THE
GL BE
@PPUGlobe September 20, 2017
IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE
6 PAGE 8 PAGE SINCE 1967 10
Point Park rapper Jay La’Mont pursuing music career while at school Alumna Laura Byko fumes over new Richard Scaife plaque in the CMI Women’s soccer shuts out University of Pikeville in home opener ppuglobe.com
Celebrating 50 years of covering the world of Point Park University news
Issue 4
USG distributes Majority of students not signed up for PointALERT funding to clubs By Hattie Charney For The Globe
Public Safety did not issue a PointALERT regarding the arrest of a sex offender in Lawrence Hall on Sept. 7. According to Public Safety, less than half of the student body is signed up to receive any PointALERT updates. Kristin Bichteman, a sophomore sports, arts and entertainment management major, described how she found out about the incident. “I heard about that from
one of my friends and I was like ‘Oh okay, that’s kind of big,’” Bichteman said. “It’s something I’d like to know about.” PointALERT is an emergency notification system sent out by the Public Safety Dispatch Center to inform the university’s faculty, staff and students if there is a threat or emergency on campus. PointALERTs are either sent in the form of timely warnings where there are ongoing threats to the university, or emergency notifications, when a confirmed
emergency or a dangerous situation occurs and if the university is in immediate danger. According to Point Park’s Chief of Police Jeffrey Besong, public safety did not send out a PointALERT about the arrest in Lawrence Hall because police already had the sex offender in custody and determined he was no longer a threat to the university. “If I had to do it all over again, I would have sent out something small,” Besong said.
ALERT page 2
“KEEP CALM AND DONUT PANIC”
Allison Hritz | The Globe Tiffany Walker, freshman stage management major, eats a donut off a string during CAB’s Donut Panic event in the West Penn Lobby on Thursday.
USG By Alexander Popichak Editor-in-Chief
Club leaders filled Monday’s United Student Government (USG) meeting as the legislative body deliberated the first quarter of club funding. In total, the legislative body granted $20,489.84 of the $35,459.23 requested to clubs for use through the first half of the fall semester. “Friday’s funding meeting was a long and difficult process as it always is; the funding committee did its best to distribute funds as fairly as possible,” USG Treasurer Josh Croup said while giving his treasurer’s report. The finance committee, which is tasked with making funding recommendations, was repeatedly called on by club leaders to explain the rationale behind its budget allowances. The vast majority of funding reductions fell within USG’s established internal funding guidelines. The finance committee funded half of the food for an event. Additionally, the legislative body denied all requests for
food at regular meetings as well as apparel. However, requests for uniforms were permitted. One discussion revolved around the Criminal Justice Club’s proposed “Point Park Police Appreciation” event. The finance committee recommended funding for half the cost of a cake club leaders were proposing to gift to campus police. At the center of the discussion was the question of whether or not the cake qualified as event food - warranting half funding by USG guidelines - or if it was a gift - usually awarded in full. “We have to stay consistent, and we have to do something to keep that consistency,” Sen. Hayley Hoffman said. The club’s president successfully argued that the cake was more a “symbol” than food for an event. President Pro-Tempore Daniel Murphy moved to amend the budget and grant the full cost of the cake, with senators Hoffman and Samiar Nefzi opposing. Approved line items included four plane tickets to a Public Relations Student Society of America (PRS-
USG page 2
Title IX rollbacks may Quiet hours offer enforceable affect university policy alternative to courtesy policy By Victoria Bails For The Globe
As the United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos plans to make rollbacks on Title IX procedures, students and faculty of Point Park might have to adjust to changes in due process policy. DeVos recently announced that Obama-era Title IX due process procedures will be changed so that accused parties will
have a fairer system in place when it comes to the trials. “We’re not sure yet what she’s going to do,” Elizabeth Rosemeyer, Title IX Coordinator said. DeVos has promised to still seriously enforce Title IX policies on college campuses, but the new framework will make sure the trials for accused persons will be taken just as seriously. “Department of Education oversees compliance
TITLE IX page 2
By Kayla Snyder
Co-Copy Desk Chief
Residents returned to school to find a new policy in place, one that prevents them from being loud at certain hours each day, but is separate from the courtesy policy already in place. Last year, residents were supposed to follow the 24-hour courtesy policy, but that left room for conflict when it comes to enforcement. Over the summer, the pro-
fessional staff at Student Life sat down to discuss the possibility of adding a university-wide residential quiet hours policy that restricted noise from a certain time rather than just having courtesy hours. Students were first introduced to this policy during their floor or building meetings. “The resident educators (REs) in the building were having a hard time enforcing such a generalized policy like the 24hour noise courtesy policy that states residents at all times are
Photojournalist BP Miller FARMER’S MARKET RETURNS speaks to NPPA chapter By Sarah Gibson For The Globe
The Mid-Atlantic Chair for the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), B.P. Miller, visited the Point Park Chapter of the NPPA on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Chapter members gathered in the Center for Media Innovation to listen to Miller give a presentation on photojournalism, his personal experience in the field and tips that students should know that they wouldn’t learn in college. “For me, being a part of
the NPPA was kind of like the gold standard for photojournalism,” Miller said. “And I knew if I ever wanted to get anywhere I would have to join the NPPA.” Miller listed the key reasons for joining the association. “It gives you this entire network of people who have your back,” Miller said. “They have lawyers who will help you at no extra cost if you get into legal trouble while doing your job. They’ll help you in any way possible.”
NPPA page 3
Mary Anne Doggett| The Globe Jonnah McClintock, sophomore advertising and public relations major, selects blackberries from the Green Market table during the Farmer’s Market last week.
expected to be courteous and aware of their noise levels and how that could impact their neighbors,” first year Resident Director Caleb Rodgers said. Both of the policies are in place for residential students, and while the policies are similar, they do have one distinct difference. “Quiet hours are specific, enforceable hours, but courtesy hours are general,” Director of Student Life Amanda Anderson said. The quiet hours policy within the handbook states: “On all days when classes are held the following morning (Sunday through Thursday), Quiet Hours are in effect from 11:00 p.m. through 9:00 a.m. Weekend (Friday and Saturday) hours are in effect from 1:00 a.m. through 10:00 a.m.” Within the policy there are specific times where there’s a 24-hour quiet hour policy in place. Those specific times fall between the last week of classes, the weekend prior to final exam week and final exam week. Prior to this year, REs had the option to set their own quiet hours, but the only written documented policy was the 24-hour noise courtesy policy. “There were REs on our staff that would set quiet hours
QUIET HOURS page 3
Weather Forecast Today: Partly Cloudy H 85, L 61
Thursday: Sunny H 86, L 60 Friday: Partly Cloudy, H 85, L 59 Saturday: Sunny, H 85, L 59
Sunday: Sunny, H 84, L 61 Monday: Mostly Sunny, H 83, L 62 Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, H 83, L 61
Point Park
GLOBE
2
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
Students: PointALERT “something that should be advertised more” from ALERT page 1
LOCAL The Center for Media Innovation is hosting staff photographers from the Tribune-Review on Sept. 20 at 5 p.m. to learn how to produce video packages with a smartphone. The event also features Videolicious, a New York-based company focused on creating “the best possible videos in the shortest amount of time,” according to their website. ---Part-time professor in the Department of Literary Arts and Pittsburgh poet Fred Shaw was selected for publication for the 2017 Public Poetry Project by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Shaw’s poem “Scraping Away” comes from a collection entitled Argot, which centers on his experience with family, working in the restaurant industry and his teenage years, according to Point Park’s website. ---Alumnae Lindsey Oberacker and Angela Olivieri will be inducted into the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 30. According to the Point Park Sports website, Oberacker is the university’s all-time leader in career kills, notching a total of 1,855 by the end of her senior season in 2012. Olivieri is also an all-time leading scorer as well as the first women’s soccer player inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Our job is to make sure that we are protecting faculty, staff and students. That is our main concern. This individual just acted out for no reason whatsoever. Then we found out later that he has a background.” Besong says he wants to inform students on what is happening on campus, but cannot fully do so when the majority of the student body is not registered for PointALERT. Around 500 out of 4,000 students are registered. If public safety did send out a PointALERT about the incident in Lawrence Hall, students would have not received it and could not have been warned of the possible threat to campus. “We probably only had just under half of the students sign up for PointALERT,” Besong said. Besong and public safety are looking out for the well-being of the university’s faculty, staff and students by issuing PointALERTs when necessary. “If they get a PointALERT, they know that something is seriously wrong,” Besong said. Subscriptions to PointALERT are low on campus because students may be unsure of what it is and how to subscribe. Veronica Rodriguez, a sophomore multimedia major, was one student who said she did not know about PointALERT. “I feel like after a year on campus, I should know about it,” Rodriguez said.
es the required allotment range from $200-to-$1,500 to $700-to-$3,000. Rules committee members explained the motive for the increase was based on previous funding data and the extrapolation of a what-if scenario. “There is money built into the internal budget outside of the emergency funds that could be disposable,” Nefzi said. During the meeting, seven senators were sworn in to the legislative body. Five freshmen senators were inducted prior to the start of the meeting after they won their respective elections. Additionally, Patrick Terry was appointed as a Senator-at-large and Megan Ortego was appointed to represent the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA.) This also marked Sen. Daniel Murphy’s first regular legislative body meeting as President Pro-Tempore. The President Pro-Tempore serves as an intermediary between the Executive Cabinet Members and the leg-
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 10:44 a.m
Frontier Hall Terroristic Threats Cleared
11:15 a.m. Nicole Pampena | The Globe
Only 12.5% (in yellow) of Point Park students have signed up for the PointALERT system. Bichteman suggested that PointALERT should be made more well-known to students early on in their college careers. “It’s definitely something that should be advertised more,” Bichteman said. Cory Grimes, a sophomore business management major, suggests that the department should post more updates. He also feels they should place ads around campus so more students become aware of the service. The sign-up for PointALERT can be found on Point Park University’s web page by searching “PointALERT” in the search bar. Directions are provided on the screen to subscribe.
do
Disclosure: Veronica Rodriguez is a graphic designer for the Globe.
Hattie Charney hecharn@pointpark.edu.
islative body. Additionally, the President Pro-Tempore oversees the coordination of senators’ office hours. Murphy was elected to the position during an emergency meeting held Thursday evening in the USG office. “I’m excited on what can be created and how to make this position my own and leave a positive impact on USG,” Murphy said following the meeting. Murphy has been involved with USG since being elected to represent COPA his freshman year. In addition to consideration of club funding appeals, next week’s meeting will feature Jeffrey Besong, Point Park Chief of Police as a guest speaker. Disclosure: USG Treasurer Josh Croup serves as CoSports Editor for the Globe Additional reporting contributed by Hannah Walden, Copy Editor.
Alexander Popichak apopic@pointpark.edu.
Top 5 USG Club Allotments $3,725.00 $1,602.00 $1,184.00 $1,150.00 $1,076.00 Honors Student Organization
The Body Christian Fellowship
Society of Professional Journalists
CR IM 11 - 17 CRIME REPORT - WEEK doOF SEPT. E n o MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 tREc 2:35 p.m. PrOos Wood Street Assault RTs Under Investigation 10:27 p.m. Wood Street Harassment Under Investigation
USG appoints President Pro-Tempore from USG page 1 SA) conference, a $1,000 subsidy to offset the costs of attending the Jubliee religious conference and $3,325 towards a Phi Beta Lambda leadership conference in New Orleans. Some line items were eliminated entirely from the budget as they fell outside of the scope of the current funding period. Club leaders who wish to appeal funding decisions have until Friday to contact Croup to submit a formal funding appeal. The legislative body also amended an established funding guideline creating an emergency fund within the USG internal fund. USG traditionally sets apart a portion of its $10,000 semesterly internal budget for use as an emergency fund. It is used in the event that clubs spend more than their allocation or - as was the case in the spring of 2016 - unbudgeted costs are incurred by the legislative body. The new guideline rais-
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Pinnacle Productions
Phi Beta Lambda
Lawrence Hall Theft Under Investigation
3:46 p.m.
Student Center Theft Under Investigation
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 12:24 a.m.
Thayer Hall Alcohol Violation Cleared
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 5:11 a.m.
Lawrence Hall Sexual Assault Under Investigation
not
osCampus Not Oncr My to s continue working to prevent sexual violence from TITLE IX page 1 with Title IX,” Rosemeyer said. “Part of that compliance is making sure schools and universities understand what is expected of them.” Upon implementation, the Obama administration sent out “Dear Colleague” letters to make sure universities understood. “One of the pieces in the 2011 letter made it very clear that sexual violence is a form of sex discrimination,” Rosemeyer said. That point had been made clear previously, but this 2011 letter emphasized that universities needed to prevent and respond to sexual violence on campus, according to Rosemeyer. The “Dear Colleague” letter does recommend a 60-day policy to get everything completed, so Rosemeyer says that’s what Point Park follows. Within the first 30 days, there is an interview process. Every person involved in the case is interviewed during this part. The second 30 days is when the case is determined whether it is in violation of university policy or not. “Each person, from the person who filed the report to the person who is accused, have equal opportunity to make a statement, to bring information on their behalf, to name witnesses or other people who might have information,” Rosemeyer said. Rosemeyer said outside of the university, a criminal lawsuit is much stricter than the university’s determination. The university can take evidence that would not hold up in court, such as hearsay. A criminal lawsuit has the higher rea-
ΦβΛ
Isabelle Opsitos | The Globe
sonable amount of doubt. It can be decided that a case will not be perused due to a lack of evidence in a criminal lawsuit, but a university would peruse a process if the student accusing wants. As for junior accounting major and the head of community outreach for Not On My Campus (NOMC), Bradley Calleja says that regardless of what happens to Title IX policy, NOMC will continue to work to eliminate sexually violent crimes and sexual harassment off of Point Park’s campus. “We’re just going to keep working with Title IX,” Calleja said. “We support what they do in their office and we see the impact we’ve had and the positive outreach that we’ve been able to have within the last year.” Wesley Ehle, senior acting major and president of NOMC, said that within a year of starting, NOMC received over 300 digital pledges to end sexual assault on campus. “By pledging to raise awareness and support survivors and not be a bystander, you are already a part of our organization because you’re a part of our goal,” Ehle said. NOMC plans to reach even more students by putting on different events around campus. “I think the best thing we can do is just continue what we’re doing, which is just continuing to educate,” Calleja said. “Title IX is still active and working hard and doing their job.”
Victoria Bails vbails@pointpark.edu.
Correction
ü
In last week’s article “Sex offender arrested on campus” the hours desk attendants are at their posts was incorrect. Boulevard Apartments, Conestoga and Pioneer Halls are staffed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.. Academic Hall is staffed 24/7 but does not require ID scanning prior to 7 p.m.. The full breakdown is in the updated article on our website, ppuglobe.com.
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
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Noise complaints BP Miller: “It’s important to prompt policy change reach out to our next from QUIET HOURS page 1 generation of photojournalists” for their floor, but what we ran into with that is the REs were doing as much as they could to enforce the policy,” Rodgers said. “But because it was not a university-wide policy, they were having trouble enforcing it beyond what they, themselves could do as an RE.” Upperclassmen Resident Director Maria Ochoa said the policy was enacted due to complaints from residents not only within the Boulevard Apartments and suites, but all residential buildings on campus. “[I heard] that there was always loud music playing and students were uncomfortable knocking on doors and asking their neighbors to turn it down,” Ochoa said. “[The noise] came from speaker systems and dancing around, and you can hear those vibrations through the apartments.” Dean of Student Life Michael Gieseke said in recent years there has been an uptick in the amount of noise complaints and violations. “[The Residence Life staff] said they wanted to re-emphasize and refocus everyone’s attention to the violations,” Gieseke said. “It wasn’t something that happened because we decided we wanted everyone to be quiet, it came out of several student complaints over the last couple years, and we saw an increase.” In addition to the new implementation of the quiet hours, residents are still expected to follow the 24-hour courtesy policy. “They’re both right next to each other in the handbook, and that was done primarily because while we did implement the quiet hours policy, we still want students to know at any point during the day someone can approach you and ask you to turn your music down and students are expected to comply with that request,” Rodgers said. Returning first-year RE Bradley Calleja said the quiet hours policy is easier to follow than the courtesy hours. “Having specific quiet hours makes it easier for everyone to understand,” Calleja said. “Noise was a big complaint on campus last year, and the goal was to end that.” Similar to the 24-hour courtesy policy, the violation procedure of the quiet hours policy is addressed by Student Conduct. “For us, it’s all the same,” director of student conduct JW
Tabacchi said. “We’re doing it more to be helpful for the community so they can sleep and work and study in a quiet context.” Tabacchi said if the issue is just a noise violation, residents will receive a warning letter, which are administrative files, but aren’t a part of the student’s student conduct official record. “[Warning letters] are more like an alert. But if you continue to be loud, then we will take official action,” Tabacchi said. “If a student receives multiple noise complaints, then we’ll bring them in and charge them with a noise violation policy and have an actual student conduct meeting, but that rarely, if ever, happens.” First year RE Rania Draklellis said as a resident last year she experienced noise from the floor she lived on last year. “With just a 24-hour noise policy, people are confused, and it’s vague enough that you can test it to see how far you can go,” Draklellis said. “But with a courtesy policy and quiet hours there’s no question on when it’s loud.” As far as the implementation of the policy, the REs predict there will be a transition period for upperclassmen students more than freshman students. “It’s new. People are trying to get into the swing of it,” upperclassmen RE Keely Sapienza said. “They’re realizing they have to be quiet at a certain time.” Calleja said freshmen resident students won’t have an adjustment period due to the fact that they’re new to the university. “There’s no real adjustment because they’ve never experienced anything else,” Calleja said. “For them, having quiet hours is the norm.” While the policy has only been in effect for three weeks, Tabacchi says there have been just as many noise violations this semester than previous years. “I don’t see a real change in student behavior yet,” Tabacchi said. “Any time we implement a new policy it takes two to three semesters, not necessarily years, for the word to get out there and for students to be educated about it. I wouldn’t see a change a change in behavior until next fall.”
Kayla Snyder klsnyde2@pointpark.edu.
from NPPA page 1 Miller initially got involved with the NPPA by becoming a local leader of a branch in Philadelphia towards the beginning of his career, which primarily consisted of setting up meetings and sending emails. He said he came to Point Park because he believes that it’s important to start early. “It’s important to reach out to our student chapters because it’s important to reach out to our next generation of photojournalists,” Miller said. “As a national organization, if we’re not reaching out to all of our members, we’re not doing our job.” Miller ended his presentation by offering to pay for a student to attend the Northern Short Course, a conference and workshop series for photographers and photojournalists to hone their craft in visual storytelling. Chris Rolinson, an associate professor of photography and photojournalism, was also in attendance. Rolinson highlighted the importance of the club after the presentation. “It’s the organization that represents visual journalists, visual professionals, still journalists, and television journalists,” Rolinson said. “It allows you to network with people you typically wouldn’t come into contact with more than once or twice in a year.” Sophomore photojournalism major Nikole Kost is
Gracey Evans| The Globe BP Miller, National Press Photographers Association Mid-Atlantic Chair, talked about about the benefits of becoming and being a member and also answered questions attendees might have had.
the president of the university’s NPPA chapter. After years of inactivity, she started the Point Park NPPA chapter back up along with several other students in the school of communication. “It was something I really wanted to do in college, but during my freshman year our NPPA branch wasn’t active,” Kost said. “Now that I’m an active member and the president, I’m getting more than I expected. It’s something you have to do when you want to do something like this, you’re not going to get it anywhere else.”
Kost is excited about events and fundraising opportunities the NPPA will be putting on later this year. “We’re having Dave DiCello, Best Local Photographer [according to City Paper] in Pittsburgh, come in and we’re cosponsoring it with The Globe, Kost said. “We’re really excited to see who comes in for that.” Disclosure: Nikole Kost is a photo editor for the Globe.
OCT. 6–8, 2017
CELEBRATE with Point Park University for a weekend of special performances and social events! REGISTER ONLINE AT PointPark.edu/FamilyWeekend Registration is open Sept. 1–29.
FRIDAY, OCT. 6 • Welcome Reception • Conservatory of Performing Arts/An Evening of Rising Stars: – Dance and Theatre Performances – Night at the Movies/Screening of Student Films • Photo Gallery/Exhibit of Student Work
Get Involved! Be Heard! Have your own show! 2nd floor of Lawrence Hall near Dining Services
SATURDAY, OCT. 7 • Exploring Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Phipps Conservatory • Conservatory of Performing Arts/An Evening of Rising Stars: – Dance and Theatre Performances – Night at the Movies/Screening of Student Films • Photo Gallery/Exhibit of Student Work • Java and Jazz in the Park • Pioneers Athletic Events
Check out wppjradio.com
Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu.
SUNDAY, OCT. 8 • Family Brunch
Note: Events are subject to change; some fees apply.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
FEATURES
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Behind-the-scenes decorators place flowers The Plant Lady joins university to pretty up campus By Lauren Clouser Copy Editor
Although the university has considerably less green space than some campuses, it makes the most of what it does have. Flowers line the sidewalks, trees shade Village Park and shrubberies line the walls outside of Academic Hall. All of these plants are regularly cared for through the effort of both the university and an outside company. The university’s greenery is taken care of by an outside company called The Plant Lady. The company is composed of about 20 employees and specializes in holiday decorating and interior and exterior landscaping. The Plant Lady has been taking care of Point Park’s plants since December 2014. Christopher Hill, the Vice President of Operations at Point Park’s Physical Plant, said in an interview in his office on Thursday that the university hired The Plant Lady because the company was the most economic. “We had a bid process where a former company, Plantscape, was here, and we decided to go out to bid,” Hill said. “We usually do that every three to five years, just to make sure the market’s corrected, so we’re not getting overcharged... so we went and firms came and they saw the specs that we had, what we wanted, and bid, and they [The Plant Lady] came in and were the low bid.” The Plant Lady also maintains PPG Place, which Hill said was a recommendation toward their company. In addition to PPG Place, The Plant Lady also cares for the plants of several other prominent lo-
cations. According to Patrick McElwee, the general manager of The Plant Lady, the company has done work for places such as Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Fifth Avenue Place and numerous other areas in Pittsburgh.
“[The Plant Lady] has added a lot of color and pop to a lot of the inside greenery, especially in Academic Hall.” Christopher Hill
Vice President of Operations Point Park University “Most of our other clients are law firms, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, suburban office parks, any kind of public business place that has plants in it,” McElwee said in a phone interview on Thursday. Employees from The Plant Lady are on campus daily to check up on the plants and to do a number of different tasks. “For the interior plants, we have somebody that comes around once a week to check on all of those,” McElwee said. “So he comes around every week to care for them. You know, waters, prunes, dusts, fertilizes, rotates them so they don’t grow towards the light, makes sure there’s no
Lauren Clouser | The Globe This group of plants blooming outside of Academic Hall is just one of many maintained on campus by the company The Plant Lady.
pest issues with the plants, everything like that.” The exterior plants generally don’t require as much attention, unless it’s warmer outside. “Outside during the warmer months, we’re there every day to water,” McElwee said. “So spring, fall, there is some irrigation in the beds and that handles most of it, but when it’s really hot out we typically come down and check on everything daily, you know, get litter out of the beds, deadhead the flowers if they need it [remove the dead flowers], trim the longer vines and do some pruning and water any dry spots the irrigation can’t reach.” The design of the plants is coordinated between The Plant Lady and Physical Plant, and much consideration goes into the design.
“We work for Physical Plant and so we try to run things by them, but typically they tell us that we’re the expert, and they’re pretty easy-going about what we put in,” McElwee said. According to McElwee, they need to consider the amount of sunlight in an area, how much water the plant requires, and the size of a plant. “You have to think about the heights,” McElwee said. “Whether you need something tall and bushy, or short so we don’t block the view.” McElwee said that the company also tries to create a color scheme, and cited Village Park as an example. This year there are many pink, orange and yellow plants featured. “It looks a little more cohesive if there’s a color scheme or pattern to it. We
try to blend tropical plants with flowers...it makes it more interesting,” McElwee said. Hill stated that he is very satisfied with The Plant Lady’s work. “They’ve added a lot of color and pop to a lot of the inside greenery, especially in Academic,” Hill said. Bree Fesh, a junior psychology major, also appreciates the plants around campus. “I think it’s pretty,” Fesh said. “It’s nice because it’s something that you rarely see in the city. I’m sure if you walk around, pretty much like the only place I really know that has some nice shrubbery and greenery is probably over in the Cultural District, so I would say it’s like a nice little pop of color for sure.”
Lauren Clouser lcouse@pointpark.edu
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
5
Student Leaders for Animal Ethics now on campus Club President Rodriguez-Truley hopes to educate students By Megan Bixler For The Globe
While many people eat meat, most do not think about where it comes from. A group of concerned students have a plan to work against that. “I want people who are curious about animal welfare and the plant-based lifestyle to come with questions,” said Sienna Rodriguez-Truley, a freshman creative writing major. “I want them to feel welcome here and be a part of the family.” Rodriguez-Truley is organizing a club on campus called the Student Leaders for Animal Ethics (SLAE) which she hopes will inform students on and off campus about how animal welfare intersects with their diets. Though not yet a formally recognized club, Rodriguez-Truley is in the process of submitting it for USG submission. SLAE is not exclusive to only vegetarians and vegans, but instead, anyone who might be interested in learning about these lifestyles. It is loosely based on the Humane League where Rodriguez-Truley is an intern. The club plans to teach about topics such as factory farming and how to put pressure on companies that utilize this process to distribute their products. SLAE will also offer tips for those who wish to become a vegan or vegetarian, as well as resources to find cheaper vegetarian and vegan based options and recipes. Boycotting companies that use inhumane farming techniques is another step Rodriguez-Truley feels anyone can make to allow pressure to build and ultimately force companies to change how they operate. “Chickens, for example, are stuffed in cages barely bigger than their bodies, fattened to the point where their legs cannot support their own weight, and obtain cardiac and respiratory
issues which shortens their life spans,” Rodriguez-Truley said. Rodriguez-Truley serves as president of SLAE and is making sure it becomes a more empowering, educational club that will help people make more conscious decisions concerning where they get their food. The other offices of the club are vice-president and sophomore education major Alyssa Lowe and Joy Jacobs, the club’s treasurer and a freshman accounting major. Lowe stopped eating meat “cold-turkey” to become vegetarian, and has been for about four years now. Jacobs, on the other hand, is not vegetarian or vegan, but that is not keeping her from learning more as she assists the club.
“I want people who are curious about animal welfare and the plantbased lifestyle to come with questions.” Sienna Rodriguez-Truley
President, Student Leaders for Animal Ethics
“I am definitely curious about it,” Jacobs said. “I grew up with meat my whole life, so it will be difficult, but I want to see how it goes.” Along with the education aspect of the club, Jacobs also hopes to eventually make Point Park an even more vegetarian and vegan-friendly campus by providing more options than what is currently offered. While the campus has
Megan Bixler| The Globe Sienna Rodriguez-Truley, SLAE President, welcomes curious students who are interested in animal rights.
recently made the choice to offer vegetarian and some vegan options, it is still very minimal compared to non-vegetarian and vegan foods offered here on campus. Jacobs also hopes to inform the food services of possible new suppliers, both cage-free options and vegan and vegetarian brands of food. “It is certainly hard to be vegan on campus, since less than half of the options are actually vegan,” Lowe stated in Rodriguez-Truley’s defense. One of the interested members of the club is Emily McNatt, a freshman forensic science major. Though not currently a vegetarian, McNatt has previously made the attempt to switch. Rodriguez-Truley wants to encourage members to use their voices to challenge the social norms that surrounds vegetarianism and veganism. She
hopes that education will guide members on whatever path they choose. “The ultimate reason I chose to go vegan was for the animals” Rodriguez-Truly said. Even Rodriguez-Truley knew her transition would take a lot of time and dedication. She has been a vegan for almost three and a half years now, but has been meat-free for about six years. “It was tough, at first, because I come from a very traditional Puerto Rican family where meat is considered a luxury,” she said. Though her family did not seem accepting of her switch at first, she was certain to edify them on the real reasons why she made the choice. This has only motivated her more to continue educating anyone who is curious. Rodriguez-Truley stressed that there are many small steps you can
take whether planning to make the transition or simply being aware of the products that use inhumane techniques. “The club’s focus is progress, not perfection,” said Rodriguez-Truley. Rodriguez-Truley, Lowe and Jacobs all wish to see this club continue for the years to come after they graduate. Even though that is a few years down the road, they have plenty of activities and events they are planning to host for new members and anyone who might be interested in attending. “Even if you don’t transition, I hope you become educated from the club and can have the knowledge to make your own formed decision,” Lowe said. Rodriguez-Truley has a message to non-vegetarians on campus: “Be curious.”
Megan Bixler mlbixle@pointpark.edu
PIONEER PUBLIC
Drue Glaser Written by Matt Petras Co-Features Editor
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Drue Glaser, a sophomore student, has spent most of her life acting, singing and dancing. She said her mom claims she was already singing in the crib. However, she isn’t an acting major, or even in COPA. Glaser is a global cultural studies major. “I’ve been an actor all my life, but I decided it was important, if you want to be an actor, to know about people and culture,” Glaser said. “And I’m really interested in travel and in the way people function and work.” She wanted to come into college with an open mind, so she started at the univer-
sity as an undecided major. “I don’t think at 18 you should know what you’re doing with your life,” she said. She is from Cincinnati, Ohio and holds onto her pride for the area. “The community aspect is so great; everyone is so proud to be from Cincinnati,” she said. She later added, “our sports teams are usually horrible, but everyone supports them so much anyways.” She attended a performing arts high school back home called the School for Creative and Performing Arts. There, she formed some strong relationships. “When you’re in such a close community of performers, there’s a certain
Nikole Kost | The Globe
vulnerability that you share, and there’s certain aspects of your life and your personality that only those people know,” she said. “It really becomes a family when you work so tightly together.” While she continues to pursue acting outside of school, Glaser is open to a swath of potential paths after college. “I don’t really have a set goal in mind right now,” she said. “I’m just sort of letting life throw lemons at me and I’ll see what I can make out of it.” Reporting contributed by Carley Bonk, Co-Features Editor.
Matt Petras mpetra@pointpark.edu.
Check out the “Pioneer Public” video online at ppuglobe.com
6
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
FEATURES
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Men on campus show off their sense of style
Fashion photos, Carmen Amadio | The Globe Jacob Bergey, junior broadcasting major, poses in a simple black v-neck and a classic red flannel from J.Crew, skinny jeans from Nordstrom and a pair of black ankle boots from Marc Anthony New York. He adds his square framed glasses and gold watch for the finishing touch. “I have an eclectic style,” Bergey said. “It is whatever I’m feeling in the morning.” One of Bergey’s favorite places to find new clothing is Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc.
Rafael Figueroa, freshman musical theatre major, poses in a basic white t-shirt from Tommy Hilfiger, an orange and blue reversible raincoat from Preston and York, checkered black and white rolled up trousers from Zara, and brown Italian leather ankle boots from Catesby. “It’s hard to pick one store, but my favorite place to shop is probably Zara,” Figueroa said. Rafael’s fashion icon is singer, actress and activist Lady Gaga.
Ben Myers, junior screenwriting major, poses in a Bart Simpson shirt, a thin plaid button up from Kohl’s, a pair of straight fit blue jeans from Levi’s, and classic gray skater vans. “My favorite store was H&M in South Side before it shut down,” Myers said. “My style is pretty simple.” One of Meyers’ biggest style icons is singer, Kurt Cobain.
Hip-hop artist Jay La’Mont shoots for the big leagues Rapper has nearly 38,000 Twitter followers and still growing By Aidan Segal For The Globe
Jay La’Mont, a Point Park sophomore, aspires to assimilate into a game that only a few have played and countless have dreamed of. The rap “game,” that is. New York and California have a stranglehold on the hip-hop scene that features among the greatest to ever hold the mic. Pittsburgh’s relationship with rap is very exclusive, as Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa are the only two artists from the Steel City to ever reach superstardom. La’Mont is further than most in regards to a career in music. He has performed at two VH1 festivals as well as various locations throughout Pittsburgh. The 21-year old rapper shares his music on platforms such as Soundcloud, Apple Music and Spotify. “Pittsburgh is one of those places right now, especially with the college scene,” La’Mont said in an interview in the lobby of Lawrence Hall, Monday. “I feel like a lot of us are really creative and open minded. That’s the type of people that I feel could follow the brand.” La’Mont grew up in Johnstown, Pa., a tightknit community where everyone seems to know each other’s families. It was there he discovered a curiosity for music. His love affair with music began when his uncle taught him how to play the piano at age six. He drew his first crowds at talent shows beginning in the third grade, but he did not showcase
his rapping capabilities. It was two pop legends that piqued his interest and influenced his performance. “I wanted to be like Michael Jackson or like Usher,” exclaimed La’Mont. Dancing to Usher’s single “Yeah,” La’Mont experienced his first time on a stage. His ambitions for hiphop began with a tape recorder. La’Mont’s friends reveled in rapping over the soundtrack from the video game, “NBA Street Vol. 2”. “I still have [tapes] to this day. I don’t throw anything away,” La’Mont said. “I have all my stuff that I wrote back when I was 10 years old.”
“I don’t want you to hear fast food all the time, sometimes you want a luxury five star meal.” Jay La’Mont
Hip-Hop Artist, Genius Society Record Label
La’Mont’s friends recognized his talent early on. Dion Peoples, a longtime childhood friend claimed that, “He was always into music, making beats. He progressed a lot.” Because of La’Mont’s positivity and motivation, Peoples always admired him. “I’m a little bit older than him, but I always
Jay La’Mont aims to rise to the top of the rap game with his new EP, “No Stressin.”
looked up to him,” Peoples said. After acquiring what would become nearly 38,000 Twitter followers, La’Mont was faced with a difficult decision while attending Thiel College. “Do I want to finish school or go full throttle with music?” La’Mont asked himself. He decided that his best option was taking a year off and he eventually discovered Point Park University. Now majoring in Public Relations and Advertising, La’Mont hopes that this field will assist in his promotion of his music career and his record label. Genius Society is his self-produced record label that he feels “could really go all the way.” As much as Genius Society is a record label, La’Mont believes that it can
be much more than that. It’s just as much a lifestyle choice. The record label’s website states that Genius Society is a “movement changing the world one moment at a time” and that “everyone is a genius in their own way and to never stop striving to find what makes you happy in life.” Jason Inde, the videographer for Genius Society filmed music videos for La’Mont, including his recent release of “No Stressin.” “It’s fun. He’s creative, easygoing and a positive guy,” Inde said in a phone interview. La’Mont has always been enamored by Kanye West’s production. In terms of rap, he’s always been a fan of Kid Cudi. As with a lot of his music’s messages, Bob Marley was a major in-
Neil Price | The Globe
fluence in his work. La’Mont makes it a priority to deliver high-quality music to his listeners. “I don’t want you to hear fast food all the time,” La’Mont said. “Sometimes you want a luxury five star meal.” With that, La’Mont has a confidence about him that very well could take him to that illusive next level that is the rap industry. He is often emphatic on social media, once tweeting, “They say Kendrick and Travis.. I say La’Mont,” referring to the two current rap moguls, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott. “For what I have to offer,” La’Mont said. “I shouldn’t settle for underground because I feel that I would be cheating myself and the world.”
Aidan Segal alsegal@pointpark.edu
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OPINIONS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
What to do if (when) nuclear war breaks out Here’s your scenario: It’s 9:40 on a Tuesday. You’ve just mounted the stairs to get to your Western Civ class on the 10th floor of West Penn. Your teacher is “taking roll.” The kid next to you is eating a spicy tuna roll for breakfast. Sweaty, you gaze out the window adjacent to your right shoulder. You see it before you hear it. The surrounding buildings, once standing, are now sitting in their smoky graves. The landscape, once a spectrum of colors, has now taken on a single shade of pallid gray. In awe, you can’t look away. After months of reading highly intelligible and reassuring tweets from the President concerning the numerous present nuclear conflicts, it’s finally happened. We’ve been nuked. Where do you go? What do you do? How do you feel? Read on. Given your survival, which is by no means a guarantee, you don’t have much time. According to The Business Insider, you have about five minutes of radiation exposure time to hoof it over to an adequate shelter. A study in the 1950s showed that soda remains unaffected by nuclear blasts, so pick up a 12-pack of Fanta on your way over.
Find a basement – if you can find a sub-basement that isn’t filled to the brim with terrorized Pittsburghers, even better. On Point Park’s campus, you have a few options for shelter. As you flee wildeyed and fleet-footed from West Penn, you could easily make it the Student Center within five minutes. Slide feet-first into the waterless pool and shrink into a deep sleep. If you’re willing to risk more exposure, you could make a break for the basement of Lawrence Hall (and if nuclear war strikes before 7 p.m., you won’t even have to scan your ID to get in). Nestle yourself in between the cockroaches and the bike racks and hope for the best. If you’re feeling incredibly 007, sprint to the University Center and make use of those new study rooms in the basement. Not only will you be protected from harm, but you’ll be able to study in peace and quiet, with several places to charge your now futile iPhone X. All joking aside, it’s important to be prepared in the case of total disaster. Be safe out there Point Park.
The Globe globe@pointpark.edu.
7
Congress raises debt ceiling, moral standards remain low
THE
GL BE’S POINT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
By Dannys Marrero For the Globe
The political discussion to increase the debt ceiling has been going on since 2014. It’s nothing new, but the establishment finally did something about it - and for the correct reason. Within the last three weeks, the southern states of the U.S. have been greatly impacted by two major hurricanes, Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. These two hurricanes combined took the lives of 150 people and created around one hundred thirty-two billion dollars in damages across many states, according to CNN; which is no small number. This raises the question: how will the government pay for these damages? When it comes to the federal budget, it is well-known that the two major political parties have very different beliefs on how federal funds should be spent, increasing the level of political polarization in this country. But honestly, it shouldn’t matter what political party you affiliate yourself with because morally, helping those in need is the right thing to do; and the people in these affected states need help, and they need it now. “Without raising the debt limit, I’m not comfortable that we will get the money that we need this month to Texas to rebuild,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Munchin on Fox News September 3, just a few days after Hurricane Harvey. “That’s our priority. We need to help the people in Texas, and we need to get that done.” A few days later, the Trump administration released
a statement which stated that they wanted federal spending on Hurricane Harvey relief efforts to be tied to raising the debt limit. These people were calling out for help, a feeling I very much know. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and due to its geographical location, I have witnessed first-hand the effects of many hurricanes of various categories. However, one thing is always the same, it doesn’t matter how strong the storm is because the storm isn’t the hardest part. Recovering from it is, and according to the Treasury Department, without an increase or suspension of the debt limit, they would have lacked legal authority to resume borrowing. In other words, the federal government wouldn’t have been able to help these victims. But luckily, last week Congress approved a federal budget by a vote of 316 to 90 along with a hurricane relief deal of $15 billion for relief from Hurricane Harvey. Yes, I know $15 billion is nothing against $132 billion, but it’s a step forward for the Republican majority in Congress, excluding the 90 republicans that voted against, as it’s been 9-months since they took office, and nothing helpful had been done. Even though as of right now, the relief deal is only meant for the Hurricane Harvey victims, the raise of the debt ceiling opens the opportunity for help to be sent to the victims of Hurricane Irma. Usually I wouldn’t have any faith in this administration and the man who runs it, but in this case, I find myself rooting for him. Hurricane Irma passed north of Puerto Rico as a Cat-
egory 5 storm creating around $800 million in damages, and leaving more than 1 million U.S. citizens without power. Due to Puerto Rico’s territorial status, only a direct order from the commander-in-chief would allow federal funds to relieve the island; an order President Donald Trump made on September 7. On Thursday, September 14, President Donald Trump visited the west coast of Florida to assess the damages, and both Trump and Pence seem to be heading in the right direction. According to CNN, the president said his administration is “trying to keep them as happy as we can under the circumstances. In many cases, they’ve lost their homes and it’s a tough situation.” “We’re with you today. We’re going to be with you tomorrow and we’re going to be with you until Florida rebuilds bigger and better than ever before,” Pence said. I’m a strong believer that actions speak louder than words, which is why I don’t respect Donald Trump. The inconsiderate way he acts, and the hurtful things he has said make it impossible for him to earn my respect. But I do respect the position of President of the United States, and I feel that even though Donald Trump could never really be a good man, the actions he has taken to help these people surpass this disaster, give me a glimpse of hope that he actually has potential to be a good President of the United States.
Dannys Marrero damarre@pointpark.edu
Clinton’s new book is a set back for progressives “What Happened” enforces toxic ideas for the Democratic Party By Matt Petras Co-Features Editor
The former presidential candidate has released a memoir covering the 2016 campaign called “What Happened.” In it, she runs the gamut on what there is to talk about following the election, including Russia, Bernie Sanders, The New York Times and even Goldfish crackers. Unfortunately, Clinton used the book to articulate some ideas so bad as to be toxic for progressive politics. There was clear contrast between the proposed policies of Sanders and Clinton during the primaries. In “What Happened,” Clinton emphasizes that contrast starkly. Clinton writes the following about the first debate during the Democratic primaries: “I wanted to debunk the false charge that I wasn’t a true progressive and explain why I thought Socialism was wrong for America—and that
those two propositions were in no way contradictory.” The framing there is incredibly frustrating. In principle, you can’t be an advocate for programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security while also dunking on socialism. In her book, Clinton actually writes, with great pride, about announcing her candidacy at Four Freedoms Park, a Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial. His New Deal program, she writes, “saved capitalism from itself following the Great Depression.” Embracing socialism clearly goes hand-in-hand with leftist economic policy. When democratic politicians like Clinton bash socialism, they erode the perception of leftist economics at large. “Noting that his plans didn’t add up, that they would inevitably mean raising taxes on middle-class families, or that they were little more than a pipe dream—all of this could be used to reinforce his
argument that I wasn’t a true progressive,” she wrote in her book. With sentiments like that, Clinton helps the republicans and, yes, detracts from her progressive bonefides. In building a case against Sanders’ policies, Clinton warns of tax increases on the middle class, as if it isn’t demonstrably the case that beloved social programs like Social Security would not function without increased taxes on the middle class. Clinton presents these tax increases as intrinsically bad. When democrats weaponize the term “socialism” and score easy political points by advocating for middle class tax cuts (or at least advocating against any and all increases), they hack away at essential arguments for progressive economics. If raising taxes on the middle class for government programs is indeed bad, then the republicans are correct in their attempts to erode programs like Social
Security. “I think we operate better when we’re kinda between center-right and center-left,” she said in an interview with Ezra Klein of Vox following the release of her book. That sounds pretty progressive, right? Right. To be fair, Sanders certainly has his flaws as well. Alongside many groaners in the book are some valid critiques of Sanders. As she did many times in the primaries, Clinton hit Sanders hard for his bizarre support of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which gave special protection for gun manufacturers against lawsuits. This is an annoying blind-spot for a candidate who is otherwise consistent in the fight against corporate power. She also used the book to again deride him for derisively referring to Planned Parenthood as part of the establishment after the group endorsed her, a point I think
is well-taken. When a group as valuable as Planned Parenthood receives the kind of vicious smears it weathered during the campaign, negatively framing it as “establishment” is dumb. Ultimately, though, the reality is that right now, Clinton is relitigating the campaign while Sanders is pushing for bold, progressive policy. “My response is that right now it’s appropriate to look forward and not backward,” Sanders said in an interview with The Hill, responding to the disparaging comments from the book. His focus, he also told The Hill, was on pursuing policies like MedicareFor-All. His response reminds me of that quote from Michelle Obama: “When they go low, we go high.”
Matt Petras mapetra@pointpark.edu.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
OPINIONS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Scaife plaque in CMI an insult to journalism An alumna sounds off on warping a benefactor’s legacy By Laura Byko For the Globe
When I saw on Sept. 12, that the Point Park Center for Media Innovation (CMI) had unveiled a plaque dedicated to the late Richard Scaife, I did a double-take. When I saw the inscription on the plaque, I gasped aloud. After all, it’s not every day your former college commemorates a conspiracy theorist who used his unfathomable wealth to push America right politically, even at the truth’s expense. The plaque’s inscription reads: “Philanthropist and publisher Richard M. Scaife knew well the vital role the press plays in the relationship between an informed public and a healthy democratic society. He made many investments in his lifetime to ensure their continuation.” A plaque with an honest dedication, such as “Richard Scaife’s foundation gave us a great deal of money, and in return, we have given him this large plaque,” would be irritating (as any plaque devoted to Richard Scaife would be irritating), but it wouldn’t infuriate me. It wouldn’t insult me. But this plaque infuriates and insults me. It assumes that I don’t know who Richard Scaife is, or that if I do know who he is, I am too stupid to understand that the inscription distorts his aims and accomplishments, and to understand the irony of that distortion in a building devoted to media and journalism. It is true, though, that not everyone knows who Richard
Scaife is, so here is some relevant information about him: On May 2, 1999, the Washington Post published the first of a two-part series on Scaife headlined “Scaife: Funding Father of the Right.” The article details how “by concentrating his giving on a specific ideological objective for nearly 40 years, and making most of his grants with no strings attached, Scaife’s philanthropy has had a disproportionate impact on the rise of the right.” Scaife’s investment in journalism was explicitly only ancillary to his larger goal: shifting America politically rightward. According to a Scaife associate quoted in the Washington Post article, “In those days [the early 1970s] you had the American Civil Liberties Union, the government-supported legal corporations [neighborhood legal services programs], a strong Democratic Party with strong labor support, the Brookings Institution, the New York Times and Washington Post and all these other people on the left – and nobody on the right.” The associate said Scaife’s goal was to create the right-wing version of that. So Scaife donated his money to various right-wing and libertarian groups, including the Heritage Foundation and the Reason Foundation. He also bought the Tribune-Review to oppose what he perceived as the left-leaning Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and he used his ownership over the newspaper to pursue conspiracy theories he became fixated on.
Convinced that the press wasn’t doing enough to investigate the scandals of the Clinton era, Scaife poured money into what became known as “the Arkansas Project.” Most derangedly, Scaife funded an investigation into the death of Clinton associate Vincent Foster. Although the death was ruled a suicide in three official investigations, Scaife refused to accept it as the truth, saying that “[Clinton] can order people done away with at his will. He’s got the entire federal government behind him.” Scaife had a reporter from the Tribune-Review follow the Vince Foster non-story for months, implying there had been foul play in spite of investigations and evidence. According to a 1998 New York Times article, Scaife funneled $1.8 million into the Arkansas Project. Scaife’s giving was tailored toward a specific goal of promoting a specific ideology. While it’s not necessarily incorrect to say that he knew the “vital role the press plays in the relationship between an informed public and a healthy democratic society,” as the plaque notes, it’s a lie of omission to pretend as though his aims weren’t partisan, as though he didn’t want to inform the public only to the degree to which they’d agree with his politics, as though he didn’t invest enormous swaths of his money in the pursuit of an untruth that fit his preferred narrative. He knew enough about the “vital role the press plays”
Bannon is back at Breitbart By Emma Christley For the Globe
Trump associates have come and gone and while some still remain and seem to fight to be the media’s last one standing, one Trump cohort has re-entered the public awareness to shed some light about the inner workings of the White House, Steve Bannon. After being fired from his position as senior strategist, Bannon has since returned to his post as editor-in-chief of Breitbart News. In a recent interview with Charlie Rose for “60 Minutes,” Bannon had quite a lot to say. He seemed to enjoy blaming fellow Republicans as well as Democrats for opposing Trump. He even went as far to say that other Republicans “are trying to nullify the 2016 election,” which isn’t entirely inaccurate but also can you blame them? I think a lot of us are trying to nullify the election. He also tried to attack fellow Republicans by claiming that they don’t support Trump’s economic plan. The very same plan that equates deporting illegal immigrants with a solution to the unemployment problem. But we all know that’s just what Bannon, Trump and the anti-immigrant camp wants us to think so that they can prevent immigration without saying why they’re really against it. Several of Bannon’s
quotes showed that he is of the school of thought that Trump deserves the unadulterated support of the masses. But if we really want to play the “He’s the President so you have to support him in all things” card then let’s talk about Obama. For the past eight years the Republicans have fought former President Barack Obama at every turn. It doesn’t matter how popular or unpopular a president has been, no one has ever had 100% support at any time or on any bill or issue. Not Washington, not Lincoln, not Obama, and certainly not Trump. At this point in Trump’s presidency, it seems like a pretty bold move Bannon’s taken to alienate other Republicans. Although he does not officially work for the Trump Administration any longer, he’s still on their side defending their every move. From his position as a strategist, I would assume he would know better strategy than to push away the only people who will ever sign on to any of Trump’s insane ideas. At one point, Bannon even touches on the “swamp” as a business model. I have had an issue with the business association with politics ever since Trump entered the race. For some, they have no problem with business and politics melding together but I’m personally not a fan.
In my personal view of the role of a government, it is not a business. I understand that yes, the country needs to make money in order to fund important departments such as defense and education. If the government must be business-like for those departments then it should be more akin to a non profit. After all, government is meant to be the greatest good for the greatest number of people. I feel that a government owes certain protections to its people, almost like protections a parent would give a child. It may seem like tough love at times but ultimately it has everyone’s best interest in mind. Trump and other Republicans like Ryan and Congressman Mike Kelly seem to be all about what the government can do for them personally and how much they can gain for themselves. Which is the exact opposite of working towards the common good. I think Bannon’s greatest fault and believe me there are several but he talks so much and yet doesn’t ever seem to say much. You can watch the whole “60 Minutes” interview but all Bannon seems to do is stick his foot farther into his mouth. If we can learn anything from this man, I think it would be how not to be a public figure in politics.
Emma Christley eechris@pointpark.edu
in a democracy to abuse it for his own goals. The New York Times’ 2014 obituary of Scaife plainly stated his priorities, after noting he bought the Tribune-Review: “The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remained the city’s dominant newspaper, but Mr. Scaife cared primarily about winning readers over to his conservative views.” This is fundamentally incompatible with the goals of good journalism. Journalism doesn’t have a party or an ideology beyond truth-seeking (an ideology that often, incidentally, afflicts the rich and powerful). The plaque in the CMI is a tacit endorsement of his philosophy, and keeping the dedication vague can’t hide that Scaife’s allegiance was to conservatism over journalism. Rather, the vagueness makes it seem like the people who made the plaque knew Scaife’s views and deliberately chose to misrepresent them to Point Park’s journalism students. Scaife’s investments were not designed to “ensure [the] continuation” of an informed public, as the plaque says; they were designed to ensure the continuation of a conservatively informed public, even if the information wasn’t correct. None of this, of course, is to say that the journalists who worked and work for the Tribune-Review are rightwing stooges or are partisan in their reporting. Scaife allowed Pittsburgh reporters to do good, important work, but his explicit goal in purchasing the newspaper was to provide a conservative counterpart to the Post-Gazette.
All of this is history. It’s well-documented. Ironically, a lot of it has been well-reported. And the fact that it’s been so well-documented is what makes it hard to view that plaque and its caption as anything but at best a thoughtlessly inaccurate marker that will hopefully please a big donor and at worst a bold-faced lie that will hopefully please a big donor. I don’t have a call to action to close this out with, really. Clearly, I think the plaque should be removed; maybe it could be replaced with something thanking Trib Total Media and the Allegheny Foundation for their donations, instead of Scaife specifically. A plaque devoted to a journalist instead of an ideologue would be even better. Maybe if the students make enough noise, are angry enough, the administration will take it down. But I’m not particularly optimistic about that happening. In my experience, change comes slowly at Point Park. Our faculty had to try to unionize for thirteen years before they won. So maybe it’s fitting, in the end, that Scaife’s plaque in the Point Park CMI is so vague as to be a lie, so obviously part of an agenda. It is - if nothing else - consistent with the way he lived his life. Laura Byko is a 2016 aluma of Point Park University. She served as co-opinions editor for five semesters.
Laura Byko lbykes@gmail.com
SPORTS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
CROUP’S CORNER By Josh Croup
Sports Columnist
Hall of Fame class one of a kind A university or college’s athletic hall of fame is an elite class of the best student athletes to ever walk its halls and sport its jerseys. Point Park has its own athletic hall of fame, with the plaques of the enshrined athletes hanging in the second floor of the Student Center. The first class of hall of famers was inducted in 1973 and went silent until 2000. Since then, the Point Park Athletic Hall of Fame expands each year to add more qualified athletes to the prestigious group. This year, the hall welcomes two of the best athletes to ever play their sports at Point Park. Lindsey Oberacker and Angela Olivieri will be inducted into the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 30 to bring the hall to 58 total individuals and one team enshrined. Oberacker is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, volleyball players in Point Park history. Her name graced Globe headlines throughout her four-year career when she dominated on the court and etched her name into the program record books. The Erie-native was a two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Honorable Mention and led the Pioneers to their their first-ever conference championship and the national tournament appearance that followed in 2011. That year, the outside hitter notched her career-high in kills with 556, part of her 1,855 career total. No Point Park volleyball player has had more kills in a career. Oberacker also tallied 1,060 digs and is one of five players in program history with over 1,000 kills and digs. To add to her already impressive resume, the student athlete was also a standout in the classroom, earning a 3.96 GPA in biology and pre-med.
While the volleyball team has had three inductees into the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame, the women’s soccer team has never had an athlete enshrined. Angela Olivieri changes that this year. Olivieri has the credentials to make a strong case that she is the programs best-ever athlete. The first real star for the Pioneers, she’s still holding her name atop the record books eight years after graduation. The forward from Edinboro, Pa. is the team’s alltime leading goal scorer with 45 goals and over 100 points. She was also one of the first players in program history when she stepped onto the scene in 2006 during the team’s second year in existence. She was added to the all-conference team each of her four years, the only player in program history to accomplish the feat. Olivieri led the team in goals each season from 200609, including her career-high 22 goals during her freshman year. That total still stands as the Point Park single season record. She also holds the single game records of four goals and eight points. While all hall of fame classes are special, this one stands out. The two women were at the top of their games and help establish their programs into the winners that they are today because of their plays from 2006-12. The volleyball team is an annual conference championship contender and the women’s soccer team has won each of the last two conference titles. Much of that winning history can be traced back to Oberacker and Olivieri and the foundations they set while they were at Point Park.
Josh Croup jdcroup@pointpark.edu
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
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Shutout streak strong
Men win fourth straight game By Nick Horwat Copy Editor
The men’s soccer team has been playing as an unstoppable force recently. Since dropping its first two games of the season, the squad has gone 360 minutes without giving up a single goal. Since Point Park’s 2-0 victory over Siena Heights on Sept. 9, the Pioneers defeated Saint Vincent College 6-0, Penn State Beaver 7-0 and the University of Pikeville 4-0, outscoring their opponents 19-0 during the team’s four-game winning streak. Their first away game of the season was played against Penn State Beaver last Wednesday. “You expect the home team to attack a lot more,” senior defender Josh Williams said. “I’m looking forward to picking up some wins on the road.” The Pioneers were relentless on the road, taking a total of 37 shots, 20 of which were on goal. Penn State Beaver only had five shots on goal, all stopped by sophomore goalkeeper Juan Somoza, recording his first win in net as a Pioneer. Freshman Mitchell Roell and sophomore Marc Bentley scored in the opening half. Alan Ramos, Rejep Mukhammedov, Rodley Thelors, Trenton Fowler and Nawfel Bichiba all connected for goals in the second half capping off the 7-0 victory. The Pioneers were coming back home with a winning record and wanted to add to it. Roell and Ramos continued their scoring touch into
Megan Bixler | Point Park Athletics Sophomore defensive midfielder, Andre Bennett, prepares to take the ball down the field during Saturday’s game against Pikeville.
the game against the University of Pikeville on Saturday. They both recorded a pair of goals in the 4-0 shutout. Roell and Ramos share the lead for most goals on the team with five. As a freshman, Roell said he was in shock to be producing this well with the team. “I’m happy that I am helping the team out,” Roell said. “I hope I can keep it up. The team has been getting really good balls to me.” Goalkeeper Ryan Daniels was put back in net against University of Pikeville, where he only had to make one save for his third win and is yet to let up a goal for the Pioneers. “Honestly, it’s all my de-
Gracey Evans | The Globe Wessel Rietveld, sophomore midfielder/defender, advances the ball down the field with freshman forward Mitchell Roell close behind.
fense, they don’t give up any balls,” Daniels said. “I’m able to play at a high level and it makes it easy for me when my defense plays at a higher level.” Moving forward, the Pioneers are looking to keep up their stellar play. Taking home a couple of blowout victories and keeping opponents off the scoreboard, things are looking much better than they did when the team was 0-2 with only a single goal scored. “We have been playing ten times better as a team,” Roell said. “We have really come together.” Daniels said there are a couple keys to the team’s recent turnaround. “Hard work and dedication,” Daniels said. “We keep fighting and we keep winning. It has just lead to more.” The Pioneers open conference play Sept. 28 on the road at Asbury. Then it is off to Cincinnati Christian on Sept. 30. They Pioneers return home to Highmark Stadium on Oct. 6 to take on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season, Midway University.
Nick Horwat njhorwa@pointpark.edu
Turner Broadcasting execs to talk social media By Madison Kelkis For the Globe
The Center of Sports Media and Marketing is bringing in two guest speakers from TBS and TNT on Thursday Sept. 21 to discuss social media at Turner Broadcasting. Jeff Gregor and Dan Cho will present “The Future State of Television and Marketing” at 1 p.m. in the JVH Auditorium. The two speakers coming to Point Park are specifically involved with the properties TBS and TNT. Jeff Gregor is the company’s chief catalyst officer and chief marketing officer, while Dan Cho is Turner’s VP of audience development and monetization and mainly focuses on running social media marketing teams. “Students will get a
chance to see a job in their major that they might not know exists,” Dani McSweeney, event coordinator, said. “Turner is a very large company, so it is always exciting to bring in guests who represent such a successful company.” McSweeney said that the speakers know consumers watch shows in several ways, and companies need to evolve to accommodate that. “Gregor and Cho are going to be focusing on how Turner, especially TBS and TNT, use social media and other new trends to reach their consumers,” McSweeney said. Established in 1970, Turner merged with Time Warner in 1996. Some of its other major assets include Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang.
Having been a part of a successful company, the team plans to share their tips with Point Park students. Gregor and Cho have been working for Turner for several years. Cho has worked for the company for five years working several jobs. Before coming to Turner, he worked for clients like Verizon Wireless, L’Oréal and Coca-Cola. Gregor has been working for Turner for 16 years. Gregor’s responsibilities include cultivating innovation, driving key strategic initiatives and operational efficiencies and providing support to executives across Turner in their interactions with the marketing team. He has created campaigns for big companies like NASCAR, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and the MLB, work-
ing for teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians. This and all Sports Media and Marketing events are open to everyone on campus. “This event could be interesting for all students, because we are the demographic in which they are really aiming to reach with their initiatives,” McSweeney said. “Hearing from speakers is always beneficial regardless of your major or focus of study.” Freshmen graphic design student Emily Vandermey said she is looking forward to the event. “This presentation definitely sounds interesting,” Vandermey said. “ In the graphic design, I will be helping with advertising for big companies. I need to make sure I can get my designs
out to consumers in this new world of media outlets.” Sports, arts and entertainment major Bryana Appley is also looking forward to the event. “If I’m being honest, I’m not really into sports,” Appley said. “These men are directly connected with media though, and that is what I would like to be involvwed in.” Appley plans to use the presentation to help her in the future. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to establish some connections,” Appley said. “It’s never too early to start trying.” Students do not need to sign up to attend.
Madison Kelkis mkelki@pointpark.edu
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
SPORTS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Volleyball goes winless on first RSC weekend By Dara Collins Co-Sports Editor
Megan Bixler| Point Park Athletics Freshman midfielder Calista Hynes controls the ball down the field during Saturday’s home opener against the Pikeville Bears at Highmark Stadium. The Pioneers picked up their first win of the season with the 5-0 shutout.
Offense delivers in opener By Allison Schubert Copy Editor
After being shutout for the first three games of the regular season, the women’s soccer team tallied its first goals of the year against the University of Pikeville at Highmark Stadium on Saturday. “We went into it like we would any other game,” sophomore captain Gabby Widman said. “The intensity had to be high throughout the entire game.” Senior midfielder Izzy Hunter was able to break the scoring drought in the fifth minute, giving Point Park an early lead. Katy Melhuish followed suit in the 37th minute after a pass from Noel Hartle to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead at the half. “We’ve spent the past three games defending a lot without a goal, so when we scored that first goal, a huge relief was off of us,” head coach Maggie Kuhn said. “The mindset for the second half was just to keep going. Not that we want to beat up on a team, but we needed to develop some
confidence. It was nice to see us score a few goals.” The Pioneers fed off the confidence-boosting first half, maintaining possession for a majority of the second half. Bella Wilson was able to make a move around Pikeville’s goalkeeper for an open net goal in the 70th minute for Point Park’s third goal of the afternoon. “Our team chemistry was working really well,” Widman said. “Everybody was on the same page. We took our high intensity training that we had throughout the week and we put it all out on the field.” Shortly after Wilson’s goal, freshman Morgan French was substituted into the game to make her home debut. In the 76th minute, French found herself scoring her first collegiate goal off a corner kick. Just six minutes later, in the 82nd minute, French scored yet again off a pass from Melhuish. With just minutes left in the home opener, the Pioneers found themselves on the opposite end of the shutout with a 5-0 win. “Winning yesterday was a
huge confidence boost for us,” Widman said. “After we scored that first goal, you could see a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. When the first goal hit the back of the net, you could see the smiles on everyone’s faces. The confidence that we gained will definitely carry out throughout the rest of the season.” The win at home gives the Pioneers a 1-3 record so far in the regular season and marked Kuhn’s 50th career win since her start at Point Park six seasons ago. Sophomore goalkeeper Ashtyn Webb also recorded her first career shutout with one save. Pikeville totaled three shots Saturday to Point Park’s 27. “We still need to work on our shooting,” Hartle said. “We’ve always been a team with a great defense and that work hard but now we need to focus on our attack.” The Pioneers play three more non-conference road games before opening River States Conference play on Sept. 28 at Asbury University.
Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu
The volleyball team hit the road for a final pre-conference match-up and opened conference play last week. As of Sept. 13, two-time River States Conference (RSC) Setter of the Week Julia Menosky leads the RSC in total assists with 540, averaging 10.6 assists per set. Junior Ashley Taylor, who was also honored twice as Attacker of the Week, leads the RSC in kills with 210, averaging 3.8 kills per set. “I know as captain, I have the team and coaches counting on me to be the leader, so I think me working hard and earning these things already, I want to show them that they can always count on me as a leader on and off the court,” Taylor said. Washington and Jefferson College hosted the non-conference match-up last Wednesday between the Pioneers and the Presidents. Point Park stole the first set 25-17 and carried momentum to the second set to dominate 25-14. The Pioneers set their sights on a sweep before the Presidents came back to win set three 25-18. The Presidents’ victory was short lived as Point Park took set four 25-23. “I think we just bounced back really well after getting beat in the third one and realizing we needed to get our stuff together and win, finish it,” junior Meg Reineke said. The big hitters included Reineke with 14 kills and junior Erica Gumz trailed close behind with 13. Juniors Savannah Dishman, Taylor and freshman Jazlyn Rozier also chipped in nine kills each. Libero Morgan Dangelo led the defense with a teamhigh of 35 digs, and Reineke picked up 19 of her own. Point Park traveled to
Indiana University East for its first RSC East Division match-up of the season last Friday. The Pioneers closed out a close first set 26-24 before the Red Wolves took control of sets two and three, winning 25-19 and 25-23. Point Park failed to make a comeback and dropped set four 20-25. Menosky dished out 41 assists to her attackers. Point Park totaled 52 kills to IU East’s 53. Taylor controlled the offense with 15 kills and helped defense with seven digs. Reineke recorded a team-high 23 digs followed by Menosky with 19. RSC West Division member and preseason favorite Indiana University Kokomo hosted the second conference match-up of the weekend. The Cougars swept the Pioneers 25-16, 25-17 and 25-18. “We are still trying to mesh with one another, so I believe there are just a lot of things clashing together at the moment,” Taylor said. Dishman, Gumz and Reineke contributed seven kills each. Rozier defended the net with the lone solo block of the match. The team collected a total of 41 digs. Point Park suffered only one conference loss last season to the University of Rio Grande. “We will work on taking accountability amongst each other so we have more chemistry as a team,” Rozier said. The Pioneers now hold an overall record of 9-8 and an 0-2 RSC record. Fans can catch the team at their next home game against Salem International University on Sept. 22 in the Student Center Gym.
Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu
Pioneers’ first Japanese-born athlete eyes pro career Yuki Takeda’s soccer journey to Pittsburgh through Kentucky By Aidan Segal For the Globe
6,616 miles and a 16hour flight separates the city of Pittsburgh from the hometown of Point Park’s first Japanese-born athlete. Yuki Takeda, a native of Yokohama, is a defensive right-back for the Pioneers men’s soccer team and an illustration of how the “beautiful game” is a universal language. Takeda’s journey to the United States didn’t begin in Pittsburgh, but actually in Kentucky where he attended Campbellsville University. Due to the lack of activity in the area, Takeda was dissatisfied and disinterested with the school’s location and environment. “There was nothing to do during the week,” Takeda laughed. “Campbellsville had Walmart and a gas station.
That was it.” Takeda ventured into finding a livelier place to get an education while still remaining competitive in soccer by transferring to Point Park University. “Point Park is a very nice location,” Takeda said. “Our team has a good stadium. I think it is the best in the league. That’s why I came here.” There are numerous cultural differences between the United States and Japan that extend into the game of soccer. The rules may remain consistent throughout the leagues, but the manner in which it is played in varies throughout the world. “Japanese style is more technical. Passing, passing, passing,” Takeda said. “In the U.S. it is more physical.” Josh Williams, senior defender and captain of the team, is especially impressed by his teammate’s performance thus far. “He has a lot to offer,” Williams said. “He’s athletic and he brings an energy to the team that doesn’t go unnoticed.” Jeroen Walstra, who just
Sam Robinson | Point Park Athletics Sophomore defender, Yuki Takeda, prepares to pass the ball to a teammate during a home game on Sept. 9 against Siena Heights. The Pioneers recorded their first win of the season with the 2-0 victory against the Saints.
entered his 11th year as the Pioneers’ head coach, expects that Takeda’s “energy” could catapult the Pioneers further throughout the season. “He’s good at forward runs and getting crosses over,” Walstra said. “I hope he has a huge number of minutes by the end of the year
and leads us to the national tournament.” Takeda prides himself in his success on the field. After striking a laser-beam from 18-yards out, his first goal while wearing the green and gold, he posted encouraging words on Facebook to accompany the highlight video.
“Even after several years of playing soccer, each goal means just as much as the first,” Takeda said. Scoring will bring a smile to Takeda’s face, but he truly gets a sense of fulfillment with his skills on the defensive side of the game. “My job is to shutout every single game and sacrifice for the team,” Takeda said. Takeda studies business marketing, but if the opportunity happens to arise, he would like to continue playing soccer on the same field, only professionally and as a member of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. “I want play for them after graduating from Point Park, but it’s really tough,” Takeda said. “Everyone is really good.” Williams has faith in his fellow teammate’s goal to play professionally. “I think he can do it,” Williams said. “With the level he plays at it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think he could.”
Aidan Segal alsegal@pointpark.edu