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PAGE Alumni revisit their
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@PPUGlobe March 29, 2017
time on Point Park’s Switzerland campus Lauren Ortego delves into Trump’s policies and how they will affect America Track and field freshman making quick first impressions ppuglobe.com
Celebrating 50 years of covering the world of Point Park University news
Issue 11
SOFTBALL SWEEPS CARLOW CulinArt unveils
unlimited meal plan By Josh Croup
Co-Sports Editor
Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics
The Softball team opened RSC play this weekend with a two game sweep against Carlow Saturday. Point Park is 7-10 on the year with at 2-0 RSC record. The team will face Midway Friday in their next conference match up. For more, see photo essay on Page 7.
meet your
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presidential candidates!
Title IX to hold annual sexual violence awareness concert By Carley Bonk Copy Editor
Pioneer Records will be holding its second annual Break the Silence concert Friday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Playhouse featuring Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties and Drop the Act. The event is in collaboration with Point Park’s Title IX office to raise awareness for sexual violence. Samantha Bowes, public relations and marketing apprentice for Pioneer Records and senior sports, art and entertainment (SAEM) major said they are excited about booking their first touring act. “Dan Campbell started Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties as a side project for a concept album with poetic lyrics that read like a story,” Bowes said. “He always stays in character on stage, highlighting a story of self-struggle, depression, and not being afraid to get help.” Campbell has been involved with raising awareness for other issues through his other band, The Wonder Years including animal violence, political greed and mental health. Molly Knepper, director of booking and sales at Pioneer Records and junior SAEM major said that Drop the Act was another band they were looking forward to hosting on campus. “We originally thought it
would be way too expensive to book touring acts,” Knepper said. “We reached out to the bands students sent us on Twitter and they said they would be able to work with us.” Knepper knew Drop the Act from previous shows she had booked for them. They are based out of New Castle, PA. The band includes Matt Priscilla Jr. on lead vocals, Joshua Hoffman on bass guitar, Adam Alfano on drums and Adam Kaminski and Jacob Hoffman on guitar. They have been playing together as a whole for nearly four years. Joshua Hoffman said they work on writing their music as a group effort. “We get our inspiration from bands like Yellowcard, New Found Glory and All Time Low,” Hoffman said. “We just finished our album ‘Let’s Plan a Robbery’ and are in the process of finding a director for a music video of our new EP.” Break the Silence is not their first exposure to activism through music. “We’ve done shows for Relay for Life before, this will be our third concert for a cause,” Hoffman said. “I’m a social worker so I deal with things like this every day.” Elizabeth Rosemeyer, Title IX Coordinator for Point Park said she is really looking forward to this opportunity to raise awareness for an issue all universities face.
CONCERT page 2
Students will have the option to eat an unlimited amount of meals next year on campus. CulinArt is introducing two new meal plans that give students the option to have 19 meals per week or an unlimited amount of meals. The new food service provider currently offers meal plans that include 10 and 14 meals per week, but serves a total 19 meals per week. CulinArt introduced the new options to the university, which decided to move forward with the additional meal plans. Food Service
Director Kristy Weiss said CulinArt wanted to give students the ability to eat all 19 meals the company offers. “You want to give them the option to have a meal plan that, if they want to eat on campus for every meal, they have that option,” Weiss said. Dean of Student Life Michael Gieseke arrived at Point Park about 10 years ago and was surprised the university didn’t offer a meal plan that matched the amount of meals served. As it currently stands, students with 10 or 14 meals have to decide what meals to skip or have to eat elsewhere throughout the week.
MEAL PLAN page 2
Food distributor’s incorrect labeling causes mix-up at Playhouse Café USG By Alex Grubbs USG Beat Writer
Religious distress became a student concern after a mixup in food labeling at the Pittsburgh Playhouse led to the consumption of pork. Senator Samiar Nefzi brought to United Student Government’s (USG) attention about the incident that took place at Premieres Cafe in the Playhouse. After mislabeling, a freshman Muslim student consumed a pierogi with bacon without her knowledge, although its consumption being against Islamic faith. “She’s gone 19 years without eating pork,” Nefzi said. Dean of Students Keith Paylo informed the legislative body of the quick response to the issue from CulinArt staff, but admitted the event is troubling. “That was a misfortunate occurrence,” Paylo
said. “There was mislabeling throughout the process, even [from] the distributor.” This comes a little more than a month after Kristy Weiss, Food Service Director at Point Park, addressed USG about food concerns in all food locations on campus. “We still have a long way to go,” Weiss told USG on Feb. 13. Paylo reiterated that this serving was not intentional and that it was handled in a swift manner. Stressing student concerns as a priority, Senator Daniel Murphy called for the legislative body to evaluate the achievements and problems of this school year. He hopes this will help addressing student concerns better. “This is so we can kind of get a game plan ready and hit next year running full speed,” Murphy said. Treasurer Amber Mole also announced that an estimated amount of $50,400 of
USG’s budget has been spent on clubs and organizations’ allocations. Currently, Point Park’s Business Office confirmed that $44,402 has been spent for this semester. Mole stressed that the confirmed $6,000 spent in February was not yet confirmed in the total, leading to the estimation. USG ended its budget allocations last week after sending some clubs’ budgets back to finance committee two weeks ago. However, if a club or organization needs additional money, USG has a cushion as a precaution. As USG prepares for next school year, President Blaine King announced the USG Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates this evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for Media Innovation. U-View, the campus television station, will be hosting the event.
USG page 2
CAB GETS CORNY FOR SPRING FLING
Chloe Jakiela | The Globe
Madison Aicher, sophomore advertising and public relations major and Public Relations Coordinator at the Campus Activities Board, promotes CAB’s annual Spring Fling by handing out corn on the cob to students in Village Park Monday afternoon. Spring Fling will have a western theme this year and will be held April 21 from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. in Village Park.
Weather Forecast Today: Partly Cloudy H 65, L 44
Thursday: PM Showers, H 62, L 42 Friday: Rain, H 62, L 49 Saturday: Partly Cloudy, H 57, L 42
Sunday: Partly Cloudy, H 61, L 46 Monday: Partly Cloudy, H 63, L 47 Tuesday: Showers, H 57, L 47
Point Park
GLOBE
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Due to increase of residential students, food service provider implements larger meal plans from MEAL PLAN page 1 “We’re not offering you that ability not to make that choice,” Gieseke said. But not offering more than 14 meals per week made sense at the beginning of the Aramark era. Gieseke described the Point Park at the time of his arrival as a “suitcase campus.” Only 691 students lived on campus in 2006-07, many of whom would leave for the weekends. That number currently stands at 1,039, according to the Point Park Factbook. With the increase in residential students, transformation of Downtown and campus life in recent years and a new food service provider, Gieseke said the timing made sense to introduce expanded meal plans. “The weekends are more robust; there are many more things happening,” Gieseke said. “I think a lot of people thought now would be the time for that option.” Freshman theater performance and practices major Sarah Carson currently has the meal plan that offers 14 meals per week. She typically skips breakfast or uses flex dollars in the cafe. She said if she were an incoming freshman, she would strongly consider the new unlimited or 19 meals per week
options. “I guess it depends on their financial situation,” Carson said. “If they think they can afford for it, go for it. I think it would be more beneficial.” The unlimited meal plan that includes $150 flex dollars will cost $3,370 per semester, while the 19 meals per week plan with $200 flex dollars will cost $3,150 per semester. Neither meal plan currently offered to Lawrence and Thayer Hall residents will increase next year. The 14 meals per week plan with $200 flex dollars will cost students $2,870 per semester, and the 10 meals plan with $275 flex dollars will cost $2,680 per semester. The unlimited meal plan will allow students to use multiple meal swipes during the same dining period, an option prevented by all other meal plans. Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Keith Paylo said the students and parents have questioned the policy in the past. “We have also gotten feedback from students that if they want to eat breakfast at 7:00 and they want to go back at 9:30, if you have that breakfast swipe used, you can’t use it,” Paylo said. “[The unlimited meal plan] could appeal to those who believe that they need a more robust meal plan.”
Both deans said the new plans are more geared towards incoming freshman, but are available to all students. It’s another step in the transition for CulinArt, which took over for Aramark in the months leading up to the 201617 academic year. The company has a better understanding now of Point Park’s culture and is still working out the kinks that come with a first-year company. There are kinks that Paylo said the CulinArt management has been flexible with during the time of transition that also included major renovations to the Point Café and dining hall. “They have been willing to adjust to virtually anything that comes their way,” Paylo said. “That alone for me says, not
only has it been a good year, it’s been a great year.” Gieseke has been impressed with the new communication between the CulinArt management and the university. He said they interact on a consistent basis and are open to student concerns, something that was lacking with the previous food service provider. “We lost faith in Aramark,” Gieseke said. “We didn’t believe they would make things better. Our relationship with CulinArt’s management is that much better than it was at the end of Aramark’s time with us.” Weiss echoed those statements and encouraged students to take advantage of her open-door policy. Her office is located in the
Point Café beside the salad station. She said students can bring concerns straight to her, or they can send her an email to kweiss@pointpark.edu. “Our main goal is to always make the students happy,” Weiss said. “Anytime a student comes to us and something needs changed or fixed, we will always do whatever we can to make it happen for them.” Students can purchase a meal plan through the Office of Student Life. Once purchased, students have until the end of the second week of the fall semester to change their meal plan.
Josh Croup jdcroup@pointpark.edu.
Concert to include information USG elections to about dealing with sexual violence be held next week from CONCERT page 1 “This will be the largest awareness event we’ve done,” Rosemeyer said. “We will have tables with information on how to handle situations of sexual violence, food, prizes and music for students to enjoy at the Playhouse.” If students find they would like to get more involved in raising awareness for this issue, there are multiple clubs on Point Park’s campus they can become a part of.
“Not On My Campus, Her Campus and the Feminist Collective have all held events to bring to light the problem many campuses face,” Rosemeyer said. Ed Traversari, an associate SAEM professor said Pioneer Records is happy to collaborate with other clubs and organizations on events. “We were approached by the Title IX office last year to do a collaborative event,” Traversari said. “Students love music and we thought it would be a great learning opportunity; we encourage students to reach
out to us with their ideas.” Tickets are free to university students with a valid Point Park ID that can be picked up at the SAEM or Title IX offices and at the Playhouse. Tickets for non-students will be $10 in advance and $15 at the door. “This is another opportunity to make the Playhouse more versatile,” Bowes said. “We are really encouraging students to come out and enjoy this indie/rock concert for a cause.”
Carley Bonk cmbonk@pointpark.edu.
from USG page 1 He continued by stressing that the USG elections are taking place next week from April 3 to 7. Vice President Bobby Bertha, who is running for president, asked King if there would be any election tables set up around campus for student awareness. King responded saying that the election ballot will be submitted on PointSync rather than in person, but
said the tables may be in the works. The president also announced that Nurse Heather Capo, director of Health Services, will talk to USG next Monday, April 3. Senators previously have voiced student concerns about the irregular hours of the nurse’s office on campus.
Alex Grubbs aagrubb@pointpark.edu.
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USG
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
3
CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT
Point Park’s United Student Government is holding elections for all of its positions April 3 to 7. Last week, the Globe profiled the candidates for Vice President, Kristopher Chandler and Davion Heron. We continue the series this week with profiles of the candidates for USG President: Robert Bertha and Charles Murria.
ROBERT BERTHA
CHARLES MURRIA
By Jordan Slobodinsky
By Alex Grubbs
United Student Government (USG) Presidential candidate Robert Bertha is looking to shake up the way things are done around campus. Bertha, who goes by Bobby, said that he knows how to communicate messages to students in an appropriate way. Currently a junior, Bertha has been at Point Park for two years and has been involved with USG since he transferred to Point Park. Bertha previously attended the Community College of Allegheny County and Pitt-Johnstown. USG elections are being held April 3 through April 7. Running against Bertha is fellow junior Charles Murria. “I want to let the student body know what we [USG] are doing, but I don’t want to be just another email in their inbox,” Bertha said. “I want to find a way to communicate with them that is new, that is not intrusive.” Bertha joined USG in his sophomore year after transferring from Pitt-Johnstown and has served as a senator and as the Vice President of USG. Bertha contacted USG President Blaine King during his sophomore year and was appointed to the position of senator. Bertha became Vice President last spring when he ran uncontested, although he said that he welcomes competition in this upcoming election. “This year, Bobby has been able to step up and fill in for me,” King said. “Whether it was for a metting or asking people to do things. He’s been hard-working.” Bertha has worked diligently on campus to make sure that things get communicated clearly on campus for students. Working not only with the administration, but also with CulinArt, Bertha said that he wants to students to be aware of what is going on and feel comfortable on their own campus. Growing up in West Deer, Pa., Bertha is not far from his hometown and sees the importance of working with those around him. He said that he loves doing work with USG because he wants to give back to the community that he lives in. “My first day at Point Park, I was literally welcomed with open arms,” Bertha said. Bertha said that communication is the biggest problem USG faces when battling student and campus issues. A better relationship between the student body and the administration is what Bertha said he would strive for as president. “I don’t want it to be always a last-minute email telling students of a change, but more of an advanced notice,” Bertha said. USG meetings are held open to the student body, but Bertha said he wants to slightly change that. Bertha wants to implement more town halllike meetings for students to voice their opinion to the USG and possibly administrators. If elected, Bertha would like to see this happen as quickly as possible. Along with these meetings, Bertha’s vision includes having the USG senators do outreach meetings. USG’s biggest public events are the annual forum and the Pioneer community day. Bertha said he wants the public of Point Park to know the faces of USG and have them be more involved on campus with the students. Bertha said that he also wants USG to be more approachable for students. He said that he wants people to be able to come up to him around campus and pitch their ideas to him without them being scared. “Too often have I heard that USG is a terrifying entity to approach, and I want to change that,” Bertha said. “I
United Student Government (USG) Presidential candidate Charles Murria jumped right into student government during his first week of freshman year after his political stint in high school. Initially coming to Point Park with an undecided major, he was crestfallen after he was rejected by the university’s theatre program, but he ran into another venture that he is passionate about. Now as a junior sports, arts and entertainment management major, a resident educator and parliamentarian of USG, he hopes to use his experience in those fields toward being president of student government. Murria has served USG for three years. He then started out as a freshman senator and then was appointed parliamentarian under both of President Blaine King’s terms. “He served on my [rules] committee. He put a lot of effort into it and asked the right questions,” King, former parliamentarian, said of choosing Murria as his appointment to the parliamentarian position. “He was really into everything I was teaching him.” According to the USG constitution, the parliamentarian acts as a checks and balances for the organization, ensuring that USG members are fulfilling their responsibilities in their elected or appointed positions. He also heads the rules committee where it updates and creates guidelines for USG, ensuring that clubs and organizations are running to their messages. King, although not endorsing any candidate, also admired Murria’s dedication to his parliamentarian position during King’s two-year presidency. As parliamentarian, Murria has tackled a potential impeachment trial, established social media guidelines and fixed problems at meetings that were not properly following procedure. “Charles really cares for USG a lot,” King said. “I give him… the [utmost] respect for how much he cares for USG and the organization as a whole.” Now as a rising senior, Murria wants to expand his horizons on representing the entire student body as president. “I thought to myself that we [USG] are not concentrated on students than I would like us to be,” Murria said of his decision to run for president. “We’re not as focused on their needs and what they want.” He stressed that he wants more issues addressed, such as mistreatment of students, irregular nurse hours and changing in financial aid. “These are things that directly affect students,” Murria said. “I don’t want [students] to feel like they are a number in the system.” He reiterated he would not be in this position if he did not stumble across USG three years ago. Murria and his friends from psychology class were walking around the Clubs and Activities Fair during their first week of freshman year. Within a week, he decided he wanted to run as a freshman senator. He recalled the inviting environment that made him jump right in and have allowed him to flourish over the years. Having grown up in multiple cities across the country, his parents’ divorce and battles with his sexuality have all played a big part in Murria finding his home in the theatre. “The theatre has such a camaraderie and a family-like aspect to it that I enjoy,” Murria said. His friends and peers know him for his love of theatre and his outgoing personality. According to junior accounting major Ciara Riddick, if he is not working for USG or doing school
Co-Opinions Editor
USG Beat Writer
Chloe Jakiela | The Globe
• Nicknames: Bobby • Hometown: West Deer, Pa. • Major: Broadcast Production and Media Management • Year: Junior • Served on USG for 2 years • Positions: Senator at Large, Vice President
“Too often have I heard that USG is a terrifying entity to approach, and I want to change that.” was students to be able to come up to me and say, ‘hi, here’s an idea that I think the student government should pursue.’” Bertha has taken his position and time here at Point Park very seriously. “One of my goals is to create and foster a community of transparent and clear communication between the university administration and the student body,” Bertha said. Bertha said that this is in part due to his recent work as a resident educator. Students often come to Bertha in the middle of campus and talk with him about issues and suggest ideas. Bertha said that USG needs to be easily approachable. “I am an advocate for the student body,” Bertha said. “Should I be honored enough to be given this position, I will serve at the pleasure of the student body.” Outside of USG, Bertha is a broadcast production major, co-producer of NewsNight on U-View. Bertha began broadcasting in middle school, but more importantly, started taking on student government responsibilities at that time, too. Those who have known Bertha know that he attended Deer Lakes High School and that his time there has helped mold him into the student politician he is. “There wasn’t a person in our entire high school who didn’t know his name, who didn’t know his face,” senior multimedia major Emily Yount said. Yount has known Bertha since middle school, where they both made an impact on the school during their time as student council members. Yount said that because of them, the high school created a new class out of producing the morning announcements. “He’s one of those people that can read a room; he can get along with everyone,” Yount said. Among other roles, Bertha is a resident educator in Pioneer Hall. Bertha’s roommate, current USG president Blaine King, said that Bertha takes on the role of an RE very well. “He does his job with no complaints. He carries himself very well,” King said.
Jordan Slobodinsky jeslobo@pointpark.edu.
Chloe Jakiela | The Globe
• Hometown: Manhattan, NY • Major: Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management • Year: Junior • Served on USG for 3 years • Positions: Senator, Parliamentarian; 2 years.
“I don’t want [students] to feel like they are a number in the system.” work, he is going to plays at the Playhouse and the Benedum or watching theatre videos on YouTube. Riddick also said that Murria’s dedication is why he is fit to take on the presidency. Riddick recalled Murria walking around with a stack of books, which were USG minutes from a decade ago to now, to find out the history of the organization. “Charles always cares about how things turn out,” Riddick said. “He always talking about ‘working on this… figuring this out.’” Riddick also pointed out that every time they are together, if he is not singing or talking about theatre, students come to him to address issues and he is more than willing to help. “If someone comes up to him with an issue, he can have his own issues… but when another person comes up, his issue is set to the side… and then he handles it [with that person],” Riddick said. “Charles appeals to everybody,” Shayna Mendez, senior photojournalism major and graduating USG senator, said of his personality. “It doesn’t matter if they’re in the COPA department, or a student athlete… Charles has this personality where he is open to everyone.” Mendez recalled meeting him in her freshman dorm room. Murria walked in, and they bonded over popcorn laying on her bed. “The way he came in and sat down and started talking as if we’ve been friends forever [and] this is totally normal,” Mendez said. “That was one of the stepping stones in our friendship.” Mendez also thinks that Murria’s ability to talk to anyone would allow more open dialogue with USG if he becomes president. “[It would] encourage more and more students to talk about things going on campus in general and come to USG,” Mendez said. In the event Murria wins, he hopes to speak with challenger Bobby Bertha, who is currently USG’s vice president. “He executed his position [almost] flawlessly,” Murria said. “I’m going to talk to him about what he wanted this organization to look like… and try to implement that in my plan for next year.”
Alex Grubbs aagrubb@pointpark.edu.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
FEATURES
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
The lost tale of Point Park’s Switzerland campus a uniformly wonderful experience,” Panzella said. Co-Sports Editor He taught during the spring semester of the first and Darlene Natale was only a only year of the program. Point freshman at Point Park in 1973 Park offered a mini-semester when she went on the learning during the months of Decemadventure of a lifetime. ber to February, and continShe took a chance at a new ued offering classes in Lugano program at the college that during that time. moved her to Switzerland for Education Professor Vinthe semester for the same cost cenne Revilla Beltrán was a to study in Pittsburgh. junior at the college when she She even met her future took to Lugano for a mini-sehusband on the satellite mester abroad to take literature campus. and art classes. The college’s new pro“It was so unique that you gram didn’t last more than a can’t really compare it to any year after the university almost other kind of campus environclosed in 1973 due to financial ment,” Revilla said. issues, leaving Switzerland as The 18th-century villa a footnote in Point Park’s long had a view of the Alps and was history. near the Switzerland-Italy “It was a real loss,” Natale border. The dorm rooms had said. “I think, had they given it antique architectural designs a couple years, it would have that went beyond the typical flourished and attracted the college room. Students and crowd they intended.” faculty would eat together in Point Park was nearing the the dining room with meals worst financial crisis in its hisprepared by chefs and cooks tory 45 years ago when it leased they got to know. the Villa Negroni in Lugano, Students had full course Switzerland. loads, taking upwards of 18 Both the United States credits. But the class schedule and Swiss flags flew atop Lawwas short, lasting Monday to rence Hall as a small portion Wednesday and sometimes of the Point Park community Thursdays. The professors began their new venture in had the freedom to teach at night, and often encouraged students to travel. “You were taking a class, but you were then applying it as you traveled,” Natale said. “You understood what you were seeing.” L u gano was Jeff Rozran (Class of 1973) | Point Park University Archives in an ideal Point Park students sit with the Alps behind their backs on Point Park’s Switzerland campus that it leased during the ‘72-’73 school year. Students could spend the se- location for travel, givmester abroad for the same cost to study in Pittsburgh. By Josh Croup
the fall of 1972. Then president Arthur Blum established the campus in an attempt to spark more interest in the college, which was experiencing financial difficulties. The original goal was to attract upwards of 100 students, but the first-year program failed to draw in more than 40 after advertising around the country, including in the New York Times. Point Park sent its own professors to Switzerland to teach the students enrolled, including eventual president Matthew Simon and Emmett Panzella. Panzella, who still teaches history and geography at Point Park, taught courses with an emphasis on Italy and Switzerland, including Renaissance and Reformation at Lugano. It was a family affair for Panzella, who was a new professor at the university with a wife and two young daughters. When the college approved his classes, his family packed their bags and moved to Lugano. One of his daughters eventually learned how to ride her tricycle there. “For me, for my family, for the students I knew, it was
ing students opportunities to spend weekends in Milan, Paris, Munich, Rome and several other historic European cities. S t u dents purchased inexpensive Eurail passes and traveled from city to city at night. They could sleep on pullout seats on the train to avoid hotels. When she wasn’t traveling, Natale and her friends listened to music in the dorm rooms. One of those friends, Dennis Natale, took her to a couple concerts in the area. The two grew close while in Switzerland and stayed together through college. Dennis and Darlene Natale married after Darlene graduated in 1976, and have been together since. They have since encouraged their children to travel and study abroad. Several students wished to return to Lugano for the fall of 1973 and encouraged their peers in Pittsburgh to join. “It really enhanced the lives of all of those who were there,” Panzella said. “I didn’t hear one person who was disappointed with their experience.” When Panzella and others returned to Pittsburgh, they received bad news. “They said, ‘You have to come down and grab your books; they’re closing up the school,’” Panzella said. “I was both shocked and depressed. I had a wife and two small children.” Natale planned to spend the summer with her friends in Pittsburgh and return to Lugano in the fall, but by time the new semester came around, there was no more Point Park Switzerland. Edward Hogan was the
Germany
France Austria
Switzerland Lugano
italy initial director of the Swiss campus and also taught courses. In a book detailing the first 25 years of Point Park’s history, Hogan described his perspectives of the Lugano experiment. “As an educational experience I think it was zilch,” Hogan said in the book. “They weren’t even asked to write a paper. They had no resources to write papers.” Hogan added that some students were afraid to venture outside of the villa, but those who did had a great experience traveling around Europe. Natale said her educational experience was about more than just travel. “They really synthesized the coursework with what we were going to do as we traveled about,” Natale said. Revilla credits her experience in Lugano for pushing her to travel internationally as an adult with her family. She has backpacked through Europe, and even completed one of her sabbaticals in Spain. When she heard of the opportunity to study in Switzerland for the same cost to study in Pittsburgh, her only option was to take advantage of the program. “Travel has a way of changing you, and broadening your perspectives,” Revilla said. “You can’t really put a price on that.”
Josh Croup jdcroup@pointpark.edu
Transgender student IDs now allow preferred name, gender By Francesca Dabecco For the Globe
Every student at Point Park has an issued student ID with their photo and name. It serves as a key to access campus buildings, a way to check out books in the library and a means of purchasing food through a meal plan, to name a few of its purposes. However, for some students, this simple indication of identification gives them access to something far more valuable: the freedom to be themselves. Until the fall 2016 semes-
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ter, students and faculty were required to use their legal first and last name on their student IDs. This was particularly problematic for transgender students. “Students came to us last year and were asking about being able to use their preferred name in several aspects of the university,” Dean of Student Life Michael Gieseke said. “The biggest one at the time was student IDs for students who have formally changed their name, but not legally done so.” That is when the university created the Preferred Name Policy, allowing any faculty, staff or student to identify with their preferred first or middle name that differs from their legal name outside of federal or state documents. That change made a difference in the day-today lives of transgender students at Point Park: students like 20-year-old Max Namey, a sophomore forensic science major from Pittsburgh. All of last year, Namey’s birth name was used on his ID and class rosters. “I tried to get it changed at that point but was told I wasn’t allowed to do so unless it was legally changed,” Namey said.
“It was pretty frustrating. Not just the ID, but before classes started, I would have to email all of my professors explaining my situation by outing myself.” When Namey heard that Point Park was implementing the Preferred Name Policy for the fall 2016 semester, he went to get his ID changed the first day it was open. “I wanted to get it taken care of as soon as possible,” Namey said. “It was a pretty easy process… she asked me what name I wanted on my ID and made sure it was spelled right. I had a new picture taken, and my new ID was printed within five minutes.” Namey admitted that as a college student he doesn’t have the money to have his name legally changed and said, “seeing it on a printed ID was a really cool feeling.” Namey is not the only one who feels this way. Senior behavioral science major Heather Leasure has also found the Preferred Name Policy to be beneficial. “It is nice to be seen by the university as ‘Heather,’” Leasure said. “It helps me feel a sense of dignity, and it also allows me to not have to put myself in a position where I have to out myself.” This sentiment is felt throughout the Point Park community and is not limited
to transgender students. Silmari Munoz, the president of the Gender and Sexuality Spectrum Alliance (GSSA), worked in the ID center for three years. When she heard of the policy change, she was thrilled. “It made us all at the GSSA very happy because it was definitely an issue,” Munoz said. “It was just a change that let students know that the school cares, and they are willing to listen.” Gieseke notes that a feeling of acceptance by students was the most important detail of the Preferred Name Policy. “Hopefully, it sends the message that we are open to all of our students,” Gieseke said. “We want everyone to feel like they have a place here and that they feel comfortable and accepted by the university.” However, Gieseke admits that although the policy has worked well for IDs, it still needs improvement being implemented throughout all aspects of the university. He explained that whenever a student has officially changed their name in the system, the database has a field for a “preferred name.” The problem, Gieseke said, is that not every office runs the preferred name section in their reports. “We have just started meeting with the different offices at
the university to ask them to do so,” Gieseke said. “Because once a student submits that preferred name change to the registrar’s office, their expectation is that it is getting disseminated to everybody.” And while that is the university’s intention, it does not always happen. That is why, for the remainder of the semester and during the summer, Student Life will be meeting with every office that has direct interaction with students to ensure that they are consciously using students’ preferred names. “Some are better with that than others,” Gieseke said. “So we are going to continue to create awareness for the staff of the university, before calling or emailing a student, that they use the preferred name.” According to Gieseke, although the majority of students and faculty are overwhelmingly accepting of this policy, the reality is that there are more than 400 employees of the university. “Does everybody agree with this? I don’t think everybody does,” Gieseke said. “But I hope that this proves that, as a university, we believe in inclusion, we believe in self-expression and all are welcomed.”
Francesca Dabecco fadabec@pointpark.edu
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
5
Freshman filmmakers pop into national film festival By Matt Petras Staff Writer
When Daniel Kelly described how he did independent video advertisements for various clients, he was wearing a t-shirt he got from one of those clients – “Calypso.” Leo Pfeifer could look back all the way to 8th grade when remembering film festivals he had entrees in. The freshmen’s short film “Popped” will be featured at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) in Seattle, Washington this April. However, their professional bodies of work extend far beyond that one film.
THE TWO FRIENDS AND THE TWO BALLOONS “Popped” was initially made for the 48-hour freshman film festival the John P. Harris (JPH) Film Society did in October of last year at Point Park. The beginning of their work on the film was impromptu. “The festival was actually right after one of our midterms, which made it kind of difficult, so we weren’t going to do it,” Pfeifer said in an interview on campus Wednesday. “Then three hours into the 48 hours, we decided we wanted to.” The two were hanging out when they decided they would do a film. Kelly and Pfeifer both directed, wrote, shot and edited the film, enlisting the help of fellow freshman film students Kelly Tran for the music and Ethan Green for the movie’s animated effects. “Popped” is a love story between two balloons that runs the gamut on emotions, at times silly, sweet, sad and more. They held up balloons around the city and animated facial expression on top of them. There are no humans in the film, other than the snippets of hands and arms that remain in the frame. Despite the usage of balloons, the film explores human issues.
“I think the contrast between [adult themes and the use of balloons] created an interesting way to explore those issues,” Pfeifer said. The animator, Green, is more interested in directing, he explained in an interview on campus on Sunday, but has picked up animation skills throughout his film-making. He was tasked with applying animated facial expression to real-life balloons, a request an animator does not get every day. “A couple of times they asked me to do something I had no idea how to do,” Green said. At one point, Green had to track an animated facial expression on one side of a rotating balloon, which befuddled him at first but was eventually worked out. This was the first time the composer Tran had to create a score for someone else’s film project, rather than her own. She went through a few drafts with Pfeifer and Kelly before the music was finalized. The music begins “bubbly” and happy before turning toward something more somber, she explained in a phone interview Sunday. She’s happy with how the “wonderful” movie turned out. Kelly was exhilarated by the end of the process. “This has been the best response I’ve received for a movie I’ve done,” Kelly said in an interview on campus Wednesday.
LEO PFEIFER, THE YOUNG SEATTLE FILMMAKER The movie will be screened during the Seattle film festival, which runs April 27-29. Seattle is Pfeifer’s home town, where he attended Ballard High School. He values the education Ballard gave him. “That’s where I can attribute around 80% of everything to,” Pfeifer said. Several of Pfeifer’s pre-university films were entered into
film festivals and have racked up a slew of awards. The film he’s most proud of is a short documentary called “Clipped Wings,” which he made alongside past high school classmates Cole Anderson and Duncan Gowdy in 2015. Nikole Kost | The Globe This piece Daniel Kelly and Leo Pfeifer’s short film, “Popped,” will be showing at the National is about the Film Festival for Talented Youth in Seattle April 27-30. complicated high school, he said. working together and are lookrelationship between the Boy “It was all I wanted to do,” ing into possible collaborations Scouts and the gay community. Kelly said. “I would reach out in the future. It has over 200,000 views via email to companies that “We definitely want to,” on YouTube and has been didn’t really have a big video Pfeifer said. showered with awards such platform.” “We hang out all the time,” as “Audience Award” from the Kelly did a television ad in Kelly said. 2015 NFFTY, “Award of Excel2016 for “Calypso” lemonade, Their friendship does aclence” from the 2015 Northwhich was awarded the “Win- tually go back to before they west Emmy Awards, and first ner of Best Commercial” from enrolled at Point Park, as they place documentary at the 2015 Rising Star Film Festival. met at a film festival in New Dominique Dunne Film ComLast summer, Kelly in- York and bonded over a shared petition. terned with Simba Produc- love of each other’s work. “[Pfeifer] is probably one tions, a video production com“We found out we were of the most organized and propany in New York. There, he both going to Point Park, so fessional people I’ve ever met,” worked on advertisements for we already had that connection Anderson said in a phone inSephora, Bloomberg and more. going in,” Pfeifer said. terview Sunday. Alongside commercial The two even have simiPfeifer and Anderson video work, Kelly has also run lar taste in film; they were inmet as underclassmen in high his Instagram, which current- spired by the work of Pixar, the school through a film class. ly more than 2,300 followers. animation studio behind clasAnderson now studies film at Before Kelly even had his first sics such as “Toy Story” and New York University, but the day of class, as she put it, Point “Finding Nemo,” when maktwo still remotely collaborate Park Social Media Manager Fe- ing “Popped.” Both Pfeifer and together, Anderson said. licia McKinney reached out to Kelly are big fans in general. “We were kind of awkKelly, wanting to hire him. Pfeifer even has a Pixar sticker ward together at first, but as “I knew someone else was on his MacBook. we worked together we became going to hire him if I didn’t,” They both regard “Up” good friends,” Anderson said. McKinney said in a phone in- as their favorite Pixar movie, terview Friday. which tells the tale of an old DANIEL KELLY: ARTIST, Kelly wears a lot of profes- man whose house takes to the PHOTOGRAPHER, sional hats, so to speak, but he sky, carried by balloons. AND COMMERCIAL has a preference. It always come back to balVIDEOGRAPHER “I do like the creative stuff loons with these two. Kelly has done commera lot better,” Kelly said. cial video and photography work alongside his efforts as WILL THEIR COLLABORAan artistic film-maker. He was Matt Petras TION INFLATE FURTHER? “eager” before even graduating mapetra@pointpark.edu Pfeifer and Kelly enjoyed
Psychology grad program chronicles Pittsburgh’s homeless By Nicole Pampena Co-Features Editor
“There were four of us out on rounds that morning. Packed into the blue SUV, we pulled up past a house that was isolated from the rest, surrounded by woods. I am continually amazed at how the ‘camps’ are so often hidden in plain sight, but this one was a little different. The path we followed was very well hidden, tucked neatly away into a thickly wooded area that you
would have never believed was only about 100 yards from the busway.” The above excerpt, written by graduate students Alexandria Bright and Calla Kainaroi, describes one practicum experience for clinical-community psychology majors. Under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Psychology Robert McInerney, students are tasked with visiting the homeless throughout Pittsburgh and speaking with them about their experiences. Based off of only cryptic field notes and memory, one or two students then compile the experience into a narrative. T h e concept began in the fall 2016 semester w h e n McInerney teamed up with Operation Safety Net, an organization dedicated
to providing healthcare to those living on the streets. From there, he met its internal medicine physician, Dr. Jim Withers. “I invited Dr. Withers to come and present to the Confluence students, and that’s where I sort of met him,” McInerney said. “I said ‘Our students do an unusual kind of psychology here. We’re a very different program from most programs in the United States.” As opposed to more formulaic, natural science-based psychology, Point Park’s program takes a humanistic approach and focuses on collecting qualitative data. This type of data is exactly what Dr. Withers was seeking at the time. He wanted to develop a method of program evaluation at Operation Safety Net where he can hear feedback from those he gives medical attention. In order to launch the research, McInerney turned to three students from the newly-developed master’s program for psychology. The fourth student involved in the practicum and majoring in clinical-community psychology, Isaiah Noreiga, joined soon after and began writing the narratives as part of a class. “We’re like the eyes and ears of [McInerney’s] narratives,” Noreiga said. “We conduct interviews, take field notes and he synthesizes.” Although more in-depth
stories covering entire life stories are feasible, the narratives are typically only around one page in length and journal singular experiences. McInerney describes the stories as “focused but open-ended.” One experience chronicled by Bright and Kainaroi illustrates their interaction with a homeless woman in the camps. “...one of the women started a fire with rubbing alcohol in an old tin can as the five of us crouched around not knowing what to expect. She reached into her tent and pulled out an acoustic guitar. Strumming and singing, she shared her passion with us.” According to McInerney, eliciting more personal and authentic responses is a challenge itself and requires a certain set of “street smarts” where students must be “vulnerable in the presence of the other.” “We don’t want it to be too Q & A,” Noreiga said. “We want to experience with them what their experience was...You have to build a relationship first. Upfront they know who we are. They know why we’re there.” The reason why they’re there? Advocate ethnography. “One intention is to publish that data in a scholarly way,” McInerney said, “but I think what’s more interesting and more important is to get the word out. It’s to raise consciousness in the city...This is stuff
people actually read.” McInerney and his students have made efforts to publish the narratives in magazines and newspapers where the subjects are not identified. Despite little success with getting the stories printed to a wider audience, they remain persistent and hope to try publishing online through a blog or Facebook group instead. “We stopped producing them because we ran into the roadblock of having no place to put them,” McInerney said. “Understandably there are institutional problems here...When Jim Withers and his staff go out there, this is medical attention. So this person is a patient for lack of a better word. There are issues of privacy.” As long as care is taken and the content is appropriate, McInerney and his students plan to continue their efforts. “We often dismiss people who call the streets their home, making judgments based off assumptions without caring to know their stories,” Bright and Kainaroi write. “We can’t possibly capture the breadth and complexity of every human experience in this brief article, but our hope is that some insight into their lives might reveal that they are not so different than us.”
Nicole Pampena nmpampe@pointpark.edu
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
OPINIONS
THE
GL BE’S POINT
Breaking the silence on a tough subject This Friday, a concert is taking place at the Playhouse. We think you should go. It’s free for Point Park students, the bands are probably going to be pretty solid, and more than that – the event’s purpose is to raise awareness for sexual violence. This live music event is in direct collaboration with Point Park’s Title IX division, a nationwide anti-discriminatory initiative that provides protection against prejudice and intolerance within education. Not On My Campus, Her Campus and the Feminist Collective are among the campus organizations that regularly raise awareness surrounding sexual violence. These organizations, which all possess strong presences on campus, have also held events to spark conversation surrounding the normally sensitive subject. How heartbreaking it is that these organizations have to exist in the capacity that they do – as a result of a broken world and system that’s resulted in and turned towards sexual violence and abuse – but how grateful we are as students that we have outlets that can look at our situations
within campus and within our nation and tell us, genuinely, that they care. Sexual assault on college campuses is not a new problem, but as students, we have the ability to combat it in new ways. By speaking out, we can help break the stigma. And yes, the stigma is real. When victims of sexual assault are called liars or attention seekers, while their attackers leave jail after a mere number of weeks -- there’s no doubt that there is a problem. The solution to this problem lies with us. As Joe Biden so aptly named his campaign against this issue -- It’s On Us. We can help foster a campus environment where both women and men feel comfortable sharing their stories. We can help educate our peers on appropriate conduct, inside and outside of the classroom. We can make a difference. How valuable it is that we attend a university that addresses issues relevant to our lives and our concerns. How significant it is to actually break the silence.
The Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Admitting I was wrong: a right-wing conservative renounces Trump support By: Jordan Slobodinsky Co-Opinions Editor
Perhaps my expectations were too high when I voted for Donald Trump. I wanted a safer, stronger and more united America. What I have experienced over these last few months is nothing short of disappointment in how the leader of our country has carried himself. What I am really trying to say is that I was wrong when I told you that America made the right choice in electing Trump. I think we are bound to see America grow in these next few years, but it’s going to cost us more than just money. I never dreamed of an America where we would see a leader deplete our system of any benefits for the poor or destroy the ecosystem. What I want those of you who read this to understand is that I love this country with all my heart - the mountains, the oceans, the forests, the blacks, the gays, the Muslims, the immigrants and even the liberals. I voted because I believed that President Trump could properly defend and represent our nation, but I was wrong. He’s been nothing short of an embarrassment to the Republican Party and what we stand for, and he’s demoralized us as a people. Our nation is torn apart from the petty arguments that he stirs up, both politically and socially. What kind of human puts a blackout on the media and tries to stop the EPA from protecting our planet? What
kind of man blatantly discriminates against a group of foreigners? What kind of president puts his social media above social standards? Calling out celebrities on Twitter is no way to handle any situation. Though I’m not the biggest fan of CNN, they are a reliable news source and you can’t just call them “fake news” and expect the world to believe you. This man is not aware of how harmful his policies are going to be to nature. I grew up in the middle of Pennsylvania where the mountains were glorious and shined a bright green in the summer. I grew up by the Susquehanna River and spent countless hours swimming and fishing in those clean waters. I grew up watching wild animals be free and wander in a clean environment. It brings tears to my eyes to imagine that the man I voted for could demolish all these things I love. I’m still a republican and I still believe in the members of my party and that they will come to defend this country and do the right thing. But as of now, I officially renounce my support of President Donald J. Trump. The idea of Trump’s travel ban, although it does not completely disgust me, it angers me that he is trying to keep an entire religion from coming into the United States of America. This is not the public message he is sending, but it is an obvious one. Our country was founded because of religious freedom, and to prosecute a religion as a whole is incredibly wrong. I do still hope that Pres-
ident Trump can make the right decisions, and that maybe he will turn out to be a decent president during these next few years.
“I officially renounce my support of Donald J. Trump.” Jordan Slobodinsky Co-Opinions Editor, The Globe
As for how I intend to deal with this embarrassment that I brought upon myself, I intend to resist. I’m going to use my journalistic skills to fight back and report what needs to be said. A few weeks ago Patrick Stewart said that he intended to resist the Trump regime and I’m joining Mr. Stewart. Remember that no matter what Trump may bring upon this country, you can fight back. You can resist his tyrannical ways and stand up for what you believe. This is my country, this is your country, this is our country. We can fight, we can resist, we can win. Do not just simply go along with anything Trump says -- that’s how he fooled people like me to vote for him. Do what you know is right, and resist.
Jordan Slobodinsky jeslobo@pointpark.edu.
Trump’s budget plan leaves little to the imagination By: Lauren Ortego Co-Copy Desk Chief
Recently, President Trump has announced his first budget plan revealing which government-funded programs will lose or gain funding, effectively showing Americans, and the world, what he and his administration value most. Under Trump’s proposed budget plan, and I remind you that this is just his “wish list” of sorts and not yet set in stone, the military receives the most increases. Trump has suggested a 10 percent increase in the defense budget, the National Nuclear Security Administration has a proposed 11.3 percent growth and a 6.8 percent increase in Homeland Security, give or take a few others. This is not surprising, especially after Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters in a brief the budget was written using the president’s own words gathered from
speeches he’s given. That doesn’t sound so bad, right? Wrong. Buried within the proposal is the following, “The President’s 2018 Budget: Secures the borders of the United States by investing $2.6 billion in high-priority tactical infrastructure and border security technology, including funding to plan, design and construct a physical wall along the southern border…” That’s right, America. We’re paying for the wall. So what is it that we are sacrificing in order to build a wall immigrants will just fly over? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) faces a 31.4 percent cut, taking with it 3,200 jobs and a plan to all but eliminate programs created to clean up the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay. Health and Human Services, you know, the people who conduct research on diseases and disorders, take a proposed 16.2 percent hit. The Labor Department will
take a more than 20 percent cut, the Agriculture Department a 21 percent cut, the Transportation Department comes in at a cut of about 13 percent and let’s not forget after-school programs. That’s right… after-school programs. Trump’s plan proposes to eliminate the $1.2 billion initiative that supports before and after-school programs. When I put it like that, it sounds kind of bad. Let me make it worse. Unsurprisingly included in the proposed budget plan is a 100 percent funding cut for 19 federal agencies. These agencies include the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public broadcast networks such as PBS and NPR, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness among many others. In an unfortunately un-
surprising turn of events, the NEH’s and NEA’s $148 million budgets, which may I remind you is only .003 percent of the entire federal budget, would each be eliminated. “How could this get any more heartbreaking?” you ask. Here’s how: the budget blueprint additionally outlined a plan to cut funding for the Community Development Block Grant program. Wondering what that is? It’s a program that provides partial funding for local Meals on Wheels, a program that, according to its website, “is committed to supporting their senior neighbors to live healthier and more nourished lives in their own homes.” Senior citizens. Really, Donald? These cuts are lazy. They’re proposed to be made to programs that take up little to none of the pie that is government spending. Look, I get it. I get that this blueprint is more of
a political document than an actual budget plan. It’s meant to send a message about what the president values and where he stands on issues like whether or not Americans should have access to public media and the importance of the arts in society. What’s worse - none of this is surprising. There has not been a day in the very long two months Trump has spent as president that I haven’t woken up to some outrageous thing he’s done or said in the early hours of the morning on Twitter. I have become numb to his foolishness, and that’s scary. If we, as a country, can look at ourselves and say with pride that we value nuclear weapons and building a wall over hungry seniors, poor school children, public media, the arts, the sciences and the environment, what have we become?
Lauren Ortego leorteg@pointpark.edu.
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Robert Berger, Co-Sports Editor Sabrina Bodon, Online Editor Carley Bonk, Copy Editor Lauren Clouser, Staff Writer Dara Collins, Staff Writer Josh Croup, Co-Sports Editor, Editor Emeritus Jonathan D’Antoni, Delivery Assistant Gracey Evans, Sports Photo Editor Julianne Griffith, Layout Editor Alex Grubbs, USG Beat Writer Matthew Hankinson, Copy Editor Casey Hoolahan, Social Media Coordinator Chloe Jakiela, News Photo Editor James Kail, Copy Editor Arianna Khalil, Graphic Designer Nikole Kost, Features Photo Editor Victoria Lemon, Playhouse Beat Writer Derek Malush, Staff Writer Morgan McCoy, Public Relations Coordinator
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SPORTS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
CROUP’S CORNER Sports Columnist
Working out the kinks lar season doubleheader with Carlow last year and came up one game short of second place in the final RSC regular season standings. The Pioneers were the No. 3 seed and were eventually eliminated by Carlow on day two of the conference tournament. This is a team that Point Park wanted to and needed to take care of to ensure a loss didn’t come back to haunt them later in the season. McMurtrie sure did help take care of business, but she wasn’t the only one. Ashley Iagnemma, the reigning conference newcomer of the year, dealt 11 strikeouts in a four-hit shutout. She leads the RSC with 62 strikeouts through her first eight starts, and is already making a strong case for RSC Pitcher of the Year. Tiffany Edwards is making her case to follow Iagnemma as the RSC Newcomer of the Year on the mound. She transferred to Point Park from Seton Hill University and has settled in nicely during her first year. Her onehit shutout of Carlow in game two Saturday helped give the Pioneers a 2-0 start to their RSC schedule. Despite giving up six runs in four innings Thursday against Gannon, she still has a 2.79 ERA. Edwards doesn’t have the strikeout numbers that Iagnemma does, but the sophomore duo make things easy for opposing batters in the RSC this year. The Pioneers took care of business Saturday when it counted and gave us a glimpse of their true potential.
Josh Croup jdcroup@pointpark.edu
7
SOFTBALL SWEEPS RSC OPENER
By Josh Croup
Alyssa McMurtrie led the softball team with nine home runs in 2015, but didn’t get a chance to homer in 2016. She tore her ACL and meniscus during preseason last year and missed the entire 2016 season. McMurtrie returned to the diamond in 2017 looking to pick up where she left off, but one thing has been missing so far: the power. McMurtrie was hitting .282 through her first 15 games back with the team with no home runs and four RBIs. I asked her about the power the day before Point Park opened conference play Saturday at Carlow. “I’ve been making solid contact,” McMurtrie said. “It’s a matter of the process... Hopefully, I can come back and help the team with some home runs this year.” Ask and you shall receive. McMurtrie homered in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader against Carlow to help Point Park to a sweep in its first River States Conference (RSC) game of the season. She finished game two 3-5 with five RBIs, the most in one game by a Pioneer this season. It was only the second homer of the season for the Pioneers, who took 20 days off between games after their spring break trip to Florida. Point Park worked out its kinks Thursday against Gannon, which swept the Pioneers in the non-conference doubleheader. But, as the team will tell you, they would much rather work out those kinks in a meaningless game against Gannon than in a game against a conference rival that could have postseason implications. Point Park split its regu-
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
Sam Robinson | Point Park Athletics
Kim Corcoran drove in three runs in a 5-0 victory at Carlow Saturday.
The Point Park softball team swept Carlow University Saturday to open River States Conference (RSC) play. The Pioneers improved to 7-10 overall and 2-0 in RSC play. Point Park also dropped a non-conference doubleheader to Gannon Thursday in its first game since spring training in Florida. Gannon defeated Point Park 3-1 and 7-0, as the Pioneers were playing their first game in 20 days against the NCAA Division II school. Point Park bounced back for a pair of shutout wins at Carlow two days later. Ashley Iagnemma pitched a shutout and struck out 11 in game one to lead Point Park to a 5-0 win. Kim Corcoran went 2-3 with 3 RBIs. Tiffany Edwards tossed a one-hit shutout in an 8-0 mercy-rule victory in game two that lasted only six innings. Alyssa McMurtrie went 3-4 with 5 RBIs. Point Park continues RSC play this weekend at Midway.
Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics
LEFT: Sophomore Ashley Iagnemma struck out 11 in a 5-0 win against Carlow Saturday.
Robert Berger | Point Park Athletics
Second baseman Lily Pruneda tags a runner out in a loss to Gannon Thursday. Pruneda went on to go 1-4 in game two against Carlow with two RBIs and one run scored.
8
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
From terrible twos, to two-time national qualifier
Freshman Carter makes leap from HS standout to college star By Dara Collins Staff Writer
Freshman Tyler Carter remembers his terrible twos, ripping his diaper off and running away from his parents. Looking for a way to release this energy, Carter’s parents pushed him to run track. Years later, Carter is now a versatile, talented athlete on the men’s track and field team and a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national qualifier. After receiving a gold medal in his junior year and silver medal his senior year for the triple jump event at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championship, Carter set his sights on a Division I school. Unfortunately, Carter fell just short of the required SAT score. Although Point Park was Carter’s last choice, he appreciates the program’s progression in just three years, the talent of his teammates and the persistence of the coach.
“If he does really well, I want to do better. If I do well, he wants to do better, so it’s a great combination...” Jryi Davis
Junior Jumper Point Park Track and Field
“[The coach] wasn’t just trying to sell me on the track program like, ‘here I’ll give you this much money,’” Carter said. “It seemed like he actually believed in me, unlike my high school coach who stressed me out or other coaches who just wanted to stack their team with talent.” Carter played basketball for four years, soccer for one year and has stuck with track and field since the age of five. He competed in multiple events in high school. He ran the 110 meter hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, 400 meter dash, 4x400-meter relay, long jump and triple jump. Carter now only competes in the long jump and triple jump. “I don’t really like [hurdling] anymore,” Carter said. “I just think they’re too tall for me at the college level. Mainly, I just want to jump.” Head coach Kelly Parsley believes otherwise. “I wish he had the confidence in himself that I have in him because I think he could be a special decathlete even,” Parsley said. “He can really do anything.” Prior to track meets, Carter claims he does not get nervous. He’s incredibly quiet and secretly competitive, according to Parsley. “Because he is so quiet, you probably think, ‘oh, he’s not that good of an athlete,’ but then you see him out on the track, and you’re like, ‘wow this kid is special,’” Parsley said. Parsley remembers watching Carter compete during his childhood. “I always told him, ‘when you were a kid and you did all those events, you weren’t that good,’”
WEEKLY SCOREBOARD: MARCH 21 - MARCH 27 BASEBALL (19-7) (12-4 RSC) CHATHAM 0, POINT PARK 7......................................................March 21 CHATHAM 1, POINT PARK 10..................................................... March 21 POINT PARK 7, ASBURY 1*..........................................................March 23 POINT PARK 4, ASBURY 2*......................................................... March 23 POINT PARK 9, ASBURY 5 (9)*................................................... March 24 POINT PARK 11, ABSURY 8*........................................................ March 24 Next: March 29 vs. PSU-Greater Allegheny March 31, April 1 vs. Ohio Christian*
SOFTBALL (7-10) (2-0 RSC) GANNON 3, POINT PARK 1......................................................... March 23 GANNON 7, POINT PARK 0.........................................................March 23 POINT PARK 5, CARLOW 0*....................................................... March 25 POINT PARK 8, CARLOW 0 (6)*................................................. March 25 Next: March 28 @ Waynesburg March 31 @ Midway* April 1 @ Asbury*
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CALIFORNIA VULCAN INVITATIONAL ..................................March 25 Long Jump: Lowery, 1st (6.60 meters) Triple Jump: Davis, 1st (14.57 meters) Next: April 1 @ Slippery Rock Dave Labor Invitational
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CALIFORNIA VULCAN INVITATIONAL.................................... March 18 800 m: Shields, 1st (2 minutes, 11 seconds) - School Record 100 m Hurdles: McAllister, 5th (15.87 seconds) - School Record Next: April 1 @ Slippery Rock Dave Labor Invitational
MEN’S GOLF Next: @ CMU Spring Invitational, March 30
WOMEN’S GOLF Next: @ Grove City Invitational, April 1 *River States Conference game
Robert Berger | The Globe
Freshman Tyler Carter has made a name for himself in his first year at a Pioneer. He qualified for nationals in the triple jump in the first meets of both indoor and outdoor seasons. He will compete in the triple jump at the NAIA Outdoor National Track and Field Championships from May 25-27 in Gulf Shores, Ala. Parsley said. “And then I moved away and came back years later, and he was amazing at everything, and I couldn’t believe the amount of growth. I mean kids do that, but he just grew into
an amazing athlete.” Carter qualified for nationals during the first indoor and outdoor meets. Fellow teammate and sports, arts and entertainment management junior
Jryi Davis joined Carter at the NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championship. “Our competition is definitely a friendly competition,” Davis said. “I love to pick on him as much as I can mostly because I’m an upperclassman. I have to. He’s a freshman. But I know he’s a great athlete, so I know he can handle everything I’m saying to him or how I put pressure on him.” Although the teammates joke around, they respect each other’s talent. Carter enjoys the friendly rivalry to become the best athlete he can be and destroy the competition. “He’s a great athlete to go off of,” Davis said. “If he does really well, I want to do better. If I do well, he wants to do better, so it’s a great combination with both of us especially since we’re doing the same exact event.” Away from the track, Carter enjoys being around friends and playing basketball. He can also be found in the classroom studying history. “Throughout school, it was always my favorite subject and came easy to me,” Carter said. “In high school, my teacher was my assistant track coach. Just going into class and seeing how excited he was to teach just inspired me.” With an additional minor in education, Carter believes becoming a history teacher may not be so bad.
Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu
Winning streak stretches to 10 Domingo pitches Pioneers to RSC sweep By Jordan Slobodinsky Co-Opinions Editor
Point Park continued its hot streak this weekend, completing its second River States Conference (RSC) sweep in a row. Point Park defeated Asbury University in four games last Thursday and Friday. Junior pitcher Addison Domingo picked up two wins in relief in the final two games. “I’m on standby always, and I like that because then the game is all up to me and it’s nice being the one the coaches go to,” Domingo said. The first game in the series resulted in a 7-1 win for the Pioneers. Senior pitcher Nolan Krivijanski, who threw a perfect game last week, threw a one-hitter against Asbury to open the series. Krivijanski pitched the entire game while only walking one and striking out seven. He also carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning until it was broken up by a bunt and an error. Point Park had 11 hits during the game, putting six of those hits to good use in the fourth inning. The Pioneers scored five runs in the fourth inning after falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the third. Junior outfielder Stefan Mrkonja went 3-4 with two RBIs. Mrkonja’s single in the fourth inning led to a run. Junior outfielder Edberg Dominguez and sophomore
infielder Erik Montero both hit RBI singles in the inning as well, and senior infielder Cole Johnson hit a double that scored another run. The Pioneers added two more runs in the sixth inning and Krivijanski kept Asbury’s bats silent. The second game of the series resulted in a 4-2 win for the Pioneers. Sophomore pitcher Nicholas Beardsley had a strong outing, giving up only four hits in five and a third innings. Beardsley struck out eight batters without issuing a walk. Mrkonja lead the game off with a solo home run and the lead was extended to 2-0 when junior infielder Andres Herrera hit an RBI single. Asbury tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, but the Pioneers responded in the seventh inning with two runs. Dominguez drove the runs in off a single and senior pitcher Keenan Smith didn’t give up a run in his 1.2 innings of relief. Smith improved to 5-0 on the season. On Friday, Point Park and Asbury combined for forty-six hits. Domingo tossed relief in both games, earning both wins. The first contest went into extra innings after Mrkonja hit a solo home run to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. The score remained 5-5 until the Pioneers scored four runs in the top of the ninth in-
ning. Dominguez hit the goahead RBIs with a three-run double. Senior pitcher Anthony Garofalo started the game for Point Park and gave up four runs on six hits in 3.1 innings. Smith and senior pitcher Logan Linder combined to pitch the next 1.2 innings, and Domingo finished off the last four. Domingo gave up one run on four hits and struck out five. The second game Friday was another slugfest between the Pioneers and the Eagles. The Pioneers scored three runs in both the third and fourth inning, but Asbury kept up by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie things at eight. The Pioneers responded by putting up one run in the sixth and the final two in the top of the seventh inning. Mrkonja was 2-4 with a walk and three runs in the contest. Johnson went 2-3 with two RBIs. Domingo pitched 2.2 innings and gave up just one hit. “It should be nice to be home this weekend, it’ll be a totally different feeling being at home,” Domingo said. The Pioneers are 19-7 overall on the season, and are 12-4 in the RSC. Point Park continues RSC play this weekend versus Ohio Christian.
Jordan Slobodinsky jeslobo@pointpark.edu