The Globe Issue 5 by Point Park Globe

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Freshman performs alongside Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

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Iain Oldman highlights problems with environmental fines

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Senior guard scores 1,000th career point in conference win

Wednesday, Februar y 10, 2016

Issue 5

Conservatory President Hennigan debuts draft premieres of university’s strategic plan to USG show created Students integral part of development of multi-year plan by professor “[Strategic plans] are a chance the-works strategic plan stems from “Five” explores all senses in dance world premier By Kimberly Prokurat For the Globe

After months of preparation, the Point Park University Conservatory Dance Company presents the world premiere of “Five” under the collaborative leadership of the dance chair and associate professor of the dance department, Ruben Graciani. “You can connect to yourself through the most organic part of you, which is your senses,” said Graciani, associate artistic director, in an interview Friday afternoon. “Five,” created by Graciani and associate professor Kiesha Lalama, is a full-length sensory production based on the undefeatable resiliency and reprieve of the human spirit that premieres Feb. 5 and runs through Feb. 14. The production follows the abstracted trials and tribulations of a man and illustrates through contemporary dance how humans use both their physical and mental being to push through the various hardships they may face in life. Graciani and Lalama use the sense of sight, touch, sound, taste and smell to capture the audiences’ imaginations and take them on a relatable path full of struggle and ultimate fruition by the lead character and supporting cast. The show includes two casts, each consisting of a lead character and five senses represented by five supporting dancers. “We started thinking about all of these other people; whatever it may be in their lives, these people all have something they have to get through and push beyond using every single part of themselves,” Graciani said, speaking on behalf of Lalama. Not only did the two dance professors collaborate with each other and their students at Point Park, they also branched out and collaborated with various creative members of the Pittsburgh community. The show debuted at the Pittsburgh Playhouse on Feb. 5 and features live music by the local professional Bach Community Choir. The choir is onstage in costume on top of scaffolding performing music, ranging from the traditional Mozart and Bach to contemporary works, all while the dancers perform below on stage. “I have always been attracted to vocal music because it adds an element of humanity,” Graciani said. “Artists working together is the wave of the future and I hope that from this experience, students see that it’s possible to successfully have different artistic identities and opinions working together to push a project forward.” The director of the choir and co-choreographers made the music selection a collaborative process during the making of the show. “We thought the idea of having contemporary dance with live classical music was an intriguing idea and seeing it done in such a large scale is amazing,” Jon Erik Schreiber, associ-

FIVE page 3

USG

By Sabrina Bodon USG Beat Writer

With a backdrop of the University’s mission statement, Point Park President Paul Hennigan addressed the creation of the university’s strategic plan with the United Student Government (USG).

for us to look around and see what’s going on in the environment right now and make decisions about where do we want to be three-to-five years from now so we continue to be a thriving university to meet your [the student’s] needs and prepare you to go and do what you love to do,” Hennigan said. The creation of the newest, in-

photo by Chloe Jakiela

President Paul Hennigan discusses the future of Point Park with the Honors Program in the Lawrence Hall Multipurpose Room Monday night. Hennigan gave the same presentation earlier in the day to USG. At the meeting, students had the opportunity to voice their opinions about their experience at Point Park and the directions they want to see Point Park go in the future.

SENIOR GUARD SCORES 1,000th CAREER POINT

the amount of time, which has passed since the last plan. The previous strategic plan was developed in 2008 and focused on quality and excellence. That plan was reviewed each year since its creation and was found to hold roughly an 80 percent success rate, Hennigan explained to the legislative body. Strategic plans, as Hennigan explained, are supported by many tasks that must be completed to achieve goals. To allow for better insight, President Hennigan spoke to the ways he and his team are reaching out to students, faculty and alumni on what the University can improve on. Handing out index cards, Hennigan asked the room one question: “What’s one thing that you think the university could do that would help to address one of those four strategic initiatives [Academic Excellence, Quality Student Experience, Managed Resources and Community Engagement]?” Once index cards were written on, Hennigan urged the room of students to share their thoughts out loud. Gabe Dubin, vice president of USG, said the University should focus more on creating connections. “I would put a focus on creating relationships with businesses and

USG page 2

Pay It Forward club planning first dance marathon fundraiser to benefit Children’s Hospital By Madison Krupp For the Globe

photo courtesy of Liz Berie, Point Park Athletics

Senior guard Jerah’me Williams drives to the basket during a home conference win against Rio Grande on Feb. 6 at CCAC South. Williams scored his 1,000th career point and led the team to a 92-89 win. Read about Williams’ historic night on page 7.

Dancing for 12 hours seems like a daunting task - unless donation money is involved. Students at Point Park will take part in their first ever dance marathon. Pay It Forward, a new community service club at the university, is hosting the first Bison Boogie Thon this April 2 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the Student Center Gym to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. The Pay It Forward club was established in Fall 2015. The club aims to enhance the lives of those less fortunate through community service. Pay It Forward has cleaned up Sheraden Park with Pittsburgh Parks Conservatory and donated winter essentials to the homeless. The club also has plans to work with the Ronald McDonald House. Co-Presidents Patricia Sorg and Meredith Kubic are looking forward to bringing dance marathon to Point Park.

Weather Forecast Today: Snow Showers H 29, L 12

Thursday: Cloudy, H 22, L 8 Friday: PM Snow Showers, H 29, L 10 Saturday: Snow Showers, H 13, L -2

Sunday: Cloudy, H 20, L 13 Monday: Cloudy, H 33, L 21 Tuesday: Snow Showers, H 38, L 26

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

ss o r CRIM c t E no REPO o RT d WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3rd 8:45 pm Lawrence Harrassment: Under Investigation

THURSDAY, FEB. 4th

4:07 am Blvd. Apts. Drug Violation: Referred to Student Conduct

SATURDAY, FEB. 6th

10:45 pm Lawrence

Drug Violation: Referred to Student Conduct

11:45 pm Pioneer

Drug Violation: Referred to Student Conduct

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Data compiled by Alex Grubbs Design by Emily Yount

NEWS

Physical plant addresses USG after president presents strategic plan

Physical Plant seeks feedback on work orders from USG page 1 groups to allow for meaningful internships with students,” Dubin said. USG president Blaine King focused on the various activities and groups the university offers. “Push the things we currently have on-campus that are great resources for students,” King said. Hennigan then gave students another chance to write their ideas down. Those ideas were then turned in to be reviewed and prioritized based on what can be accomplished in the next five years. President Hennigan closed his presentation by speaking to a possible rebranding and what prospective students look for in a school before handing the floor over to representatives from the physical plant. In a four slide presentation, representatives Chris Hill and Mark Abbott spoke to USG of the recent projects the physical plant has accomplished and taken up since the last time they addressed the legislative body in Oct. Projects include updating the lights in Lawrence resident hallways, painting stairwells, and updating bathrooms. Shuttle transportation, which falls under the physical plant’s jurisdiction, has also had an update with technology, with a new app to track shuttles. Handouts will be distributed with information on the shuttles next week. What USG as well as other organizations within the University stress to do is keep up with communication. Hill urged students to provide feedback on these projects, as well as work order requests to allow for optimum services. On average, about 72 percent of work order feedback forms are not filled out.

Strategic Plan MISSIOinNa diverse urban

ts te studen duates We educa repare gra p d n a t n their e environm wledge to achieve o n k n ly fessio s, to app e their pro c n a v d a , unities. goals eir comm th e rv se and

VISION

To be one of the most dynamic, private urban universities in America with an intense focus on student success through distinctive, innovative, and experimental learning.

Strategic Initiatives 1) Academic Excellence 2) Quality Student Experience

3) Managed Resources 4) Community Engagement Design by Arianna Khalil

To combat a lack of communication with the student body, USG has begun a “Know Your Senator” campaign to focus on a way to bridge the gap between the two groups.

CIty in a Room Explore pittsburgh's Neighborhoods

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February 24 4PM- 7PM LH Lobby

Sabrina Bodon can be reached at sbodon@pointpark.edu.

Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition Shadyside Chamber of Commerce Pittsburgh Parks Conservatory Port Authority Zipcar

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Conservatory ‘Bison Boogie Thon’ to raise funds students for Children’s Hospital this April perform in world premiere Pay it Forward hopes to make the dance marathon an annual university event to benefit children of “Five” from FIVE page 1

from BOOGIE page 1

ate conductor of the choir, said. “The Bach Community Choir does traditional music in a unique way, which pairs well with the phenomenal level of artistry the dancers are capable [of].” The opportunity to create largescale projects for the Pittsburgh Playhouse is very sought after in the Pittsburgh community. In order for the university to choose a production that would perform on this stage, the heads of the dance department developed a process of proposals. Graciani and Lalama’s production of “Five” was the one chosen for the 2016 year. Although the story of “Five” is a broad portrayal of human struggles, the idea behind the production was inspired in part by Graciani’s own personal tribulations. At the age of 40, after years of performing professionally, Graciani suffered injuries to various parts of his right hip and pelvis. After these injuries, he underwent three surgeries, which shifted his style of life. The surgeries had a 50/50 chance of working. He took the odds, and they did not work in his favor. “I can never go back,” Graciani said. “To go from someone who was at the height of being an active, able bodied, professional dancer to someone who had many physical boundaries was extremely emotionally difficult and inspired the concept of the work.” Christian Warner is a senior dance major at Point Park and serves as the male lead of “Five.” “This production separates itself from others I’ve done in the past because it has so many intense technical elements that are way beyond just holding a prop,” Warner said. “We are strapped into things, we are tied up in ropes and we are leaping off of moving platforms that are six feet tall.” Not only is the show a major challenge to the seniors’ stamina, the show necessitates a genuine development of the character. “A rewarding aspect of being a part of this is having the opportunity to develop a character that has so much depth and not letting the stamina demands distract from maintaining the integrity of the character,” Warner said. Warner’s feelings towards his involvement of the production mirror that of many who are involved. “The biggest thing I have learned from this process as a dancer and a student is that the choreographic process is long and challenging but the end product is always gratifying,” says Bianca Melidor, a “Five” ensemble member and sophomore dance major said. Above all, Graciani hopes that the audience gains a connection to his cast through their projection of emotion and energy. “I want people to be able to see themselves and think that they too can get better, they can ascend, and they too can rise above their struggles,” Graciani said. “Five” premieres Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. and runs Feb. 6-7 and Feb. 12-14 in The Rockwell Theater at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in Oakland. Friday and Saturday shows start at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 12 p.m. Tickets range from $10-24 and are available online or over the phone at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com or by calling 412-392-8000.

“It should be a really fun day,” Sorg said. “People are going to be out volunteering, and they can come back and just have fun at the dance marathon, kind of like detox from all that hard work, and get their boogie on.” The idea for the dance marathon came from graduate student Harley Rohrbacher. Rohrbacher pitched the idea to the members of Pay It Forward during a meeting, and the idea was immediately accepted. Rohrbacher completed her undergrad at Bowling Green State University where she became involved in several extracurriculars, including her school’s campus activities board, homecoming committee and TEDx Pittsburgh. She currently studies Intelligence and Global Security at Point Park. “I have experience planning events, which is kind of why I felt pretty comfortable helping them get this [off] the ground,” Rohrbacher said. “I’ll be leaving next year hoping that after this initial test run that they can keep it going.” Rohrbacher has been delegating tasks, overseeing the girls of Pay It Forward and running weekly meetings. She is ensuring the event will run smoothly, although she gives most of the credit to the girls. Maia Gilmour, Alyssa King and Cassie Crisp are three members of Pay It Forward, who will be participating as dancers. “If we can start a legacy that lasts here on campus and continues for years to come, and they keep raising money for these kids, that’s what I really want to get out of it,” Rohrbacher said. The club is working with the United Student Government to hold this event during Pioneer Community Day. The event will be 12 hours of nonstop dancing, zumba, food and music. Dancers must face the challenge of standing for the full

Kimberly Prokurat can be reached at kkproku@pointpark.edu.

12 hours. The club hopes to raise $4,000-$5,000 through dancers who sign up online. Teams do not need a sponsor to participate. Pay It Forward played a video for its members to show the success of Penn State’s THON event. Students gained inspiration from the biggest dance marathon event there is. Crisp and King, both sophomore SAEM majors and members of Pay It Forward, will be dancing in the event as well as assisting with promotions. Both students know the struggle of a family member battling cancer. Although their family members were not children, the sickness still made an impact on their lives. “I’m excited to help the children,” Crisp said. “I’m also excited to have our school and our club come together as one and not only help the children and raise money, but actually bond.” King encourages students to register by either joining a preexisting team or creating their own. “We just hope that a lot of people come out and support,” King said. “ We couldn’t do it without the college.” The club will host a fundraising event Feb. 22 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Chipotle in Market Square. Half of all purchases made during this time period will be donated to Pay It Forward’s dance marathon. Anyone wishing to register for this event can visit the Pay It Forward’s Facebook page or events.dancemarathon.com/event/pointparkdm. Students are able to register until April 1 and asked to donate $20. Anyone wish-

ing to attend future Pay It Forward meetings can do so every Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. in Academic Hall 301. Rohrbacher witnessed Bowling Green’s dance marathon, which donated money to Mercy Children’s Hospital in Toledo, Ohio. “I saw the effect on a lot of people I knew at Bowling Green and they become like a family with these miracle kids,” Rohrbacher said. “You see the changes in them, you watch them grow, and I see these people crying when they see the total reveal of how much they raised for the hospital. We can make that kind of impact here in the city and help these local kids.”

Madison Krupp can be reached at makrupp@pointpark.edu.

HappyBirthdayto the Globe 49 years and counting!

This week marks the 49th anniversary of the first issue of The Globe to appear on stands at Point Park University. The short, one page front and back paper discusses the Vietnam War and cost 2 cents.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

FEATURES

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Point Park student joins chorale for ‘Ultimate Oscars’ By Beth Turnbull Copy Editor

Freshman criminal justice major Vince Bonacci was the only student performer that represented Point Park University in this year’s Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) Student Chorale. Rochelle Klein, associate professor of music at Point Park, pre-casts for the chorale each year. Klein usually begins her search with upperclassmen musical theater, theater, acting and dance students. Point Park students in the school’s Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) program are typically asked to sing in the PSO Student Chorale. However, auditions for the spring Pittsburgh Playhouse shows took place after Christmas break this year, making COPA students unavailable to sing with the chorale. This year, Bonacci was an available student that Klein felt was not only qualified, but also professional. With his years of choir experience, Bonacci, was a prime candidate for the chorale, according to Klein. Bonacci has also recently been accepted into Point Park’s applied music minor with a concentration in voice. “When I first started to look into the applied music minor, Shelly [Klein] told me about this photo by Alexander Popichak possible opportunity,” Bonacci said in an interview last Wed. in Thayer Hall. “At first she told Freshman criminal justice major, Vince Bonacci performed with Pittsbrugh Symphony Orchestra’s student chorale in their most recent performance “The Ultimate Oscars” at Heinz Hall, Feb. 5-7. He was the only Point me the deadline to do it had passed, but she still Park student among the performers. wanted to talk to the director because she believed that I could really benefit from it.” lege, among others. The Student Chorale began rehearsals on Jan. This is not the first time the university has sent Hestwood has been involved with the PSO with 10. Students rehearsed each week until the first a non-COPA major to be part of the chorale, but it various projects since 1994. She took over the di- performance this past Friday, Feb. 5. The chorale is the first time in its 10-year hisrectorial role from Robert Page, performed three shows: one Friday evening, one tory of participation they’ve sent who co-founded the chorale along- Saturday evening and one Sunday afternoon. only one student. side the late Marvin Hamlisch. “It’s really nice to work with such dedicated, “Vince is an anomaly,” ChrisThis year’s theme, which dif- committed students and to bring like-minded, tine Hestwood, chorale director, fers every year, was “The Ultimate fabulous kids together to create a product,” Hessaid in a phone interview last Oscars.” The show, part of the twood said. “It’s really special for kids of this age Wed. “Typically schools send a symphony’s PNC POPs series, fea- to get the opportunity to perform with the Pittsquartet of four students, one for tured music from great films of the burgh Symphony. The symphony is to be comeach vocal part.” last 50 years from “Rocky” to “Ti- mended for providing kids with this opportunity.” Hestwood assembled a stutanic” to “Star Wars.” dent choir of roughly 70 students The chorale performed four from local colleges and high pieces with the symphony: “The Christine Hestwood schools including Duquesne Avatar Suite,” “The Circle of Life,” Beth Turnbull University, Belle Vernon Area Chorale Director can be reached at “The Suite from Titanic” and “The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra High School and Grove City Colerturnb@pointpark.edu. Way We Were.”

“Vince is an anomaly... typically schools send a quartet of students, one for each vocal part.”

CONDOM CARNIVAL Play Games. Win Condoms. Get Lei’d. February 10

@PointParkCAB

9-11pm

LH Ballroom

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FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Musician gives songwriting tips over coffee with CAB By Kristina Pacifico For the Globe

Last Friday students gathered in the Lawrence Hall multipurpose room, to experience an intimate, coffeehouse-type concert, as well as a songwriting open discussion organized by the Campus Activities Board (CAB). “Every Coffee with CAB is supposed to feel like a coffee shop, an interactive experience. We have the coffee set up, and this time, we had the tea as an add-on because of vocals and music,” said Jocelyn Hyrb, CAB’s Pioneer Series coordinator. Guest musician Craig Cardiff began by introducing his first song of the evening, “Safe Here.” He encouraged audience members to sing along

to the choruses of all the songs he performed and even had some harmonize with him as he sang. A notebook titled “Book of Truth” was passed around and Cardiff explained that at his shows and gatherings, he asks people to write something in it anonymously. He said there are stories inside ranging from people’s fears, achievements and even their first kiss. “This event has always been very directed towards learning something new. It’s the most inventive that we’ve come up with,” Paulina Comeau, a CAB General Board Member, said. Point Park students weren’t the only people in attendance at the event. A couple from Virginia, who were fans of Cardiff, stopped by while visiting their daughter, who attends a nearby university. Cardiff had the couple talk about the birth of

their child as inspiration for how to write a song based off life experiences. He pointed out that his workshop is not only a creative experience, but a social one, too. “So the idea is that there is a forum where people can be encouraged, where people can network, and it’s about taking me out of it and you guys realizing that you have all the skills,” Cardiff said in an interview in the Lawrence Hall multipurpose room Friday evening. His tips for songwriters would be to “maintain a journal, don’t throw any of your work away, and always keep thinking about the joyfulness in your work.” Trixie Mahayag was one of the students who talked with Cardiff during the brief intermission of the show. When the group regathered, he invited the audience to provide feedback for Trixie as she sang a song she had been working on called “Midnight Urges.” “I wanted to know his methods. Maybe I could incorporate it and mix it up with what methods I had,” Mahayag said in an interview that evening. The experience that Mahayang shared with the group followed through with the goals that CAB hoped to fulfill with this event. “The program itself was wonderful. There was a little bit of performing, interaction and discussion opportunities. One of our main goals was for somebody to come in and gain further knowledge, for somebody to be able to expose their own music,” Hyrb said. “So in that sense, it was a huge success. The only disappointment is that more students didn’t get to experience it.” Similar to the new CAB event in January, Pizza Palooza, the songwriting theme for this month’s Coffee with CAB was something different for the Pioneer Series. “I think that once people realize what a success this one was. They’ll want to keep coming. Especially with Trixie. She was very open to us, and I feel like more people will want to do that after what she did,” Leah Sero, CAB’s Administrative Coordinator, said.

photo by Julian Kovacs

Canadian folk musician Craig Cardiff gives students songwriting lessons and tips on how to be a better songwriter at the Coffee with CAB songwriting seminar, event Friday night in LH 200. Students can attend Coffee with CAB every first Friday of the month.

Kristina Pacifico can be reached at kmpacif@pointpark.edu.

OPINIONS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Clinton supporters alienate young progressive women

’S

POINT

By Laura Byko

Strategic Planning Initiative achieves student engagement On Monday, President Paul Hennigan spoke to the United Student Government (USG) and the Honors Student Organization (HSO) about Point Park’s new Strategic Planning Initiative. The initiative will narrow the university’s plan for growth, improvement and possibly its rebranding as well. Students filled out notecards with specific goals they’d like to see the university achieve. The notecards will be read and taken into consideration by the administration, ensuring that every student who has an idea for the school’s improvement can get his or her voice heard. It’s a good sign that the administration is getting students involved so early in the process. Reaching out to students directly is an effective tactic, one that makes their voices heard. The strategy of going to groups while they are meeting also takes away the possibility of a lack of student engagement. When the administration tried to get students involved in the search for a new provost, very few chose to participate. Asking students questions in their own territory instead of asking them to show up to an event guarantees more student involvement. Making students’ perspectives a priority for the future of the school bodes well.

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We near-constantly complain about problems at Point Park, (sometimes Twitter accounts devoted to that subject pop up) but the administration reaching out to students allows us to channel our complaints into actual, meaningful change at the university. At the HSO and USG meetings, students brought up issues ranging from an expanded focus on STEM areas to more resources for transfer students. The suggested improvements were clearly rooted in personal experiences where Point Park fell short for students. But in the presence of President Hennigan and other administrative officials, students didn’t adopt the angry or hopeless tone they usually use in casual conversation with other students. Rather, they were respectful, thoughtful and focused on making the future of Point Park the best it can be. So think about what you’d like to change at Point Park – within reason, of course. And know that people are listening, if you choose to make your voice heard.

The Globe can be reached at globe@pointpark.edu.

Co-Opinions Editor

If there’s one thing young female progressives love, it’s being told they are stupid and their feelings are wrong and based on their hormones. If that statement isn’t true, recent comments from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and famous feminist Gloria Steinem have served only to alienate young women from Hillary Clinton’s campaign and pushed them further toward Bernie Sanders. As a young female progressive, let me take those statements out of the realm of the hypothetical and into the concrete and real. Steinem’s and Albright’s comments are insulting and anti-feminist and negatively color my previous, mostly-neutral feelings about the Clinton campaign. Steinem, appearing on Bill Maher’s show last Friday – a problem in and of itself, but one for another day – implied that young women were largely in favor of Sanders just to meet boys. “When you’re young, you’re thinking: ‘Where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie,’ ” she said. That’s actually not what I’m thinking. I don’t particularly care where the boys are. I’m thinking, who voted in favor of the Iraq war? Who wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour? Who is backed by corporate interests? Who are the hyper-wealthy afraid of? Steinem backed off from her stance on Sunday in a post on her Facebook page. “I misspoke on the Bill Maher show recently, and apologize for what’s been misinterpreted as implying young women aren’t serious in their politics,” Steinem said. “What I had just said on the same show was the opposite,” she went on to say. “Young women are active, mad as

hell about what’s happening to them, graduating in debt, but averaging a million dollars less over their lifetimes to pay it back. Whether they gravitate toward Bernie or Hillary, young women are activists and feminists in greater numbers than ever before.” That’s what young women want to hear. We don’t want to hear Madeleine Albright tell us that there’s a “special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.” In 2008, Sarah Palin attempted to co-opt that line, which Albright has been saying for years. Back then, Albright took offense to Palin’s use of her quote, saying that although she was flattered that Governor Palin chose to site her as a source of wisdom, “what I said had nothing to do with politics…The truth is, if you care about the status of women in our society and in our troubled economy, the best choice by far is Obama-Biden.” Albright evidently cannot see why that same principle would extend to this election. It’s understandable, as a Hillary Clinton presidency isn’t nearly the nightmare scenario that a Sarah Palin vice-presidency would be. But the sentiment still applies. Young women are hungry for a female president, sure, but they’re hungrier for a candidate who’s committed to attacking income inequality, climate change and criminal justice reform in systemic, meaningful ways. There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t think other women are smart enough to choose the candidate that will benefit the most amount of women, regardless of the candidate’s gender.

Laura Byko can be reached at lobyko@pointpark.edu.

Lawsuit highlights problems with environmental fines By Iain Oldman Staff Writer

In the midst of financial turmoil, Pittsburgh-based integrated steel producer US Steel is now facing a lawsuit for alleged violations to the Clean Air Act. PennFuture, a nonprofit environmental protection advocacy group, announced on Jan. 28 that it plans to file suit against US Steel, claiming it has discovered more than 6,700 air pollution violations from the Clairton Coke Works during a timespan between Jan. 1, 2012 and May 31, 2015. These violations stem from alleged emissions of toxic particulates, including sulfur dioxide. This number of violations should shock and displease anyone with even the most minimal of concerns for environmental health. What should infuriate us the most is that it took a nonprofit to hold US Steel accountable for its actions. Of course, this suit comes at an awful time for US Steel and its shareholders. The company just announced losses of $1.5 billion in 2015, including $999 million in the fourth quarter alone. Allegheny County Health Department ordered US Steel to refine its facilities and plants to cut emissions and meet public health standards. Clearly, US Steel neglected to do so. Because of Title III of the Clean

Air Act, citizens may file a lawsuit to obtain compliance to an emission standard issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The suit that PennFuture is bringing forward is being filed under this stipulation. Lawsuits brought forward by citizens or citizen groups can only move forward if the belligerent is not being pursued by the EPA or any state agency, meaning that, up to this point, there are no relevant government agencies pursuing US Steel to hold them legally accountable for their emission violations. This is a problem. Despite mounting public pressure for government agencies to prioritize environmental issues, there remains a deep divide between what the public hopes for and the penalties handed down against corporations that grossly violate environmental regulations. The lawsuit against US Steel merely highlights this problem. One of the most serious cases involving airborne pollution is occurring on the other side of the country, outside of Los Angeles. One of Southern California Gas Company’s natural gas wells has been leaking since at least Oct. 23. The company said it has paid $50 million in efforts to cap the leak and relocate the residents of Porter Ranch, CA, who have reported nausea, headaches

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and other symptoms. The leak itself is appallingly massive. Since the leak was discovered, it has been estimated that more than two million tons of climate-changing methane have been released into the air. That’s 2.5 million pounds per day, or as Time magazine recently reported, the environmental equivalent of 4.5 million extra cars on the road. That number is absolutely unacceptable, but since the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast, it seems as if we’ve grown numb to these numbers as a society. When that spill happened, BP was forced to pay $18.7 billion to the United States government for damages not covered -- the largest environmental fine in the nation’s history. This fine, which was under constant media coverage and scrutiny, was still too inadequate. The gas leak in California, for whatever reason, has received its fair portion of media coverage. There is justifiable fear that Southern California Gas Co. and its executives won’t face appropriate penalties, if there is such a thing. Last week, the company was charged by the Los Angeles district attorney with misdemeanor charges for failing to let state officials know about the leak until three days after it was detected. That’s been it so far -- a misdemeanor charge. Methane leaks are particularly Josh Croup, Editor-in-Chief Anthony Mendicino, Co-News Editor Alexander Popichak, Co-News Editor Karly Rivera, Co-Features Editor Eddie Trizzino, Co-Features Editor Johanna Wharran, Co-Opinions Editor Laura Byko, Co-Opinions Editor Michael Richter, Co-Sports Editor Matt Petras, Co-Sports Editor Dominique Hildebrand, News Photo Editor Chloe Jakiela, Features Photo Editor Liz Berie, Sports Photo Editor Julianne Griffith, Layout Editor Alex Grubbs, Co-Copy Desk Chief Emily Bennett, Co-Copy Desk Chief Kayla Novak, Copy Editor Carrie Reale, Copy Editor Beth Turnbull, Copy Editor Quinn Baumeister, Copy Editor Nicholas Fischer, Copy Editor Isabelle Opsitos, Copy Editor

dangerous to the climate and shockingly prevalent. According to a 2014 Stanford University study, methane emissions may be 50 percent higher than official projections by the EPA. A 2015 study from the American Chemical Society found that natural gas facilities lose about 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas each year, about eight times more than the estimates of the EPA. Many of these leaks go unreported and do not receive penalization. The horrible reality is that we’re currently letting corporate giants routinely get away with atrocious acts of environment poisoning without penalty. If the United States government truly believes in protecting our environment and changing its policies regarding human-induced climate change, the first and loudest measure it can take is to appropriately pursue legal and financial penalties against companies that regard the environment as the smallest point of importance. Unfortunately for US Steel, the courts should begin this shift in policy with PennFuture’s recommendations for penalties.

Iain Oldman can be reached at idoldma@pointpark.edu. Dana Bohince, Online Editor Gerri Tipton, Online Editor Sabrina Bodon, USG Beat Reporter Brianna Murray, Social Media Editor Alexa Yanyanin, Social Media Editor Emily Yount, Graphic Designer Arianna Khalil, Graphic Designer Kariann Mano, Business Manager Iain Oldman, Staff Writer Dr. Steven Hallock, Faculty Adviser

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THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

SPORTS CROUP’S CORNER By Josh Croup Sports Columnist

Two years, 1,000 points After 13 ties and 11 lead changes, Point Park edged out conference rival Rio Grande (Oh.) Saturday 92-89. Point Park improved to 13-10 and 6-7 in conference play with its win and moved to 1.5 games out of second place in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) Colonial Division. The game meant more to Pioneers point guard Jerah’me Williams. In just his second year at Point Park, Williams became the 20th player in Point Park history to score 1,000 career points. He is the fourth to accomplish the feat in two years. “It meant a lot,” Williams said in a phone interview Monday. “It felt good. It felt really good. It makes me think that hard work really does pay off. I was very appreciative of my coaches and my teammates.” The senior scored 24 points in the victory and played a big role down the stretch. With the Pioneers down six with three minutes left, Williams connected on a clutch 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three. One minute later and with 999 career points, he hit another trey to give Point Park an 81-80 lead. The Pioneers did not trail the rest of the game. It wasn’t until the final whistle blew that Williams learned of his accomplishment. “During the game, there was so much going and all I was focused on was getting the win,” Williams said. “I was very surprised. I was happy. I’m glad we got the win.” Men’s basketball at Point Park has a 49-year history. Williams is 19th on the all-time scoring list at Point Park after Saturday’s game and is within reach of passing his head coach on the list. 27th-year head coach Bob Rager’s 1071 points from 1970-74 is good for 15th on the all-time list. Williams transferred from Lourdes University in Ohio after his sophomore season. The Youngstown, Ohio native knew Rager and assistant coach Gabe Bubon

in high school, where he was a threetime All-Ohio selection at Campbell Memorial High School. He transferred to Point Park to get more playing time on the court and to play closer to home. Williams has averaged 19.3 points per game during his Point Park career and rarely sees time on the bench. The last Pioneer to score 1,000 points was Gabe McNeal from 201214. McNeal was the third player in Point Park history to score 1,000 points in two seasons and finished with 1,056 in his career. It only took Williams 52 games to rack up 1,000 points with still three games left in the regular season before the KIAC Tournament. The team has more chemistry on the court now than it did early in the season. The point guard said he appreciates his group coming together and playing as a team as the season winds down. “It means so much,” Williams said. “I wish we would have gotten it together at the beginning of the season. We’re doing so many things in practice like sharing the ball and playing so good as a team. At the beginning of the season, if we had done that, we would have more wins than we do now. I’m glad we’re playing together now…it means a lot.” Point Park is entering its final stretch of games in the regular season. For Williams and the other seniors, that means their time at Point Park is coming to a close. The newest member of the 1000-point club said the top priority for the team is winning the conference tournament and enjoying their final games together. “The main goal is to win the conference and go to the national championship,” Williams said. “The main thing, though, is just to have fun.”

Josh Croup can be reached at jdcroup@pointpark.edu.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Men’s basketball offense goes on late run to secure victory “With their size, we had to start making plays from the floor,” Rager said. “And eventually, we started In a span of 57 seconds, Point doing that. I think that fueled the Park men’s basketball guard Jer- run.” ah’me Williams made two 3-point Goodwin kicked off the run shots, which gave the Pioneers an with a point from the foul line. On 81-80 lead over Rio Grande Univer- the ensuing offensive possession, sity with 2:03 left on the scoreboard. Konate forced a foul and added two “For most of the game, I couldn’t more points. get the look that I wanted,” Williams With three minutes remaining, said. “Then I hit those threes [in Williams hit his first of two clutch the last couple 3-pointers, putminutes of the ting the Pioneers game]. I didn’t within three of Rio think it was goGrande. On the ing to happen, next play, Redbut I’m blessed Storm guard Kevfor that.” onta Black turned The Pioneers the ball back over (13-10) defeated to the Pioneers. Rio Grande (16Subsequently, 9) 92-89 at home Goodwin added on Feb. 6. The a point from the win improved foul line, decreasPoint Park’s ing Rio Grande’s Kentucky Interlead to 80-78 with collegiate Ath2:22 left. letic Conference After another (KIAC) record to Rio Grande turn6-7, as the team over, Williams remains in the scored on another hunt for a KIAC 3-point shot, and playoff spot. the Pioneers led “We have in- Sophomore forward Fousseini Konate for the remainder tensity and de- scored a career-high 27 points during of the game. sire,” said Point Saturday’s 92-89 win against Rio Williams atPark head coach Grande at CCAC South. tributed Konate’s Bob Rager. “A screening ability lot of times when as the reason for you have intensity and desire, it’s go- making both 3-point attempts late ing to go your way.” in the game. The score was close throughout “Fou (Konate) set screens that most of the first half of the game. allowed me to get a good look at the The RedStorm managed to build basket,” Williams said. “Fou is the the biggest lead of the opening half, best screener I’ve ever played with.” as they were up 30-23 with 6:26 Williams finished the game with until halftime. 24 points, which put him over 1,000 Then the Point Park offense was points scored in his two seasons at reinvigorated by a series of plays from Point Park. He is the 20th player forward Yandell Denis. He scored one in school history to achieve this aclayup, then got a complishment. steal and took the (Read more in ball to the other Croup’s Corner). end of the court Konate tofor an uncontesttaled 27 points, 11 ed layup. This rebounds, three decreased Rio steals and two Grande’s lead to blocks against the 30-27 with 5:18 to RedStorm. His 27 play until halftime. points are a caShortly therereer-high. after, Pioneers “We’ve been guard Sa’iid Allen working hard evsunk a 3-pointer Bob Rager ery day in practo tie the game at Head Coach tice, and coach 32. Additional- Point Park Men’s Basketball has been pushing ly, guard Kelvin us,” Konate said. Goodwin and De“We’ve been able nis scored a couto pick it up after ple more points. Finally, Fousseini some downfall at the beginning of Konate scored on a layup to knot the the season.” score at 38 with 13 seconds remainUp next for the Pioneers is a ing prior to the half. road game against Indiana UniverTwo 3-pointers enabled the sity Southeast (8-16) on Feb. 19. RedStorm to jump ahead early on in “With a couple of games left, we the second half. For about 17 min- just [have to] go hard,” Rager said. utes of the second half, Rio Grande either led or the score was tied. The Pioneers did not turn things around until there were less Michael Richter than five minutes to play. Starting can be reached at at 4:46 to play, the Pioneers went on mwricht@pointpark.edu. a 15-0 run after trailing 80-71. By Michael Richter Co-Sports Editor

“We have intensity and desire. A lot of times when you have intensity and desire, it’s going to go your way.”

Senior guard Jerah’me Williams got his 1,000 career point during a home game win against Rio Grande on Feb. 6 at CCAC South.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

SPORTS

THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Women’s basketball loses, drops to third in division

Unable to persevere The Pioneers were out-rebounded 48-24 versus Rio Grande, and they turned the ball over nine times. Grenek characterizes that play as careless, which is why he does not believe his team is capable of greatness. “I don’t think we have the heart to succeed, to be honest with you,” Grenek said. “They’re a great bunch of kids. They’re nice. But they don’t want to be successful. They’re happy with the status quo, and it’s been frustrating. It’s been this way all season long.” Hurst does not necessarily believe that the team does not have heart, but she admitted that the team is in a state of vexation. “It is really hard whenever you lose the courage within yourself,” Hurst said. “It’s to the point where we’re in a funk right now.”

throughout the three remaining quarters — her performance on offense was representative of the With his right elbow resting on team as a whole. his lap and his right hand supportRio Grande went on a 21-6 run ing his head, Point Park women’s throughout the second quarter. The basketball head coach Tony Grenek Pioneers made less than one percent shook his head with a despairing of their shots from the field during look on his face as he watched Pio- the second quarter, which allowed neers guard Kaitlyn Smith and for- the RedStorm to gain a 32-29 lead ward Carly Forse miss consecutive at halftime. Point Park did not oblayups while Rio tain one lead Grande was up during the entire by 12 points with second half. less than four The Pioneers minutes remaindefense kept the ing Saturday. score within five “We don’t repoints for the bound, we don’t entirety of the shoot well and third quarter, but we don’t execute the offense was our plays well,” unable to string Grenek said. together many After startconsecutive sucing out with a cessful offensive 23-12 lead by possessions. the conclusion In addition, of the first quarPoint Park went ter, the Pioneers 0-for-10 from were outscored 3-point range in in each of the the second half — three remaining six of those missquarters against es came in the the RedStorm. third quarter. With the 75- photo courtesy of Liz Berie, Point Park “We couldn’t Athletics 57 road victory hit the three,” over Point Park Senior guard Alexa Xenakis rushes to the said Pioneers (16-9) on Feb. 6, net during a 75-57 home loss against guard Alexa XeRio Grande (16- Rio Grande on Feb. 6 at CCAC South. nakis. “It felt like 7) assumed secwe were 2-for-30 ond place in the from the 3-point Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic line.” Conference (KIAC) Colonial diviIn the final six minutes of the sion standings, and the Pioneers game, the RedStorm went on a 19-6 dropped to third place. run to secure the victory. Forse, who led the team in scoring against Rio Grande, scored eight Losing Momentum points in the first quarter, which In a post-game interview, helped fuel the Pioneers to a 23-12 Grenek pointed out that the Piolead by the end of the first quarter. neers have lost several games this However, Forse scored nine points season in which they possessed a

double-digit lead. “It’s the same thing every game,” Grenek said. “You can write it down on paper. We’re probably gonna have a 10-point lead, and then we’re gonna squander it away.” In five of Point Park’s nine losses this season, they obtained a lead of 10 or more points — the first of those five instances was against Bluefield (Va.) in the season opener. “Our performance tonight really hasn’t been different from many other games this season,” Grenek said. Pioneers forward Leah Hurst said that her team tends to become discouraged when it faces adversity and goes on stretches with very little offensive production, which is what happened in the second quarter against Rio Grande and continued through the second half. “Whenever we get down on ourselves, we have the tendency to pack it in and not continue to play our hardest,” said Hurst. “Once something bad happens in a game or something doesn’t go our way, we completely shut down. It’s like a light switch.”

photo courtesy of Sam Robinson, Point Park Athletics Freshmen guard Kaitlyn Smith dribbles up the court, ready to pass to a teammate in a 64-56 win over West Virginia Tech on Feb. 2 at CCAC South.

photo courtesy of Liz Berie, Point Park Athletics Sophomore guard Shaniya Rivers attempts to pass the ball to Senior guard Leah Hurst during a home loss against Rio Grande on Feb. 6 at CCAC South.

By Michael Richter Co-Sports Editor

Up Next The Pioneers play Midway University at home on Feb. 11.

Michael Richter can be reached at mwricht@pointpark.edu.

Pittsburgh Penguins executive to present at Point Park By Casey Hoolahan For The Globe

In its fifth year of operation, the Pittsburgh Center for Sports Media and Marketing is getting ready to host another event for students at Point Park. On Tuesday, Feb. 16 in room 701 of The Student Center, Terry Kalna will be speaking at an event called “The New World of Sports Sales and Branding.” “[Kalna] will talk about his journey after college, his career, and how he got where he is today,” said Kelsey Veydt, graduate assistant to the Center and undergraduate alumni. Kalna was named Senior Vice President of Sales and Broadcasting for the Pittsburgh Penguins last April, and was previously the managing director for NASCAR’s sister company, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) for eight years. Kalna also acts as the Penguin’s primary contact with ROOT Sports. This event is one of many net-

working opportunities the Center has hosted. This event will be about an hour long, including a twenty minute Q&A session with Kalna and attending students. Past speakers have included professionals from ESPN, ROOT Sports, Adidas and more. “We had the announcers from the Pirates, Penguins and Steelers,” Marissa Rayes, junior Student Advisory Board member and public relations and advertising major, said when reflecting on other exciting past guests to the Center’s events. Casey McGaw, a sophomore sports, arts and entertainment management (SAEM) major, who is also one of 15 members on the Center’s Student Advisory Board, volunteered for all three Center events last semester. “Those people come in and talk to our students about their jobs and what they do working in the sports industries,” McGaw said. Events like this are part of the Center’s goal of giving students access to networking with real-world

professionals. This networking provides connections that are vital to students’ budding careers in the sports and entertainment industries. However, Veydt wants students to know that this event is not exclusive to SAEM majors. “I personally believe marketing is involved in everything,” Veydt, who hopes for a turnout of students with many different majors, said. Members of the Student Advisory Board for the Center agree. McGaw hopes the Center will continue trying “reaching out to students other than ones within the communication majors.” Beyond networking, the event is also “a great opportunity for students to learn about and get connected with sports and branding and how that impacts their world today,” said freshman board member and broadcast reporting major Jess Paterchak. An incentive to all students at this semester’s event will be the exciting door prizes, where students

will be automatically entered as they check in for several prizes including a set of Pittsburgh Penguins tickets—a contest “unique to this year,” Veydt said. The Center was founded by two of Point Park’s alumni, Mike Fetchko and Tom McMillan. McMillan is also involved with the Pittsburgh Penguins as the Vice President of Communications. “[McMillan] gave us an education session on ticketing trends and different aspects of hockey operations,” Rayes said. “Then we got to go to a game.” Students like McGaw are appreciative of these efforts from the Center. “It’s really cool to have those kinds of connections,” McGaw said.

Casey Hoolahan can be reached at cahoola@pointpark.edu.