04 24 2015

Rock Roast Offers Sustainable Coffee The Rock Roast coffee company wins a student-voted award for their YouTube video for the creativity of their coffee.

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Frida April 24, 2015 • Volume 98, Issue Number 24 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper

the rocket

www.theonlinerocket.com

SGA Bookstore combats high textbook costs New program plans to lower textbook costs next semester

By Amber Cannon Assistant News Editor

The price of textbooks at the SGA Bookstore have been a controversial topic at SRU for awhile, but students should start to see prices decrease starting next semester due to a new software program that is designed to lower textbook costs.

Joe Flynn, SGA Bookstore manager, said he’s aware of the textbook rental websites, primarily Amazon Marketplace. He said the bookstore recently purchased a new software programmed named Verba, which allows the bookstore staff to reach out and source textbooks for lower prices. He said this is a new process that students should start seeing in the bookstore starting in the fall semester.

“Books that we are sourcing from Amazon or Half.com allows us to capture those books, bring them in at a cheaper price and pass the savings onto the customers,” he said.

Flynn said the price of textbooks is based on the industry average. It also depends on whether the book is new, used or if the book is a course package.

There are also several books available digitally.

Flynn said about 30 percent of the bookstore’s textbooks are digital. Although online textbooks seem to be cheaper, Flynn said there are some limitations to ordering digital textbooks.

“You’ll have that book for usually six months, it varies by each vendor, but a lot of times the digital book goes away after the class ends,” Flynn said.

“We found that when we offer a digital book as well as a traditional book, 80 percent of students still prefer the hard copy book.”

Wendy Leitera, SRSRA Inc. Business Manager said a task force has formed with the goal of lowering textbook costs at the bookstore. She said faculty and staff, along with the provost got together to discuss ways to keep costs down.

"We're all trying to work together to make textbook prices as low as possible," Leitera said.

"It's not the faculty or the bookstore's fault."

Leitera said that often times, professors request the newest editions of books, but urges faculty not to order the newest edition if it's not needed.

She also said the more used books the bookstore receives at the end of the semester, the more used books will be given back to students, which will also lower the cost of textbooks.

If professors could find open sources where students could access the class materials for free,

Lacrosse Upsets No. 6 Mercyhurst Lacrosse scores 11 goals against sixth ranked Mercyhurst Wednesday.

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GRAPHIC BY ALEX MOWREY

Textbooks prices from websites such as Amazon, Chegg and Half.com are lower, compared to prices at the SGA Bookstore. According to SGA Bookstore manager, Joe Flynn, the prices of textbooks are expected to decrease next semester.

Leitera said that would be wonderful. She sad there are other different ways that the bookstore offers textbooks. Textbook rentals and digital rentals tend to be the cheapest, Leitera said.

Dr. Christy Crute, professor of mathematics, said she doesn’t use a textbook for her mathematics as a liberal art class because she wanted to experiment to see if she could develop a curriculum that works for her students, but she believes that textbooks are well worth purchasing.

“I think sometimes you guys should buy the textbooks and you might even want to retain it, but other times, I think it’s hard because you buy a fair amount of books that you’re just going to turn around and sell,” she said.

Taylor Dixon, junior exercise science major, said

she buys half of her books from eBay and half from the bookstore, but she ultimately looks for which books are cheaper.

She said some of the books from the bookstore are outrageously priced.

“The most expensive book I’ve ever bought from the bookstore was my Chemistry II book, which was like $200,” Dixon said. “I almost bought an anatomy book for $400, but I ended up buying used.”

Dixon also said she tried to sell her book back to the bookstore once, but the bookstore claimed it was too damaged to buy back from her.

SEE PRICE, PAGE A-2

Gunshots allegedly fired at event involving SRU students

By Haley Barnes News Editor

Gunshots were allegedly fired after Monroeville police responded to an incident of overcrowding at Winghart’s Whiskey & Burger Bar located at Monroeville Mall early Saturday morning around 1 a.m., where the #AllWhiteAffair2015 was hosted.

The #AllWhiteAffair2015 was an 18-and-over party where guests wear white outfits. Over 500 people were in attendance at the party, including some SRU students.

Brothers of SRU fraternity Phi Beta Sigma advertised the event on their social media accounts. SRU Public Relations Director Rita Abent said that students from Indiana University, California University and the University of Pittsburgh attended as well.

“This was not a fraternity party and no fraternity funds were used for the party,” she said. “It was not a university event. It was a party organized by private individuals who signed the venue and transportation contracts and are personally responsible for meeting

those obligations.”

Monroeville Police Chief Douglas Cole said on Wednesday that police were trying to clear everyone out into the parking lot because the restaurant was over capacity. He said that the gunshots were allegedly fired at 1:13 a.m. from an unknown shooter. Police are still investigating the alleged gunshots.

Abent said that one person was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Cole said that no additional arrests have been made.

He said that two people were injured in the crowd, a 19-year-old female and a 25-year-old male. Cole said that the male’s injuries were not life-threatening and that the female’s injuries were unrelated to the incident.

Abent said that since the event was private, the university has no authority in the matter.

“It is my understanding that the individuals involved have retained legal council and that all future statements would come from their attorney,” she said.

Phi Beta Sigma was not available for comment.

Pros And Cons Of Greek Week

Track Star Ready For Nationals

Rocket staffers weigh in on what's right and wrong about Greek Week.

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All-American javelin thrower Sam Taylor is prepared to make a run at the national title.

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Festival Showcases Cultural Events The Kalideoscope Festival kicked off this week, offering cultural events for students.

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NEWS

A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Partly sunny and chilly

Chance of a little p.m. rain

Partial sunshine

Cooler with variable clouds

An afternoon shower in places

Mostly cloudy with a shower

Mostly cloudy

48°

26°

35°

53°

56°

REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE

®

Fri.

Sat.

Sun. Mon.

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

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

Friday HI LO W 53 33 pc 52 32 pc 51 27 pc 50 34 pc 44 30 pc 54 31 pc 51 26 pc 46 27 pc 54 36 pc 54 30 pc 48 28 pc 49 28 pc 55 34 pc 52 27 pc 49 26 pc

Saturday HI LO W 50 38 r 60 40 s 52 34 r 49 37 r 49 36 pc 57 39 pc 54 34 r 50 34 r 60 43 s 53 38 r 57 33 pc 55 34 pc 50 41 r 58 34 pc 51 35 r

Sunday HI LO W 58 38 s 59 38 c 57 37 c 56 39 s 52 38 s 61 41 r 59 36 c 54 34 c 60 46 r 61 37 c 57 39 pc 56 37 c 60 37 c 59 37 pc 56 35 s

33°

51°

34°

55°

UV INDEX

Fri.

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.

Tuesday HI LO W 61 42 c 64 43 pc 58 38 pc 58 42 pc 54 40 pc 62 41 pc 60 38 pc 54 38 pc 64 44 pc 61 42 pc 61 39 pc 57 40 pc 62 45 pc 62 38 pc 59 40 pc

60°

40°

64°

NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES

44°

Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal

IN THE SKY

™

Monday HI LO W 55 40 pc 59 40 c 54 38 c 52 41 pc 50 39 c 60 41 c 57 37 c 50 35 c 62 46 pc 56 38 c 57 40 c 54 38 c 57 40 pc 59 39 c 52 37 c

35°

Wednesday HI LO W 63 45 r 63 42 c 59 42 r 61 45 r 57 44 r 62 45 c 62 42 c 56 40 c 63 47 c 64 44 c 62 42 pc 62 42 r 62 43 r 65 42 sh 62 42 r

ROCK NOTES

Thursday HI LO W 64 45 c 61 46 c 57 43 c 61 43 pc 56 42 c 60 45 c 61 43 c 55 42 c 60 48 c 64 44 c 60 42 c 57 43 c 63 46 c 60 42 c 62 42 r

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Moon

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Rise 6:28 a.m.

6:27 a.m.

6:25 a.m.

6:24 a.m.

6:23 a.m.

6:21 a.m.

6:20 a.m.

Rise 11:29 a.m.

12:25 p.m.

1:21 p.m.

2:17 p.m.

3:13 p.m.

4:10 p.m.

5:06 p.m.

MOON PHASES

Set 8:09 p.m.

8:10 p.m.

8:11 p.m.

8:12 p.m.

8:13 p.m.

8:14 p.m.

8:16 p.m.

Set 1:13 a.m.

1:55 a.m.

2:33 a.m.

3:07 a.m.

3:38 a.m.

4:08 a.m.

4:37 a.m.

First

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Last

New

4/25

5/3

5/11

5/18

April 24, 2015

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015

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 74 61 pc 77 67 t 82 55 s 75 56 c 67 55 r 67 52 r 70 53 c Boston 56 39 pc 56 38 pc 57 43 sh 56 43 sh 55 42 pc 53 43 c 54 44 c Chicago 57 39 s 45 34 r 54 36 s 59 38 s 58 39 c 60 40 s 62 43 pc Cincinnati 62 43 s 56 40 r 60 37 c 60 40 s 62 45 pc 64 47 r 65 46 c Dallas 79 63 t 85 57 s 85 62 t 74 55 r 66 51 s 73 52 pc 78 57 s Denver 65 42 t 66 42 sh 60 39 t 55 36 sh 64 37 pc 73 42 s 78 45 pc Detroit 55 35 pc 49 34 r 58 39 s 58 41 pc 62 43 pc 63 45 pc 65 44 c Houston 84 70 t 88 64 t 85 68 c 82 62 t 75 55 s 77 55 s 82 60 s Indianapolis 62 46 s 54 38 r 59 38 c 60 39 s 61 44 pc 64 46 c 65 45 pc Kansas City 63 52 t 63 41 c 61 42 c 62 42 sh 65 44 c 68 46 c 71 48 s Los Angeles 68 56 pc 69 57 c 76 60 s 83 61 s 85 61 s 82 62 s 83 62 pc Miami 87 76 t 89 76 pc 94 77 s 90 76 t 88 77 t 86 72 t 83 69 sh Nashville 67 57 c 79 56 t 68 46 pc 69 47 s 68 49 r 66 49 r 69 50 c New Orleans 82 73 t 83 70 t 86 71 pc 83 68 t 79 62 t 75 60 pc 79 62 s New York City 54 39 pc 60 46 s 58 47 pc 60 48 c 63 48 pc 66 50 pc 66 52 c Orlando 88 69 pc 92 73 pc 89 74 t 87 70 t 84 70 t 82 63 sh 81 61 sh Phoenix 79 63 pc 83 61 pc 80 61 s 89 68 s 94 70 s 98 70 s 98 69 s San Francisco 63 54 pc 63 50 sh 67 51 s 72 52 s 69 53 s 68 52 s 67 51 pc Seattle 54 43 sh 57 43 pc 60 49 r 70 52 sh 70 49 pc 63 45 sh 63 46 pc Washington, DC 61 40 pc 60 45 r 62 46 r 65 47 pc 65 48 pc 66 51 sh 62 53 c Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Staff helps students register to avoid graduation delays

By Haley Barnes News Editor

INDEX

“We want to get our seniors into classes that they need to graduate because they are a semester or two away from graduating,” Baker said.

The master schedule for each semester is based off of the schedule of the preceding year. About 80 percent of the master schedule for each semester is the same as the preceding semester.

“They start with this template from the preceding year and the department chair persons revise it,” Baker said. “Depending on sabbaticals, leaves, new hires, retirements, changes in the curriculum, you know, new requirements for incoming students, etc., they will build over the initial schedule, which will be sent to their dean and then must be approved at the dean’s level.”

He said that any time a student can’t get a spot in a class, the student usually goes to their advisor or department chair, who will then write the student into the class.

“We have 8,500 students,” he said. “Each of them are trying to register for anywhere between one and five courses, maybe six courses if you’re taking 18 credits. So you always have to look at it in perspective. If we get ten calls a day, each day of registration from a student who’s complaining that they were closed out of a course that they need to graduate, that’s not good, but remember, that’s 10 a day and we only register four days a week, so that’s 80 calls and we have 8,500 students registering.”

Baker said that there is no way for his office to monitor students holding classes for other students and that he can't be accusing students of doing so. He said that the only way to catch this would be to keep a closer eye on students.

One class that most SRU students are required to take is Public Speaking. Baker said that it is ideal for students to take Public Speaking during their sophomore year, but that usually doesn’t happen.

Baker said that if a student can’t take Public Speaking, that there are other options like taking the course during the summer or winter or taking a substitute course.

Baker said that no faculty member wants to see a student not be able to graduate because they can't get into all the classes that they need.

Price of buyback books depends on textbook adoption by faculty, SGA bookstore manager says

220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock Continued from Page A-1 University Slippery Rock, PA “I feel like the books have to be perfect for the bookstore to 16057 buy them back,” Dixon said.

Flynn said the bookstore buys books back all the time, but they have a big buyback event at the end each semester where they bring a wholesaler Nationally recognized as one of the top 10 four-year weekly to purchase the textbooks. broadsheet newspapers by the Flynn said there are two Associated Collegiate Press. different styles of textbooks that the university repurchases.

There are books that professors adopt to use next semester. If a student is selling a book that was adopted by a professor, the bookstore will pay a lot more money for that certain textbook because they will use

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

Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal

National Summary: A strong storm system will track into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys Saturday, sending heavy rain and gusty storms across the region. Strong storms will rumble across the South where hail and damaging winds are possible. Across New England, cool and showery weather will continue. A trough of low pressure will bring showers to much of the West. As the weekend comes to an end Sunday, leftover showers will dampen the mid-Atlantic while a storm system leaves the coast. Thunderstorms will rumble across the Southwest. The next storm system will form across the Plains Monday and will bring the risk for severe thunderstorms from Kansas to Louisiana. Showers will continue across New England.

S cheduling is a time of the year for SRU students to meet with their academic advis or Hispanic Latino: Cultures Series to prepare for the part two of three The last part of the Hispanic Latino: upcoming semester by discussing classes Culture Series will take place on April 24 and progression towards graduation, from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in Carruth but Amanda Yale, Associate Provost for Rizza Hall. It is a Tango-Social Dance Enrollment Services, said that students are Party with a special performance by the not receiving the classes that they need on Tangueros Tango Quartet. time may delay their graduation.

“At times students will report that they can’t FAFSA Renewal Reminder get courses and we act on this immediately with the college/department,” Yale said.

SRU students are reminded to renew “Many departments will find ways to help their FAFSA's for the 2015-2016 academic these students.” school year before May 1. Questions can Elliot Baker, Executive Director of be directed towards the Financial Aid Academic Records and Summer School, said Office. that the order of scheduling is based off of which students are closest to graduating, but Weekly Planetarium Shows that there are some exceptions to the order.

Vincent Science Center offers a different He explained that there are about 1,000 students who can register before the seniors, show every week. Admission is free and but that most of those students can’t register the show starts at 8 p.m. for upper level classes.

“We start with our grad students and then we start with our postbaccalaureate students because usually the graduate students are only taking graduate courses,” he said.

To submit a Rock Note please send your “Postbacs take undergraduate courses, but announcement there are very few of them, only about 150 of them, and most of them are not back to by 6 p.m. Wednesday to Haley Barnes at get a degree. Most of them are back because hmb1006@sru.edu or to rocket.news@ they need a specific course for teacher’s sru.edu. The Rocket does not guarantee certification, something like that.”

He then explained that because of a new that all requests will be published in the law, undergraduate veterans schedule next. paper.

“And then students with disabilities schedule next because that is also part of Pennsylvania law that we have to make accommodations,” Baker said. “Not every student with a disability goes, but our Office for Students with Disabilities determines and Blotter.................A-3 S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C - 1 then before the seniors go, we let the senior athletes go.”

Opinion................B-1 Campus Life...........D-1 He explained that every class is then divided into twos, based off of credits earned. Senior Comics...................B-3 2s have 105 credits or more and senior 1s have between 90 to 100 credits.

CONTACT US

PRECIPITATION

it again next semester, Flynn said. If a book doesn’t get adopted by a professor, it goes to the wholesaler and they buy it at a lower price, he said.

Flynn said this is where the student’s frustration comes in.

“I know there’s frustration,” Flynn said. “There’s frustration on our part too because two months later, we get an adoption from that professor saying, ‘hey, guess what, we’re going to use that book’, meanwhile we’ve already sold it back to the wholesale company. The student lost money because they could have gotten more money and we have to turn around and buy it from the wholesale

company and pay the freight, when we could have bought it right from the student and pay them money. I think there’s that conception where we’re not paying much. We’re not paying much if we don’t know if we’re using that book next semester.”

Flynn said as of right now, only 50 percent of faculty have turned in their textbook adoptions for next semester.

He said some faculty don’t turn in their adoptions because they don’t know what classes they’re teaching, some haven’t made their decision yet and some of them just haven’t taken the time to notify the bookstore.

NEWS

April 24, 2015

A-3

POLICE BLOTTER Campus April 16- Police met an individual at Building F with regard to a distributed video. The case is under investigation.

April 16- An individual was issued a traffic citation at the East Central Loop after police stopped them for a stop sign violation.

April 18- Police responded to a call from a female student about a strange-acting male near the art building. Police were unable to find the male. The female was escorted back to her residence.

April 10- Maxwell Lewandowski was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct after a fire alarm brought police and the fire department to his residence.

April 18- The Health Center requested an ambulance for a male needing to go to the hospital.

April 18- Borough police called for assistance for a fight in front of Ginger Hill.

April 11- Brenton Ayers was arrested for drunk driving after being stopped for an equipment violation. He was arrested again for drunk driving after retrieving his impounded car once he was released.

April 16- Torrie Brown, 22, was charged with simple assault in relation to a previously reported incident.

April 17- Police responded to an alarm at the Rock Apartments. Water was found leaking in the building and maintenance was called.

April 17- Police responded for a passed out female at Patterson Hall. She refused all medical attention.

April 19- Borough police called for assistance in a fight on Cornish Drive. An individual was transported to the Health Center.

April 19- A Health Center nurse called police about a student who had concerns for her boyfriend. Police referred the student to the Pennsylvania State Police since the incident occurred off campus.

April 11- Jacob Lenhart was given an underage citation after being stopped along Campus Drive.

April 12- Stephen Kennedy was cited for disorderly conduct after being found in possession of marijuana along Midway Alley.

April 12- Matthew Davies was given an underage citation after being stopped for a traffic violation along Midway Alley.

April 17- Police met a student about a concern in Spotts World Culture Building. The case is under investigation and has been referred to Student Conduct.

April 20- Police were called about damage done to equipment outside of Old Main. The case is under investigation.

April 17- Police received a call about an individual trying to access Bailey Library after hours. The officer asked for the person’s ID and checked the building for damages.

April 20- Pengpeng He, 21, was charged with disorderly conduct in a previously reported incident.

Borough

April 14- Creanna Martin was charged with issuing bad checks.

April 18- A red Ford pickup was involved in a hit and run along New Castle Street. The pickup was driving carelessly and struck a light pole, causing substantial damage.

April 18- Police were called about drugs discovered at Boozel Dining Hall. The case is under investigation.

April 9- Jacob M. Miller was arrested for drunk driving after being stopped for a traffic violation along Franklin Street.

April 18- Police issued a traffic citation for a vehicle that failed to stop at a Harmony Road stop sign.

April 10- Shanque Parker and Lanay Swinton were given disorderly house citations along South Main Street. They Compiled by Chris Gordon were also found to have consumed alcohol underage.

April 22- Tyler Negly, Alec Rowe and Austin Troutner were given disorderly house citations after officers received a complaint about a loud party they were hosting.

Addresses of all SRU employees SGA president-elect looks forward requested through Right to Know Law to making a 'good transition' employees, the Association of Pennsylvania State College and Assistant News Editor University Faculties (APSCUF) The Pennsylvanians of Union sent an email out to all faculty Reform recently issued a Right to stating if they wish to opt out of Know request to Slippery Rock having their information released University for the name and home due to personal security and safety address of all university employees. reasons, they must go to 201 Old The Right to Know Law is the Main and sign a form before April Pennsylvania law that guarantees 27. your right to access and to obtain Dr. Itzi Meztli, SGA APSCUF copies of public records held by representative and professor of government agencies. The law was English expressed his concerns signed on Feb. 14, 2008 by former with the law. governor of Pennsylvania Edward “I don’t want to have some G. Rendell crackpot and came into show up at effect on Jan. "I don't want to have some my place, 1, 2009. someone crackpot show up at my place, Executive who could Director for someone could threaten my life t h r e a t e n U n i v e r s i t y or harm me." my life or P u b l i c harm me,” Relations and - Itzi Metzli, SGA APSCUF Meztli said.

Agency Right representative “My home to Know address, Officer, Rita to me, is a Abent said the university received privacy and security issue. I’m a Right to Know request for home trained to give it out to whoever I addresses for all employees. She want to, but no one else is allowed said this is a legitimate request to demand it of me or in other with which the university is words, to take it. I can give it freely, obligated to comply. In this case, but I shouldn’t be required to give the law also allows for people to it out." be notified of the request and to Meztli said he understands that seek an exemption as provided for he is a state employee, but he said in the law. Abent said notices were if someone wants to contact him, sent to all employees informing they can go to the SRU website and them of both of these pieces of direct themselves to the English information. department page where they can “It is not up to the university find his office address, his office to determine if an exception is phone number and his office email. allowed, we simply provide the “The problem is, I don’t want opportunity for an exception to be them to show up where I live,” requested,” Abent said. “A request Meztli said. “I draw the line there.” for exception can be appealed by Abent said the university will the person or organization that still compile the list of home originally filed the Right to Know addresses as required by the law request. That ultimately would be and the university will respond to ruled on by the Commonwealth the requester.

Office of Public Records and the “Once we’ve done that, we’ve met courts.” our obligation and the file will be Following t he re quest of closed as allowed by law.” home addresses of all university

By Amber Cannon

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Logan Steigerwalt shares a hug with Amy Rastam as he is named SGA president for the 2015-2016 academic school year.

By Kevin Squires Editor-in-Chief

Running unopposed, Logan Steiger walt was elected the 20152016 president of the Slippery Rock Student Government Association.

Steigerwalt ran as part of the SRUnited ticket which included Jessica Johnson, Michael Farrah, Jenna Temple and Aimee Albright as executive board nominees. Johnson won the vice president of student affairs position w h i l e Far r a h t o o k the vice president of financial affairs position.

Temple was elected vice president of internal affairs, and Albright was elected vice president of campus outreach.

“We definitely didn’t expect only one ticket to run,” Steigerwalt said.

“Because there was only one ticket we didn’t really have to focus too much on campaigning.”

He said SRUnited still made efforts to promote

themselves on campus, especially focusing on social media.

Steigerwalt won 784 votes, besting write-in candidate John Beckage who had 87 votes.

Beckage, Brian Welsh, Kaci Vandergrift, Sarah Arpino, Laina Garrow, Alexandra Foster, Alissa Gemmel, Vudthichai Phothisuc, Samantha Hovis, Alex Barrett, Parker Balla, Sophia Sar ver, Tyler Moody and Jaclyn Choma were elected as commuter senators. There was one spot left empty following the elections.

Tabitha Giacalone, Adam Giovanelli, Blake Kramer, Margaret Pfaff, Timothy Rosenberger, Ke n d r a A nt l e a n d Jessica Lynn Johnson were elected as the senators for Building A, Building B, Watson Hall, Building E, Building F, Rhoads Hall and the R O C K Ap ar t m e nt s , re s p e c t i ve l y. A n d re Roberts and Tomas Younkins won seats as

graduate senators.

Building D had a two-way tie between Don Walsh and Donald Sanders who each received two votes.

North Hall also had a tie between Claudia Hartmann and Ross Mitchell who also both received two votes. Once the candidates confirm their living situation for next year and that they are still interested, building elections will be conducted during the fall to determine a winner.

Steigerwalt said his top focus as president is a smooth transition into the position.

“My first goal is to successfully have a good transition with [20142015 SGA President] Katie Hill and continue things she wants to do and then move forward so we can get the year started on a good pace rather than from square one.”

According to their Twitter, SRUnited plans to create more community service opportunities for students, collaborate with more clubs and organizations, promote n e w l i br a r y h ou r s b as e d on fe e db a ck from students, create a dialogue about the weather policy with the administration, promote a positive image of the university, bring in notable, continue project positivity, create more transparency with the administration and advocate to bring a major conference to campus.

O

OPINION

Our View Greek Week brings mixed viewpoints

OPINION rocket.letters@sru.edu Volume 98, Number 24

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

REBECCA DIETRICH / THE ROCKET

Campus Life Editor

Brian Hepfinger

Sports Editor

Alex Mowrey

Photo Editor

Andrew Conner

Greek Week unity separates campus

Here at the Rocket, we find there is a negative stigma that people attach to Greek Week, simply because it is related to Greek Life, but these people fail to see the real reason behind Greek Week, which is to use their influence to help others. Many people like to complain about Greeks, but how could you say you are upset when they donate to the Make-a-Wish foundation, which grants dying children their last wishes?

Last year, Greek Life almost granted two wishes for Make-A-Wish from Slippery Rock University’s chapters alone. Greek Life makes up only a small percentage of our campus, but still contributes and donates to charities.

Not only do they contribute to Make-A-Wish but they also participate in an event called Can Castle, where they collect canned food for the local food pantry. They also collected children’s books through hosting a book drive.

The entire week is dedicated to giving funds and other donations to different charities.

Greeks also donate blood every year, and each SRU sorority and fraternity is required to have at least 10 chapter members donate blood. If every Greek organization does that, it is at least another 130 people that are saving lives. Greek organizations all hold philanthropy events throughout the year and this is the week everyone comes together as one for a big finale.

Not only do we think Greek Week provide a wonderful opportunity for students to get involved in giving back, but it also promotes Greek unity. Each sorority and fraternity has a partner Greek chapter that they work with for the week. This allows people to build friendships that they might not have made outside of Greek Week.

Greeks may not know every person they’re partnered with within their pairing, but by the end of the week there is a good chance that they will. Partners switch every year, so it allows students to meet new people.

Yes, the events do get competitive at times, but if you ever watched an event, after a loss or a win, all Greek organizations come to support each other. Say what you want about why people participate in Greek Week. We don’t think it’s for a trophy or a title. We think they want to raise money for a worthy cause.

If you didn’t know, “GDI” stands for “God Damn Independent,” and it is a term coined by the Greeks to describe people who don’t subscribe to the silliness that is Greek Life.

GDIs are never prouder to be GDIs than during “Greek Week,” a time synonymous with Greeks being more inyour-face than usual and going above and beyond to annoy the GDI populace. We’re sure many students can relate on a personal level to the universal hatred of Greek Week.

First of all, the Greeks pretend that the sole motive for Greek Week is to donate funds to the Make-A-Wish foundation and other charities, which is in itself an honorable and noble thing. We do not take issue with that at all, and commend them for that. What we do take issue with is how they pretend that everything about Greek Week is for charity. Before any Greek can argue this, they should ask themselves, “Is this cooler I’ve decorated for the copious amounts of booze I will be consuming, or is it for the kids?”

We rest our case.

If you were planning on going to the ARC, the Student Center or the quad this week, you probably had to take another route as these three locations are usually clogged with Greeks (you can tell because they’re all dressed the same and are adorned in more letters than a dictionary).

If they aren’t clogging the most visited places on campus, the Greeks are filling social media feeds with pictures of them in their matching outfits, which is meant to represent unity, except that if the goal of this week was for charity, then they suspiciously don’t post pictures of themselves uniting with SRU charity organizations.

We get it, the Greeks like to be “united,” but they are “unified” every weekend at mixers, and throughout the week during different events that only Greeks can attend. Before anyone says, “People who aren’t Greek can attend any of our events!” or “We’d love to have more GDIs show up!,” then why isn’t the point of Greek Week to promote unity between the rest of the campus and Greek Life? To us, the whole “unity” thing in general is just another ploy to make Greek Life as seemingly exclusive as possible, and Greek Week is just a more annoying extension of that motive.

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

Greek Week raises money for charities

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.

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.

In the Quad

This week’s question: Did you get in all the classes you needed? What ones did you not get into that you needed?

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

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.

Samantha Dailey Freshman, Business Management Major Stoneburrow, Pennsylvania

Michael Hartos Junior, Physics Major Ruffsdale, Pennsylvania

Samantha Hovis Freshman, Marketing Major Madeville, Pennsylvania

“I didn’t really get into all of them, I got into most of them.

I didn’t get into interpreting lit. All the classes I needed were full.”

“Yes, I got into all my classes.

The only one I didn’t get into is public speaking.”

“I got all of my classes but all of the times they were offered weren’t the times I wanted so now I have an 8 a.m. class- general biology.”

OPINION

B-2

April 24, 2015

QUESTION OF

THE WEEK @SRURocket

Didn’t get the chance to reply? Keep the conversation going with #SRUOpinion on Twitter.

Be looking for next week’s question this Monday.

Reporters, photographers deserve more than a ‘Hat Tip’ from IFLScience

Kevin Squires It’s Rocket Science Kevin Squires is a senior biology major from West Mifflin, Pennsylvania and the editor-inchief of The Rocket.

You’ve probably seen it pop up on Facebook and maybe you’ve clicked a link or two, but I can’t begin to tell you how much IFH “IFLScience.” According to their website, “IFLScience is a growing community of those who desire to explore, going beyond common knowledge to understand how and why our world and universe work.” Well, I can shed this understanding for IFLScience right now. Everything that they

do is done for a simple reason: money.

The site puts me in a difficult position as it does a great job of spreading science in a way that audiences enjoy and become curious about. The fact that readers even know what it is supports this claim. However, what IFLS is also doing is stripping away a large degree of scientific objectivity, sensationalizing science news and essentially plagiarizing the works of legitimate reporters for real news outlets.

I noticed when I first started seeing the site appear in my news feed that many of the photographs were not credited, and the stories summarized what other sites were reporting. I never put much thought into this until I began working for The Rocket. I came to understand that IFLS was hosting other people’s content from another website and publishing it on their own, every word of it, with little to no original information on the topic, changing headlines and pushing the links from social

media, all in an effort to drive traffic to their website to make money. Everyone learned from a very early age that plagiarism is wrong, and what IFLS was doing was questionable at best.

Currently, the articles typically offer credit to the original source and often offer a “Hat Tip” to the original site that reported the story they are now hosting.

This is probably a more legal fix instituted after getting heat for flat out stealing the work, but still not a good solution. I’m sure that a tip of the hat is all that any reporter wants when their journalistic work is distributed from a source that they don’t work for and is making money off of their work.

In all honesty, there is a component of journalism that does support the previous claim.

Writing is something journalists do to communicate something to an audience. Reporting is done so that people are informed on things and so that informed individuals can discuss topics with welldeveloped opinions supported by

facts and an understanding of the topics. Similarly, photographers want their pictures to be viewed.

However, this is also how many people make a living, and not just reporters and photographers.

For instance, editors, advertising managers, copyeditors and many others depend on news services to make a living. Taking content, even when linking to it, is selfishly taking potential money away from all of these people.

When I see an article on social media that catches my eye and it’s from IFLS, I search Google for the headline and try to find the original source. If I can’t and still really want to read the article I’ll click the IFLS link, find the “Hat Tip” and visit that source as soon as possible. If it interests me, I share the content with the link from the original source, not IFLS. I encourage all true lovers of science and respect for one another to do the same.

LETTER 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.

The Rocket staff editorial underestimates severity of anxiety disorders I’m writing in response to the staff editorial that ran in the last issue of The Rocket titled “Students abuse priority scheduling.”

In the article, The Rocket claims that students registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities often abuse priority scheduling and even goes as far to imply priority scheduling is the sole reason some students register with a disability, asking “What’s to stop a student who heard that students who register as having a mental illness get priority scheduling from going and registering as disabled for that very reason?”

I really don’t think you’re giving the Office of Students with Disabilities enough credit.

Do you really think anyone can just walk in, claim they have a mental illness, and walk out with priority scheduling? That’s not how it works. In order for the Office of Students with Disabilities to provide any accommodations for students, they must have a legitimate diagnosis from a licensed professional.

The graphic associated with the article probably bothered me more than anything.

While the article stated those with anxiety disorders have a legitimate reason for early registration, the graphic is a clear slight on those registering with an anxiety disorder. The graphic features a freshman student registering with a disability apparently called “I’m stressed

out like all college students & yeah.”

There is so much wrong with what that sentence implies.

Saying anxiety is simply being “stressed out” is the understatement of the century. Yes, every college student feels anxious every now and then. That’s normal. Anxiety can even be beneficial at times, pushing you to spend a few more hours studying for an exam or writing a paper, but there is a huge difference between anxiety and an anxiety disorder. It wouldn’t be considered a disorder if it were a normal thing that “all college students” experienced.

For those living with an anxiety disorder, their anxiety is irrational, persistent, and excessive. Writing it off as just being “stressed out” completely invalidates the impact an anxiety disorder can have on a person’s life.

The graphic also clearly depicts there being a problem with the fact that people with anxiety disorders are allowed to register early.

Allowing students with anxiety disorders to register early ensures these students are able to succeed to the best of their abilities. Yes, it may mean a freshman or sophomore gets a highly coveted spot in Public Speaking. So what?

Did you ever consider how a class like Public Speaking could affect someone with an anxiety disorder? Public Speaking is stressful enough for any college student, but that stress

is considerably worse for someone with an anxiety disorder. Imagine how much more successful a student with an anxiety disorder can be if they are able to take a class like Public Speaking with a lighter course load rather than a schedule full of 300 and 400 level classes. In all reality, an anxiety disorder may be one of the best reasons to get into a Public Speaking— or any class for that matter—early.

I understand the main point of the article was to encourage more regulation when it comes to priority scheduling which is something I wholeheartedly agree with. There are plenty of people out abusing the privilege to schedule early and it’s something that needs to be dealt with.

While I agree with the overall message, I feel like the article and graphic unfairly singles out those living with mental illnesses, specifically anxiety disorders. Honor students, veterans, and student athletes were also mentioned as possible culprits, why not use them in the graphic instead of rudely discrediting a real metal illness that affects millions of people?

I would hope that, in the future, The Rocket is more sensitive when it comes to dealing with mental illness.

Karleigh Santry

B-3

April 24, 2015

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C

COMICS

Poppy

By Brooke Griffin

COMICS

Horoscopes Today's Birthday (04/24/15). Your universe centers on home this year. Balance a new phase in your work with health and family time. Rigorous scheduling and budgeting pays off. Take on projects domestically and in your community. Launch bigger actions after 6/14.

A new fun (and romantic) phase arises after 10/13.

Plan a peaceful retreat for after 10/27. Nurture each other.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Talk with your family to resolve a breakdown. Stick close to home. Order what you need to be delivered. Make the long-distance call. Watch for hidden danger.

Intuition points to future success. Someone admires your courage.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- It's a wonderful day for writing. Don't give away all the plot. Record your thoughts, as a first draft. Plot your course, but then let it take you where it does. Unfold your story bit by bit.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Make it look easy. Innovations upset the routine. It's okay if others seem critical. This idea could be wildly profitable. Pay bills and send invoices. Make a necessary purchase. Negotiate a favorable price.

Compromise.

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy

By Tim Rickard

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Take it slow and watch for potholes. Pay attention and avoid accidents. Make strides on a personal project.

Communication connects the players. Give up control and gain better results. Your confidence rises with the positive response.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Don't take your health for granted. Talk to someone you trust.

Conditions seem unsettled. Working at home can be profitable and convenient. Rest when your body tells you to. Discipline with diet and exercise pays off.

Meditate somewhere beautiful.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -Communication is the key to supercharging a community project. Get loud over social media. Ask friends to do the same. Share about what could be possible. Watch where you're going and avoid pitfalls.

Solve a tricky problem and celebrate.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Sensitive feelings could cause a breakdown at work. Talk it over.

Consider the political aspects of the circumstances.

It's not a good time for travel, with road hazards and delays possible. There may be a test. Diplomacy pays off.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Explore a side of your neighborhood you hadn't seen before.

Exotic flavors and ambiance doesn't need to cost a fortune or hours of travel. Engage in a little local adventure. Learn something new about your familiar place.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Talk over immediate financial necessities with your partner.

Make home decisions. Correct a misconception.

Speak privately, before announcing any plans. What do you really want? Be flexible, without capitulating.

Compromise. Update the budget to reflect changes.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Have a heart-to-heart conversation with your partner. Get a problem out in the open. Establish boundaries. Don't assume you know everything. Pay attention. Listen and learn. Respond enthusiastically. Schedule your actions. Follow through on the details.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Your creative work is in demand. Strengthen your infrastructure and ask for support if you need it.

Keep to orthodox solutions, for now. Send supplies and information. Don't overspend on gadgets. Stay close to home.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Play with your favorite people. Learn a new game from someone fascinating. Teach one you know well, and discover unexplored facets. Give and take without expectation. Enjoy skillful moves. Get childish and curious. Share your heart. (c)2015 BY NANCY BLACK DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Fall classes closed?

Think summer school

Sun, sand and

SUMMER COURSES

at Slippery Rock University Great reasons to attend summer school at SRU: • Boost your grade-point average • Lighten your fall course load • Study abroad; earn credits • Summer internships • More than 295 classes

• More than 150 classes online • More than 60 graduate courses • Pay 2014-15 tuition rates • Undergraduate tuition for PA residents: $284/credit + fees

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To view information on summer school and the summer class schedule: www.sru.edu/summer

Experience the Difference

www.SRU.edu A member of Pennsylvania‘s State System of Higher Education

OUR GOAL IS YOUR

SUCCESS.

Get ahead of the class with CCAC summer courses Classes start May 18, June 1 & June 29

admissions@ccac.edu

ccac.edu

INSIDE SPORTS

S

Track Star

Baseball Splits

All-American javelin thrower Sam Taylor is prepared to compete for a Division II national title, and reflects on her time at SRU.

The Rock baseball team splits a doubleheader at Bloomsburg University Sunday.

See Page C-4

SPORTS

See Page C-3

Men's track dominates in final home meet

PHOTO COURTESTY OF JOHN PAPA

Senior Hunter Williams (left), junior Michael Hartos (middle) and sophomore Logan Mooney (right) compete in hurdles at the Dave Labor Memorial Invitational on Saturday.

By Brittany Fagan Rocket Contributor

The Slippery Rock University men’s track and field team competed in its last home meet of the season last Saturday at the Bill Lennox Track.

The meet is named the Dave Labor Memorial Invitational in honor of late SRU sprint and hurdle coach Dave Labor. This was the fourth time the meet was held since his passing in 2011, and former athletes and alumni that ran for Labor came back to run an unattached 100 meter dash.

“We had several personal bests and season bests at

our meet this weekend,” Rock head coach John Papa said. “We knew that when we had good weather at our own facility we were ready to erupt with great performances. We have two weeks until the conference meet and our team is ready for the challenge.”

With just one week until the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference meet, the men produced 36 qualifying marks, four NCAA provisional marks and three event wins.

The men’s throws began strong with a win by senior Trevor Miller in the shot put. His throw of 16.54 meters was a NCAA provisional mark.

Senior Jerrod Galloway joined Miller in the shot put event with a throw of 13.82 meters. Miller also

competed in the hammer throw and took fourth with a distance of 48.63 meters. Senior Nick Garuccio took second in the event at 51.71 meters.

Junior David Reinhardt took third in the javelin with an NCAA provisional throw of 58.69 meters. He also took sixth in the discus at 42.61 meters. Freshman Caleb Smithco took first in the triple jump with an NCAA provisional distance and personal best of 14.70 meters. Junior Adam Leeper also competed in the event and took third at 14.18 meters. Smithco and Leeper also placed in the long jump taking third and sixth with distances of 6.87 meters and 6.54 meters.

SEE MEN'S, PAGE C-3

Golden Knights sweep softball in double header

By Brian Hepfinger Sports Editor

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Junior Ashley Samluk swings at a pitch during a game versus Pitt-Johnstown on April 24.

The Slippery Rock University softball team (14-20 overall, 11-13 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) had two of their lowest scoring games of the season Tuesday in two losses against Gannon University (21-8 overall, 15-3 PSAC).

This was the first series between SRU and the number one seed Gannon.

Gannon won both games fairly handily, with a game one score of 9-2 and a game two score of 12-4.

The first game was uncharacteristic for the Rock for multiple reasons. The Green and White's offense is usually what carries the team, but it was unable to get going in either game.

"It was unfortunate that our team struggled at the plate on Tuesday and was unable to make enough adjustments in the box earlier in the game, but we still never gave up on our goals and getting the win," senior second baseman Taylor Welch said.

"We have very important games in the next couple days and have to move past previous games and just focus on

the present."

The Rock only had four hits in the first game, and they scored their two runs in the first two innings. Junior shortstop Katie Kaiser, Welch, junior third baseman Ashley Samluk and freshman catcher Lauren Hawley were the four Rock batters that had hits.

"They have great pitching and they throw well," SRU head coach Stacey Rice said. "It was very cold, very windy and definitely not a spring game. The wind was taking a lot of our hits and hanging them. We were aggressive and putting the ball in play, but we weren't catching any breaks."

Samluk echoed Rice's comments and said that the team hit the ball well, but not in the right positions.

"While our bats could've been a little better, we were actually hitting the ball fairly well, just right at people, unfortunately," Samluk said. "We had a few long balls too, and the wind took them. We always face some bad wind up in Erie around this time."

SEE ROCK, PAGE C-2

SPORTS

C-2

April 24, 2015

Cal U rocks women's tennis in season finale Doug Gilghrist Rocket Contributor

BECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Freshman Ana Petrovic plays a volley against California University during the team's season finale on Sunday.

The Slippery Rock University tennis team ended their season on Sunday by falling to California University of Pennsylvania, the no. 12 ranked team in the country, 9-0.

The loss ends the Rock's season at 10-11, which is the team's first losing season since the 2004-2005 campaign when they went 6-11.

Even though the season ended before he would have liked it, head coach Matt Meredith still considers this season a success.

"We have made a lot of progress this year," Meredith said.

Cal dominated the Green and White from start to finish, not losing more than five games in any single match.

SRU's best chance at a win came in number one doubles where freshmen Carla Corrochano Moracho and Nina Barbano lost an 8-4 decision.

Sophomores Stephanie Fortier and Kylee Woodman lost at number two doubles and freshman Ana Petrovic and sophomore Emily Munson lost at third doubles, both by scores of 8-0.

Things didn't get any better in the singles matches for the Rock.

Corrochano Moracho lost to the number 23 ranked player in the country, Kiefer Shaw, 6-3 and 6-2 at number one singles.

Barbano lost by a similar score in second singles, 6-2 and 6-3.

The two losses ended her

personal seven game winning streak. Petrovic and Fortier lost identical 6-1 and 6-2 matches at third and fourth singles, respectively.

While Woodman lost just her second singles match of the year, 6-1 and 6-1, in the number five slot.

Rounding out the day freshman Amanda Neidig, making her first appearance of the year, lost 6-0 and 6-0 at number six singles.

Despite the losing season, there were many bright spots for the SRU tennis team this year.

Barbano led the team in singles wins, going 15-8, which included a seven game winning streak.

Corrochano Moracho also hit double digits in wins with 10, while Fortier ended the year with nine singles wins.

Woodman ended the season 5-2, winning her first five matches after returning from shoulder surgery.

In doubles play, the number one team of Corrochano Moracho and Barbano ended the year with a mark of 10-13.

The Rock ended the season in fourth place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western division, despite having one of the youngest teams in the conference.

Meredith is looking forward to next season and what's in store for the Rock.

"I'm excited," Meredith said.

"I told the team not to accept this. We are usually not in this position. We will be back and ready next year."

Rock lacrosse upsets sixth ranked Mercyhurst

By Cody McCullough Rocket Contributor

The Slippery Rock University lacrosse team completed a huge upset victory over sixth ranked Mercyhurst University Wednesday to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Rock defeated Mercyhurst 11-9.

“I am extremely proud of this team,” SRU head coach Emily Hopkins said. “This is the proudest moment I’ve had as a coach, we executed the game plan flawlessly and played as a team for all 60 minutes.”

It was an emotional win, as Jess Verbic made her season debut, scoring two goals in the process. Verbic missed the entire season leading up to Wednesday due to personal reasons.

Verbic returned to her teammates on Monday, suited up and played well, despite only having two practices in two months before the game. Verbic’s two goals couldn’t have come at a better time. The first came with 15:08 remaining in the second half, which ended a 4-0 run by Mercyhurst.

This sparked a 5-0 run by the Rock to give them the lead, and the second came with 51 seconds left in the game, giving SRU a 10-9 lead.

Both offenses started off slow, taking a 2-2 tie into the half, but then SRU and

Mercyhurst came alive in the second half, with the Rock winning the second half surge 9-7.

Although SRU had a disadvantage in total shots, shots on goal and ground balls, they had a large advantage in draw controls. Hopkins said the game plan was to play keep-away with the ball, and the first key to that is winning the draw.

There were many contributors in the win. Erin Wilcox netted three goals, giving her 50 on the year.

Kaytlin Callaghan had one goal and two assists. Paige Costantino had one goal and two assists. Chynna Chan and Jasey Sanders each had one goal.

Callaghan set a school record in total assists in a season with 25, and she is one point shy of tying the SRU record for points in a season with one game remaining against Lockhaven University.

Jordan Wagner had a solid game in the net, recording nine saves for her ninth win of the season.

The Rock now sits in the sixth and final playoff spot with a 9-7 record and are 7-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

This is the Green and White's first win over Mercyhurst ever, and it couldn’t have come at a better time with the Rock jockeying for playoff position.

“The feeling we have in the locker room

BECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Freshman defender Danni Wilson brings the ball up the field during a game against Mercyhurst University Wednesday. Wilson has played in 16 games and has seven goals.

right now is indescribable,” Costantino said. “It is almost surreal that we beat the sixth-ranked team in Division II. We have the confidence to take down Lockhaven and make the playoffs.”

To make the PSAC playoffs, SRU must

beat second-ranked Lockhaven Saturday and Bloomsburg University needs to lose to Millersville University, since they hold the tie breaker over the Rock.

SRU will await the outcome of a the Bloomsburg game.

Rock pitching falters in both games of double header Continued from Page C 1

Freshman pitcher Marissa Harris (0-3) got the start for the Green and White, allowing eight hits and seven runs in 2.2 innings.

"She did fine and she started off throwing strikes and not getting too deep in the count," Rice said. "The hits that they got were just singles. They had quite a few solid hits, but they just manufactured well."

Fellow freshman pitcher Brooke Dawson came in during the third inning to take over for Harris, allowing five hits and two runs in 3.1 innings. Harris was tagged with the loss, her third of the season.

Samluk said she believes the pitching staff didn't struggle against Gannon and that they're just a very good team.

"Gannon is a very good hitting team with great discipline at the plate, which is one of the reasons why they are one of the top teams in our conference," Samluk said. "I have a lot of faith in our pitching

staff, and it's important that we are there for them defensively."

The second game wasn't much better for the Rock, with the offense once again struggling and only having four hits. Kaiser, Welch and junior first baseman Stacey Herzog were the only SRU batters to have hits.

Sophomore pitcher Carly DeRose (8-10) was on the mound for the entire game. DeRose allowed 12 hits and 12 runs in 5.1 innings pitched in her 10th loss of the season.

"Carly's hitting a little bit of a rough patch as all ball players do offensively or defensively, so we're trying to do things to get her into the groove that she was in earlier in the season," Rice said. "She understands the philosophy of where we're going and what we're doing with that. I thought she was gonna be a better match up for the pitcher they were gonna throw in game two, so it was a little bit of a philosophical reasoning there."

The Rock's schedule has been hit with a few changes, including a cancellation of Wednesday's doubleheader

against Gannon and a postponement of Thursday's games against California University of Pennsylvania (24-9 overall, 18-5 PSAC).

"Losing the games doesn't necessarily scare me, it's the fact that we lost games altogether," Rice said.

"We're coming down to the wire, and not having games on our schedule is what's hurting us."

Samluk agreed with Rice, and said that cancellations are just a part of the game.

"We deal with this year after year, and have a very heavy schedule toward the end of April, which is what we're seeing now," Samluk said.

SRU's next game is against Clarion University (527 overall, 4-22 PSAC) Saturday at 1 p.m. in Clarion, Pennsylvania.

"I don't see us having any issues against Clarion on Saturday as well as Edinboro on Monday," Rice said.

"They're prepared, ready to go and they know what's at stake; I think you'll see that. It's just a matter of if those games are enough."

SPORTS

April 24, 2015

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Baseball takes one against Huskies

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Senior shortstop Jake Nogalo fields a ground ball and looks toward first base to complete the out during a game against Seton Hill on April 12.

By Ryan Barlow

in the second game but we seemed a little drained toward the end. You never like to split after winning the The Rock baseball team (25-16) first game, but you just have to move split a doubleheader at Bloomsburg on from it get ready for playoffs."

University (12-18) Sunday, winning Sophomore Ty Zimmerman led game one 9-1 before dropping game SRU's offense in game one, going 3-4 two 4-3 in an interdivisional matchup. with four RBIs. "It was tough to travel four hours Senior Adam Urbania was also on Sunday to follow up a four-game able to play a big part in the Rock's series on Friday and Saturday," Rock offense after going 2-4 with two RBIs, head coach Jeff Messer said. "We including an RBI double down the battled and had opportunities late left field line in the third inning.

Assistant Sports Editor

Junior Jordan Faretta went 1-2 with a two RBI single in the seventh inning, while redshirt sophomore Logan Brown hit his eighth homerun of the season in the fifth inning.

"I was just seeing the ball pretty well," Zimmerman said. "Hitting is contagious, so hitting in our offense can be a lot of fun. When one guy gets going, the rest of us can follow."

Freshman pitcher Alex Pantuso, who was named PSAC pitcher of the week, began the game on the mound

for the Green and White in game one.

Pantuso lasted 6.1 innings before being replaced in the seventh after allowing Bloomsburg's first run of the game.

Sophomore James Divosevic struck out the final two Bloomsburg batters of the game.

Pantuso was credited with the win, and his record improves to 3-2 on the year.

The Rock's offense struck in the first inning with a double steal where freshman Tyler Walters took off for second base to create a diversion which allowed Zimmerman to score from third base and steal home.

Walters was later driven in by Brown with an RBI double.

Sophomore Carson Kessler scored in the second inning as well thanks to an RBI single by Zimmerman.

Freshman Stephen McKee was the starting pitcher for SRU in game two, last four complete innings and allowing two runs on six hits.

Senior Geoff Sanner entered the game in the fifth inning and remained on the mound for the remainder of the contest. Sanner was credited with the loss after allowing two Bloomsburg runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Slippery Rock returns to action on Friday as they will host the University of Pitt-Johnstown (7-33-1) to begin a four-game home and away series.

The series will wrap up SRU's regular season schedule as they will look to clinch the third seed in the out the PSAC-West in the PSAC Tournament.

"We would love to end the year on a sweep," Zimmerman said. "We wanna get these seniors their last couple of wins at home, and we have the ability."

Women's track records 33 PSAC qualifiers

By Cody Nespor Rocket Contributor

In the second of two home meets this season the Rock women’s track and field team put on another strong showing in front of their home crowd at the Dave Labor Invitational. The meet was named in honor of the late coach Dave Labor and was hosted

by SRU for the fourth time since his passing in 2011.

“Dave was a good friend of mine and a great coach,” SRU head coach John Papa said. “I think it’s important to get his name out there to people who might not have heard of him, because in a couple years there won’t be too many people left here who worked with him.”

Rock athletes earned 33 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) qualifying marks and seven NCAA provisional qualifying marks all while winning six events.

Junior Sam Taylor won the javelin throw with a season best throw of 48.41 meters.

Taylor’s throw currently ranks as the fifth best throw in Division II so far this year and it earned her a PSAC qualifying mark, a mere .09 meters short reaching the NCAA automatic qualifying mark. Taylor also won the long jump event with a PSAC qualifying jump of 1.68 meters.

The high jump event was dominated

by the green and white, as junior Ashley West won the event, sophomore Sabrina Anderson took second place, and junior Paige Kassab finished the sweep coming in third. All three women cleared 1.68 meters, good for the PSAC mark, but West and Anderson took the top two places based on misses.

Senior thrower Brittany Christiansen earned her fourth NCAA qualifying mark in the hammer throw on the year with a 51.78 meter first place throw. She also took third place in the shot put with a 12.29 meter throw.

Rounding out the national marks earned by the Rock, freshman Courtney McQuaide and junior Kaitlyn Clark hit the NCAA mark, tying for second place in the pole vault with 3.71 meter clearances. Junior Michaela Kasik and sophomore Megan Matrisciano hit the PSAC mark with clearances of 3.21 meters.

Junior Jasmine Bailey was the fastest of three Rock athletes to hit the PSAC qualifying mark in the 100-meter dash, finishing in second place in 12.14 seconds.

Bailey won the 200-meter dash with a personal best time of 24.7 seconds, just .04 seconds behind the SRU record.

Senior Janine Powis won the 1,500-meter run with a PSAC qualifying time of 4:45.26 and took third place in the 800-meter run with a PSAC time of 2:21.64.

The final event win for the Green and

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN PAPA

Junior Jasmine Bailey races toward the finish in the 200-meter dash at the Dave Labor Memorial Invitational on Saturday.

White came courtesy of Evans in the 100-meter hurdles.

Evans (14.43) was followed by freshman Sophie Mazza (15.07) in seventh.

The final PSAC mark of the day came in the 3,000-meter steeplechase where sophomore Kaylee Haberkam finished in third in 12:05.66.

“Some girls will be taking the week off to prepare for the big event and some will do different events, just to make sure they’re ready for the championships,” Papa said. “We know we’ll be in a battle come May in the championships. No matter the outcome we are confident that each of our girls will give it their best and that’s good enough for us.”

Men's pole vault team places six in top eight Continued from Page C 1

Freshman Noah Bostick rounded out the jumping events with a third place finish in the high jump with a distance of two meters.

The men’s pole vault crew placed six men in the top eight spots with sophomore Jordan Pacheco taking second with a vault of 4.96 meters. This vault is currently ranked first in the PSAC and 12th in the nation. Freshman Andrew Koksal, junior Cody Colagrande, junior Michael Horrigan and senior Andrew Lovano followed behind sweeping spots three through six. The men’s sprints finished with many Rock runners take top places. Senior Hunter

Williams ran a personal best of 10.77 seconds in the 100 meter dash. Sophomore's Erik Record and Brandon Vanderbrook also competed in the 100 meter dash, finishing in seventh and eighth with times of 10.78 seconds and 10.81 seconds respectively.

Chapman and Chandler also ran in the 400 meter dash taking second and fourth with times of 49.41 seconds and 49.47 seconds. Bostick started out the hurdle crew with a second place finish in the 110 meter hurdles at 14.85 seconds. Junior Ryan Thompson rounded out the last of the event wins with a 1:55.16 personal best time in the 800 meter run. Sophmore Tyler Palenchak finished the 1,500 meter run with a time of 3:59.14, a personal best.

Senior Tyler Melius rounded out the distance events with a 4:01.80 1,500 meter run.

“As a team we performed very well in all of our events and made the most of the great weather and good competition,” Palenchak said. “We have all been training really hard for this part of the season and I’m very excited for all of us to see that hard work pay off and give us the ability to be very competitive at the PSAC championship meet.”

The Green and White are set to compete this weekend in Ashland, Ohio at the Ashland Open on Friday and Saturday. This will be the team’s final tune up before their conference meet held April 30 through May 2 at East Stroudsburg University.

SPORTS

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April 24, 2015

Track star prepares to compete for national title

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN PAPA

Junior Samantha Taylor comes close to an automatic national qualifying mark at the Dave Labor Memorial Invitational Saturday.

By Cody Nespor Rocket Contributor

The Slippery Rock University women’s track All-American javelin thrower Samantha Taylor is no stranger to success.

Taylor is a junior from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, where her track and field career started.

Taylor started in eighth grade, competing in the high, long and triple jumps, along with playing softball. When she moved up to Gateway high school she started throwing javelin and playing volleyball.

Taylor’s high school coach, Tom LaBuff, said he had Taylor try javelin because he watched her play softball and knew she had a strong arm as well as, “exceptional talent, competitiveness and a willingness to work.”

Despite eventually becoming a Division II All-American, Taylor’s javelin career did not start off as expected.

“High school was a javelin roller coaster, and my first year was basically learning how to throw the thing,” Taylor said.

However, by the end of her sophomore year Taylor owned her high school’s javelin record. She left Gateway with a personal best and school record of 43.66 meters.

Track and field was not Taylor’s first choice of collegiate sports, throughout high school she dreamed of playing college volleyball, but a visit with Rock assistant track coach Bill Jordan is when she changed her mind.

“By the end of the visit, I told Coach Jordan that I wanted to be on his team and that was the end of it," Taylor said. "I gave up my dreams of playing volleyball because Bill had changed my whole way of thinking.”

LaBuff said that he always knew Taylor would pick track over volley ball.

“She and her parents thought that her future was in volleyball," LaBuff said. "At first, we just let her progress in track do the talking. I would have to say that things took their natural course. It was a privilege to work with her and help her learn to compete with confidence no matter what the level of the competition.”

Taylor said that she has never second guessed her decision.

“I don't ever look back on my decision, only because I love this university, my major, and the team. I can't see myself anywhere other than this school.”

Slippery Rock head coach John Papa is also happy with Taylor’s choice.

“Samantha is one of our top athletes and she is one of our top leaders as well," Papa said. "She leads by example. She is a hard worker and she has made a total commitment to our team. Samantha has done everything that we have asked her to do. She is fun to be around and always has a positive attitude with anything related to being part of our team. She sets a great example and is a true leader for our program.”

During her freshman indoor track season Taylor tried to be a multi-event athlete, but

she quickly realized that her body could not handle the stress from doing so many events. She eventually decided to focus on throwing javelin and doing a few jumps.

In her freshman outdoor season Taylor ended up qualifying for both the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships as well as her first NCAA D-II competition. That year, she finished third at the conference championships and 15th at Nationals.

Her sophomore year, Taylor once again qualified for the PSAC championships in javelin. Taylor finished the competition as the conference javelin champion and with an automatic qualifier for the 2014 NCAA D-II National Champions where she came in fourth and earned an All-American honor with a personal best throw of 48.99 meters.

The ending of her sophomore season is something that Taylor remembers fondly.

“The whole entire experience of conference last year was so emotional for me only because I was having a lot of emotional ties to the place and the opportunity that I had that year,” Taylor said. “Going along with nationals last year I was so nervous, because I had set goals that I wanted to hit and I was scared that I was going to let myself down. I ended up reaching all of my goals and I could not have been happier.”

Now in her junior season, Papa is looking for Taylor to repeat as the conference champion and has national champion aspirations for her.

“I know that Sam wants to move up at the national level and break our school record,” Papa said. “At this pace, she potentially will have a shot at the National Championships.”

Papa is not the only person who sees a national championship in Taylor’s future.

“Going into this year’s national championship, I just want to go in and fight with all I have. I know that I have the opportunity to place again in the top five,” Taylor said. “This year is a very tough year and I realize that everything is going to have to be just about perfect, but if I focus and have fun with it I feel like I will set myself up for a great meet.”

|| Funded By a Grant Through The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. || It Is Illegal To Consumer Alcoholic Beverages Under The Age of 21 In The State of P.A. ||

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CAMPUS LIFE

INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE

Top Trends Of The Spring Season

Symposium Features Seniors' Dance

The five biggest fashion and beauty trends of the moment are as diverse as using a supermarket item to curl hair, and incorporating festival fashions into everyday life.

Senior dance majors to showcase their final work at Swope Recital Hall on Saturday night. They will be performing a variety of dance styles like jazz, contemporary and modern.

See Page D-2

See Page D-3

Arts festival offers two week-long cultural events for the public, campus community

By Sam Delauter Rocket Contributor

The Kaleidoscope Arts Festival returned to Slippery Rock early this week for its 14th year of displaying art, dance, music and theatre to the local area. The two week-long festival, which began on April 19, and runs till May 1, is being directed by Slippery Rock University Theatre Instructor, Deanna Brookens, and will feature displays from both students as well as distinguished professionals.

“Our mission, is to bring free or low-cost quality programming to an under-serviced region,” Brookens said.

The interim director believes a major strength of the festival is how it integrates all the departments and encourages the expression of unique ideas.

With the majority of exhibits being free or costing $5-15, students and community members are encouraged to participate in the exotic and cultural festival. Notable events of particular interest include an art demonstration from wood engraver and book artist Andy Farkas, an exhibit by the Martha Gault Art Society, a Children’s Day Earth Day celebration and a Bridgman/Packer performance of “Truck.”

Being one of the first displays to kick off the festival, The Martha Gault Art Society Exhibit opened Monday with light snacks, an ambient live band and dozens of unique pieces produced by students. Senior art major and President of the Martha Gault Art Society, Sean McDonald, saw the event as a way for people in the community to get involved around campus.

“This is not a clique event for just art students,” McDonald said.

Senior art education major Delaney Munnal, whose pieces “Comfort,” “Flow” and “Fragment” were featured in the exhibit said she enjoys contributing to the art community. Munnal’s personal favorite piece is her canvas painting “Comfort,” which focuses on her mother and pet dog relaxing together.

“I like doing work that incorporates my family,” Munnal said.

The exhibit will be available for viewing in the University Union lobby through April 30 and is free and open to the public.

Distinguished guests will be visiting the Festival throughout the two week period and

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET Junior music therapy major, Dana Jacoby, and junior arts administration and nonprofit leadership major, Lyric Ackelson, perform at Boozel Dining Hall during Kaleidoscope Arts Festival Week to entertain students.

include names like Lauren Brickman, Matthew McCright and Erik Lawrence.

Brickman, with her background as an actress from New York City, will lead two improvisation workshops this week. McCright will present a recital of music early next week and will play a new work by SRU’s assistant professor of music Stephen Barr. Lawrence will be hosting the artist talk, “Music and Healing,” and discussing his profession as a public practitioner of sound healing.

Student performances are scattered

throughout the schedule and showcase the talents, dedication and skill of Slippery Rock students.

Magnum Opus, the senior dance concert will open this weekend and will feature jazz, contemporary and modern dance styles. Senior trumpet music education major Abby Iksic presented a recital of various trumpet works earlier this week. The Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band will perform jazz works of various styles later next week.

SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE D-2

Rock Roast provides students, faculty with sustainable, sourced coffee

By Rebecca Sheriff Rocket Contributor

A team of nearly 20 Slippery Rock University students have introduced an organic coffee company to the sustainable business scene.

The Rock Roast business venture was part of the fourth annual Student Business Plan Competition organized by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and won the Student Choice Video Award for most YouTube views. The business seeks to provide students, faculty, and merchants with high quality, organic, fair trade coffee.

The student entrepreneurs, with advisors within the School of Business and the Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator (SEA) program, collaborated to bring the idea of sustainable agriculture and business to Slippery Rock University. Recognizing that the vast majority of college students consume coffee on a weekly basis, and that sources of fair trade organically grown coffee are sorely lacking, the students sought to offer an alternative coffee option to the masses.

“We grow markets for fair trade, organic coffees that are sustainably grown and harvested,” according to information from the company's website, rockroast.org. “In return for market development, we earn a share of the profits from the sale of these quality products. Our

revenues fund student trips to study sustainable agriculture and business initiatives in Central and South America and beyond.”

Rock Roast was the first team in Slippery Rock University’s history to secure a spot within the top five finalists.

“The competition is open to all students at the 14 state-owned universities,” Managing Director of the SEA, School of Business faculty member, and advisor for Rock Roast, Dr. John Golden said.

“Students or student teams begin in the fall semester by filling out a simple ‘Intent to Compete,’ usually by the end of November,” Golden said. “They have until mid-February the following year to complete their business plans.

The first round of judging narrows the field to about 20 semi-finalists in March. External judges then select finalists and winners in April.”

Rock Roast’s Student Choice Video Award was given to them based on the creativity of their submission of a brief YouTube video. This section of the competition was optional, in addition to the formal business plan requirement. The submitted videos were judged on the number of views on YouTube.

Rock Roast’s main supplier is Golden Valley Farms, a distributor that has over 25 years of experience in sustainable coffee businesses.

Golden Valley receives their supplies from Las Lajas Coffee Farm, located in Costa Rica.

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET Rock Roast entrepreneur provides samples of the company's organic coffee at a tasting for students and faculty in the Smith Student Center Ballroom.

CAMPUS LIFE

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Ask Andi

April 24, 2015

Spring's top trends bring back forgotten styles, highlight unusual beauty trends

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

Question: Dear Andi,

I'm getting ready to graduate in a few weeks, and with that comes a lot of ends that I'm just not ready to accept.

Believe me, I'm thrilled that I'll never have another 8 a.m. or write a paper again, but I'm sad that I'm not going to see all of the friends that I've made over the last four years anymore. We all live in different places, even as far away as California, and I don't know how we're all going to be able to stay friends with such vast distances between us.

Texting and calling can only do so much. How can we maintain our friendships even outside of SRU? Sincerely, Sayonara SRU

Answer:

Dear Sayonara SRU,

I think the first thing you have to realize is that with the change of graduation will come a change in friendships.

This can be taken one of two ways. You can take this to mean that you will slowly lose touch with everyone you know as you move on from college, OR you can take this to mean that with your life change comes a change of communication styles with the people you care about. Just because you aren’t present in your friends’ lives doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in the loop with what’s going on. It’s going to be hard because there will be people that you will lose touch with, but ultimately your true friends will go out of their way to keep you in their lives. One thing that I think you can do to maintain your friendships is to take trips and visit them! What a perfect reason to travel and make more memories with the people you care about. Even a weekly text saying, “Hey! I miss you! Hope all is well!" can mean a lot to someone so just getting into a habit like that could really help maintain a friendship. I really think that the people who matter will keep in touch and you will go out of your way to keep in touch with them as well. It won’t be easy, and it will take some work, but it will be worth it! That way, when you do get to see each other, it will be like nothing has changed.

Congrats on graduating and good luck to you in your future endeavors!

Andi

Question: Dear Andi,

I've found that this semester has been particularly difficult for me because of one reason or another, like trying to stay focused on my assignments and even managing to make it to classes some days. I've finally realized why, and I think it's because I'm unhappy in my major. I've invested a few years of my time and effort into my classes, which is why it's kind of freaking me out that I might change it. I don't know whether I should stick with it for at least the first few weeks of the fall semester, or if I should change it now. I just don't want to end up regretting my decision. Andi, help me decide what to do.

Sincerely, Major Problems

Answer: Dear Major Problems, Do you know what you would choose as your new major? Have you done enough research to be sure that this is the change you want to make? I would say if you’re not 95 percent sure that this change will be a good thing then don’t do it. Maybe just take an intro class in the fall, even if the credits don’t fit into any spot on your credit requirements, because you may take an intro class and realize you don’t like that either. So, if you’re sure, make the switch, if not I wouldn’t make the change yet.

If you are struggling to figure out what you want to do with your life, it might be a good idea to take a semester off and figure things out. Sometimes we are rushed into a major thinking that this will satisfy your future so that we can finish college (like we’re told to), but if you are confused with what you want to do, don’t spend all that money to walk away with a major you don’t like. Taking some time off isn’t a bad thing to do.

Either way, just take the necessary steps that you feel will benefit you and will save you the most money because college and your time are worth a lot!

Good luck!

Andi

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE One of this season's hottest trends is the "power brow" made famous by stars like Lily Collins and Cara Delevingne. No longer are thin eyebrows trendy, as the bolder the brow the better. Using serums to boost growth and using brow gel can make brows look bold naturally.

Katie Ellis "ROCK'n Fashion" Katie Ellis is a senior journalism major and the Campus Life editor of The Rocket.

Fashion and beauty trends come and go in the blink of an eye no matter how deep you have to go in your wallet to dish out the cash to pay for the latest must have item or the best new beauty trend. While trends usually come from the runway and are later seen in magazines and on the industry’s biggest trendsetters, sometimes fads start at the grocery store or see resurgence in popularity after years of relative obscurity.

The most recent fashion and beauty trends range from a staple grocery store find that model and it-girl Suki Waterhouse uses to get her tousled waves, to of the moment accessories like the bohemian chic bucket bag and the once frumpy, now fierce mule. This season’s top trends can all be purchased for under $100 at your favorite stores, and with styles changing so quickly, a small investment now might be better than investing a huge chunk of your hard earned paycheck on a trend that’ll be passé by the time summer comes to a close.

Strolling down the soda pop and juice aisle in the grocery store isn’t the most likely place that someone would be looking for beauty supplies, but if you’re looking to get waves that make you look like you spent the day at the beach, then look no further than one of America’s favorite soda pop brands, CocaCola. Waterhouse, known for being one of Burberry’s top models, credits the soda pop for giving her tresses that look “tousled, like I’ve gone through the Amazon or something,” according to a recent interview with “US Weekly.”

Believe it or not, CocaCola can actually give your hair a natural looking wave and lots of volume with just minimal effort and the acid in the drink can actually make hair appear soft and shiny. Skip using shampoo and conditioner during your next shower and rinse your hair with a 16-ounce bottle of the popular soda pop instead.

Let your hair air dry in order to allow the Coca-Cola to react with your natural hair texture, but if you’re hoping for a bolder look, twist your hair into a bun to dry before releasing it.

The “power brow” is the latest beauty trend making headlines thanks to celebrities like Lily Collins and Cara Delevingne, who are known for their thick, statement making eyebrows. Gone are the days of pencil thin or drawn on brows being in vogue, but jumping on the bold brow bandwagon isn’t the best idea for everyone.

The key to making this trend work for you is knowing what works best with your face shape, but ultimately keeping your brows groomed no matter what your preference may be is the best option.

Getting supermodel brows isn’t as hard as it sounds, and with a little help from a brow pencil or an enhancing serum, bold arches are surely in your future.

Benefit Cosmetics’ Gimme Brow gel retails for $24 and comes in two shades, light/ medium and medium/dark, and promises to give the look of thick, voluminous brows that still look natural, which explains why it’s Delevingne’s product of choice. If you’re looking for a product that’ll give you long-lasting results, try Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Enhancing Serum for $38, a product that’s like Latisse for your eyebrows.

There are some purses like Fendi’s Baguette bag and the Hermès Birkin bag that have gone on to become iconic and much beloved items by fashion fans everywhere. The newest bag to start a fashion frenzy is Mansur Gavriel’s coveted bucket bag that has gone on to inspire a number of affordable retailers to create their own versions of this season’s hottest item.

While typically thought of as being more bohemian, the bucket bag is the perfect new addition to any wardrobe as it’s structured but still has a relaxed feel making it a great transition piece from day to night. Although this purse is being carried by it-girls everywhere and was called one of “Harper’s Bazaar’s” best bags for spring, that doesn’t mean that it has staying power, so if you’re thinking about trying this trend, pick a bag that’s affordable until it’s clear that this style is staying around for good.

Urban Outfitters’ C o o p e r at i v e St r u c t u re d Bucket Bag will give you the same look as Mansur Gavriel’s version which retails for nearly $500, but the UO bag which comes in four colors will only set you back $54.

Forever 21’s Faux Leather Bucket Bag is even more wallet friendly at just $27.90, and also comes in a variety of colors including black, navy and cream.

Not since the days of Carrie Bradshaw has anyone been able to pull off a pair of mule shoes like Blake Lively did earlier this week while promoting her new film, “The Age of Adaline.” Lively was spotted wearing spring’s hottest shoe in three different colors by Stuart Weitzman this week, and while her designer shoes would set you back over $400, budget friendly retailers have similar options available that won’t break the bank.

A color-blocked pink, black and white version of the chic open-toe sandal with a second strap that hits below the ankle, can be found on Asos’ website for just $81. It’s wedge-like heel gives the old school style a modern update and makes them easier to walk in. Express has another version that looks more like a clog with a stacked heel and open toe for just $52.

One day a trend is in and the next day it’s out, and as popular as this season’s styles are now, there’s no telling how long they’ll be sticking around. This season is all about experimenting with new beauty trends and adding of-the-moment accessories into your wardrobe.

CAMPUS LIFE

April 24, 2015

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Magnum Opus to feature final performances by senior SRU dancers and choreographers

By Emma Pfeifer Rocket Contributor

Magnum Opus marks the last time that senior dance major Larissa Spak will be performing at SRU and the beginning of her dance career following graduation.

“Magnum Opus is a performance that closes this chapter of my life,” Spak said. “Performing this Saturday for me is the last time I will perform undergraduate work. It’s just the beginning however, although it is the end of my time here at Slippery Rock.”

The Slipper y Rock Dance Department will be presenting Magum Opus on Saturday April 25 at Swope Recital Hall, featuring multiple varieties of dance.

Magnum Opus is coming from a senior dance class called Senior Synthesis where seniors are assigned to do a project that combines

research both inside and outside the classroom. They worked on resumes, cover letters, teacher’s statements, artistic statements and performance resumes. For their final research project the seniors had to do a research paper and a creative project.

This show is strictly for senior choreographers; however, there are undergraduate dancers that will be performing their work during the show. This is the last showcase that will present all of the work they have put in over the past four years.

Along with the senior choreographed pieces, guest choreographer Helen Simoneau will be presenting her work in this show as well. Simoneau is from Quebec, Canada. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and then went on to study at Hollins University where she received her Masters of Fine

Arts.

During the show, there will be different styles of dance being showcased, such as modern, ballet, jazz and contemporary.

The dancers have been working on this show for weeks, practicing a few days a week and for several hours during each rehearsal. The rehearsals for this show are held anywhere from one to two days a week for about two to five hours depending on the day. The senior dancers and choreographers have been constantly working on their routines and have overcome numerous obstacles, including injuries, while preparing for Saturday’s performance.

“The piece I am performing Saturday is a classical ballet variation that is inspired by Marius Petipa’s choreography from the classical ballet La Bayadere,” Spak said. “My inspiration behind my performance is to perform the genre of dance that

made me fall in love with dancing.

What a better way to end my senior year of college than with the way I fell in love with dance” Spak will be performing a solo in the senior concert.

Senior dance major Abigal Hewitt said that her dance “Xplicit” is a modern piece with four freshmen and one sophomore performing in it. Her dance brings athleticism and high energy to a new level as her choreography will push her dancer’s technical abilities, endurance and artistry throughout the entire piece to make it come to life.

The shows are at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., between those two shows there will be a reception held with sandwiches, cake, chips and drinks and all are welcome. Tickets are on sale for $6 for students with their ID and $8 for general admission at the Robert M. Smith Student Center information desk.

Festival features new exhibit, performances at art gallery and the Macoskey Center Continued from Page D 1

A yearly favorite among attendees, The Children’s Day Earth Day Celebration, will be held this Saturday at the Robert A. Macoskey Center. Free and open to the public, the event will feature youth and community performances from The Moraine 5 Star Chorus, The SRU Shakespeare tour, The New Castle Mini Stars and Rock Falls Park. Free arts and crafts, including a make your own biodegradable Frisbee, will be available all day

“We actually have to back up a U-Haul truck to the Miller Auditorium loading dock,” Brookens said.

Brookens was excited they could find a way to utilize the vacant Miller Auditorium which has been under construction for the past three years.

With one week and multiple performances left, students and community members are encouraged to participate in this event. A schedule of performances is available at the student center.

summer POSSIBILITIES

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at this event. Sustainability workshops will also be featured to showcase environmental awareness.

While the Kaleidoscope Festival offers events that may be of interest to a variety of ages, the one that director Brookens believes will generate the most enthusiasm is the Bridgman/Packer performance of “Truck.”

The 30 minute-long event creatively integrates video technology and choreography to showcase a state of the art performance inside a 17-foot U-Haul truck.

Don’t waste your summer trying to achieve that perfect tan only to watch it fade away. Instead, take summer classes at Gannon that will be beneficial in the long run and help you get ahead!

Choose from over 250 undergraduate and graduate courses that are offered during three sessions – beginning May 11, May 26 and June 29.

Not only is tuition reduced for undergraduate classes, but credits can be transferred back to your university or college.

You can catch up if you’ve fallen behind or jump on next semester’s workload. Only focus on one or two classes at a time to maintain a flexible schedule and still enjoy a little bit of summer.

For a complete schedule or to register, visit gannon.edu/summer or call (814) 871-7350.

Now what looks better on a resume – a perfect summer glow or college credits?

APPLY | gannon.edu/summer

EMAIL | admissions@gannon.edu

CALL | 841-871-7350

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April 24, 2015