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The Conservatory of Performing Arts puts on play written by alum Editor-Elect Jordyn Hronec lists the top five weirdest sexy Halloween costumes Senior Julia Menosky makes history books with her 1,000th-career dig ppuglobe.com
Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967
Issue 10
REMEMBERING THE TREE OF LIFE TRAGEDY ONE YEAR LATER
Jared Murphy | 90.5 WESA
Community members gathered inside and outside of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall on Oct. 27, 2019 for a memorial service marking one year since the Tree of Life tragedy on Oct. 27, 2018 when a gunman took the lives of 11 worshippers.
President Trump’s visit to Pittsburgh draws protesters Amanda Andrews Co-News Editor
If you were walking in the downtown area last Wednesday, you may have noticed something was a little off, especially once you hit the Cultural District. The entirety of the block surrounding the David Lawrence Convention Center was sectioned off by multiple police cars from three different ends. President Donald Trump’s visit to Pittsburgh last week had a seismic impact on the city. Anticipating the worst for commuters and traffic, 12 Pittsburgh Public Schools preemptively closed, multiple streets were closed off, some Point Park classes were cancelled and even major corporations like PNC requested that some of their workers not come downtown. And, if events could not get more dramatic, 14 demonstrators were arrested by Pittsburgh Police Wednesday morning. A number of different protests occurred over the course of the day. A rally, entitled “March For Truth: #ImpeachandRemove,” occurred during the president’s address and was organized by the Women’s March on Washington - Pittsburgh and Indivisible Pittsburgh. The main body of protesters were located outside the convention center, sectioned off by more than 40 Pittsburgh Police officers on just one side
of the building. By 4:30 p.m. an estimated 200 protesters were crowded the intersection of Penn Avenue and 10th Street, waving flags and signs as music pulsed through loudspeakers. “Whose streets? Our streets,” “Vote him out,” and “Impeach and Remove” were some of the chants that repeatedly rang out. The organizers had scheduled speakers to address the crowd of protesters. One of those speakers was Point Park freshman Christian Carter, a BFA theater major. Carter has been involved in political activism for a number of years and has a contact with the Women’s March on Washington - Pittsburgh leaders. During his speech, he recited the 1992 poem by Zoe Leonard “I want a president.” In an exclusive interview with The Globe, Carter spoke about why he chose to recite the poem as part of his address. “We want someone in a seat that has been affected by real American issues,” Carter said. “Someone who is not just a rich, white man who has had his whole life handed to him…I want someone with student debt. I want someone whose partner died from AIDS. I want someone who is radical.” Others present at the rally were inclined to disagree. 14 pro-Trump supporters were gathered together, some engaging in civil rhetoric with anti-Trump protesters. One of
the Trump supporters present was Randy Rodosky, a retired garbageman from Pittsburgh’s Munhall neighborhood. Rodosky stated that he was there “to show support for the president” and expressed distaste for the protesters. “They’re socialists. They’re communists. They’re anarchists,” Rodosky said. “They have no regard for a free election.” Jared Dickman, a freshman psychology major at the
university, said that he considers pro-Trump supporters to be “Nazis” and reflected on how the nation’s political climate has changed over the last several years from his point of view. “...I was trying to get someone to come down here with me and I’m like, ‘there’s nazis down the street if you want to go yell at them.’ You know, like five years ago, if you had heard there’s Nazis down the street, then some-
one would call the police, but that’s just a thing that we live with now,” he said. Rodosky also stated that he was aware that a mostly older demographic was there supporting President Trump and that “younger ones don’t know anything about anything yet.” A younger crowd of Trump supporters did eventually enter the scene right around the end of the rally, and words
TRUMP page 2
Katie Williams | The Globe A woman is arrested during city-wide protests that occurred in response to President Trump’s visit to Pittsburgh last Wednesday, October 23.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
NEWS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Counseling Center introduces racial trauma therapy Nardos Haile For The Globe
Point Park’s Counseling Center will facilitate Healing Through Hearing, a racial trauma therapy group for black students this year. The group came to fruition through Kim Champion, a doctoral student working for the counseling center. When writing her dissertation, Champion found research about racial trauma. While her research and this group are separate, the research helped spark the inspiration for the therapy group. The therapy group’s main concern is how to have effective dialogues about racism in America while also opening up a safe space for students to freely speak about their experiences with racial trauma. Champion hopes to explore some themes of silencing, guilt, internalized racism and more. She would teach adaptive coping methods along with the conversational themes. A certain obstacle the group faces is membership. Healing Through Hearing has not had its first meeting yet or any feedback from Point Park students. “In our efforts to lower access barriers, my sense is [that] the particular needs and style and personality of a university population that is Point Park is unique,” Director of the
Counseling Center, Kurt Kumler said. “We are always looking to reduce those barriers. I think any group of oppressed individuals need space that they find comfortable to think together, talk together, find voice. My hope is what Kim’s trying to put together could offer some of that.” Nami Talbot, Vice President of Black Student Union, said that she believes the lack of feedback is due to the center not reaching out through the right channels. “I think a great way to help is to reach out to organizations like BSU and within COPA. We have a strong community of black people, Talbot said. “Reach out and let the departments know that there is this thing.” Talbot said that the lack of visibility Healing Through Hearing received within the black student community on campus also involves nuances and stigmas perceived around counseling services. “My experience talking to a lot of black students on campus is that it’s no secret that mental health and counseling is a no-go in the black community,” Talbot said. “I think it’s helpful this is an introduction around like people. Sometimes it can be hard, I’ve asked so many black people to go to therapy and it’s hard because you think that there’s something wrong with you.”
Kumler stated all students are in need but that there are barriers to treatment that differ between a wide variety of groups, which includes the black community. “There’s a greater likelihood of thinking ‘mental health treatment - not for me,’ ‘counseling center - not for me.’ We still see stigma differences by gender. I think the African American student population needs and deserves to have barriers dropped as much as possible,” Kumler said. Talbot attributed the therapy group opening up this year
to changes in the political and social sphere. “Everybody wants to be seen and heard,” Talbot said. “And I think the less accepted population on campus are the black students. And that’s not to say there aren’t any other students of color who feel [this way].” Ultimately, the goals of Healing Through Hearing is to listen to black students and create a space for them to openly communicate their experiences without judgement with one another. “As we learn more about the experience of racial trau-
ma, one important part of the solution is to find community, to find that voice to understand something of togetherness, to not suffer alone,” Kumler said. “Suffering with others can render suffering growthful, can help us survive it. The toughness of life is rendered not just more tolerable but more useful when we are going though it [with someone]. [It] might be family, it might be Point Park, whatever the community you experience.” Nardos Haile
nhaile@pointpark.edu
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN AMERICA250
Hannah Johnston | The Globe
(From left to right) Divine Kennedy, Sabrina Tatalias, Kayla Snyder and Brianna Farrand participated in the America250PA Direct Effect Innovation Challenge Regional Round on Friday, Oct. 25 at the university. America250PA is a six-year, state-wide celebration of the country’s 250 th birthday which will be in 2026.
Trump speaks at Shale Insight Conference, protests ensue from TRUMP page 1 exchanged between protesters and counterprotesters became especially heated. One man carrying a Trump sign attempted to chant during one of Carter’s statements on stage, and shortly afterwards a woman grabbed a pro-Trump protester’s sign and ripped it in half. It was after the rally ended that police present created a line between pro and anti-Trump demonstrators; however, no one was arrested unlike the preceding early morning protests. “I think that it is beautiful to see that people are taking this into their own hands and are willing to go that far, but also recognizing the history of that and how black people have always put themselves on the line and how black peo-
ple have been getting arrested and been on the frontlines for these issues,” Carter said. Jared Dickman stated his feelings about his safety at the rally and the potential dangers of being arrested by Pittsburgh Police. “I feel sort of not directly at risk because I’m in a crowd, and also I’m white, which unfortunately plays a huge role in this kind of thing,” he said. “But obviously it makes me extremely uncomfortable that there are veritable dangers to us.” A common tactic deployed by anti-Trump protesters was to block visibility of pro-Trump protesters’ signs and flags with either their own signs or even with their bodies. A Point Park student who often engaged in this after the rally was freshman Theater Arts major Emily Loecken. Loecken was
verbally accused by a Trump supporter of “harassment” for standing in front of signs and flags. The man then proceeded to misgender her, calling her “sir.” “I don’t know, every time I see a Trump sign it makes me feel unsafe, and I don’t want other people to have to experience that,” Loecken said. “And also, I don’t think they deserve any space here in Pittsburgh.” Trump attended and gave a speech at the 9th Annual Shale Insight Conference being held at the convention center. This is the second time he spoke at the event, the first being when he was a candidate for the 2016 presidential election. In his second speech, Trump discussed progress his administration had made with his “America First” pro-fracking and non-renewable energy agenda, such as greenlight-
ing the permit for the highly controversial Dakota Access Pipeline and leaving the Paris Climate Accord. “I promised that, as President, I’d unleash American energy like never before, because our natural resources do not belong to government, they belong to the people of this country,” Trump said. “American energy belongs to hardworking men and women like you who get up every day and make this country run.” Trump supporter Rodosky said that he approved of the measures Trump has taken, many of which repudiated or removed Obama-era policies. “Trump is a sensible man. He got rid of hideous regulations on American business,” Rodosky said. Trump’s talk also veered into political topics outside of fracking, as he talked about his
dislike of Democratic Representative Conner Lamb and the Democratic Party in general. In Carter’s view, the two-party system does not reflect his vision of a reformed system of governance for this country. “I think we have to get out this idea that two parties or that one party will fix all of our problems, that Republicans or Democrats will be the best way to go,” Carter said. “We have to create a sustainable plan for everyone that’s [based on] equity. And will that come out of the Democrat Party? I don’t know.” Pittsburgh Police began to move all demonstrators back to the sidewalks around 5:30 p.m. Amanda Andrews
aaandre@pointpark.edu
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, President Donald J. Trump visited Pittsburgh. Protests occurred across the city, some organized by Jewish groups and Native American activists. During the protests, 14 individuals were arrested, 13 of which were arrested for holding a large banner and blocking traffic on a ramp off of the Fort Pitt Bridge.
Top left: Alexis Wary | The Globe Top right: Jared Murphy | 90.5 WESA Bottom left: Katie Williams | The Globe
NEWS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Self-defense class offered for students
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
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PAT BUS SWALLOWED BY SINKHOLE
Students learn Krav Maga Hayley Keys Co-News Editor
On Friday, Oct. 25, Future Educators of America hosted a self-defense class for students. The event took place in a racquetball room in the Student Center and was run by Kathy Kluk, a teacher at Krav Maga Pittsburgh. “What Krav Maga literally means is close combat,” Kluk said. “It relies on your natural instincts, and it’s hand to hand combat with no weapons.” The class worked on basic kicking and punching combinations that students could use in dangerous situations. Kluk said every class she teaches is different, and students don’t need any prior experience to be able to keep up. “I think it’s really important for both men and women,” Kluk said. “It is specifically important for women because statistics of violence and sexual assault is extremely high, specifically during your four years here in college.” According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) 23.1% of female undergraduate students and 5.4% of male undergrauate students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. Kluk focused on the importance of awareness and how it could be a good self-defense mechanism. She also mentioned that all students should be able to know how to defend themselves if needed. “It’s important to be able to be aware of your surroundings,” Kluk said. “But it is also good to have the weapons you need, and I don’t mean like a knife or gun, to defend yourself and get away.” According to Kluk, self-defense can be beneficial for students, not only during their college years, but also once they enter the work force. “It’s a lifelong skill that you can learn and keep with you,” Kluk said. “Tonight, we went over groin kicks, and I think that is a pretty easy technique to catch onto. Hopefully that will stick in your head, and, if a situation arises, something might trigger your memory and help you.” Madalena Price, a junior secondary education English and special education major, is the president of Point Park’s
chapter of the Future Educators of America. She said that the club wanted to help give skills to students that they could use in their careers. “We wanted to be able to prepare not only our members but also open it up to the school to allow anyone to learn these vital skills,” Price said. According to Price, self-defense can help boost confidence, something she feels is important no matter what career a student is pursuing. “I feel like having confidence just helps you succeed no matter what major or career goal you want,” Price said. “If you have that confidence then you can use it.” Kelly Parr, a freshman dance major, came to the class in an attempt to learn how to defend herself in the city. “I’m from a really rural area, so I’ve never had any sort of experience with self-defense,” Parr said. “I knew moving to the city was kind of going to be a big change, and in the country, you could walk down the street and say ‘hi’ to everyone.” Parr said she felt the skills she had learned could help her adjust to her new life downtown, especially in areas where she felt uncomfortable. “I just got a job and I don’t get out until about 9:30, and I walk back by myself, so I just wanted to make sure I had a way to defend myself. Especially when I walk by bus stops or other places, I feel could put [myself] in compromising situations,” Parr said. According to Parr, the class gave her simple skills that she felt she could realistically accomplish and remember how to execute. “I thought the skills were things that were easy to remember and things that I actually might be able to use if I needed to,” Parr said. Parr also encouraged other students to come out if another class was offered. She said the skills she learned would help her and could help others if they gave it a chance. “Don’t be scared to embarrass yourself,” Parr said. “Everyone is here to learn, and your safety is more important that any embarrassing event that could happen in the classroom.” Hayley Keys hekeys@pointpark.edu
Jared Murphy | 90.5 WESA A Port Authority bus fell in a sinkhole downtown near the intersection of Penn Avenue and 10th Street on the morning of Oct. 28, 2019.
USG hosts Chief Besong as speaker USG By Sarah Gibson USG Beat Writer
In a highly anticipated guest speaker event, The United Student Government of Point Park University (USG) welcomed Chief Jeffrey Besong and Deputy Chief Nicholas Black to speak on behalf of the Point Park Police and to answer questions from the legislative body. Besong began by talking about the turnstiles that will be installed in Lawrence Hall, which according to Besong, should be going in over Thanksgiving break. He explained that the turnstiles would be located inside of the Lawrence Hall doors. He added that they would be rather tall and that he doubted someone would be able to circumvent going through them. Parliamentarian Jess Wrzoseck brought up the topic of PointALERT notifications. Besong noted that these notifications are meant for when there is an active threat to Point Park’s campus, such as if an armed gunman robs a bank and runs off in the direction of the university. Besong noted that ever since the incident at Virginia Tech, it was the law that universities notify students whenever there was an immediate threat. In situations where there is a threat in the area that is immediately taken care of, Besong stated that sometimes the Department of Public Safety doesn’t know about it until well after it has been taken care of. President Berlin stepped in to ask why Public Safety can’t “go beyond the bare minimum Department of Education requirements”, to which Besong answered that PointALERTS
were to be used for immediate threats so students would know that a situation was serious. President Berlin took the time to ask some questions about Public Safety, including why a Public Safety officer had taken someone into custody over the summer and proceeded to put them in the library for holding, instead of in the designated holding facility. Berlin noted that the library is a quiet space for students, and it concerned him that the police could bring possible bad actors into environments with students. While this was a situation that neither Besong nor Black claimed to know about, Besong did add “if there was a person in the library, there was probably a good reason to put them in the library.” After Chief Besong had finished answering questions, Vice President Lake reported back the results of the advisory referendum sent out to students several weeks ago. While students were not receptive to “GoPPU” as a new name for USG, a majority of students were in favor of changing USG’s name. The majority of students wanted the name changed to “SGA,” short for “Student Government Association.” Another question on the referendum showed that more students supported the current budgeting system rather than a new budgeting system, drafted by Vice President Lake and based on student involvement in club activities. The USG-hosted “Come Complain!” event, which occurred on Thursday, October 24, was reported to be a success, with the Student Concerns Committee receiving 87 complaints at the event, some of which were in the course of
being solved as the event was going on. Recording Secretary and chair of the committee, Jordyn Hronec, thanked Senator Bryce Hazlett specifically, who emailed Chris Hill during the event in regards to complaints received about the temperature in one of the laundry rooms in Lawrence Hall. The appeals budget for the Fall II funding period was passed and $2,517 in funds were allocated to five clubs, The Fix, The Factory, BSU, Tech Theatre club and Pinnacle Productions. Alysse Baer was also appointed as USG’s new graphic designer. She was unable to speak or acknowledge this at the meeting as she had to leave early for a Graphic Design club event. Finally, Camryn Drabenstadt was appointed as the newest senator from the School of Communications. Senator Jade Steele raised an issue with this, stating that when she herself was going to be appointed to USG, several senators had issue with it, including President Jake Berlin, who had been a senator at that time. Steele didn’t see how her own appointment and Drabenstadt’s were different. Berlin explained that he disagreed with the process under which Steele was appointed, not her appointment in and of itself. When the legislative body voted on whether or not to appoint Drabenstadt, there was only one senator who audibly dissented, which was Senator Steele. DISCLOSURE: Jordyn Hronec is the Editor-Elect and Alysse Baer is a graphic designer for The Globe. Sarah Gibson
sagibso@pointpark.edu
Mindfulness Workshops see success in student usage Hayley Keys Co-News Editor
The University Counseling Center has officially offered Mindfulness Workshops for three semesters. The workshops give students the opportunity to practice mindfulness in a relaxed, group setting with no commitment. Kurt Kumler, Director of the Counseling Center, said the main goal of the workshops is to provide students with an optional group that could give them tools to help if they did not have time to meet every week. “Psychotherapy…is a process that requires commitment of time,” Kumler said. “Now I’m of the mindset that more time is better, but if you don’t have time, at least we can offer this group.” According to Kumler, the
program is not group therapy, but rather an opportunity for students to stop by when they feel they may need help. “So, the workshop is different in that there is no commitment, come once if you want, come every time,” Kumler said. “There is no signing up, no screening. It is what we would call a drop-in workshop that is convenient for students. That’s why this is a good idea.” Kumler said he was hired only two weeks before classes started last year and he worked closely with the assistant director, Beth Moore, to get the workshops up and running. Kumler stressed that they tried to find times that would be convenient for every student, but he admitted that it would be impossible to find a schedule that worked for everyone.
“We offer two different times. One on Monday and one on Thursday,” Kumler said. “We’re doing the best we can to pick times that are going to be best for students, but of course, student schedules are going to be all over the place.” Every meeting focuses on broad topics that could be beneficial to all students. Kumler said the workshops help students learn how to use mindfulness to their benefit, no matter what they are going through. “The topics they talk about in the group are kind of flexible, but they’re focused around basic issues for all of us,” Kumler said. “Life is so busy and so frantic that we almost have to learn how to be human and the class kind of teaches...that and practices that can be put into place.”
Kumler said that as the group sizes become more consistent, he hopes more students will come to the workshops. “So far this fall, the numbers have been steadily growing, which is not only [an] indication of success, but it’s an indication that we might be doing something of use,” Kumler said. Alex Frank, a sophomore PR and advertising major, admitted that she never attended one of the workshops. However, she said she was interested to see what the Counseling Center viewed mindfulness as. “I like meditating frequently, so that’s my perception of mindfulness, and I don’t know what they do there,” Frank said. “I definitely would find it interesting though.” Mary Felix, a freshman theater arts major, said she
had never gone to one of the mindfulness workshops, but she wanted to in the future. “I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get myself adjusted to college life,” Felix said. “Sometimes the events happen when I’m busy or it’s too late, and I didn’t know they had already happened.” Felix added that many students may not know the workshops were happening because they ignored emails or posters. “Some of my acting teachers have suggested going to them because they think they are important, so I will be trying to go to one sometime this year,” Felix said. “I think there is a lot of publicity, but people just don’t pay attention.” Hayley Keys hekeys@pointpark.edu
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FEATURES
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Topics classes allow students ANDY GRAMMER VISITS CMI FOR Q&A SESSION to study specific interests
Haunted America among topics class options for Spring 2020 registration By Shannon Hartnett Co-Opinions Editor
Class registration for the Spring 2020 semester has begun and for the second semester students can register for Haunted America, a topics class, taught by Professor Jessica McCort. Topics classes allow for students to explore a specific area of study rather than something like an American Literature Survey course. Usually the instructor of a topics class is an expert on the material for the course, which allows more of an understanding on the subject. Professor McCort is an Assistant Professor in the Literary Arts and Social Justices department and generally teaches literature and composition classes. McCort had the opportunity to design her own class resulting in Haunted America. “I really focused it largely on spaces in the American landscape, so looking at the concept of the haunted house or the haunted forest and how those spaces became attached to cultural issues that were being debated at the time,” McCort said about the last time she taught the class. “Things like gender, race, class; those kind of heavy issues that culture tends to debate.” McCort also mentioned how she wants to direct the class this time. Stating that she is interested in ghosts and
PIONEER PUBLIC Thomas Dulaney By Hannah Walden Co-Features/A&E Editor
Growing up in a college town and coming from a family of teachers, it comes as no surprise that Thomas Dulaney would become a university professor. “Teaching is my family business,” Dulaney, 52, said. “My grandfather was a school teacher for over 50 years. My mother was a full-time social work professor for seven years. Since I grew up in a college town, [Morgantown, W.Va.] many of my friends’ parents were faculty.” Dulaney received his undergraduate degree in political science and Master of public administration from West Virginia University. He went on to receive a Master of library and information science from Kent State University. He has taught at Point Park for two years and currently teaches within the
what they represent in particular texts and plans on adding more texts to the assigned readings. Last semester, McCort showed students movies such as “The Shinning” and read “The Haunting of Hill House.” “It was fun and enlightening for me,” McCort said. “It’s something I studied a lot, in preparing to get my PhD I was really drawn to the American Gothic and Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickson, Faulkner, Toni Morison.” Topics classes have an unfortunate way of filling up very quickly due to the creative ideas of the course. It can be frustrating for students who really want to take the course, especially for seniors. “I have been keeping it [Haunted America] close on my radar, and I actually do have worries about being able to sign up,” Lorie Simonian, a senior English major, said. “I find it incredibly frustrating that topics classes fill up so quickly, because there is always a chance that you won’t get into any of the interesting courses you want to take. I am very interested in taking Haunted America next semester, but unfortunately I don’t think it will fit my schedule if I want to graduate on time.” McCort understands the students frustrations, stating that she tries to offer them regularly so students have multiple opportunities to take
them if they can’t take them the first time around. However, due to the course’s design of focusing on writing and improving communication skills, large class sizes would make the class less individualized for each student. It is ideal for McCort to teach the classes she designs such as Haunted America or Feminist Fairy Tales, which are ongoing in the Fall 2019 semester. “The topics courses, or the ones that we design kinda stay with us as teachers, partly because we have developed the expertise to teach them so they are usually what we have studied for our PHD or written about or have been researching,” McCort said. For Brook Kazyak, a senior creative writing major, is currently enrolled in the Feminist Fairy Tales class, she first found the idea of this class to be ridiculous due to never having a course like this before, but now feels “surprised at how empowering it is” and ended up liking it more than she initially thought. “These topic classes are pretty difficult in terms of critical thinking and analysis but I think I can handle it because the students and professors really help put things into perspectives,” Kazyak said. “If the topic is interesting then that’s a plus, too.”
School of Communication but has a few courses within the Rowland School of Business. This semester, he teaches Media Ethics and Responsibility and Media Literacy. Previously, he taught Media Law and Problem Solving with Computers. “Frankly, teaching at the college level is all I ever wanted to do,” Dulaney said. “Teaching keeps me young, keeps me learning and allows me to interact with wonderful students.” Prior to teaching at Point Park, Dulaney was an Associate Professor at Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville and Youngstown, Ohio. There, he taught interactive media, including web and graphic design, web programming and various computer programming languages. He was also the advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society of two-year colleges with the purpose of “promoting scholarship, leadership, fellowship and service among qualified students,” according to the university’s website. Like many professors on Point Park’s campus, Dulaney is a part-time faculty member, meaning that his day mainly consists of coming to campus to teach and then leaving right after due to not having an office or other amenities.
“Being a part-time faculty [member] is tough in a lot of ways,” Dulaney said. “Usually, I come to campus to teach, then leave after class. I don’t get to build the same relationships with students that being on campus more would allow. Usually I teach a course, get to know the students, then the semester ends, and I don’t get to see them again.” Course scheduling can also be a tough part of being part-time faculty. According to Dulaney, the University “does a wonderful job” when it comes to scheduling courses for part-time faculty, but there can be some hiccups. At the beginning of the semester, Dulaney was bumped from a course he was originally scheduled to teach because a full-time faculty member, who has priority, wanted to teach that course session. “That’s just the way the ball bounces, but the loss of a class is a loss of a third of my income,” Dulaney said. “It’s just the nature of the beast. However, the income for me is only part of the story. I really love being on campus, teaching, challenging students and getting to know everybody. So, it does make me sad.” Being a full-time faculty member adds a lot more work and responsibility than just teaching. According to
Megan Gloeckler | The Globe Andy Grammer visited the Center for Media Innovation on Friday, Oct. 25 for a near hour-long Q & A session ahead of his concert that night at the Roxian Theater. Grammer discussed how to connect with individuals through music and performing and make the listener feel what the performer feels. The event was recorded and can be found on both Grammer’s and the CMI’s Facebook pages.
Shannon Hartnett snhartn@pointpark.edu
Thomas Dulaney | Submitted
Dulaney, full-time faculty members advise students, attend meetings, handle intense paperwork and other responsibilities. “Full-time faculty are worth their weight in gold,” Dulaney said. “When I was full-time, I taught 15 credits, advised over 100 students, oversaw course design and went to meetings. Any benefits full-time faculty receive are deserved, even if it’s just for the meetings.” Outside of teaching, Dulaney is a doctoral student at Robert Morris University
in information systems and communications. He also enjoys time with his wife Laura, a career counselor at Point Park, and their nine-year old daughter, Amelia Grace. “Getting my doctorate has been a goal of mine for 30 years and it’s about time I do it,” Dulaney said. “Hopefully, once I finish, I can find my way back into the full-time teaching ranks. If that happens, the only way I will ever leave teaching is feet first.”
Hannah Walden hwalde@pointpark.edu
Send suggestions to hwalde@pointpark.edu or tbaile@pointpark.edu or reach out to the Globe on our social media pages.
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
A&E
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
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Conservatory of Performing Arts presents ‘Good Grief’ By Rosalie Anthony Staff Writer
The lights dim, a hush falls over the audience, the show is about to begin. The main character, Nkechi, also known as N, is featured on stage. There are markings on the floor that indicate something spiritual and magical is about to happen. She is soon joined by five deities. The deities have decorative, elaborate headpieces individualizing the character they symbolize. These past two weekends, Oct. 18 through 27, Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) Theatre Company presented the play “Good Grief” written by Point Park’s own 2010 alumni Ngozi Anyanwu and directed by guest Reginald L. Douglas. The cast even got to FaceTime the playwright a couple of times. “We’re all very close to each other,” Elise Dorsey, senior musical theatre major and main character N, said about the small seven-person cast. “It’s very nice. It’s very refreshing.” Before the show began, Steven Breese, Dean of COPA and the Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, welcomed the audience warmly. Additionally, according to a link posted on the Point Park
Photo courtesy of John Altdorfer The cast of “Good Grief” on stage in the Pittsburgh Playhouse for the opening scene. The cast in alphabetical order by last name: Ivan Bracy Jr., Elise Dorsey, Alex Fetzko, Tim Judah, Mia Sterbini and Pierre Mballa.
alumni Facebook page, the play received first place for the Inaugural Humanitas/CTG Playwriting Prize winning $5,000 towards its production. “It’s about a girl overcoming grief,” Dorsey said, explaining the synopsis. “It’s all about her life and how she decides to look back on her path to propel her forward... pushing through grief and remembering her almost lover, almost boyfriend, almost husband’s death.” A symbolic visual aspect was the markings on the floor of a blue African bird in the
fetal position. They symbolize that in order to move forward in your future, you must look back. “It was really good,” Johnathan Degelman, freshman elementary education major said. “The main actress, she was really good. She had a lot of expression.” The majority of the show could not have been possible without a whole team backstage. An important person who made this whole production possible is senior stage management major Emily Weingart.
“I ran the auditions, callbacks and then facilitated getting the cast list out,” Weingart said. “I help facilitate costume fittings, make sure people are where they need to be constantly. Kind of just whatever the director needs I’m doing it, and my team, we’re doing it.” Freshman musical theatre major Katerina Damm was a member of that team backstage and worked in the wardrobe department. The people on crew are called anywhere from 15-30 minutes before the rest of the cast to
get everything set up for the show. During the show, they assist with costume changes to keep everything flowing and organized. After the show, wardrobe stays behind to launder and freshen up the costume pieces. Their dress code consists of black pants, black shoes, black socks and the black Playhouse polo shirts. No jewelry is allowed in an attempt to prevent distraction if caught by the light. “We interact with the cast regularly and are each assigned a cast member that we are primarily responsible for checking and assisting,” Damm said. “Working with the cast has been a phenomenal experience as we get the chance to see them actively working in their element.” The whole team, including Dorsey, commented that working with one another was a positive and encouraging environment. “Overall, my biggest takeaway is the power that positivity brings to a workspace,” Damm said. “As our director pointed out - as crew, we have the opportunity to observe seasoned students in a professional environment and learn things about the industry from these observations.”
Rosalie Anthony rantho@pointpark.edu
Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’ promotes self-identity search By Chandni Shah For The Globe
Whenever someone asks me for a book recommendation, usually my first response is “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath, and when they ask why I tell them that if I had to pick a book that clearly renders the search for identity — which we all at some point chase — it would be this one. The novel follows the main character, Esther Greenwood, and her descent into madness, as she loses herself within the deep labyrinths of her own mind. Plath constructs this character as a reflection of herself — a parallel to her life, classifying the book as semi-autobiographical. Both are riddled with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, living in a world where they just don’t conform to who society wants them to be. One part of her wants to be a writer,
”The Bell Jar” book cover.
but the other, a mother and a wife. Plath begins the novel with Esther in the city of New York working for a fashion magazine with other college students, but she feels like she doesn’t fit in with them and the glamorous atmosphere. After she leaves the city, Esther sinks down deeper into the abyss of madness and attempts to commit suicide on multiple occasions. She almost accomplishes this, but she is found and brought to the hospital in time. When she leaves the hospital she is brought to a ward where she receives electric shock therapy in an attempt to make her mind well again. The symbolic bell jar entraps Esther throughout her life, preventing her from making new connections with the people around her and severing the ones that she had. It distorts the way
she views herself, other people and the world around her; and when it is lifted it is liable to drop upon her again. Plath writes, “the bell jar hung, suspended, a few feet above my head,” for the moment, Esther can breathe the fresh air and see clearly, but realizes that it can possibly be an ephemeral state of mind and being. Throughout the novel the reader sees that Esther has trouble recognizing herself, she doesn’t comprehend her own face in reflections — she is losing her identity. This loss of who she is plunges her deeper into depression and ultimately is what makes her devalue her life. The reader is shown the harsh realities of depression and how certain ideals set for women at the time (1950s) contributed to the way Esther saw herself. About one month after “The Bell Jar” was published, Sylvia Plath stuck her head in an oven and inhaled toxic gas, killing herself at the age of 30. She was suffocated by the metaphorical bell jar and decided to leave. Even today’s society has expectations for people that they cannot fulfill, and we can only hope that the bell jar stays suspended above us, but is there a way to shatter it? Sylvia Plath was both a mother and a writer at the time of her suicide, she managed to break the unwritten rules of the rigid world and became a well-known poet and writer. Writers tend to reveal either the horrific or beautiful truths about life and what it means to be human, sometimes even both. Maybe these truths were too much for Plath. “To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.”
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Chandni Shah crshah@pointpark.edu
Photo courtesy of John Altdorfer Elise Dorsey (bottom) and Ivan Bracy Jr. (top) performing as Nkechi and MJ in “Good Grief” at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
Dig below chart-toppers for underrated artists By Gianna DiPaolo For The Globe
The best thing about music is finding new artists and songs to listen to. While some artists rise to the top because of a “one-hit-wonder,” most of them stay in the shadows with a small crowd. One of those artists that have been under the radar for far too long is FINNEAS. Finneas O’Connell, better known by his stage name as FINNEAS, has been producing music and starring in movies since early 2011. His debut role as Spencer from “Bad Teacher” kick-started his career, and he became established as a performer. From his acting career, he began to write and produce music on SoundCloud, and eventually for bigger named artists. He produced music for the film, “Life Inside Out,” and helped his sister, Billie Eilish, start her career. While writing and producing for other artists, he also began his solo career. In 2016, he released his first single, “New Girl.” Following that, he started to release his singles more sporadically due to the fact that Billie Eilish’s career was thriving and expanding. However, he got
to showcase all of the singles he released through performing with Billie, but he still didn’t get the following he deserved. Now in 2019, he finally released an EP titled “Blood Harmony” that features seven of his hit singles. This EP sparked interest and he started to gain a larger following of fans. Two tracks that went viral were “I Lost A Friend” and “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night.” They were featured on popular social media websites and even in bigger influencers YouTube or Instagram videos. In addition, fans of Billie Eilish are learning that FINNEAS is her brother, so avid Eilish fans are giving attention to him. Although it’s still early in his career, FINNEAS has released countless amazing singles. His vocals and the instrumentals within his songs are really what sets him apart from other artists, and he deserves more recognition for his creations. He’s been gaining more attention in recent months, but he is still an underrated artist that needs to be discovered.
Gianna DiPaolo gydipao@pointpark.edu
6
OPINIONS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
THE
GL BE’S POINT
A ‘Globetastrophy’ strikes again - this time, affecting student body At The Globe’s weekly pitch meeting this previous Monday, News Editor Hayley Keys, pitched that the Wi-Fi across campus had been down for the third time during the semester. She wanted someone to cover why this occurred, and doing so would require a reporter to ask a few questions of the IT Department. Following her pitch, the room sighed collectively. “That sucks,” we all thought to ourselves. We also thought things such as, “why does the Wi-Fi suck so bad?” and “why can’t this be fixed?” After the pitch meeting, The Globe staff returned to our office to construct the paper’s layout, as we do every week. We soon discovered that our server, where The Globe stores all of the stories and pull old layout files to work off of, was down. “This SUCKS,” we all thought to ourselves again, just louder this time. Our trusty leader, Dara Collins, called IT right away, but was informed that the issue could only be fixed as early as 8 a.m. the next day, which meant that our usual Monday evening layout session was going to be a total wash, and that Dara and the Editor-Elect, Jordyn Hronec, would have to be in
the office bright and early to put together a paper in three hours or less. The bottom line, and the purpose of this piece (other than just allowing us to have an emotional, though well-articulated breakdown) is to question one thing: why does the technology on this campus never work? This question and these IT issues seem to be relentless. And in the case of this most recent Globetastrophy, they are affecting the most basic needs of this campus, and one of those needs are the assured access to reliable news. IT issues, especially since we all do literally everything online, have the power to shut down the entirety of campus. And we, at The Globe, despite this week’s devastating setback, vow to get to the bottom of these issues for you. We also ask for your patience, especially this week. If anything looks to be astray in this week’s edition, please blame an 8 a.m. layout session and these editors’ definite lack of sleep. It’s time to fire up the office Keurig, track down the individuals in charge of IT and get cracking.
Point Park Globe globe@pointpark.edu
Screenshot | The Globe office computer The error message that popped up when The Globe staff attempted to reach our drive.
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Rock-a-Thon to be “Japan” themed Why a theme is unnecessary for the event By Sarah Gibson Co-Opinions Editor
Through my college experience so far, nothing has been quite an experience like Rock-a-Thon. It’s unionizing, feeling complete exhaustion alongside fellow DJ’s, dedicated to one singular cause. So why does it have a theme this year? I have a lot of problems with Rock-a-Thon’s “theme” this year, the first of which is the fact that it has a theme at all. Rock-a-Thon’s “theme” has always been charity. Giving back. Donating to The Early Learning Institute (or TELI for short). DJ’s and GM’s have historically turned it into the flagship goal of WPPJ. I remember older classmates talking about events like Last DJ Standing, or competitions between DJs to see who could raise the most money over the course of Rock-a-Thon. It raised awareness for WPPJ and it raised awareness for TELI. It doesn’t need to be bogged down by a theme. I feel like the presence of a theme distracts from the actual reason that Rock-a-Thon was created in the first place: to donate money to a charity that deserves it. When I first saw the promotional materials, I was shocked. I didn’t think they even mentioned TELI until I read the poster a second time. The poster is so concerned with the theme that it barely pays any mind to the fact that Rock-a-Thon is a charity event. Secondly, and I hate to mention names, but nobody wanted this except for Bie Teal, the current General Manager of WPPJ. I know this because I have talked with several members of the executive board of WPPJ,
and they reported back to me that there was no survey, no question of whether they wanted a theme or not. They didn’t know about the theme until it was established that Rock-a-Thon was going to have one. That is simply unfair. While I personally hate the idea of Rock-a-Thon having a theme, if it was going to have a theme, why weren’t the other executive members of WPPJ asked? I’m a DJ at WPPJ. Why weren’t the DJ’s asked? It’s not surprising to hear that Bie Teal picked this theme with executive power, since he has several WPPJ shows dedicated directly to East Asian music. Third, having a theme based around an entire culture is disrespectful. I know the Press Release (which was only sent to WPPJ executive members for some reason, so I had to have one of them send it to me) words everything in a way that conveys an amount of respect, but deeming Japanese culture to be the “theme” of Rock-a-Thon is demeaning to an entire culture. I feel like having “Japanese culture” be your theme is kind of like wearing a “Japanese girl” Halloween costume while you’re white. It’s hokey, distracting and it boils down an entire complicated, rich culture into a party hat that WPPJ calls a “theme.” It reeks of Party City generalization and the trivialization of a culture by making it into a “theme.” If you wanted to raise awareness for Japanese (though ‘East Asian’ and ‘Japanese’ are used interchangeably on promotional materials) culture, make an entirely different event to raise awareness or to celebrate the culture, but don’t make Rock-a-Thon your excuse
to make an event ‘Japanese’ themed when Rock-a-Thon has never been about having a theme, but donating to charity. I appreciate Rocka-Thon looking specifically for ‘East Asian’ vendors and guests for Rock-a-Thon to make it more authentic, but this brings me to my next point. East Asian and Japanese are not the same thing. In the email sent out for soliciting business donations, it is implied that East Asian establishments are preferred. East Asian is also used as a replacement word for Japanese in a lot of the promotional materials. East Asia includes a lot of countries and cultures, none of which are the same. They don’t have the same writing systems or culture. Japan has a culture that is complex and illustrious enough to fill an entire Rock-aThon, and it muddles the sincerity of the event if you just say “East Asian countries” because that implies that they are all similar or the same for an event that is supposed to be just focused on Japan. To conclude, not only is giving Rock-a-Thon a theme a bad idea, but it’s a terrible idea to base that theme around someone’s entire heritage and culture. While I still plan on taking part in Rock-a-Thon this year, I don’t plan to stop being vocal about how much of a bad idea I think it is. If Rock-aThon has to have a theme, it should be voted on by the members or executive board, and it shouldn’t be an entire culture. Or, you could just let Rock-a-Thon be what it is: a charity event.
Sarah Gibson sagibso@pointpark.edu
The top 5 weirdest “sexy” Halloween costumes Pittsburgh icon, movie characters among bizarre costume choices By Jordyn Hronec Editor-Elect
The phenomenon of “sexy” Halloween costumes for women is not new, but it has been more commonly debated in recent years. However, I am not here to debate in favor of or against sexy costumes. I am simply here to point out some of the more bizarre victims to the sexy Halloween costume trend. Here are the top five weirdest sexy Halloween costumes, and yes, I am an expert.
5. Sexy baby
This one has issues for an obvious reason...and if it’s not obvious enough, I’ll just say it. You shouldn’t sexualize kids, let alone babies. And that’s exactly what this costume does. A Google image search of ‘sexy
baby costume’ brings up the photo of a young woman wearing a light blue, skin-tight leotard, a bonnet and with a large pacifier in her mouth as she looks into the camera seductively. I’m not sure that this is the route I would advise taking if you’re looking to have yourself a sexy little Spooktober. Not only is it weird, it’s problematic.
4. Sexy Ronald McDonald
So, this costume features yet another skin-tight leotard, though this time, it’s bright yellow, with a dangerously low neckline, along with red and white striped stockings, red pumps and the iconic red puffy clown wig. But while I’m sure Ronald McDonald, under all of his clown makeup, is a good
looking dude, I’m not sure that he’s the guy to emulate when you’re trying to be sexy...although if you choose a “sexy” Ronald McDonald costume, is the goal to be sexy? I really don’t know.
3. Sexy “Undecided Voter”
Do you remember the 2016 election? Of course you do. Anyways, remember that one guy at the one debate who was on the fence about who to vote for? His name was Ken Bone, and immediately after the debate, he rose to meme status only to be immediately forgotten in a few weeks afterward. Well the sexy Halloween costume community didn’t forget, because the sexy undecided voter costume is comprised of a cropped red
sweater, black pants, nude pumps and a fake mustache. It is real. But is it really sexy? I’m not sure.
2. Sexy Yoda
There have been many classic characters who have slipped into the sexy Halloween costume trend’s grasp, but I don’t think any surprised me quite as much as sexy Yoda. The costume consists of a nude tunic that notably lacks fabric in the skirt and chest areas, as well as nude pumps and a little Yoda head in the form of a hat. I don’t know how anyone could envision Yoda, a small, green, gremlin-shaped little old spaceman as sexy, but we all have our “things.”
1.Sexy Mister Rogers
I have to top my list with the costume that I have seen creating quite a buzz on social media this year. Also, being a Pittsburgher, this one struck some kind of a chord with me. The sexy Mister Rogers costume consists of gray booty shorts, a cropped red sweater and tie and black pumps with white socks. The wearer can also choose to don a gray, short-haired wig and two hand puppets. To be honest, I’m still trying to sort out how this costume and its existence makes me feel. But it’s definitely weird, and something tells me that Mister Rogers, a Presbyterian minister, would not find it to be exactly flattering.
Jordyn Hronec jthrone@pointpark.edu
Covering the world of Point Park University news since 1967 Editor-in-Chief: Dara Collins Editor-Elect: Jordyn Hronec Business Manager: Cortnie Phillips Faculty Adviser: Aimee-Marie Dorsten Administrative Adviser: Dean Keith Paylo The Globe board consists of Dara Collins, Jordyn Hronec and fellow editors. Opinion articles, letters to the editor, columns and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the position of the newspaper or editorial board. The Globe reserves the right to refuse advertising and edit all submitted articles and letters to the editor. Letters to the editor must be signed and include author’s contact information. The Globe offices are located at the corner of Wood Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard. Writers should address letters to:
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News Editors: Amanda Andrews, Hayley Keys Photo Editor: Jared Murphy Features/A&E Editors: Hannah Walden, Tia Bailey Photo Editor: Julia Cavataio Sports Editors: Allison Schubert, Austin Alkire Photo Editor: Hannah Johnston
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Copy Editors: Mya Burns, Amara Phillips Opinions Editors: Sarah Gibson, Shannon Delivery Assistant: Mya Burns Hartnett Online Editor: Nicole Pampena Copy Desk: Sara Cronin, Nathan Vrablic Social Media Coordinator: Hannah Johnston
SPORTS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
All In with Allison By Allison Schubert Sports Columnist
Devastating Defeat
The Point Park men’s soccer team has been on a tear as of late. They are already having a historic season, led by Mitchell Roell, Wessel Rietveld, Geert Bijl and goalkeeper Jesse Haak. The Pioneers’ 13-win season is the most wins by a Pioneer men’s squad in the history of the program - it is even more impressive considering 12 of those wins were consecutive. The problem that the men’s team has this year, however, is a big one: they are not eligible for River States Conference (RSC) playoffs. You may be thinking now: What? You literally just said they were having a historic season, why wouldn’t they be eligible for playoffs? Well, to find the answer, we have to visit the RSC quarterfinal loss from last year. At the end of that game, a massive brawl ensued; the cops were called, suspensions were dished out and, most importantly, Point Park was banned from RSC playoffs for this season. The only way the Pioneers could clinch a playoff berth this year is to get No. 1 in the conference to win an automatic bid to the national tournament. With how things were going for the men this season, it didn’t seem like an unlikely fate. That was before WVU Tech. That was before Rio Grande. Both WVU Tech and Rio Grande are ranked in the National Association
of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Top 25. At the time of Point Park’s matches against them, WVU Tech was ranked No. 12 and Rio Grande was ranked No. 14. It was almost an expected loss against the Golden Bears, but a close one at that. Point Park stayed in it until the final buzzer, but lost 4-3. That put the Pioneers at 5-1 in RSC play. They could have still clinched first. Then Rio Grande happened. The RedStorm struck first, but Roell scored right after. It seemed like a pretty fair matchup. The next few minutes proved tough for the Pioneers, and they went to the locker room down 4-1. Tough, but still workable. The RedStorm wanted to put the nail in the Pioneers’ coffin though, and they definitely did just that. The second half gave Rio Grande six more goals… but only gave Point Park one. That was all she wrote for the Pioneers, and they lost 10-2 on Monday evening. The sad part is, that was all she wrote for the Pioneers’ season too. First place is virtually untouchable, unless a very specific, highly improbable combination of events happen but a girl can dream, right? Unfortunately, it looks like the Pioneers will not be reaching the postseason this year, but the season was historic nonetheless.
Allison Schubert alschub@pointpark.edu
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
7
Women split RSC road games Goalie Webb reaches 300th career save By Austin Alkire Co-Sports Editor
The women’s soccer team was not in the prettiest spot heading into the week. Coach Bethanie Moreschi and her Pioneers’ team were 2-3-1 in River States Conference (RSC) play before facing off against WVU Tech and Rio Grande. Moreschi was looking for her team to be more dangerous in the final third and create more scoring opportunities. That was their plan, but the WVU Tech Golden Bears wanted the opposite. In the first eight minutes of the game, Golden Bears’ forward Yasmin Del Valle put in her first of two goals, the latter coming nine minutes later. With a Sydney Krakat goal in the 39th minute, Point Park went into the half down 3-0. Moreschi was just a little more than disappointed. “I was pretty mad because this isn’t the team I know them to be,” Moreschi said. “I yelled for a bit, but then we had to solve it and discuss as a group what we could do to change this game around. We decided to play with two forwards instead of one as a start.” Coming out into the second half, the Pioneers defense managed to hold strong, just like their goaltender, Ashtyn Webb, who stopped 19 of 23 shots in total. Sophomore forward Tia Horew made the loss a little more bearable with a goal in the 80th minute. The Pioneers dropped to 2-4-1 in RSC play after falling to WVU Tech 3-1. Moreschi praised her senior goalkeeper for her effort but knew her team could not let that happen to Webb again. “I think we didn’t come out ready to play,” Moreschi
Nick Koehler | Point Park Athletics Sophomore forward Tia Horew gives chase to a ball in a matchup at Highmark Stadium. Horew has five goals and ten points this season.
said. “Therefore we played on our heels for the whole first half and allowed them to have a lot of opportunities on goal.” Heading into their next matchup with Rio Grande, senior Bailey Boyd knew there needed to be a better effort in the team’s transition from offense to defense. “[We need] a drive and passion for the game. A want to make it happen,” Boyd said. “[The offense] just need to use the tools they already have to keep our season alive.” After much waiting, with the match being postponed two days due to inclimate weather, the Pioneers were looking for revenge. In the tenth minute, Horew tapped in Point Park’s first goal of the game. Nola McGuire followed suit by burying a goal in the
29th minute. Just two minutes later, sophomore forward and leading point scorer Taylor Goldstrohm potted the Pioneers’ third goal of the half. With a 3-0 lead heading into the half, Point Park was focused on defense. Webb stood tall for her team the whole game, despite a Rio Grande goal in the final two minutes. With seven saves on the night, the senior goalkeeper eclipsed 300 saves in her collegiate career. The win over Rio Grande moved Point Park to 3-4-1 in RSC play, putting them No. 7 in the conference. The Pioneers close out the season at Montour Junction Sports Complex against RSC opponents Cincinnati Christian and Brescia.
Austin Alkire apalkir@pointpark.edu
Men snap win streak, look ahead to last games By Rachael McKriger Staff Writer
Records are made to be broken, but winning streaks don’t last forever. For the Point Park men’s soccer team, their 13-match winning streak ended on Thursday on the road. Taking on nationally-ranked WVU Tech, the Pioneers kept a tight match, but injuries and even a twogoal game from Geert Bijl couldn’t propel the Pioneers to a 14th victory. Instead, the Pioneers fell 4-3 in West Virginia. WVU Tech opened up the scoring early, but a quick goal from the Pioneers leveled the match. WVU Tech responded back with two goals in the span of two minutes, breaking down Point Park’s defense. However, the Pioneers pulled one back to cut WVU’s lead to one, after Bijl scored his first of two goals. The second half featured another early goal from WVU Tech. Bijl recorded another goal, but the Pioneers couldn’t find an equalizer in the last 30 minutes of action. Conner Kelly, a sophomore midfielder, said there’s plenty of comparisons between the Pioneers
and WVU Tech. “They’re fast and physical just like us,” Kelly said. “In a game like that, it’s all about taking your chances and making as little mistakes as possible. They edged us out. On another day maybe we edge them out. I’m proud of the way we played. We can’t hang our heads, though. We must keep a positive spirit.” Meanwhile, senior defender/midfielder Kakanou Fotie said that the Pioneers
had a slow start to Thursday’s match. “We had a slow start and conceded early,” Fotie said. “But, we fought back to get into the game. They simply took their chances more clinically than us.” Wessel Rietveld, a senior midfielder, said that Point Park was confident, but knew that playing a nationally ranked team — WVU Tech is No. 12 in the nation — would prove to be a large challenge.
Nick Koehler | Point Park Athletics Junior forward Mitchell Roell takes a shot on goal. Roell scored the first of two goals for Point Park in Monday’s game at Rio.
“We also had two injuries that didn’t help, including Jonathan Roos and Nawfel Bichiba,” Rietveld said. “One of our captains, Mitchell Roell, was also injured, too. We gave everything we had, but the luck wasn’t on our side that day.” However, the Pioneers aren’t letting one loss affect them. The team is proud of their historical 13-game winning streak. Rietveld said that it’s not an easy feat to do, and one that the team is certainly grateful to accomplish. “We are having a great season, and a 4-3 loss against a top-15 team will happen,” Rietveld said. “It’s a great feat and we are beyond happy to be able to achieve it, while setting a school record in the process,” Fotie said. “It’s a shame that it came to an end… but we have to be prepared for the next match mentally and come out strong.” Point Park’s next match was supposed to be last Saturday against the University of Rio Grande. However, the competition was postponed due to severe weather and traveling conditions for the Pioneers. The match was rescheduled for Monday. Rietveld said that Roell
and Bichiba should return from injury. “We have to stay calm and do nothing special or crazy,” Rietveld said. We need to just keep playing how we always do. I’m optimistic about Rio Grande.” Meanwhile, Kelly said that facing Rio Grande — another nationally ranked team, at No. 14 — will be another hard-fought battle. “We have to keep our heads up and be proud of our achievements and the way we played on Thursday,” Kelly said. But, we must put that game behind us and focus on Rio. It will be another battle, and we’re confident of bringing the win home. We won’t let that loss change our attitude, it will only strengthen us.” Point Park has a busy home-stretch this weekend. The Pioneers return home to close out the regular season on Thursday and Saturday. However, both matches will be at the Montour Sports Junction Complex in Coraopolis. Thursday’s match against Cincinnati Christian University will begin at 1:30 p.m. while Saturday’s contest against Brescia University will begin at 2:30 p.m.
Rachael McKriger rakrige@pointpark.edu
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
SPORTS
THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Volleyball prepares for final RSC matchups Senior setter Menosky hits 1,000-career dig milestone Friday By Dara Collins Editor-in-Chief
Senior setter Julia Menosky highlighted the week for the Pioneer volleyball team. Menosky reached the 1,000-career dig milestone, making her the eighth Pioneer and the only setter since the year 2000 to achieve the feat. “I honestly had no idea I was even remotely close until Ashley, our libero, said I only had three more until I reached it,” Menosky said. “I had the record for most digs in high school until my brother beat my record but I never would have thought I would get it in college, especially since I’ve played a couple positions.” Menosky reached this goal in Point Park’s Friday night road match-up against University of Rio Grande, the third contest between the teams this season resulting in a green and gold victory. The setter snagged three digs to climb to exactly 1,000 digs in her near fouryear career at the university. Menosky also dished out 25 assists. “I’ve always loved defense, and I’m really happy that all the work I’ve put in the past four years is paying off, and I can leave my legacy here,” Menosky said. The Pioneers swept the RedStorm by scores of 2514, 27-25 and 25-16 with help from nine Pioneers. Senior Maria Ferragonio was the lone Pioneer in double digits at the net with 10 kills and also picked up 12 digs. Junior middle hit-
ter Jazlyn Rozier and senior outside hitter Haley English followed up with eight kills apiece, and Rozier posted two blocks. Sophomore Ashley Castelli ran defense with 24 digs. This would be the only match of the week the Pioneers would win. The Pioneers hosted the Mountain Cats last Tuesday in their first home game in nearly a month. Last season, the NCAA Division II team swept Point Park, and the Pioneers put up a five-set fight against the Mountain Cats in the 2017 season resulting in a loss as well. Despite the previous excitement of returning to their home gym, the Pioneers retreated to the locker room after suffering another 2-3 loss. Pitt-Johnstown stole the last two sets to win the match by scores of 20-25, 25-23, 2025, 25-20 and 15-8. After rallying the first three sets, Point Park was up 10-0 in the fourth when Pitt-Johnstown kicked into high gear and never looked back. “Looking back against UPJ, we should’ve capitalized on their mistakes and stayed more consistent with serve receive,” English said. Although the Mountain Cats posted the highest numbers on the scoreboard, the Pioneers tallied solid numbers across the stat sheet. English and Ferragonio led the offense with 13 kills each and ended with double-doubles with 16 and 17 digs, respectively. Also finishing with double-doubles were the setters, Brittney Bianco and
Nick Koehler | Point Park Athletics Senior setter Julia Menosky (left) sets up a kill for junior Jazlyn Rozier in a match against WVU Tech earlier this season.
Menosky, with 20 assists and 14 digs and 22 assists and 11 digs, respectively. Castelli led defense in the back row with 24 digs. Rozier played big at the net to post five blocks, and sophomore Madison Sima and freshman Taylor Small put up three each to help defense at the net. On Saturday, the Pioneers suffered their second loss of the week against West Virginia Tech. The teams played two times previously this season, once at the Emileigh Cooper Memorial Classic and again in late September at home. The first match-up was a five-set win for the Pioneers, and the second Point Park victory wrapped
up in four sets. The Pioneers and Golden Bears dropped this match down to three sets, but the win went to WVU Tech. “We went in and just let some things get past us,” Small said. “This game was no different [than the last two]. We just need to regain a strong mentality and work through the little things.” The Golden Bears swept Point Park by scores of 2519, 25-20 and 25-17. The sets stayed close until the ends grew near. “We needed to pick up our defense and put the ball away when it mattered most,” English said. No Pioneer reached double digits on the attack, but Sima tied Small for the lead with nine kills apiece, and
Sima added three blocks. Castelli highlighted the back row with 10 digs and recorded three assists. Menosky and Bianco nearly split the match even with 16 and 17 assists, respectively. “One thing we’ve been working on is playing a consistent game all the way through,” Menosky said. “The toughest competition throughout this season has been ourselves. So staying on our best game and playing a consistent game throughout the whole match has been a struggle for us.” The Pioneers, 17-8 overall and 7-4 River States Conference, have two more weekends of conference play at home before RSC playoffs begin. This weekend, Point Park will host Midway University and Asbury University, the first match-ups of the teams this season. In the 2018 season, the Pioneers beat the former team in four and the latter in a sweep. The last weekend consists of a rematch between Point Park and Indiana University East and Ohio Christian University, the first being the most important to the Pioneers as the two teams sit atop the RSC East. “Since we are neck and neck with IU East, we’ve been taking it one game at a time,” Menosky said. “There are a couple big games for us coming up, especially the game against IU East, that we have to get prepared for and be focused on before we think about playoffs.”
Dara Collins dmcolli2@pointpark.edu