Campus Life
Sports
B-1 Rock football suffers heartbreaking loss to Kutztown
C-1
Living with mental illness
The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com
Friday, October 5, 2012
Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper
Est. 1934
Volume 96, Number 6
University celebrates new President Dr. Cheryl J. Norton inaugurated as first female to preside over SRU
PHOTO CONTRIBUTION COURTESY OF TIM TRESS
Dr. Cheryl Norton is sworn in as the 16th president of SRU by Dr. Peter Garland during her inauguration ceremony on Friday. A campus-wide picnic was held after the ceremony to give students and the community the opportunity to meet Norton.
By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter
SRU inaugurated Dr. Cheryl Norton as the 16th president last Friday in the Quad. The Army ROTC and SRU Percussion Ensemble, faculty delegates, staff and student representatives marched from The Alumni House to the Quad in the Grand Entrance. Each college dean and speaker sat in the Gazebo during the ceremony. Provost William Williams welcomed the University for celebrating a new academic year that brings freshmen and opportunities
to the campus. “It has a twofold purpose,” Provost Williams said. “It is to present the new president in a formal convocation to the public and to permit the university to reaffirm its commitment to its primary goal of advancing the excellence of the institution in all of its endeavors.” Mr. David Wolfe, the president of SGA, welcomed the students. “Dr. Norton’s favorite quote since she’s been here is, ‘The sun is always shining at Slippery Rock,” Wolfe said. “I joked
with her and said, ‘This is how I can tell you haven’t been here very long yet, but sure enough she put me in my place today because sure enough we got beautiful weather today.” After Wolfe’s greeting, Dr. Joan Condravy, the past president for APSCUF, greeted the University Faculty and shared about President Norton. “She is likely to greet the student body and faculty whom she recognizes with a hug as a handshake,” Condravy said. At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Eric
Research on fossils brings light to Earth's history By Jonathan Janasik Rocket News Editor
D r. Tam e r a S ch i app a , professor of Geolog y specializing in paleontology, is continuing her 20 year long research on 288 million yearold fossils. The subject of her National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research was shelled arthropods known as ammonoids from the Permian period located in a marine basin in the west coast. The basin stretched from southern Arizona to northern Nevada and was filled with many different sp ecies of animals. By studying how the ammonoids changed, Schiappa hopes to better understand what the
environment was like over patterns would have been one 280 million years ago. side of the basin, while coldA l t h o u g h t h e r e a r e water circulation patterns many different species of would have been on the other ammonoids, there are only side. two main types of them. The In order to figure out if first type is called equatorial the two types of ammonoids and they came from warm lived at the same time, climates near the Schiappa used a brand new equator. The second technique that involved type is known as studying Strontium isotopes b o r e a l a n d t h e y left from conodonts, which migrated from near were small worm-like animals the poles. that were frequently eaten by Because they are ammonoids. extremely sensitive Traces of the conodonts t o t e m p e r a t u r e s , can be found in the rock Schiappa wanted to surrounding the ammonoids determine if they fossils. In order to study them, lived at the same geologists must carefully time if there was a change separate the fossil from the in the climate, which caused rock by using a scalpel. After one type of ammonoids to the rock is separated, it is become extinct and become replaced by another. If they lived at the same time, then SEE PALEONTOLOGY, PAGE A-2 the warm water circulation
Holmes, the chairperson of the SRU Council of Trustees, presented the Medallion to President Norton. The President can wear this sterling silver and 14-Karat gold Medallion, symbolizing the Office of the President, at formal University convocations. Then, Ms. Wilma J. Cavill, the Grand Marshal, presented the MACE, a maple wood and brass headed-figure that is permanently on display in the President’s SEE NORTON, PAGE A-2
Local shale fracking under question By Jason Robinson Rocket Contributor
A three group panel discussed environmental and operational safety of drilling for Marcellus shale natural gas Wednesday at SRU. The panelists were health and safety manager at Advanced Waste Services Sean Decristoforo, vice president for safety and environment of Range Resources Ralph Tijerina, and James Daley, director of natural gas and energy programs of Greenhouse and Omara Inc. The mediator was Anthony Cialella, vice president for energy services for Advanced Waste Services. Fracking is a process to obtain natural gas from deep rock deposits underground. The process includes large amounts of water and sand that are pressurized down a well to fracture rock thousands of feet below the Earth’s surface. Recently, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
published a concept paper that proposes over 100 new regulations to drilling for Marcellus shale that are supposed to protect Pennsylvania’s surface and groundwater supplies. According to Tijerina, 95 percent of water that Range Resources uses for fracking is recycled. He also stated that due to evaporation and loss of water during the fracking process, there is theoretically no need for waste water disposal. Recycling frack water has taken the place of disposing the water in old wells or certified disposal sites. Approximately 40 people attended the panel discussion. There were also question and answer portions of the discussion. One question was posed by Kurt Schimmel, dean of SRU’s College of Business, Information and Social Sciences, about whether fracking can cause earthquakes or contaminated water tables. SEE FOURTH, PAGE A-2
News
A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK
October 5, 2012
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
A passing afternoon shower
Cooler; a shower in the a.m.
Rain and drizzle possible
Partly sunny and cool
Plenty of sun
A couple of showers possible
Partly sunny with a shower
70°
45°
52°
36°
REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE
®
Fri.
Sat.
Sun. Mon.
Tue.
Wed. Thu.
The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Shown are the highest and lowest values for each day.
REGIONAL CITIES CITY Akron Allentown Altoona Cleveland Erie Harrisburg Indiana Johnstown Philadelphia Pittsburgh Scranton State College Wheeling Williamsport Youngstown
Friday HI LO W 68 42 c 80 54 s 74 52 pc 63 42 r 64 47 r 78 56 pc 70 48 pc 72 48 pc 82 61 s 76 50 c 76 56 pc 74 51 pc 74 47 c 76 52 pc 66 43 c
Saturday HI LO W 52 37 c 69 45 pc 57 38 sh 54 38 pc 54 43 c 66 43 sh 56 39 sh 53 36 sh 75 52 t 55 39 c 64 38 sh 59 41 sh 53 39 c 63 42 sh 50 37 c
29°
52°
Sunday HI LO W 53 34 r 51 36 r 48 34 r 52 37 r 52 36 r 51 37 r 48 33 r 43 34 sn 58 46 r 52 35 r 52 35 r 48 33 r 54 36 r 51 35 r 51 32 r
54°
35°
UV INDEX
Fri.
Sat.
Sun. Mon.
Tuesday HI LO W 61 45 s 64 45 s 60 42 s 62 46 s 62 48 s 66 43 s 60 42 s 57 42 s 64 50 s 64 44 s 66 43 s 62 42 s 63 45 s 64 42 s 60 45 s
Kip Deeds, a Philadelphia-native artist, will be featured at the Martha Gault Art Gallery in an exhibition entitled "A Forward Way." The exhibition will run from October 1 - 26 in Maltby Center. The Gallery is open from 12 - 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Third Annual ROCKtober Open Saturday, October 13, 2012 at Tam O'Shanter Golf Course in Hermitage, Pa. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., Shotgun start at 10 a.m.. The cost is $65 for SRU students and $75 for non-students. The open benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the SRU Sport Management Scholarship Fund. Fees include 18 holes with cart, dinner and prizes. See www.rockalumnicafe.com/rocktober2012 for more information.
Next issue out October 19th Due to fall break, there will not be an issue of the Rocket published next week. The next issue will be out on October 19.
To submit a Rock Note please send your announcement by 6 p.m. Wednesday to Jonathan Janasik at jtj9529@sru.edu or to rocket.news@sru.edu. The Rocket does not guarantee that all requests will be published in the paper.
Index Rock Notes...............A-2 Photo Page...............A-7 Weather map...........A-2 Sports...................B-1 Blotter.................A-3 Campus Life.............C-1 Opinion...............A-4
220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057
2011 Runner-up Most Outstanding Newspaper Society of Collegiate Journalists
Tue.
Wed. Thu.
Wednesday HI LO W 59 39 sh 66 48 sh 60 42 sh 59 38 pc 57 43 sh 63 39 sh 59 36 sh 56 36 sh 64 46 sh 60 38 sh 59 39 sh 59 37 sh 57 38 sh 60 38 sh 59 37 sh
New Artist Featured at SRU
contact us
56°
Sun
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
Monday HI LO W 57 39 s 57 38 pc 56 34 pc 56 39 pc 55 41 pc 58 38 pc 53 37 pc 50 37 pc 60 46 pc 57 37 s 57 38 pc 54 35 pc 57 38 s 58 38 pc 55 36 pc
41°
36°
61°
40°
IN THE SKY
ROCK NOTES
Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu
60°
Thursday HI LO W 64 41 sh 64 38 s 56 42 s 64 47 sh 60 41 sh 63 45 s 65 47 s 59 41 s 64 48 s 65 40 s 59 38 s 61 43 s 65 44 s 61 43 s 59 38 sh
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Moon
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Rise 7:21 a.m. 7:22 a.m. 7:23 a.m. 7:24 a.m. 7:26 a.m. 7:27 a.m. 7:28 a.m. Rise 10:14 p.m. 11:04 p.m. 11:59 p.m. none 12:57 a.m. 1:58 a.m. 3:02 a.m.
MOON PHASES
Set 6:55 p.m. 6:53 p.m. 6:52 p.m. 6:50 p.m. 6:49 p.m. 6:47 p.m. 6:45 p.m. Set 12:30 p.m. 1:18 p.m. 2:01 p.m. 2:41 p.m. 3:16 p.m. 3:50 p.m. 4:21 p.m.
Last
New
First
Full
10/8
10/15
10/21
10/29
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2012
NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES
Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal
PRECIPITATION
Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal
National Summary: A powerhouse cold front will blast though much of New England and the Northeast Saturday, ushering in a very chilly air mass for this time of the year. The front will bring plenty of clouds and showers along with it from Maine to West Virginia. Behind the front, cold air moving over the Great Lakes will lead to numerous rain and snow showers, especially over Michigan. Elsewhere, the Plains will be chilly and dry, with warmth across the West. On Sunday, light rain will linger near the Northeast coast, with chilly and dry weather remaining over the eastern half of the nation. On Monday, most of the country will be on the dry side, with showers possible in central California.
NATIONAL CITIES
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursda CITY HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W Atlanta 84 60 s 83 54 pc 69 48 pc 67 50 s 72 52 s 77 53 s 78 58 p Boston 75 61 s 75 52 pc 56 44 r 57 44 pc 60 47 s 60 47 sh 63 41 Chicago 56 39 pc 54 36 c 54 38 s 64 46 pc 66 47 pc 60 41 s 64 36 Cincinnati 72 43 t 56 38 c 55 34 pc 59 39 s 64 49 s 66 41 pc 69 46 s Dallas 84 51 s 57 47 c 63 51 pc 71 59 s 81 66 pc 85 65 c 79 62 Denver 49 29 c 37 27 sn 55 35 s 69 42 s 67 38 pc 68 46 pc 64 39 p Detroit 61 41 pc 56 36 c 52 36 pc 60 44 pc 64 45 pc 60 38 pc 61 40 s Houston 90 66 s 88 57 s 75 54 pc 79 60 s 85 67 pc 87 67 c 87 67 p Indianapolis 60 38 r 53 36 pc 55 35 s 60 41 s 65 49 pc 67 43 pc 65 40 Kansas City 52 34 c 52 32 pc 57 41 s 67 49 s 69 51 pc 68 46 s 69 47 Los Angeles 79 62 pc 80 62 pc 77 59 pc 73 57 r 70 59 r 75 60 pc 81 60 Miami 90 78 t 88 77 t 88 77 c 88 78 pc 89 77 pc 88 76 pc 85 77 Nashville 82 52 pc 61 44 sh 61 39 pc 63 41 s 72 53 s 74 49 pc 76 56 New Orleans 86 67 pc 88 61 s 75 59 pc 76 64 s 81 67 s 87 68 s 80 66 p New York City 80 63 s 75 48 pc 55 44 r 60 44 pc 64 48 s 66 48 sh 62 43 Orlando 87 73 t 87 72 t 89 71 c 88 71 pc 88 71 pc 87 69 s 84 67 s Phoenix 97 71 s 96 71 s 94 70 s 94 70 s 90 67 s 89 70 s 82 61 San Francisco 67 56 pc 67 54 pc 66 53 pc 66 53 pc 66 51 pc 68 51 pc 69 54 p Seattle 67 43 s 68 46 s 70 46 s 66 47 s 65 47 s 65 48 s 61 53 Washington, DC 82 62 s 76 51 t 57 47 r 64 45 pc 69 52 s 70 50 c 68 53 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
Paleontology study yields new questions Continued from Page A-1
dissolved in acid, and only traces of the conodonts will be left. These isotopes are studied by using a machine called a mass spectrometer which is able to calculate the age of a sample with an accuracy of plus or minus one year. After dating the conodonts, Schiappa was able to figure out that the two types of ammonoids did not live at the same time. By finding out that they lived during different periods of time, Schiappa determined that there must have been a noticeable climate or tectonic that altered the water circulation pattern from hot to cold. After water turned cold, the equatorial fauna died out and cold-water fauna migrated into the basin. Schiappa said that because we know that the temperature of the basin has changed, we may be able deduce that the climate became colder as well. This is strange because most geological evidence suggests that the climate getting much warmer around the world during the Permian period. “This has provided us with an understanding of the palaeogeographic and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the western margin of North America,” Schiappa
Nor ton praises SRU's commitment to student success Continued from Page A-1
to have a woman president,” Moser said. “It is really Office. about choosing the right SRU Council of Trustees leader at the right time. It wore pink shirts that read was about her credentials.” “Norton 16” referring to The inauguration a sweet-16 celebration. reception was held after President Norton gave an the ceremony on the front address after she received lawn of the Vincent Science her academic symbols. Center where they had “I believe in Slippery free food. The SRU Brass Rock University’s energy, Quintet and SRU Chamber its wisdom, its creativity and singers performed at the its focus,” President Norton prelude and recessional of said. “But most the ceremony. i m p o r t a n t l y, Despite the I believe that heavy rainfall its desire to the previous support student day, it did success is not rain that demonstrated morning. by our collective President commitment.” N o r t o n R e v e r e n d Scan the QR code with a g r a d u a t e d Keith McIlwain smartphone for a video of Dr. from Denison gave t h e Norton's inauguration. University benediction and with a Cavill spoke for the closing. bachelor ’s degree in Nearly 400 faculty, physical education and staff and SRU students recreation. She received participated in a procession. t h r e e d e g r e e s f r o m Guido Pichini, the chair Teachers College, Columbia of the Pennsylvania State University; a master of arts System of Higher Education in applied physiology and board of governors, and both a master of education Peter Garland, the executive and a doctor of education in vice chancellor for the state applied physiology. system invested in the President Norton was ceremony. selected as president by the After the ceremony, Board of Governors of the Ms. Tina Moser, the Pennsylvania State System administrative liaison to of Higher education on the Council, said what the April 5. inauguration means for the President Norton is University. married to her husband, “I think that it’s exciting Henry, and has two sons.
explained. “To the broader scientific communities we have a better understanding of what was going on in the western margin at this time.” Schiappa collected her own samples of ammonoids from North Eastern Nevada with groups of undergraduate students in the Department of Geography, Geology and the Environment. “Nationally funded and state funded research has really benefited our students here at Slippery Rock because they have gotten to participate in the science," Schiappa said. "I have had several students who have been able to use that experience to propel them into their next stage. Some students go into graduate school because of it, and others have been able to become successful in their careers. I think that there is a lot to say about undergraduate research because it benefits everybody.” Dating the ammonoids for the NSF was just a small part of Schiappa’s research. That study was for a three year long grant that began in 2000, which funded a small group of scientists about a half a million dollars. Studying each different type of species of ammonoids was a large part of Schiappa’s research before she received her NSF grant. She is now using PASSHE and university grants to further research ammonoids and the Permian period.
Fourth Marcellus shale lecture approaches Continued from Page A-1
Daley explained to the group that seismic activity can occur from lubricating fault lines and has been done to the San Andreas Fault line for years. “The water table is not going to be affected,” Daley said in response to S chimmel’s second question. Daley also stated any contamination will likely come from gas migration or already exist in the water. He said about 45 percent of well water is undrinkable. Companies now do predrilling samples of water to test for contaminants. “You cannot define dirty until you define clean,” Patrick Burkhart, SRU professor and hydrogeologist said. “There’s a need to sample waters in unadulterated states to see what the water is like natural. More than 2,700 actively producing Marcellus shale gas wells exist in Pennsylvania, according to the state’s DEP. “It demonstrates that these environmental issues are demand-driven,” Burkhart said. “There is a need for us to look into the mirror and see the person there and recognize that person is demanding the oil and gas.” There were 238,400 jobs in Marcellus related industry jobs in 2011, a 6 percent increase from 2008 data reported by the
Pennsylvania Department of Industry and Labor. All job totals in Pa. declined by 69,000 in the same time frame. “Marcellus shale is a huge field in terms of safety and its expanding t h r o u g h o u t We s t e r n Pennsylvania,” Meagan Huff, a senior SRU safety student said. “The safety factors and environmental factors that come from it are endless right now and they’re creating new educational opportunities every day. Tu e s d a y ’s panel discussion was the third installment of the SRU’s Marcellus shale informational which is part of the “Success Starts Here” speaking series. There will be a fourth installment about Marcellus shale on Nov. 13 that will be about the supply chain and the ripple effect side of the industry. “Any time you extract anything there is risk, there is always risk,” Jack Livingston, Chair of SRU’s G e o g r a p h y, G e o l o g y and t he Environment department. “Of course there’s a problem. But that problem is no different than logging, coal extraction or iron extraction. Everything producing waste produces an impact. We have to decide as a society what we are willing to accept and not accept or we can live without energy.”
October 5, 2012
News
A-3
Police Blotter Sept. 30 – Michael Mascara, 18, was cited Education Building. An ambulance with underage consumption of alcohol transported the individual to the Grove after a report of an alcohol violation at City Medical Center. Sept. 29 – Robert Morris, 18, was charged Building E. with possession of paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness after a Oct. 1 – There was a medical call for an report of a verbal disturbance on Kiester Sept. 30 – There was a report of criminal individual who passed out at North Hall. Road. mischief consisting of vehicle damage at An ambulance transported the individual McKay Education Building. The case is to Grove City Medical Center. Sept. 29 – There was a report of a under investigation. disturbance at the Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. The individuals were separated, Oct. 3 – There was a report of damage to and no further action was taken. Oct. 1 –There was a medical call for a vending machine at Swope Music Hall. an individual having a seizure at McKay The case is under investigation. Campus
Oct. 3 – There was a report of a possible drug violation at Rhoads Hall. The case is under investigation. Borough Sept. 28 – Jonathan Smith, 23, was cited with having an open container of alcohol. Sept 29 – Haley Marrone, 20, was cited with disorderly house. Compiled by Catie Clark
Patterson Hall renovations near completion Co-Op elects three Construction expected to be completed over fall break new Student-at-Large Representatives
to code so the departments could use it. Rocket Contributor “In the mean time, Exercise Science Renovations for Patterson Hall are became an expanding program with nearing completion, and could be more majors. We had been doing ready as early as next week. studies on how that building could Herb Carlson, Assistant Vice be expanded to accommodate their President for needs,” said Carlson. Construction Design The addition to and Management, has Patterson consists of been hard at work to two large spaces, one complete the new for movement, and additions to Patterson the other for exercise Hall. machines. The building was D r. Hol ms t r up, originally an all male Assistant Professor dormitory. in the Exercise Later, it became a & R e h a bi l it at i on vacated residential S c i e n c e s f a c i l i t y t h at w a s department, is new Scan the QR code with a smartphone for a video about the intended to be to the staff this year, renovations in Patterson Hall. demolished when but is excited to the school decided to see the renovations build the new residence halls. completed. At the same time that the residence “I think they are going to be halls were being built, Vincent great,” Holmstrup said. “We have Science Center was to be renovated a whole new facility for teaching and a temporary home was needed in the exercise science classes. It for the departments. is going to be a big benefit for the “We did some renovation to department because we will be able Patterson so that the staff of the to do more practical and hands-on departments could move in until teachings with the group exercise Vincent was finished,” Carlson said. and resistance training classes.” “However, the departments liked “By next week, we should be having what they saw in the Patterson group exercise classes upstairs and renovations.” the downstairs should be completed,” The school decided not to demolish Holmstrup said. “The equipment the building, and instead bring it up that will be coming in after fall break
By Harmony Kasper
will be a new circuit of resistance training equipment and computer programmed machines. It is some pretty high-tech stuff that will give great hands-on experience to our exercise science majors.” The university bonded the addition for a total of 2.6 million dollars that added 14,000 square feet to the building. Within that new space will be a fibers studio, which is now located next to the campus police station. Als o, t he Cr iminolog y and Criminal Justice department will be located on the ground floor in the south wing. According to Carlson, access to Patterson Hall has also changed. “We used to have to drive across the pedestrian walkway to get to it, but now you can get there by way of the new parking lot,” said Carlson. “Now garbage pickup and service vehicles can reach their destination without endangering any students.” Another major project that will soon be underway on campus is Mi l l e r Au d itor iu m , w h i ch i s currently in the design phase, and construction should start up early next year. In addition, the Student Government Association is planning a new Deck Hockey Rink to be placed by the intramural sports field.
By Catie Clark Assistant News Editor
The Board of Cooperative Activities elected three ne w Student-At-L arge Representatives Thursday. The new representatives are William Botzner, a computer science major, Philip Fonzi, an accounting major, and Erica Carnahan, a business management major. According to Fonzi, he is looking forward to participating in Co-Op. “I think it is going to be very exciting,” Fonzi said. “I’m really looking forward to getting more involved on campus.” The Co-Op board also approved several FirstTime Funding Requests. Delta Zeta, a Slippery R o c k S o r o r i t y, w a s approved for up to $210 for a Tug-of-War event. The event, Turtle Tug, is played in teams of five over a pit of green Jell-O. The proceeds are planned to be used to fund Delta Zeta’s Painted Turtle
Camp. The camp is for children with disabilities, and provides funds for the extra care they may need. A second First-Time Funding Request was approved for the Slippery Rock University Men’s Football Club for up to $150 for league fees. T he Fo ot b a l l C lub, which actually participates in Soccer, pays for referees and traveling costs themselves, so the funding is for league fees alone. Ac c o r d i n g t o Vi c e President of Financial Affairs Ben Motyl, the budgetar y reser ves are currently at $34,584.50. Over $140,000 will be added to the reserves in two weeks, which is from the carry-over of last year’s funds. “ The next meeting’s budgetary reserves will ref lect the carr y-over from last year, as well as the deductions from today’s approved funding requests,” Motyl said.
OPINION
The Rocket
A-4
October 5, 2012
The Rocket
Our View
Volume 96, Number 6
220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057 Phone: (724) 738-4438 Fax: (724) 738-4896 E-mail: rocket.letters@sru.edu
Editorial Board Will DeShong Editor-in-Chief Jon Janasik News Editor Andy Treese Campus Life Editor Madeline Williams Sports Editor Alex Mowrey Photo Editor Stephanie Holsinger Copy Editor James Intile Web Editor Catie Clark Assistant News Editor Courtney Tietje Assistant Campus Life Editor Kristin Karam Assistant Sports Editor Emily Schubert Assistant Photo Editor Erica Kurvach News Reporter Mark Zeltner Faculty Adviser
Advertising Staff Zach Dornisch Advertising Manager Karleigh Santry Advertising Manager
About Us The Rocket is published by the students of Slippery Rock University every Friday during the academic semester with the exception of holidays, exam periods and vacations. Total weekly circulation is 3,000. No material appearing in The Rocket may be reprinted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. The first copy of The Rocket is provided free of charge. Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents each. The Rocket receives approximately five percent of its funding from the SGA General Service fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising. Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 738-2643 or by e-mailing rocket.ads@sru.edu.
Corrections If we make a substantial error, we want to correct it. If you believe an error has been made, call The Rocket newsroom at (724) 738-4438. If a correction is warranted it will be printed in the opinion section.
Subscriptions Subscriptions to The Rocket are available. Subscriptions are $20 per academic semester and $35 for the full academic year. Inquiries should be directed to the Editorin-Chief at the address listed here.
GRAPHIC BY EMILY SCHUBERT
More research on the safety of ‘fracking’ needs to be done Hydraulic fracturing is probably something many students have heard about in the news recently, but might not fully understand. ‘Fracking,’ as it is commonly called, in a simple sense, is the process of extracting natural gas from deep layers of rock beneath the earth’s surface. It is done by drilling down thousands of feet into the ground until it hits the layer of shale rock, which holds the natural gas. After the well has been drilled, fracking fluid, a mixture of water, sand, and other chemicals, is pressurized and blasted to create fractures within the shale, releasing natural
gas through the fractures. It’s a pretty interesting technology that brings in a lot of money and jobs to the state, as well as an efficient source of energy. But is it safe for the environment? That has been an issue for as long as the practice has been around, and the answer seems to remain unclear. The Environment a l Protection Agency declared fracking safe after a study they conducted in 2004, claiming there is little risk of fracturing f l u i d c o nt a m i n at i n g drinking water. But last year, the EPA officially linked fracking to water contamination
found in the small town of Pavillion, Wyo. Scientists for the EPA found extremely high levels of benzene, a known carcinogen, in the water, as well as other chemicals like synthetic glycol and alcohol. All of which are common ingredients in fracking fluid. A study conducted last year by Duke University also linked fracking to water contamination. The study examined 68 wells in the Marcellus and Utica shale drilling areas in Pennsylvania and southern New York, and found that 60 of them had levels of methane. The wells considered to be in the active drilling zones
In the Quad In the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.
had average methane l e v e l s b e y o n d w h at the U.S. Department of Interior considers to be “dangerous.” High levels of methane in water can cause water wells to explode and can allow water from a regular faucet to be lit on fire. But beyond the issue of the drilling practice contaminating our drinking water, there also is the issue of it contaminating soil and other water sources. If t h e pro c e s s i s contaminating something as noticeable as water supplies, questions about what it is doing to various other parts of the environment can arise.
More research needs to be done in order for us to be comfortable with fracking. While we recognize it as an easy source for energy, people should not simply overlook environmental and safety concerns for a quicker way to get natural gas. This doesn’t seem to be the main priority so far though. The EPA doesn’t even require drilling companies to state what chemicals they are putting in their fracking fluid cocktail. Simple measures like this need to change. Because when it comes to the environment, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
This week’s question: Do you think ‘fracking’ shale is worth the risk?
Editorial Policy The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by Rocket editorial board members. It reflects the majority opinion of The Rocket Editorial Board. “Our View” does not necessarily reflect the views of Slippery Rock University, its employees or its student body. Columns and cartoons are drafted by various individuals and only reflect the opinions of the columnists.
Letters Policy The Rocket welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee their publication. The Rocket retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes the property of The Rocket and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major and/or group affiliation, if any. Please limit letters to a maximum of 400 words. Submit all material by noon Wednesday to: The Rocket, 220 ECB, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa. 16057. Or send it via e-mail to: rocket.letters@sru.edu.
Kristina Motley Senior environmental studies major Hometown: Rockville, Md.
Jenna Kessler Senior environmental studies major Hometown: Boyertown, Pa.
“I don’t think so. It’s an extremely new concept that they are putting so many wells everywhere. And the people working there do not have the experience.”
“Not at all. It’s not a perfected technique. It is just an idea they had. The fracking fluid that they use is environmentally detrimental. They don’t know how to dispose of it.”
Rachel Zappone Senior environmental studies major Hometown: Latrobe, Pa. “I’m still back and forth about the issue. I saw a drill rig. They showed how they kept the water. It depends on the chemicals you use. Everything seemed pretty safe there. We can use it to help the economy.”
Opinion
October 5, 2012
Violence has no place in a relationship
Kaitlyn Veiock FMLA Think about this: would you go on a second date with someone whom on the first date slapped you across the face and called you fat and stupid? I am hoping you answered “no.” So how is it that one out of every three high school and college students has experienced sexual, physical, verbal or emotional violence within their relationship? How is it that Alexandra Kogut, a freshman at the State University of New York College at Brockport, was brutally murdered by her boyfriend less than a week ago? When Alexandra’s family and friends were interviewed they reported that the couple seemed happy, and that “Alexandra said she loved him.” The sneaky thing about partner violence is that it does not exist in the beginning of the relationship. We all remember those first dates with the flowers, dinners, movies, compliments and butterflies. Let’s call this Stage 1. Eventually, relationships shift to a more comfortable stage. The couple may find themselves spending a lot of time together doing “the same old things” -- Stage 2. This stage shifts to Stage 3 that includes those times when the partners experience issues with one another. In healthy relationships, the couple engages in conversation about the issues, and overtime they cycle back to Stage 1 with apologies and renewal of their passion. But if we remember the statistics in the first paragraph (one out of three), we know that not all relationships function within this cycle.
Say the relationship gets to the second stage when they are doing the “same old things” but one partner is beginning to criticize the other, or isolated from their families, pressured into sex, makes the other feel guilty or says degrading comments about their partner and the person he/she cares about. All of these things can be seen as warning signs of a controlling/abusive relationship. This takes the place of Stage 3 in the previous paragraph, and unfortunately leads to violence; Stage 4. The first time one person uses violence against the other, it may seem like no big deal at all to the victims. Some do not define it as violence because their partner just threw something, or didn’t hit or bruise them. After the argument the couple moves to the remorse and blame stage; Stage 5. This is the last stage before the cycle repeats. This is when the partner apologizes for his/her behavior. “I didn’t mean to, I love you, I promise I will change.” There the person being abusive will say things like “If you didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have done this” or “this is for your own good” etc. If the partner is forgiven, the relationship will cycle back to Stage 1, but it is important to remember that each time a relationship hits Stage 4, the degree of violence intensifies. I want it to be known that no person is immune to interpersonal violence and often times people who are victims do not tell anyone about the abuse because they are afraid, ashamed, unaware of resources, or they may not even recognize that their relationship is not “normal.” I want victims and survivors to know that they are not alone, this is not their fault, and there are people willing to help. Please know that there are resources on this campus ways you can get involved in ending this kind of violence. Kaitlyn Veiock is a senior psychology major from Darlington, Pa., and is the president of FMLA.
Access to the ‘Plan B pill’ is important for teens
Darrell Neal Black Action Society Recently in the news, the subject of the CATCH (Connecting Adolescents to Comprehensive Healthcare) program was of great debate. The program which gives contraceptives to high school students will be implemented in 13 New York schools that suffer from high teen pregnancy and lack nearby clinics and health services. While many schools throughout the country of fer condoms to its students, the CATCH program will be the first one to offer students contraceptive pills without the need for parental consent or prescriptions. A teenager being able to obtain Plan B pills without parental consent or a prescription is a huge step forward for teens in our current society. Legally, only teenagers 17 and older are allowed to purchase Plan B, unless a nurses gives a prescription
for it, but since Plan B is only effective within the first 72 hours of intercourse, this can be very problematic for current teenagers who might be too shy to come to their parents with such a daunting request. Ho w e v e r w i t h t h e CATCH program, it puts sexually active teenagers and sexually active young adults on the same footing. Both groups of individuals are able to take responsibilities for their actions and handle them how they see fit. Overall, I am in total support of these steps simply because it’s about time America stops acting like we don’t have a problem and address it head on. In New York alone, 7,000 young women under 18 years old become pregnant which is just unacceptable in this day and age. With numbers like those, it’s easy to see that the old saying “wait until marriage and practice abstinence” isn’t the conclusive solution it was designed to be. It’s almost to the point where I feel like America would rather hide its issues then realize they have issues in the first place and the CATCH program is a great first step to fixing this issue that America faces. Even the critics of the
CATCH program who say it will just lead to more risky behavior will have to admit that at least some action is being taken to control the situation at hand. Another reason I am in favor of this new option being offered is because parents have the ability to opt out of the program if they desire. With the opt-out opt ion b eing available, parents who have a problem with CATCH do not have to be effected by it. If they feel as if this is a solution for a problem they don’t have, then they can easily not partake in it. Overall I think it’s safe to say that in the grand scheme of things, teenagers are going to do what they want, regardless of what anybody tells them. It’s just the nature of the beast at that age. The best adults can try to do is steer them in the best direction and if that fails, be there to pick them up when they fall. Overall this is almost a perfect solution to the problem at hand. This is us picking them up when they fall. Darrell Neal is a sophomore psychology major from Pittsburgh, and is a member of the Black Action Society.
CORRECTIONS: September 28 -- Last week’s SGA article said SGA will support the four president’s commissions on LGBTQI’s Coming Out Day. SGA will support the four commissions throughout the year, in conjunction with LGBTQI’s Coming Out Day.
A-5
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” section are those of the writer(s) alone. The Rocket cannot verify all facts presented in a given letter, but if we are aware of an error or omission, we reserve the right to include an editorial note for accuracy’s sake.
APSCUF proposes arbitration to PASSHE So why should students be concerned about “binding interest arbit rat ion” ? Such a phras e is hard ly household terminology. “Binding interest arbitration” is what APSCUF, the union that represents the faculty in your classrooms, has proposed to the Chancellor of the Pe n n s y l v a n i a S t a t e System of Higher Education in order to move comatose contract negotiations forward. The two sides— APSCUF and PASSHE-have been negotiating for two years with little movement; faculty have been working for over a year without a contract, adopting patience as their mode and trying to settle the contrac t re as onably. The last negotiations in S e pt e mb e r, however, revealed the intransigence of a State
System team that refused to agree to the union’s willingness to agree with PASSHE’s position on language in the contract about retrenchment of faculty. Yes, you read that statement correctly. The PASSHE would not agree to the union’s acquiescence on three points that the PASSHE claimed was holding up an agreement on this contract article. Such has been the tenor of negotiations for the last two years. “Binding interest arbitration” means that both sides forward their current negotiations proposals to a panel of three arbitrators who then craft an agreement that is fair to both parties. While “binding interest arbit rat ion” i s n o t m a n d at o r y, it is a legislatively approved process of dispute resolution in Pennsylvania. PASSHE has until October 15, 2012 to accept binding interest arbitration. The APSCUF proposal sounds like a reasonable solution to what has been an unreasonable process. But don’t count on PASSHE agreeing to the proposal. PASSHE will likely state that it does not want an outside
group determining the contract between a d m i n i s t r at i o n a n d faculty. PASSHE has consistently rejected such of fers in past negotiations. But even more likely, PASSHE will reject the offer because it knows that external arbitrators would evaluate many of the State System proposals as unfair and out of sync with what all of the other, large state unions have agreed to and will strike them from the final agreement. So even though APSCUF fully expects that the State System team is unlikely to accept the proposal, it had to make it because APSCUF by-laws require that such an offer be made before the union proceeds with a strike authorization vote. So what is a strike aut h or i z at i on vot e ? Not enough room in this letter to explain that procedure, but stay tuned, because students should be very concerned about a strike authorization vote. Jace Condravy English Professor Past President of APSCUF
Avoiding a ‘walk-in’ on your roommate can be difficult
Jon Janasik Commentary Monday afternoon at approximately 2:43 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, I opened my dorm room door to find my roommate and his girlfriend lying in his bed. Naked. Having sex. Make no mistake, it was never my intention to bust in on them in the middle of the action, it just kind of happened. If it was up to me, that wouldn’t have happened. It was a long Monday morning and at that point in time, I just wanted to sit down, eat a couple of Oreos, drink a glass of milk and play a quick round of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on my Sega Genesis game console. This was not the first time that I’ve walked in on my roommate, and I doubt that it will be the last time. I’m sure that the same thing will inevitably happen to most readers of the Rocket at some point in time in their Slippery Rock career. In order to prevent this situation from being completely life-scarring, I have used my personal experiences to create a short list of tips for avoiding awkwardly walking in on your roommate having sex: First and foremost, it’s important to address the problem up front. Tell your roommate that you want a warning when he or she is having somebody stay the night. I know that it sounds like an embarrassing conversation, but you know what else is embarrassing? Walking in on your roommate having sex. Second, there is always a chance that your roommate may forget, or even straight up ignore your request for a warning. Because of this possibility, I recommend always checking the door before you open it. As we all know, sex can be pretty hot. You know what else is hot? Fire. So when you check the door, you’re going to use the same methodology that you would use to check for a fire. Put both hands against the door to check for heat.
Sex creates friction, friction creates heat, and you should be able to feel that heat from outside of your door. If you’re still not sure about opening the door after the first test, perform the sound test. This one is self-explanatory, just press one of your ears against the door. If you hear nothing, then you’re safe. If you hear screaming, moaning, and depending on your roommate’s level of experience, maybe even laughing, then there is probably a large doses of lovemaking going on in your room. If you hear synthesized blasting in an upbeat variety of techno-inspired soundscapes, then you’re roommate is probably playing an arousing two-player game of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I’ll let you decide if it’s worth walking in or not. The third, final, and most reliable method of avoiding walking in on your roommate, is by you telling your roommate that you’re going to need the room tonight. Do you see what I did there? I turned the problem into the solution. Inevitably, there are going to be some questions. You’re roommate is going to want to know who is coming over. You’re going to need a second person to pull this heist off. Invite that cute girl or boy from across the hall over, maybe text the smart one from geography class, just find somebody. After that, you’ll have the room to yourself. Oh, and with whoever you invited. But that’s fine, you can finally eat some Oreos, drink some milk, and play a game of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In fact, you now have a second person to help you play Sonic the Hedgehog 2! That game is hard. At the end of the first level, the games protagonist Dr. Robotnik tries to swing these large balls at you. In level two, he shoots at you with his robotic goo-gun, and in level three he tries to penetrate you with his drill. You should be happy that you invited somebody over in order to kick your roommate out to get some privacy in order to beat Sonic the Hedgehog 2. You deserve a reward for putting up with walking in on your roommate. I see no better reward than finally being able to beat that game. Unless you and second-player decide to have sex afterwards, I guess. Jon Janasik is a junior professional writing and geology major from Mechanicsburg, Pa. and the News Editor for The Rocket.
A-6
October 5, 2012
October 5, 2012
Dr. C heryl Inaug Nor ton 's uratio 2012 n
Top: President Cheryl Norton's grandson, William, admires her new medallion. Middle Left: President Norton and her husband, Henry, pose for a picture. Middle Right: President Norton follows her peers in the ceremonial procession. Bottom Left: President Norton smiles at the sight of her family's pink "Norton" shirts. Bottom Right: President Norton admires her new tree planted at last weekend's tree planting ceremony. Photos by: Alex Mowrey and Lauren Bonando
A-7
A-8
October 5, 2012
SPORTS
The Rocket
B-1
October 5, 2012
Turnovers lead to loss for SRU By D.J. Vasil Rocket Contributor
D espite 430 tot a l yards by junior quarterback Nigel B ark s d a l e, Sl ipp e r y R o ck University football (2-3, 1-1) fell to Kutztown University (2-3, 0-2), 56-49 Saturday in the rematch of the 2011 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. This was Barksdale’s first start under center for the Rock as he filled in for regular starter, redshirt sophomore Jared Buck. Buck was unable to play due to a lingering concussion. Barksdale didn’t disappoint. While he threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns, he also ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The Rock offense gained 561 yards of offense, compared to 350 yards by the high-powered Golden Bears offense. Unfortunately, the Rock was on the wrong side of the turnover battle. SRU turned the ball over five times, all of which were fumbles. Kutztown committed one turnover, which was an interception. T h e tu r nove rs for SRU proved very costly as Kutztown converted them into 28 points. “Five turnovers, and one of them was a turnover in the end zone, so that’s seven points guaranteed,” head coach George Mihalik said. “Rarely can you beat a team with that many turnovers.” The Rock went into the half down 42-21, with 21 of Kutztown points coming off of turnovers, seven of which came on the first series of the game, as Barksdale fumbled after a 16-yard gain. Kutztown took over and drove the ball 45 yards in six plays for a touchdown.
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
Junior quarterback Nigel Barksdale rolls out of the pocket to pick up a few yards for the Rock against Kutztown University on Saturday. Barksdale started for the injured redshirt sophomore Jared Buck and scored a total of five touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Kevin Morton hooked up with senior wide receiver Colby Tuell from 12-yards out. Morton made the start for The Golden Bears after missing the last one and a half games. SRU woke up in the second half and scored 21 unanswered points to tie the game at 42. Barksdale ran for a 15-yard score and also threw a six-
yard touchdown pass to senior running back Jimmy Zubik. Redshirt senior running back Akeem Satterfield tied the game with a four-yard touchdown run. Slippery Rock then took their first lead of the game as Barksdale found junior receiver LaQuinn Stephens-Howling from 19 yards out to make the score 49-42, after redshirt senior kicker Kurt Brackman converted the extra
point for the Rock. Things turned sour for Slippery Rock late in the fourth quarter as the Rock offense committed two fumbles that in the end cost SRU the game. Satterfield fumbled the ball and allowed Kutztown to take the lead 56-49. With less than two minutes to go, the Green and White was knocking on the door to tie the
game when Stephens-Howlings fumbled the ball. Kutztown would run out the last 75 seconds to secure the victory. “I thought if we maintain that ball we would’ve driven the field and scored on Satterfield’s play,” Mihalik said. “At the end, we had a chance to make the play. We were on the 14 yard line, and we have to hold onto the football.”
Rock football hopes to rain on IUP's homecoming parade By D.J. Vasil Rocket Contributor
Slippery Rock University football (2-3, 1-1) will travel to Miller Field tomorrow to take on the No. 22 ranked Crimson Hawks of Indiana University of Pennsylvania (4-1, 1-1) in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West play. SRU would like nothing more to escape with a victory and spoil their homecoming weekend. The Rock defense will have the tough task of stopping the leading rusher in Division II football, senior running back Harvie Tuck. Tuck has rushed for 762 yards on the season and has nine rushing touchdowns. “He’s the number one rusher in the country in Division II,” Rock head coach George Mihalik said. “You have to try and control Tuck. I don’t think you’re going to ever stop him. You have to try to limit his productivity. He’s a physical downhill runner. When he gets going, he’s tough to bring down.” Despite averaging only 170 yards a game, redshirt junior quarterback Mike Box has come on strong for IUP recently. “They’ve settled in on a kid named Box,” Mihalik said. “He
came in and played well in the Cal game and they threw for some nice yardage in the Millersville game. I think they realized as productive as there run game is, at some point they will need to throw the ball. They have some receivers that can make plays. While your focus is Harvey Tuck, you can’t forget about their passing game.” A growing trend of the year for the Rock defense has been a lack of creating big plays. The lack of big plays is something that Coach Mihalik and company is hoping to change. “When we have chances to make plays, we go to make them,” Mihalik said. “We had a chance at an interception on Kutztown’s game tying drive, and we don’t come up with the interception. All you can do is continue to work hard and try to improve from day to day.” Offensively, the Rock will be up against a rugged and tough IUP defense. IUP defensively gives up an average of 211.6 yards per game. Running the ball may be tough for Satterfield and company, as IUP only gives up an average of 40 yards per game. A play that really defines a defense is “tackles for loss.” IUP
figures well in that department, having totaled 43 tackles for loss on the year. “It will be the best front four we play all year,” Mihalik said. “They are very athletic and physical. Their defensive numbers are very impressive. We are going to have to be able to run the ball because if they get us in passing situations, they can cause problems.” One thing that SRU and IUP have in common is they both have one loss in PSAC-West play. It is very evident that the Rock must win Saturday’s game to stay in the hunt for the PSACWest crown. “We need a win,” Mihalik said. “We need a win bad, and this is a tough opponent to try to get back on the winning track. We both have a loss in the conference and, basically two losses in the conference and you’re not going to win the conference. This is a need game from a conference perspective.” The Rock will continue PSAC-West play next Saturday as they continue their road trip as they travel to Memorial Stadium to take on the Golden Eagles of Clarion. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
The Slippery Rock football team huddles around head coach George Mihalik after the 56-49 loss to Kutztown University on Saturday. SRU takes on Indiana University of Pennsylvania tomorrow at 2 p.m.
Sports
B-2
October 5, 2012
Case leads team on and off the course By Matthew Morgan Rocket Contributor
Race-day Fridays have a certain ritual for senior Stephanie Case. Wake up, eat a quick breakfast, go to class, fit in a quick lunch, finish class around 5 p.m., and rush to get to the course in time for the race, all while the anxiety and queasy stomach follow her around throughout the duration of the day. “No matter how big or small the meet is, I always get nervous.” Case said. Case is arguably one of the most recognized athletes in all of Division II Women’s cross-country and track. She is a four-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference qualifier and last season's PSAC 10,000 meter champion. Last week, she was named PSAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week. Case, from Columbiana, Ohio, first attended and ran at the University of Miami in Ohio before transferring to Slippery Rock after one year. "SRU just seemed like a better fit for my personality,” Case said. Case was a walk on athlete for the cross country and track programs here at Slippery Rock and since then, it seems like she hasn’t stopped running. Senior Stephanie Clark has not only been a teammate of Case’s but also a close friend for the entirety of their respective running careers. “She is an amazing athlete and works very hard, but she always finds the time to check up on everyone else,” Clark said. "We all look to her for advice and motivation prior to the start of the race.” Outside of spending her time running, Case is a biology major who enjoys swimming, putting salt on everything, outdoor activities, and is an avid rock climber. “Originally I only ran to stay in
shape for swimming, because I always wanted to swim in college. In high-school, running took over that dream and now here I am today,” Case said. But running wasn’t always Case’s forte; in fact, her career was almost over before it even started. “My first day of practice in seventh grade I cried the whole way home and every day after practice because I hated it so much, Case said. “My coach from middle school was there to reassure me and was still there for me through high school as well. He was always there encouraging me to go on and to be better.” During her three years of participation with the Slippery Rock cross country and track teams, head coach John Papa has guided and motivated her to excel. “Coach Papa has always been there for me and is always pushing me to be better each day," Case said. "He has believed in me and helped me accomplish things I didn’t believe I could do.” Running doesn’t come naturally and it takes perseverance through the pain and consumption of seemingly all of your energy, which Case knows first hand. “If anyone approached me and said they were interested in beginning a cross country career, I would tell them it's going to be really hard at first, even just to run a couple of miles," Case said. "But cross country is all about repetition, repetition and repetition. You'll get used to it and running becomes a lot easier.” With this year being Case’s last year of school, her post-collegiate future is waiting just around the corner. Along with applying to several physician assistant schools, Case intends on completing a marathon as well as an Iron-Man triathlon. “Looking back on my career, I
have some unfinished business," Case said. "I came really close to making nationals in both track seasons, as well as cross country last year. I would really like to qualify for nationals this year in every sport.” During cross country season, Case finished 12th at the Regional Championship last year just missing qualifying for the NCAA Division II Nationals by six seconds. When Case isn’t focusing on a race on the weekend, it’s all about spending a few days kicking back and relaxing. “Next to running, being lazy is my favorite activity.” Case said. Case is a firm believer in that if you want something bad enough, you can have it. “I have a lot of heart, and in those tough races that is what it comes down to," Case said. "Whoever wants it the most is going to win." With two more guaranteed meets in Case’s cross country season, it's time for her to go out and leave it all on the course. The SRU Invitational will be held tomorrow and the PSAC Championships will be on October 20. “When I think of cross country, the first things that come to mind are: pain, mud and sweat. There is no feeling better than the one following a really hard race or a really hard workout, that makes it all worth it.” Case said. Case has definitely left her mark on the Slippery Rock women’s cross-country and track team both through her consistently fantastic performance on the course, as well as her humble attitude amongst her teammates. Cross-country has never been a sport that is highly glorified in the media or put above many other sports in a spotlight, but athletes like Stephanie Case help make the sport exciting to watch.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN PAPA
Senior Stephanie Case gets out to an early lead at Lock Haven University on September 22. Case won the race with a time of 21:31.
SRU men's soccer hits road to continue PSAC action By Kristin Karam Assistant Sports Editor
The Slippery Rock men’s soccer team battled against California University of Pa. and Shippensburg University last weekend and then took on Bloomsburg University on Wednesday to move their season record to 5-2-4. All three games were Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference matchups. The Green and White recorded a win, a loss, and a tie, which moves their conference record to 1-2-1. PSAC competition kicked off last Friday against California University. Slippery Rock was the first to find the net and recorded a goal at the six minute mark to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman midfielder Ryan Lutke scored off of a double assist from senior defender Drew Donoghue and junior defender Joshua Gray. Cal-U tied the game 1-1 at the 17 minute mark, then scored another goal to take the lead in the 32nd minute. The Rock was unable to answer back the remainder of the game and allowed Cal to find the net and increase the Vulcan’s lead to 3-1 at the 73rd minute mark. Sophomore midfielder Joshua Puskar feels that the team still has the potential to be serious PSAC competitors despite the setback of the loss. “As a team, we still have room to improve,” Puskar said. “Every team makes mistakes, but we are a tight
group and every player brings something to the table. We’re capable of performing at the next level.” SRU got back on their feet during last Saturday afternoon’s game and recorded their first PSAC win against Shippensburg. It was a physical match that resulted in a total of 46 fouls and nine cautions between the two teams. Senior forward Michael Ramirez capitalized on two penalty kicks that were both drawn by sophomore forward Chris Davis. “It definitely felt good to score on the penalty kicks and get our first PSAC win of the season,” Ramirez said, “But a lot of the credit for those goals belongs to Chris Davis. He was able to draw both of the fouls in the box, which gave me the opportunity to score.” Ramirez’s first penalty kick goal occurred in the 21st minute of the game after there was a handball inside the box. Shippensburg came into the second half and tied up the game 1-1 in just 19 seconds. The game remained at a stalemate until Davis was pulled down inside the box in the 85th minute and given another penalty kick. Ramirez sank the goal to score the game winner for the Rock. Ramirez feels that the team is continuing to come together every day as the season progresses and that if they stay focused they will continue to have success. “This was a huge win
for us, coming off of a loss against Cal-U the day before,” Ramirez said. “We need to keep the momentum going and just take the season one game at a time.” Slippery Rock had a few days to recuperate before they faced Bloomsburg on Wednesday. Although Bloomsburg had control of possession during the first half, the scored remained 0-0 heading into halftime. Both teams created chances to score after the half, but neither one could seize the opportunities. The Rock faced yet another double overtime game at home. Puskar acknowledged the disappointment of not being able to turn the ties into wins, but remains focused on the positive aspects. “We have played great teams this year,” Puskar said. “We would love to make all of those ties wins, but we can’t always get what we want. Each week we need to just look at the positives and continue to push ourselves.” Slippery Rock posted a 4-0 edge in total shots and a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks in the second overtime session. Despite these statistics, the game remained scoreless and the Green and White recorded their fourth tie of the season. The Rock will continue PSAC play, when they head on the road for the first time since September 11, with an 8:30 p.m. match against East Stroudsburg University.
October 5, 2012
Sports
B-3
Rock bounces back with PSAC win By Nikolas Horniacek Rocket Contributor
The SRU women’s soccer team ended their recent struggles with a dominant 5-1 win against conference rival Bloomsburg University on Wednesday afternoon. After falling to California University (Pa.) in a heartbreaking double overtime loss last Friday, and coming up short against Shippensburg on Saturday, the Green and White turned things around with a powerful offensive performance in a much needed Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference match-up. Slippery Rock now posts a record of 7-3-0 overall and 4-3-0 in PSAC play, as they enter the major course of their schedule. SRU showed their might on Wednesday, scoring five unanswered goals in their 5-1 victory over the Huskies. "Wednesday was a must win for us to stay in the hunt for things the rest of the season,” head coach Noreen Herlihy said. “The coaches asked for a response and we got it. We had control of the game in the first half.” The Rock was unstoppable on offense, posting advantages of 33-3 in total shots, 18-3 in shots on goal, and 12-0 in corner kicks. It was the Huskies who struck first with a free kick goal by defender Lauren Kreglow in the 20th minute. The Green and White tied the game in the 41st minute to enter halftime all even at 1-1. Belief was the message to the players at half time. “They got to believe that they are good enough to compete after coming off back to back losses," Herlihy said. “We came out and played the Rock soccer we know we are capable of. “ The Rock came out guns blazing in the second half, scoring four goals in just over 10 minutes and tallying 12 shots on goal in the first 12 minutes. Sophomore forward Lucy Hannon picked up two goals and grabbed one assist in another stellar performance. She now has seven goals and four assists on the season. “Hannon has big expectations on her shoulders with so many injuries,” Herlihy said. “She’s capable of meeting them. She is a tireless worker and works her socks off.”
Sophomore midfielder Leslie Henny added a goal and an assist while sophomore forward Alexandra Brosky picked up two assists. Senior captain and defender Emer Flatley and sophomore forward Nichole Krueger each had a goal, while junior defender Lauren Impey and senior midfielder Shelby Ward rounded out the score sheet with an assist each. Junior keeper Dana O’Neill earned her seventh win in goal for the Rock, recording three saves. Flatley led the charge for SRU, tallying the game-tying goal in the 41st minute, when she scored her first goal of the season, off of the assist from Impey. Hannon grabbed what would become the game-winning goal in the 61st minute, off the header from Brosky. Krueger notched her first of the year with a header in the 68th minute off a cross from Hannon. It took just 63 seconds for the Rock to make it 4-1, when Henny chipped the keeper after getting the pass from Brosky. Hannon grabbed her second goal of the match in the 72nd minute on a two-on-one breakaway with Ward, who picked up the assist. Slippery Rock pulled its starting 10 field players after picking up the fifth goal. The Rock finished the game with 21 players seeing action. The Rock needed this victory after a disappointing weekend double-header. “They absolutely gave a fantastic response after back to back losses and it’s everything that we needed,” Herlihy said. The Rock faced a difficult loss on Friday when California (Pa.) scored the golden goal on their only shot of the second overtime with 47 seconds left on the clock to claim the 2-1 victory. California was locked in their own half of the field for nine minutes of the second overtime until a foul gave California possession with just over a minute to play. “We did have most of the possession in the game against Cal,” junior midfielder Stephanie Buckenheimer said. “But in the end we made a mistake that cost us the game. Cal was a good team and took advantage of that mistake!” Slippery Rock posted a 6-1 shot advantage
EMILY SCHUBERT/THE ROCKET
Junior defender Izabel Scott attempts to steal the ball away from a Shippensburg University forward during the match on Saturday.
in the overtime with a 4-1 advantage with shots on goal. The Rock finished the game with a 19-18 total shot advantage, 8-6 in shots on goal, and 8-3 on corner kicks. “The players are bitterly disappointed,” Herlihy said. “They worked hard and we clearly dominated the overtime period, but we couldn’t come away with any points.” After their heart-breaking double overtime loss, the Rock had little time to rest before the second match of their double-header on Saturday against Shippensburg University. The game was back and forth throughout the first half but both teams were held scoreless. SRU came out in the second half, posting a 7-2 edge in shots over the first 30 minutes.
The Raiders powered through to grab two goals in the final ten minutes of the contest to grab the 2-0 shutout victory. The Rock was desperate for a turn-around as they move into the heart of their schedule, closing out the season with seven straight PSAC match-ups. “This weekend was rough,” Buckenheimer said, “We showed the team what we are capable of! We are getting back on the right track and we are all looking forward to continuing to redeem ourselves this weekend.” Slippery Rock will travel to East Stroudsburg for a 6 p.m. kick-off Saturday. East Stroudsburg posts a 5-2-3 record and a 4-1-2 record in conference play.
B-4
October 5, 2012
The Rocket
CAMPUS LIFE C-1 October 5, 2012
You are not alone
A new threat:
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX MOWREY
Suicide tops car accidents as leading cause of injury-related death in country
By Courtney Tietje Assistant Campus Life Editor
Someone dies by suicide every 15 minutes, according to the SRU Counseling Center website. On September 27, CNN featured an article that stated that suicides have now exceeded car crashes as the leading cause of injury-related death. Suicide rates are particularly high for college students for two main reasons. According to Dr. Carol Holland, a psychologist in the student counseling center, one of the factors is the amount of stressors impacting today’s world. “We are doing so much more than we ever had to do,” Holland said. “When I think about when I was growing up and the things that I have to do today that I didn’t have to do back then, it’s unbelievable. Simple things. I think about the simplest things. I think about how I never had to bag my own groceries, [because] we had bag boys. I never had to pump my own gas. I now have to scan my own groceries. I can develop my own pictures now. I don’t even have to go to a bank. I can do my own banking. And those are all great things for convenience, but those are all more things that I have to do through my day.” Holland elaborated that when the stressors add up between the “simple” and not-so-simple ones, life can become difficult to manage. SEE COUNSELORS, PAGE C-3
Reaching out Students learn to take helpful action against mental illnesses By Chloe Finigan Rocket Contributor
Veronie said would benefit most from the apps. “There are people who say ‘I’m always anxious,’ so those people could put a timer on these programs, in which the timer will go off randomly and they can report what they’re doing and how they’re feeling at that exact moment,” she said. “When patients play back what they recorded, they hear themselves saying, ‘I’m doing okay’ or ‘I can do this,’ and it helps them more to hear their own voice.” Veronie also gave an example about how the apps would not be a good idea for some patients. “If someone has schizophrenia, they are seeing and hearing things that don’t exist in the world, so I don’t think having a device talk to them would be terribly soothing,” she said.
Understanding mental health is a growing issue today, and one major issue regarding mental illness that is misunderstood and growing in numbers is suicide, particularly in college students. According to the Center for Disease Control’s 2006 study, suicide is the third leading cause of death in young adults aged 18-25. Junior psychology major and Active Minds president Tim Martin, 20, said he believes that the stress of college is one of the main factors that can lead to suicide and depression for young adults. “College is a stressful time,” Martin said, “and different disorders come out at different times of stress.” College does bring in a lot of stress and stressful circumstances for a lot of students, from the non-stop battle with balancing a social life and academics, to the debt and loans one may pick up for most colleges and universities. According the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) website, The American College Health Association’s 2008 National College Health Assessment found that 94 percent of the college and university students surveyed reported that they felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do. In fact, the extent of the effect of college stress is often something not known around campus. Dr. Melissa Nard, associate professor for the department of Psychology and the adviser for the Active Minds organization, said that this growing issue has been evident in the counseling center. “Every semester, a student is hospitalized [due to anxiety caused by stress],” Nard said, “We see a wide range of issues.” Nard also encourages her students to go voluntarily, but she added, “We can use force if need be.” Sophomore public health major and vice president of Active Minds Morgan Arentz, 19, said she believes that the openness, on top of the stress one may face in college, is another
SEE NEW, PAGE C-3
SEE GROUP, PAGE C-3
EMILY SCHUBERT/THE ROCKET
A recent study conducted by the American Journal of Health showed that in 2009, suicide passed automotive traffic collisions as the leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S. The crude rate of suicides per 100,000 was measured at 12.02, a 15-percent increase from the crude rate of suicides in the year 2000.
New apps designed as therapy tools to help the mentally ill By Alyssa Cirincione Rocket Contributor
In a world where there is an app for just about everything, it is not much of a surprise that there are many smart phone applications that are designed to help people with mental health disorders. According to an article from CNN.com, the apps are designed to help people cope with different health disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, bi-polar, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to psychology professor Dr. Linda Veronie, these smart phone tools are a great way to help get therapy treatments outside of a therapist’s office, but not meant to replace therapy all together. “The apps are great adjuncts to good therapy,
but none of them sound sophisticated enough to replace good therapy,” Veronie said. Veronie explained that a lot of therapists give their patients homework assignments to practice what they talked about in therapy, helping patients to always be aware of how they are feeling. She said these apps would be a great way to record and keep track of those homework assignments. “A lot of people don’t want to sit in a meeting or in class and pull out a notebook to write down what they’re thinking,” she said. “I think using an app to complete homework assignments is more discrete, so more people would be inclined to use it. So, instead of carrying a notebook they can just activate this app and record it in the moment meaningfully.” Anxiety is one of the mental health disorders that
Campus Life
C-2
October 5, 2012
Mumford and Sons’ “Babel” an excellent followup to debut album
Tim Durr Commentary As a consumer of mainly hiphop music, there were a ton of albums that I was excitedly awaiting over the summer of 2012. From Kanye West and Co. releasing “Cruel Summer” to Lupe Fiasco dropping “Food & Liquor 2,” I was on the edge of my seat for these albums to release. Then I was watching “Saturday Night Live” a few weekends ago and saw Mumford & Sons performing a new song that I’d never heard before. After a few minutes of research, I found that Mumford & Sons had a new single called “I Will Wait” and a new album titled, “Babel.” Even though I mainly listen to rap music, I have favorite bands from all genres and after hearing Mumford & Sons’ debut album, “Sigh No More” in 2010, I had found a favorite band in the folk music genre (not that they had much competition). After falling in love with the band and their unique style on “Sigh No More,” I had to go grab a copy of “Babel” and see how it stacked up. After several listens, I can’t say that it’s better or worse than “Sigh No More,” but it’s definitely worth a listen. The intro song which happens to have the same name as the album’s title, “Babel,” starts off with a slow rhythmic intro for a few counts and then takes off with the rough vocals of lead singer Marcus Mumford. From the intro song on, there is a mix of a melodic sound that makes you feel like you’re kicking back and drinking in an Irish pub to an in-your-face roar that sounds as if you’re preparing for a war. While the intro hits with a sonic roar, the second track “Whispers in the Dark” lands somewhere in the middle of roar and melody and adds a fresh twist to the
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Mumford and Sons, a folk music band that released their debut album, “Sigh No More” in 2010, released their new album, “Babel” on September 24. The band has been praised by critics for their unique sound and strong lyrics.
bands typical style with a little electric guitar ambience. Next is the lead single, “I Will Wait.” The immediate strum of strings hypnotizes the listener and once the chorus hits, you’ll be singing, “I will wait, I will wait for you,” for hours. The catchiness of the song makes it an obvious choice for a single, and I’m sure it will have the staying power on the charts that “Little Lion Man” did two years ago. The tone gets more somber after “I Will Wait” with “Holland Road,” a song about selfconfidence in the face of doubt, as it goes, “you cut me down, but I still believe.” The belief in oneself is one of the main messages displayed in
Ask Ana "Ana Graham"
Question: Dear Ana, I’m getting a tattoo today. But I’m afraid of what my parents will say. How should I tell them? #collegeproblems
Answer: Dear College, You should send them a picture message by email, text, or Facebook with a photo of your new tramp stamp, Mike Tyson-style face tattoo, or lame hipster moustache on a finger tat. Along with the photo, send them a message saying, “HEY MOM AND DAD LOOK WHAT I DID WITH MY LOAN MONEY. A N Y E M P L OY E R T HAT WON’T HIRE ME ISN’T GOOD
ENOUGH FOR ME ANYWAYS! #YOLO #5EVER.” Or wait until the next holiday that you will see them again. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if your family is having some sort of large dinner, this would be the perfect opportunity to jump on the table, flash your tattoo and yell something about anarchy and how you’ll never live up to dad’s expectations anyway. Or you could just wait until the next time you see them face to face and bring it up in a calm and casual way, expressing why you wanted the tattoo but that you still respect their feelings.
Question: Dear Ana, Why did the wooly mammoth become extinct? Tyrannosaurus Tex
Answer: Dear Tex, Not too many people know this, but wooly mammoths were pretty cool fellows and a good time to hang around with. They just
“Babel,” along with some songs about love being gained and love being lost. As the next tune after “Holland Road” kicks on, I start to feel that Mumford is setting me up for another sad song, but just as the end of “Holland Road” did, “Ghosts That We Knew” starts out very somber and then kicks up and gets you tapping to the tune midway through. I don’t see this as a negative that many of the songs seem to have a similar pattern of slow starts and up-beat melody by the end. However, it doesn’t help each song stand out as its own. The next two songs feel like they were put back-to-back to
tell a story as “Lover of the Light” stands out as a positive ballad of joy and love, and “Lovers’ Eye” serves as the flip side where it touches on a dark view of love. The next three songs, being “Reminder,” “Hopeless Wanderer” and “Broken Crown” all have deeper and harder sounds. “Reminder” is a shorter song that has a very basic sound and touches on fading love, while “Hopeless Wanderer” and “Broken Crown” are both very dark sounding self-reflective tunes that leave you feeling optimistic about things at the end. The second to last track, “Below My Feet,” has more hints of electric guitar and continues the
overall trend of self-reflection and belief in oneself. The overall strong melody at the end of the song makes you wish it was the final track of the album. “Not With Haste” serves as the final track and feels like a note to the audience that Mumford & Sons is going to keep making their music the way they want to and you can either enjoy or not. After listening to this sophomore performance from Mumford & Sons, I’m definitely glad they’re going to continue making music their way because I’ll keep listening.
wanted their fellow prehistoric creatures to listen to them. Instead, no one listened to the wooly mammoths because creatures that have the word “wooly” in its name do not command a lot of authority because they are perceived as fluffy and docile. So the wooly mammoths died, and they are still ignored. They are ignored just like deadlines in Newswriting and Feature Journalism classes, and that is why students should respect deadlines. If they don’t respect deadlines or listen to their highly esteemed professor, said professor will become extinct or wooly or something. I have no idea where I was going with this, but I hope you learned a lesson.
wine people are called. However, the best question to ask yourself is this: “Is this wine in a box?” If the wine is indeed packaged in box form, then it is not high quality. If it is not in a box then you are less likely to regret drinking it the next morning. Price is never a good way to determine the quality of wine. Counterfeit wines have been known to be priced insanely high, and even rich people in Californian vineyards can’t honestly tell the difference between a wine that’s been aged 75 years and a wine that was fermented in a prison toilet about six months ago. Instead of drinking box wine or potential toilet wine, just don’t buy wine.
and a set routine to be able to fulfill every task one has, but one surprise-added element can throw a whole day, if not a week or longer, off kilter. Also, it is hard to juggle everything that a college student has in the first place. Most students work on top of having class, have social and romantic connections, and also have a need to sleep, shower and eat. I once saw a triangle diagram where on each of the three edges was a different option – sleep, good grades and social life. Below the triangle was a caption about how a student can only choose two. There’s got to be a sacrifice somewhere. Then again, there are also distractions, and everyone has at least one – partying, video games, Reddit, “South Park” streaming on Netflix, or maybe all four of those at the same time. Students need to learn that there is nothing wrong with distractions. They are good to relieve stress and keep a sane mind. What students need to learn is the willpower to restrict their distractions.
Question: Dear Ana, When shopping for wine, what is the most important factor to consider as a judge of quality, and how does one determine if the wine they’re purchasing is worth its price tag before they actually buy it? Wino
Answer: Dear Wino, I am n ot a wine critic, aficionado, or whatever fancy
Question: Dear Ana, Why do college students such as myself have such a difficult time developing good time management skills despite the extensive list of resources the school provides to help them? The Master Procrastinator
Answer: Dear Master, The resources provided don’t always work because the world is not a perfect vacuum. A person can have a day planner, alarms,
Tim Durr is a senior journalism major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.
To submit a question, search for Ask Ana on Facebook, or send an email to askanagraham@ymail.com. "Ana Graham" is a senior public relations major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.
October 5, 2012
Campus Life
C-3
Counselors look toward awareness for suicide prevention Continued from Page C-1
“Imagine if somebody has a lot of things going on with them – there’s been a death in the family, a change in their economic status, they’ve lost their job, they’re in the middle of a divorce,” she said. “They’re failing a course, pressure from parents to perform, those kinds of things. All these things just add more and more and more [stress].” The second large contributing factor, according to Dr. Jason Braun, who is also a counselor in the student counseling center, is revealed in recent studies on resiliency. “There’s a lot of research now that’s exploring the idea of maybe resiliency
[being a factor] and that there seems to be a lack of those kind of resiliency and coping skills in folks that are right around this college age group, and there are a lot of different theories about why that might be,” Braun said. According to Holland, suicide prevention begins with education. The counseling center works together with the student health center and other oncampus programs to bring awareness and education on recognizing the signs of suicide, recognizing thoughts of suicide in yourself or a friend, and taking the necessary steps to get help. “I think educating ourselves about what is suicide, what is depression, what is anxiety is very important,” Holland said. “To recognize the signs
and symptoms… to be able to observe this behavior in other folks, to be able to identify them and get them help.” The signs of suicide may be few or numerous, and according to Braun, can include statements directed around suicide or death, steps towards suicide (making plans, handing out their possessions, attempting to gain access to a means of suicide, etc.), written statements referring to suicide, and more. A fuller list of the signs and symptoms of suicide can be found on the SRU Counseling Center website. When a student recognizes these signs in themselves or another person, they are encouraged to take action. Dr. Braun stated that it is often helpful to be direct with the person.
“Saying, ‘I’m worried about you, and I wonder if maybe you’re thinking about killing yourself.’ Just being that direct and asking oftentimes will be experienced as a very relieving thing for that student because it’s validating them that somebody is seeing that they are in so much pain, and by opening that dialogue up you are giving them [the opportunity] to talk about something that’s they’ve been maybe carrying around for a long time,” he said. Dr. Braun and Dr. Holland both emphasized the importance of finding the student help, whether through the counseling center, health services, a hotline, or an outside organization. “[A student contemplating suicide
may feel] they don’t have any other options, and so to not be here anymore becomes an option that allows them to feel like they would have hope of not feeling this kind of pain,” Braun said. “If you can connect with a student that’s feeling that way and help them recognize that it’s not really about them wanting to die, it’s about not wanting to feel the way they’re feeling anymore, and then helping them see that they do have other options that maybe they didn’t realize they had before.” But again, awareness, education, and intervention seem to be crucial. “The more people that are aware of what to look for and are aware of their options, the better chance we have of preventing [suicide],” Braun said.
Group aims to end stigma of mental illness New apps designed to help those with general anxiety, depression Continued from Page C-1
reason why this recurrence has been able to get so much attention. “There is better awareness of your emotions,” Arentz said, “and that leads to more early detections.” Arentz said that early detection is key to helping students on college campuses. Early detection is done by observing symptoms and signs in students. Nard said there are signs and symptoms that one can be aware of when trying to prevent them from becoming worse. “There are a range of signs and symptoms,” she said. “Some include general changes in mood, excessive behavior, and changes in eating behaviors.” Some other symptoms to watch for, according to Nard, are alcohol abuse, drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, and withdrawal from activities. Nard also emphasized taking advantage of the resources. “[Mental illness] is a nationally growing trend, but college students are
more willing to get help,” Nard said. The counseling center helps students by setting up individual meetings, and also reaching out to students in focus groups. But it’s hard to detect warning signs based on these signals alone because not all students are easy to read, according to Martin. “It all depends on the person,” Martin said. “Some are in a more open group, and others are closed off.” Although attempting to help with this issue may seem like a large feat on an individual basis, there are many grants that are being given out to colleges around the country to fund or create programs, as well as start new programs to prevent student suicides, according to SAMHSA’s website. Slippery Rock’s Counseling Center is just one of the many organizations that works to prevent suicides as well as work with many students on how to cope with the amount of stress that college brings. The Active Minds organization is another resource that tries to bring awareness to many disorders that are often misunderstood today, according
to Martin. Martin, as president, said that he has seen a huge improvement of members and of awareness over the past two years. Both Martin and Arentz have been in the club since their freshman year, and both said they have seen a major improvement on campus. “From last year until now, the group has doubled in size,” Arentz said. “[During] my first meeting here, the only members were my friend and myself.” It is the motto of the Active Minds organization and of the counseling center to raise awareness of suicide and other mental illnesses that affect others. According to Nard, Active Minds centers many of its presentations on the 1-in-4 statistic, where one in every four adults is diagnosed with a mental illness. Nard said that she and the members of Active Minds all hope that the stigmas will be erased through awareness activities on campus, and help understand what bring about mental illness and how to help someone affected by mental illness.
Continued from Page C-1
According to the CNN article, even if people aren’t diagnosed with a mental illness, the apps can still benefit them from recognizing what triggers their bad moods or helping them to think in a more positive way. Debi Lyons-Genovesi, a licensed clinical social worker from Cranberry, Pa. has been a therapist for 20 years. Genovesi stressed that the apps could be a good idea for some patients, but not for all. “I think that if patients use the app by itself, it would not be a good thing,” Genovesi said. “Therapy is mainly feedback, [and] using the app alone is just a way to get more ideas in the patients’ heads without any feedback or progress.” Genovesi explained that she doesn’t even want her patients to get information on their mental health disorder online, because a lot of online
information can be misleading. “I always tell my clients, ‘please don’t go online and research,’ [because] it’s too much unfiltered information and it can lead to getting wrong ideas in people’s heads,” she said. Genovesi then stressed that she wouldn’t recommend the use of the app to just any patient because the use of the app will not have the same effect on everyone. “An app like that could actually make people worse,” she said. “I would really have to know the client to know if that would work or not. OCD usually has an isolation issue and I’m afraid that would ignite that issue and they would think that they could use it on their own. You don’t want to encourage isolation or more ways to hide with what’s going on with patients. It’s hard for most people to even step into a therapist’s office, and people might not go because of these apps.”
C-4
October 5, 2012