Fifty Shades of Grey Receives Mixed Reviews "The Film Buff" reviews 'Fifty Shades,' and highlights the audience's favorite moments, and those that fizzled in comparison to the Page D-2 book.
Friday February 27, 2015 • Volume 98, Issue Number 17 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper
www.theonlinerocket.com
Delays utilized only when necessary, E-team says
Two-Hour Delay & Cancellation of Evening Classes
Cancellation of Evening Classes
Two-Hour Delay
GRAPHIC BY KARLEIGH SANTRY/THE ROCKET
The daily low temperatures between Feb. 16 and Feb. 20 at Slippery Rock are depicted above with the wind chill factored in. During that week, the SRU E-team delayed classes twice and cancelled evening classes twice.
By Haley Barnes News Editor
The temperatures at Slippery Rock have been dropping below zero degrees resulting in two two-hour delays and two cancellations of evening classes for students and faculty. SRU students expressed mixed emotions through social media, such as Yik Yak and Twitter, about how delays and cancellations are handled at SRU. On Feb. 16, there was confusion among students on whether the university was on a two-hour delay schedule or not because there was a message left on the university emergency hotline saying for Feb. 18,
Active Minds Explains Body Image The organization invites a guest speaker and a panel to discuss body dysmorphia. Page D-3
the university was on a two hour delay schedule. “I can only apologize for that,” Rita Abent, Executive Director for SRU Public Relations and member of SRU’s emergency team (E-team) said. “There was an equipment error and it is being worked on by IT.” Abent said students shouldn’t rely on just the emergency hotline because notifications for delays and closings will always be sent via E2Campus text alerts, SRU email, featured on the university’s homepage, television and the radio. “When a decision is made, we communicate it immediately,” Abent added. “If you don’t hear from us, the university is running on a normal
schedule.” Abent also clarified that a low temperature does not automatically dictate a closing. “On the Thursday [Feb. 19] and Friday [Feb. 20] we had a delay, those were the result of the facilities staff not having the equipment to be able to insure that the campus would be cleared and safe by 8 a.m.,” Abent said. “While we did have severe temperatures this week, the campus was safe. We have an expectation that our students will dress appropriately for conditions.” SEE WHOLE, PAGE A-2
SGA votes to move forward with sand courts renovations By Amber Cannon Assistant News Editor
The Slipper y Rock Student Government Association voted to begin the process of renovating the sand tennis courts after discussing the initiative at their informal meeting Monday night. Matthew Hauze, senior physics major and a member of the club tennis, 22, spoke at the SGA meeting last Monday in regards to the rehabilitation of the sand tennis courts. Hauze said the first time the club tennis team brought the issue up was the fall of 2013. When the team tried to go to SGA the first time, it was shut down, Hauze said. Soon after, the president picked the issue back up and Hauze led the way. At the SGA meeting last Monday, Hauze spoke about an initiative the club tennis team discussed in the hopes that it would get granted. “We’re hoping that if the entire thing goes through that it would just be between $150,000 and $170,000 and that would be broken up between the three departments, athletics for the teams, education for the classes and then SGA because of the fact that the community and the club sports use them,” Hauze said. “However, Coach Meredith and I have discussed a way to make it a two-step process where we would only put the asphalt down and we would put our own lines down and we would deal with
taking the second part to finish it off at a later time. If we did that, we would only need about $100,000.” One of the reasons why the courts need renovated is because they serve as a safety hazard to students, Hauze said. He said there have been multiple floodings, especially over the past few years. Hauze said mold has started to grow on the courts and if you walk down the street and look at the edges, you can actually see it. Hauze said the courts being renovated would not only benefit the club tennis team, but the whole university as well. He also said at last week’s SGA meeting if the courts don’t get done, there might not be a club tennis team. “The courts right now are used every day. Usually we have to try and tell people that they can’t come to them, which is why we wanted more courts,” Hauze said. “The girl’s team and the community uses them all the time. Some of us are dedicated enough that we play six to seven hours per day if we have time after schoolwork. Every single time I go do there, there’s at least one group of people playing every time.” At their informal meeting on Monday, SGA voted on whether they were going to grant the tennis team the money for the courts or fail the motion.
North Hall To Be Updated Soon
Oscars Serve To Discuss Injustice
Rock Women Make Playoffs
SRU Maintenance and Residence Life staff discuss upcoming renovation plans. Page A-3
Read what students think about the Oscars from the speeches to the red carpet. Page B-2
The women's basketball team earns playoff berth for the first time since 2005-2006. Page C-1
SEE SENATE, PAGE A-3
'Spring Harvest's' Audience Decides The theatre department involves the audience in discussing consent in their new play. Page D-1
NEWS
A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Frigid with periods of sun
Frigid
Cloudy, afternoon snow, 1-2”
Low clouds
A wintry mix in the afternoon
Rain and drizzle in the a.m.
Rain
11°
-6°
6°
19°
REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE
Fri.
Sat.
Sun. Mon.
Tue.
CITY Akron Allentown Altoona Cleveland Erie Harrisburg Indiana Johnstown Philadelphia Pittsburgh Scranton State College Wheeling Williamsport Youngstown
Friday HI LO W 13 -5 pc 25 0 pc 18 -2 pc 12 -3 pc 9 -1 pc 27 6 pc 17 -7 pc 12 -6 pc 30 9 pc 14 -4 pc 22 -1 pc 20 -1 pc 16 -1 pc 24 -4 pc 13 -7 pc
Wed. Thu.
Saturday HI LO W 23 10 pc 26 8 s 24 9 s 21 9 s 18 7 pc 26 11 s 23 4 pc 21 6 pc 27 12 s 24 9 s 25 0 s 24 10 s 25 13 s 26 5 s 22 8 pc
32°
14°
39°
UV INDEX
Fri.
Sat.
Monday HI LO W 32 22 c 40 18 c 36 22 c 31 19 c 29 15 c 41 21 c 34 19 c 32 20 c 42 26 sn 32 17 c 37 14 c 35 17 c 35 24 c 39 15 c 31 18 c
Sun. Mon.
Tuesday HI LO W 41 38 i 34 29 i 35 33 i 40 37 i 36 33 sn 36 33 i 38 36 i 34 33 sn 38 35 sn 38 32 i 35 32 i 34 33 i 44 41 i 36 32 i 38 36 i
45°
Sun
Tue.
Wed. Thu.
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
Sunday HI LO W 34 23 sn 31 26 pc 34 31 sn 33 24 sn 30 20 sn 35 28 pc 37 31 sn 35 28 sn 34 32 pc 36 28 sn 31 24 sn 33 30 sn 37 27 sn 33 27 sn 32 20 sn
33°
25°
38°
NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES
15°
Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal
IN THE SKY
™
The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Shown are the highest and lowest values for each day.
REGIONAL CITIES
26°
33° ®
Wednesday HI LO W 43 25 c 38 28 r 47 31 r 40 22 c 39 23 r 48 31 c 48 30 r 45 28 r 48 30 r 48 25 c 48 30 c 45 31 r 50 28 c 49 27 c 41 25 c
Thursday HI LO W 30 10 sn 34 25 c 32 14 c 26 11 sn 29 11 sn 38 17 c 32 16 i 30 15 c 40 24 c 33 17 i 35 15 pc 32 13 c 35 17 i 35 14 c 30 9 sn
P
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Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Moon
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Rise 6:58 a.m. 6:57 a.m. 6:55 a.m. 6:54 a.m. 6:52 a.m. 6:51 a.m. 6:49 a.m. Rise 12:57 p.m. 1:49 p.m. 2:44 p.m. 3:39 p.m. 4:35 p.m. 5:31 p.m. 6:28 p.m.
MOON PHASES
Set 6:08 p.m. 6:10 p.m. 6:11 p.m. 6:12 p.m. 6:13 p.m. 6:14 p.m. 6:15 p.m. Set 2:49 a.m. 3:37 a.m. 4:19 a.m. 4:58 a.m. 5:32 a.m. 6:04 a.m. 6:34 a.m.
Full
Last
New
First
3/5
3/13
3/20
3/27
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015
February 27, 2015 PRECIPITATION
Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal
National Summary: Snow will fall across the Rockies and the central Plains on Saturday with icy conditions across the southern Plains. Showers will impact Florida, the Southwest and southern Texas. By Sunday, snow will fall from the southern Rockies to the Great Lakes. Showers will occur across the Southwest and south of the Ohio River to the Gulf Coast. A few thunderstorms will occur across Arkansas and Louisiana. Snow showers will taper off across the Northeast on Monday. Showers will occur from the mid-Atlantic and the Missouri Valley to the Gulf Coast and across the West Coast. Rain and snow will fall across the southern Rockies with icy conditions across the central Plains.
NATIONAL CITIES
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday CITY HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W Atlanta 46 31 pc 47 36 pc 48 44 sh 64 57 r 70 61 t 69 50 r 58 38 r Boston 25 9 pc 26 9 s 32 27 pc 38 18 sn 34 28 c 42 28 r 34 23 pc Chicago 15 -2 s 21 14 s 31 13 sn 30 24 c 40 28 i 29 11 c 18 6 sn Cincinnati 19 3 pc 28 20 pc 40 28 sn 39 29 c 51 40 r 46 25 c 29 13 sn Dallas 32 25 sn 39 32 i 52 43 sh 60 56 sh 71 44 t 60 32 pc 51 31 pc Denver 21 4 sn 22 5 sn 22 8 sn 32 19 sn 32 5 sn 18 -3 sn 32 13 s Detroit 17 1 s 20 6 s 31 18 sn 33 18 pc 37 29 i 38 16 c 23 7 sn Houston 52 37 c 61 52 c 76 64 sh 79 65 c 77 63 t 74 51 sh 63 45 r Indianapolis 16 -2 s 24 19 s 35 22 sn 33 26 c 44 34 r 38 14 c 23 8 sn Kansas City 22 12 s 29 24 sn 34 20 sn 39 33 i 48 22 sn 30 12 sn 30 12 sn Los Angeles 68 55 pc 64 51 sh 60 47 sh 61 48 pc 63 48 sh 64 46 s 67 50 pc Miami 79 70 sh 80 72 sh 82 72 sh 83 71 c 83 71 pc 85 70 s 85 68 s Nashville 31 22 s 45 34 c 50 40 pc 50 43 sh 67 49 t 59 33 r 45 23 c New Orleans 53 42 s 61 55 pc 71 63 sh 78 64 sh 77 65 t 76 56 t 70 48 sh New York City 28 12 c 28 14 s 36 31 pc 44 23 sn 38 34 sn 45 34 c 38 28 c Orlando 69 56 c 73 67 sh 77 65 sh 83 65 c 86 66 pc 87 65 s 87 62 s Phoenix 77 57 pc 69 57 c 60 53 sh 62 48 sh 62 47 sh 63 43 s 67 46 s San Francisco 62 52 sh 61 48 sh 64 48 pc 62 49 sh 61 46 s 62 44 s 63 47 s Seattle 54 39 sh 53 34 s 54 41 s 51 35 sh 48 30 s 48 33 s 52 38 pc Washington, DC 33 16 pc 32 21 s 41 35 pc 48 31 sn 41 39 i 57 38 r 43 26 c Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
University begins selection of Associate Provost of Student Success New provost expected to start this summer By Bridget McClure Rocket Contributor
The search for an Associate Provost of Student Success and College of Business, Information, and Social Sciences Dean began at Slippery Rock University earlier this semester, with interviews ending this week. Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Philip Way, realigned programs and services in order to merge two divisions, academic affairs and student affairs. The integration is to provide more and better programs and services efficiently, and creates the new title of associate provost for student success.
“Open positions that are posted are initiated by the hiring manager and go through a few levels of approval,” Holly McCoy said, assistant Vice President of diversity and equal opportunity. “The applications come back online and there’s a search committee that reviews them and selects candidates to interview.” The position’s search committee has had six finalists come to campus for day and a half interviews from Feb. 12 through Feb. 25. The newly hired associate provost for student success is expected to begin in the summer of 2015. The associate provost for student success will oversee academic services, retention services, special populations, residence life programming, and health and wellness.
Whole day cancellations occur rarely, E-team says Continued from Page A-1
INDEX Blotter.................A-3 S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C - 1 Opinion................B-1 Campus Life...........D-1 Comics...................B-3
CONTACT US Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu
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Abent said the conditions of campus parking lots, sidewalks, roads and av a i l a b i l i t y o f u t i l i t y services are all taken into consideration when delaying or cancelling classes. “A delayed opening is usually recommended when an additional two hours would give campus and road crews sufficient time to clear walkways, parking lots and roads and make the campus safe for students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Abent explained. Ab e n t s a i d t h a t a cancellation is considered when the conditions of the campus are not able to be maintained in a reasonable amount of time. “The key word here is reasonable,” she said. “Will everything be plowed to bare
pavement and dry? Probably not, but you would be able to walk, drive and park with minimum difficulty. The E-team is constantly evaluating conditions since they change throughout the day.” As the E-team is constantly evaluating temperatures and campus conditions throughout the day, there have been two cancellations of evening classes. Abent explained that the decision to cancel the whole day is made no later than 6 a.m. and the decision to cancel evening classes is made no later than 3 p.m. Ab ent explained that in the event of a full day cancellation, there would be a complete suspension of all university operations, other than the essentials, such as residence halls, dining, and health services. “A couple of the issues the
ROCK NOTES To submit a Rock Note please send your announcement by 6 p.m. Wednesday to Haley Barnes at hmb1006@sru.edu or to rocket. news@sru.edu. The Rocket does not guarantee that all requests will be published in the paper.
president’s cabinet and the E-team are reviewing are what facilities in addition to the residence halls, dining and the health center should be open and available,” she added. “The provost is also reviewing ways in which instruction might be delivered during the rare occasion the university might close.” Students can sign up for E2Campus text alerts by going to the Slippery Rock University website. Abent said with the cold w e at h e r s t u d e nt s c a n prote c t t h e ms e lve s by dressing warm, protecting the extremities such as hands and feet, wearing a hat, wearing proper boots, staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol, getting out of wet clothing as soon as possible, k n ow i ng t he s i g ns of hypothermia and watching for frostbite.
The Marjorie Stephenson Scholarship Criteria and applications can be found at the Interlibrary Loan desk, first floor of Bailey Library. The application and other materials are due by March 16 in the Administrative Office of Bailey Library, second floor by 12 p.m. The maximum award for the scholarship is $1,000. Computers in Caruth-Rizza Hall The Caruth-Rizza Hall computer lab is in room 211 and open to students Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m and Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are classes in the room on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9:35 a.m.
NEWS
February 27, 2015
A-3
POLICE BLOTTER safety office. Campus Feb. 17 – Burnt food set off a fire alarm at the R.O.C.K Apartments. The alarm was reset.
Feb. 24 – Police received a call for an Feb. 21 – Burnt food set off a fire alarm at unknown person entering a room at Building Building F. The alarm was reset. A. The case is under investigation.
Feb. 21 – Joseph Cordier, 20, Scott Douglas, Feb. 17 – A metis alarm was accidently 20, Antonio Guerrucci, 19, Zachary Klapp, 20 tripped at Swope. The alarm was reset. and Nath Wellcome, 19, were issued underage citations at Building F. Feb. 17 – Police received a call for a flooding in the basement coming from the sprinklers at Feb. 21 – Burnt food set of a fire alarm at Boozel Dining Hall. Maintenance was called to the R.O.C.K Apartments. The panel was reset. repair the sprinklers. Feb. 21 – Police were called for an odor of Feb. 18 – Burnt popcorn set off a fire alarm marijuana at Building E. The case is under at Rhodes Hall. The building was evacuated investigation. because of the smoke. The alarm was reset. Feb. 21 – A police officer, while exiting his Feb. 18 – Police responded to a trouble alarm vehicle, fell in the snow covered Police Staff going off at North Hall. Officers checked the Parking Lot and hurt his knee and ankle. The area and found the elevator and the attic were officer refused medical treatment. flooded from a broken pipe. Maintenance was called to repair the broken pipe. Feb. 22 – Burnt food set off a fire alarm at the R.O.C.K Apartments. The alarm was reset. Feb. 18 – Michael Mazzanti, 19, was charged with disorderly conduct and issued an underage Feb. 22 – An individual reported their car citation at Building F. was hit sometime between Feb. 20 and Feb. 22 at the Kraus Hall Lot. Feb. 19 – A metis alarm was accidently tripped by the cleaning staff at Bailey Library. Feb. 23 – Police received a medical call at the The panel was reset. Aebersold Recreation Center. Police and an ambulance arrived and treated the individual Feb. 19 – A metis alarm was accidently on the scene. tripped at Spotts. The panel was reset. Feb. 23 – There was a reported theft of items Feb. 20 – Campus police assisted the at the Morrow Field House. The case is under Sherriff ’s department for an individual with investigation. three warrants. Feb. 23 – There was a reported theft of Feb. 20 – A hair dryer set off a fire alarm at a credit card that was used within the last Watson Hall. The alarm was reset. month. The case is under investigation.
Borough Feb. 17 – A hit-and-run was reported at Sheetz where a red Jeep Liberty backed into a delivery truck then left the scene. Feb. 18 – A theft was reported at the Fairfield Inn where a customer had jewelry stolen from her hotel room. Feb. 19 – Mitchell Mounts was cited for disorderly house for a noise violation. Feb. 19 – Aaron Lease was cited for disorderly house for a noise violation and underage consumption. Feb. 20 – Shaquan Pratt was arrested for driving under the influence after being stopped for a traffic violation along South Main Street. Feb. 21 – Cody Huff was cited for underage consumption after an incident along Elm Street. Feb. 20 – Leah Herbert was cited for disorderly house for a noise violation. Feb. 22 – Ariana Daukss and Benjamin Lilly were cited for underage consumption and disorderly conduct after being found engaging in unlawful activity along Center Street.
Feb. 20 – Police received a call for a trouble Feb. 24 – Police received a call for an alarm for a sprinkler system at North Hall. individual who has a no-trespass order. The Compiled by Amber Cannon The system was checked and referred to the individual was escorted off campus by police.
Maintenance and Residence Life staff plan to renovate North Hall By Haley Barnes News Editor
Within the past few weeks, North Hall had a flooded elevator after a pipe burst and has been evacuated after a malfunctioning washing machine smoked triggering the fire alarm. Paul Novak, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, verified the safety of the building and confirmed renovation plans of North Hall. Novak said that last week a pipe burst in North Hall due to the extreme cold. “This is not a unique situation,” Novak said. “It was just because of the extreme cold and all of that and it broke and it flooded the elevator, but it was not unique because in the last I would say week or so, we’ve been played with a number of sprinkler line breaks.” Sprinkler line breaks have happened not only in North Hall, but in Building D and Boozel as well within the past few weeks, Novak explained. “It’s just because of the cold weather, unfortunately,” Novak said. “It’s just one of those things, it’s not due to any kind of aging pipes because they are all plastic. It’s just because of the extreme cold temperature here.”
Novak said that within his four years at SRU the trigger of the fire alarm in North Hall that happened on Feb. 11 was the first time that anything severe has happened to North Hall since the fire that burned down the building on the morning of Oct. 16, 1937. Novak said any time a fire alarm goes off, it is going off for a reason. According to Novak, approximately $3,500 is spent yearly to test and inspect the fire suppression and detection systems including fire extinguishers semiannually in North Hall. D a n i e l B row n , As s i s t a nt Director of Housing Operations, explained that if something severe were to ever happen to North Hall or any other residence hall, matters would be viewed from a time perspective. Brown said that if it were just an emergency to last for a few days, cots would be set up in designated areas for students to sleep on. If it were a long-term emergency, a contract would be set up with local hotels and local housing areas in Slippery Rock in order to accommodate the students. "It wouldn't be like you're living three weeks in the gym on a cot," Brown said. Brown and Novak met last week to discuss the renovations
of housing. “The department of Residence Life is looking at all of the residence halls, including A through F as well, and specifically Rhoads Hall and North Hall are slated for some upgrades and modifications,” Novak said. Novak also added that the Rock Apartments are due for some upgrades as well. Brown said that the eight community bathrooms in North Hall are going to be renovated this summer. "That will be resurfacing, some new fixtures, so that will be some good updates in that area," Brown said. Brown said that these community bathroom renovations are expected to cost between $200,000 and $250,000. Brown said that there is also a proposal to put new flooring in the dorm rooms of North Hall in the future as well. Novak explained that safety renovations are projected to begin the summer of 2016. “We’re going to do some upgrades. As far as safety goes, we’re looking to upgrade the fire alarm system and the devices," Novak said. He said that currently in North Hall the fire alarms in the hallways
report to campus police dispatch. The individual room units will alarm when set off, but there is no notification to campus police dispatch. “So that’s going to change,” Novak said. “We’re going to upgrade the fire alarm system to make sure that all the devices report, we’re going to put new devices in, we are going to move to an addressable system that we can talk, you know we can give instructions, and we are also going to move the technology to fiber.” He said there are a number of buildings on campus that still use telephone lines to communicate, which is outdated. He said fiber makes results in more efficient communication. Novak said that one thing he is looking to put in all the dorms and residences halls are the call boxes that are on the walls inside other campus buildings. With residence halls as their full capacity, Novak believes that these call boxes will help make the campus safer. Brown said that Residence Life always plans to look forward. Brown said that in the future Residence Life is looking to put new furniture on one of the floors in Rhoads Hall and reconstruct the front porch of Rhoads Hall as well.
Senate hesitates to grant club tennis team money Continued from Page A-1
SGA President Katie Hill said the senate decided to support the club tennis team’s initiative. “So what happened is we [the senate] met with Dr. Way and I just wanted to hear his side on what was going on before I made an informed decision because I just feel like there were a lot of ‘ifs, this, then this,’ and I wanted to make sure that we were making the right decision before we just contribute money,” Hill said. Hill said from here, the next step is that the university is going to form a committee made up of people all across the university, including people from finance, SGA, the club tennis team, the ARC and a few others. The committee will then look at the estimates and from the estimates, the committee will apply for a Green Grant, with the award amount being up to $20,000. Hill said
the Green Grant is a grant used to make college campuses safer. The university is also going to apply for the USTA [United States Tennis Association] grant, which will be used towards the project as well, if awarded, Hill said. “What’s going to happen next then is they’re [the university] going to pull the information together, get an estimate and see if we can get these grants,” Hill said. "Hopefully between us [SGA], academics and maybe athletics, we’re going to split up the money and see if it’s actually feasible to pay for this.” There was a hesitation to grant the club tennis team their initiative last week at the senate meeting and Hill said the reason why is because the senate didn’t know how much money the renovations were going to cost. “Being a business, you can’t just be like, ‘We’re going to put in $100,000 and hope it turns out for the best’,” Hill said.
Hill said the senate didn’t want to spend the money if it wasn’t going to benefit the whole student population. She also said the senate hesitated because nobody knew who was going to help maintain the courts and who was going to help with the money. “I think everyone deep down wanted to, but it was just like we didn’t know what steps we were going to take yet,” Hill said. Hauze said that he understood SGA’s hesitation and he knew the senate wanted to make sure they were doing the right decision. “It’s not like a little amount of money," Hauze said. "We were hoping to break it up to make it doable for everyone. We tried to do it between different departments. What I got from them [SGA] was they wanted to make sure that they did it right and they didn’t want to have any mishaps.”
O
OPINION
Our View
Delays last week were nonsensical
OPINION rocket.letters@sru.edu Volume 98, Number 17
220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057 Phone: Fax: E-mail:
(724) 738-4438 (724) 738-4896 rocket.letters@sru.edu
EDITORIAL BOARD Kevin Squires
Editor-in-Chief
Haley Barnes
News Editor
Katie Ellis
Campus Life Editor
Brian Hepfinger
Sports Editor
Alex Mowrey
Photo Editor
Andrew Conner
Web/Social Media Editor
Shelby Stearns
Copy Editor
Amber Cannon
Assistant News Editor
Janelle Wilson
Assist. Campus Life Editor
Ryan Barlow
Assistant Sports Editor
Rebecca Dietrich
Assistant Photo Editor
Emily Brown
Multimedia Reporter
Mark Zeltner
Faculty Adviser
ADVERTISING STAFF Karleigh Santry
Advertising Manager
ABOUT US The Rocket is published by the students of Slippery Rock University every Friday during the academic semester with the exception of holidays, exam periods and vacations. Total weekly circulation is 3,000. No material appearing in The Rocket may be reprinted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. The first copy of The Rocket is provided free of charge. Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents each. The Rocket receives approximately 5 percent of its funding from the SGA Student Activity fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising. Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 7382643 or by emailing rocket.ads@sru.edu.
CORRECTIONS If we make a substantial error, we want to correct it. If you believe an error has been made, call The Rocket newsroom at (724) 738-4438. If a correction is warranted it will be printed in the opinion section.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Rocket are available. Subscriptions are $20 per academic semester and $35 for the full academic year. Inquiries should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at the address listed here.
REBECCA DIETRICH / THE ROCKET
Slippery Rock University was on a two-hour delay compressed schedule Thursday and Friday of last week following wind chill factors resulting in subzero temperatures that lasted almost entirely throughout the two day timeframe. Whether the alternative was that classes were cancelled completely or followed a normal schedule, we think SRU made the wrong choice in calling a two-hour delay on these occasions. It’s nonsensical. A two hour delay should be implemented if it is for the temperature to increases or to allow time to clear roads. Neither of those things was the reality on either of the days. There had not been significant increases in precipitation and because temperatures never increased to allow snow to melt and refreeze to ice. So, if student safety is the main concern and the cancellations were due to cold temperatures, classes should be cancelled. If the students were safe in the freezing temperatures, then no delay was called for. To give a two-hour delay isn’t meeting anyone halfway. Frostbite or hypothermia following the delay were just as serious of a concern following the delay. With no increase in temperatures, students would not have had any safer of a venture to classes. It’s making a poor choice in an effort to make students feel like “at least it’s something” and keep them quiet and feeling good. Rita Abent, SRU director of public relations and member of the campus Emergency Team (E-Team) responsible for making
recommendations to the president on class cancellations, said that the university takes the matter of cancelling classes very seriously. She also said that the number one concern is always the safety of students, staff, faculty and visitors on campus. These two priorities are at ends to one another, creating a delicate balancing act of academics and student life. Fortunately, the E-Team is chaired by the provost, and has representatives from business and administration, public relations, student life, facilities and campus police, according to the SRU website. Supposedly, the condition of campus parking lots, roads and sidewalks, availability of uninterrupted utility services, condition of local and state roads as indicated by road and storm advisories, weather forecasts and ice, wind and severely cold temperatures are considered in recommending a decision on delays and cancellations. The past week had recorded temperatures as low as -18 degrees Fahrenheit. But, Abent said that in these freezing temperatures students just need to bundle up. Still, it’s a shame that the students don’t have some elected official that could be guaranteed to put the students’ best interests as their top concern, free of direct ties to the university or its presidents. Someone who knows what it is like to be a student and travel across campus to classes, rather than keeping cozy in the warmth of Old Main. Maybe even someone with a delegation of students that can reach out to all its members to know their concerns and get a different array of perspectives to
In the Quad
make informed choices. Come to think of it, there is someone like that: the student government association (SGA) president. Currently, the SGA president can email the provost or president with what they feel is best for the students and get a dismissive “thank you for sharing” reply, if any, but who knows how much that is actually taken into consideration. We’re willing to bet not much. At their last meeting, SGA discussed the importance of having a more clear-cut emergency operations plan that has objective standards and outcomes. This is a great idea that we hope to see followed through on and discussed with administration. We think the SGA president is a worthwhile and much needed addition to the E-team. With students’ interests at heart, ideas for improvement and a unique perspective, the SGA president seems a natural choice. We encourage Slippery Rock University to be inclusive of students in the discussion of a matter that involves their safety and education, and hope that the university invites the SGA president or another student representative to the campus E-team. We also think that class should have been canceled or remained on normal schedule. A two-hour delay was illogical. Hopefully Slippery Rock University’s administration will keep all of these factors in mind when determining if there will be any change in class schedules. It’s a tough call, but it’s an important one.
This week’s question: Do you think we should have had twohour delays, cancellations or no change in the schedule last week?
In the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.
EDITORIAL POLICY The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by Rocket editorial board members. It reflects the majority opinion of The Rocket Editorial Board. “Our View” does not necessarily reflect the views of Slippery Rock University, its employees or its student body. Columns and cartoons are drafted by various individuals and only reflect the opinions of the columnists.
LETTERS POLICY The Rocket welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee their publication. The Rocket retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes the property of The Rocket and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major and/or group affiliation, if any. Please limit letters to a maximum of 400 words. Submit all material by noon Wednesday to: The Rocket, 220 ECB, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa. 16057. Or send it via e-mail to: rocket.letters@sru.edu.
Emily Ellis Sophomore, Business Management Major Rennerdale, Pennsylvania
John Post Senior, Exercise Science Major Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Meghen Waite Freshman, Public Health Major Scranton, Pennsylvania
“If it’s a really low temperature, I think there should at least be a delay, but it really depends on the situation. If it’s negative 20, then you should definitely cancel.”
“I would say two-hour delay because you get to sleep in and you’re still getting go to class and get what you paid for.”
“I think two-hour delays are fine because we’re still able to have classes, the times are just pushed back. No one wants to be walking in cold weather at 8 in the morning.”
OPINION
B-2
February 27, 2015
Oscars serve as platform for social issues Academy Awards plays host to soapbox speeches on varied issues
Joseph Szalinski Commentary Joseph Szalinski is a junior creative writing and professional writing dual major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
PHOTO COURTESY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Reese Witherspoon arrives at the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Witherspoon spoke out about how women are more than their dresses as part of the #askhermore movement.
#Askhermore is the first step in ending Hollywood sexism
Victoria Davis Commentary Victoria Davis is a freshman English Secondary Education major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Every time awards season comes around, feminists everywhere cringe internally knowing that at yet another televised event women will be marginalized and degraded while wearing thousand dollar custom gowns. For ye ars, women on the red carpet have been asked questions about their families and dresses whereas men are asked about their tireless preparation for their nominated roles, or what went into their jobs on set. These types of events uphold the patriarchal values in which Western society is rooted: women are objects, decorative pieces and family caretakers, while men are considered to be people, workers and
breadwinners. These are values that are damaging for all genders. The Oscars, as well as other red carpet events, are just further examples of the media promoting gender roles. While the objectification may be subtler than on raunchy sitcoms, it still sends ds a message to its viewers that women, no matter how ow well they are critically orr commercially received, d, are still delicate piecess of decoration rather er than entertainers to be commended. This entire system was challenged at the 2015 15 Oscars, and women n ever ywhere are still talking about it. While many inspirational speeches and messages were shared during the night, the hashtag #askhermore sparked a fire on social media that is still raging around the world. Reese Witherspoon, a frequenter of the red carpet and Oscar winner, promoted the hashtag created by the Representation Project to ensure women are being asked more than about their dresses, and it is a much needed change. At every red carpet event, from the Golden Globes to the People’s Choice Awards, women are asked the same questions about their dresses, their shoes, their hair
and their bags. When asked about #askhermore at the Oscars, Wi t h e r s p o o n s a i d t h at #askhermore is a “movement to say we’re more than just our dresses… we’re here to talk about the work we’ve done.” Her firm stance received com commendation from the host hosts of the show, as well as from women across the wo world. W Wh i l e # a s k h e r m ore is a great step towards gen gender equality, it is only the first of many necessary to aachieve it. According to mult multiple sources including Alic Alice Vincent, writer for The Telegraph, since 2012, on only 19 percent of nonact acting Oscar nominations have been for women. The academy is 77 percent male and 94 percent white, leading many to question whether or not women, as well as other minorities, are being represented equally. This is unacceptable. There is no excuse for the blatant inequality within the academy and its nominees. This is yet another section of society in which white men have the majority of the power and respect, and hopefully the changes at this year’s red carpet will inspire change within the academy and beyond.
For many, the annual Academy Awards is a time to celebrate the hard work that many of Hollywood’s top filmmakers and performers have to offer. Speeches are given, usually thanking peers, colleagues, family and sometimes a higher power. But what seems like an emerging trend is using an acceptance speech (or any other opportunity at the microphone) as a platform to address problems that one feels needs to be highlighted. During the most recent Oscars ceremony Sunday, John Legend spoke of racial inequalities persisting, after giving a musical performance. Patricia Arquette, after receiving her award for best supporting actress, mentioned the pay disparity between men and women, and how that should be corrected. The director/ writer of “The Imitation Game,” Graham Moore, even urged people to “Stay weird. Stay different.” So the question is, should the Oscars be a political and social platform, or should it just be about the show business? I certainly have noticed widespread acceptance of any major event as a soapbox in recent years. The days of Marlon Brando receiving flack for having a Native American woman go up to receive his Oscar, and speak about her cause are over. Hollywood is full of open-minded people, and the world is even more so. And that’s who is being reached through the Internet streaming and the telecast. Even if only one person’s mind is changed, the speech is still effective. Personally, I like knowing that our movie stars are not simply soulless people who only care about the glitz, glamour and fame. I respect the brave individuals who speak their minds to oceans of audiences, across the country and across the world. These celebrities are also known to have either started up charities, or work with already established ones. Why would people expect people with such noble pursuits to remain silent? Celebrities are useful because they act as mouthpieces. If a film like “Selma” can highlight a social issue, then surely a 30-second speech about the same issue should certainly be expected and given the proper platform to be heard. Social issues require a great deal of people to cooperate in order to facilitate change. What better opportunity than an awards show that millions of people watch, to address the issue? Especially since the people being awarded are venerated and revered individuals? If we, as an audience, care about a twohour piece of film, regardless of its artistic merit, then we should care about real-world concerns, such as hunger, environmental problems, homelessness, racial relations and pay inequality. We look at these films, milestones in cinema, and think about the legacy the creators are leaving. Well, why can’t we create a more profound and lasting legacy with our actions? The true way to make a difference is not just by being famous, but being willing to put in the work. Only certain people can make movies, but absolutely
B-3
February 27, 2015
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C
COMICS
Poppy
By Brooke Griffin
COMICS
Horoscopes Today's Birthday (02/27/15). Let your inner star shine this year! Your career's blazing down profitable and influential new trails. Discipline pays off big. Step into new responsibilities and leadership. Impossible dreams come true with persistent action, especially after 3/20. Resolve an issue with shared finances after 4/4. New partnership ignites after 10/13. Give in to love. To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Brooke Griffin is a sophomore communication major from Meadville, Pennsylvania.
Best in Show
By Phil Juliano
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy
By Tim Rickard
Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -You're entering a more domestic phase. The next two days are excellent for interior decoration or household tasks. Provide new coziness or warmth. Find a spot for peaceful daydreaming and curl up there after chores. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -Practicing something you love to do goes well now. You'll be able to learn more quickly for the next few days. Study, research and write down your discoveries. Friends want to contribute. Listen to their ideas. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 9 -- The next two days can be quite profitable. Focus on making money, and in it comes. A rise in status can be possible if you play your cards right. Share extra work with teammates. Keep customers satisfied. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Begin a two-day self-confident phase. You're back in control, pretty much. Ask for what you want, and be willing to go for it. There may be travel involved... expect green lights and open roads. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Slow down and consider options. Complete projects and make space for new ones. Tie up loose ends. Recharge batteries and restore reserves. Keep an eye on the competition. Watch, wait and consider your next move. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -Team projects go especially well over the next two days. Your friends bail you out when you get stuck. Committees work effectively and meetings provide solutions. Work together on a creative idea. Share resources. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -Career travel looks fun today and tomorrow. A business trip or professional conference leads to new opportunities. Take care of responsibilities, and go for reality over fantasy. You're being held accountable to produce. There's a test. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -Dream big. Travel and fun are on your radar. Plan your route carefully. Each advance presents new challenges. New opportunities will open soon, but there are still barriers. Should you go or should you stay? Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Save your treasure in a safe place. Keep meticulous track of family finances, and discover an easy-to-plug leak. Consider an investment in your own education. Budget for upcoming expenses. Handle administrative paperwork. File everything neatly. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -Work with partners today and tomorrow, for best results. Collaboration provides more perspective to your project. Let someone else drive for a little while. Support them with what they need. It's more fun to work together. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- It's getting busy! You're entering a two-day intense work phase. Pay attention to details. They can be easy to overlook in the rush. Put your creativity to play, and generate profitable results. Provide excellence. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Have fun today and tomorrow. Play games, practice hobbies and sports, and learn something new from someone younger. Children come up with exceptionally creative and unusual ideas. The perfect solution appears for something that's been stuck. (c)2015 BY NANCY BLACK DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Bliss
By Harry Bliss
B-5
February 27, 2015
Nominations Available! Rising Star Awards Celebration, sponsored by SRU Dining Services and coordinated by the Student Government Association.
AWARDS Outstanding Greek Organization Ceremony: Student Organization of the Year APRIL 29, 2015 at 5pm Living Learning Community of the Year in the Student Center Ballroom Cultural Event Apply online at SRSGA.ORG Entertainment Event or turn applications Greek Organization into the student secretary in the Collaborative Event Suite (234) Applications due Service Project MARCH 6, 2015 at 12pm Educational Event Contact JOHN COULTER Fundraising Event with questions jlc1001@sru.edu Resident Life Event
DESSERT RECEPTION
INSIDE SPORTS
S
Rock Senior
Online Exclusive
Senior women's basketball player Danielle Garroutte balances playing basketball with being a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).
The men's indoor track team earns 21 PSAC qualifications and three NCAA provisional marks at the Kent State Tuneup on Saturday.
See Page C-2
SPORTS
See theonlinerocket.com
Men's basketball defeats Cal U
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
Junior guard Jamal Gatali sneaks by a Vulcan defender in an attempt to score a bucket for SRU Wednesday night. Gatali finished the game with three points, three rebounds, one assist and one block.
By Brian Hepfinger
SRU defeated Cal U 57-50 in a game that featured both teams shooting under 40 percent Sports Editor from the field. In the last game of the regular season, the "A lot of the teams in the league are some of Slippery Rock University men's basketball team the better defensive teams," SRU head coach (19-9 overall, 14-8 PSAC) won a close game Kevin Reynolds said. "It gets into a game where over California University of Pennsylvania it's a grind-it-out, low-possession game, and it (14-14 overall, 9-13 PSAC) Wednesday to really plays into our favor. This year, our team complete their third straight season with at is built around that type of game, so we don't least 19 wins. mind it."
Both teams combined to make just 16 shots in the first half, with SRU holding a 26-20 lead at halftime. The Rock hit 10-32 shots (31.3 percent) while Cal U shot 23.1 percent (6-26) from the field. The rebounding total was fairly close in the first half, with SRU out-rebounding Cal U 28-21. SEE DEFENSE , PAGE C-2
Women's basketball clinches playoff spot despite loss By Ryan Barlow Assistant Sports Editor
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
Sophmore Audrey Stapleton dribbles past a California University of Pennsylvania defender on Wednesday. Stapleton finished the game with six assists.
Despite losing its regular season finale 74-48 to California University of Pennsylvania (23-4 overall, 19-3 PSAC) Wednesday evening, the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team (1115 overall, 7-15 PSAC) was able to clinch its first playoff berth since the 2005-2006 season. For SRU to have clinched its spot in the tournament, the teams berth came down to a variety of different scenarios. Since Slippery Rock did not beat Cal U Wednesday, the team's playoff hopes relied on Edinboro University defeating the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. The Fighting Scots were able to defeat the Mountain Cats 72-69, dropping UPJ to an equal record with SRU. Because of tiebreaker rules, the Rock was granted the sixth and final spot in the tournament from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western-Division. "It feels so good to make the playoffs," Rock head coach Bobby McGraw said. "I feel so good for those 15 players in our locker room. They deserve this and it's a tremendous feeling." The Rock was able to keep the game close with just a three point deficit entering halftime down 30-27. Slippery Rock was unable to keep the game close in the second
half, as the Vulcans opened the half with a 24-4 run. SRU cut the deficit to just 10 points, thanks to a 15-2 run, but Cal U once again pulled away by scoring 18 of the game's final 20 points. As a team, Slippery Rock shot 40.4 percent from the field, compared to California's 36.1 percent. Junior guard Taylor Siggers led the SRU offense against the Vulcans, scoring a season-high 22 points, shooting 10-22. Siggers was also able to collect six rebounds. Struggling with early foul trouble, senior forward D'Asia Chambers contributed 11 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Erica Aiello was able to add six points to the Rock's offensive attack, adding four additional assists. Freshman guard Shannon Jack also scored six points and grabbed four rebounds. Junior forward Megan Hardiman also brought in seven rebounds for SRU. Cal U was led to victory by senior Inna Kukolj, who finished with 24 points, six assists, six rebounds and four steals. "Of course we wanted a win tonight, but it just didn't work out," McGraw said. "Cal is number 20 in the nation for a reason. They're a tremendous team and they really outplayed us in the second half of this one." The Rock will take on Gannon University in the first round of the PSAC Tournament on Saturday at Gannon's home site in Erie, Pennsylvania. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
SPORTS
C-2
February 27, 2015
Rock senior balances basketball with ROTC By Ryan Barlow Assistant Sports Editor
Being a student athlete is a difficult task for anyone, but senior women's basketball player Danielle Garroutte is not only able to manage her time with athletics, but also with Slippery Rock University's unit of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). The ROTC program takes college students and trains them to become soldiers. By the time an enrolled ROTC graduate is ready to graduate, they will become an official officer in the United States Army. Garroutte credits her interest in joining ROTC to her father, who is a military veteran. "My dad served 31 years in the Army," Garroutte said. "Most of my life, I wanted to be in the Army just like him, and he recommended joining ROTC through college." Garroutte chose Slippery Rock because it is the host site of an ROTC program which unites both SRU and Clarion University. "Between SRU and Clarion, we have about 201 students enrolled in the ROTC program," Professor of Military Science Lieutenant Colonel John Donlin said. "This includes both enrolled cadets who wear the uniform, and other students who are enrolled in our 100-level class are trying to knock out a liberal studies requirement." Although Garroutte has been enrolled as a cadet since her freshman year, she said she wasn't completely involved in the program until her junior year. Up until that point, she seemed to commit a lot of her time to basketball. Each morning, Garroutte wakes up at five in the morning to prepare herself for ROTC physical training, which begins at six. Training lasts for about an hour,
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROCKATHLETICS
Danielle Garroutte celebrates with her parents, Kevin and Emma, during senior day on Feb. 12 against Seton Hill. Garroutte averages 3.8 points per game.
and Garroutte then goes through her daily schedule of classes. As a member of the Rock basketball team, Garroutte has scored a career high of 13 points on three separate occasions. Her career-high nine rebounds came in a game this season against Seton Hill University on Jan. 14. She also locked in a careerhigh in minutes played in a single game with 35 against Lock Haven University on Jan. 4. Now that she is nearing g r a du at i on , G a r rout t e h a s already been contracted and will be moving to Texas this summer where she will begin her career as a Second Lieutenant Officer. Although she has been able to
balance her ROTC duties with her responsibilities on the women's basketball team, Garroutte admits that it has been a struggle. "Balancing both basketball and ROTC is really difficult," Garroutte said. "I was told before entering the program that not very many people are able to go through with it, but my coaches have been really supportive and have helped me through it." Donlin said Garroutte has been very willing and accepting of her schedule. "I tell all of our student athletes to just talk to us and we will figure things out from there," Donlin said. "We are very willing to work around sports schedule
requirements, and Danielle is very good at that communication. Personally, I think that she's done a much better job participating in ROTC than I ever thought most student athletes would." If given the opportunity to do the past four years all over again, Garroutte said she would still like to have been involved with both basketball and ROTC, but with minor differences. "I would probably change how I did some things, especially with time management," Garroutte said. "I've learned so much, especially in leadership. A lot of the leadership skills I've gained have easily carried over from basketball and vice versa."
Defense holds off late offensive surge from Cal U Continued from Page C 1
The Green and White also had 21 offensive rebounds. "We would like to make a few more shots and we were ice cold from three," Reynolds said. Cal U picked up their offense in the second half, shooting 50 percent from the field, while SRU shot just 25.9 percent (7-27). However, the Rock held off a late surge of offense from Cal U and closed out the game. "We told the team to keep grinding the game out possession by possession, and don't give up on any possession," Reynolds said. "We told them to grind the game out, that's been our mantra the whole season." Even though the Rock's offense struggled to make shots, the amount of free throws they shot and made took care of that. The Rock hit 19-23 free throws (82.6 percent) in the game.
Neither team turned the ball over a lot. Both teams forced eight turnovers each. "I was proud of the guys after the game," Reynolds said. "In a game like that where the game isn't going in and you're shooting 28 percent, you need to stay in the game. It's easy, when your offense isn't going, to have a lapse on defense; the guys didn't do that. We were able to beat them on the glass." SRU's offense was led by seniors Frank Holloway and Antonio Butler. Holloway finished with 17 points (6-9) and seven rebounds. Butler scored 16 points (4-13) to go along with five rebounds and three assists. No other Rock player scored in double-digits, but senior guard Desma Nicholson scored eight points (2-9) to go along with four rebounds and one assist. Along with those three, junior forward Erik Raleigh contributed six points (2-10) and a game-high 12
rebounds. Junior guard Jamal Gatali scored three points (1-3) and had three rebounds. Cal U had a similar situation, with only two players scoring in double-digits. Arman Marks and Khalil Jabbie scored 15 and 13 points respectively. The Rock is once again in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament, which starts this Saturday. SRU's first opponent is Edinboro University. The Rock will host the game at 7 p.m. in Morrow Field House on Saturday. "We know how big Saturday is, it's an NCAA game for us, we're seventh in the region," Reynolds said. "We need to not only win to advance in the conference tournament but we need to keep winning, because we want to be in that top eight in the region for an NCAA birth. Saturday is paramount for both; we need to win."
Rock tennis freshman travels from Spain to compete Doug Gilghrist Rocket Contributor
The number one singles player on the Slippery Rock University tennis team is nearly 4,000 miles away from her hometown, and she is looking to continue the tradition of excellence that SRU tennis has become known for. Born and raised in the town of Talavera de la Reina in the province of Toledo, Spain, Carla Corrochano Moracho has been playing tennis for 13 years, since the age of five. She is majoring in business at SRU. Corrochano decided to come to SRU in the fall,
after graduating from high school at Colegio Santa Maria del Prado, Hermanos Maristas. Corrochano's decision to come to SRU was mainly for athletic purposes. She said that the level of competition here in the United States is better than in Spain. Her search came down to four colleges before deciding on Slippery Rock. "After seeing how this university was and after talking to the tennis coach, I chose Slippery Rock University, because I really enjoyed the campus, the business and tennis programs, the location and what was going to be my
tennis team," Corrochano said. Corrochano said that playing tennis as a part of a team is a new experience for her. "Back in Spain, all these years I've been playing tennis, I've never played on a team," Corrachano said. "I just played tournaments by myself. Both when I lost and when I won, it was only for me, but now that I am on a team, the score is not only for you but for the team." As a freshman, Corrochano has been given the honor of playing both No. 1 singles and doubles for the Rock. In her short college career, she has
amassed a 1-1 singles record in team play, as well as a 1-2 record in tournament play. In doubles p l a y, Corrochano has teamed with fellow freshman Nina Barbano. They have played to a 1-1 record in team competition, as well as a 1-2 record in tournament play. Corrochano said she's excited about being the number one player on the team. "B eing numb er one mainly makes me feel really motivated, because I know I'm going to be playing against really good players that will make me improve my game," Corrochano said.
Corrochano has some big expectations this season for herself and the team. "Individually, I would say improve my game, win most of the games and end the season as one of the best players in the conference," Corrochano said. "As a team, of course I hope to win the conference, but I also know that will be tough. We're a young team this season, but I really like the team and I trust my teammates and coach enough to believe that if we keep practicing and playing every singles game with intensity and concentration, we'll do really well this season."
February 27, 2015
SPORTS
C-3
Lacrosse senior 'works hard and sets an example' By Cody McCullough Rocket Contributor
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
Senior Paige Costantino handles the ball during SRU's game against Edinboro University last season. Costantino is the returning leading scorer from last season and is now a captain on the team.
S enior captain Paige Costantino is entering her final season of lacrosse this year, and she is looking forward to improving on her already successful career. The Long Island native plans to walk in the spring, do an internship in the summer, and have her Sport Management degree by August. It has been a four ye ar jour ne y for Costantino, which started back in 2011 when she visited S RU. C o s t a nt i n o loved the campus and everything SRU had to offer. She explained that what brought her here was a mix of the best sport management program in the country, he lacrosse team was at their peak and she wanted to continue that success. After the first t h re e s e as ons of her career at the Ro ck, C ost antino is finally one of the three captains on the team. She is coming
in as the returning leading scorer from last season, where she put up a 39 goals and 13 assists, which led to a career-high 52 points. Even with the duty of replacing last years leading scorer and All-PSAC selection, Morgan Pettit, C ostantino is not letting the pressure get to her. “I have to do what I’ve been taught to do and do what I do wel l,” C o st ant i no said. “If I had that good of a season last year, I should be able to come back and do it better this year. I still have to prepare at the end of the day.” SRU head coach Emily Hopkins speaks volumes of the type of player Costantino is. Hopk ins s aid Costantino is a high intensity player that is committed and has a great work ethic. “Paige is definitely a great choice for captain,” Hopkins said. “She works hard and sets an example, and she is always willing to advocate for the team as well.” SRU needs everyone on the team to bring the same work ethic Costantino brings
everyday if they are going to turn around their record from last year of 6-11. Costantino believes this team is different from last yearsin more ways than one. She said they have a lot of returners who saw significant time on the field last year, and that this team is comfortable with each other on and off the field. C ostantino isn’t just here for lacrosse, however. She came here to get her dream job in the spor t management field. She is currently set up for interviews with the National B a s k e t b a l l Association's Charlotte Hornets, and she has connections at Madison Square Garden in New York. She hopes one of these internships will lead to a full time job after it is all said and done. “My dream job is in the NBA,” Costantino said. “My favorite team is the Charlotte Hornets, but I would love to work at MSG because of all the sports teams that use it.”
Women's indoor track set to compete at PSAC Championships By Cody Nespor Rocket Contributor
In their final regular season meet, the Slippery Rock University women’s indoor track team earned four NCAA qualifying marks and had multiple top 10 finishes at the Kent State Tuneup last weekend. This was the team’s final meet before they defend their title at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships this weekend. SRU head coach John Papa said he likes the team’s chances in the championship. “The good news is that most of our athletes are healthy and ready for the challenge," Papa said. "We won the championships last year and we have the potential to repeat. We will need a significant team performance this weekend to pull it off." Papa said he believes that this year's team has a better chance to win than last year's. “This year’s team, I feel, may be a bit better than last year," Papa said. "Many of our top ladies from last year are still on the team. We have big meet and pressure experience.” Pole vaulters Kaitlyn Clark and Courtney McQuaide both cleared matching heights and both earned NCAA qualifying marks. Clark finished in fourth place with a 3.68 meter clear and McQuaide finished in seventh with the same height. Clark was named the PSAC women’s indoor track Athlete of the Week. The Green and White placed three in the top 10 in the high jump event.
Sabrina Anderson, Paige Kassab and Ashley West all finished in top spots. Anderson earned the third NCAA qualifying mark with a 1.65 meter jump that landed her in sixth place. Kassab and West had matching jumps of 1.6 meters and ended in eighth and 10th respectively. In the long jump Kassab and West were also productive. Finishing in eighth place was junior Sam Taylor with a 5.2 meter jump. Behind her Kassab finished in ninth with a 5.17 meter jump and West ended up in 11th with a 5.11 meter jump. Taylor also competed in the triple jump where she had an 11.2 meter jump and finished in fifth place. In the 800-meter dash senior Janine Powis earned the fourth and final NCAA qualifying mark. Powis ran a 2:14.94 minute time and finished in eighth place. Fellow senior Angelica Bagwell finished in 21st place with a 2:22.98 minute time. Out of the long distance runners, junior Jenny Picot was the most productive with a top-five finish. Picot completed the mile in 5:07.04, finishing in fourth place. In the 200-meter dash it was junior Lexie Nowakowski’s final opportunity to qualify for the PSAC championships. Nowakowski finished in 10th place with a time of 25.66 seconds, which did beat the PSAC provisional mark and qualified her to run the 200-meter dash at the championships. The Rock’s short distance runners had a strong showing in the 400-meter dash as they placed four in the top 20.
Lauren Harvey, Katie Teed and Cassandra Swartzbaugh finished back-to-back-toback in 12th, 13th, and 14th respectively. Harvey’s time was 59.45 seconds, Teed ran a time of 59.98 seconds, and Swartzbaugh finished in 60.21 seconds. Josette Dawson finished in 20th with a time of 1:00.91. In the 60-meter dash, Emily Moroco and Jasmine Bailey also notched top 20 finishes. Moroco finished in 14th with a 7.95 second time and Bailey finished in 18th place in 8.04 seconds. In the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Kennedy Evan finished in 13th in 9.19 seconds. In the throwing events junior Breana Northcott was once again productive. Northcott finished in 14th in the weight throw with a 15.72 meter throw. In the shot put Northcott came in 12th with a 11.62 meter throw. Anna Frengel finished just ahead of Northcott in 11th with an 11.62 meter throw in the shot put. With another successful outing behind them, the team will now shift focus towards defending their PSAC championship title as the championships are fast approaching. The championships will start this Saturday at Edinboro University. “I tell the ladies that this is a team event: we win or lose as a team," Papa said. "We are going to have some ups and downs, we need to pick each other up if there is some adversity. If everyone performs for the team, we will have an opportunity to win.”
GRAPHIC BY KARLEIGH SANTRY
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February 27, 2014
Student Government Association Open Positions! Commuter Senator (3) Building F Senator (1) Rhoads Hall (1) Rock Apartment Senator (1) Applications available online at www.srsga.org and in the office!
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CAMPUS LIFE
INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE
"Mr. Grey Will See You Now"
"Butter Lovers" travel abroad
"Fifty Shades of Grey" makes its much anticipated big screen debut with mixed reviews from fans. Is it really worth going to see? Read the Film Buff's review to find out!
Butter Lovers columnist, Kelsey Phillips, teaches you how to avoid falling into tourist trap restaurants while travelling abroad (just in time for spring break.)
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'Spring Harvest' examines sexual assault, invites audience interpretation on consent
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARGARET RIAL "Angela," played by Emily Danning, confides in her sorority sisters after she was allegedly raped by her boyfriend, who is in a fraternity at a Greek mixer. The director said she hopes the production will start a conversation on consent and sexual assault.
The main conflict of the play takes place between two people in a relationship at a Greek Rocket Contributor mixer. “Fraternities and sororities from Slippery With films like Animal House, Revenge of Rock came and talked to the cast, and acted the Nerds and Party Animal, partying has as consultants for the production to give us always been associated with college. What an idea about the reality of Greek Life,” Smiley those films do not mention is the definition of stated. consent and how the consumption of alcohol According to Smiley, Greek life is not just can eliminate someone’s ability to consent to about partying, and they have a more complex sex. bond then other organizations. Between the In the upcoming production of Spring bigs, littles and cliques, Greek life is like Harvest opening on Friday, Feb. 27, written a microcosm, or a small world with many by T.S. Frank and directed by Laura Smiley, an connections. associate professor in the theatre department, “The Greek party is more of a vehicle for the the topic of sexual assault in a college story, not a commentary on Greek life,” Smiley atmosphere is touched on, but in a relatable stated. way. For this reason, the cast made sure that they “The play is about two very likeable, did their research, and made sure the names of personable people that both have one night that the fraternities and sororities weren't named changes them and the campus community,” after real-life ones. explained Smiley. Smiley also worked with Dr. Cindy LaCom According to Smiley, sexual assault and from the gender studies department to create alcohol on a college campus has been a long panel discussions so the audience can have a ongoing issue not only on Slippery Rock’s discussion about the play. campus, but also on campuses across the LaCom also played a role in sharing country for generations. information with the cast like statistics and “As women, we live in a rape culture, but facts to help inform them and get a better idea we live in a 'he said, she said' environment,” of the back-story of the production. Smiley said. Freshman theatre major, EJ Christopher, 18, According to Smiley, it is up to the director plays Burton, a judicial board member for his to interpret the meaning of a script, and she character's fraternity. wanted the audience to think for themselves “To prepare for the part I went to a party, saw and determine who was right and wrong in how everyone within the Greek organization the situation. interacted with each other.” Christopher said. “There are two sides to every story, and I Burton is close with a character named Pete, want the audience to decide who they believe,” who is the brother that was accused of rape, so Smiley said. the story creates a divide between the complex
By Stephanie Cheek
organizations and also shows the loyalty of the family, Christopher explained. “I got a sense that the character is not the stereotypical ‘frat boy’,” said Christopher. When preparing for the characters, it was hard for some of the students because they were similar to the characters that they were portraying and could relate, Smiley explained. Junior math major, Amanda Ciarkowski, 20, said the personal aspect of the characters made playing the role difficult for her. She plays a nurse in the play, and is also an understudy for the role of Katie. “Katie hears what happens and then makes a judgment, she is portrayed as a strong character but at times her strength becomes a mask for her vulnerability,” Ciarkowski described. According to Ciarkowski, when she first read the script, she focused on what she thought happened, but said that she realized that she couldn't let her own opinions stop her from portraying the character how she was meant to be played. According to Smiley, having two different students play Katie diversifies the role. Overall Smiley said that she hopes the production creates a community discussion about consent. She also said she is excited to see how the audiences react to it. “This production challenges the way that people think about sexual assault, and also shows how men and women can have wildly divergent ideas,” Smiley said. The play will be performed this Friday through Thursday, March 5 in the University Union's multipurpose room. Tickets are seven dollars per student and $12 for general admission.
CAMPUS LIFE
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Ask Andi
February 27, 2015
'Fifty Shades of Grey' brings popular book to the big screen, gets mixed reviews
Andi is a senior at SRU giving advice to those who seek it and occassionally to those who don't.
Question:
Dear Andi, My boyfriend and I have been dating for just over two months now, and I haven't met his parents yet. They've been to campus to visit him since we started dating, but he didn't ask me if I wanted to meet them. Should I be worried that this means something bad for our relationship going forward? Sincerely, Worried Woman
Answer:
Dear Worried Woman, I’m not sure how your relationship with him is, but I don’t see there being any major issues with not meeting his parents yet. Do you know if he’s talked to them about you? Do they know you’re in his life? If they don’t know you two are dating then I would be a little worried, but you have to understand too that he might just want some time alone with his parents. Not that he doesn’t want you to meet them, but he might want to spend time with just them. Now, I say if it’s been like five or six months and you haven’t met them, then you could worry, but as of right now I wouldn’t be too concerned unless they don’t know you exist. Also, it depends on how close he is with his parents too. If he isn’t that close with his parents, their opinion of you might not matter to him. I say don’t worry just yet! You wanting to meet his parents without him suggesting it first might be a little too pushy for him too. He honestly might not have thought about it. Guys are sometimes like that too. Next time you know they’re coming, mention that you’d be excited to meet them. If he reacts weirdly then don’t push it, but maybe just verbalizing that you’re interested could initiate something. Don’t worry. Be happy. Andi
Question:
Dear Andi, Let me start off by saying I know how awful this is going to sound, but I need your help deciding what I should do. I've been seeing my friend's ex-boyfriend for a few weeks now, but the thing is, she doesn't know we've been hanging out. I don't know how to tell her that we've been seeing each other, and it's getting harder to keep things a secret. How should I tell her the truth about her ex and me? Sincerely, Scarlet Letter
Answer: Dear Scarlet Letter, Oh boy…what a situation. This is a tough spot to be in. Ultimately, you know this isn’t going to go over well. That’s just how it is with females and ex-boyfriends, so I would prepare yourself for that. You’re going to hurt her by telling her this which means she might do something to project that hurt back onto you, so just be ready. Personally, I’ve never been in this situation or really know anyone in this situation to speak from experience, but I would have to think that the only way to tell her this is to be honest and up front. If I were her and I was told this information, it would hurt (how bad it would hurt would depend on how close you two are) but knowing the truth would be better. How did you start talking to this ex-boyfriend? Did he start talking to you and was it soon after they broke up? Maybe, if it wasn’t soon after they broke up or anything bad, just explain it to her (if she wants to hear it). If they have been broken up for a while, and things just happened where he was in your life a lot then it’s understandable why you two started hanging out. If they just broke up, and you pounced, then I wouldn’t tell her just yet. Just think about it from her perspective and tell her how you would want her to break the same news to you. Like I said before, don’t expect things to be great between you two at first, but over time that might change. If not, I hope this boy is worth losing a friend over because that might be what happens…you’ll never know unless you tell her though. Good luck! Andi
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele star in the popular silver screen adaptation of the best-selling book, "Fifty Shades of Grey."
Harmony Kasper "The Film Buff" Harmony Kasper is a senior journalism and creative writing major and film and media studies minor and a regular contributor to The Rocket.
Easily the most controversial movie of the year, if not the decade,“Fifty Shades of Grey” is not the movie you go see with your significant other or parent. Even if you go with someone who has read the books and knows what to expect, it can still be a little awkward. But what else would you expect from Christian Grey and his kinky ways? Did Jamie Dornan pull off the sexy and mysterious man who runs his own company but has a secret pleasure? How did the movie match up with the book? Let's analyze this erotic film from start to finish. To begin, the novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” became widely popular amongst various ages of women and was dubbed "mommy porn" once the rest of the trilogy was released. Books like this have been written for quite some time, but have never become as big as “The Twilight Saga” or “The Hunger Games” trilogy until E. L. James’s BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism) trilogy came along. Many fans of the books flocked to theaters opening weekend and brought in an estimated $85.1 million, according to Forbes, in just three days. The movie begins at least a chapter into the book with Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) already making her way to Seattle to interview Christian in place of her "under the weather" journalist roommate Kate (Elois e Mumford). Christian and Anna's interactions with each other in the interview are slightly
awkward and there's not much "spark." This part read better on the page. Immediately, Christian is smitten and pursues Ana at her place of employment at Clayton's Hardware and sends her first edition books that probably cost as much as Ana's tuition at Washington State University. One scene that was more enjoyable to watch was when Ana gets drunk at the bar and calls Christian. He immediately comes to rescue her from José (Victor Rasuk), Ana's friend, who had more of a major role in the book. Then, Christian gives the big reveal, his playroom or "Red Room of Pain," and Ana is amazed, yet frightened. The movie shows how Ana takes until her graduation to tell Christian that she has decided to become his submissive. There are a few romantic parts, like when Christian takes Ana to his family's home for dinner, the helicopter ride on their first date and when they go flying in a two-person airplane. There are actually are a few parts where you admire Christian for trying to be a real boyfriend. It's obvious that movie Christian is much nicer than book Christian. Book Christian is always demanding Ana to eat right, not drink alcohol, take birth control and regularly exercise. He is not just her dominant/boyfriend but also her "mother." He also isn't as mean and cold towards Ana, which you get a lot of in the book when she does something that upsets him. Jamie Dornan is not who I thought would be cast as Christian Grey, but he did a pretty good job. As a fan of his from “Once Upon A Time,” I never pictured him transitioning from the fantasy world to becoming a sadomasochistic. The actor is from Northern Ireland and at times his accent slightly comes through. I think getting rid of Charlie
Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”) was the best move because he doesn't resemble the Christian Grey painted for you in the books. Dornan is pretty close, but I would have rather seen Ian Somerhalder (“The Vampire Diaries”) or Matt Bomer (“White Collar”). Dakota Johnson (“21 Jump Street”, “Need for Speed”) embodies the Anastasia Steele that you read from the page. She's plain, awkward and doesn't know the first thing about the BDSM lifestyle. In the movie, they try to make it obvious every time she bites her lip (which drives Christian crazy) by doing a close-up shot of her mouth. This happens a lot, and it's almost too forced. The most emotional scene for Ana comes at the very end when she is getting whipped with a belt by Christian for "misbehaving." She can't take it anymore and walks out, ending with a similar scene that happened in the beginning of the two saying goodbye to each other in an elevator. This movie is rated R for many reasons but it is much tamer than the book. If everything would have been included in the movie, it would have been a pornography film. I won't say too much about the sex scenes, except that they take up about 20 minutes of the 125 minute film. I never thought that after reading “Fifty Shades of Grey,” I would see it as a film. There were a lot of differences, but the main scenes were taken straight from the book. Much of the dialogue was the same too, which is good because most of the viewers are fans of the books. It was refreshing to see Anastasia being funny and Chr istian not b eing s o demanding all the time. I will have to agree with the mixed reviews coming out though, some things were better in the book and some were better in the film. Maybe they will look at the reviews for this movie and take them into consideration for the next film, the adaptation of the second book, “Fifty Shades Darker."
February 27, 2015
CAMPUS LIFE
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Active Minds challenges misconceptions of eating disorders
REBECCA DIETRICH/ THE ROCKET Ivy Shorts had to take a semester off from classes at Thiel College after being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. On Monday, she shared information on anorexia in ATS, and talked about how to help others who struggled.
By Janelle Wilson Asst. Campus Life Editor
SRU’s Active Minds organization challenged myths about people with eating disorders by inviting an anorexia nervosa survivor and a panel of students and faculty to raise awareness for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Ju n i or ph i l o s ophy and psychology major, Ivey Shorts, 20, spoke on her struggle with
anorexia Monday at 7 p.m. in Advanced Technology and Science Hall (ATS) to educate people on eating disorders, and challenge common misconceptions about them. “People generally think of anorexia as being a ‘rich white girls’ disease,” Shorts said, “but it affects people of all ages, races, and occurs in men as well.” After being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, Shorts had to take a semester off from Thiel College, where she received
inpatient treatment to battle her disease. “A lot of people think that if they relapse, then they’re failures,” Shorts said. “Relapsing is a part of the process, and it’s okay. You just have to keep going.” The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) reports that anorexia has the highest mortality rate among psychiatric illnesses, which Shorts said is a shame, because if it’s caught early, it’s very treatable. As an advocate for NEDA, Shorts said that it's important to reassure people who suffer from anorexia that they are beautiful for what they have on the inside, and people who are trying to help should not compliment them based on their physical appearance. “I realized I needed help when I started isolating myself from my friends and lying about my behavior,” Shorts said. “Recovery is far from unicorns and rainbows, but I had a great support system who was there for me no matter what. Active Minds also held a panel discussion on Tuesday during common hour in the Smith Student Center called “Dude, get your weight up,” which was a discussion on body dysmorphia, and eating disorders among men. Panelist Dr. Gerard Love presented statistics that said 38% of men would give up a year of their life to have the perfect body, and that 80% of men worry about their body image and hair, which was 5% more than women worried about those things. “There’s been a movement for women in body acceptance, and so women are more comfortable talking about those issues” Love said. “Men don’t have that same type of support system.” While coordinator of wellness at the ARC, Brian Mortimer said that men compare their body types to those of movie stars and models, and revolve their workout routines around getting bigger and more
muscular, often using supplements to move them toward that goal. “I call it the 'GNC Effect,'” Mortimer said. “Ergogenic aids and supplements have become the norm, but they weren’t around when I was in college. People use protein powder and creatine to push themselves, and often times the supplements they’re using are unregulated, and don’t have any actual impact on muscle gain. In the worst case scenario, they can actually harm you.” Associate athletic director, Torry Rollins said that body pressures for males often manifest while they’re playing sports, and trying to compete to the person who is next to them. “In wrestling and swimming especially, athletes are always trying to become leaner, either to maintain their weight class, or become more agile,” Rollins said. “With constant pressure being put on how much an athlete weighs, their eating behavior could lapse into anorexia." S enior public health and p s y c h o l o g y m aj or, Q a a d i r Anderson-Perry, 21, said that he injured his spine trying to compete with other athletes in high school. “I’ve fallen victim to that kind of behavior,” Anderson-Perry said. “I competed in four sports in high school, and I wasn’t being cautious about how much I was lifting, and I hurt myself. It’s sad to see that people jeopardize their health for the sake of looking impressive to other people.” On the topic of competing with the person next to you, AndersonPerry also said that that kind of behavior deters unfit people from going to the gym. "There are Vines and posts on Twitter that show unfit people at the gym using machines incorrectly, and people laugh at them," he said. "It's a shame that people can't go to the gym to try and improve their body image without fear that someone is going to make fun of them."
Fake Gelato, Tex-Mex and other tips on how to spot the authentic foreign food when traveling abroad
Kelsey Phillips "Bread and Butters" Kelsey Phillips is a junior public relations major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.
Cibo, nourriture, comida – whichever way you say it, food is a language everyone speaks. With spring break soon approaching, many students are preparing to travel, both abroad and domestically. Among all the packing and planning, students may find themselves daydreaming of the landmarks they will see, people they will meet and a culture of new foods to try. I get it – you’re a tourist in an unfamiliar place, jetlagged, don’t speak much of the language and are in need of food so you head to the closest place with foreign men in serving uniforms ushering you in. If you don’t care about your meal, you can skip this article and move on to the Top 10 Sights to Visit in your designated travel destination. But I however like to do some research into what I can learn and taste from culinary tourism. In preparation for my own trip to Italy with the English department to participate in a travel and food writing class, we were discussing a traditional Italian dessert, gelato, and how to distinguish the homemade kind from the mass-produced. Bad Signs: 1. Bright Colors
When you blend bananas together, is it usually a pale white or a florescent yellow? Bright colors are a sign of artificial coloring rather than natural ingredients bought at the market. The colors, especially with fruit flavored gelatos, will be the same color as the fruit if you mushed it all up. 2. Piled High Most authentic gelaterias make all of their flavors for the day, and once a certain type is sold out – that’s it. Come back tomorrow. Also, gelato, like ice cream, will melt down over time. So that high pile of deliciousness is actually being held up by added chemicals. 3. Chunks of Fruit The gelato that is piled high often has chunks of coconut shells, lime wedges, umbrellas, drizzles and other additional fluff that makes it look more like a margarita than anything else. It looks tempting but simple is usually best in this case. Good Signs: 1. Seasonal Flavors Not only will the color of fruit flavors cue you as to the quality of the gelato, but also if the flavors match with what is available in the market. Strawberries in May? Yum! Strawberries in December? Not so much. 2. Stainless Steel Containers Oftentimes with a lid covering the gelato to keep it fresh. You might not be able to see the colors, but a good gelateria won’t have to convince you of their product. They know it’s good and so do the locals. Plus you can always ask for a little taste. After my training in gelato-spotting, I started to wonder if this false-food idea was apparent in other countries as well. Here’s what I figured out: How to Find Authentic Parisian Restaurants: 1. Waiters Look at the way the waiters are dressed. If they are wearing fluffy berets, neck ties with
all the bells and whistles and amuse you with magician-like tricks, you are probably in a tourist restaurant. Again, good restaurants will not have people standing outside trying to coerce you to come in. 2. Menu in English Parlez-vous francais? Maybe not fluently if you are just visiting for a short time, but not to worry. The waiters should be able to translate the menu for you. But if there is English translation on the menu outside, it is most likely a big place for tourists to eat. 3. Beware if anything on the menu is followed by the word “fries.” Signs you are eating real Mexican food and not Tex-Mex: 1. There are no low-fat options. As a general rule, if there is a low-fat option for any menu item of any cuisine, it’s not the real (or good) stuff. 2. It’s not covered in cheese. Hear it from the number one fan of queso, excessive cheese is no bueno for original Mexican food. The dishes are so flavorful themselves there isn’t a need to hide it all under a layer of cheese. 3. Your taco isn’t stuffed with ground beef. Some ingredients, like ground beef, yellow (cheddar) cheese and wheat flour, are much more common in the U.S. than in Mexico and have been adapted into our own “Tex-Mex” dishes. Not to say some things aren’t delicious covered in queso or artificially colored, but you can go to Olive Garden or Chipotle when you’re back at home. Even in America food wars are fought over who had the original Chicago pizza and other regional favorites. As a traveler, be equally adventurous in the foods you eat as the places you go to. Do as the locals do and experience the culture to the fullest extent. Happy travels, Butter Lovers!
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February 27, 2015