The Rocket 03-07-2014

DOUBLE OT HEARTBREAK Slippery Rock drops PSAC quarterfinal match against the Gannon Knights, ending their season.

Page C-2

Friday, March 7, 2014 • Volume 97, Issue Number 18 • Slippery Rock University's Student Newspaper

the rocket

www.theonlinerocket.com

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Students compete in alcohol-free mix-off

NEWS

Free Service Aids With Filing Taxes The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program helps students with filing their taxes at no cost.

Page A-2

OPINION

SRU Directory: Nothing To Fear SRU's online directory only contains names and email addresses, but we think all our info is online anyway.

Page B-1

SPORTS ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET

Women's Track PSAC Champions The SRU women's track team earned their fourth title in program history behind a 108-point performance.

Page C-1

CAMPUS LIFE

Diversity Series Simulations As part of diversity and inclusion week, students experienced what discrimination feels like in a variety of exercises.

Page D-3

Choreographer's Last SRU Musical The theatre and dance department collaborated to bring to the stage the Robber Bridegroom.

Page D-1

Janine Kickler, Tateana Turner and Karissa Cichon, sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi prepare to sample their sparkling Grecian wine at the Alcohol-Free Mix-Off Thursday evening. Approximately 500 Slippery Rock University Students competed in the mix-off held in the ballroom of the Robert M. Smith Student Center.

The event was held to create awareness of drinking and driving while focusing on alcohol alternatives and was sponsored by AAA East Central, PennDOT, Slippery Rock University Student Involvement and Slippery Rock Alcohol and Addictions Coalition. The theme of the competition was “Countries and Cultures.”

Alpha Xi Delta won first place and best overall with Alpha Omicron Pi taking best in show.

Directory shares student information without consent

By Kevin Squires Assistant News Editor

It’s recommended by many that you never ask a woman her weight, but a student’s weight is just one of the 17 categories of information that are deemed public information by Slippery Rock University. The university is able to use and disclose this public information without a student’s consent for any purpose at its discretion, according to a public notice designating directory information on the Slippery Rock website.

A student’s name, pictures, addresses (local, permanent, and e-mail), telephone number (local and permanent), date and place of birth, program and concentration, student activities, height, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, date of graduation, all educational institutions previously attended, academic awards/scholarships, class level and anticipated graduation date are among additional forms of information able to be shared by the university.

The university has a publicly accessible directory of all students with each individual’s name, email address, and phone number listed.

For Marc Fort, an owner of Stoneworth Apartments, this is unacceptable. “This should not be public information,” Fort said

in a speech to the Student Government Association Monday night.

“The problem is blast emails that these apartment complexes are sending out,” Fort explained. He wants the university to stop providing this information to the public, specifically apartment complexes that he believes are harassing students with the information.

“It is a form of harassment. Some students are getting over 100 emails a month,” Fort said. He plans to submit an advertising code of conduct for all the apartment complexes to agree to in an effort to stop the blast emails.

“You guys don’t need more garbage coming into your emails every day,” he said. Fort worried that students may miss an important email alert and about stalkers making use of the information.

“The students are so sick of receiving these that they won’t look at one they should be looking at like an email alert,” he said.

The directory information should be made private, according to Fort. “It should be for university use only,” Fort said. “The solution is the university needs to make private all of your emails.

SEE INFORMATION, PAGE A-3

Bulk trash problem solved, recycling problem arises

By Jonathan Janasik News Editor

After the Slippery Rock Borough’s decision to move bulk trash day from May to March in Sept.

2012, they voted on Feb. 4 to change the change the trash day back to May. “It was changed to March because the new contract was coming up and it was filled,” council member Christy Tichy explained. “So the price would go up if we had the bulk trash in May because there would be more poundage. That’s why it was changed, to save money."

“It was moved back to May to accommodate the residents of the borough and be more cost effective than in March,” council member Ronald Steele said.

“Who’s going to go [take] out trash in March? It’s more feasible to do it in May.” According to council member Dr. Itzi Meztli, the Tri-County, the company that handles trash pickup, is requesting that the Slippery Rock Borough pay approximately $32,000 over the next two years in order to change the contract.

“If you ask me, they’re gouging us,” Meztli said.

Despite the longstanding debate about bulk trash being settled, another garbage-related issue has been raised this month.

“If you go to the borough building, they have alls these recycling totes that the city provided for free and somehow they didn’t distribute them to the apartment dwellers and most of these are students,” Meztli explained. “So, some students are not able to recycle.”

Steele explained that Butler County has a recycling ordinance and has provided each residence in the Slippery Rock Borough with a recycling bin.

A large number of unused extra bins are currently being stored behind the borough building.

At Tuesday’s borough meeting, Slippery Rock resident Chuck Brochetti asked about the status of the recycling bins, adding that Monteleone Apartment Manager Bonnie Davis asked about it last week and was given no answer.

“We’re going to have a full meeting on it the next few weeks,” Steele said. “We’re working on it.”

A full meeting to discuss borough recycling will be held March 18 at the Slippery Rock Borough Building.

NEWS

A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Mostly sunny and not as cold

Rain or snow showers possible

Partly sunny

Mainly cloudy

A shower possible

Cloudy with a chance for snow

Clouds and sun

43°

29°

42°

22°

39°

REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE

Fri.

Sat.

Sun. Mon.

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

Fri.

CITY Akron Allentown Altoona Cleveland Erie Harrisburg Indiana Johnstown Philadelphia Pittsburgh Scranton State College Wheeling Williamsport Youngstown

Friday HI LO W 47 29 s 37 25 c 38 25 pc 45 29 s 40 30 s 39 26 c 41 27 pc 36 26 pc 40 30 c 48 30 s 37 23 c 37 26 pc 48 28 s 37 23 c 44 29 s

Saturday HI LO W 43 21 c 48 30 c 45 27 c 37 22 sn 36 22 sn 44 30 c 44 24 c 41 23 c 54 34 pc 48 25 c 46 26 pc 45 26 c 46 26 c 45 27 c 41 20 sn

48°

33°

26°

44°

Sat.

Sun

Sun. Mon.

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 40 30 pc 42 30 pc 40 29 pc 42 32 pc 36 31 pc 43 31 pc 39 30 pc 36 29 pc 45 31 pc 42 32 pc 37 29 pc 39 30 pc 43 35 pc 41 29 pc 40 32 pc

Monday HI LO W 52 33 c 48 31 pc 52 33 pc 45 33 c 41 31 c 52 36 pc 48 35 pc 47 33 pc 54 38 pc 53 36 pc 43 33 pc 46 35 pc 54 38 pc 48 34 pc 46 32 c

Tuesday HI LO W 47 26 pc 49 31 pc 49 30 pc 43 27 pc 38 26 c 56 33 pc 47 28 c 46 28 c 57 36 pc 50 29 c 48 27 pc 48 29 pc 51 31 c 49 29 pc 43 24 c

34°

21°

34°

NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES

30°

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

30°

UV INDEX

®

Wednesday HI LO W 37 20 c 38 23 sn 38 24 sn 33 21 pc 27 18 sn 41 29 sn 34 24 sn 34 21 sn 41 27 sn 39 25 c 35 19 sn 35 22 sn 40 25 r 32 24 sn 32 20 sn

Thursday HI LO W 34 32 pc 34 19 c 36 29 c 32 25 s 27 26 s 41 29 c 34 33 c 32 29 c 46 33 c 36 31 pc 35 26 sf 36 27 c 37 35 pc 37 26 c 32 31 pc

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Moon

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Rise 6:45 a.m.

6:44 a.m.

7:42 a.m.

7:41 a.m.

7:39 a.m.

7:37 a.m.

7:36 a.m.

Rise 10:35 a.m.

11:21 a.m.

1:10 p.m.

2:02 p.m.

2:56 p.m.

3:52 p.m.

4:49 p.m.

MOON PHASES

Set 6:18 p.m.

6:19 p.m.

7:20 p.m.

7:21 p.m.

7:22 p.m.

7:23 p.m.

7:24 p.m.

Set 12:26 a.m.

1:20 a.m.

3:09 a.m.

3:54 a.m.

4:34 a.m.

5:10 a.m.

5:43 a.m.

First

Full

Last

New

3/8

3/16

3/23

3/30

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2014

March 7, 2014 PRECIPITATION

Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal

National Summary: Mild weather will stretch across the Southeast Saturday ahead of a cold front moving through the Great Lakes and central Plains. Along this front, there will be clouds and even the threat for a shower from central Texas northward into central Illinois and northeastern Ohio. The West will remain quite warm on Saturday and into Sunday, but in the afternoon hours on Sunday, a strong cold front will bring heavy rain and mountain snow across the Northwest. Mild temperatures will stretch across the central Rockies into the Plains and Southeast. Very warm weather will continue on Monday across much of the Plains and into Southeast while snow showers are found across the Northeast.

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 56 43 r 70 47 s 67 47 pc 71 52 pc 73 54 pc 67 52 r 61 38 sh Boston 38 28 pc 44 27 pc 36 26 pc 37 34 sn 46 29 pc 34 22 sn 32 24 sn Chicago 42 23 pc 31 16 sn 40 31 s 47 32 pc 42 26 pc 34 20 pc 34 33 s Cincinnati 54 32 s 52 26 c 49 37 pc 61 43 s 60 37 pc 50 30 r 41 34 pc Dallas 69 49 pc 57 41 t 63 48 c 76 54 pc 79 56 pc 69 44 pc 63 48 s Denver 43 23 r 51 34 pc 73 41 pc 72 35 pc 47 24 c 32 21 sn 48 31 pc Detroit 39 28 pc 35 18 sf 35 30 pc 43 31 c 43 23 c 32 18 pc 29 28 s Houston 68 49 pc 72 53 c 65 53 c 70 54 c 75 55 sh 75 46 pc 68 48 s Indianapolis 50 31 s 44 24 c 48 36 s 58 42 pc 55 34 pc 46 27 pc 42 36 pc Kansas City 53 28 c 40 27 c 59 37 s 67 42 s 57 37 pc 45 28 pc 46 43 pc Los Angeles 77 53 s 84 56 s 85 59 pc 79 56 pc 72 54 pc 73 52 s 78 59 pc Miami 81 59 pc 77 65 s 79 66 pc 81 68 s 83 70 pc 84 71 t 84 53 sh Nashville 59 37 s 66 39 pc 59 42 pc 70 49 pc 73 48 pc 58 41 sh 53 37 pc New Orleans 61 48 s 68 53 pc 72 54 c 74 58 pc 70 59 r 77 59 c 71 45 pc New York City 40 32 c 51 35 pc 43 32 pc 49 37 pc 53 33 pc 39 25 sn 36 30 sf Orlando 71 48 pc 74 53 s 80 57 pc 81 58 s 83 61 pc 79 63 t 83 44 sh Phoenix 81 59 pc 80 57 s 81 56 s 83 58 s 82 57 s 80 54 s 80 61 s San Francisco 65 47 pc 67 50 pc 66 54 r 63 52 pc 63 48 pc 67 48 s 67 52 pc Seattle 57 42 c 58 49 r 57 42 r 54 39 r 52 38 pc 61 39 s 64 37 pc Washington, DC 40 31 r 58 39 pc 50 37 pc 61 44 pc 66 41 pc 51 35 r 47 39 sf Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Hands-on events educate students about brains

By Haley Barnes

P

Catch something exciting happening on campus? Want your Insta-photos to be featured in The Rocket? Just follow @SRURocket on Instagram and use # in the caption for your chance to be featured here every week!

INDEX Blotter.................A-3 Sports...................C-1 Opinion...............B-1 Campus Life.............D-1 Comics...................B-4

CONTACT US Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu

220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057

2012 Mark of Excellence First Place Winner in Region 4 from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock’s Psychology department is promoting a brain on drugs themed Brain Awareness Week called “Peace. Love. Brains!”

March 10 through March 13 in Vincent Science Center, where hands on activities and an art show will be taking place.

“Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is a nationally recognized event whose goal is to raise awareness about anything involving the brain,” Courtney Pace, team leader of the art portion of the project said. “BAW is put on each year by the DANA Foundation, which is a private organization dedicated to spreading accurate and educational information about the brain and furthering brain research.”

Pace said that Dr. Jennifer Willford of the Psychology department is the primary coordinator of the event and this event has been a workin-progress since the fall semester of 2013.

According to Willford, the viewing of the Art Gallery is on Monday, an activity called “Brains Unplugged!” is on Tuesday, a documentary viewing is on Wednesday, and an addiction panel is on Thursday. These events will happen in Vincent room

309 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Following the addiction panel is a “Letting Go of Stigma Floating Lantern Ceremony” at the ATS from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

“St u d e nt s f rom t h e Psychology department came together early this past fall to begin planning for this year's event at SRU,” Willford said.

“The students chose to focus on the brain basis of addiction because they believed drug use was an important topic for college students and because they believed that stigma associated with addiction might be reduced if they could spread the word about the brain basis of the disease.”

Willford said that a group of Psycholog y students have spent several weeks reviewing current research on the effects of drugs on the brain. According to Willford, their research includes how drugs affect the adolescent brain, how drugs impact the function of the brain, and epigenetic of addiction.

“I am a Team Leader in charge of the art portion of the project, but there will also be hands-on brain dissections, a documentary viewing about drug addiction, an ‘addiction panel’ where recovering addicts and psychologists are willing to talk about their experiences, and a floating lantern ceremony

to commemorate fallen or struggling addicts,” Pace said.

Pace encourage d all students to enter work into the art show and that some art professors offered extra credit for students who did.

She said that any form of media was accepted to be displayed.

“There are many purposes of this exhibit,” Pace said.

“Primarily, we want to get students actively involved our cause and dedicating time to create a piece does exactly that. We also would like to give students the ability to display their work, especially non-art majors who would likely not get that chance otherwise. And of course, we want out message to be visually displayed. The artwork targets all audiences; essentially we want everyone to see the art not only to better understand our purpose but also to showcase our student's talent.”

“Students are encouraged to attend the events to learn about the brain and brain research, as well as have a deeper understanding of addiction as a biological disease,” Willford said.

“We've planned many events to hopefully attract students with a variety of backgrounds and interests. There is something for everyone! We will have snacks and t-shirt raffles at the events as well.”

Program helps students process tax returns

By Rachel Konieczny Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock University and the Internal Revenue Service have created a unique partnership that offers students and taxpayers a “bang for their buck”.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, often referred to as “VITA,” is once again providing free tax return preparation services for low-income individuals. The requirements for receiving free assistance include a household income of $50,000 or less, possessing no rental property, or a combined income of $58,000 or less if self-completing the return through the new myfreetaxes.com/butlercounty website.

According to the IRS, “up to 25 percent of those eligible do not claim Earned Income Tax Credits”—a statement that has sparked interest within the volunteer community in resolving this deficit. Jean Bowen, program specialist and VITA coordinator at Butler, shared her goal for the service.

“The primary purpose of VITA is to help low income individuals get all of the credit they deserve from the IRS that they may not otherwise be aware of,” Bowen said.

This goal is achieved with the help of IRStrained volunteers, such as VITA reviewer Jo Annette Cynkar, as well as Slippery Rock University interns that also assist with the tax return process. Cynkar, who has been

with the program for four years, shared her support of the service.

“The major benefit to participating in the free program as a taxpayer is saving a great deal of money, as opposed to utilizing a private firm,” Cynkar explained. “It also provides SRU students with valuable experience while allowing low income families to get back the income they deserve.”

The Slippery Rock office opened on Jan. 2 to begin eligibility screening and appointment scheduling, and will continue to be in operation through April 11.

Bowen, who has been involved in the program for 23 years, shared her expectations for this year’s tax season based on the successes of last year. She is expecting over 1,800 returns, an increase of approximately 200 returns from last year’s $2.2 million in refunds.

Cynkar has also kept a close eye on the current year’s progress, and hopes for a similar, if not improved, outcome from the previous years.

“This year is doing much better in terms of processing returns, and so far 70 returns have been filed here at the Slippery Rock location alone,” Cynkar said. “We are looking to double those figures, and hope that more students will come to us and spread the word about the program.”

Additional VITA offices are located in Butler, Cranberry, and Kittanning.

March 7, 2014

NEWS

A-3

POLICE BLOTTER Borough Feb. 16 - Alexander Rizzutto was cited for an open container violation along Franklin Street.

by officers and found to have been consuming Feb. 23 - Thomas Morrison was cited for alcohol. disorderly house after he was observed shouting and punching road signs at 1:30a.m.

Feb. 22 - Michael Rummel and a juvenile were Feb. 23 - A resident at Stonecrest Apartments cited for disorderly house after being found in reported criminal mischief to her apartment Feb. 16 - Jason Bently Harcar was cited for possession of alcohol in the parking lot of Saint and her neighbors. An unknown actor carved disorderly house after being highly intoxicated Peter’s Church on South Main Street. obscenities on two entry doors. along South Main Street.

Feb. 25 - A yellow Penske truck was traveling south on South Main Street and struck a parked Feb. 23 - Anne Hecht and Kelsi Hinrichs were vehicle then fled the scene.

Feb. 21 - Graeme Frye, Michael Ross and Jordan cited for disorderly house after being found in Campus Kirkwood were cited for underage consumption possession of alcohol along West Cooper Street. after being stopped along Maltby Avenue for an unrelated incident.

Feb. 26 - Individuals were escorted from Morrow Feb. 22 - Adam Mignogna was cited for Field House after a report of disorderly crowd at disorderly house after being stopped along Elm the basketball game. No other action was taken.

Feb. 22 - Eli Schramm, Faelyn Casey, Eric Street and found to have been consuming alcohol.

Holstein and Kyle Marich were cited for disorderly Compiled by Kevin Squires house along Normal Avenue after being stopped

ROCK NOTES

Information can be withheld upon request Continued from Page A-1

“It’s going to take an effort from everyone to take care of this problem,” he said. He plans to speak with Dr. Self Art Exhibit Robert Watson, Vice President for Student Affairs, and “Self: An International Juried Exhibit of Womthe other apartment complex managers at their next en’s Self-Portraiture" art exhibit continues meeting. through March 14 at the Martha Gault Art GalFort suggested changing the email addresses of all lery weekdays noon to 5 p.m. SRU students the current students as a possible solution to unwanted have access on Saturdays and Sundays through emails.

Feb. 28.

“That’s not a very simple task. For a lot of upperclassmen, we give out our email address mainly as a networking thing. If we changed that we would lose a lot. Technically Latin Salsa Dance we could always mark it as spam,” Student Government Come dance the evening away at the Cien Association President Buddy Clements said.

Fuegos Latin Salsa Dance - Saturday, March 8, 2014 in the Robert Smith Student Center Clements then suggested examining better filters and Ballroom from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is $6.00. issuing a cease notice to those abusing the directory. “I Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to a think getting the directory off the page is not a hard thing local food pantry and receive half off admission. to do,” he said.

Refreshments and light snacks will be available.

Many of the Pa. State System of Higher Education Hosted by: SOL, Hispanic/Latino Cultures, and (PASSHE) schools do not have an online directory the Communication Department. of their students. Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Edinboro University both have directories similar in nature to Slippery Rock University. However, their Last Issue of The Rocket directories feature statements of use stipulating that This will be the last issue of The Rocket the directory may only be used for university purposes. before spring break. The Rocket will resume Bloomsburg University requires a university log in to publication March 28.

access the directory. All of the PASSHE schools are able to disclose certain student information as public without a student’s previous consent in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

According to the public notice from Slippery Rock, currently enrolled students do have the opportunity to withhold disclosure of the 17 categories of information under the FERPA. However, the university will not partially withhold this information, so students are advised by the university to think carefully before requesting non-disclosure.

Students requesting that directory information not be disclosed during their final semester of enrollment will have this information withheld indefinitely after leaving the University. Students are cautioned by the university that making such a request may adversely impact future requests from potential employers, and other important individuals/organizations.

To withhold disclosure of directory information, written notification must be received in the Office of Academic Records and Summer School, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa 16057 prior to the end of the second week of each semester/summer session. Forms requesting the withholding of directory information are available in the Office of Academic Records and Summer School, Room 107, Old Main.

OPINION

O

Our View

OPINION rocket.letters@sru.edu Volume 96, Number 18

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 Catie Clark

Editor-in-Chief

Jon Janasik

News Editor

Rebecca Marcucci

Campus Life Editor

Kristin Karam

Sports Editor

Alex Mowrey

Photo Editor

Todd Hart

Web/Social Media Editor

Mary Leach

Copy Editor

Kevin Squires

Assistant News Editor

Stephanie Cheek

Assist. Campus Life Editor

Matthew Morgan

Assistant Sports Editor

Rebecca Dietrich

Assistant Photo Editor

LaRae Ferguson Mark Zeltner

Multimedia Reporter 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 five percent of its funding from the SGA General Service 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 e-mailing 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.

GRAPHIC BY REBECCA DIETRICH

Students’ personal information available online regardless of university directory Height. Weight. Gender Pronoun.

Address. These are all things that are considered personal information.

But where do the lines blur between personal and private?

Just because some information is personal, doesn’t necessarily mean it is private.

Recently, students and community members discovered that the university collects staff, faculty and students’ personal information, and has the ability to make it public in a directory.

While the University may have access to our height, major and graduation date and have the ability to publish it ‘til the cow’s come home – they don’t do it.

The directory currently available online only features students first and last names and university email addresses.

So while our personal information still remains private, what would happen if the university were to decide to expand the directory and share all of our information publicly?

Would there be widespread backlash? Protests? Bloodshed? No, no and no.

It’s the 21st Century and one thing

is true of our generation – we have everything on the Internet anyway.

Granted, some people hate social media and refuse to make profiles, or if they do have a profile refuse to use photos or lock down their privacy settings.

However, the vast majority of people already have their information available online via social media – particularly people who use LinkedIn for professional purposes. You cannot set a LinkedIn page to private, because the whole idea is to network and create links with other professionals.

Anyone could find your entire employment history, including your employer’s address, at any given point in time. And we think that most people are okay with that – that it is becoming the norm to be transparent online about your identity and to direct, and even encourage people to look at personal profiles across assorted social media platforms to get a better picture of the ‘real you’.

Last spring, a survey was released out of the University of Southern California’s Center for the Digital Future that demonstrated

In the Quad In the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.

Millennials are more willing than any other generation to share information online, especially if they receive something in return (read: marketing gimmicks).

According to the results of the survey, of Millennials, ages 18-34, 56 percent would share their location in order to receive coupons from nearby businesses, versus 42 percent of those 35 and over. Of participants, 25 percent also said they would give away personal information to get more relevant advertising, compared with 19 percent of those over 35.

More than half of Millennials said they would share information with a company if they got something in return.

If we’re so willing to give personal information away online, and readily post it ourselves for others to read, why should the possibility of the university having the ability to do the same bother us?

If any student would like to withhold permission for their personal information to be published by the university, please read the news article on the topic on page A-1.

This week’s question: Do you think that it is the norm for people to share all personal information online?

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.

Rachel Raraigh Senior CPAD Major Wexford, Pa.

Leslie Somerset Senior Psychology Major Farrell, Pa.

Cassandra Drew Sophomore Elementary Ed./Special Ed. Major Hermitage, Pa.

“No, because I feel like certain things should be left to the imagination. Someone seeing you online doesn’t need to know everything about you.”

“Yes it’s becoming normal I wish it wasn’t. People are using social media as diaries.”

“Yes, I think they put their personal information online to get the support they don’t have in real life. They get people to feel bad for them through technology.”

OPINION

March 7, 2014

B-2

QUESTION OF

Mike Zur @luezur @TallGuyBill

THE WEEK

@SRURocket Yes. Especially considering all of the cans and bottles of certain liquids that college students drink which could be recycled.

The Rocket @SRURocket #Opinion Q of the Week: Should recycling programs be offered at all large apartment complexes? @UVSlipperyRock @TheGroveSR @HeightsAtSru

ZWH @ZWH73192 @SRURocket absolutely! Definitely would make a great impact on the environment

Dane @MostDane

TWEET @SRURocket Need your voice to be heard? Want to be featured on The Rocket’s opinion pages? Tweet the @SRURocket and use #opinion for your chance to be featured weekly.

@SRURocket Absolutely. If it’s done correctly, recycling can be cheaper for the apartment complexes than waste disposal #EverybodyWins Chloe Finigan @Chloe_Finigan @SRURocket Yes! It is cheaper for the complexes and improves our environment. I’m tired of throwing everything into one giant dumpster.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” section are those of the writer(s) alone. The Rocket cannot verify all facts presented in a given letter, but if we are aware of an error or omission, we reserve the right to include an editorial note for accuracy’s sake.

‘Coming Out’ courageous act in sport, about quality of life Letter to the Editor, In response to the Opinion piece, “Athlete’s Coming Out Merely Political, Unnecessary for Fans,” the writer is missing the big picture of why Collins and Sam “coming out” is a very courageous act in sport. It has nothing to do with politics or sports fans; coming out was for them and their quality of life. The writer contends that “We live in an overwhelmingly tolerant country. Jason Collins faced no opposition for his announcement of being gay and neither have the likes of Ellen DeGeneres….” The truth is, we do not live in an overwhelmingly tolerant country. There is still heterosexism, homophobia, racism, and sexism ingrained in the fabric of American society and visible in all media outlets. If our country WERE overwhelmingly tolerant, gay and lesbian couples would have the right to marry and have equal protection under the law like 90 percent of U.S. citizens do. If our

country WERE overwhelmingly tolerant of gay and lesbian people, it would not have taken until 2013 for a current male athlete in a major sport to come out as gay. In addition, when Ellen DeGeneres came out, she experienced such discrimination and homophobia that her first TV show was cancelled the very next season and she could not find work until she started her own talk show five years later. Just like Collins and Sam, she just wanted to be honest about who she was. It is a courageous act for anyone to come out, let alone someone in the public’s eye. It opens that person up to harassment, discrimination, and even violence. The fact is, locker rooms and playing fields are a haven for anti-gay language and sentiment and people who are heterosexual do not have to face this ignorant behavior. Esera Tualo, a retired football player, spoke on our campus last year about being a closeted gay man in the NFL. He shared the many difficulties he faced by hiding who he was and

living in fear. Collins and Sam are very brave for fighting against the stigma of being gay in a profession that touts heterosexuality and masculine dominance. They chose to come out before the media could out them. And they chose to come out so they can live their lives honestly and authentically in their personal lives and at work.

The discussion around religion does not lend well to this commentary. But since it was brought up- the writer included one quote by a person who is giving his personal opinion. There are many religions, and people who are Christian, that do not view being gay or lesbian in the way that Broussard does. Consequently, it is up to each person to reconcile one’s beliefs on religion and sexualorientation; noting, that each of us are human and need to be treated with dignity, equality, and respect.

President’s Commission on Gender Identity

Media causes ‘coming out’ to be a spectacle for gay athletes Letter to the Editor, When it comes to athletes coming out as gay, I don’t really care. If they’re gay, go for it. Congratulations. Good for you. Be who you are, accept yourself, and all of that good stuff. What bothers me is the media frenzy that follows. Why does the world have to make a big deal about it? Athletes are supposedly this ideal representation of masculinity, which, according to society, means they can’t be gay. Well, sorry to break it to you, there are gay men in professional sports.

Why does it all have to be a huge event? Why is an athlete’s sexual preference the biggest news in sports?

It shouldn’t be. I shouldn’t turn on ESPN and have the topic of the day be an athlete’s homosexuality, just like I don’t care to see or hear about a different athlete’s heterosexuality. I turn on ESPN for the sports. Period. I hear these things about a new athlete coming out and the first thing I think is “Who cares?” How does who they’re having sex with affect the game?

Unfortunately, it does. Because of the media hype

surrounding all of it, it changes the way things should happen. For instance, take Jason Collins. He came out as gay. Good for him. He tested out free agency last summer, but wasn’t invited to training camp by a team. Why? Because he isn’t very good. He’s averaged a humble 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game over the course of his NBA career. Plus, the guy is 35-years-old. All of this doesn’t exactly make him desirable.

After being signed to a 10-day contract with the Nets, Collins became the first openly gay man to play in one of the four major professional sports. As one may have expected, he didn’t do so well. His first game left him scoreless with as many turnovers as he did rebounds and yet his jersey is the number one selling NBA jersey right now.

This annoys me. I admire athletes and what they can do. I don’t like someone playing for positive publicity.

I don’t care what his sexual preference is; he does not deserve to be playing on a professional team right now.

Like it or not, he was not signed to win basketball games.

His best days are far behind him and even then he wasn’t all that great.

On the other hand, I don’t like when the media coverage negatively affects an athlete just because they happen to be gay. After Michael Sam announced he was gay, his draft stock fell significantly. Why his homosexuality will have any effect on his ability as an athlete is beyond me.

While Michael Sam is not an extraordinary prospect, he could be a good addition to a lot teams in the NFL. Now, unfortunately, it seems as though most teams don’t want the attention from the media his signing will bring.

So who am I really angry with for all of this? I’m angry with the media for making everything such a spectacle.

I’m angry at society for deciding that athletes should be straight to begin with and causing this mass hysteria whenever an athlete comes out as gay. Why can’t we focus on the athlete as an athlete? If they’re talented, let them play. If they aren’t, don’t put them in for show. Is that really too much to ask for?

Sincerely, Name withheld by request

Opinion article on gay athletes misses the mark, needs more research Letter to the Editor, I am writing in response to Vince Scalamonga’s opinion article “Athletes ‘coming out’ merely political, unnecessary for fans” concerning Michael Sam’s recent announcement about his sexuality.

The whole article is ridiculous, offensive, and utterly ignorant.

First off, Vince Scalamonga spends two paragraphs explaining that the reason celebrities shouldn’t come out is because “it’s something [he] would rather not know”. Essentially Mr. Scalamonga is insisting on the silence of LGBTQ athletes because it personally makes him feel uncomfortable. He even goes as far to say it is not necessary for celebrities to come out. The only people who should be determining whether or not it’s necessary for them to come out are the individuals themselves, not Vince Scalamonga. He

continually trivializes the process of coming out, asking if it’s even newsworthy material and insisting it remain in the “proper forum” such as a psychology class. A person’s sexual orientation is more than a psych curriculum; it’s part of their everyday life and identity.

Insisting that homosexuality be limited to the classroom is not just ridiculous but offensive.

He then goes on to talk about the socalled gay agenda and how sports and the media are “pushing” this agenda.

Let’s look at how truly terrifying the gay agenda is: the right to marry whom they choose, for people to stop using the word gay as derogatory, and for violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ community to end. Oh the horrors – they want access to equal rights! So why is this bad? It’s hard to tell because Scalamonga’s whole argument is so

poorly constructed, but it seems to do something with “there are religions that are against homosexuality”. He doesn’t even bother to fully explain this, but it’s a ridiculous argument anyways and I think most people realize that using religion to discriminate is still bigotry.

Scalamonga also makes the ignorant argument that the LGBTQ community doesn’t face discrimination, calling the US an “overwhelmingly tolerant country”.

Well our country is so overwhelming tolerant that in 29 states you can be fired for being gay. That’s why there is an overwhelmingly disproportionate number of homeless LGBTQ youth.

That’s why hate crimes against the LGBTQ community are on the rise. That’s why same-sex couples still can’t get married in most states. I’m so glad that Scalamonga actually took the time to get his head out of the sand and research the facts before

writing his article.

We live in a society where straight is considered the default sexual orientation and where the LGBTQ community faces discrimination on a daily basis. So when a celebrity has the courage to come out, why does Scalamonga, or anybody else, feel like it’s a personal affront? That is one more person who can be a role model and a source of inspiration to a struggling teen in a society that constantly vilifies people for their sexual orientation. There are so many more things I could say in response to the hot mess that is Scalamonga’s article, but for the sake of brevity I am forced to stop.

Vince Scalamonga has every right to his own opinion; I just want to warn him that his opinion is ignorant.

Sincerely, Cassandra Bruce

March 7, 2014

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Athletic trainers are health care professionals who practice under physicians to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate injuries and medical conditions. Join Slippery Rock University’s Athletic Training Program in celebrating National Athletic Training Month this March.

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C COMICS

Horoscopes

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency (MCT) Today's Birthday (03/07/14). This year's fun gets profitable. Until August, creativity and social play spark opportunities. Foster partnership and teamwork, revise infrastructure and routines, and maximize efficiency (especially at home). Enjoy children. Relax into summer romance. Build energy with rest. After August, career ramps up. Pour emotions into a journal, and let them flavor writing or recording. Immerse yourself in your love.

COMICS Mr. Pasta Cat Cough cough. Come closer my friend.

We don‛t have much time.

I shouldn‛t have ate that pasta.

By Jack Johnehsick What are you talking about Mr. Pasta Cat? You didn‛t eat any pasta.

I lied.

I just wanted to know if anybody would care.

Mr. Pasta Cat is a delectable comic about delectable moral dilemmas, and delectable pasta based on the delectable successful Pasteh Kat series.

Read the commentary for delectable input from a real reader.

I think Mr. Pasta Cat ate some Pasta!

I don‛t know what to believe!

I‛m up in arms!

Calamities of Nature

I don‛t care.

By Tony Piro

To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Today and tomorrow are excellent for adventure and exploration.

Don't push yourself too hard. Study to determine the best course of action. Write your pitch. Confer with family. Arrive at a consensus. Hold onto your money.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Bask in glory as you rake in the dough. Keep your objective in mind. A female joins in the fun. If controversy arises, stay quiet. It's getting easier to make household changes. Trust your intuition.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Innovation sparkles abundantly over the next two days, and communication flows. Elicit harmony from coworkers.

Provide excellent service. Take charge of your destiny.

Travel across water in your pursuit of a dream. Do it for love.

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy

By Tim Rickard

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Find out the true cost. Stick with what's real. Finish up old projects today and tomorrow. A female you've known for years helps out. Relax in hot water or a sauna, and reward yourselves with something tasty.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Today and tomorrow could get emotional. Let go of a scheme that lacks soul as you consider future plans. Others are in a generous mood. Get together with friends. Reaffirm a commitment, and schedule new actions.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- You're a powerhouse today and tomorrow, handling responsibilities with ease. Others are impressed. More work's available, too. Imagine career success, and schedule for it. Include love, beauty and happiness. You can have it all.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Study, research or travel today and tomorrow. It's a good time to ask for money. Keep it in a safe place, and watch for hidden expenses. Explore a new area, and write your findings to share.

Scorpio (Oc.t 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Pay the bills today or tomorrow, as you build your version of paradise. Put away provisions for the future. Find little ways to express your appreciation for your partner.

Seek inspiration. Get farther than expected.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Listen to suggestions. Don't get sidetracked. A new assignment awaits. Keep your wildest ideas caged for now.

Join forces with a master of surprises to create something of beauty. Plan a romantic rendezvous. Relax.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Get to work. Today and tomorrow get extra busy. Get a female to approve or assist. Work you enjoy pays well. Wait to see what develops. Get your junk appraised. You have more than you think.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 7 -- The next two days are reserved for fun. Investigate a fascinating possibility. Use your connections to move it ahead.

You're gaining support. Love is the game now. Consider your fantasies with a practical view. Play with it.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Express your creativity to make your home more beautiful.

Envision a positive future in your meditation. Confer with the family. You're winning admiration, and there's love all around. Someone thinks you look pretty good, too. Savor it. (c)2013 bY NANCY BLACK DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Bliss

By Harry Bliss

March 7, 2014

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S SPORTS

INSIDE SPORTS

Men's Basketball Online Exclusive The Slippery Rock men's basketball team fell in doubleovertime to Gannon University Tuesday night in the PSAC Quarterfinal round.

Steven Bartley shares his thoughts on the NFL's proposed ban of slurs in his weekly column, "View from the Cheap Seats".

See Page C-2

PAPA DELIVERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

The Slippery Rock University women's track team shows off their PSAC Championship trophy and banner following their first place finish on March 2 at Bucknell University.

Women's track team runs away with title Coach John Papa leads SRU to fourth indoor title

By Christian Stangroom Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock women’s indoor track won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship with 108 points, beating the four-time defending champions, Shippensburg University.

East Stroudsburg took second place behind the Rock with 86.5 points and Shippensburg fell to third with 85.5 points.

After the first day of competition, Slippery Rock was in second place with 30.5 points.

“It's good to see the SRU ladies back

as PSAC champs,” head coach John Papa said. “We have a great group of student-athletes and coaches that work together to produce a championship performance.”

Sophomore Kaitlyn Clark won the pole vault title on day one of the Championships with an NCAA provisional clearance of 3.72 meters, a season-best for her.

“This season hasn’t exactly been so great for me," Clark said. "To go out there and put up a good jump and win made me really excited. My hard work paid off.”

Junior Janine Powis won the 800-meter run on Sunday with a time of 2:18.13 to secure first place for the Rock.

The 4x800-meter relay team of Powis, junior Angelica Bagwell, sophomore Jenny Picot and sophomore Creanna Martin finished second and broke the school record with a time of 9:28.43. The previous record of 9:28.97 was set in 2009

by Kaela Snyder, Laura Mucho, Caitlin Hancox and Jenn Harpp.

Junior Brittany Christiansen, sophomore Breanna Northcott and senior Amanda McCool finished topeight in the weight throw. Christiansen took third place in the event and reached an NCAA mark with a toss of 16.16 meters. Northcott took seventh with a throw of 15.36 meters and McCool took eighth with a 15.11 meter throw.

Northcott and Christiansen also took fourth and fifth in women’s shot put with tosses of 12.38 meters and 12.23 meters.

They followed freshman Ava Bonetti who placed third at 12.59 meters Sophomore Jasmine Bailey finished eighth in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dash with a time of 8.29 seconds (60-meter) and 29.25 seconds (200-meter).

Junior Katelyn Wetzel finished fourth in the 200-meter dash at 25.76 seconds.

In the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore London Parris took eighth place with a 9.35 second effort.

Kelly Beyer took eighth place in the pentathlon with 2,818 points. Freshman Sabrina Anderson led the pentathlon heading into the final event but was unable to complete the pentathlon due to an injury.

Sophomore Mariah Burns took second place in the triple jump with a leap of 11.43 meters. Sophomore Sam Taylor followed in fifth place at 11.19 meters and senior Dilshani Madawala finished in eighth place at 11.02 meters.

Burns also took sixth in the long jump with a leap of 5.31 meters. Sophomore Ashley West finished in fifth at 5.33 meters.

West finished third and hit an NCAA provisional clearance in the high jump SEE TRACK, PAGE C-2

SRU drops series in Tennessee

By Ryan Barlow Rocket Contributor

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Senior infielder Will Kengor swings at a pitch against Walsh University on Feb. 22. Kengor hit .446 in the series against King University last weekend.

The Slippery Rock baseball team lost in extra innings on Sunday to close out a three game series with King University by a score of 9-8.

Slippery Rock lost game one 7-3 on Saturday afternoon, but bounced back in game two to win 7-4. The Rock eventually dropped game three and brought their overall winloss record to 4-3 in seven games.

Head coach Jeff Messer believes his squad should

have come out of the series winning two out of three games, but it isn’t keeping him from being optimistic about the games ahead.

“We play 20 games before our conference schedule starts,” Messer said. “We need to know what we can and can’t do, and after seven games we know more about ourselves and are getting more comfortable before those conference games start up.”

Redshirt sophomore Jon Anderson was the starting pitcher for Slippery Rock in game one. Anderson

went five innings giving up three runs on six hits, walking four, and striking out three. Junior Anton Constantino replaced Anderson in the sixth inning, but gave up four runs on four hits and a walked batter, extending King’s lead to 7-2 by the end of the sixth inning. Freshman James Divosevic pitched the final two innings of the game, giving up no runs and only surrendering one hit.

Divosevic also struck two batters and walking one.

SEE BASEBALL, PAGE C-2

SPORTS

C-2

March 7, 2014

SRU bounced from PSAC playoffs in 2OT

By Kristin Karam Sports Editor

As the final seconds ticked away in regulation of the Quarterfinal Round of the PSAC Playoffs against Gannon University, the Slippery Rock men's basketball team saw the game-winning basket bounce off the rim.

Five minutes of play later, they watched the same scenario occur again, sending the game into double-overtime.

Fatigue began to set in for both teams but the Golden Knights would take the win 73-69.

"We had our chances to win," head coach Kevin Reynolds said.

"We had the last shot in regulation and in the first overtime. We just didn't make it and they stopped us."

Reynolds noted that the lack of made free throws hurt the team's push for the win.

Gannon was led by junior Adam Blazek, who scored 25 points against the Rock and played in all 50 minutes of the game. Blazek was flawless from the line, shooting four for four, and sank three three-point shots.

"We were up by four in the first overtime and Maurice (Lewis-Briggs) hit a three and he (Blazek) came back less then 10 seconds later to get them back in the game," Reynolds said. "Blazek is the Player of the Year in the league. That's who I voted for and he gave phenomenal effort tonight."

Lewis-Briggs led the scoring effort for Slippery Rock, with a game-high 31 points.

Redshirt senior forward Tabari

Perry led SRU in rebounds (11) and scored nine points.

As a team, Slippery Rock outrebounded Gannon 48-29.

Senior guard Josh Martin and sophomore center Cornelius Brown each added 11 points.

The final seven points for the Green and White came from redshirt junior guard Antonio Butler (four) and redshirt senior guard Sa'Quan Davis (three).

Slippery Rock made it to the line for 35 total shots but missed 12, finishing the game with a 65.7 percent success rate.

The Golden Knights finished slightly better than the Rock with a 66.7 percent average (20 for 30) from the line.

"I thought our team played well," Reynolds said. "I'm disappointed in the ending but the effort from the guys, the toughness from them, that's what you want to see as a coach."

Lewis-Briggs, Perry and Brown all played for over 40 minutes in the game.

"We had guys play a lot of minutes and we had guys play well for a lot of minutes," Reynolds said. "We tried to get guys quick breaks in and out but when guys are fouling out, that has an impact on the rotation."

Redshirt sophomore Erik Raleigh fouled out with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.

The Golden Knights saw three players (junior Raphell Thomas-Edward, senior Rogerio Livramento and junior Girbran Smith) foul out during the game, two in overtime.

As the game progressed, fans, players and coaches began

to experience a deja-vu like moment.

Last season, Slippery Rock and Gannon played in the Quarterfinals and SRU defeated the Golden Knights 62-58 in overtime. This time, Gannon would gain the upperhand.

"Losing is tough to take," Reynolds said. "It's never fun.

I think the day I can accept losing, that's the day coaching won't be something I want to do anymore."

In the first half, SRU held a 10-point lead with just over six minutes remaining but Gannon would go on to score 14 points and take a 28-26 lead at halftime.

The Rock came out strong for the second half and managed to take a 45-37 lead with just under 10 minutes of regulation.

Gannon went on yet another run and came back to take the lead 51-50 with two minutes remaining.

Butler would sink a free throw to tie the game and after a missed shot by Gannon and two missed shots from SRU, the game would be forced into overtime.

The three-point shot of Blazek immediately following LewisBriggs' shot would ultimately lead to a score of 58-58 and the game went into it's second overtime period.

SRU held a brief lead with 2:10 remaining but Gannon would ultimately win the game 73-69.

"We're disappointed but I'm proud of the players," Reynolds said. "They wore their jerseys like they should and they gave a valiant effort. It was a great team effort but it just didn't go our way. "

ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET

Senior center Maurice Lewis-Briggs shoots over a Gannon defender Tuesday night. Lewis-Briggs finished with 31 points and totaled 523 points this season.

Track transitions to Baseball faces first PSAC series the outdoor season of season against Shippensburg Continued from Page C 1

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Junior Janine Powis takes a stride during her 800 meter run. Powis took first place in the event with a time of 2:18.13 and clinched first for SRU.

Continued from Page C 1

with a clearance of 1.67 meters.

Sophomore Paige Kassab had a 1.64 meter clearance in the event and finished fourth. Sophomores Kelly Beyer took sixth place and sophomore Emily Price took eighth place with clearances of 1.59 meters.

3,000-meter runners, sophomore Jenny Picot and senior Kara Styles, finished top-10 in the event to earn late points for the Rock. Picot finished third with a time of 10:12.77 and Styles finished seventh at 10:20.17. Styles was also recognized as the PSAC Champion Scholar Award for having the highest grade point average of any female athlete at the meet.

The 4x400-meter relay team of sophomore Lexie Nowakowski, sophomore Cassandra Swartzbaugh, freshman Julie Galante and sophomore Emily Moroco took sixth place with a time of 4:02.64.

SRU now prepares for their outdoor season, starting with a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. on March 14.

Slippery Rock scored their first run of the game in the third inning after Redshirt-Sophomore Kyle Vozar singled to right field, advancing Junior Adam Urbania to third. Urbania then scored after a throwing error by King’s right fielder Tyler Raymond. Senior All-American Will Kengor scored in the fifth inning after a sacrifice fly by Urbania.

The Rock’s offense was silent until the top of the ninth when sophomore Alex Bell hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring Urbania from second. The game ended after senior Jake Weibley struck out looking, sealing Slippery Rock’s fate in game one.

The Rock got on the board in the second inning after Kengor hit a three RBI double to right center, scoring sophomore Alente Johnson, freshman Ty Zimmerman, and s enior Graeme Zaparzynski. Slippery Rock then scored four more runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore Bell hit a two RBI single with the bases loaded, scoring junior Jake Nogalo and Urbania. Bell later advanced to third on a fly ball, but he and Vozar were able to score as the result of a throwing error.

Junior pitcher Garret Peterson was on the pitcher’s mound for the Rock in game two. Peterson threw four innings, giving up two runs on four hits, walking two, and striking out nine. Senior Ryan Oglesby entered the game

in the fifth inning. Oglesby lasted two innings, allowing two runs on four hits, and walking one batter. Senior John Kovalik came in to pitch the final inning. Kovalik pitched a scoreless seventh, allowing two hits and striking out two. Kovalik earned his second save of the season.

“I was able to control my slider pretty well and I was able to throw the ball wherever I wanted it to be at around the plate,” Peterson said. “Along with me having a good day on the mound, our guys had a good game at the plate and gave me some run support.”

After an early 3-0 deficit in game three, sophomore Jordan Faretta smacked a three run homer in the fifth inning, scoring Weibley and sophomore Logan Brown.

Bell hit an RBI double in the sixth, scoring Urbania. Two batters later, Logan Brown hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield, scoring Bell.

Nogalo ripped an RBI single in the seventh, quickly followed

by Bell’s second RBI double of the afternoon. Weibley had the Rock’s final RBI in the game, hitting a single in the top of the tenth inning scoring Logan Brown from second.

The starting pitcher in game three on Sunday for Slippery Rock was Junior Kyle Schneider, who was coming off a three hit, completegame shutout versus Walsh University last weekend.

Schneider went six innings, allowing four runs on four hits, walking two, and striking out two. Redshirt-freshman Christian Kerns came in to

pitch the seventh, but only lasted one third of an inning.

Kerns allowed two runs on three hits, and walked one batter before being replaced

by Kovalik. Kovalik threw for two and two thirds innings, allowing one run on two hits, walking one and striking out three. Senior Anthony Naso came in to pitch the top of the tenth inning, but unfortunately was unable to find the strike zone. He surrendered a leadoff walk, which was quickly followed up by a single. The base runners then advanced to second and third after Naso threw a wild pitch. Naso was then forced to intentionally walk King’s righty Stephen Mullins. Naso then walked the next King batter, scoring the runner from third base to tie the game. The game ended after Naso threw his second wild pitch in the inning, scoring King’s Tyler Gaby from third.

Naso’s final line read one third of an inning pitched, two runs earned on one hit, and three walks.

“It was obviously a tough loss, especially since we battled throughout the whole game,” Logan Brown said, who led the Rock with three hits and an RBI on Sunday. “We just have to get back to work and prepare for Shippensburg because we know that they’re a tough team.”

The Rock will travel to the CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa. this weekend to take on the Shippensburg University Raiders (4-2) in a doubleheader for their first taste of PSAC action.

SPORTS

March 7, 2014

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Rock offense powers past Bobcats Women's tennis takes

By Matthew Morgan Assistant Sports Editor

The Slippery Rock women’s lacrosse team (1-0) opened their season Wednesday night with a 21-3 win at home against the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats (11).

The Rock offense was unfazed by the freezing conditions and exploded for 11 goals in the first half and 10 in the second.

“I think our team has meshed a lot earlier than it usually does,” SRU head coach Emily Hopkins said.

“We don’t get this tight knit usually until Spring Break. We’re hoping that can make a big difference for us.”

This will be Hopkins’ seventh season as head coach for the lacrosse team. She enters this spring with a career record of 43-58.

Coming off an 8-8 season, SRU was voted to finish eighth in the PSAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

“When I first saw the rankings I was angry because we can and will do much better than eighth,” sophomore Kaytlin Callaghan said. “Now

that is just another reason we will push harder to show what Rock lacrosse can really do.”

Senior Morgan Pettit accounted for seven of SRU’s goals Wednesday night and also had two assists.

Callaghan had four goals and one assist and sophomore Erin Wilcox added four goals.

Freshman Caitlynn Palladino scored three goals off the bench in her first collegiate game.

Sophomore AnnaMarie Warrington tallied two goals and one assist and junior Paige Constantino dished out three assists in the win.

Sophomore Ha n n a h Ho u d e earned the win in goal for SRU after facing only 11 shots, making six saves and giving up a career low three goals.

“S h e ( Ho u d e ) has improved on her clears, that was something that was an issue for her last year,” Hopkins said.

“It’s become more of a strength for her.”

The outcome was never in question as SRU exploded for an 11-1 lead at halftime.

The Green and White

7-2 win over Allegheny

By Brittany Fagan Rocket Contributor

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Senior defender Kaitlyn Hafdell prepares to throw a pass up the field Wednesday night against the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats.

held advantages over the Bobcats in shots 42-11, ground balls 21-10 and 16-10 in draw controls.

“Our team has a special bond this year," Callaghan said.

"We get along and care about each other off the field more than ever and I believe this transitions over to the field. We trust that we will all work hard to succeed and we all

want to win."

Looking forward, SRU w i l l f a c e Lindenwood University of Missouri (2-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday. Lindenwood is ranked 13th in NCAA DII women’s lacrosse.

This will be the first meeting against t he Midwester n powerhouse and will be a true test for the teams abilities.

The Slippery Rock women’s tennis team defeated Division III Allegheny College 7-2 last Friday night to improve their season record to 4-5.

Allegheny College saw its season record fall to 4-3 after the loss.

The event consisted of three doubles and six singles matches.

Senior Nikolina Grbac was paired with senior Sarah Joumond for the first doubles.

Senior Lauren Coggins and freshman Stephanie Fortier made up the second team and sophomore Courtney Gallagher and freshman Kylee Woodman made up the final doubles team.

The Rock swept the Gators in the doubles with two 8-2 matches and an 8-5 finish.

“Kylee and I fought hard to get ahead of that team and win that match,” Gallagher said.

“We communicated well, we took our time, and that's what really made a difference in that match.”

Gallagher said that being friends with her doubles partner (Woodman) off the court is an advantage because it makes it easier for them to work together while on the court.

The singles players consisted of Grbac, Joumond, Fortier, Gallagher, Woodman and

freshman Emily Munson.

Slippery Rock won four of the six singles matches, which secured their spot in claiming the win.

“All singles and doubles teams worked hard in their matches and figured out what had to be done,” head coach Matt Meredith said.

The team will travel to Hilton Head Island, SC over Spring Break and they will have their first match on Friday March 14 against Division II Kentucky Wesleyan. The ladies will play a total of six matches against a number of competitive Division II teams.

“We all look forward to break because traveling with the team is a great bonding experience for the girls,” Meredith said.

“Some of my best memories of coaching and being an athlete were times that I traveled with my team.”

The bonding experience is something that the athletes are also looking forward too but they are also excited about facing some competition they don't see regularly.

“I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for us this season, especially on Spring Break,” Gallagher said. “Most of the teams we’re facing we’ve never played before, so I’m excited to see who we’re up against.”

Slippery Rock will face Mercyhurst in Erie, Pa. on March 25 and play their first home outdoor match March 28 against Edinboro.

March 7, 2014

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Take a visit to Rodney, Mississippi

Top Left: Emily Daning, playing Rosemund, belts out her part in the opening scene.

Bottom Left: Anthony Plumberg played Big Harp, a bodiless townsman.

Salome, played by Rachel Lambert, sings about her dislike for her stepdaughter Rosemund.

Photos by: Rebecca Dietrich/Assistant Photo Editor

Top: Zachary Frye, plays Jamie Lockhart, who during this scene charms Rosemond.

Bottom Left: Amber Mikec and Jimmy Valentino, fellow Residents of Rodney, laughs with Joe Karl who plays Clemment Musgrove.

Bottom Right: Phillip Bova, Little Harp, scowls at Jamie Lockhart.

INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE

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Who looked the classiest at the Oscars?

Non-Stop keeps audiences guessing

Lupita Nyong'o looked classy at this year's Oscars. What past stars set the bar? ROCK'n Fashion's Katie Ellis has the scoop.

Liam Neeson sets the tone for airplane heroes in this thriller keeping audiences in full, upright and ready positions.

Jimmy G has the story.

CAMPUS LIFE

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See Page D-2

1880s on stage: Theater and Dance departments 'make the ordinary extraordinary'

By Rebecca Marcucci Campus Life Editor

wing yer partner ‘round ‘n ‘round, dosey doe and don’t let go!”

Smiling as he watches students rehearse, dance professor and choreographer Dr. Thom Cobb, renowned as “TC” to the SRU community, said he’s looking to create something magical.

The smell of freshly cut wood tickles at your nose upon entering the University Union’s Multi-Purpose Room (MPR).

Viewing the set is something out of a storybook, with tree bark and trunks growing out of the set you’ll think you’ve stepped into the North Country Brewery.

“We’re turning the ordinary stuff into extraordinary magic,” Cobb said. “There’s no way to describe it other than magic.”

Cobb began traditional folk dancing about 45 years ago and he is excited to incorporate what he’s learned into the SRU Theatre and Dance department’s collaboration of The Robber Bridegroom. The show is based on the 1975 musical adapted f rom the 1942 novella by Eudora Welty and takes place in the fictitious town of Rodney, Mississippi in the 1800s.

“The music has a definite bluegrass feel,” Cobb said. “It reflects the rural setting of the show that we hope many people around this area can relate with.”

Cobb will be retiring in July after 36 years of teaching at SRU. He decided he wanted to end with a show that thoroughly wrapped up his career, he said.

He clutched his chest at the thought of his last show, “I am extremely grateful that the theater department asked me what I wanted to do,” Cobb

"S

said. “This is my fourth musical with Laura [Smiley] and she has really brought the characters to life.”

Theatre professor and director of The Robber Bridegroom, Dr. Laura Smiley said Cobb has wanted to do the show for a long time. She’s happy to work with him, but sad to see him go, she said.

“We’re all cogs in the wheel keeping it together and keeping it going,” Smiley said. “The show’s kind of unusual because there aren’t many bluegrass musicals but I think it’s pretty appropriate to Slippery Rock.”

Smiley said the ensemble had the most fun coming into character.

“R ather than viewing themselves as an ensemble, they’ve created back stories and have made up their own names,” Smiley said. “They all got on their smart phones to look up names from the 1800s to become the townspeople of Rodney Mississippi. The characters that own the inn in the show are the Bedletter family. It’s just silly things like that I think they had a lot of fun with.”

Working to also make the ordinary extraordinary is theatre professor and design director Dr. Gordon Phetteplace.

He created the backdrops for the show from his own photography.

“When I have spare time, which isn’t often I take nature pictures,” Phetteplace said. “I took these pictures at Moraine State Park. I went through hundreds of pictures I’ve taken over the years and chose these ones.”

Phetteplace said the backdrops were his way to communicate with the audience.

SEE DANCE, PAGE D-3

GRAPHIC BY REBECCA MARCUCCI REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET (Left) Junior theater major Zachary Frye, 20, as Jamie Lockhart entices Rosamund (Right) played by freshman art major Emily Daning, 19. (Bottom) Junior history major Rachel Lambert, 20, musically coerces the townsmen of Rodney, Mississippi to join her cause against her stepdaughter Rosamund who she believes is a spoiled girl who deserves to be punished.

CAMPUS LIFE

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March 7, 2014

12 Years a Slave's Lupita Nyong'o: Forever a Fashionista And past Oscar-style precedence

Katie Ellis "ROCK'n Fashion" Katie Ellis is a junior journalism major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

There is no awards show with as storied a history as the Academy Awards, which had its first annual ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929. Winners were notified of their victory three months before the ceremony was held, a procedure that continued until 1941, whenever the sealed-envelope system was invented. No one was able to experience the glitz and glamour of the Oscars until 1953, whenever millions across the country were able to watch their favorite movie stars take home the famed trophy.

Once the ceremony was able to be seen on television, fashion captured the spotlight, and the age of Hollywood glamour was born. People began to pay attention to what stars were wearing, a trend that eventually led to actresses wearing high-end designers and the now infamous question, “who are you wearing”, said in the mid-1990s.

While the first red carpet wasn’t rolled out until 1961, Grace Kelly set the tone for the future with her gorgeous ice-blue gown by Edith Head for the 1955 ceremony. Custom made by Head, a costume designer who would go on to win numerous Oscars for her design work, it was the most expensive gown to be worn to the Oscars at that time, with a price tag of $4,000. The luxurious satin column dress featured a dramatic train, and was accessorized with white gloves and a flowered handbag.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS 12 Years A Slave actress Lupita N'yongo touched audiences with her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress at the 86th annual Academy Awards Sunday evening. Her powder blue Prada gown stood out from the crowd and emanated a regal persona.

Kelly was just the first in a long line of fashionable women who brought their fashion A-game to the show, and with the advent of stars wearing designer dresses, fashion became an even more important element in celebrating filmic achievements. Whenever Uma Thurman arrived at the Oscars in 1995 in custom Prada, high-end designers became the norm for the Hollywood elite.

Nominated that night for her work in “Pulp Fiction”, Thurman’s lavender gown had a simple silhouette with thin straps and delicate beading around the hemline. She finished off her look with a matching bedazzled shawl, sandals, and

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS (From left) Jack Lemmon, Van Fleet, Grace Kelly and Ernest Borgnine hold their Oscars for their1955 performances.

Kelly's iconic Edith Head gown paired with white gloves reaffirmed her graceful and sophisticated manner.

handbag all in the same hue.

That same year, Joan Rivers asked Jennifer Tilly the question that everyone wanted the answer to, “who are you wearing”, a moment that has since changed reporting for all awards shows from the Academy Awards to the Emmys. Today, stars can’t walk down the red carpet without being asked what designer dress they have on, what name brand shoes they’re wearing, or what designer they borrowed their jewelry from.

Some of the greatest gowns to ever be worn to the Oscars were worn by Best Actress winners of the past 15 years. Whenever Gwyneth Paltrow took home the award in 1999 for “Shakespeare in Love” she wore a custom pink Ralph Lauren gown that stole the show. She looked like a princess in the dress thanks to its full skirt, sheer shawl, and matching diamond choker.

Julia Roberts’ vintage Valentino gown that she wore in 2001 on her walk down the red carpet is undoubtedly one of the most iconic dresses ever worn to an Oscars telecast. Pulled straight from the designer’s vault, the black gown featured a white “y” stripe down the length of the front, and a series of white stripes that led into a black train that trailed behind her, as she walked onto the stage to accept her award.

Lupita Nyong’o can now join the club of the best dressed actresses to ever walk the red carpet thanks to the powder blue Prada gown she wore on Sunday night, whenever she accepted her first Oscar for her supporting role in “12 Years a Slave”.

She worked with the design house to create the plunging V-neck gown with a delicately sequined skirt that earned her the nickname, “Lupitarella”.

As the cost for a star to attend the Oscars is about $35,000 according to Forbes, which includes everything from the limo to the fabulous designer gown, it’s no wonder why the Hollywood elite are always so well-dressed. Kelly’s gown from 1955 changed the future of Academy Awards fashion, and allowed Paltrow, Roberts, and Nyong’o to make iconic statements on the red carpet.

Neeson stands out from other airplane movie heroes

Jimmy Graner "Jimmy G's Rock Reviews"

4 Stars Jimmy Graner is a junior journalism major and film and media studies minor and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

We can’t predict what will happen on an airplane. We wait nonchalantly while we

travel from point-A to point-B, catching a movie, having a few drinks, or laying back and take a nap. However, the air-marshal, whose job is to protect and defeat any hostile acts aboard a flight, must be alert at all times. But when hostile threats appear on a cell phone, there’s not much one can do to protect the lives of innocent people at 30,000 feet in the sky.

Non-Stop directed by Jaume C ol l e t - S er ra ( Un k n ow n , Orphan, House of Wax) stars Liam Neeson, an air marshal by the name of Bill Marks, whose job is to protect the fellow passengers on board an international flight. Soon after takeoff, random text messages start appearing on his phone, alerting him that if $150 million dollars isn’t transferred into a private account, one person will die on board every twenty minutes. As Neeson realizes

that the person sending the messages is on board, he alerts fellow crew members and instantly goes into Where’s Waldo-mode. After making the rash decision to kill his air marshal buddy on board with him that he supposedly thinks is involved, he soon realizes that the odds are not in his favor and everybody on board quickly becomes aware of just who Bill Marks really is.

We’ve all seen it before: a well-known character gets on a plane and things just don’t seem to go the right way like Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes on a Plane), Harrison Ford (Air Force One) and Nicholas Cage (Con Air), all lead the way with bad misfortunes.

Most recently though, Denzel Washington showed us the death defying stunts it takes to land an airplane in the film Flight. His character, as well as

Neeson’s character bare similar traits; they’re both alcoholics.

Although they both have completely different roles, the idea of stepping up and taking command in the case of an emergency is something all of us enjoy watching. The movie is suspenseful. Ever since Neeson took on the role of Bryan Mills in the Taken series, the idea of him taking down bad guys of any sort is entertaining alone.

Every time a new character is introduced into the mix, you have no idea if he or she is part of the plot against Marks.

Julianne Moore is one of those people. She is introduced into the mix right at the beginning along with Nate Parker. Every time the camera pans onto a different person and their interaction with Neeson, you instantly think in your mind, “Are they part of this scheme”?

After second-guessing yourself

over and over, your mind is blown when it’s revealed who the perpetrator actually is. The movie includes non-stop action mixed with non-stop thinking, so the title is certainly fit.

Although I believe the film succeeds, it flops in a few ways as well. A lot of on-screen text messages are shown, cutting off dialogue that could be replaced with Neeson’s powerful voice.

Numerous times exist also when embarrassing and awkward expression occurs.

Yes, it’s good to have happy thoughts during a film, but plan them out more perfectly without squeezing them in unexpectedly. A couple flubs here and there, it still makes for a good thriller. Whether you like Liam Neeson, or just enjoy a suspenseful storyline, Non-Stop will have you on two first class seats into suspense.

CAMPUS LIFE

March 7, 2014

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Diversity and Inclusion Series illustrates discrimination in society

By Janelle Wilson Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock University welcomed its fifth annual Diversity and Inclusion series on March 3,4, and 6 with art, guest speakers, presentations, and student workshops that focused on awareness in the community.

This year’s events focused on student awareness of world culture, the community’s inclusion of people with disabilities, and the on-going effects of discrimination.

To raise student awareness of world culture, presentations were given by the Model African Union and Model NATO. Monday’s events included the meeting of Model NATO students who travelled to Washington D.C on Feb. 13 to 16 to participate in a student-run model of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s meeting. SRU students represented the countries of Slovakia and Norway and sat in session for a total of 16 hours throughout the trip.

Faculty advisor Dr. George Brown said that the interesting thing about the trip was that the group had a large percentage of non-political science majors.

“I’d like to see more of that,” he said, “It’s nice to see students go outside of their comfort zones to learn something new.”

Sophomore public health major Serena Engel, 20, said students get a sense of the pain smaller countries feel at the end of the experience.

“I wanted to become a more global citizen, and this took me out of the US and into the mind of a smaller country with less political influence.”

Sophomore political science major Adam Bridges, 19 said his favorite part of the trip was his “individual research time”.

“Washington D.C is a breathtaking city,” he said. “And this trip was a wonderful experience.”

To focus on the community’s inclusion of people with disabilities, the “People First Language Speak OUT” workshop on Tuesday emphasized the importance of referring to a person with whom they are first and their disability second. Also held on Tuesday was the presentation “Vision and Revision”, which focused on how to create art with the use of technology after someone has lost their sight.

To provide insight on discrimination, Dr. Heather Frederick’s Civil Rights students presented Monday on influential figures from the Civil Rights Movement and

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET RockOUT and Building Bridges created an interactive activity simulating societal differences. In this activity, each group was split up according to race and asked to construct a building out of materials. The minority groups periodically had supplies taken from them, showing the discrimination that our society still faces even today.

highlighted their achievements. Senior political science major Michael Ierino, 22, presented on W. E. B. Dubois saying that he was an impassioned man who made things happen.

Dr. Frederick said that the best part about the assignment was that it took historical figures you heard of before and put their achievements and movements in the spotlight.

RockOUT and Building Bridges hosted a simulation workshop on Tuesday that focused on the division between people in society. They instructed students to organize themselves based on where they fit in in society, including their race, socioeconomic class, and sexual orientation. They were not allowed to talk to other groups or leave their designated area.

Students in each group were asked to construct a city and each was given a set of materials. Those who identified with the white, middle and upper class identities were given more supplies and received help from members while minorities and lower class citizens were bullied and had those supplies take from them.

Ask Andi

Andi is a senior at SRU giving advice to those who seek it and occassionally to those who don't.

Question: Dear Andi, It seems like I'm the only optimistic person in my friend group. When we get together everyone complains about their lives and it's starting to bring me down. I try to make an attempt to turn the conversation into something more uplifting but then I ended up being the butt of everyone's jokes. Should I get new friends? How can I spread the happy without people wanting to kill me? Help!

Sincerely,

Answer:

Optimistic in a Pessimistic World

Dear Optimistic, As a part time pestimist myself, sometimes I too need to be reminded that the world isn't always an awful place.

Maybe your friends just need to vent about their problems and they know that your positive outlook on life can lead to some sound advice. Then again, they might be a bunch of Negitive Nancy's who just want to bring everyone around them down to their level of miserableness.

Try talking to your friends about how their glass half empty ways are starting to drain your positive thinking. If things don't improve, it might be time to consider making new friends. That doens't mean that you should drop the old ones, just expand your group to include like minded individuals. A happy person like yourself should have no problem making new friends! Good luck and keep the positive and enthusiasm for life going. Remember, the world needs more people like you!

Sincerly, Andi

At the end of the activity, RockOUT and Building Bridges members revealed that the workshop represented how even though society instructs you to stay within your boundaries, it’s easy to break down those boundaries and work together.

Building Bridges president, senior theater major Ci’Era Spencer, 23 said the event illustrated these issues in the real world.

“This was meant to mimic society and its boundaries,” she said. “And it shows how even though societal bonds can be broken, we still strictly adhere to them. I’d like to see that change.”

To conclude Thursday’s events, RockOUT showed the movie “Transamerica” which focused on the journey of Bree, a transsexual woman who goes on a road trip with her son and discovers more about who she is along the way.

RockOUT president, senior psychology major Kris Hawkins, 21 said there’s still hope to make a change.

“It’s a total realization that people face discrimination everyday and crappy things still do happen in today’s society,” he said.

“The more we realize that, the more we can hope to cooperate and work together.”

Dance professor directs last musical Continued from Page D 1

“I grew up in a rural setting and that was always important to me,” Phetteplace said. “I know it’s important to people around here so I did a lot of visual research and I really wanted to communicate that setting to people in the audience.”

Costume and make-up directors Rebecca Morrice and Tabbitha Isacco made many of the costumes from scratch with historical details and accuracy in mind, Morrice said.

“The history of the town is a little bit shady,” Morrice said.

“There a lot of gowns for the character Rosamund. It was a challenge to coordinate a lot of her costumes because she changes clothes constantly.”

Morrice said she was also worried about Rosamund’s wig in the show.

“Wigs can make or break a show,” she said. “They can fall off, you just never know what will happen. The girl who plays Rosamund (Emily Daning) has short brown hair and we are putting a long blonde wig on her, but she looks like a Disney princess in it.”

Freshman art major Emily Daning, 19, said her character Rosamund seemed like a “spoiled brat” to her at first but then she realized her dynamitic qualities.

“Sh e’s t he d au g hte r of a rich plantation owner with a stepmother who wants to kill her,” she said. “And she lies, a lot! But there is a lot of fire inside of her.”

Daning compared the show to

The Princess Bride or Cinderella.

“Its very authentic and folksy.

But the whole show is suspenseful.

And there is a lot of risqué nudity,” she said wide-eyed.

Junior theater major Zachary Frye, 20, said he enjoyed coming into both sides of his character. “ The entire show asks the question ‘Who is Jamie?” Frye said. “He’s very suave and smooth talking.”

Frye’s character, Jamie Lockhart is the bandit of the woods and the thief of Rosamund’s heart.

He saves Rosamund’s father, Clemment Musgrove played by Joe Karl, who then introduces Jamie Lockhart to Rosamund.

“I’m in a cape, so that’s a selling point,” Frye said laughing.

T h rou g hout mu ch of t he suspense the cast can be seen square dancing and promenading, p a r t o f C o b b’s a u t h e n t i c choreography. Frye blushed when it came to his dance moves.

“I’m a not a very good dancer,” he joked. “Some of the steps took awhile to figure out but I think things have been worked out.

There’s a lot of pressure because this is TC’s last show. So we really want to make this good for him.”

The Robber Bridegroom opens Friday March 7 in the University Union Multi-Pur p os e Ro om (MPR) at 7:30 p.m. with no show Saturday but a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. and shows Monday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

March 7, 2014

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