10-30-2020 Digital Edition

the rocket

Friday October 30, 2020 • Volume 104, Issue Number 4 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper

www.theonlinerocket.com

2020: An unparalleled year, but with a choice In an unprecedented political and public health climate, SRU students have a voice: their vote in the 2020 election. From the consequential presidential race to local races down the ballot, this election will have historic consequences at the local, state and national levels.

GRAPHIC BY: KEEGAN BEARD

A milestone for many of SRU's own Students share thoughts on political issues, voting plans ahead of Tuesday's presidential election

By Hannah Shumsky Editor-in-Chief

Nina Cipriani News Editor

Joe Wells Assistant News Editor

About 130 students participated in The Rocket’s Presidential Election survey regarding their political views and who they are voting for on Election Day. This election year’s survey revealed varying opinions of the presidential candidates, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, but many agreed on certain issues.

The survey was active between Oct. 21 and Oct. 26 and was promoted numerous times on The Rocket’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

All participants answered the questions anonymously, only including their email address if they wished to be entered into a drawing as an incentive for completing the survey.

Because the participants are SRU students, as of Nov. 3, 90% of the 130 students are ages 18-22, while only 10% are ages 23-26 or older.

While all years of study were represented in the survey, 58 (44.6%) are seniors, 32 (24.6%) are juniors, 27 (20.8%) are sophomores, 11 (8.5%) are graduate students and two (1.5%) are freshmen.

Of the 130 participants, a majority are Caucasian (95.4%), while 3.1% prefer not to say, 0.8% are Latino or Hispanic and another 0.8%

identify as another ethnicity or don’t know.

The participants were overwhelmingly female, with 96 (73.8%) identifying as women and 34 (26.2%) identifying as men. Similarly, the academic colleges were not equally represented: 44 (33.8%) participants are part of the College of Health, Engineering and Science, while 35 (26.9%) participants are in the College of Education. The remaining 51 are in the College of Business (19.2%), the College of Liberal Arts (18.5%) and are currently exploratory (1.5%).

When asked about their political affiliation, 41 (31.5%) participants said they are liberal while 14 (10.8%) said conservative.

The remaining considered themselves to be center or moderate (16.2%), centerleft or leaning liberal (21.5%) and center-right or leaning conservative (14.6%). Seven (5.4%) participants decided not to say.

Over 99% of respondents said they are planning on voting in this election, and only one (0.8%) person said they won’t be voting. An even 50% of participants are firsttime voters, while the other 50% have voted before.

Preferred candidate When it comes to who students plan to vote for, Biden was the favorite with 82 respondents (63.1%) stating they would vote for the former vice president. Trump came in second, receiving 42 votes (32.3%).

Also receiving votes were Kanye West with one vote and Libertarian candidate

News

A race to the finish line

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GRAPHIC BY: HANNAH SLOPE

Jo Jorgensen with 2 votes.

One respondent said they were undecided while two others said they would vote for someone else.

Supporters of the former vice president said his “policies on the LGBT+ community, climate change, and his education plans” make him the stronger candidate.

In contrast, those voting for the president touted economic success while Trump has been in office.

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“So I will be voting for Trump because economics runs everything,” one respondent said.

Some voters for both candidates did mention the candidates were not their first choice, yet they were still voting for one from the major parties.

One voter said since a third-party had no chance of being elected they were forced to choose the “lesser of two evils.”

Sports

Man of two sports

On the other side, Biden participated in this election supporters may not have because they believe it will felt strongly about the have a major impact on the candidate but were still world. A smaller majority voting for him because he (26.9%) said it is their is not Trump. civic duty to vote in each “Four more years of election.

Trump will kill us,” a That major impact were Biden voter said. “Joe is rights issues ranging from not my first choice, but he climate change to LBGT+ will get the job done and I policies. trust him way more than Trump.”

About 38.5% of respondents said they SEE POLL PAGE D-4 C-2

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INTERACTIVE: LGBT History Month Timeline

NEWS

GRAPHIC BY: AARON MARRIE

SGA offers transportation to polls President Joey Sciuto provides students registered to vote with Happy Bus

By Sarah Anderson Junior Rocket Contributor

Election Day is rapidly approaching with less than a week to go, and some students are wondering how they will get to the polls to vote. SGA is offering transportation via the Happy Bus to polling locations on Nov. 3 for students that are registered in both Slippery Rock Borough and Township.

For Slippery Rock Borough, students can expect the SGA Happy Bus to be at the Smith Student Center at 11 a.m. and again at 6 p.m. The bus will take students to the Slippery Rock Community Recreation Center. For the 11 a.m. bus, the bus will leave the polling station at 12 p.m.

The Happy Bus will arrive at the Smith Student

Center at 10 a.m. and again at 5 p.m. for students registered to vote in Slippery Rock Township. The bus will take students to the Slippery Rock Township Community Building.

Students can RSVP on SGA's CORE page to reserve their spot. Citing the CDC guidelines, there can only be 24 students on the bus per trip.

SGA President Joey Sciuto encourages students to wear a mask and “be excited” about voting.

“For many students, this will be their first presidential election,” Sciuto said.

Although Sciuto said he was not sure what sparked the inspiration to carry out this event, this is not the first time that SGA has provided students with resources.

“SGA does have precedence for providing students with resources to help register students

to vote as well as provide transportation,” Sciuto said. “The mindset is that if we can provide at least one person with means to get to the polls it will be worth it. Right now, there are 2 students, so we accomplished that goal.”

Sciuto hopes this extra resource will allow more students to cast their votes in this election.

Because many students are first-time voters in this presidential election, Sciuto offered some advice to students going to the polls.

“You can leave a section blank if you do not understand what a question is asking, or if you do not know what the people or position for which you are electing,” Sciuto said.

If students have questions about the Happy Bus polling transportation, SGA’s CORE page has specific times and locations.

JOE WELLS / THE ROCKET

Slippery Rock University Student Government Association's (SGA) The Happy Bus provides students a way to get to the polls on Election Day. President Joey Sciuto hoped this extra resource would allow more students to cast their votes this year.

Meeting in the middle Independent candidate, SRU grad Johnathan Peffer looks to disrupt the race for PA House District 10

By Joe Wells Assistant News Editor

Given just 84 days to get his name out to the residents of District 10 and his opponents with a head start, third-party candidate Johnathan Peffer has been running non-stop to become the first independent to win a statehouse race.

Peffer said he has been running on little sleep to reach the many corners of the district and talk with residents about their needs and talk about what he wants to accomplish as a state representative.

Bright orange tee shirts that read ‘I want a tattooed representative’ and towing a large four foot by eight foot sign behind his truck wherever he goes, Peffer is doing whatever he can to get residents curious enough to talk with him.

An Ellwood City native who has maintained a residence in western Pennsylvania while pursuing business opportunities in places like Nashville, Peffer is a man who has worn many hats.

Over the last 15 years, Peffer has moved through many industries from starting restaurants and

"I have compassion for people who are in that situation and part of every I do today revolves around using that experience to benefit others."

–Johnathan Peffer, third-party candidate running for PA State, talking about his history of drug abuse and those struggling with it

catering companies to paving roads in District 10 with Lindy Paving. Throughout all of that, Peffer has continuously helped his father at the family meat processing business, Doug Peffer’s Deer Cutting, which has been operating for 45 years.

At the behest of an uncle when he was 14 who told him that everyone needed to know what hard work was like, he learned how to pour concrete and how to take pride in his work. The depth of work experience gave him an appreciation for different fields and guided him to pursue work he enjoyed and could see as a finished product.

“I never really found what I loved to do, I just always knew the jobs I didn’t like to do,” he said.

Currently, Peffer is using the business management degree he earned at Slippery Rock University to run Bull’s Eye Technologies, Incorporated – an app development company with work in the online dating and matchmaking field.

In announcing his run as a third-party candidate in the District 10 state representative race on Facebook, Peffer said, “I believe in solutions, not picking sides and fighting.”

Originally a supporter of Rep. Aaron Bernstine, the current representative for District 10 and one of his opponents this election, he became disillusioned when he saw nothing happening with the Hereford Manor Lake restoration project.

Wanting to ask questions and get answers, Peffer took time during quarantine to research not only the issues but how previous elections had gone and what it would take for him to get on the ballot.

Realizing that for $100 and 300 signatures he could get on the ballot and hopefully get into office and get answers, Peffer set out to reach the required number of signatures. When he turned in his petition, he had over 1,000 and was placed on the ballot as an independent under the United Party banner.

Social media tensions About a month into his campaign, Peffer had handed out hundreds of tee shirts, signs and facemasks and took to social media to get his platform out there. While some welcomed the idea of a third-party candidate entering the race, others became skeptical that he was on the ballot to take votes from one of the major parties.

Historically in District 10, when candidates from the

Republican and Democratic Parties have run for the seat, races have been narrow.

Third-party candidates have also garnered a lot of support in past elections. During the 2018 race, Green Party candidate Darcelle Slappy received nearly 22% of the vote – but no Democrat candidate was on the ballot that year.

Peffer has been adamant that he is not here to split the ticket, but to win.

As he began to put the rumors at ease that he was not trying to sway the election for either party, claims about a history of drug abuse began to emerge.

When rumors of using and selling heroin began circulating online, Peffer chose to either not engage or promise to address the issue. While he would say publicly that he had not had alcohol in almost a decade, the rumors about drug use were dismissed as smears

by Peffer.

In the early summer of 2010, Peffer was a turn away from his home when his motorcycle hit the gravel on the road and came out from underneath him.

The wipeout left him with a dislocated shoulder and broken collarbone. With the help of a neighbor, Peffer limped his bike home and went to the hospital.

There, doctors prescribed 30-milligram Roxicodone and they “got their hooks” in him, he said. When his prescription ran out, Peffer began to self-medicate.

Peffer said he was only buying prescription opioids and never ventured into the heroin. He denied that he ever sold drugs.

A check of Pennsylvania state records show no criminal charges for Peffer.

He said when his dad told him he did not need his help with the condition he was in, he decided to seek help. While he did not get clean overnight, Peffer said he is not ashamed of the experience that has given him a perspective into what some families in the district have dealt with.

“I have compassion for people who are in that situation and part of everything I do today revolves around using that experience to benefit others,” he said.

Where he stands on certain issues While Peffer wants to get answers to his questions, he also wants to accomplish a lot if elected.

Important to Peffer is helping local farmers become sustainable financially. He said he wants to work to get farmers cheaper money and an escalated

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHNATHAN PEFFER

Running as a third-party candidate in the PA House District 10 race, Johnathan Peffer poses for a photo heavily used in his campaign. Peffer announced that he was running in this election on Facebook and has been campaigning ever since.

depreciation scale for their equipment.

Peffer, who is a former member of Local 1058 Laborer’s Union, said union jobs were some of the best jobs he had. He wants to encourage people in the district to get into the trades, which he believes, in turn, will improve the local economy.

For those looking to further their education, Peffer said he will commit $10,000 of his salary toward scholarships for anyone in the district.

With that platform, Peffer has racked up a few union endorsements - from his previous union to Teamsters Local 261.

Most recently, Peffer received his largest endorsement from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13 based in Harrisburg.

Peffer, an avid morel mushroom hunter, considers himself a steward of the environment. If elected, Peffer said he will work to increase littering fines and a larger impact on drivers who commit the act from their vehicles.

One specific stance Peffer has taken is that of adding additional sentencing and monitoring to those who commit sex offenses against minors. Peffer, whose

work on his dating app has provided him with a geofencing tool he would like to see implemented, would monitor those offenders once out of prison.

When asked if he believes it to be a conflict of interest that he would push for the state to utilize technology his private company developed – and would most likely charge for – Peffer said he did not run for office to make money.

He clarified that this is technology is something he would want to lend to the government to protect children. Whether that would be feasible, and not considering the privacy concerns inherent with this sort of technology, remains unseen.

T-minus four days With the final weekend before the election, the politics in the District 10 race have become more personal.

Recently flyers went out to residents referring to Peffer as a “Socialist Sympathizer” and the Democratic candidate, Kolbe Cole, as a “'Defund the Police' activist."

In response, Peffer retaliated with his his own attack, releasing screenshots allegedly from Bernstine’s personal Snapchat

account. The screenshots appear to show Bernstine talking to a woman who is not his wife.

The Rocket reached out to Bernstine for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication.

The incumbent received backlash earlier this month when videos and screenshots showed him referring to a child as being mentally disabled and making his son smoke a cigar.

Peffer, along with Democrats and Republicans, called for his resignation.

State legislature forecasters like CNalysis currently predict that Peffer will split the ticket and provide a window for Cole and the Democrats to flip the district back to blue.

Despite all that, Peffer said he is in the race not just to make history but to trailblaze a path for others that feel disenfranchised by the twoparty system.

“I want to pave the way for other people so they can also have their voice heard,” Peffer said. “Because it shouldn’t just be about the two major parties. If there’s no healthy competition, we are left with exactly who we have and the people who represent interest groups and money.”

NEWS

October 30, 2020

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POLICE BLOTTER October 8 – Slippery Rock Borough Police requested assistance with a traffic stop on South Main Street. Borough police arrested one person for marijuana possession. No further action was taken by university police.

October 9 – SRU Health Center nurse called dispatch for an individual in Building D who was dehydrated. Police and EMS were on scene and the person was transported to Grove City Medical Center.

October 9 – Slippery Rock Borough Police requested assistance with a traffic stop at Building and Ground Road. University police stood by while the Borough Police conducted the stop.

October 10 – Slippery Rock Borough police requested assistance for an intoxicated individual throwing items along Kelly Boulevard. University police checked the area but did not locate the individual.

October 10 – Slippery Rock Borough Police requested assistance with a possible DUI on Highland Avenue. Borough police conducted the stop.

October 10 – CA in Building B called university police for a possible drug violation. Officers on the scene spoke with the resident but did not smell an odor of marijuana. An hour later, police were called back to Building B for a marijuana odor. Officers smelled the odor and were given permission to search but found nothing.

October 11 – University police investigated a theft of trash can lids from the Alumni Commuter Lot. University police charged Bradyn McCall, 20, with summary disorderly conduct.

October 12 – Slippery Rock Borough Police requested backup for a traffic stop on Grove City Road. University police did not take action.

October 12 – Police responded to a fire alarm at ROCK Apartments. The alarm was set off by overheated cooking oil. Safety was notified and the alarm system was reset.

October 12 – University police received a call from an individual stating they were sexually assaulted at The Heights Apartments during a party ten days prior. Person was referred to Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) for the investigation.

October 14 – Police responded to a fire alarm at Building E. Alarm set off by a person vaping in their room. Safety was notified and the alarm system was reset.

October 14 – University police received a fire alarm activation at Building A. Alarm was set off by burnt food. Safety was notified and alarm system was reset.

October 22 – University police responded to the ROCK Apartments for a fire alarm. The alarm was set off by burnt food. Alarm system was reset.

October 14 – Police responded to a fire alarm at the ROCK Apartments. The alarm was set off by an overheated oven. The alarm system was reset.

October 22 – Police arrived at the ROCK Apartments for a fire alarm activation. Burnt food was determined to be the cause. Alarm system was reset.

October 15 – Police responded to the Boiler Plant for a fire alarm. The alarm had been set off by workers grinding in the area. The alarm system was put into bypass until work was completed.

October 16 – Slippery Rock Borough police arrived at the university police station to utilize the Datamaster for a suspected DUI. October 17 – While patrolling the area, university police noticed a vehicle parked on the track at Old Thompson Field. After making contact with the driver, the police believed the individual to be intoxicated and transported them to the police station. The individual tested positive on the Datamaster for DUI. Charges are pending.

October 17 – Police received a call from Resident Life to check on an individual in Building B who had a food delivery outside their door for several days. The officer was advised that the person had gone home for a few days. No further police action was taken.

October 18 – University police received a call from the Student Health Center to check on a person in Building D. Person was transported to the Health Center.

October 19 – Police received a call from the CA in Building E regarding an odor of marijuana coming from a dorm room. The officer made contact with the individual and found marijuana in the residence. Jonathan Depoutiloff, 20, was charged with summary disorderly conduct.

October 21 – While conducting a traffic stop along Stadium Drive, the officer noticed drugrelated items inside the vehicle. The driver, Dominic Burden, 19, was cited for disorderly conduct.

October 21 – An individual returned a wallet to the university police station they found. While conducting an inventory of the wallet, police discovered two fake identification cards. The owner was contacted and asked to come to the station and retrieve their wallet. Shane Murphy, 19, was cited with carrying false identification as a minor.

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 at South Rock & Stone Crest locations 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! Bedroom furniture at South Rock!

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

October 22 – University police received a call for an individual that needed assistance in the quad. Both police and EMS arrived on scene and the person was transported to Grove City Medical Center.

October 23 – Slippery Rock Borough police requested assistance from university police with a traffic stop along Kiester Road.

October 24 – PSP contacted university police to respond to a call at the South Rock Apartments. The occupant said people were in her apartment. University police responded and found two females inside the apartment who said they were looking for items. The caller declined to press charges and the females were allowed to leave.

October 25 – A nurse from the Student Health Center called university police to request an ambulance to their location.

October 25 – University police received a call requesting a welfare check for a person in Building E. Police transported the person to the Health Center to be checked.

October 25 – Police received a call for an odor of marijuana at Watson Hall. Officers on scene did not detect any odor when they arrived.

October 26 – University police were dispatched to Building E for an individual in need of medical attention. Officers and EMS arrived on scene and the person was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital.

October 26 – Police responded to a fire alarm activation at the ROCK Apartments. The alarm was set off by burnt food. Alarm system was reset.

COMPILED BY JOE WELLS

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October 30, 2020

PA House District 10 election: Th

Candidates Bernstine, Cole, Peffer discuss their stances on relev

By Nina Cipriani, Joe Wells and Hannah Shumsky Rocket News Editorial Staff

With the election in less than a week, the Pennsylvania District 10 State House of Representatives race includes Republican incumbent Aaron Bernstine, Democratic candidate Kolbe Cole and United Party independent candidate Johnathan Peffer. Each candidate was asked about their positions on platform issues, like the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, the reallocation of police funding, higher education, abortion, family-owned farms during the pandemic and gerrymandering.

Bernstine is running for re-election this November, with a focus on five main issues: protecting the values in the state Capitol, fighting to reduce government spending, reforming Harrisburg, eliminating "burdensome taxes" and improving the climate for businesses. He has a degree in business management from Penn State University and a master of business administration from the University of Pittsburgh, where he serves as an adjunct professor.

Cole is a graduate of New Brighton Area High School and earned her Bachelor's degree at Youngstown State University, where she studied criminal justice. She currently works as a program coordinator for youth in her community. Being an active member in the community, Cole puts a large emphasis on education for the youth of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Cole would focus on quality education, fair representation, sustainable jobs, access to healthcare and social issues if elected for District 10.

Peffer is running as an independent candidate, and if elected, he would focus on farming and agriculture, education, equal representation and the economy. After he graduated from Riverside High School, he went on to graduate with honors from Slippery Rock University with a degree in business management. Being a former member of the Local 1058 Laborer's Union, Peffer advocates for the Hunter's Sharing The Harvest Program, as they have been donors for more than 30 years.

The election of District 10 gained local attention earlier this month after USA Today shared Snapchat videos of Bernstine enticing his son to smoke a cigar in addition to other videos from his now-deleted Snapchat account. Bernstine responded with a video on Twitter with the tweet reading, "I vow to do better....."

Cole released a statement on social media, and Peffer retweeted the Beaver County Time's tweet of the original story.

Members of The Rocket's news team spoke to each of the candidates about their platform prior to the election on Tuesday.

Why do you best represent District 10?

Bernstine said that his background working in a variety of different fields, including small businesses to large businesses and labor jobs, provides him the expertise to deal with issues that the district faces. As an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh, he states he is passionate about higher education and having Slippery Rock within District 10.

“I’m a farmer and a small business owner myself, [which] really provides me the expertise to deal with the many issues that our district has,” Bernstine said.

Cole said she is the best fit for District 10 because she was born and raised in the area. She has worked in the public service field in many different areas of the district, like Beaver, Lawrence and Butler Counties.

“I know how to serve our people,” Cole said on the Zoom call from her living room. “I know what our people are thinking and feeling, and I see who we really are. I do have full confidence that I’d be able to represent our district in a way that is true to who we are.

Discussing why he would be the best representative for District 10, Peffer said he would bring his life experience and “heart of a servant” to not only lead the district but provide residents with solutions.

Peffer said the life experiences he has had growing up and getting to know his neighbors allow him to understand the issues residents face. It is something that makes him a solution-oriented person, he said.

“My experience gives me a well-rounded life of knowing who is here and what they need,” Peffer said.

The Coronavirus pandemic In response to Governor Tom Wolf’s handling of the Coronavirus, Bernstine said that some of the governor’s decisions may make sense for highly populated areas, such as inner-city Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but not in more rural areas, such as Butler, Beaver and Lawrence County where Bernstine currently resides.

“One of the greatest concerns that I’ve seen is the fact that the governor’s unilaterally made decisions without the guidance

and support of the legislative branch which is closest to the constituents,” Bernstine said.

Bernstine also stressed that it is imperative for Pennsylvanians to follow guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control, as these are “guidelines that are put in place by some of the best scientists and physicians in the world.”

“And, really to me, it’s about working with the federal government in order to see what things we can do in order to make sure that we have people being healthy,” Bernstine said.

Describing his actions as “honorable,” Cole believes Wolf did the best that he could with the information that he had at the time.

Wolf and the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine were thorough in their scientific research and made an effort to learn about the virus and how it affects Pennsylvanians, according to Cole.

Cole said her only suggestion for Wolf would be taking a more individualized approach to handling the pandemic. She added that he had no real direction from his leadership, President Donald Trump and his administration, so she believes he did the best he could given the circumstances.

In regards to the way Wolf addressed the public throughout the pandemic, Cole admires his way of relaying information to Pennsylvanians. According to Cole, Wolf remained unbiased when educating his fellow Pennsylvanians, which Cole said is sometimes really hard for a politician to do.

If elected as state representative for District 10, Cole would continue to promote the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and safe social distancing protocols. She also feels it is important to show that these guidelines are not an infringement of our rights, but rather a duty to one another. “[It’s one way that we can] really show our love and empathy

"I continue to appreciate the good things that are happening in the Slippery Rock area. A lot of growth opportunities have transpired there."

–Aaron Bernstine, Republican incumbent running for PA State Representative towards each other, which is what District 10 is,” Cole said. “In District 10, we are people that love each other, we respect each other, and I think mask-wearing should be just that. It should be an act of love and empathy and awareness for others that are in the community with us.”

In dealing with the pandemic, Peffer does not believe Gov. Wolf and other leaders had taken into consideration the effects their policies would have at the local level.

Peffer said leaders should have had a plan in place before this happened. He said experts had been telling the public for a long time this would happen – Netflix even put out a docuseries about it, but no one listened to them.

One thing he wants to see going forward is a more unified message, not only within the state but across the nation. Peffer said he has traveled to other states during this time and he has seen things like no temperature screening in Pennsylvania airports, but it is being done at regional airports out of state.

Peffer added that by communicating not only what the state is doing to protect residents but the why which can inform the people and combat the misinformation seen on social media that has come to dictate the narrative of the virus.

“I’m hoping we can learn from this and in the future have a plan,” Peffer said.

Racism and the Black Lives Matter Movement Bernstine believes that most of the conversations about addressing racism and treating people equally should be done at home.

“To me, there’s no doubt that government can play some part in that, but so much of it has to do with kitchen table issues, and you know, raising children in a manner that they understand that all people really should be treated equally,” Bernstine said. “So I think most of those things are really done at home.”

In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Bernstine believes that the movement has changed direction from its

original positive intentions, as he says violence and the burning of buildings are counterproductive to the movement’s original goals.

“It started in a positive direction, in a positive way,” Bernstine said. “It really has been hijacked by extremists and people that are very anti-police.”

If Cole is elected, she would do her best to end social and racial injustices in the district.

“Racism is a matter of the heart,” Cole said. “I think that our institutional injustices can be resolved through legislation, of course. But, I think we need leadership that is really looking at the heart of what we are and encouraging and empowering our hearts in a way that makes it safe enough for us to accept the reform of racial injustices.”

Cole believes that when a person is hateful, biased or judgemental toward another, that that is a form of fear.

“You don’t fully, truly understand that thing of which you hate,” Cole said. “I think if we have leadership, mature leadership, that will promote cultural education for everybody, we will really be able to denounce [fear and hatred] in a way that will touch our hearts.

Our legislation will be able to reform in a way that will ensure that those injustices are no longer a thing.”

Cole said reform starts with bringing mental health professionals "into the realms that need it," incorporating cultural diversity training into each profession in our communities and promoting safety and truth.

As for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement protests, Cole has been involved in many protests in the last few months, including those in Slippery Rock. She said she is “definitely in support" of the movement.

"I think [the protests in Slippery Rock] are simply amazing," Cole said. "I commend [SRU Police Chief Kevin Sharkey] in his heart and in his leadership. He has really shown a sense of unity, and that’s what it’s all about. It’s about unifying our communities.

"Im doing this fo I’m honored to be a part of any protest that does that and any students] are ou rally that does that."

Cole believes that the you guys are go movement is crucial and is transforming the way we are communities..." thinking. She said the movement is led by college-aged students, which she said is one of the things –Kolbe Cole, D she loves about it. running for PA S Peffer said it sickens him when he sees bigotry, especially within his district. He said the first thing he would continue doing what he has been doing every day – pray.

While he understands that he alone cannot change racism, Peffer believes a lot can be done by educating people about racial injustice.

“No one can turn a blind eye to this,” Peffer said.

As for the BLM Movement, Peffer said he agreed with their core tenants of education and equality, but said the good they have been promoting has been overshadowed by violence.

Peffer blamed the leaders in areas where there has been violence for not stepping up and others who have used the protests as photo ops instead of working for real change. While he supports peaceful protests, the violence has now become a distraction from the BLM message.

“No one sees what they are asking for now, only burning buildings,” Peffer said.

The reallocation of police funding Bernstine clearly stated that he is strongly against defunding the police.

“Without a doubt, there are a few bad apples that do bad things in every profession, whether that’s a politician, a police officer or a professor,” Bernstine said. “You don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Cole said one state or one district is different from another state or another district in terms of police funding. She believes we shouldn’t fund our police forces like they are military forces, but rather as the public servants they are.

Cole supports reallocating funding to having mental health professionals or therapists as well as social workers employed in police departments. She said police officers just aren’t trained in that particular field.

“These police officers are the front line to any dispute or argument,” Cole said. “They are the mediators, and they aren’t trained in that way, and they should be. If that’s not their duty or

October 30, 2020

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hree candidates race to the finish

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vant platform issues like COVID-19, racism and higher education

job, then we need professionals on their force to be able to handle those situations.”

Not only would these trained mental health professionals be able to help in a dispute, but according to Cole, they could also be of assistance to the police officers themselves.

“They have hard jobs,” Cole said. “They have families to go home to every day with their own stressors. They need that level of support that I think a mental health professional or social worker would be able to provide.”

Cole believes reallocating funding to provide mental health professionals to police departments would help our police forces be public servants. Cole emphasized that it would help them serve and protect, not just “protect.”

Peffer said that he would not support any defunding of the police or any reallocation plan that would take funding out of budgets.

With constrained budgets already for many departments, Peffer said the focus should be on providing police with resources, training and equipment like body cameras.

“They can’t do more with less,” Peffer said.

Peffer added that reducing the number of officers a department has would also be detrimental because they would now have to cover more shifts and lose sleep in the process, making them less effective at their jobs.

For officers who do act improperly, Peffer said those police officers need to be held accountable for their actions.

Higher education Bernstine expressed that he is in favor of reallocating funding for universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), adding that Slippery Rock University in particular is “stronger than ever” while PASSHE has experienced other major issues, such as finances, over the last decade.

He also stated that Slippery Rock’s success should not be used to support the issues experienced by other or you. [College universities. Most recently, ur future leaders, PASSHE’s initial plans to consolidate administrative oing to shape our roles between Slippery Rock and Edinboro Universities " were rescinded in favor of a revised plan involving Edinboro, Clarion and Democratic candidate California Universities.

“Slippery Rock should State Representative not be used to bail out the rest of the other PASSHE universities, which is currently what’s happening right now,” Bernstine said.

Bernstine stated that the amount of debt college students take on is in many cases unrecoverable. He believes that rewarding the universities who are producing and graduating students is key to keeping tuition affordable.

“I think making sure that we’re rewarding those universities that are doing the right things, such as Slippery Rock, is really how we can continue to keep tuition at an affordable rate,” Bernstine said.

Cole said she needs to better educate herself before making a concrete decision on whether the 14 PASSHE schools should have increased funding. However, she does want to find ways to bring revenues to the PASSHE universities.

Looking at where the PASSHE universities can reform their funding is one way Cole suggested keeping college tuition affordable for Pennsylvanians and out-of-state students.

“Creating new job opportunities and different revenue sources for Pennsylvania that could subsidize some of those costs for the colleges to lower the tuition hopefully for our residents,” Cole said.

When it comes to funding the state university system, Peffer said they would be held to the same fiscal responsibilities of any other agency that uses state funds.

Peffer wants to see the universities and all other agencies work toward creating a surplus without being punished for not spending all their funding every year. Creating a surplus would allow them to be prepared for hardships in the future.

Along with fiscal responsibility, Peffer said universities need to look at providing education for future tech jobs in areas like artificial intelligence and robotics to stay competitive with other area schools. By providing those education options, state universities can drive up enrollment and provide a workforce that is trained in Pennsylvania and stays in Pennsylvania.

GRAPHIC BY: KEEGAN BEARD

Peffer added that whatever SRU is doing, they are doing it right and need to share that information with the other universities that are in financial trouble.

Abortion Bernstine says that he is pro-life, adding that he unapologetically wishes to protect the unborn. He added that he is a firm believer in life starting at conception.

In 2017, Bernstine supported a bill to ban abortion in Pennsylvania after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This bill passed in the House 121-70, but was ultimately vetoed by Governor Wolf.

“But really, any pro-life legislation I’m in support of,” Bernstine said.

He added that his status as a pro-life supporter is making adoption affordable for parents.

“I’m also a large proponent of making adoption affordable, and providing those options for parents that want to adopt young people or infants,” Bernstine said, “Being pro-life isn’t just being anti-abortion. It’s also understanding that we have an obligation in society to protect our most vulnerable.”

Cole is pro-choice when it comes to access to abortion.

As a woman who was pregnant in college, Cole said she was lucky to have the support system she needed, or else it would have been “a thousand times harder,” so she understands.

Through working with at-risk youth and pre- and postincarceration, Cole understands that there are different circumstances when it comes to a woman and her body.

“Just as God has given us free will, I totally feel that a woman should have free will of her own body,” Cole said. “I am a supporter of choice. God has given us choice, so who am I to take that choice away from anybody?”

Cole said no one knows what a woman goes through with her body during pregnancy. She wouldn’t be there to help raise that

"I've gone above and beyond, I'm certain, than anyone else has."

–Johnathan Peffer, United Party candidate running for PA State Representative child, so she believes she can’t infringe on somebody else’s right to choose how they live their lives and make their choices.

At a legislative level, Cole said she would do whatever is in her power as a state representative to promote freedom of choice.

Peffer said he is a pro-life candidate who does not support abortion but understands there are some issues when it pertains to the health of the mother, that it may be medically necessary. In those cases, he does not want to be involved with what a woman and her doctor are deciding.

Peffer describes the abortion debate as having a “lot of weeds” that many are afraid to get into to find common ground solutions.

That discussion needs to separate abortion and women’s health services.

While he acknowledges that Planned Parenthood does a lot of good by providing women with affordable health services, they should not be providing abortion services with taxpayer money (Note: According to the American Civil Liberties Union, "at present, the federal Medicaid program mandates abortion funding in cases of rape or incest, as well as when a pregnant woman's life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury"). Along with that, Peffer would like to see more funding for women’s health services.

Peffer added that he had been asked about his position on this matter a lot and while this is where he stands, his platform does not revolve around this issue.

Family-owned farms during the pandemic Bernstine, who has his own farm with over 100 animals, has raised beef cattle, lambs and hogs and runs a breeding operation for beef cattle. Bernstine’s farm sells directly to customers in place of working with grocery stores.

As one of the areas he is more passionate about, he explains that farming is a national market that runs through the Federal Department of Agriculture.

Bernstine also added how different types of farmers have been impacted differently by the pandemic. In his example, he explained how the closure of schools impacted the demand for milk.

“So for example, the needs of milk or the milk farmers have been hit, not necessarily because of the pandemic, but because kids aren’t in school and their largest provider, or who they provide the most to, is schools, right?” Bernstine said. “In school, every kid got milk from the time they’re in kindergarten through 12th grade, while all of a sudden, they’re not there and they’re not buying it. So each of these [farmers] really have unique needs.”

Cole believes that family-owned farms have been hit hard by the pandemic and need financial relief. “[Local farms] have been hit hard,” Cole said. “The restaurant business really affected them and we don’t really take into account how huge of a blow that was to our farming families. I think we need to put some energy into our agricultural family. They need a bailout just like the airline industry needed a bailout, just like the automotive industry needed a bailout, they need a bailout as well.”

Cole added that family-owned farms need more innovative options to be able to farm in Pennsylvania, like other crops for them to farm and sell.

She also suggests that we need to make a program in District 10 that would combine food desert towns and the rural areas with plentiful farms to create a program that would bring youth to the area.

“We need to build a connection between these two amazing entities that we have in District 10,” Cole said. “[And use these to] start building some programs to bring some energy and youth that are interested in farming, cultivating that energy and that interest in them so that there are different families and people that would take over those farms when the farmers are ready to retire.”

Peffer said the state needs to do more to help get farmers cheaper money so they may pass their farms onto the next generation.

He would like to do more for farmers by providing them with a better-escalated depreciation scale for the equipment they own so they may get out of debt faster.

Peffer added there needs to be better communication of what resources are out there for farmers so they can keep their lands healthy and farms financially stable. Farmers who take measures or already have to make their farms more environmentally friendly should be rewarded for that effort in a way they can invest more in their farms.

For dairy farmers, Peffer wants to see an increase in the hundredweight payout of milk to farmers.

He also supports a dealer’s license for companies in Pennsylvania that buy their milk out of state. Peffer said funds from those licenses could go back to local producers’ hands.

Gerrymandering Bernstine says he supports legislation that calls for districts to be redrawn to eliminate gerrymandering and has co-sponsored House Bills 22 and 23 alongside representatives Jim Marshall and Rob Matzie.

“I think it’s an atrocity what it does for constituent services,” Bernstine said. “The fact that it makes it more difficult to serve your constituents for political reasons is really unfortunate and not helpful to help people.”

In a historically conservative area, HD-10 was drawn for Democrats.

Bernstine was elected in 2016 after securing 58.45% of the vote in the race against Democratic incumbent Jaret Gibbons with this layout in mind.

Cole doesn’t agree with gerrymandering. She said whenever we allow political parties to be in charge of drawing districts, we need to have some non-partisan professionals in place to “make sense of our districts.”

“There are five state representatives in Beaver County,” Cole said.

“One county has five representatives. There’s no need for that. Also, the fact that Slippery Rock is in the same district as New Brighton also doesn’t make sense.”

Cole believes the only reason why this is happening is so that certain political parties can guarantee a seat in the district. She added that this is not a true representation.

“The voters should be picking the politician, the politician should not be picking the voters,” Cole said.

With the way districts are currently drawn, Peffer believes it intentionally misses the needs of the people to help candidates of the party that is doing the redrawing.

Peffer would like to see an independent, nonpartisan agency take over the task of redrawing districts. Those districts should take into consideration local governing bodies and school districts, Peffer said.

Taking into consideration school districts is especially important because many in Pennsylvania have more than one representative in the state and that could cause confusion if there is no unified voice.

O OPINION

Volume 104, Issue Number 4

220 220Eisenberg EisenbergClassroom ClassroomBuilding Building Slippery SlipperyRock RockUniversity University Slippery SlipperyRock, Rock,Pennsylvania Pennsylvania16057 16057 Phone: Phone: (724) (724)738-4438 738-4438 Fax: Fax: (724) (724)738-4896 738-4896 E-mail: E-mail: therocketnewspapersru@gmail.com therocketnewspapersru@gmail.com

EDITORIAL BOARD Hannah Shumsky

Editor-in-Chief

Nina Cipriani

News Editor

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Sports Editor

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Photo Editor

Aaron Marrie

Multimedia Editor

Joe Wells

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OPINION

Our View

Historic consequences in the making Our View is a staff editorial produced collaboratively by The Rocket staff. Any views expressed in the editorial are the opinions of the staff members listed at the end of this piece.

Throughout the past eight months, college students nationwide had to endure a political and social climate unlike any combination of historical events we have seen in our lifetimes. Between the coronavirus interrupting class delivery and internship opportunities, to the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, we are witnesses to multiple historical events unfolding at once.

Now, we endure a consequential presidential election to decide how we want our America to look for the next four years.

During this semester, we cannot restrict our votes to single issues. Racial inequality, LGBTQ+ rights, the pandemic, healthcare and climate change are just some of the issues that influence college students' decisions on voting.

For these reasons, the staff members listed at the end of this editorial endorse Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.

Coronavirus pandemic response and healthcare With the Coronavirus pandemic having already claimed the lives of over 227,000 Americans, President Donald Trump has falsely claimed that the U.S. is rounding the turn despite a rise in infections per day in 47 states and deaths per day in 34.

This is a shortcoming in a long line of downplaying, misinforming and dangerously playing with the lives of the American people. In an interview with Bob Woodward in March, Trump admitted that he has always wanted to downplay the virus to not create a panic.

After the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended in April that the American people wear masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Trump was not seen wearing a mask in public until July. He said the CDC guidelines were only a recommendation and he would probably not wear a mask.

Trump's lack of a coronavirus plan has come at the cost of hundreds of thousands of American lives, and it is time for a president who believes in science and actually has a plan for how to stop the spread while getting the American people back on their feet.

Implemented during the Barack Obama-Biden administration, the Affordable Care Act is currently at risk as the Trump administration claims it's illegal because Congress eliminated the individual tax penalty for failing to purchase medical insurance. Doing this in the middle of a pandemic is inexcusable.

As president, Biden plans on creating The Biden Plan, which would protect and build off of the existing Affordable Care

sides" when referring to rallygoers and the counter protesters at the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

Trump and his administration have also been gradually chipping away at LGBTQ+ rights over the past four years of his presidency. He has attempted to strip transgender people of their recognized identities and civil rights protections, and put great barriers between LGBTQ+ people and their access to healthcare.

Act. It would give Americans a new choice in public health insurance options like Medicare.

The Biden Plan would expand coverage to low-income Americans, providing peace of mind through affordable, quality healthcare and a less-complex healthcare plan.

On our own staff, multiple people have preexisting conditions and rely greatly on their parents' health insurance to pay for expensive equipment and medication. Especially during this pandemic, we must prioritize our own access to these life-improving and lifesaving medications by voting for the candidate with the plan best suited to protect those with preexisting conditions.

Human rights Trump has refused to condemn white supremacy on multiple occasions, despite creating The Platinum Plan for Black Americans. Included in his Platinum Plan is prosecuting the KKK as a terrorist organization, which cannot be done without denouncing white supremacy.

Instead, Trump told the Proud Boys (which is classified as a "general hate" group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) to "stand back and stand by" during the first presidential debate.

For an example of when Trump could have denounced white supremacy, Trump said there were "very fine people on both sides" and "blame on both

In a plan found on Biden's campaign website, Biden details exactly how he will advance LGBTQ+ equality in America by standing with the community and protecting them from violence and discrimination.

Attacks on media As student journalists, we cannot ignore the rhetoric that Trump has dangerously pushed against the media throughout his entire presidency. In a special report from the Committee to Project Journalists (CPJ), there has been a rise of credible threats to news organizations, members of the press are often booed at Trump rallies and the reporters named in his tweets are harassed online. CPJ adds that Trump's press secretaries and other White House officials have repeatedly attacked the press, often mimicking the president's own rhetoric.

Fox News's own Chris Wallace also stated, "I believe that President Trump is engaged in the most direct sustained assault on freedom of the press in our history," at an event in December 2019. As journalism students during Trump's presidency, conversations about "fake news," Trump's rhetoric and journalists' safety while reporting often arise during classes- a strong characterization of the state of a free press today. Compared to the Obama administration and Biden campaign, the anti-

GRAPHIC BY: KEEGAN BEARD

In the Quarantine By: Aaron Marrie

media rhetoric from Trump and his closest aides has been more prevalent and vitriolic.

Climate change Trump's push towards fossil fuels came at an inept time when the coal industry began its collapse. Focusing towards oil and gas, Trump reversed plans to block construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, while expanding federal areas open to drilling.

During Tr u m p ' s administration, numerous climate regulations were relaxed on coal plants, toxic chemicals and more.

Biden's Green New Deal climate action plan detailed five key pillars to address the climate emergency. His plan will ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050; build a stronger, more resilient nation; rally the rest of the world to meet the threat of climate change; stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and lowincome communities; and fulfill our obligation to workers and communities who powered our industrial revolution and subsequent decades of economic growth.

As nine white cisgender people, we can only speak for a limited portion of the struggles of racial minority groups, the LGBTQ+ community and those who are food insecure, especially during the pandemic.

However, we need to vote for the candidate that best represents these interests to support college students nationwide.

This is arguably the most consequential election of our lifetime, and for many SRU students (including some Rocket staff members), this will be their first election. This includes races up and down the ballot, including the campaigns of Kolbe Cole and Johnathan Peffer to unseat incumbent Aaron Bernstine for PA District 10 and Kristy Gnibus to unseat U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly in the 16th Congressional District of PA. If you haven't sent in your mail-in ballot, turn it in to a local drop-off location beforeTuesday.

If you're voting in person, stick out the line and let your vote be heard. We cannot settle for less than our right to participate in the systems that will dramatically impact our way of life for years to come.

Signed: Hannah Shumsky, Nina Cipriani, Karl Ludwig, Hope Hoehler, Aaron Marrie, Lesa Bressanelli, Brendan Howe, Keegan Beard, Jack Konesky

Question: What are you looking forward to most in the spring semester?

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.

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Joe Wells Senior Assistant News Editor Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Jack Konesky Junior Assistant Campus Life Editor Dormont, Pennsylvania

Hannah Slope Sophomore Assistant Photo Editor Somerset, Pennsylvania

"I have one class that is multimodal, so to be on campus and working in the Maltby studio instead of behind my desk at home is exciting."

"I'm looking forward to having a lot of flexibility in my schedule.

Now that I know I'll be online, I can plan accordingly."

"What I'm looking forward to most next semester is getting a fresh new set of classes and hopefully having campus resume some normalcy."

October 30, 2020

OPINION

Are you better off than you were four years ago? the means. The amount of hate mail I’ve gotten simply for being someone trans and active in campus and local politics is testament to that.

But I’m not here to make an emotional argument (again, anyways). I’m here to pose a simple question – are you better off now than you were four years ago?

Madison V. King Madison V. King is a senior political science major and an opinion contributor for The Rocket. She currently serves as a College of Liberal Arts senator for the Student Government Association.

“Next Tuesday is Election Day. Next Tuesday all of you will go to the polls, and stand there in the polling place, and make a decision. I think, when you make that decision, it might do well if you would ask yourself: are you better off than you were four years ago?

Is it easier for you to go and buy things in a store than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? Do you feel that our security is as safe, that we’re as strong as we were four years ago? And if you answered all of those questions ‘yes’, why, then, I think your choice is very obvious who you’ll vote for.

If you don’t agree, if you don’t think that this course we’ve been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have”. – thencandidate Ronald Reagan, October 1980 I’ve written extensively in this paper for the past two years the importance of eliminating Trump – and Trumpism – from politics at large. The end goal is not to help or aid anyone, just to push minorities and political opponents out of the public sphere for good, no matter

"Hundreds of thousands of families will be missing a loved one this Thanksgiving at the dinner table, and, of course, that's assuming you can even have a Thanksgiving at a dinner table, with thousands of people losing their homes due to financial instabiliity brought on due to COVID." Let’s ignore everything else briefly and look at the university level specifically.

Federal financial aid is being cut across the board

by Secretary DeVos. Higher education is being devastated by cuts made at the federal level to budgeting. And, of course, most of campus here and everywhere else is shut down for the foreseeable future due to a pandemic the Trump Administration failed to take any control over. None of us have any idea when – or if – we’ll be able to return to campus life as normal. As a senior, it certainly looks like we’re not going to get to experience any of it. Are you better off than you were four years ago?

Let’s expand from that a bit. Are you a millionaire?

I doubt it. You’ve seen absolutely no tax benefit whatsoever, with the “middle class tax cut” Trump promised in 2016 never showing up, only materializing for his rich donors. You’re presumably one of the 90% of Americans who don’t own stock – can you really say that his hyped “stock market gains” have done anything for you? One of the only ways the average American has felt the Trump economy is that they’ve quite plausibly lost their job, with unemployment levels even higher than the Great Depression. You’ve gotten no tax cut, felt no benefit of the “booming stock market”, and thanks to a pandemic the Trump Administration failed to take any control over, you’ve possibly lost your job.

Are you better off than you were four years ago?

Of course, we’ve mentioned the pandemic several times, so let’s look at that. Hundreds of thousands of families will be missing a loved one this Thanksgiving at the dinner table, and, of course, that’s assuming you can even have Thanksgiving at a dinner table, with thousands of people losing their homes due to financial instability brought on due to COVID. Hell, maybe you’ve been one of the 8,900,000 people in the US to come down with the disease – we’ve certainly had no shortage of them on campus. Maybe you’re one of the 55% of patients who have experienced permanent lung damage as a result of it, even from a mild case. Maybe

you had to go to the hospital for it – and you’re one of the millions that lost your insurance when the ACA’s individual mandate was repealed. There are people receiving hospital bills for more than $200,000 because they can’t afford insurance, people who have spent their life savings getting treatment for this disease. Are you better off than you were four years ago?

To the people who supported Trump four years ago – have you gotten what you wanted? The mythical “wall” hasn’t been built, he hasn’t created jobs, he hasn’t lowered taxes, he’s surrounded himself with the same people he’s decried as the “swamp” four years ago. Your taxes are going to foot bills at his hotel, to buy steak for campaign donors, to buy champagne for his family and friends. You’ve gotten nothing that you asked for. Are you better off than you were four years ago?

The average American has lost their jobs, their savings, and even their loved ones, and have gotten nothing to show for it. People are living in fear that they’ll lose more than that, too.

I’m one of them. I’ve lost legal protections under the Trump Administration, and there’s plenty more at stake than that, too – healthcare and rights galore, declared unconstitutional under the reign of Trump’s SCOTUS nominee, conservative ideologue, and judicial hack Amy Coney Barrett. But that’s just me personally.

And I’m sure there’s plenty like me, too.

This is a pivotal moment in history, and we are the generation that will soon inherit leadership of the world. To quote a Mr. Kaworu Nagisa: “You must seize the future. It is what you live for.”

I’ve written many articles since the start of this campaign season two years ago. And for my final words, I’d just like to ask once more – are you better off than you were four years ago?

B-2

The first of many

Rebekah Froehlich Rebekah is a freshman early childhood and education major. She is a Student Government Association freshman senator, a participant in the Professor Protege Program and members of the Honors College and Early Childhood Club.

Imagine you are in first grade and your teacher asks if you want to stay in for recess to watch the Presidential Inauguration and you say yes. You have no idea what is going on, but it seems important. Imagine you are in fifth grade and you ask your mom if you can stay up late to watch the Presidential Debate and she says yes. You are still confused, but you take notes.

They are incoherent, but you have got the spirit. Unaware of what a Democrat is and thinking Republican sounds like a last name, you root for Barack Obama, because he seems cool and your mom’s boyfriend doesn’t like him. Flash forward to ninth grade where you have to bring in a Trump sign for extra credit in American History and you don’t know why people laugh at you on the bus. You’re still confused. Now we’re here, and in the midst of a global pandemic, a civil rights resurgence, and your first year of college, you are eligible to vote in your first Presidential Election. There is no way you are not going to vote, and even though you’re still confused, you know exactly who to vote for.

The idea of participating in government has always been appealing to me. As a kid I was under the impression that

my voice really mattered, that I could do anything I set my mind to and make change by casting my ballot. Now, since learning about the electoral college, and just the general injustices of the whole voting process, I am less convinced, but more passionate than ever.

While my high school history classes always made it seem like voter suppression ended in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act, I have come to find that voter suppression is still alive and well.

While the system is and always has been broken, we cannot let that deter us, but use it as fuel for our fires. It is the job of the people to change what is worth changing. As a future teacher, I want my students to grow up in a world that is less racist, sexist, and ableist than ever. And while change always begins within, once we eliminate bad practices from ourselves, we must take it further. I would hate to have spent my life knowing that there was something I could have done to make this world a better place, but instead have done nothing.

This election is one of the most important elections in U.S. history thus far. On one hand we have a seasoned politician who pledges to work for all the American people, not just those who vote for him, and on the other hand we have a pedophelic, racist fascist. On both sides we have old, white men. While the election system is flawed and the government will be far from perfect no matter who wins, we have the chance to save our country from the deepest pits of hell. Pennsylvania is a battleground state, which means we have a little bit more to do with deciding this thing and I urge you to vote. If we ever want to fix a system that keeps those with disabilities or mental health issues, LGBTQ, homeless, and BIPOC down, we have to vote blue. We are the children of 9/11 and the stock market crash. We were forced to comprehend the atrocities of this world before we left kindergarten. More than five million people ages 18-29 have already voted in this election.

Even when the world tries to keep us down, even in the middle of a pandemic, we can, and we will make a difference.

The vilification of conservatism and the rise of tribal politics

Ethan Frantovich Ethan is a sophomore secondary social studies education major from Ocean View, Delaware.

He is the president of SRU College Republicans for the fall 2020 semester.

For the past several years, conservatives have felt silenced, some feel the need to hide their political views from their closest friends and family for fear of being ostracized. I fell in this silent group for the past few years, and in some respects, I still do; but why is this a trait that is seemingly deep-seated in the right and not the left?

There was once a time in our country that regardless of your political affiliation, your friends, your family, your employer, even your fellow students wouldn’t discount your beliefs and certainly wouldn’t disown you or “defriend” you because of it.

Today, that feels more like a dream. I still firmly believe this dream is possible, but recently this is being cast aside

in favor of toxic party politics and ferocity towards those who disagree with us. Neither Democrats nor Republicans are exempt from this behavior and I was recently even told to be “on guard and aware” of the SRU Young Progressives. I do not fear them. In fact, I’m as proud of them as I am of the SRU College Republicans for being politically active in our community. Heated political disagreements are now commonplace and even though we were brought up to respect one another’s personal opinions, why has it become the social norm to attack and vilify those who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum?

I have noticed that the term “Trump Supporter” almost always carries a negative connotation. Take a look at social media; it won’t take long to see a person post something even slightly political or worse yet, conservative, and be torn to shreds in the comment sections. Selfrighteous keyboard warriors doing their work to break this person down solely because they know that they will never see a consequence for their words. This toxic and malevolent behavior on social media is why people like me, a conservative, often hesitate or refuse to express our political views online in fear of retribution or our statements being taken out of context and broadcasted to the wider public. I even hesitated to accept the invitation to write this article out of fear that some radical raging online activist would see this opinion piece

and come after me or even more worrisome, those closest to me. In a time where many on the political left call this “The Trump Era”, the words Conservative, Libertarian, Republican, and Right Wing have all been umbrellaed under one ‘dirty’ term: Trump Supporter.

As someone who is a selfdescribed critic of President Trump, I have never been the biggest fan of his personality or his growing list of gaffes and false truths he has purported on national television. That being said, I’ll still be demonized for openly agreeing with his foreign policy decisions or for his policies that lead to one of the strongest pre-pandemic economies this country has ever seen. This reluctance to share political views is not unique to me.

The Cato Institute reported on July 22, 2020 that “62% of Americans have political views they’re afraid to share.”

This goes both ways, as the report also states that “50% of strong liberals support firing Trump donors, 36% of strong conservatives support firing Biden donors, and 32% are worried about missing out on job opportunities because of their political opinions.”

Ready for me to blow your mind?

In this same report there is a number that stands out above the others, one that reminds conservatives that we really are on the defensive: 77% of conservatives feel they have to self-censor. On the other side of the spectrum, we have just 42% of strong liberals who feel they have to self-censor.

Statistics are not just numbers; they are a useful tool we can use to analyze the world we live in. Why do more conservatives feel the need to self-censor?

What threat do they feel that liberals apparently do not?

"The tribalistic partisan politics of modern America are the grave threat. This poisonous rhetoric is practiced by both sides, and our democracy has been undoubtedly poisoned and taken for granted."

There is one specific case that sticks out in my mind and should serve as a reminder to

both sides about the dangers of runaway tribal politics. In 2019, Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas took to Twitter to post the names and employers of 44 Trump Campaign donors in San Antonio. Many argued that the donor list was already public information; so, did Rep. Castro really do anything wrong? Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana responded and explained the severity of Rep. Castro’s actions: “People should not be personally targeted for their political views. Period. This isn’t a game.

It’s dangerous, and lives are at stake. I know this firsthand.”

Rep. Scalise was shot during a Republican team practice prior to the Annual Congressional Baseball game in 2017 by an avid anti-Republican activist named James Hodgkinson.

Hodgkinson specifically targeted Scalise and several other GOP lawmakers at the practice.

While that may sound alarming, I’m not fond of saying Republicans or conservatives or liberals or Democrats are under some grave existential threat in America. Bipartisanship is the cooperation of two major political parties, in our case it’s Democrats and Republicans. The tribalistic partisan politics of modern America are the grave threat.

This poisonous rhetoric is practiced by both sides, and our democracy has been undoubtedly poisoned and taken for granted. I personally see it most virulently practiced by the younger, relatively more liberal generation in this country; again, that is

not to say it’s a purely leftwing phenomenon. Instead of constant demonization of the other side, we all could use some constructive, open minded conversation.

As this election approaches, I know there are many of us who will be disappointed.

There will be many who feel defeated. There will be many who feel they’ve been unheard and ignored. Regardless of the results on Election Day, there will still be an America to wake up to the next day. That alone is something we should be grateful for. If your respective candidate wins this year’s Presidential Election, then now is a time for humility.

Without humility there is only pride, and pride alone leads to arrogance.

To my fellow SRU Students, who inspire me to positively impact the community and to create a culture of constructive and civil political conversation; you will be the generation that leads our population one day. Don’t let our current heated political climate set the example, forge your own path. Change the narrative, take the reins, and create the discourse; one of humility, one of cooperation and one of civility and respect. Now is the chance to prove we’re more than our personal politics, more than our social media accounts or online avatarsnow is the chance to prove that we are all Americans where opposing views are welcomed, considered and even encouraged and celebrated.

After all, that is what this great country was founded on.

October 30, 2020

OPINION

B-3

Enough is enough: The case against President Donald Trump

Mara Schlosser Mara is a senior political science major from Pittsburgh. She is the vice president of SRU Young Progressives and a former commuter senator in SGA. Next Tuesday, we in Slippery Rock have a tremendous opportunity to rid ourselves of three selfserving and incompetent elected officials. Each of the incumbents up for re-election this year – President Donald Trump, U.S. Representative Mike Kelly and Pennsylvania Representative Aaron Bernstine – have utterly failed to serve their constituents and must be voted out of office.

The Republican Party has rapidly dissolved from a party that promotes conservative ideals into a cult of personality centered around the New York billionaire Donald Trump, using their political power only to promote his personal agenda and boost his unbelievably fragile ego.

This year, the Republican party literally has no policy platform; in its place, they published a short document

simply stating their goal to support President Trump no matter what he does. Even as Trump called COVID-19 a hoax and deliberately suppressed information about the severity of the coming pandemic, the cowards and sycophants of his party didn’t dare step an inch beyond the president’s message and discouraged mask use and social distancing as methods to slow the spread. Representative Bernstine even encouraged local officials to ignore Pennsylvania’s official coronavirus response guidelines as part of his party’s effort to halt any and all government attempts to contain the coronavirus.

During the presidency of Donald Trump, the United States has suffered. Even beyond his catastrophic COVID-19 response, the economic and moral failings of the administration are impossible to ignore. Along the southern border there are concentration camps where hundreds of children have been taken from their parents and imprisoned. The economy has undergone the biggest drop since the Great Depression. The United States has withdrawn from the international community and its diplomatic standing has plummeted. Millions of Americans remain jobless and receive no assistance from the federal government as they struggle to come up with money for food and housing.

Trump’s corruption goes beyond failure – he is a swindler, actively preying on American taxpayers to enrich himself at their expense. He is the only president in our history who has not sold off his business holdings when

"American politics are messy - if you hold public office, you have to be able to take the heat. President Trump has shown that he is unable to handle criticism like an adult, instead lashing out and blaming Democrats or the media for his own failures.... Anything even slightly critical of him is automatically 'fake news' to President Trump, and he denies even the possibility that he could lose the election even though public opinion has turned strongly against him." he assumed office. During his presidency, the federal government has spent an inordinate amount of money at Trump properties – from room fees for secret service agents at Trump hotels to the countless rounds of golf he plays instead of working, money has been constantly been funneling from taxpayers to his own pockets. He has even kept his assets overseas, creating an abhorrent conflict of interest.

When he allowed the Turkish military to begin bombing our loyal Kurdish allies, he was still profiting off of the Trump Towers in Istanbul.

Our standing in the eyes of the world has fallen dramatically under President Trump. He has antagonized allies and other democratically elected world leaders while kowtowing to dictators, showing a clear preference and admiration for such despots as Kim Jong-Un of North Korea, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China. As the world is beginning to see the dramatic effects of climate change, he has continued to deny its existence and refuses to cooperate with other countries to curtail

carbon emissions. To avert a climate disaster, it is essential to build trust with our allies and seek solutions to the collective problem of climate change. Under President Trump, it will be impossible to do so.

American politics are messy – if you hold public office, you have to be able to take the heat. President Trump has shown that he is unable to handle criticism like an adult, instead lashing out and blaming Democrats or the media for his own failures. When asked about the thousands of Americans who died while he downplayed the coronavirus outbreak, he went so far as to say, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”

He constantly complains that the media treats him unfairly, though most media coverage treats him very delicately so as to not upset him or his supporters.

He decries “cancel culture” while ruthlessly attacking anyone in his own party who says anything to contradict him. Instead of carrying out his duties as president, he spends most of his time on Twitter or watching cable news to make sure that everyone is talking about him in just the way he wants. Anything even slightly critical of him is automatically “fake news” to President Trump, and he denies even the possibility that he could lose the election even though public opinion has turned strongly against him.

To end the demagoguery and corruption of the Trump administration, it is essential to elect Joe Biden to the presidency.

Biden is far from perfect, but he is able to admit his

mistakes and learn from them. He strives to be honest with the American people and weathers criticism with dignity and patience. He won’t spend his entire tenure in office tweeting about TV ratings; instead, he will be pursuing a thorough policy agenda meant to help Americans who are suffering the most. He will strive to unite us instead of amplifying the deep cultural wounds that tear us apart. He will bring dignity and respectability back to the office of the presidency and the United States of America.

Have you had enough of the lies, bluster and corruption from the Trump administration?

Make yourself heard on Nov. 3.

For links to the sources used in this edition's opinion pieces, go to theonline rocket.com.

S

View The Rocket sports section online At theonlinerocket.com

SPORTS

Rock football stands together How SRU has become a family through honest conversations

By Karl Ludwig Sports Editor

The role of an athlete — especially in today's society — is much maligned. Sports are often used as a distraction from everyday life, fans getting lost in hours of watching a player who can run faster and jump higher than themselves.

Jermaine Wynn, Jr. isn't just someone who runs fast. He's a football player with a voice, and it's his moral obligation to have a voice in his community on issues that are important to him.

"It's a bunch of guys coming from different places, raised on different beliefs, we're all able to come together in the locker room and be one."

– Jermaine Wynn, Jr., SRU senior wide receiver

Living in a predominantly white town, the Slippery Rock football team is one of the most diverse groups on campus and in the community.

Guys come from all different walks of life, forming a team of almost 100 men. And the team is unbreakable, Wynn said, with guys coming together in the locker room and sharing common views.

"Being in a college football locker room over the past four and a half years, I've seen a testament to that," Wynn said.

"It's a bunch of guys coming from different places, raised on different beliefs, we're all able to come together in the locker room and be one."

When the George Floyd shooting occurred in late May, Rock football posted a video on Twitter with coaches and players speaking on how important it is to fight racism, police brutality and racial injustice in America. For Wynn, it meant the world to have the team come together and support one another as a family.

"It means a lot, especially with everything else going on with racial problems and social injustice, it means a lot to know that I have brothers who don't share the same skin color as me, but they still have strong feelings about or support the stuff that I believe in," Wynn said.

Lutz said the team has and will continue to have those tough discussions as a team.

"In our program, it doesn't matter what the color of your skin is -- black, purple, white, gold -- it doesn't matter," Lutz said. "We're all as one."

In a football locker room, where teammates have spent years pouring their blood, sweat and tears into the program, you form bonds with those guys you go to war with every day. Guys you might never have expected had it not been for football.

"I think it's important for football players -- or anyone -- to be able to be in that environment where people are different around you," Wynn said. "So you're able to develop your own thoughts and judgments on people, not just based on their skin color or what they believe in."

Lutz takes his job as the head coach of such a group of young men seriously. He believes it is his job to be a leader and a positive role model, and in things that aren't political, religious or any of that sort, he'll use his platform to share what he believes is right.

He will not just sit back idly.

LeBron James is someone that Lutz looks up to, one of his favorite basketball players of all time because while he's a great basketball player, he also uses his platform to stand up for what he believes in and take action.

Wynn is a huge fan of James, too, and like his idol, he doesn't believe that athletes should just play their sport and not have a voice.

"My goal as a person, other than football, is that I want to make sure that as I go through my life, I want to teach the opposite of ignorance," Wynn said. "I want people to not judge based on skin color or anything."

Sports are a huge part of American culture, but once off the field, the court, the park, their lives matter more than just how far they can throw a football or how many 3-pointers they can make per game.

"As an athlete, for most athletes, we want to be recognized as something more than just a sports player," Wynn said. "We

KEEGAN BEARD / THE ROCKET

Senior wide recevier Jermaine Wynn, Jr. takes a knee before the PSAC title game against Kutztown last season. Wynn uses his platform as a student-athlete to speak on issues he cares about.

want to be more than that. If someone doesn't feel comfortable with me voicing my opinion on social issues or racial issues, then why do you root for me on the field?"

Wynn will use whatever platform he has, whether

it's as a professional athlete or his career after football, to spread the message of equality and justice for all.

No matter who you are.

And his family is with him.

"Just like in between the lines, our words mean nothing without actions,"

Junior wide receiver Victor Talley said in the Twitter video. "So we are committed to doing our part to stomp out racism and discrimination."

Rock football is a family and this family will not stand idly by on issues it believes in.

GRAPHIC BY: HANNAH SLOPE

PSAC mandates a day off for elections The conference will have a yearly day off to ensure students and staff can vote

By Brendan Howe Asst. Sports Editor

Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Board of Directors ratified a proposal to give its member institutions’ student-athletes, coaches and athletics staff a mandatory day off on each year’s General Election Date.

The custom will go into instant effect for this year’s election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Last spring, said League Commissioner Steve Murray,

each national governance staff of the NCAA’s three divisions endorsed the required day off as a way to promote citizenship and involvement in our country’s elections.

“We talked about it with our […] athletic administrators and then made the recommendation to the presidents that, from now on, the general election day—the Tuesday after the first Monday in November—we would have no accountable athletic-related activities in the conference going forward,” Murray said.

The off-day is not limited to the presidential election, Murray clarifies, but also for county elections.

“I think it’s also important for everyone to know that they are effective,” he said. “And that’s why I think, to me, it’s not just the presidential election. It’s also the people that are mayors of their towns. Or their county executives. Or the prothonotary office. And the county commissioners. Those kinds of offices, as well. It was important for me to not just distinguish presidential, because I don’t think

it’s just merely a presidential nor a political statement […] This is a foundational instrument for our country.”

Being that the practice will be annual, Murray is curious how coaches will deal with the complication of adjusting their schedules in the future. Though he acknowledges the fact that not every single athlete will use the day to go visit the polls, Murray wants to show support the voting process.

“I think it’s important that we show, as part of an educational foundation,

that citizenship is the most important thing that [our athletes] can participate in and learn more about,” Murray said.

Murray also stressed that voting should be encouraged at a grassroots level.

“If we can encourage it among the 8,000 or so student-athletes in our league, that’s maybe 8,000 more people that will have the opportunity to vote,” Murray said. “And then you keep multiplying that and

it’s more of an increase of the participation process.”

Finally, Murray made sure to remind the league’s studentathletes that the situation surrounding COVID-19 is only temporary.

“It seems like it’s a lifetime for them, but it really is only a moment in time,” Murray said. “The most important thing that they’re ever going to have in college is not their wins and losses, but their relationships that they have with their teammates.”

SPORTS

C-2

October 30, 2020

SRU's man of two sports Eakin's experience as a football player and thrower

By Tyler Howe Senior Rocket Contributor

As time has progressed and people have started to fully understand the toll that sports take on our bodies, it’s become odd to see an athlete compete in more than one sport. It’s even more rare to see an athlete compete at a high level in those sports. However, that’s exactly what John Eakin does at Slippery Rock for the football and track teams.

“It’s really nice [playing on two teams that compete at a high level], and in high school I was able to do the same thing, but it’s a blessing being able to come to college and be on two teams that are so good,” Eakin said.

Eakin, who’s 6’4” and weighs 250 pounds, is a tight end for the Rock football team and was a part of a historic offense that led The Rock not only to a PSAC championship, but to the National Semi-finals. Eakin played with the 2019 Harlon Hill winner, Roland Rivers, last season and he hauled in only three passes for 12 yards, but he appeared in every game and started two games.

“It was crazy just being on a team that was able to not only win the conference, but come so close to the National championship,” Eakin said. “I believe that when we get back out there, that we have a really good chance to win it all.”

It’s not a shock that Eakin only touched the ball a few times, as The Rock also featured Jermaine Wynn Jr.

and Henry Litwin who each had over 1,000 yards receiving and 36 combined receiving touchdowns. But in high school, Eakin was a terror on both sides of the ball for opponents. At Bradford High School, his senior year Eakin ran for over 1,500 yards and 23 touchdowns, while also making 80 plus tackles and intercepting three balls. Eakin decided to come to Slippery Rock over multiple Division I offers, so that alone speaks volumes about the type of player that Eakin is. “ When football got canceled it was heartbreaking, because we didn’t agree with the situation and obviously DI schools are playing, but we’re staying positive and it gives us more time to grind and protect our craft, and we can’t wait to get back out there and play,” Eakin said.

While Eakin is part of a team that nearly made it all the way to the National Title, he also is part of the Track team at Slippery Rock. Eakin is not only on the team but excels at throwing for the team. He ranks among the top of the PSAC in throwing and has qualified for the PSAC championship all three times he’s been able to compete.

Each time he was able to place in the top five at the event.

“When I found out track was canceled, I was pretty disappointed because I was working and I really felt that there was a good chance that I could make nationals, so it was really tough but I’m excited to

make a big comeback,” Eakin said.

In high school, Eakin not only tore up opponents on the football field but he was also a state champion in shot put. Since then, every season Eakin has set a new personal record in his shot put distances. Eakin was also named a USTFCCCA AllRegion honoree for the Indoor season of 2019-2020.

While Eakin plays both sports, he focuses on football the most and sees it as his first sport. During the track season, Eakin will attend all the football workouts and events and still compete for The Rock in track. And it’s uncommon to see someone compete at the highest level in a sport that isn’t even their main sport, but that’s exactly what Eakin does.

Eakin didn’t know if he was going to do both sports when he came to Slippery Rock and that’s something that he went to his father about and his dad told him to “do what makes you happy” and it seems that Eakin has made the right choice so far as he not only has a PSAC championship ring, but has placed at PSAC Championship meets multiple times.

“Growing up [my dad] was my role model, he’s taught me everything I know and he taught me what it takes to be a man and be the best you can be, he’s the one who really pushed me through high school to go to liftings and do everything I did,” Eakin said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEEGAN BEARD

Managing compliance during a pandemic How SRU's compliance officer has handled the time away

By Madison Williams Junior Rocket Contributor

Andrea Grady, the senior woman administrator and assistant athletic director of compliance at Slippery Rock University, has continued to monitor the changes of the NCAA and the future of athletics at Th e Rock amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not much has changed within her position, as much of what she does is able to be easily accessed virtually, Grady said.

In 2019, SRU installed a compliance monitor system to assist coaches in their communication with student athletes and administrators.

This software purchase allows student athletes to complete forms and return them online as a preventative measure during the pandemic. It also ensures that recruits can maintain contact with coaches, have meetings via Zoom, and virtually tour campus. Some recruits have been lucky enough to visit campus, in small groups of six or less with masks and other precautions, to still gain the SRU experience prior to committing. All of this has kept Grady busy just like any other year.

Just over a month ago, Grady returned to work after being on maternity leave. In her free time away from work and her family, Grady has been staying active, checking in on sports

statuses, and occasionally binge-watching Netflix.

She is still hopeful for a spring semester with sports and continues to remain optimistic about the future of the 17 sports teams here at SRU. The monitoring of sports and NCAA rules and regulations are regularly being updated and checked on by Grady. The outlook for sports is always subject to change with COVID-19, however, Grady said, “we monitor everything as if sports are going to happen in the spring.” There is still a lot of talk within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and meetings are held with the conference office regularly as everyone is continuing to remain hopeful following the possible resurgence this upcoming winter.

With the possibility of sports in the spring, eligibility remains highly important. An extra year of eligibility has been added for all current student athletes, however, they must remain in good standing and pass at least 9 credit hours. The ultimate goal of all student athletes is not just to play their sport, but to ultimately get their degree, said Grady.

As for Grady’s husband, Ian Grady, SRU men’s basketball coach, she says they are continuing with voluntary practices and keeping themselves eligible academically. If an individual does not feel comfortable with practicing, they will not be

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA GRADY

Andrea and Ian Grady hold their newborn son, Jinnix, in a recent family photo. Andrea is the assistant director of compliance and senior woman administrator at SRU while Ian is the head men's basketball coach at SRU.

penalized, however, practice must go on if there is a possibility for playing time in the spring.

Also changing prior to the spring semester is the

position of athletic director as Paul Lueken announced his retirement this coming winter. Grady said, “I’m not sure what the future holds, but I would absolutely love

to be the director of athletics at Slippery Rock at some point in time.” The position has been filled temporarily

by Joanne Leight, the chair of the physical and health

education department and the SRU faculty athletic rep, who will serve as the interim athletic director next semester until the role is permanently filled.

SPORTS How David became Goliath

October 30, 2020

C-3

Litwin has overcome the odds to acheive greatness

By Karl Ludwig Sports Editor

The only light now came from streetlights, the empty parking lot illuminated in a dim glow. It may be the middle of July, but the sun set hours ago. The hot, humid Pennsylvania air is sticky, and the sounds of wildlife -bugs, mainly -- are all around. A football hurtles through the air, getting lost in the inky black sky before careening back toward the blacktop. Henry Litwin's hands snap out, snatching the ball out of the air before it flies off into the night. g It feels like the days y of old, when everyy dayy was much simpler. p When days y revolved around playing p y g football all night, g onlyy the headlights g of a ggenerous parent's SUV allowing for the p fun to continue.

This felt different. This felt like it was yyears in the making.

But that's just because it was. *** Litwin, a senior wide receiver on the Slippery pp y Rock Universityy football team, has always y craved the best. The best team, the best competition p and the best version of himself. It takes a strongg belief in one's self to activelyy p pursue beingg the best, and it takes a great g deal more when you're y doubted everyy step p of the way. y Litwin has been the David to someone else's Goliath too many times now.

In youth y football, Litwin, who was born in the summer, was one of the older boys y on his team everyy yyear. It helped p him ggrow up p a bit qquicker, but maybe y not quite q as much as havingg an older brother on the high g school football team did. If his brother and his friends were playing, p y g Henryy had to be there. If Henryy was allowed at p practice, there was nowhere else he'd rather be.

When it came time for Litwin to finallyy p playy high g school ball, it came with a unique q situation.

"Myy freshman yyear of high g school was the first yyear that Conneaut [Area] was an actual school," Litwin said. "We combined three towns together, g Linesville, Conneautville and Conneaut Lake, to make CASH (Conneaut Area Senior High g School) and that was the first class."

Growingg up p in different towns and p playing y g on different teams, the boys y were all rivals.

Theyy didn't reallyy gget along, g and it was hectic at first. Locals weren't qquite sure whether the boys y would actuallyy be able to playy together -- let alone play p well.

Year 1 went about as well as could be expected, p CASH finishingg above .500 with a 6-5 record. However, Litwin, sidelined byy a torn hamstring, g was barelyy able to stand, let alone find the field.

Year 2 saw CASH improve p to 7-4, but Litwin was barelyy treadingg water now after a second hamstringg tear. Year 3 was finally Litwin's time to shine.

With Litwin finally able to stay on the field, perhaps uncoincidentally, CASH ground out a 10-1 season before setting up a meeting with Erie Cathedral Prep in the first round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association AAA playoffs. It just so happened to be for the District 10 AAA title, too.

"We were playing Cathedral Prep up in Erie -- they're like the powerhouse pretty much -- and we were just this school that came out three years ago," Litwin said.

Playing y g at Sox Harrison Stadium in Edinboro in a snow squall, q it was once again David vs. Goliath.

In the third yyear of its existence, Litwin and CASH were a rag-tag g g ggroup p of boys y no one expected p to win while Cathedral Prep had made the District 10 AAA title game every year since

like, 'OK, this is what it is now.

We're a family, a brotherhood.'

That was my biggest moment in high school."

Year 4 was bittersweet.

CASH rolled into a rematch with Cathedral Prep unbeaten, and Litwin set the District 10 record for receiving yards (1,356) and touchdowns (20) in a single season. However, Cathedral Prep won round two in Edinboro.

For a small-town guy in the middle of nowhere, too far from Erie and way too far from Pittsburgh, g Litwin knew it wouldn't be an easyy recruitingg process. He thought p g leadingg the state in yyards and touchdowns might g help. p It didn't. Even Slippery pp y Rock wasn't totally sold p on him.

"I ggot some visits and ggot to talk to some bigger gg schools, but Slippery pp y Rock reallyy didn't... want me, I guess g you y could say," Litwin said. "Like theyy wanted me, but theyy weren't ggoing to offer me anything." y g When it came time to pp y p visit Slippery Rock, a story that

Litwin isn't totally sure SRU football

1997 7, 1997, winning 12 games.

A defensive battle in the swirlingg snow came down to one last drive, with CASH and Cathedral locked at 7-7. With jjust 12 seconds in the game, g CASH had driven to the 9-yard y line and was set up with a 2nd-and-6.

Litwin was lined up p outside, staringg down the cornerback and slipped pp around the defender, streakingg to the back of the endzone when CASH qquarterback Hunter Merritt lofted a ball high g into the air toward him. A nine-yard y reception p gave g CASH a 14-7 lead, Litwin the ggame-winningg catch and clinched the first District title in CASH history. y It was a win bigger than Litwin, Merritt or even just CASH football.

"We had everyy surroundingg high g school ggoingg to that ggame, and when we beat Cathedral Prep, p that reallyy brought g the communities together," g Litwin said. "That was when we were

coach Shawn Lutz will like to re-hear, Litwin had a workout with a few other wide yp y Litwin said, receivers. Typically, recruits would talk to Lutz after the workout and if it went well, y get g an offer. they'd "So, I went in there, and he's like, 'Man, we like yyou a lot. y led the state, but we Unreal, you don't have anyy moneyy to ggive y to come to Slippery pp y Rock. you y man, maybe y there's I'm sorry, p So, I'm like, a walk-on spot.' y I wasn't fullyy invested in 'okay.' pp y Rock yyet either, I had Slippery p a lot of aspirations.

But as I'm walkingg out, another receiver went in after me, and I was standingg there talkingg to myy p p y parents and the other players.

The other receiver comes out gg g his parents, p and he's hugging and he's like, 'Heyy man, theyyjjustput just p put p I understand me on scholarship!' p the processes coaches have to ggo g and everything y g but I through g was like, 'wow, all right.'" y Litwin At home later that day, gg g with the toughest g was struggling decision of his life. He had offers, y full rides, to other Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference p g g programs, but he couldn't get SRU out of his head. Those

other schools gave Litwin a few days to mull things over before he was forced to make a decision: walk-on at SRU or accept a fullride scholarship somewhere else.

He felt sick to his stomach.

"Having to tell my parents that I wanted to go to Slippery Rock and not get any money or any scholarship or anything... that was hard," Litwin said. "I was like, 'This is where I want to go. I love the major, I love the team, I love the school itself.'

And they said we'll do whatever you want to do, and we'll back p you up.

"I called coach Lutz, and I g and met him the next morning, y give g me a roster said, 'If you p and a chance to earn a spot, p I'll come play p y for scholarship, y you,'" Litwin said. "And he said, y 'deal.' Now it's all history." g was a Safetyy Management g factor, the school itself was huge another, but it was the talent that trulyy enticed Litwin to come j on the other to SRU. Not just p y against g schools that he'd play g y who he'd p but the guys playy with. g y he'd learn from.

The guys y y has aspirations p "Everybody g Division I out of high g to go school, and I had small Division I schools talk to me and show interest, but somethingg about pp y Rock -- and if you y Slippery don't know the PSAC, it's full p y -- it's either of Division I players p y who transferred down or players p y who should've gotten g players a shot but never did," Litwin said. p Litwin wanted to ggo up g against the best and beat the best. g him that opportunity, pp y SRU gave even if he had to turn down thousands of dollars to gget there.

A walk-on wide receiver from rural Pennsylvania going up against Division I talent everyy day.

He loved it.

From Dayy p 1 Litwin was matched up with guys g y like Titus Howard, a former Pitt cornerback with Division I experience, p and Kyle y Hall in p practice. It was a real challenge g right g off the bat, but he never felt like he didn't belong. g No one was that much better than him.

He was learningg everyy day, y ggrowingg everyy day. y If he ggot beat, he'd ask himself so manyy qquestions. OK K .. what can I do?

OK...

How can I get better? What did theyy do??

Litwin spent his freshman season actingg as a sponge, p g soakingg up p everything y g that could possiblyy make him not just p j a better wide receiver but a better football player. p y And Lutz and the coachingg staff took notice. In the summer after his freshman season, he was finally rewarded with a scholarship. p "When coach Lutz told me he was going g g to put p me on scholarship... p that was tough," g Litwin said. "It brought g a tear to myy eye. y I remember myy dad started crying, y g myy mom started crying, y g and I was like, 'Oh, gosh.' g How longg that p process was and being doubted, not being sure of

anything really, and then finally everything paying off. That was a big moment for me and my family."

Don't look now, but David was slowly turning into Goliath.

But a Goliath who would never forget how those days of being doubted, being underestimated, felt.

"It's pretty special. I hope other walk-ons and somebody who's coming out of high school or people who plan on trying out for the team, I hope I can be that hope," Litwin said. "Show that theyy can have success because it's p y when definitelyy hard. Especially y y who you're around other p players p You kind of are on scholarship. g down on yourself... y p p get people don't even think about the stress y it has on the family."

Lutz and the staff didn't have g Litwin a scholarship, p to give theyy didn't even have to take g a chance on him out of high y a school, Litwin said, but it says g y theyy lot about the kind of guys are. Litwin couldn't be more grateful for them. p y in As a special teams p player p season, Litwin his sophomore p y in everyy game g but didn't played p see the field on offense. He kept g kept pp learning, perfectingg his craft and trustingg in himself. That trust p paid off on the field to the tune of 51 catches for 841 y and eight g touchdowns. yards In the classroom, Litwin earned p PSAC Football Champion Scholar and PSAC ScholarAthlete distinctions alongg with beingg named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. g and Excellence on the gridiron perfection in the classroom.

However, almost mirroringg his senior season at CASH, a bitter loss to Notre Dame g (Oh.) College left the season feeling like a Bu t failure. there was a b zz bu buzz i n th he air, the t e SRU th S U SR the o fsea of e son offseason f e l t different.

Henryy Litwin fifnallyy arrived. h a d finally The 2019 season for SRU g It was football was manyy things. g historic, it was record-breaking, it was fun. It was much needed -- for Litwin and for the SRU y community.

An undefeated season with a frenetic win over archrival Indiana Universityy (Pa.) on pp off with p Homecomingg capped the first PSAC title since 2015 in a come-from-behind win over Kutztown. Round two g was against Notre Dame in the q national quarterfinals.

And this time, Litwin wasn't going to lose. g p in Against Cathedral Prep g nine p 2015, Litwin caught passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. g Against Notre Dame in 2019, g 12 passes p Litwin caught for 203 y yards and three touchdowns.

And SRU walked awayy with a 65-59 win. It felt like a movie, g one with half an hour still to go.

In another snowstorm, SRU hosted Minnesota StateMankato for the chance to move on to the NCAA Division II C.

It was Cathedral Prep in 2014 all over again, except... only for Litwin. With 11 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns, he clinched the best season for a wide receiver in SRU history.

Slippery Rock suffered its first loss of the season, a 58-15 loss in the swirling snow. And the magical season came to an end with Litwin and fellow star wide receiver Jermaine Wynn, Jr. walking off the field together, Wynn's arm draped around Litwin's shoulder. "Just keep going," he said, "we got this." pandem p The coronavirus pandemic p those plans p on hold, bbut has put y the inevitable. inevitable it's onlyy delayed tim Litwin has used this time g better, bett awayy from football to get doublingg down on schoolwo schoolwork while usingg the extra time to g to see his friends and family fam get p more than ever over the past y t 15 years of his life. In the eith football season, Litwin is either p Mihal at his apartment or at Mihalikp Stadium; he's either eith Thompson watchi doingg homework or watching game film.

It's weird for Litwin to be g g now. no a "regular" student right y nonno He's heard how "easy" athletes have it but that's n not b a the case. The free time can be be blessingg and a curse, and it's been p coach important for the SRU coaches togeth g and teammates to stayy together, tim to stayy focused, to use this time to their benefit.

"I haven't had free time --- I p y g football in 3rd 3 started playing g t grade," Litwin said. "And this whole time, I've had like a set y have to do th schedule; you this, and train and all that. Now it's y like, 'OK, you're not allowed on somethi the field.' Which is something y you'd never thought you you'd hear."

Usingg the time off to h his g has been a keyy for f advantage y he'd rather be Litwin. Obviously, p y g football right g now, but b playing opportun he's not letting this opportunity y get by. worko "I've been able to workout with our track coach coach," Litwin said. "Coach Lu Lutz p for us, and I can't can set that up p enough. enougg thank coach [Papa] p me a ton. Right Rigg He's helped o now, we're workingg on our ju starts and 40s and stuff, just g our runningg motion motio to get g anyy edge ed down. Just to get that we can, to get bett better y some way." final When SRU is finally tim back on the field, the time, p effort and dedication put j seaso into this disjointed offseason p pp Litw will be apparent.

Litwin p p the t promises that. Despite winn loss of Harlon Hill winner Litw Roland Rivers III, Litwin y headline a fu and Wynn full p returningg all receivingg corps seaso its members. Football season enough g cannot come soon enough. p on my m "I have a chip shoulder," Litwin said. "I know what it's like ggoi going p whe into an atmosphere where y g you're against the odds; I hi felt that wayy even in high wron school... Prove 'em wrong. g g to do just j about abo I'm going y g I can, anything anythi anything possible, to make it."

You can doubt Litwin all y want. But if you y do, d you make sure you're ready to be proven wrong.

KEEGAN BEARD / THE ROCKET

Senior wide receiver Henry Litwin makes a contested catch against Indiana University (Pa.) on Homecoming last season. Litwin caught 103 passes for 1,509 yards and 21 touchdowns last season to complete the best season by a Rock wide receiver in program history.

October 30, 2020

Giving Day An update on fundraising

By Tyler Howe Senior Rocket Contributor

On Oct. 9, Slippery Rock had the first Athletic Giving Day, where people donated over $90,000 across all athletic programs. Of all the teams, The Rock Baseball team raised the most and beat their target of $25,000 by totaling $31,310.

“The Giving Day was extremely successful and to raise over $90,000 in just one day for our programs was just tremendous and we can’t thank the folks that contributed to it enough, and that money is really important because we’re really limited in the fundraising that we can do right now due to COVID-19 guidelines, so the money was vital to keep us going,” Slippery Rock Athletic Director Paul Lueken said.

Every athletic program took part in the Giving Day and the money raised will help to replace some of the money that the teams have lost without their seasons and the money also helps with scholarships. Of 13 goals, six of those goals were reached including the Rock Athletic Scholarship fund which had a goal of $5,000 and raised $5,900 in total. “ [ Ta k i n g ov e r t h e social media] was really nerve-wracking at first, but I kind of just started having fun with it and I got teammates involved, and I felt happy to do it,” sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Barnhill said.

The event was advertised by social media mostly and among those who did things on social media were the women’s soccer team. The team posted about the giving day and tried to get it out there as much as they could. For one of the days, Barnhill was given control over the Instagram page and was able to post about the giving day

with teammates. The team received not only monetary donations but also received gifts from the 2015-2020 alumni including cookies with the women’s soccer logo on it and mugs.

“I think that we have such an incredible group of alumni and we have a really long-standing tradition that came from Noreen’s era to mine, so some girls that I didn’t even coach were in on that gift,” Coach Jessica Giegucz said. “They wanted to give the girls a spark and it was just really wonderful and needed, and they came through at the right time.”

Th e money from the donations will help expenses for the teams, but it will also be used for trips or events in the future. The money made up for all the fundraisers that the teams have missed out on due to COVID-19 and that money from fundraisers is crucial to the teams for things such as team bonding activities.

“I was very pleasantly surprised with how the Giving Day went, because I was so unsure how it would go because we just had a really successful giving day earlier in the year, but I trusted the people in charge and they let us know that people right now are maybe more willing to give because they know they can make an impact,” said Coach Giegucz.

Overall there were 456 donations made to the Athletic Giving Day and every donation was extremely important to these teams. The donations that were made will help to balance out what might have been lost during this pandemic and help the teams prepare for their seasons, should they be able to happen.

SPORTS

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Women's soccer's culture A strongly built bond has kept the team together

By Tyler Howe Senior Rocket Contributor

Last fall, the Slippery Rock women’s soccer team overcame every obstacle that was thrown at them, from losing the first game of the season to coming back from a 2-0 deficit against Edinboro in the final minutes of the game on Senior Day. But fast forward one year, and there is an obstacle that cannot be overcome by just the team alone and that obstacle is, of course, the one that canceled the season: COVID-19. Although COVID-19 has kept the team from being together on the field, it has not stopped the team from finding ways to remain close in a time where students cannot even be in the classroom.

“I think our team culture had a strong foundation before COVID hit, and that's really helped them stay together and I think they had to do some things alone when they couldn’t be together, but now a majority of them are back in Slippery Rock and they find ways to stay connected. I really attest that to the strong culture they had before COVID though,” Head Coach Jessica Giegucz said.

All of the success that the team had last season can one way or another be contributed to the strong culture that the team has. That culture was really changed after their visit to Costa Rica where the team was able to get a perspective on their lives that they have never had before, and after the team came back, they came back with a new appreciation. “[COVID will make the culture] different, but different isn’t bad. The culture they had was already strong. I think the culture has helped them learn about each other in different ways and they’ve been able to have conversations that don’t revolve around or begin with soccer, so I think it’s helped them get to know each other a lot better,” Giegucz said.

A good example of the strong culture being present is the win streaks and success each player had last season. At this time last season, the team was six games through their season and was on a five-game winning streak.

KEEGAN BEARD / THE ROCKET

Members of the Slippery Rock women's soccer team celebrate a goal during a game against Malone University last season. SRU returns almost all of last year's deep PSAC title winning squad.

That had a lot to do with the strong core that the team had that had many players returning for this season. Among that core are Rachel Edge, Jordyn Minda, and Kayla Swope who turned out to be a dominant trio last year, combining for 85 points and 10 game-winning goals.

However, it may be quite some time until those players are able to be back on the field together. And while this is a very odd time, Giegucz has tried to help her players find some light in this situation and reminded her players that they do not need to put too much pressure on themselves.

“This might be the only time in their collegiate career

that they can just go out to a field and just mess around. I have to remind them that the players they were last fall and that their expectations for the players they’re going to become in spring are going to be very different,” Giegucz said.

As for the plans for a spring season, there are plans that are in the works for there to be some form of a season should the climate permit it. If there is a season, it will most likely consist of a conference-only schedule of eight games and a PSAC championship would also take place. The season was originally shortened to 14 games and then the PSAC tournament, and that

season would have started on Sept.16, but there is no set date for the start of the spring season if the spring season can take place at all.

“I’m excited to just see the girls and see them interact, and I want to make sure that they have some fun and I really want to take the pressure off of them and make sure that after all this time they just have some fun,” Giegucz said. “I’m always excited to see what the new dynamic is after we have the freshman come in, so if we are able to play in the Spring, I can’t wait to see the new dynamic and I want to see the girls play without pressure.”

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STORY: Body Positivity Week Empowers Students

GRAPHIC BY: KEEGAN BEARD

At theonlinerocket.com

CAMPUS LIFE

Responding to community needs

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF HANNAH SHUMSKY

Treble NLS speaks about his experience as an activist and protester within the Black Lives Matter movement. Treble NLS, along with fellow Pittsburgh based artist Brittney Chantele, were two of the panelsists at Tuesday night's panel hosted by the Gender Studies program and club.

By Hannah Shumsky Editor-in-Chief

As part of an event to address Black Lives Matter, police reform and improving community care or alternative crisis response methods, the gender studies program and Gender Studies Club hosted "Defund the Police? Creating Community, Communication and Care," a Zoom panel with approximately 90 participants on Tuesday night.

As the third part of the "Deconstructing Capitalism" panel series, the two organizations brought together four panelists from across the country to discuss police funding and reallocation, a conversation brought to light after the killing of George Floyd by police in May. The four panelists include Brittney Chantele and Treble NLS (which stands for "Never Lose Sight) who are both activists and musical artists from the Pittsburgh area.

Chantele is a military veteran

who at one time wanted to be a police officer, but declined her acceptance to the Pennsylvania State Trooper Academy after Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, was shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Michigan in August 2014.

Robert Harris represented the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), an organization he has previously served for 20 years. He currently serves on the board of directors and has lobbied and advocated for police funding and the police profession.

Lieutenant Craig Lally from the LAPD was also invited as a panelist, but stepped away from his computer camera after his introduction.

Tim Black works at Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) in Eugene, Oregon. CAHOOTS was launched in 1989 as a "community policing initiative" and uses two-person teams consisting of a crisis worker with mental health field experience and a medic, such as a nurse or EMT. These teams are trained to respond to

mental health crises, including conflict resolution, substance abuse and suicide threats.

According to the CAHOOTS website, none of the staff are law enforcement officers and do not carry weapons.

Cindy LaCom, director of the gender studies program, moderated the panel.

Treble NLS stated that he has two goals as both an activist and protester: to make sure everyone is seen as a human being and treated as such and to make sure funds are reallocated to organizations or communitybased organizations "I can't speak for all protesters, but me as a protestor, when I hit the streets, I'm hitting the streets because I've seen how many people were not treated like human beings," Treble NLS said. "I'm seeing a lot of people who were in situations that could have been de-escalated and could have had a better turnout than they did."

Harris, as a member of the LAPD, is against defunding the police, especially as there are more expectations for performance from the police.

"Where I think that we might split a little bit on this is anytime you're asking somebody to perform at a high level, or if your expectations of performance are increasing, you don't take funds and resources from them," Harris said.

Harris also said that regaining the public's trust of police and ensuring encounters between the public and police are grounded in mutual respect should be the end goal for a path forward.

In 2019, Harris said the LAPD had 1.6 million public interactions, which include a call for service, a mental health crisis and officer-initiated contact. Of these interactions, the LAPD used force "in a serious nature" 53 times, Harris said.

"I think that speaks to the quality of training that our officers get as well as the

stringent, strong policies that we put in place and trying to address implicit bias, really highlighting de-escalation and things like that," Harris said.

"I think we can be a model as we move forward for the rest of the country, and I just wanted the opportunity to share what we've done well here in L.A." Although CAHOOTS is located over 2,500 miles from Slippery Rock, Black said his involvement in the panel was to show that mental health and housing poverty are systemic issues and that smaller communities can learn from actions taken in other communities.

"I think that is it important for us to learn from other communities about what approaches are being taken, what's working and what isn't," Black said. "What I would like to see out of a further conversation is more inclusion of the local voices."

Chantele concluded that some Black Lives Matter protestors have an unrealistic expectation that the police will be abolished.

"We need to find ways to understand each other because there were things said on this call where you can, I don't know if other people picked up on it, but there is just a severe misunderstanding, and I think a lot of it comes from a lack of experience within other people's situations or how they grew up," Chantele said. "We cannot move forward and get on the same playing field until we take the time to open up our minds, be empathetic and hear each other out on each other's side because there are reasons on why we have these standpoints, and they can so deep."

The fourth panel in the "Deconstructing Capitalism" panel series is called "Queering relationships: Polyamory, Stigma and Resistance" and will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Sex, love and COVID-19

By Hope Hoehler Campus Life Editor

Covid Canoodling: S Covid Canoodling: Sex, Intimacy and Health was hosted by Healthy Outreach through Peer Education (HOPE), the Women's Center and the Pride Center to educate on sexual health and domestic abuse during COVID-19.

Vanessa Vought, the coordinator of health promotion within student health services and the advisor of HOPE said that a lot of collaboration is done with the Women's Center and the Pride Center to educate students on a broad view with diversity playing into health issues.

"Sexual health is always important," Vought said.

"In this semester, where everything sort of changed, we have this this time where public health is important to understand with different safety measures and how to interact with people in general. It's important to ask 'what else do I need to know in regards to sexual health?' and it is important to get all the education out there in regards to COVID-19."

Shelby Gluth, a senior physical health major and Ryan Bastry, a senior biology major presented HOPE's presentation on sexual health and intimacy.

The presentation began with a basic lesson on how COVID-19 spreads and how

intimacy can still be achieved during a pandemic.

"Can sex be safe during COVID?," asked Gluth. "We say yes it can."

HOPE offered precautions in regards to safe sex during COVID such as making sure you and your partner are following proper COVID-19 protocols, keeping track of any symptoms present, keeping the number of sexual partners low and decreasing risk by wearing a mask during sex.

Although there are also safer alternatives to having sex, such as going solo or going digital.

If you and your partner do decide to engage in any form of a sexual encounter, HOPE advises both parties to take care of themselves during sex by avoiding kissing anyone who is not part of your small circle of close contacts, using forms of protection, washing up before and after sex and experimenting with new things.

"Avoid rimming because that might spread the virus through feces, but don't be afraid to try new things," Bastry said. "You can get creative with sexual positions that don't involve face-to-face contact."

HOPE also educated on Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) which is a preventative medication used to reduce the risk of contracting HIV. This medication is recommended for any individual who has had anal or vaginal sex and has a partner diagnosed with

HIV, does not consistently use a condom or has been diagnosed with an STD in the past six months.

PrEP is usually prescribed by a health care provider and near Slippery Rock can be received at AGH Positive Health Clinic and the Community Outreach Wellness Center with a full comprehensive list available at the Student Health Center along with available STD testing and prices.

Vought and the HOPE Peer Mentors want those who attended to learn how to be more safe and understand the risks in certain sexual situations.

"We understand the students want more practical guidance and not to say 'this is what you shouldn't be doing'," Vought said. "We need to meet students where they are and try to say 'in this situation, what can I do to be safe?'"

However, intimacy and relationships aren't only changing in the physical and sexual aspect. Desolina Valenti with the Women's Center and Pride Center presented on domestic abuse.

"With people spending more time at home, abuse has become more common," Valenti said.

The presentation educated participants on signs of abuse such as being overly controlling, checking a significant other's messages, forceful sex, violent outbursts and more.

To protect from the increasing abuse during quarantine one should find a place to retreat to safety, avoid the bathroom or kitchen, enlist support from a trusted friend, have a code word or phrase, memorize phone numbers

and make sure you can easily access cash, identification documents, medical insurance information and any necessary documents.

The Women's Center and Pride Center does serve as a resource for domestic

abuse, however they are not confidential. Other resources on campus include the University Police, Title IX Coordinator, Student Health and and Counseling Services, Student Support and The Office of Student Conduct.

GRAPHIC BY: HOPE HOEHLER

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CAMPUS LIFE Inspiration through nonprofit

October 30, 2020

GRAPHIC BY: HANNAH SLOPE

By Jack Konesky Asst. Campus Life Editor

The students of the University Seminar course, #ChangeTheWorld, hosted So Many Ways to Change the World on Thursday, Oct. 29, connecting SRU students and alumni to share the skills needed to make an impact in the world.

Lauren Murphy, an early education/special education major, led the marketing team for the event’s planning, working to create advertisements and digital materials for the proceedings.

The event’s purpose, Murphy

said, is to inspire students by showing them the tangible results their studies could lead to. “This event shows students how the skills they gain in their four or more years of education at SRU can be applied to make a difference in the world,�

Murphy said in an emailed statement. “By seeing Alumni that have used their knowledge from SRU to make changes, our hope is their passion and stories will leave the audience inspired to make changes too.�

Murphy explained that each speaker will have 8 minutes to present their change to the entire group, and after all

of them have spoken, door prizes will be handed out to attendees. If any attendees wish to hear more about any of the changes presented at the event, breakout rooms for each individual speaker will be available after its conclusion.

Alice Del Vecchio, chairperson of the department of nonprofit management, empowerment and diversity studies, teaches the University Seminar that is responsible for this event. Del Vecchio said that her role was to coach the students working on the event, acting as both a guide and an active participant. “I helped them work on some of the narrative for the event and some of the PR

materials, but I mostly see myself as a coach who’s here to help these freshmen,� Del Vecchio said. “What I’m trying to do is to help them get acclimated to the campus; how to maneuver the systems and figure out who to talk to and how to make this all work.�

Del Vecchio said that the current pandemic has, of course, affected the event’s planning in a very substantial way. Some aspects, such as the structure of the event itself, had to be retooled entirely, but not all changes that needed to be made were a hindrance.

The food budget for the event, for example, was

instead used to purchase gift cards for the prize pool. "Life continues despite everything, so resourcefulness is an essential skill during these difficult times," Del Vecchio said. “I’ve been working with non-profit organizations very closely since March; listening to them about how they’ve had to retool things, rethink how to serve their clients and retrain their staff," Del Vecchio said. "Just because we had to do everything differently doesn’t mean that the food bank hasn’t delivered to 15,000 people this week, right?�

Del Vecchio stressed that, especially during a time when

everything seems so upside down, this event and its message are more important than ever. "Being able to meet people that are having a positive impact on the world in a very present way," Del Vecchio said, "could be just the thing that young people need to realize their potential." “For our students to meet people that are pretty close to their own age that are already making a change - it helps them believe,� Del Vecchio said. “It helps them realize that they don’t have to wait until they’re 50 or simply say that there’s nothing they could do, because every one of us has the power to change the world.�

Realize, emphasize and mobilize in uncertainty

!"#

By Hope Hoehler Campus Life Editor

The department of nonprofit management, empowerment, and diversity studies encourages students to talk about empowerment in uncertain times during the ninth annual IZE week.

Alice Delvecchio, the department chair, said that the idea of IZE week originated in 2012 and asked students to identify a social issue that they would like the community to realize, to emphasize and to mobilize.

The theme for the weeks stem around a topic that is of interest to the students that they may think they know about, but actually do not. Delvecchio said that students and faculty know what these uncertain times feel like but may not know how to navigate. She hopes that IZE week will help those understand that they can get through these times.

"All of us are really trying to get back to normal as best we can, and everybody's world has been turned upside down, most of us are not doing things the way we had done them before," Delvecchio said.

Those in the nonprofit sector have seen what uncertainty and COVID-19 has done to those who use nonprofit services, such as food banks and services for mental health challenges.

"Everybody has been impacted by this COVID piece," Delvecchio said. "I have seen how the sector is dealing with it and how students and colleagues are dealing with it. We hear from the students and it is hard to stay confident and in a power mode when the world around you feels so uncertain."

Andrea Altman, a junior dual major in integrated marketing and communications and philanthropy and nonprofit management, is the social marketing chair for the Student Nonprofit Alliance, the organization who helps to coordinate IZE week.

Altman said that they knew everybody was all over

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF HOPE HOEHLER

Andrea Altman, the social marketing chair for the Student Nonprofit Alliance discusses her role in helping to organize IZE Week. Altman wants students to realize they are not alone and hopes that those in participation with IZE week come out with a feeling of empowerment.

the place with COVID and that empowerment during uncertain times would help others to realize that they can have control in this crazy time.

"Everyone has been crammed with school and being extremely stressed and we wanted to say 'we are here for you and we understand what you are going through,'" Altman said. "We know this is crazy, but there are ways you can gain control."

Gaining control and realizing that students have the power within themselves to be empowered are two key messages that Altman and Delvecchio hope those who attend IZE week walk away with.

IZE week began Oct. 27 and will end Nov. 9,

"That change starts with you and if you are empowered, you can change the world." – Alice DelVecchio, department chair of nonprofit management, empowerment, and diversity studies

with events such as So Many Ways to Change the World, Sweet and Meet, Em p owe re d t h ro u g h Service, Get Off Your A-- and Walk Challenge, Self-Care Sunday and Mobilizing for Empowered Communities to end the week.

Part of the Self-Care Sunday event will be presenter Rick Thomas with a self-care workshop with tools that can be used to enhance personal empowerment during uncertain times.

"The reality is you can provide opportunities for people to become empowered," Delvecchio said.

To h e l p e m p o w e r s t u d e n t s , De l ve c c h i o and Altman came up

with the idea of gratitude bags which can be picked up in the student center across from Starbucks from 11 a.m.-1.p.m. on weekdays.

These bags consist of a pen, 28 small blanks pieces of paper and several items to remind students that the campus community cares about them.

Delvecchio said that students are challenged to write something that they are grateful for every day and to hang the gratitude bag where they can see it.

"We really are empathetic with the students because we know this is rough for them and they keep at it, and the freshman, this is definitely not what they signed up for," Delvecchio said.

Part of what is done in the department is to teach people how to change the world.

"That change starts with you and if you are empowered you can change the world," Delvecchio said. "We want them to know that the world may be trying to change you and it may at times feel like burning and going to hell in a handbasket and our role in the world is not the world itself. Students have the power to change the world."

The nonprofit management program is the only undergraduate program in Pennsylvania.

Any students interested in the major or a certificate should get in touch with Delvecchio.

October 30, 2020

CAMPUS LIFE

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Review: 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm'

By Dereck Majors Movie Review Columnist

Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedy has always been about bringing out the ridiculousness of others.

He exposed an entire city’s Islamophobic views in his Showtime series “Who is America?â€? and confronted members of the Westboro Baptist Church in “BrĂźno.â€? He continues to prove himself as a master comedian in his new mockumentary, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Br i b e t o A m e r i c a n Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstanâ€? (or whatever the film’s final title ends up being).

Cohen’s return to the Borat character is the first in nearly 14 years (aside from some brief TV appearances). He returns however to a totally different America. Donald Trump is no longer the host of “The Apprentice� but is an impeached President.

Citizens are divided on nearly every issue. And the political incorrectness that Borat was able to bring out of his subjects is now found every day on nearly every website, television show and just in general conversation.

We have become so desensitized to the humor and shock that made “Borat� such a success in 2006. To combat this,

Cohen attempts to go even bigger than his Academy Award nominated smash hit managed to. And since everyone and their mother now know who Borat is, Cohen has to have Borat go into many disguises to be unnoticed out on the street.

This however becomes the main issue with Borat’s sequel. 2006 was a different time, with little content uploaded to YouTube and social media only starting to take off at that point.

The first iPhone wouldn’t be released for another seven months. “Borat� was able to shock audiences with the first mainstream foray into Cohen’s style of comedy aside from his Channel 4 and HBO series, “Da Ali G Show.�

Now, you can find this improv and satire on nearly every YouTube prank channel. And the once ridiculous, candid statements Cohen was able to get out of his interviewees are commonly found on every social media site, including the President’s Twitter.

However, with visits to a farm store to buy his daughter a cage to sleep in, a synagogue to meet with a Holocaust survivor and even staying at a stranger’s home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cohen effortlessly steps back into the Borat role.

He is not only one of the best comedians of all time, but also one of the smartest.

The way he is able to get

hilarious responses from his interview subjects while never breaking character is phenomenal.

The best part of Borat’s second trip from Kazakhstan to America, however, isn’t even Borat himself: It’s his daughter, Tutar, played marvelously by Maria Bakalova. With rapid fast dialogue, witty responses in improvisational scenes and a “moonblood dance� that will make your jaw drop as you attempt to look away, Bakalova is a force to be reckoned with on the screen. Cohen and Bakalova are a dynamic pair that rival what the characters of Borat and Azamat had in the first film. If there is an Academy Awards ceremony for this year, Bakalova should be in contention for her breakthrough performance.

Borat’s surprise return also comes at an important time in America: the 2020 general election. And the film does not hold back the punches to the current administration.

Borat not only visits “Vice Premiere� Mike Pence at this February’s CPAC event, but also has his daughter Tutar interview “Premiere�

Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. This political tone allows Cohen to deliver a substantial and timely message that can be viewed by mainstream audiences. And the film ends with a perfect sendoff less than a week to the election: “Now vote, or you will be execute.�

Lebanon artist showcases 'Functional Resilience'

By Sarah Anderson Junior Rocket Contributor

On Wednesday, Oct. 21 Michael Nashef hosted a Zoom conversation to talk to students, professors and anyone interested in hearing about his “Functional Resilience� exhibition that

is currently being shown at the Martha Gault Art Gallery until Nov 5.  Nashef, who was born and grew up in Lebanon, showed broken, shattered buildings that were a result of the Lebanon civil war that lasted from 1975-1990. Immediately following the photos of these buildings, Nashef said “The Lebanon I grew up in was this . . . The reason I am showing

you this isn’t for sympathy, it’s to show you why my current work is the way it is.â€?  Looking at Nashef’s work, it is easy to see the influence he drew from buildings in Lebanon. His work embodies beautiful, geometric pieces of art that have some spot of damage. He says he was inspired because “the buildings [in Lebanon] were broken but their structure was resilient for the people who lived there.â€? Â

Nashef uses an actual gun in all of his pieces as a way to directly reflect the damage that was seen on Lebanese buildings post-war. He says, “I like control in all of my pieces, I use a gun to dictate my damage.� Since his pieces have so much put into them, it can take either one to three months to finish a piece, or even 9 months. One of the panelists in the conversation

asked Nashef a question about him seeing himself as an activist. Nashef went on to say “not necessarily . . . I don’t want it to be but it could go that route. Guns are woven into American culture . . . A bullet could ruin everything.â€?  After a bit more conversation he concluded his response with, “I think my art is my way to heal.â€?Â

Michael Nashef can be found on Instagram @ nashefm or you can find more on his website, www. nashefdesigns.com. Photo Credit:

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Picture 1 HANNAH SLOPE Picttures 2-4: SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF SARAH ANDERSON

October 30, 2020

THE ROCKET

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Poll results show students' stances on top political issues in 2020 election CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1

“We need a president that recognizes and cares about those human rights issues,” one Biden supporter said.

Similarly, about 23.8% of respondents said they believe the outcomes of this election will impact them personally.

“My dad is a police officer, so I will be voting for the candidate that is not trying to defund the police,” said one respondent who said they would be voting for Trump.

Eight participants (6.2%) said because it is a presidential election, they feel obligated to vote. Six respondents (4.6%) said they participate in the election process for other reasons than the listed options.

Ranking of issues Fo r o n e q u e s t i o n , participants were asked to rank the following 1 1 i s s u e s f ro m t h e most important to least important in terms of deciding who to vote for in this election: coronavirus pandemic, racial inequality, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ policy, i m m i g r a t i o n p o l i c y, foreign policy issues, laws surrounding the Second Amendment, education, economics, healthcare and climate.

After adding the total number of votes each issue received for each placement (which was calculated by assigning point values based on the placement in each person’s ranking), the coronavirus pandemic was the top issue, with 32 par ticipants indicating this issue as

their top priority. This was followed by racial inequality and health care.

The next three issues- e d u c a t i o n , w o m e n’s rights and LGBTQ+ policy--were ranked fourth through sixth, respectively. These three issues were within the closest margins compared to other issues on the list, as the difference between education and women’s rights was one point.

In order, the remaining i s s u e s we re c l i m a t e , i m m i g r a t i o n p o l i c y, foreign policy issues and laws surrounding the Se c o n d A m e n d m e n t .

While seven participants chose the Second Amendment as their top issue, 41 people ranked this as their least important issue.

Political issues With regard to defunding the police, 63 (48.5%) said they did not support the move, while 49 (37.7%) did.

Eighteen respondents said they were unsure if defunding would be beneficial.

Some in support of defunding clarified that they did not want to see the police abolished but wanted funding to be reallocated to services like healthcare and social work.

“Defunding the police doesn’t mean I hate the police or that I want to abolish the police,” said one respondent.

“I think the police are ove r f u n d e d a n d t h a t money could be used to fund communities and other agencies that could take some of a

SRU STUDENTS' RANKINGS OF ISSUES MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM WHEN DECIDING WHO TO VOTE FOR: 1. Coronavirus pandemic 2. Racial inequality 3. Healthcare 4. Education 5. Women's rights 6. LGBTQ+ policy 7. Economics 8. Climate 9. Immigration 10. Foreign policy 11. Laws surrounding the Second Amendment

load of what the police should have to deal with.”

Those not looking to defund police departments said they want law enforcement to be better trained and equipped to do their jobs but questioned how that

would be possible with less funding.

Respondents who said they were unsure about defunding police wanted police to be held accountable but not dissolved. While some wanted better training for police, they also wanted

to see budget increases for education and healthcare.

Three of the other questions asked participants to respond “yes,” “no, or “unsure” to three separate issues.

The first asked if Trump and his administration handled the response to

the coronavirus pandemic well. Most participants (85 students, or 65.4%) said no while 33 (25.4%) said yes. The other 12 participants were not sure.

The majority of participants (58, or 44.6%) were unsure if the number of Supreme Court justices should be expanded. The survey ended at midnight on Monday, the evening that Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Of the other votes, 41 participants believe the nation’s highest court should not be expanded while 31 (23.8%) believe the Supreme Court should have an increased amount of spaces.

Another debate that stemmed from the 2016 was the abolishment of the Electoral College, a s Tr u m p w o n t h e presidential election with 304 electoral votes, but received 2.8 million fewer votes than Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. In the SRU survey, 58 (44.6%) of respondents support abolishing the Electoral College, while the amount of participants against the abolishment a n d u n s u re o f t h e i r stance was tied at 36 participants (27.7%) each.

This survey had one of the highest participant counts in recent memor y, as the most recent poll conducted by The Rocket with similar participant incentives received just over 100 submissions.