable pricing structure extends all throughout their menu and not just for breakfast items. A

Early Bird Special at Cherries Diner

cheeseburger is just $4.50, a grilled cheese $5. What’s not to love?

Personally, I think a diner’s true strength is in their breakfast food. I started out with ordering a hot tea, $1.25, which is just a Lipton bag and some hot water, but I wasn’t expecting anything more than that. I decided I would try out the staples of what anyone would want out of a good American breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes and pancakes. Here, they call it the Early Bird Special.

My server had the meal on my table in less than 15 minutes, which I was very impressed by. However quickly the food had been cooked, it certainly did not taste like it from the very first bite in.

The bacon was near perfection. It was deliciously not overdone, but rather chewy and tender. Next, I sampled the potatoes. They’re definitely standard breakfast potatoes, but that doesn’t mean they’re nothing to write home about.

Seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, they’re a simple yet delicious addition to the meal.

The eggs are made to order. I ordered mine to be scrambled and was not disappointed. The eggs were light and airy, almost seeming to melt in my mouth. The toast is done like any signature din-

er, pre-buttered and with a lot of the spread. For me, I don’t mind, but, if that’s something you’re against, you’ll have to specify with the server when ordering.

Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast foods period, so I have the bar set very high. While this definitely was not the best pancake I’d had, it did make an impression.

The taste, even with just a bit of syrup, was extremely sweet, and I made quick work of it.

While the Early Bird Special was a highlight for me, the diner offers some interesting specials as well. The Cherry Bomb Pancake and the Very Cherry French Toast are obviously fruit-infused breakfast entrees that reference the diner’s name. What struck me as most odd, but fascinating, was a Chicken Biryani special offered only on Fridays. For a place that serves mostly traditional diner food, the out-of-character choice is something I’ll definitely look into next time I visit.

From the time I walked in, the server was attentive to my needs at every possible moment despite handling multiple customers. She could tell when I was ready to place my order, always refilled my water and cleared away my finished plates immediately.

It should be noted that customers go up to the register to pay after the meal, and credit/debit is accepted for all of us who don’t carry cash in our wallets. They also take togo orders as well. If you end up not liking your meal...too bad.

Cherries Diner has a non-negotiable no-refund policy.

With tip included, I spent a little over $12 on brunch, and that’s fairly cheap for what is essentially two meals.

I highly recommend if you’re in Market Square and hungry for some cheap, quality brunch food, turn the corner between the laundromat and McDonald’s and give Cherries a try.

Amanda Andrews | The Globe

Amanda Andrews aaandre@pointpark.edu

Nardos Haile Copy Editor

Rating: Where to watch: Netflix Netflix’s hit rom-com, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” made its return to the streaming platform with its sequel “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” just in time for Valentine’s Day. The first film revived the romantic comedy genre on Netflix, broke streaming records and started a plethora of memes on the internet. One of the first examples of an Asian protagonist in a lead teen romantic comedy, it introduced Generation Z to their own version of the modern rom-com.

The sequel, “P.S. I Still Love You,” starts where the first film left off. The protagonist and narrator of the story, Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor), begins her story with a montage paying homage to the ‘80s classic “Adventures in Babysitting.” It’s her first date with her charming lacrosse-playing beau, Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo).

As the story progresses, so does Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship. In rom-com fashion, things quickly start to go off course when both of their pasts create roadblocks in their new relationship.

First, Lara Jean, who has never had a boyfriend, begins to compare herself to Peter’s ex-girlfriend, and her ex-best friend, Gen. Secondly, Lara Jean’s world tilts on its axis when she receives a letter from John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher), one the boys she wrote a love letter to in her childhood. His letter is the only one out of five that didn’t return to her.

John Ambrose, Lara Jean’s middle school crush, writes her a letter explaining his confusion with her original letter. He happily recalls their childhood moments, complimenting Lara Jean for her

young vulnerable heart.

This new letter completely fogs up Lara Jean’s analytical mind. It seems as if Lara Jean felt the most intensely for John Ambrose, which will seemly create an issue for her relationship with Peter in the near future.

Coincidentally, Lara Jean and John Ambrose sign up to volunteer at the same retirement home. This kickstarts their blossoming friendship with lingering romantic implications even though she is still with Peter.

At the height of the movie, John Ambrose and Lara Jean set up a party at their old childhood treehouse with all of their childhood friends including Peter, Peter’s best friend Trevor, Lara Jean’s best friends Chris and Gen. The treehouse gathering garners some friction between John Ambrose and Peter because John Ambrose doesn’t know about their relationship.

Peter and Lara Jean’s miscommunications and closeness with other people ultimately disintegrates their relationship.

In typical rom-com fashion, when Lara Jean’s relationship ends, she tries to find solace in John Ambrose, and while it works temporarily, she realizes he isn’t Peter. So, she runs to Peter - literally.

Right when she walks through the threshold of the front door, Peter’s already there.

He remembers she said, “You don’t like driving in the snow, right?” Swoon. Of course, they end up together after a big declaration of love.

“P.S. I Still Love You” still manages to draw an audience in with its warm and endearing lead actors, Condor and Centineo, its bubblegum sugar sweet-cinematography and its ability to let the viewers into Lara Jean’s love-obsessed, wistful mind. It’s not as iconic as the first, but it still has the same idiosyncrasies and magic of Lara Jean’s imagination.

Nardos Haile nhaile@pointpark.edu

6

OPINIONS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

THE

GL BE’S POINT Become involved politically

As the Democratic primaries heat up, more and more people get involved in politics by going out and registering to vote, volunteering for campaigns or simply supporting their favorite candidates.

National politics are not the only outlet for individuals who may be hungry for political activism. There are plenty of local options, including the Student Government Association (SGA) here on campus.

Students can attend weekly SGA legislative body meetings every Monday at 3:15 p.m., where they can address SGA members directly about concerns or make suggestions they may have for the university. There is also a SGA election coming up within the next month or so. This is a perfect time for students to start paying attention to SGA, find a candidate to support, get involved in campaigns and vote.

It’s like practice for the big election in November.

But SGA isn’t the only

option. Up the street from the university on Grant Street, there’s the City-County Building. It is home to the mayor’s office, and also hoststhe City Council’s regular meetings. According to the Pittsburgh government website, the City Council “proposes, debates and votes on legislation governing and/or affecting the city.” Downtown Pittsburgh is represented on the City Council by Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle.

In addition to SGA and the City-Council, it is always a good idea to contact your state representative, as well as your district’s elected representative in Congress and senators for issues that you care about.

A well-crafted letter or phone call can go a long way. Don’t forget about your more local options when you want to get involved in politics, and don’t forget to vote.

Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu

Gun Girl or Internet Troll?

By Logan Dubil Staff Writer

Kaitlin Bennett. Haven’t heard of her? How about the “Kent State Gun Girl?”

Kent State graduate Kaitlin Bennett is not just another conservative social media personality advocating for gun rights and anti-abortion policies. Her career jumpstarted in a far from ordinary way, after she posted this controversial tweet on May 13, 2018: “Now that I graduated from @KentState, I can finally arm myself on campus.

I should have been able to do so as a student- especially since four unarmed students were shot and killed by the government on this campus. #CampusCarryNow” As stated in Kent State’s gun policy, at the time of Bennett’s graduation, students, faculty and staff are prohibited from carrying “deadly weapons” on campus. Note, these guidelines do not include graduates and visitors; therefore, Kaitlin did not do anything wrong by posing for graduation photos with her cap and an AR-10 rifle.

Not only did her photoshoot highlight the fallacies in Kent State’s gun policy but it launched her political YouTube career. Now, Bennett uploads YouTube videos that feature her conducted interviews which can

be found on a channel titled “Liberty Hangout.”

As an advocate of conservative values, she travels from rally to rally, protest to protest to converse and debate with attendees. Since the beginning of her social media career, Bennett is known to document footage from events that fall under the opposite side of the political spectrum – events like pro-choice marches and Democratic conventions – in hopes of learning about the other side or even in hopes of changing the minds of potential voters.

I also consider myself as a pro-gun and pro-life advocate; I have supported her work from the very beginning. Recently, I have noticed a shift in her approach to the interview process.

In the beginning, her interviews were fair – not bipartisan due to her channel’s bias towards conservative viewpoints, but fair. Her interviews were professional and respectful...keyword were. Now, it seems as if her only goal in attending these events is to troll attendees in exchange for views and engagement, whether it be positive or negative.

Read the full version online at ppuglobe.com

Logan Dubil lmdubil@pointpark.edu

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Time is running out for Democrats First wave of GenZ could greatly impact election

By Jordyn Hronec Editor-Elect

The Democratic Party has the opportunity to make history. However, the “do-nothing Democrats” also have the opportunity to completely blow it.

They have to make up their minds, and hopefully make the right decision.

Right now, Democrats can go one of two ways. They can elect a more moderate candidate as their nominee, or they can elect a more liberal, progressive candidate. The second option has a greater chance of success.

The moderate candidates make up the bulk of the contenders right now — think Mayor Pete, Uncle Joe, Amy and Bloomberg. The more liberal candidates are Bernie and Liz. If the Democratic Party is looking to attract Republican voters and even Trump supporters, a moderate candidate is the way to do it. The possibility of attracting Trump supporters is slim, so that shouldn’t be the strategy that they used.

No matter what your opinion is of Trump, you have to admit, he has an unmatched ability to create an almost cult-like following. His base of dedicated supporters and voters would pretty much do anything for him, regardless of whether or not they are able to completely articulate their loyalty. Electing a moderate candidate as the Democratic nominee in an effort to win over some Trump supporters

is a lost cause.

There are registered Republican voters in this country who do not support Trump, they are definitely out there.

If the Dems select a moderate candidate, they could vote blue, but just how many Republican, non-Trump supporters are out there?

According to post-election survey results by the Pew Research Center, only four-percent of Republicans voted for Hillary in the 2016 election, while five-percent of Democrats voted for Trump. When it comes to ideology, the same survey results revealed that overwhelmingly, liberals voted for Hillary, conservatives voted for Trump and moderates went half-and-half.

Americans exhibit extreme party loyalty at the polls.

That’s why it’s pointless for Dems to try and elect a primary candidate who will attract Republicans.

Electability is still important for liberal Democrats.

Only some states, such as Pennsylvania, require voters to register with a political party, others do not. Therefore, there are no statistics to count how many people in the U.S. registered with either political party. However, Gallup has an ongoing report on the percentage of adults who identify with which parties. Currently, 27-percent of adults identify as Democrats, 30-percent identify as Republicans and the remaining 43-percent identify as Independents. These numbers are subject to fluctuate greatly as the 2020 election approaches. According to the

Pew Research Center, most who identify as Independent do lean either Democrat or Republican, with the slim majority of Independents mostly leaning towards Democrat.

Trump’s loyal following and his ability to take advantage of the electoral college are not assets exclusive to Republicans. In order for Democrats to have a fighting chance to steal Trump’s second term, they need to play a similar game.

It’s a well-known fact, and also backed up by the Pew Research Center, that the millennial generation is the most liberal generation yet, and most likely to vote Democrat. In 2020, the first wave of Generation Z will take to the polls, while there’s little research on this generation’s political leanings, if they follow in the millenials’ footsteps, they could end up pulling the election one way or another.

The Democratic Party’s best chance for a successful 2020 election bid is to throw their support behind a more progressive, left-leaning candidate. In 2018, Democrats gained majority in the House of Representatives. This election saw the highest turnout for a midterm election since 1914, with the biggest increase in the 18-29 year-old category, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Read the full version online at ppuglobe.com

Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu

President aquitted, what next?

By Chandni Shah Copy Editor

On Feb. 5, 2020 the Senate acquitted President Trump of both charges against him: Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. The trial began on Dec.18, 2019 spanning almost two months, however, the outcome was predictable from the beginning since over half of the senate is Republican. America, home of the brave, houses the most cowardice, as self-victimization permeates the vessels of our government.

In his acquittal speech, Trump held up “The Washington Post” with the headline “Trump acquitted.” He proceeded to call out by name Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff by calling them horrible people as well as liars.

He negates his quid pro quo with Ukraine and instead of apologizing to the American people, he implies that the only ones affected by the impeachment were himself and his family. In Trump’s eyes, he was involved in a “witchhunt” powered by Pelosi and Schiff, who were supposedly

out to persecute him from the very beginning. His acquittal speech was nothing but an example of what it looks and sounds like to pull the victim card and wave it around in everyone’s face. Trump pulls this card from his predictable deck as a symbol of exoneration, emphasizing his notion that the only people who are guilty of anything are those that attempted to convict him.

Trump continues to narrate for the American people his escape from being held accountable for any of his actions. This four-year slapstick will continue to saturate news outlets and meme pages all the way up to the 2020 election in November.

During the trial Utah Senator, Mitt Romney, became the first Republican to vote against their party in an impeachment trial. Romney said that his decision was based on an “inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it,” and that Trump was “guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust.” Romney, unlike the other Republican senators,

was not thinking about keeping his seat in congress, but of his duty as a key limb of the government. Members of his party were outraged, while Trump stated that Romney used religion as a “crutch” in his defense. In reality, his disloyalty to his party was a sign of loyalty to the people.

The Senate voted not to call witnesses to the trial and Trump previously fired government members who could attest to his crimes.

This calls attention to the integrity of the United States government, the impeachment “trial” can hardly be called so, it was a mere representation of the corruption that has continued to infiltrate political settings.

Of course Trump feels that he has the right to claim that he is innocent because there was no one formally permitted to state otherwise.

Read the full version online at ppuglobe.com

Chandni Shah crshah@pointpark.edu

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967 Editor-in-Chief: Dara Collins Editor-Elect: Jordyn Hronec Business Manager: Nathan Vrablic Faculty Adviser: Aimee-Marie Dorsten Administrative Adviser: Dean Keith Paylo The Globe board consists of Dara Collins, Jordyn Hronec 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

News Editors: Jake Dabkowski, Luke Mongelli Photo Editor: Jared Murphy Features/A&E Editors: Amanda Andrews, Tia Bailey Photo Editor: Emma Federkeil Sports Editor: Allison Schubert Photo Editor: Mallory Neil

Graphic Design: Alysse Baer Staff Photographers: Katie Williams, Kylie Thomas, Alexis Wary Staff Writers: Rosalie Anthony, Jake Berlin, Ben Reinke, Mason Strawn, Logan Dubil, Zoey Angelucci, Kylie Thomas

Opinions Editors: Sarah Gibson, Shannon Copy Editors: Mya Burns, Chandni Shah, Nardos Haile, Sabry Mohieldin Hartnett Online Editor: Mya Burns

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

Public Relations Co-Coordinator: Jake Berlin, Regan Tischler

Copy Desk: Sara Cronin, Hannah Walden Social Media Coordinator: Payton Comunale

Delivery Assistant: Mya Burns

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

All In with Allison

By Allison Schubert Sports Columnist

Battle of the Best The women’s basketball team has found itself in a bit of a sticky situation with just two games left in River States Conference (RSC) play.

Currently, the Pioneers are 16-12 overall with a 6-8 RSC record. With the standings as they are now, that means Point Park has to win both of these next two games to clinch a spot in the postseason.

Though their current situation is less than ideal, the Pioneers have seen plenty of individual successes throughout the 2019-2020 season, some of which have resulted in friendly competition among teammates.

Earlier this season when Point Park traveled to Ohio Christian University on Jan. 18, junior guard Michelle Burns surpassed the 1,000-point milestone. With this, she became the 16th player in program history to accomplish the feat.

That same week, freshman forward Taylor Rinn won RSC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors for the week of Jan. 13-19. That week, Rinn averaged a double-double (17.3 points per game, 12 rebounds per game) and shot 82-percent from the field.

So far, Rinn averages 13.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game on the season.

Just eleven days later on Jan. 30, senior guard Tyra James continued rewriting history when she went 3-for-3 beyond the arc to surpass April Austin as the program’s leading career 3-point scorer.

Prior to that game in Asbury, James and Austin were tied at the helm with

191 makes. James’ three on the night edged out Austin’s previous record, set from 2009-13.

(At the time of publication, James currently sits at 197 career treys.)

At this point, Burns should be used to having her name all over the record books, but she is not one to ever be satisfied.

Feb. 4 saw Burns making history yet again when she tied Austin’s record (set in 2009-10) for the most treys made in a single season with 65.

The very next game, Burns surpassed that record.

When Point Park traveled to Rio Grande, Burns made five more 3-pointers to continue extending the new record.

Enter freshman Taylor Kirschner.

That same game, Kirschner saw Burns’ five treys and raised her one, making six on the night for herself.

At the end of the matchup against the RedStorm, Burns had 71 from beyond the arc, but Kirschner sat very closely behind at 69.

This brings us to now, with Burns currently sitting at 73 treys and Kirschner eyeing up her competition with 70.

No matter what happens in the final two games of the season, it has certainly been one for the books, and it is not even over yet.

If Point Park versus the rest of the RSC was not good enough, we now have some friendly Burns versus Kirschner competition to look forward to as well.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

7

Men’s basketball splits RSC games, clinch playoff spot

By Mason Strawn Staff Writer

The men’s basketball team split their games once again this week, but were able to officially clinch a playoff spot in the River State Conference (RSC) tournament.

The Pioneers still stand at .500 on the season at 1414, while recording a 6-8 record in RSC play this season.

The men still stand in third place in the RSC East division, where they will presumably stay as they stand six games behind Indiana University East with two games left on the season.

In their first game of the week last Tuesday, Point Park was able to defeat the University of Rio Grande in Ohio, 74-70.

The Pioneers dominated the first half, leading by as much as 19 in the first twenty minutes and dropping 40 points compared to the RedStorm’s 22.

Point Park held the lead until the very end, but Rio Grande did not go down quietly, marching a major comeback and bringing it within three multiple times in the

last 30 seconds of the game.

The Pioneers were able to buckle down in crunch time though, just keeping the RedStorm at arm’s length till the final buzzer sounded.

“I think the thing that kept us ahead was our game plan,” junior forward RJ Fairrow said. “We knew the key guys that we had to keep the ball away from, we did that and we were able to keep the lead at the end.”

This was another game where the Pioneers dominated the boards against their opponent, this time out-rebounding Rio Grande 42-29.

Point Park also out-shot the RedStorm 48-percent to 42-percent, although the Pioneers only shot 15-percent from beyond the arc compared to Rio Grande’s 45-percent.

Junior forward Garret McHenry led the way for the boys with 21 points and six rebounds, followed up by junior forward Kyle Carrington, who came up a rebound short of a double-double with 12 points and nine boards.

The win clinched one of

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

Gabe Sunderman | Point Park Athletics Junior forward Kyle Carrington goes up for a layup against a WVU Tech defender in Saturday’s game at CCAC - Allegheny.

the four postseason spots in the RSC East division.

“We knew going into that game that it was do or die; if we won we would make the playoffs, and if we lost it was over,” Fairrow said. “I think everyone on the team came locked in and we got the win.

When we did, everyone was ecstatic.”

In the second game of the week, on Saturday, the Pioneers fell to the firstplace WVU Tech Golden Bears, 79-65.

The game was a back and forth affair in the first half, with neither team being able to lead by more than five.

WVU Tech led heading into the second half and pulled away as soon as the second half started.

The Golden Bears led by as much as 15, as this was only the second loss at home for the Pioneers.

It was a rare game where the Pioneers were out-rebounded by their opponents, 42 to 26.

Despite being out-rebounded by the Golden Bears, the Pioneers were able to out-shoot WVU Tech 46-percent to 44-percent from the field, and heavily out-shot their opponent from deep, hitting 42-percent of their 3-pointers compared to WVU Tech’s 27-percent.

The Pioneers were led by the scoring efforts of sophomore guard Sherron Schifino, who put up a team high of 14 points. Three other Pioneers in junior forwards Adam Scott, Fairrow and McHenry all put up double-digit points as well with 12, ten and ten, respectively.

The men will be on the road this Tuesday to face off against Indiana University East in Richmond, Ind., who are the second-ranked team in the RSC East division.

The Pioneers’ final regular season game will be this Saturday at home, where they will face off against Ohio Christian University (OCU) in their Senior Day game at 3 p.m.

Point Park will need OCU to lose their first game this week, or defeat IU East and OCU at home to hold onto the third seed in the East division as playoffs loom large.

Mason Strawn mtstraw@pointpark.edu

Gabe Sunderman | Point Park Athletics Junior guard Mark Shehady pulls up for a trey attempt while being closely guarded by WVU Tech defender Andreas Jonsson (4). Shehady had seven points in the RSC home match-up.

8

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Women prepare for duo of must-win RSC games

By Allison Schubert Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team found themselves on the wrong end of two closely fought battles this past week, suffering two more River States Conference (RSC) losses.

The Pioneers’ first game came last Tuesday at Rio Grande, the No. 3 scoring offense in the country (89.0 points per game).

It was a back-and-forth game for the entire 40 minutes, but the RedStorm was able to out-shoot Point Park 49-percent to 40-percent.

Rio Grande also led in rebounds, 48-36.

The game was defined by ten ties and eight lead changes, all of which occurred in the second half, and ultimately resulted in a 95-89 win for the RedStorm.

13 treys headlined the Pioneers’ game, with 11 of those coming from the duo of junior guard Michelle Burns and freshman guard Taylor Kirschner.

Burns’ five 3-pointers totalled 71 on the season for her, a record for most treys made in a single season.

Kirschner sank six from beyond the arc, closing in on Burns’ record with 69 of her own by the end of the night.

Those two also led in scoring for the Pioneers, as Burns recorded 29 points and Kirschner scored a career-high 24.

With the RedStorm game behind them, the wom-

en headed back to CCAC-Allegheny on Saturday to host No. 25 ranked WVU Tech.

Coming into the game, WVU Tech had a 30-game win streak against RSC competition, including playoffs.

The Pioneers looked to stop the 14-0 Golden Bears in their tracks, but were unsuccessful in their penultimate game on their home turf.

Freshman guard Taylor Rinn posted another double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Pioneers in both.

Another freshman guard, Lexi Petit, recorded a career-high 23 points to pair with her six assists, six rebounds and four steals.

All together, Point Park shot 47-percent overall and 33-percent from 3-point range, but it was not enough.

The Golden Bears kept their undefeated streak alive, placing the Pioneers in a difficult position.

“These next two games are absolutely crucial,” Burns said. “At this point, it’s win or go home, so we need to be totally locked in. We’ve faced a lot of adversity these past weeks, from long bus rides to daunting schedules, so I think we’re up to the challenge and we’ll be ready to go come game time.”

The Pioneers play next at IU East before their Senior Night game at home on Saturday against Ohio Christian University.

Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu

Gabe Sunderman | Point Park Athletics ABOVE: Rinn goes up for a layup against River States Conference rival WVU Tech at home on Saturday. Rinn had 24 points and 13 boards against the Golden Bears.

BELOW: Rinn shoots a free throw in a non-conference game against the University of Valley Forge earlier this season. So far, Rinn is averaging a double-double with 13.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game.