Point Park University Globe Fall 2016 Issue 12

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Globe Point Park

@PPUGlobe November 16, 2016

Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967

UNIVERSITY HONORS VETERANS

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Staff Writer

photo by Gracey Evans

Anti-Trump protests erupt throughout city By Chloe Jakiela News Photo Editor

Following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, students and members of the community took to the streets downtown and in Oakland to voice their opinions through events such as protests and a candle-lit vigil. “This is a really pivotal time where there is only so much we can do, and one of those things is take to the streets,” said one protester, Point Park alumna Ren Finkel. Finkel has been an active participant in various protests for about three years, including the Black Lives Matter movement and unions on strike. She was a member of

the Student Solidarity Organization, a student-led social justice group on campus. Early Wednesday morning, there was a student-organized protest in Oakland, and then later in the day separate groups organized a vigil in Market Square and another protest in East Liberty that began at the Ace Hotel. Demonstrations continued, including a protest in Point State Park that turned into a march Sunday afternoon and evening. What started as a small group of students transformed and flooded into the streets of the University of

PROTESTS page 2

University mulling options to replace Blackboard software By Hannah Walden For The Globe

Point Park University is currently in the process of changing and adapting the technology available to students by replacing Blackboard with another online system. A committee of 15 staff and faculty members led by Nelson Chipman, the executive director of Point Park Online, and instructional technologist Todd Slater are searching for a system to replace Blackboard. The faculty and staff members were pulled from every department of Point Park – the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA), the School of Business, the School of Communication, the School of Arts and Sciences and oth-

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er groups and associations across campus. Professors and student use Blackboard for posting assignments, notes, notifications and grades for courses. While this program is useful, it is known to cause confusion amongst both students and faculty. Currently, the creators of Blackboard, Stephen Gilfus, Michael Chasen, Matthew Pittinsky and Daniel Cane, have created Blackboard Ultra, an updated version of the previous system, which they claim is cleaner and easier to use. Eventually, all customers with Blackboard will be forced to upgrade to Blackboard Ultra. This prompted Point Park to create a committee to search and survey other

photo by Chloe Jakiela

Alex Henderson, student at Clarion University, protests Donald Trump’s presidency as a pansexual Mexican woman, at Point State Park Sunday.

Today: Mostly cloudy H 57, L 38

Issue 12

After nearly ten years of planning, the new Point Park Pittsburgh Playhouse is slowly beginning to take shape on Forbes Avenue and Fourth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. The new Playhouse is designed to be an estimated 92,000 sq. feet and is being built on a 1.6 acre site on Forbes and Fourth avenues. Crews plan to renovate an additional 50,000 square feet of the former Stock Exchange building. Initial planning started 10 years ago when President Paul Hennigan took office with plans to grow the university. When completed, the Playhouse will include a main theater that will seat 530 people, a 200 seat transformational theater that will open up into the courtyard and a 100 seat blackbox theater. The building will also include a prop and costume shop, a sound stage for cinema students and performance classrooms that will replicate the main stage. Construction efforts began last winter with Pittsburgh-based masonry company Franco Associates removing and reconstructing facades on three of the Forbes Ave. buildings on site. According to Mick Nardozzi, lead estimator for Franco Associates, this is the largest terra cotta salvage and rebuild ever done in Pittsburgh.

The facades will be used in the Playhouse’s courtyard. “The extent to which we were able to salvage intact, whole pieces was pleasantly surprising,” Nardozzi said in a press release from the university. At one point, seven different buildings stood on the location. In 2006, Point Park purchased the Stock Exchange building for $645,000 for the Playhouse project. Currently, crews are working on the restoration of stained glass skylights from the building. In order to restore them, crews removed the windows in 5 feet by 5 feet panels. One window was even recreated from scratch. Construction cost is estimated to be $74 million, according to the university. Point Park has made $45 million so far, with $14 million coming from the university trustees and campaign leadership, $18 million from corporate gifts, $5 million from Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program and $8 million from foundation gifts. The university also plans to sell the Oakland Playhouse to raise funds. The construction is being carried out by a team of nearly 30 different construction companies. PJ Dick is in charge of the subcontracting of crews, and some of the construction as well. Currently on the site, PJ Dick is working at laying concrete while Amthor steel

PLAYHOUSE page 2

Support groups created for students after election night By Matt Petras Co-News Editor

Following a night of demonstrations and public backlash against President-elect Donald Trump, two separate organizations on campus held public support group meetings to help students cope with this anxiety.

“The intent is not a protest,” said Taffie Bucci, the university’s counselor, in an interview before hosting a Wednesday evening event. “The intent is to talk about our feelings as a community.” When Bucci woke up on Wednesday and saw the news, she decided to quickly

BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

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BLACKBOARD page 2

ppuglobe.com

Construction of new playhouse continues By Robert Berger

Tim Grebeck, sophomore education major and Eagle Scout, helps Eric Stennett, assistant professor of education and director of Point Park’s Ed.D. program, carry a wreath to a stand by the waterfall in Village Park during a Veteran’s Day ceremony Friday morning.

Dance conservatory presents Contemporary Choreographers. Kayla Snyder urges post-election unity and respect for viewpoints. Volleyball set to appear in NAIA tournament.

photo by Sam Robinson, Point Park Athletics

Freshman midfielder Nikki Polens celebrates with her teammates after their 2-1 conference semifinal win over Asbury Wednesday. Point Park then defeated Ohio Christian Saturday to win their second straight conference championship. Read more on page 8.

Thursday: Sunny, H 61, L 39 Friday: Sunny, H 68, L 47 Saturday: AM Showers, H 52, L 33 Sunday: Cloudy, H 42, L 35 Monday: Cloudy, H 41, L 31 Tuesday: Partly cloudy, H 44, L 32

Globe Point Park

schedule a group counseling session in Lawrence Hall the same day. The school was cooperative, and the word got out through the counseling center’s Facebook page as well as through an email blast to students. Around 25 students showed up to the impromptu meeting. Many of the students were truly hurting. “Last night, I stayed up drinking and smoking cigarettes,” junior student Troy Patrick said after the event. It isn’t just that these students have a simple political disagreement: they are scared of drastic changes in their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Sophomore Tim Grebeck is concerned that he will lose thousands of dollars of health care savings if the Trump administration repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly dubbed Obamacare. Grebeck, who is 20 years old, has autism and requires visits to a primary care physician, eye doctors, therapists

SUPPORT page 2


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