the rocket
Friday October 13, 2017 • Volume 101, Issue Number 3 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper
www.theonlinerocket.com
CODY NESPOR/THE ROCKET
Timeline showcasing retrenchment notices and when they were retracted in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. Cheyney University is the only remaining university with an active letter of retrenchment.
Four letters of retrenchment withdrawn, Cheyney's still remains By Daniel DiFabio News Editor
Clarion University withdrew its letter of retrenchment Sept. 21, with Cheyney University the only PASSHE school with a letter remaining. Mansfield, California and Edinboro also previously posted letters, which were withdrawn over the past year. Ben Shaevitz, SRU APSCUF president and physics professor, said APSCUF is still meeting with members of PASSHE. These meetings include passing information between the two groups. "Our role is to press for objective evidence that the claim (for retrenchment) is valid and accurate," Shaevitz said. "We ask for information about budgets, finances, enrollment, programs and number of temporary faculty." Shaevitz described the back and forth as similar to due process, which is a right provided to the two through the faculty contract. "Ultimately it's not APSCUF's decision on whether the letter will stick in the end," Shaevitz said. APSCUF met with PASSHE last Friday specifically about Cheyney's situation, which posted a letter of
retrenchment for financial reasons. "It's pretty clear from the press that there are financial issues at Cheyney so now how that will play out it's yet to be seen," Shaevitz said. Shaevitz had some concern with whether or not it was reasonable to post letters which were then taken away. "I question the utility of the process but perhaps there's going to be something that's going to come from it at the end," Shaevitz said. "I'm a little troubled by the act because I think there has been damage to reputations and perhaps even enrollment because the letters came out in the early spring during the end of the recruitment season." If faculty did face retrenchment, APSCUF has the right to offer suggestions on how to redistribute the workforce, and those faculty members retrenched have preferential hiring rights at other PASSHE schools. Kenn Marshall, spokesman for the state system, said that it's not unusual for universities to post letters which are then taken away. "The letters essentially have to go out because of the contract," Marshall said. "If there's any possibility at all that the university be considering retrenchment then
they have to send a letter out and it's pretty routine for several universities every year to send those letters out. It's also almost normal practice that most of those letters are withdrawn." Marshall said it's very rare for retrenchment to actually occur and Cheyney will have to notify individual faculty members by Oct. 31 if their positions will be affected. "If they didn't do that, even that does not mean those those positions will be retrenched," Marshall said. "They have to make a notification, but even that does not mean that those positions will be retrenched. They can continue to meet with faculty and continue to look at ways of dealing with those positions." According to Marshall, Cheyney has been operating at significant deficit over the last three years, with the state system issuing several lines of credit totaling about 30 million dollars. Marshall said that Cheyney is also under review by the Middle States Commission over the university's accreditation. "They're the only university that has been relying on loans from the system to meet their operating costs," Marshall said. "They are in significantly worse shape than any of the other universities in terms of finances."
Rocket alumni describe favorite experiences and memories
VICTORIA DAVIS/THE ROCKET
By Daniel DiFabio News Editor
With The Rocket being distributed around campus since 1934, many SRU students have filled the role of Editor-in-Chief. Jason Hunsicker served this role from the 2003-2004 academic year, serving as the paper's Sports Editor beforehand. Hunsicker first thought about joining the paper when taking a College Writing class at SRU, with the professor convincing him to join. "I had always enjoyed reading newspapers but I had never considered it as a possible career up until that point," Hunsicker said. Hunsicker said the experience with working for the paper was great, especially working with other students. "The biggest thing I remember is the overall sense of camaraderie with the staff," Hunsicker said. "Working hard with your colleagues, really your friends, and chasing down stories, that's what you lived for. This sounds bad, but classes or anything else really seemed like a
distant second to working at The Rocket. I really just wanted to be in the office all the time. It was always rewarding to get the paper done and spend time with your friends at the same time." During Hunsicker's time at The Rocket, he recalled a time when the staff had a lead on a story about a quarterback transferring to another school, but somehow when the paper was released the previous week's front page was printed instead of the breaking sports one. Thanks to the paper's advisor, communication professor Mark Zeltner, the staff was able to reprint the paper correctly. "At the time it was incredibly frustrating, but we did everything we could to make sure that the right news was getting out there," Hunsicker said. The skills from The Rocket and earning a bachelor's of science in communication with a journalism concentration transitioned well after college, with Hunsicker getting a newspaper job right out of college. "Everything I did at the Rocket set me up for my entire career," Hunsicker said. Hunsicker now currently serves as the Managing Editor at the Kirksville Daily Express in Kirksville, Mo. "Looking back on college I think I'd say it [writing for The Rocket)] was the most important thing I was involved with and the skills I was able to learn there set me up and I've been in the industry ever since," Hunsicker said. Catie Clark-Gordon served as the paper's Editor-in-Chief from the 2013-14 academic year, holding the position of Assistant News Editor prior. Clark-Gordon said that the transition was different, with the assistant position involving going to the police station and magistrate, whereas as EIC she had to editing and read all the stories. "It was definitely a different transition but I think I liked it more in being in charge and helping to make the gears grind," Clark-Gordon said. SEE FORMER PAGE A-3
Presidential Search Voted to Extend
Slippery Rock Rock Football Demands Excellence Brotherhood
SRU's Council of Trustees voted 5-5 on sending forward two candidates. Page A-4
Trustee and SRU alum Robert Taylor writes about SRU's tradition of excellence. Page B-2
Slippery Rock has a tradition of bringing people together around the football program. Page C-3
SGA Dissatisfied With Candidates Student leaders share why the search should continue for a new SRU president. Page D-1
N
A-2
NEWS
October 13, 2017
INSIDE NEWS
Welcome back alumni, from the interim president
NEWS
P
Catch something exciting happening on campus? Want your Insta-photos to be featured in The Rocket? Just follow @SRURocket on Instagram and use # in the caption for your chance to be featured here! PHOTO COURTESY OF SRU PR
SRU interim president, Philip Way (left) and Rocky (right) are excited to welcome alumni of SRU back to campus for homecoming this weekend.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
INDEX Blotter.................A-3 Opinion................B-1 Sports...................C-1 CampusLife.............D-1
Welcome to SRU’s 2017 Homecoming! As Interim President I want to encourage everyone connected to SRU to be engaged in celebratory, social, or athletic activities this weekend. We have a rich program of events lined up, ranging from reunions on Friday to the annual parade on Saturday morning to the football game against IUP in the afternoon. A special congratulation goes to the Class of ’67! A highlight of the weekend is celebrating our Golden Grads. The Alumni Engagement Team has many fun activities planned for this group. And kudos to our Distinguished Alumni who will be recognized at a dinner in their honor on Friday evening. We hope to see you cheer on the Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams (playing at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively at Egli Field on Friday). And on Saturday, No. 9 SRU will take on No. 3 IUP at 2 p.m. on Saturday. This is THE NCAA Division II Showcase Game of the Week. If you have not visited the university in a while, you are going to be pleasantly surprised. The campus landscape is beautiful! I hope you take time to walk around and take in the scenery. We spent $6 million over the summer on upgraded classrooms and technology, as well as made buildings more sustainable. And there
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Welcome Home. GO ROCK!
Former Rocket staff talk newspaper Continued from Page A-1
CONTACT US
are more improvements on the horizon. The renovation of SRU’s performing arts buildings – Miller Auditorium, East Gym and West Gym begin later this year. Longterm plans for the Kraus Hall site are undetermined at this time, but for now the lot will serve as a staging area for Miller renovation. Less visible but nevertheless very important is our record-high student enrollment. The quality of the freshman class has increased, as has its diversity. A key to our success is that we are dedicated to continuing the tradition of delivering a high-quality education at an affordable price. Our academic programs are cutting-edge, and strategically aligned with the workforce development needs of the region. Alumni, this weekend is for YOU: enjoy catching-up with former roommates, remember the “good old days,” have fun, and share many laughs. We celebrate your dedication, your love and passion for Slippery Rock University. Word cannot adequately express how much we appreciate your support - both financially and in terms of camaraderie, engaging with students in the classroom, sharing your expertise professionally, recounting your personal stories, and proudly wearing Green & White!
I n i t i a l l y, it was Communication professor Jo s e ph Har r y ' s Ne w s Writing class that got Clark-Gordon interested in journalism. "I felt like I could do this, I had a knack for it," ClarkGordon said. "I felt I was picking it up a lot. I also liked the time pressure, it was a fun challenge for me." Clark-Gordon moved to South Carolina and attended Clemson University and now is a g r a du ate a s s i s t ant at West Virginia University and pursuing a PhD in Communication Studies
"I highly recommend getting involved with The Rocket and it was a great way to build friendships and get closer with faculty," Clark-Gordon said. Kevin Squires served as the paper's Editor-in-Chief from 2014-15 and was interested in writing for The Rocket after serving in the same position at his high school newspaper. Squires recalled writing a piece for The Rocket on SRUBanksy, who created chalk drawings around campus. "That was probably my top favorite piece that I wrote," Squires said.
Squires also was EIC when the paper started its now annual Valentine's Day/Sex & Love issue. "That was a really fun thing to put together," Squires said. "The cover won a Pinnacle Award and it was a really great group effort from everyone on the staff and it turned into a nice issue that I was pretty proud of." Squires now works as a laboratory specialist at the University of Pittsburgh's infectious disease lab and is pursuing a master's in education at Point Park University.
NEWS
October 13, 2017
A-3
POLICE BLOTTER Campus October 5- Police observed a vehicle full of smoke in the stadium parking lot. Three individuals were found to be smoking marijuana inside the car. Items were seized and Jarred Lewis, 18, and Tyler Hosea, 18, were cited for Disorderly Conduct.
October 5- An individual reported that money was stolen from their vehicle in the Ski Lodge parking lot. Unknown individual(s) reportedly broke in overnight. The case is currently under investigation.
October 6- Police were called about a car accident on Harmony Road. Police arrived on scene to individuals engaged in arguing. One individual was taken for suspicion of DUI and Drug Paraphernalia.
October 5- The community assistant in Building A called the police because they observed drug paraphernalia. A citation was filed by the officer to Montana Dinga, 20, for Disorderly Conduct.
October 6- Police were called for a report of a car accident on Harmony Road. One of the vehicles involved had rolled onto its side following the crash. EMS was dispatched to the scene and one individual was taken to the hospital.
October 8- Borough Police requested assistance from October 7- Braden Booher was SRU Campus Police on Kelly Blvd. cited for disorderly house after An individual was refusing to leave being seen publicly urinating a residence place upon request. besides Taggart's Jewelry.
October 5- An individual reported that he was hit by a passing vehicle while crossing the roadway in the West Central Loop. The person didn't have any significant injuries, but chose to report the incident because the vehicle did not stop after striking him. The case is currently under investigation.
October 6- Police responded to an incident in the Stadium Parking Lot. Unknown persons had reportedly went through the victims vehicle. A report was taken by the arriving officer and the case is currently under investigation.
October 11- Person called about an individual bringing alcohol into Building F. Police identified the individual as over 21 years of age who was visiting the building and was unaware of the dry campus policy. The individual was told to take the alcohol back to his vehicle before he could enter the building.
Borough October 4- Nathaniel Knochel was cited for retail theft after an incident at Sheetz. October 6- Rachel Montelius was cited for disorderly conduct after attempting to use a fake ID at the Wine and Spirits store.
October 9- Mark McNabb reported a theft of a skidloader that was parked along South Main Street. The investigation is ongoing.
Compiled by Adam Zook
SRU to host off-campus housing fair, continue meeting with complexes By Daniel DiFabio News Editor
SRU's associate provost for student success, David Wilmes, met with many off-campus apartments and property owners on Oct 3 to discuss issues that students have. Issues discussed included move-in dates, recycling, towing/booting, transportation and parking. Complexes represented there included University Village, The Heights, The Grove, South Rock and Stonecrest. This was the second meeting Wilmes had with the complexes and owners, with the first occurring last spring. Wilmes said he heard from numerous students who expressed wanting to be able to move into their respective housing earlier, to participate in sports, band or a job. Students also showed interest in increased recycling at their apartments, with SGA's commuter senators bringing the issue to Wilmes. "What was interesting about that was the large complexes said it's hard for them to do recycling because what happens is people throw their trash in the recycling so it's costly for them (apartments)," Wilmes said. "They said they've tried it and it's failed so they're not really interested in bringing it back."
Wilmes also brought up the matter of towing and booting of students in various off-campus parking areas, with some students telling Wilmes it's a "scam". "The other feedback from students has been that there's no real system in place so you're just there and you see this van pull up and they put a boot on your car," Wilmes said. "I shared with them those concerns and complaints and they did not specifically have any sort of response to those comments." The ongoing issue of parking and transportation was also brought up at the meeting by Wilmes. "This year is pretty stressful with parking, it's pretty tight," Wilmes said. "We've had some initial conversations with student government and some other folks about what we're going to do in the future, because our enrollment is growing and currently every student can bring a car, purchase a pass, and there's no difference between pass costs. The reality is that if we do anything to limit parking on campus, we have to at the same time work on transportation." Wilmes said this issue is increased by the Happy Bus not running late into the night, with some students not wanting to walk to class due to having to walk home in the dark. Overall, Wilmes said the meetings have been achieving their goal, which is to have an open line of communication from the campus to the off-campus apartments and landlords.
9 No security deposits! 9 4 different locations - South Rock Apts. on Keister Road or South Rock Drive, Stone Crest Apts., & Main Street Apts. 9 2, 3 or 4 bedroom floor-plans 9 Over 180 apartments to choose from 9 Cable, internet, water, & trash included 9 Stove, microwave, dishwasher, disposal, fridge, washer & dyer included* 9 *NEW! On-site laundry facilities at Main St. location – NO COINS NEEDED! 9 Sofa, love seat, coffee & end tables, TV stand, twin or full size beds, dresser, desk, & night stand included** 9 NEW! Living room furniture at South Rock! 9 Not all units are furnished at Main Street location** 9 24-hour emergency maintenance 9 Professional on-site management 9 Close proximity to SRU campus 9 Direct-wired smoke detectors 9 Fire extinguishers in each unit 9 Access to Clubhouse 9 Handicap apartments available 9 On-site parking 9 Close to SGA bus stop
"My viewpoint for all of these complexes is that they're (the residents) all Slippery Rock students, so we have a vested interest in making sure that you as an offcampus resident have a good experience there," Wilmes said. "We're not responsible for that experience but we can at least advocate, request and share the information so that it makes a better living environment for our students. They seem to appreciate it when we do that." To that end, Wilmes said the university will be hosting some of the large complexes in the ballroom on Tuesday Oct. 18 in the Smith Student Center ballroom. The university will provide a list of questions students should ask when considering signing a lease, with Wilmes working with commuter senators to develop a list of what the questions should be. Wilmes said this would help students compare and contrast, unlike when some complexes visit campus during common hour to inform students on their options. "It's another thing if you have a list of questions and you go to each table," Wilmes said. "Then you can kind of find out things like what complexes require a deposit, what apartments allow you to move in early. There's a lot of differences and I think it's important to know what those differences are so you can make the best choice yourself."
NEWS
A-4
October 13, 2017
SRU council of trustees votes to a 5-5 stalemate on search committee's presidential candidates recommendation
How and why each trustee voted Alfonso Angleucci
Thomas Breth
No
Yes
"That vote was an extention of the
"I support the proccess, and both of
search, with the current search
these candidates are qualified to be
committee in place. That was my
the university president at Slippery
perception of the vote."
Rock University."
Matthew Lautman
Jeffrey Smith
Yes
Yes
"I am confident that the two names
"The student comments in regard
that we are sending forward could
to the two candidates being moved
lead our university."
forward (via feedback submitted) was more positive."
Monica Traggiai Robert Taylor
No
No
"I want to value my fellow students' opinions."
"I would say that the field that we are now moving forward to the Board of Governors, if this motion passes, is the weakest filed of candidates that I have seen in my experience."
Mary Jo White Suzanne Vessella
Yes
No
"If we extend the search, there is no
"I am very disappointed that there
guarantee we're going to receive any
were only 75 applicants. I think our
more applications than we received
search firm did us a great disservice."
the first time."
William McCarrier Yes "We've insulted two of our members of the [search] committee by saying they had a conflict of interest."
Richard Wukich No "I think that vice president (Riley) Keffer's recommendation that we extend the search is a true view of what the students of Slippery Rock want." Pictures courtesy of SRU PR Statements made at Council of Trustees meeting on Friday, Oct. 6.
NEWS
October 13, 2017
A-5
Theatre Department's BFA in Acting waiting for BOG approval
PHOTO COURTESY OF SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY THEATRE DEPARTMENT
Students perform Frank Wedekind’s "Spring Awakening" in the Union.
By Adam Zook Assistant News Editor
T h e T h e at re D e p ar t m e nt at SRU currently has three areas of concentration: Acting, Design & Technology and Arts Administration. Now, with accreditation from NAST (National Association of Schools of Theatre), the department is hoping to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting starting in the Fall of 2019, with the program being sent forward from SRU's Council of Trustees to the PA
Board of Governors for approval. The prospect of being the first PASSHE school to be fully accredited and offer this degree has department professors excited about the future. " We re a l ly s t r ive t o c re at e professionally prepared performers through our program, and this BFA in Acting is a step towards meeting that goal," theatre professor David Skeele said. Skeele has been at Slippery Rock for 25 years and has seen his department evolve over the time he has been here. He is particularly excited about the
new avenues that will be presented to students who chose to pursue a BFA in Acting here at SRU. "I truly believe that there has never been a better time to be alive as an actor; there are just so many opportunities to pursue and different fields that you can work these days," Skeele said. "Everything from on stage performing to working in the video game industry and web-series are mediums that you can get involved in. This BFA in Acting will put Slippery Rock students on the inside track to finding jobs and success moving forward." The implementation of the program coincides with the hopeful completion of renovations to Miller Auditorium. The degree will be 78 credits in addition to 42 credits in liberal studies. There will be a strong emphasis put on musical theatre, with the main concentration being contemporary musicals as opposed to more classical productions. Students will have to audition for the program and will be held to high standards implemented by NAST. These quality standards and rigorous training sessions are seen as promising by Department Chair Rebecca Morrice, who is thrilled about the advantages students will have upon graduation. "This is a great way to get students out there and for us to interact with other accredited universities," Morrice said. "Parents are always asking us 'Is my kid going to be able to get a job?'. With this
accreditation, our program has openly acknowledged quality compared to non-accredited programs and gives our students a better education than before." The accreditation process took over two years to be completed. Representatives from NAST will conduct a review of the program every five years to make sure they are following set standards and the students are displaying significant growth. Other changes include producing a main stage musical production every year and a more concise cycle of courses for students. Slippery Rock will continue to feature Shakespearean plays in their curriculum and allow student-run productions to be put on in the future. "A big part of this is attempting to add more to the culture we already have here on campus," Deanna Brookens, theater professor said. "We want the community to come out and see all the hard work our students are putting in on each show as they prepare for their future careers." The department's first main stage production is "In the Forest, She Grew Fangs" and will run from Oct 20 to Oct 26. Later in the fall, they will put on Peter Morgan's chronicling of the aftermath of the Watergate scandal in "Frost/Nixon". The show will run from Dec 1 through Dec 7.
SRU's health center offers free shots to fight the flu By Hannah Shumsky Rocket Contributor
This flu season, the SRU Health Center is offering free flu shots to students through the “SRU Fights the Flu” campaign led by the HOPE Peer Educators. Flu shots will be administered in the Health Center, and both appointments and walk-in visits are accepted. Since the Health Center is open 24/7, flu shots will be available at any time to students. A student ID is required when checking into the Health Center to get the flu shot. “We want to minimize the barriers to students getting a flu shot, so we don’t want them to have to worry about making an appointment [or] being here at certain time,” Janet Flecker, certified nurse practitioner at the Health Center, said.
This flu season, the Health Center is offering the quadrivalent flu vaccine, which covers the same three viruses as traditional flu vaccines and an additional B virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, it takes roughly two weeks to build immunity to the flu vaccine, so the best time to get vaccinated is by the end of October, even though the flu shot can still be effective into January or later. People who have an egg allergy or are ill are not encouraged to receive a flu shot. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition or stress can all lead to lower immune systems, which may impact college students, according to Flecker. Last year, 40 percent of SRU students reported that they received the flu shot. In order to encourage SRU students to become
'flu fighters', the HOPE Peer Educators are hosting a selfie contest with the hashtags #SRUFightstheFlu and #FluFighters. “We’re asking you to take a selfie, kind of like if you would take a ‘I voted’ selfie and show off your sticker. Do the same, show off your Band-Aid,” Vanessa Vought, health educator at the Health Center, said. By the end of the semester, a participant in the campaign will receive a “comfort” basket with and assortment of items. “[The basket contains] something that you can wrap up in and feel glad you don’t have the flu,” Vought said. In addition to the Health Center, local pharmacies, including Giant Eagle and Rite Aid, will administer flu shots with proof of insurance. The Student Health Center will also be at Healthfest on Oct. 17 to administer flu shots.
O
OPINION
Our View
The Rocket staff remains unimpressed with SRU presidential finalists
OPINION Volume 101, Number 2
220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057 Phone: Fax: E-mail:
(724) 738-4438 (724) 738-4896 therocketnewspapersru@gmail.com
EDITORIAL BOARD Cody Nespor
Editor-in-Chief
Daniel DiFabio
News Editor
Justin Kraus
Sports Editor
Megan Bush
Campus Life Editor
Victoria Davis
Copy/ Web Editor
Paris Malone
Photo Editor
Eric Davies
Multimedia Editor
Adam Zook
Assistant News Editor
GRAPHIC BY VICTORIA DAVIS/ THE ROCKET
Stephen Cukovich
Assistant Sports Editor
Megan Majercak
Assist. Campus Life Editor
Heather Donat
Assist. Copy/Web Editor
Hunter Casilio
Assistant Photo Editor
Dr. Brittany Fleming
Faculty Adviser
ADVERTISING STAFF Miranda Morgan
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 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.
While last week’s Council of Trustees meeting was adjourned with many questions and very few answers, one thing was clear in the eyes of The Rocket staff: SRU’s future president isn’t among the search committee’s finalists. In fact, we’re doubtful they’ve yet to step on the SRU campus. While the Council of Trustees was a climactic segment in SRU’s search for a new president, doubt has been pooling in the minds of SRU stakeholders for a while about the search committee’s three finalists: Marsha Krotseng of Bluefield State, Bruce Murphy from Nicholls State and Amir Mohammadi, who currently serves as SRU’s VP of Finance. The three candidates, who visited SRU on Sept. 25, 27, and 29 respectively, were selected as finalists to come to campus and meet with SRU stakeholders, faculty, staff, community members and students. While the three finalists bring different experiences and leadership styles to the table, The Rocket staff feels confident in saying that these
finalists are not right for the SRU presidency. The Rocket staff is not alone in this opinion; several trustees spoke out at the council meeting against the admittedly underwhelming finalists. Overall concerns were presented regarding the candidates, but even the process was questioned, the search firm and conflicts of interest being the primary scapegoats. Two members of the search committee work under Amir Mohammadi, and, as many members of the campus community have articulated, we feel that this conflict of interest is too notable to ignore or sweep under the rug. All hope for a semblance of objectivity is lost when the team responsible for narrowing the field of applicants contains two members of one candidate’s staff; it is irresponsible at best. Pushing aside the logistical and ethical concerns over the search itself, we as a staff truly believe that not Krotseng, nor Murphy and Mohammadi are the right fit for SRU. None of these candidates have
the personal presence required to connect with alumni and the campus community and failed to impress the staff during their student and open sessions. The Rocket staff was surprised that these were the top contenders for the presidential vacancy, and we worry about the quality of the search firm and any future candidate it would bring forth if the university chooses to still utilize it for the extended search. We believe that whomever is going to be SRU’s next president has yet to be seen by the SRU community. The Council of Trustees made their opinion clear when they voted not to forward the search committee’s recommendations to the board of governors. At this point it seems very unlikely that any of the three candidates we have seen thus far will end up being SRU’s next president. The Rocket staff believes the candidates presented to the SRU community as finalists do not reflect the kind of quality that SRU should be striving for internally and as a
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
In the Quad
This week’s question: What part of homecoming are you most excited for?
In the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.
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.
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.
Cody Billingsley Junior Accounting Major Apollo, Pennsylvania “I’m from close to IUP so I can’t wait for the game and the atmosphere of the whole campus around this time. Everyone is excited about something.”
Kaley Booher Junior Exercise Science Major Saltillo, Pennsylvania
Zack Bybee Sophomore International Education Major Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
“I’ve never been here for “I like the football game, it’s h o m e c o m i n g s i n c e I ’ m a against IUP so it will be a big one.“ t r a n s f e r s t u d e n t b u t I ’ v e heard about the football game so that should be good. ”
OPINION
B-2
October 13, 2017
QUESTION OF
THE WEEK
@SRURocket
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.
To the Slippery Rock University Family, Friday’s meeting of the Council of Trustees, and the decision to temporarily suspend and possibly extend the presidential search, was a defining moment in the history of a great institution. Make no mistake, there are no winners or losers resulting from the Council’s decision. No one should gloat over or celebrate the vote. Nor should anyone feel maligned, defeated or despair. The decision simply reflects the determined desire of the Slippery Rock University community to abide by one of its most longstanding and fundamental characteristics - to achieve excellence in the search for a new president. To be excellent as a university! As a student at Slippery Rock, none of my professors, advisors or mentors ever taught me to “strive for mediocrity” or “pursue pedestrian results”. Legendary figures such as Bonando, DiSpirito and Scarnati let us know when our work product was lacking. Like their current day successors, they guided us and challenged
us to do much better - to do everything required to achieve excellence! I do not know Marcus Martin. I have watched him play football. By all metrics, he is one of the greatest football players in NCAA Division II and Slippery Rock University history. Mr. Martin has aspired to, and achieved, excellence in his chosen endeavor. It would be interesting to know from him the ingredients required to achieve excellence. Hard work? Constant repetition? Discipline? Determination? Doubt? Recognition of, and experience in, failure? No doubt he paid a price to be excellent. Perhaps we could learn from our students’ successes. Slippery Rock University will have a new president. The message sent from the Council meeting is that no matter how difficult, no matter how repetitive, no matter what sacrifices must be made, we will not settle for anything less than excellence. Our new president will come to recognize and understand that when we must do better we are determined to do better. Excellence is ingrained in the Slippery Rock University
culture. It is instilled in each one of us. It is pursued and realized every day in large and small ways by individuals across our campus. It can be achieved in this presidential search process. We should be proud of Slippery Rock University today. As a community, we spoke our minds from our hearts. We debated seriously and offered our opinions and responses with respect. As a caring and passionate community we know we can do better. We will do better. It is one characteristic that makes Slippery Rock the finest university in the PASSHE system. We simply refuse to be anything less than EXCELLENT! Best of luck to you all. GO ROCK! Bob Taylor Class of 1978 Member, SRU Council of Trustees Member, Presidential Search Committee
America’s gun problem is a multi-faceted, undefinable one
Justin Kraus Sports Editor Justin Kraus is a senior communication major in his first year on The Rocket staff.
Tragedy happens everywhere, that comes to the surprise of no one. What may be surprising is that over one percent of all deaths in America come at the hands of firearms, per the National Research Council; shockingly, mass-shootings make up a small fraction of those deaths. What c onst itute s a m a s s shooting? Depending on your source, the answer could be radically different. Mother Jones magazine cites the recent Las Vegas Massacre as the seventh mass shooting in the United States this year, while the mass shooting tracker database lists it as the 337th mass shooting of the year. What gives for the difference? In 2013, Congress defined a mass shooting as “a murder of three or more people.” The reported numbers of shooting mostly differ because some sources cite “three or more injuries, not deaths” as a mass-
shooting. While there may be slight variations on this definition, the number of people killed never drops below three for anybody’s definition. The disturbing fact is that there have been more than 337 instances of three or more murders of people in America so far this year, and that number only makes up a fraction of total gunrelated deaths. A CDC report in 2013 showed that there were 33,636 deaths in America related to firearms. Among those, a staggering 21,175 were suicides. The vast majority of deaths left from guns come from homicides, being 11,208 in number (CDC). Among those homicides, a minuscule 288 deaths came from mass shootings. If mass shootings aren’t the primary problem, why do they garner substantial media attention? Media sensationalization is definitely partially to blame. While it would be nearly impossible to cover every one of the over 33,000 deaths, the media does a poor job at displaying the big picture of gun deaths. I have never once seen a news story about the alarming amounts of suicide rates, but I see stories almost every day about mass shootings. No death from these events is unimportant, but if there is around-the-clock coverage for 288 yearly deaths, the other 33,348 deserve the same treatment. It is no secret that the United States has a less-than-stellar histor y wit h gun violence. America houses only 4.4 percent of the globe’s population, but 42
percent of the world’s citizenowned guns (UNDOC). America also has the highest gun death rate of any developed country by a gigantic margin (29.7 per one million people, Sweden is second with 7.7 per million). This phenomenon is not exclusive to the United States. Across the board, the more citizen-owned guns that a country has, the more deaths by firearms they also have (Tewksbury). The aforementioned Mother Jones database confirms that this is also the case with U.S. states; the states with the highest firearmownership levels are the ones with the most deaths from those firearms. The United States greatly lacks gun control. In states that have regulatory measures to protect children from gun violence, all but one (Nevada) are in the bottom half of gun deaths (Martin Prosperity Institute). T h e m ai n pro b l e m w it h regulating guns in the United States is that supporters of gun ownership are so obsequious to organizations like the NRA and those that support it that they could never be convinced regulation would ever reduce gun deaths. Australia has something to say about that. In the 1990s, Australia was, like America now, in the midst of a huge gun control problem. Almost three people per 100,000 were dying due to gun-related suicides. To curb this Australia introduced a nationwide gun buy b ack
program in 1996. This included limiting the purchase of semiautomatic rifles and shotguns, and later included regulations to magazine size, barrel length and caliber. After that law was passed, citizens were given time to sell their now-prohibited guns back to the national government. 640,000 prohibited guns were sold back, and 60,000 were sold back voluntarily. In just one year, gun suicides per 100,000 residents fell to just one; today it sits barely above 0.5 (Kiely). Despite another first-world countr y experiencing success so recently with their gun problem, many uncompromising individuals will always say, “There is no way to prevent this.” There is a way to prevent this, it starts in small steps. I’m from a small town that definitely loves their hunting, and I know absolutely zero hunters who require 60 bullet clips and semi-automatic rifles to get the job done. America has been riding the second amendment for 219 years, and I think it’s time we stop riding it so blindly. This one-sentence amendment was written by men who only knew firearms that could fire once per minute. Firearms in 2017 can shoot at more than 300 times that. 1.4 million people have met their end of the line due to firearms in America between 1968 and 2011. For the sake of them, the sake of the 59 dead from Las Vegas, and the sake of everyone in the future, the time to act is right now.
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October 13, 2017
ATTENTION SRU STUDENTS SELECTION OF STUDENT MEMBER COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS WITH THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL OCTOBER 30, 2017 AT 4:30 P.M. IN 300 OLD MAIN ATTN: Chief of Staff, PRESIDENT’S OFFICE Downloadable application available at: www.sru.edu/StudentTrustee
Requirements for Student Trustee Candidates are required to . . . x be a full-time undergraduate student for at least three consecutive semesters (sophomore level or above) x be in good academic standing with at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average.
Selection Criteria Candidates should . . . x have demonstrated concern for the welfare of both students and the University. x be individuals who understand the responsibilities of a trustee and the obligations it requires to strengthen the long-range health and vitality of the University. x have demonstrated academic success and appreciate the need for a quality academic program at Slippery Rock University. x possess experiences indicating an understanding of student activities and organizations and the concern of students at Slippery Rock University.
Open info sessions for interested applicants will be held on: Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017 @ 12:30 p.m., Commuter Lounge Friday, Oct. 6, 2017 @ 11:30 a.m., Commuter Lounge QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, Chief of Staff, 300 OLD MAIN (724-738-2000)
FOR YOUR NEXT DEGREE, CHOOSE PENN STATE Earn your master’s degree at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Applied Clinical Psychology, M.A. Business Administration, M.B.A. In Erie and in Pittsburgh
Manufacturing Management, M.M.M. Professional Accounting, M.P.Acc. Project Management, M.P.M. Online
behrend.psu.edu/grad PSBehrendGrad@psu.edu
S
INSIDE SPORTS The Rock football brotherhood
SPORTS
Tennis senior ready for success
The Slippery Rock football team has a tradition of retaining players as coaches and building a family atmosphere.
Carla Corrochano Moracho reflects on her journey from Spain to Slippery Rock.
See Page C-3
See Page C-2
LAST WEEK
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Top ten showdown at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium Mercyhurst Lakers in Erie, 31-28. "I've taken a couple years off of my life this season, I pace pretty regularly on that sideline. We've seen it all," Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz said. "As long as we keep coming out on the winning side, I'll take it." While SRU's defense held the Lakers to 28 points last week, they have struggled thus far on the season. The Green and White rank in the bottom half of the PSAC in both scoring defense (31.2 points per game) and total defense (399.5 yards per game). This will be by far the biggest test for a Rock defense that starts five freshman, including all three linebackers, as IUP ranks first in the PSAC in total offense (504.7 yards per game) and number three CODY NESPOR/ THE ROCKET in the nation. Senior wide receiver Marcus Johnon takes the ball downfield in last week's win versus "I don't know what weaknesses Mercyhurst. Johnson is tied for the nation's lead in receiving touchdowns with nine. they have," Lutz said. "They are a Indiana (Pa.) and No. 9 Slippery dang good football team." By Justin Kraus Rock. This will mark only the Headlining the Crimson Hawks Sports Editor second meeting out of the 92 games offensive attack is dual-threat Two top ten teams, homecoming between the two schools that both quarterback Lenny Williams. and the biggest rivalry in the teams are ranked in the top ten Williams is fifth in the PSAC in total Pennsylvania State Athletic nationally. offense (261.8 yards per game), Conference (PSAC) are the Following the theme for the and is also the most efficient passer ingredients for this Saturday's season, Slippery Rock won a in the conference, completing 67.4 football game between No. 3 nail-biter last week against the percent of his attempts. Although
Williams' rushing game has taken a step back (21.8 yards per game, opposed to last years' 66 per game), his mobility is always a tricky thing to handle. "He's one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in all of Division II football, " Lutz said. "The thing that makes him so challenging is that he has developed into a great throwing quarterback. We gotta keep him in the backfield, we can't let him get out." Though Williams may be proficient, he has nothing on the Rock's senior quarterback Tanner Garry. Garry tops the PSAC in both passing yards (2028) and touchdowns (22); those numbers also rank Garry second in the country in both categories, and he is also third nationally in points responsible for (132). Coming into the year, Lutz described Garry as a "game manager", although his tune seems to have changed due to Garry's performance. "He's a leader. There are guys in our program that have maybe thrown a little bit better, and definitely some who have run SEE HOMECOMING , PAGE C-3
Tennis standout wins September Athlete of the Month By Steve Cukovich Assistant Sports Editor
After a dominant freshman year earning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)-West Freshman of the Year and a strong start to her sophomore year, women's tennis player Lacey Cohen has been voted Athlete of the Month for September. "Ever since middle school I've played every single day," Cohen said. "And I trained for hours on the weekends and everything throughout high school." So far this season, Cohen has managed a 7-2 singles record, while going 6-2 in doubles competition. Her play has brought success to the team, as The Rock sits with a 3-0 record in team play, with three 9-0 wins against Westminster C ollege, Blo omsburg University and Shippensburg University
In the PSAC Individual Championships in early October, Cohen was able to make it to the quarterfinals in the singles bracket, while losing in the semifinals with sophomore teammate Viola Lugmayr. On day one of the event, Cohen had to play four matches combined, but the amount of playing time doesn't seem to wear her down. "We've been working on fitness so that helped," Cohen said regarding her amount of playing time. "It's really grueling, but we have a good positive team atmosphere so it's easy to push ourselves." In her freshman year she was able to make herself The Rock's no. 1 singles player, while playing alongside now senior Carla Corrochano Moracho and SEE COHEN, PAGE C-3
10 Week six psac-west football scores
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REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
Sophomore Lacey Cohen returning a ball in a match last year. Cohen won the PSAC-West freshman of the year for 2016-2017.
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SPORTS
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October 13, 2017
Corrochano Moracho working towards success for Slippery Rock By Brendan Howe Rocket Contributor
Football 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Indiana (Pa.) Slippery Rock Mercyhurst California (pa.) Edinboro gannon Clarion seton hill
Men's Soccer
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
gannon west chester millersville e. stroudsburg lock haven mercyhurst shippensburg seton hill Slippery Rock california (pa.) bloomsburg UPJ
6-0 (3-0) 6-0 (3-0) 3-3 (2-1) 4-2 (1-2) 3-3 (1-2) 2-4 (1-2) 1-5 (1-2) 0-6 (0-)
7-4-1 (6-0-1) 8-2-1 (6-0) 8-3-1 (4-2) 7-3-1 (4-3) 6-4-3 (3-3-1) 7-4 (3-2) 5-5-2 (3-3) 6-6-1 (3-4) 3-6-3 (2-2-2) 1-9 (1-4) 2-8 (0-6) 0-10-1 (0-6)
Women's Soccer 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
kutztown e. stroudsburg west chester Gannon Slippery Rock Bloomsburg seton hill Indiana (pa.) clarion edinboro Millersville california (pa.) Lock Haven mercyhurst shippensburg upj mansfield
Field Hockey 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Shippensburg millersville Slippery Rock e. stroudsburg Bloomsburg west chester mercyhurst kutztown indiana (pa.) Mansfield Seton Hill
Volleyball 1. 2. 3. 4.
Gannon Edinboro Slippery Rock mercyhurst
12-0 (10-0) 8-2-2 (8-2-1) 8-2-1 (8-2) 8-1-2 (7-1-2) 7-4-1 (7-3-1) 7-3-2 (6-3-2) 8-4-1 (6-4-1) 7-4 (6-4) 6-5-3 (5-4-3) 4-4-3 (3-4-3) 4-6-2 (3-6-2) 3-8-1 (3-7-1) 4-7 (3-7) 3-6-3 (2-6-2) 3-9-1 (2-9) 1-11-1 (1-9-1) 0-9-1 (0-9-1)
10-2 (5-0) 10-3 (5-1) 9-5 (4-2) 10-3 (3-2) 7-6 (3-2) 8-5 (3-3) 6-6 (2-3) 7-6 (2-4) 5-8 (2-4) 6-7 (1-4) 3-10 (0-5)
16-3 (6-1) 13-5 (3-4) 9-10 (1-6) 6-12 (1-6)
Standings as of Thurs. October 12th at 3:02 p.m.
A native of Talavera De La Reina, Spain, senior Carla Corrochano Moracho has served as an integral part on the Slippery Rock University tennis team for the past three years. She has twice received All-PSAC West honors in singles play and once in doubles while being named a PSAC Scholar Athlete in each of her three years at SRU. At an early age, Corrochano Moracho was encouraged by her parents, both of whom were high school athletes, to get involved in a sport. She chose to compete in an individual sport rather than play on a team. “I liked swimming a lot so I was between tennis and swimming. I tried tennis first and decided to stick with it,” Carla said. The game began as a hobby, but she took it more seriously as she grew older. Following her graduation from Santa Maria H.H Maristas, Corrochano Moracho wanted to continue playing tennis at a high level while also receiving a quality secondary education. “If I would have stayed in Spain, I would have had to choose between playing tennis at a competitive level and going to school. I liked the model [that is here] in the U.S.,” she stated. “The leagues and tournaments you play in [in Spain], they don’t have the same level [of competition] because they […] focus more on school. They don’t do both. When you go to a university [in Spain], it’s to go get a major.” After contacting an agency that dealt with the paperwork and connected her to universities here in the United States, Corrochano Moracho found herself across the Atlantic in an unfamiliar setting here at SRU. “My very first semester here as a freshman, I was like, 'What am I doing here?'" Carla said. Other than the obvious language barrier, Carla’s biggest struggle in adjusting to life in western Pennsylvania was our eating pattern and meal times. “[At home], we wouldn’t have lunch until 2:30 or 3:00 and we wouldn’t have dinner until 9:00 […] It was kind of weird at first.” The sometimes-indecisive weather in western Pennsylvania was also frustrating for her to get acclimated to. A business marketing major in the classroom, Carla benefitted from the opportunity for closer academic relationships with her professors. She feels she can interact with her instructors and ask questions when unclear on a topic, something she is not sure she could have done if she had attended college in Spain. “Whenever you go to college at home [in Spain], [the sizes] of classes are way bigger and you’re basically just a number to [the professors],” she said. “Here, you actually have a name.” Along with being honored as a student-athlete by the PSAC, she has been named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association scholar athlete twice and was a recipient of a Division II Athletic Directors Association academic achievement award her sophomore year. “It’s just organizing your time and knowing what you
REBECCA DIETRICH/ THE ROCKET
Senior Carla Corrochano Moracho serves in a home match last year. Corrochano Moracho, a native of Spain, is the team's only senior.
have to do and knowing your priorities," Carla said. "It’s been hard but it’s paying off.” Corrochano Moracho has also excelled on the court for The Rock, as she has been one half of the team’s number one doubles pairing each of her four seasons here and also serving as either the team’s number one or two singles performer. “[My parents] are my biggest role models when it comes to anything, but in tennis, the coach I have back home [has been a big influence]. I’ve spent ten years with him and he’s basically taught me everything I know,” she said. Carla has also picked up on her mentality and style from teammates she has played alongside and coaches that have guided her. She credits Spain for influencing the values and passion that has driven her to succeed here at Slippery Rock. “We are hard-working people in general and I guess that’s always been with me and that’s going to be with me wherever else I go,” said Carla. She has enjoyed the experiences she has had here and the memories she’s made. “It’s pretty cool [to be able to represent Spain at SRU]. I’m pretty proud of being a Spaniard and traveling the world and coming here. I’m representing my university, but I’m also a Spaniard.”
It runs in the family Senior runner Jeremy Parsons and his twin brother Jacob are both collegiate athletes By Justin Kraus Rocket Contributor
It takes two to tango, but only one to run. In the case of twin brothers Jeremy and Jacob Parsons, both have done their fair share of running throughout their lives. Jeremy, a senior cross country and track runner at SRU, has seen a great amount of success thanks to his running prowess over his career. Jeremy has collected three all-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) selections and three all-region selection, among other accomplishments. Jacob, a senior track and field runner and now wrestler at Penn State-Behrend, was a district champion runner and state qualifier in high school. "Growing up, we were pretty bitter rivals, just competing all the time," Jeremy said. "At least we had somebody to push each other through everything, so it was a nice little competitive feel." Something that both brothers have in common throughout their collegiate careers is academic success. Jeremy has been named a PSAC scholar-athlete on multiple occasions, and Jacob was named to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) all-academic squad last year. This makes it no surprise that academics were a driving force in selecting the institution that both brothers attended. "We weren't really looking to do much in college sport-wise, we kind of knew what we wanted to go to school for academics," Jeremy said. "We just picked the best school for academics and just decided to run for them, it worked out great." Any parent would be proud of the academic achievement and drive alone, but raising two collegiate athletes is a rare thing to find. "They were really pumped [about our sports], they were really supportive growing up, they like to travel everywhere," Jeremy said. "It was always nice having them there cheering for us and everything else. I think they're pretty happy with how we managed [ourselves]." Any pair of twins knows that shenanigans are bound to ensue when it comes to joking about the symmetrical looks, but Jeremy has taken it with a light heart. "We get quite a few jokes, like when my brother visits everyone just usually calls him by my name, not knowing at first, so it's pretty funny."
REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
Jeremey Parsons runs during the SRU alumni race in 2016. Parson and his twin brother Jacob are both college athletes, with Jacob wrestling for Penn State Behrend.
October 13, 2017
SPORTS
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Brotherhood
Slippery Rock football has a tradition of retaining players as coaches By Justin Kraus Rocket Contributor
Every team has a name for camaraderie: unity, family, togetherness; for the Slippery Rock University football team, it goes by a simple name, brotherhood. There is not a single human on earth that has a better understanding of what the brotherhood is than legendary SRU football coach Dr. George Mihalik. "It's guys who come together from all different backgrounds, all different cultures and all different areas. They come in and they buy into the family atmosphere of The Rock and it just becomes contagious," Mihalik said. "Once you get it, it's with you forever. Once you wear the Green and White, you're always part of the Green and White." The brotherhood is what has kept so many players coming back to the program, because they never want to leave. "I didn't even want to leave when I graduated," said defensive line assistant and three-time all-PSAC selection Joe Phillips. "I took one semester off in the summer and came back, it felt like I was back at home really. I missed everybody here, coaching staff, players, [equipment manager] Mr. Steele." Phillips is one of five SRU graduates on staff. Defensive coordinator Domenick Razzano, linebacker's assistant Mike Grata, strength and conditioning coach Terry Grossetti and graduate assistant Don King III all played in the Green and White. Head coach Shawn Lutz also received his Masters from SRU, and wide receivers coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. completed his teaching certificate at Slippery Rock, meaning seven of the 12 Slippery Rock staff members obtained a degree from the university. "Everybody has a lot of pride in this university," Razzano said. "I've been to a couple other places as both a coach and a player. None of the other places I was at had the tradition or the passion from their fanbase." Every school can claim to have a 'family atmosphere' all they want, but The Rock backs it up. Compared to rival schools like Indiana (Pa.) and California (Pa.), The Rock retains their coaches at a much higher rate. IUP's staff consists of only three school graduates, and California's only two. "Honestly, it's not just talk," Grata said, who recorded 110 tackles over his SRU career. "It's a special place, It was something that I've never felt before, in high school I didn't feel the camaraderie or as close with the coaches. Not
Cohen continues to impress as SRU's number one Continued from Page C 1
Amanda Bruscemi playing as the team's top duos. Cohen also earned All-PSAC West honors last season as she went 13-13 in singles matches, 4-2 in tournament play, while managing a 1611 overall doubles record. "It comes pretty naturally," Cohen said regarding her doubles partners. "We each have strengths and weaknesses and we switch it up when we play with each other. We work a lot on doubles in practice so we test the waters and what works and what doesn't." Last season, she and Bruscemi were ranked as the eighth best doubles team in the Atlantic Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Along side all her other freshman achievements, Cohen was able to earn PSAC Scholar Athlete honors her freshman year, while also dominating on the court and earning honors in that department as well. "All through high school I've had to make sacrifices," Cohen said. "With going to practice right after school and then coming home and doing homework so I didn't really have to make any major lifestyle adjustments, I've just been doing what I've been doing since high school it's just a much harder level."
REBECCA DIETRICH/ THE ROCKET
Joe Phillips (left) and Mike Grata (right) jog off the field in a game in 2015. Both players became coaches after graduating from the Rock, joining the other three SRU grads on staff.
only are players close and coaches close, but the players are close with the coaches." The Green and White don't only attract their former players though, as Bongivengo served 24 years as a high school football coach before coming to the Rock in 2012.
"Once you wear the Green and White, you're always a part of the Green and White." - Dr. George Mihalik, former SRU football coach "After the first year I just knew that this was a place I felt very comfortable," Bongivengo said. "With the people that are here, coaches and players, there is a real close-knit relationship and to me, that is very important for a team aspect." While Bongivengo received his teaching certificate from SRU, there are coaches that have bought in that never set foot in a Slippery Rock classroom. Clyde Conti, a 2004 inductee to the Pennsylvania Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, is in his fourth year as a Slippery Rock football staff member and his first as Academic coordinator. "This is my 45th consecutive year coaching football, I've never seen so much team chemistry
and young people who care for each other," Conti said, who has 188 wins as a high school head coach. "It's not just lip service up here when they talk about that." The thing that makes the brotherhood mantra so strong is that no Rock coach or alum will give the same answer, it's not a generic saying to bring people together, it's a feeling. "Brotherhood means sticking together. Through adversity, through good times," Bongivengo said. "The kids stick together whether things are good or bad." "It means commitment to each other, during your years of playing and far beyond those years. At most places, when you're finished playing, that's probably it for your relationships with your teammates," Razzano said. "Here at Slippery Rock, those relationships stay strong for years beyond football." "Always having somebody who has your back and you have theirs," Phillips said. "If you know anybody who you played with or coached with here, you know that they would be willing to take you anywhere." The one common thread that ties all of the definitions of brotherhood together is one of selflessness and dedication. "When you can feel the euphoria that normally happens when something goes well for yourself when it's something happens for someone else, you know you really have togetherness," Conti said.
Homecoming a grand stage for Rock football versus rival IUP Continued from Page C 1
better, but he is a born leader," Lutz said. "I love his competitiveness." Although Garry has started to find more variety in his passing game, dishing the ball to senior Andrew Bridgeforth (11 catches in the past three games), Sophomore tight end Dylan Stapleton (10 catches in last three games) and sophomore Mike Merhaut (six catches in three games); it is no secret where the crux of the offense lies-- in the senior duo of Milly Raye and Marcus Johnson. Johnson and Raye have combined for 1343 receiving yards on the year, placing them second and fourth in the PSAC, respectively. Johnson also has already hauled in nine touchdown catches on the year, tied for first in the nation. With at least five games remaining in their careers, both Johnson and Raye have their sights set on an all-time SRU record. SRU's all-time career receiving touchdowns record stands at 28-- Johnson has 23 and Raye has 22. The most forgotten third of a football game may be where the difference is made on Saturday, special teams. Slippery Rock leads the PSAC in punt returns and is fourth in kickoff returns, while IUP ranks in the middle of the conference for both statistics.
Slippery rock also has the edge in the kicking game, as sophomore kicker Jake Chapla repeated as PSAC-West special teams player of the week after nailing a 45-yard field goal which turned out to be the winning score for SRU last week. "We have to dominate special teams in this football game. You gotta win field positions and make them drive, you can't give Lenny Williams a short field." Lutz said. After another half tackle for loss last week, senior defensive end Marcus Martin moved up to 17.5 on the year, and 83.5 for his career. Martin still needs 3.5 sacks to tie the alldivisions sack record, and IUP has been the only PSAC squad to shut out Martin in the sack department two years straight. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. at MihalikThompson Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the ESPN app and ESPN 3 as part of the NCAA Division II showcase. "For everybody to experience something like that, I just think it's fun for the school and fun for the students. If you're not doing anything on Saturday, why wouldn't you want to be a part of the game day festivities?" Lutz said. "If you don't like football, come listen to the band or come out and tailgate, it's all there. If we get a win, it will be icing on the cake."
SPORTS Double homecoming for SRU Men's soccer men's soccer coach team earns USC C-4
October 13, 2017
By Justin Kraus Sports Editor
academic award
After serving as an assistant coach for Millersville University for almost a decade, Slippery Rock head men's soccer coach Steve Small will see his old squad for the second time since being named SRU head By Steve Cukovich coach in 2016. The Marauders were ranked 25th nationally for last Assistant sports editor nd. year's contest and are ranked #22 heading into this weekend. team "I always look forward to seeing them, but they are a that is in our way," Small said. "Last year had more meaning ng to For the first f time in program history, the Slippery Rock men's it, but we're treating it like any other game. Obviously there re is soccer tea team earned the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Team a bit more fuel added to it because of who it is." Academ Academic Award for their success in the classroom for the 2016During Small's time at Millersville, they won the Pennsylvania nia 17 school sc year. State Athletic Conference (PSAC) once and the region twice, e, "The guys do a really good job of holding themselves "T advancing as far as the national semi-finals in 2011. accountable ac when it comes to their academics," SRU men's The team amassed an impressive 113-57-11 record soccer head coach Steve Small said.  "We have some during his eight-year tenure with the Marauders. things in place as a program, but a lot of the stuff comes Millersville's current head coach, Steve Widdowson, out of the individuals that the guys want to do well in started the same year as Small and has continued the school." success for the program, with his squad finishing as the The announcement came last week on Oct. 5 by the PSAC runner-up last year. United Soccer Coaches.  In order to win the award, te Even though Small is now at SRU, he still contributes teams must be members of United Soccer Coaches College Ser to Millersville's success, as the roster contains 17 players Services Program and have at least a 3.0 team grade point aver that Small had a hand in recruiting, which he says average on a 4.0 scale for all players on the team. "Ti management is extremely important," Small said.  "Like doesn't matter as much anymore. "Time on the bus ride home yesterday a lot of guys could've just slept "I'm far enough removed that this is my home now the wh and this is my team. It's not so much a factor anymore," whole way, but I'm looking around and guys are doing homew Small said. homework." For The T Rock, their team grade point average came in at 3.27 In addition to his previous team coming into town, this efor the weekend marks SRU's homecoming, making it a double2016-17 school year, which made them one of three teams m in the P homecoming of sorts for small, and the first time his team Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) to earn the award. awa will be playing on the Friday of homecoming weekend.  The other teams coming out of the PSAC includes he Lock Ha "Playing on a Friday is a bit different, because all the Haven University who earned a 3.34 GPA and West Chester Univers with a 3.23. festivities start Friday night after our game, so I'm not suree how University "From my standpoint now I wasn't the greatest student," Small much stock is going to be put into our game. Hopefully we are coming, said.  "I focused a bit too much on the soccer side of things.  I included with everything going on on campus. It's homecoming, could'v it's an exciting time." could've done better in school, but that is also part of the reason am gets why I put p some things in place  for the guys here not to make No matter what happens, Small is just grateful that his team those sa to play at home during the celebrations. same mistakes." ms like Throu "We're fortunate that we get to be home, some teams Throughout the country, 814 colleges won the team award, volleyball are away this weekend. It would be great if wee which includes 282 men's teams and 532 women's COURTESY OF ROCK ATHLETICS were all here for homecoming, but the schedule is what it teams.  For The Rock last season, the team totaled nine Coach Steve Small standing on the sidleines is." PSAC Scholar Athletes throughout the school year. The Green and White will play two games this weekend "The guys, they take their academics very serious during homecoming celebrations. The first game will be today at 1 p.m. because they know if they don't take care of the academics, they can't at James Egli field versus #22 Millersville. The other contest will be at play soccer," Small said.  "Plus at the end of the day, that degree is California (Pa.) on Sunday, at 1 p.m. going to take them a lot further in life than soccer will."
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CAMPUS LIFE
INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE Transfer student shares experience
HoCo preparations aim toward student involvement
College life can be hard for transfer students, and one student shares how her experience brought her out of her comfort zone and taught her some valuable life lessons
This year's Homecoming celebration, while shorter, will be the beginning of a transition into a student-oriented week.
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Student leaders have higher expectations for new president
HUNTER CASILIO/THE ROCKET Interim President Way aims to be interactive with the student body until his term ends in December 2017. Here, he sits during one of his fireside chats in the Smith Student Center, talking to students and faculty.
“We need a president who is as eager to succeed as the university has been in the Asst. Campus Life Editor past,” Kline said. “We need them to help the university continue to succeed.” The university After Cher yl Norton announced her narrowed down the candidates to three people, retirement, Slippery Rock University began who had public presentations on campus. the process of searching for a new president. “We agreed that we did not really want to With just about three months until that person is supposed to take office, students are still unsure if we have found that right "We need a president who leader. At the Council of Trustees meeting is as eager to suceed as the last Friday, student representatives spoke on behalf of the student body. The university has been in the representatives shared that they did not think there was a candidate they have seen past." that has met their expectations. As a member of the Student Government Alliance (SGA), Dallas Kline knows first-Dallas Kline, VP of hand how much the university president impacts the students and as of right now, Student Outreachshe feels the student body does not see the right fit in the current candidates. As vice president of Campus Outreach, Kline interacts with the student body and administration often. We should be proud see any of the three candidates move forward,” Slippery Rock has been excelling and standing Kline said. “There are pros and cons to each out amongst the Pa. state schools, Kline said. candidate.” Kline, along with other SGA Students have really reflected the schools members, discussed the candidates and just success, and a president will need to continue could not see a good fit, and wanted their that momentum, she pointed out. opinion to be heard. This past summer, Slippery Rock University After seeing the candidates presentations has been selected as one of the nation's "Great and hearing student input they have some key Colleges to Work For" by The Chronicle of attributes they would want to see in the new Higher Education for the seventh time in the president. past eights years. Kline expressed that we need SRU hires a company to go out and find a president who will keep up this reputation. candidates for the presidential position, and By Megan Majercak
Kline would like to see them go out and find more options. “ T h e re h ave b e e n pro bl e ms w it h administration in the past,” Kline said. We need them to be transparent with the student body, fit in with the atmosphere, stress diversity and work well with the factory. “Representatives of SGA suggested that we go back and look for more candidates at the meeting,” Kline said. However, finding a new president is a long process, and time is of the essence. If all had gone as intended, two names would be sent to the board of governors and they would put in their recommendation. As students, we just want to see a fit person as president who will be in the same terms of we are going as a university, Kline said. Samantha Ricketts, a sophomore actuarial science major and parliamentarian of Building E House Council, said she would want to see a president who goes out of their way for students. “(Interim) President Way came to and ARHS (Association of Residential Hall Students) meeting so he could hear our opinions and make changes. I don’t think a lot of presidents would take the time to do that on a weekday night. But I think it is extremely important for them to do so,” Ricketts said. President Way has also had "fireside chats," so any student on campus could have the opportunity to talk to Way and voice their concerns. Ricketts, along with other students, want to see this in the new president. After all, the president should be eager to be student-oriented, Ricketts said.
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October 13, 2017
Colleges Against Cancer prepares for kickoff week
PHOTO COURTESY OF DALLAS KLINE Sport Management Alliance anually attends Relay for Life and participates in the dodgeball tournament. Pictured, the club poses during the 2016 "Around the World" themed Relay for Life.
bags and promoting registration for Relay. Monday, CAC will be in the quad 1-3 p.m. Asst. Campus Life Editor with games. On Tuesday, CAC will take part in Health Fest from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., where they will be educating students on breast cancer. Colleges Against Cancer (CAC), the on Tuesday and Thursday, CAC will also have a campus club that puts on the annual Relay For booth outside of Starbucks with free ribbons Life, begins its kickoff week Monday to raise and laptops to register for Relay for Life. awareness about Relay and “paint the campus Wednesday, the club will be back at the ARC purple,” which is the color representing to give out ribbons and fundraise by selling American Cancer Society (ACA). luminaria bags and bracelets. During the week, the club will be in the To end the week, CAC will bring puppies Aeborsold Recreation Center (ARC), student to the quad from 1-3 p.m., because as we all center and quad selling bracelets, luminaria know, “Cancer is Ruff.” By Megan Majercak
Colleges Against Cancer donates all their proceeds towards their goal of $10,000 for ACA. Relay for Life will be held in the ARC this year on March 23 from 4 p.m. to midnight, with the theme being monopoly. Clubs or any group of people can register and have a spot on the life-size monopoly board and sell food or goods to raise money for ACA. If you would like for your club to join, you can contact Rebecca Godwin at rlg1016@sru.edu or Dallas Kline at drk1006@sru.edu. CAC will be fundraising until the end of next semester for ACA.
Student Perspective: The Transfer Life By Megan Anderson Rocket Contributor
As the sun was rising from the east, I could feel the butterflies flutter in my stomach as I thought about my first day of school. I always had these butterflies in my stomach since I could remember, but this was more than the butterflies I had when I went to my first day of high school. No, these butterflies came from the fear of starting my first day of college at a different school. I had no idea how I would feel about being at a school I had little to no knowledge about what the students would be like or how the professors would know my name. I had the dreaded feeling that the professors and students would treat me like I was an outsider and would not talk to me. I felt the great despair about how hard it was at my last college to try and make friends. This is what led me to change schools because I felt so out of touch at my last college with my professors and my fellow students. What scared me the most was the drive to school because I had no clue where to go when I got to Slippery Rock. I went up to the commuter’s lounge to see if I could find a friendly face, but sadly no one was really there at 8:30 in the morning. So I did what any person who feels stressed out in this situation and that was go into the bathroom and calm down. I couldn’t believe that Slippery Rock let me and allowed me to even get a degree because I always felt out of touch compare to the other students experience. So I made a vow in the bathroom that day that I would not be afraid to try new experiences at Slippery Rock and now that I look back I realize how much I have learn from being a transfer student. There is s o mu ch more appreciation for Slippery Rock’s students and faculty. My one thing I have to say is that it is nice to
know that the professors want to know your name and actually know what you want to do with your life. I have also heard other people’s stories about how they were treated when coming in as a transfer student to Slippery Rock. While trying to understand what I was going through coming to Slippery Rock I interviewed two students who have experience different situation when coming in as a transfer student. Jo s hu a Ke l l e m , a s e n i or journalism major, said that his experience was the same I felt when I started my first semester at Slippery Rock. “Socially, I wasn't put in the best situation transferring to any college as a junior, let alone the fact I lived off-campus. Everyone in my class has known each other since freshman year, and here I am two years later," Kellem said. "Having held leadership positions at my old college, I joined the SRU equivalent organizations right away. I rubbed people the wrong way coming in though. It was a weird space I was occupying. I thought I had to brag about my past to prove myself to everyone. Sometimes, there'd be arguments as well due to how I was accustomed to doing things at my old college, or difference in opinions. Things like that spread and people who haven't had a conversation with me have an opinion of me.” I felt the exact same way coming into the transfer program at Slippery Rock. I felt like a had to prove myself to other’s because I came in as a junior transfer I had hard time making friends because most of my fellow students already knew each other from freshman year and I felt quite lost. My last school made me feel so unwelcome and out of place instead of going out and doing activities at Slippery Rock I chose to hide in the library and study. Another thing that struck me with the conversation I had with Joshua was how transferring to Slippery
Rock help him to get out of his comfort zone. “Transferring to SRU has shifted my view to think you have to put yourself out there, even when it feels like no one's noticing you," Kellem said. "Academically or professionally, I did that but socially it's been weird. I'm in a predominantly female major, but, then again, most of my friends are, too. For the friends I have made, they've all been from different walks of life. I don't have a political affiliation but many people here have one that is radically different than the people from my hometown, including one my good friends.” When I started to realize that getting out of my comfort zone and doing activities at school would help me make new friends. I realized the horizon was endless with opportunities to achieve a better well-rounded education at Slippery Rock. I felt that when I came to Slippery Rock I would make more friends and a better output on my life, but that almost took a year to find out what groups really work for me. Another transfer student that I got to know is a history major named Emily Rankin. Emily and I first met in our political science class f irst semester, but didn’t get to know each other until we had math class in our second semester at Slippery Rock. Emily and I shared the same experience when it came to transferring schools and that was apprehension. "I was a little apprehensive," Rankin said. "My last college was not a good place to be. They were not dedicated to the students. Everyone at that college only cared about numbers and becoming bigger and better. But after the first day when I moved in I felt very welcomed. The students who helped move me in eased the transition and I ended up becoming friends with many of them. The professors did make me feel welcome and they were
willing to work with me and my needs to advance." I felt the exact same way when I first came to Slippery Rock, but little by little, I found that it was okay to open up and meet new people. I do not live on campus so I never experienced what Emily had with the friendships of the dorm life, but I have learned how nice people have treated me since I came. Another thing I learned about Emily is how we both had bad experiences at our last colleges that we thought that Slippery Rock would be the same old. "I was terrified of college since before I had such a bad experience but I really do love Slippery Rock," Rankin said. "It is just one of those pit of your stomach feeling where you know something fits. I am not scared to be here; I actually want to be here and be involved with campus activities unlike the college I went to before." So how many transfer students are coming to Slippery Rock and what percent are being accepted into the college? On collegetransfer.net, an estimated 7,583 students attend Slippery Rock and another 1,904 students are transfer students, most of which are coming from different parts of the state and out of state. The acceptance rate for incoming students and transfer students is a 65 percent. That’s pretty high compared to the last college I went to. What I learned from Slippery Rock is that there so many people on different journeys and it's great to know that on my journey I can intertwine with other people what they have experience being a transfer student. I hope that this column has made a difference in your experience at Slippery Rock and I hope to get to know more students like me who transfer into Slippery Rock.
October 13, 2017
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Darren Aronofsky’s latest film is the “mother!” of all disappointments By Kait Vukovich Rocket Contributor
It’s finally October, and if you’re anything like me, you celebrate Halloween by curling up on the couch to watch your favorite horror films. In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I’ll continue reviewing one scary, suspenseful, or otherwise spooky movie for you each week for the whole month of October. Over fall break, I saw “mother!,” the latest film from “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky. Aronofsky has a reputation for making super disturbing films, which I was wellaware of before I saw “mother!” Unfortunately, I soon realized I was not as prepared for this one as I’d previously thought. Jennifer Lawrence plays mother, a young woman married to Him (Javier Bardem), an acclaimed poet suffering from writer’s block. (No one in the film is ever referred to by name, but each actor’s character is given one in the credits.) The
couple lives in Him’s enormous childhood home in the country, which mother has been restoring and renovating after a devastating fire in the hopes of turning it into a “paradise.” One evening, a stranger, Man (Ed Harris), shows up at their house, claiming that he is new in town and was told that they run a bed and breakfast. Much to mother’s dismay, Him forgives the misunderstanding and lets Man stay with them for the time being. The next day, Man’s wife, Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer), arrives to join her husband, and Him again warmly welcomes her into their home. Their guests’ lack of boundaries, manners, and honesty all contribute to mother’s growing feelings of frustration and helplessness as an unwilling host. As time passes, more guests—family members and friends of Man and Woman, as well as Him’s fans—flock to the property, eventually creating chaos, destruction, and mass hysteria, all against the backdrop of mother’s once-idyllic home. I definitely think that, once
again, Aronofsky succeeded in crafting an atmosphere that slowly, strategically made viewers uneasy. While “mother!” definitely belongs in the horror category, it’s not your typical slasher film with cheap jump scares and a murderous villain; instead, the scare tactics are psychological in nature. The scenes that really made me nervous were the ones in which everything seemed to be going smoothly for once—Him and mother finding out they’re going to be parents, or Him finally finishing a poem he’d worked on for months—because I knew something terrible was about to happen. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much the only thing Aronofsky managed to pull off. The heavyhanded Biblical allegories— mother is portrayed as Mother Earth to Him’s God, Man is Adam to Woman’s Eve, etc.—were one thing, but what bothered me the most was the amount of things that happened for nothing other than shock value. I really don’t like spoiling movies for people,
but I feel compelled to warn you that “mother!” is incredibly graphic in nature, and contains violent murder (including that of a child), a barely consensual sex scene, misogynistic abuse, and, uh, cannibalism. It doesn’t make much sense to me that someone as talented as Aronofsky felt the need to resort to lazy storytelling (although it should be noted here that he reportedly wrote the script in just five days). I didn’t have high hopes whatsoever about this one—I only saw it because the ads I saw on YouTube looked intriguing— but it still sucked to be let down by a director I know can do better. Honestly, I would strongly recommend that you not see this movie, unless you have extra money to blow, two hours to kill, and simply want to be entertained. I gotta say, I never thought I’d see a movie that was more messedup than “The Neon Demon,” but “mother!” was hellbent on proving me wrong.
Homecoming 2017 comes with new ideas, student involvement
VICTORIA DAVIS/THE ROCKET A brand new tradition, the spirit board contest, allows clubs and organizations to display a handpainted board portraying this years homecoming theme of 'Rock Around The World."
participating in the parade and Paint the Town every year. She and Heidt felt they should Campus Life Editor make sure all clubs know about the events and the participation possibilities, especially those that traditionally don't participate in In preparation for SRU Homecoming 2017, Homecoming, so everyone can feel more senior early childhood education major and included. CORE street team member Abby Heidt and "A lot of clubs have a lot to offer the campus, junior early childhood education major and and Homecoming is the time to show that off," First-Year Leader Scholar Program (FYRST) Lane said. peer mentor Kelly Lane are looking toward getting the campus excited for new events and more opportunities for involvement. As Homecoming co-chairs, Lane and Heidt are part of a committee which also includes a few graduate assistants and spokespeople from every club participating, as well as faculty and staff members. By including more students in the preparation for Homecoming, Heidt hopes it will encourage more students to participate, because students know what students want. "We're tr ying to make Homecoming -Abby Heidt, Homecoming more fun and get more students involved," co-chairHeidt said. "I really have never gone to Homecoming because, for me, it seemed like only certain clubs and organizations did it." Some of the events this year include a lipHeidt wants more students who usually sync battle, spirit boards in the quad, a glow don't get involved on campus to have the party and a more activity-oriented tailgate opportunity to partake in the festivities and before the football game Saturday, which Lane start having more school spirit. said is always the biggest day of Homecoming Lane, who worked on the parade in 2016, said week. she had some knowledge about Homecoming Director of Student Engagement and week as a whole, but also noticed that it Leadership Lauren Moran said Lane and Heidt was always the same clubs and organizations have been working hard to make Homecoming By Megan Bush
"We're really trying to make homecoming more fun and get more students involved."
more student-oriented and to provide more leadership opportunities. Moran said the two have a good perspective for the future of Homecoming, and she thinks it will keep getting better as the years go on. Heidt mentioned that Homecoming this year will be more difficult because the week technically begins over fall break, so oncampus festivities won't start until Wednesday, but she and Lane are hoping that, by starting this transition with a shorter week, it'll be easier to come up with events for the upcoming years. Lane said that by planning that far ahead, traditions may be more likely to stick, like the spirit boards, for example. "If the spirit boards turn out to be really enjoyable for a lot of people, we can come back after graduation and say, 'oh, they still do the spirit boards, that's so cool,'" Lane said. This year, the theme for Homecoming is 'Rock the World,' a tribute to musical artists, and the week will be centered around music. Tuesday evening, various clubs and organizations such as SGA, ARHS and Green and White Society decorated spirit boards in the Quad. Some clubs themed their boards, like SGA's The Lion Kingthemed board and ARHS, who decorated their board with various flags from around the world, fitting the "Rock the World" theme. The boards will be on display in the Quad all week.
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October 13, 2017
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