SRU Rocket 11-4-11

PSAC-West Champs Sports

u

The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com

Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper

Friday, November 4, 2011

C-1

Est. 1934

Volume 94, Number 7

New app puts criminal records at finger tips

By Catie Clark Rocket Contributor

A new mobile app released Oct. 24 gives Pennsylvania residents the ability to perform background checks from any smartphone statewide.

Docket In Your Pocket (DYP), which is available for Android devices and iPhones, sells for $2.99 and allows users to search by name through a database of 32.5 million court records dating from 2000, ranging anywhere from parking violations to murder.

Matt Haindfield, a lawyer from Iowa, invented Docket In Your Pocket. His original incentive for creating DYP was to check on a witness’s questionable criminal record.

When he discovered that it was nearly impossible to navigate through court records on a mobile device, he researched other mobile options, but came up empty-handed. He then decided to create his own.

Since the Oct. 24 launch of the app, Haindfield has had his two young daughters in mind.

“I wanted to ensure that when they’re living away from home or are out on the dating scene, they’ll be better able to make informed decisions about the people they’ll encounter,” Haindfield said in a press release. “Knowledge is power, and more information means smarter choices.”

Haindfield also explains why he started with Pennsylvania, instead of Iowa, his home state.

“We wanted a state with a large percentage of smartphone users and where there was an existing database of criminal records,” Haindfield says.

“Pennsylvania fit the bill.”

Haindfield also recognizes other uses for the DYP app.

“I believe this app will be useful for singles, parents, students, law enforcement personnel, attorneys and anyone interested in learning about the criminal background of others,” he said. “Our goal is to make the world a safer place to live and work.”

Next on the horizon, Haindfield will be adding a similar product for civil records, such as divorce records.

Haindfield said he is gathering data from Pennsylvania’s 67 counties and could complete that process in the next six months.

He plans to launch similar apps in each state over the next year, starting with other states with large populations of smartphone users and accessible court data, such as California, he said.

After that, he plans to release a “master app” that will search criminal records in all states, and possibly create similar software for other platforms in the future, such as a browser-based application, he said.

LEXI KOVSKI/THE ROCKET

Two SRU students charged with rape

By Will Deshong Rocket Staff Reporter

L ast week, Slipper y Rock University’s campus was rocked by the news of an alleged rape involving SRU students that occurred in September, making several members of the campus community question why they weren’t informed earlier.

According to Slippery Rock Borough Police Lt. Brian Hoak, it was a standard time frame.

“Basically, the officer had to wait until the district attorney approved the complaint,” Hoak said. “In a serious case of this magnitude, it takes time.”

The time between the alleged incident and the issuing of the arrest warrant was in no way wasted,

according to Hoak.

“The investigation was ongoing during the time,” Hoak said. “Once the officer had enough information, he presented an affidavit to the DA, who then had to read and approve it.”

When the news finally did reach the campus community, the details made for a chilling story that came about on the same weekend news of another violent crime, a physical assault, took place near campus.

Bryan Chieze, 21, and Braydon Micaletti, 22, both of New Castle, allegedly simultaneously raped a female student at a home on West Cooper Street, located behind Ginger Hill Tavern on Sept.

SEE ALLEGED PAGE A-2

SEE APP, PAGE A-3

Female SRU student threatened at gunpoint

By Brian Brodeur News Editor

A female Slippery Rock University student was threatened with a gun at the University Village apartment complex on Friday, Oct. 21.

The student’s name is being withheld on the recommendations of Pennsylvania State Police, who believe that the incident might be gang related.

The threat occurred when the victim left an apartment in her building at the University Village and found a group of college-aged males outside in the hallway.

“One of the guys grabbed me and started pulling on my clothes,” the student said. “I told him not to touch me but, he wouldn’t listen.”

The male then asked her to come back to his place, but she said no and he became upset and frustrated according SEE VICTIM, PAGE A-2

News

A-2

Rock Notes

Alleged rapists released on $50,000 bail, preliminary hearings set for November 16 Continued from Page a-1

Study Abroad Informational Meetings

Interested in traveling to new places, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures? Study Abroad is a great opportunity to do all of these things! To find out more information about Study Abroad come to an Informational Meeting, held weekly on Tuesdays 12:30pm – 1:30pm or Wednesdays 1:00pm – 2:00pm, Carruth Rizza Hall, Room 212.

Act now, the Application Deadlines will soon be fast approaching! Questions? Contact International Services Graduate Assistant Tess Crispin at tmc0451@sru.edu.

37th Annual International Dinner

Tickets are now on sale for the 37th Annual International Dinner, scheduled for Saturday November 12, 7 PM in the UUMPR. Food and entertainment from around the globe are the highlight of the evening. Tickets must be purchased in advance: $12 for SRU students, $22 for general public, $8 for children under age 12, and available at the University Union Information Desk or on the SRU Website link for Events/Tickets/ Calendars. Other questions can be directed to the International Services Office, ext. 2057. This yummy event sells out ever year, so don’t miss you chance to get tickets now!

Registration Assistance for Spring 2012

The office of Academic Records and Summer School, located at 107 Old Main, will be open until 6:00 p.m. on the evenings of Wednesday, November 9th and Thursday, November 17th to assist students with registrations and dropping and adding classes for spring 2012.

Student Veterans Education Programs

There will be a film screening of Service the Film: When Women Come Marching Home on Tuesday, November 8th at 7 p.m. in the M.P.R. The film portrays the courage of several women veterans as they transition from active duty to their civilian lives. We see the horrific traumas they faced, their invisible as well as physical injuries and all their challenges in receiving benefits and care. We follow them through the large and small accomplishments they work mightily to achieve.The co-producer, Patty Stotter, will be in attendance, as well as her guest Kim Specht and service Dog Toby to talk about PTSD. The film is being co-sponsored by The Women's Center, UPB, SGA, The Women's Studies Program, College of Business, FMLA, The Student Veterans of America Chapter at Slippery Rock, The President's Commission on Disabilities, and The President's Commission on Women's Issues.

On Tuesday November 10th, during common hour in ECB Auditorium, there will be a presentation on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. The Butler VA hospital will have two Veterans from the Wounded Warrior Project share their stories on PTSD and how it affects their lives. On Friday, November 11th at 8 a.m., there will be a Veterans Breakfast, where there will be several guest speakers and the announcing of a Military Package Drive that will help support Army Troops in Afghanistan. There is a request in to President Smith's Office to Proclaim next week Veterans Appreciation Week. Questions? Contact Mike Crum at smc0365@sru.edu or at 814-657-0750.

Forecast from National Weather Service Saturday Friday Sunday Mostly Sunny

High: 49; Low: 28

Sunny

29, according to a police criminal complaint filed by the Slippery Rock Borough police department.

Both Chieze and Micaletti were charged with rape, involuntar y deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and unlawful restraint, according to the criminal complaints filed against them on Oct. 22.

These charges came three weeks after the alleged crimes took place.

The victim stated that she was speaking to Chieze and Micaletti in a bedroom of the home before they

Mostly Sunny

High: 50; Low: 30 High: 56; Low: 40

over p owere d her and committed the assault.

According to the filed complaint, the victim told police that a few minutes after the assault began, she heard her friend screaming her name outside the room.

Her friend told police that she had opened the door to a bedroom to find Micaletti over the victim, holding her down, while Chieze was between her legs.

Both of the men were engaging in the assault, according to the witness.

After closing the door for about five seconds, the witness said she opened

it again to find Micaletti sitting in the corner of the bed in the fetal position and added that he would not look at her.

Chieze was standing and asked her not to tell his girlfriend. The victim ran out of the room crying and later threw up.

The two men were released from the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail and are set to appear in court on Nov. 16 for preliminary hearings.

The victim was treated at the Grove City Medical Center for injuries to her lip and neck.

The responding officer

first spoke with her there shortly after 3 p.m. on the day following the alleged assault.

At the time, the officer stated the victim showed signs of fear and exhaustion in addition to her injuries, and that she had not slept the previous night.

After the victim told him that she had been raped the night before, the officer concluded that she was not in the right condition to continue answering questions at the time and asked her to later go to the police station for a formal statement.

Victim pinned against the wall, instinct kicks in Continued from Page a-1

to the victim.

“He pinned me up against the wall,” she said. “And then he said, ‘if you don’t (have sex with us) I’ll shoot you'.”

She didn’t believe the assailant's threat that he had a gun and laughed, trying to call his bluff.

“I started laughing and said that he wouldn’t shoot me,” she said, not taking the threat seriously at that time. “But then he pulled out a gun and put it to my head.”

The situation finally became real and her instincts took over.

“I hit him in the face and made his nose bleed,” she said. “And then his friend pushed him off of me and told him that he couldn’t go back to jail.”

She was able to get away from the first gunman after that and went for the front door of the building, but was stopped by another one of the

Index

Weather

November 4, 2011

Rock Notes..........A-2 Blotter.................A-3 Opinion.......A-4 Classifieds..........A-6 Comics................A-7

Sports...................B-1 Campus Life........C-1

men before she could get out.

“He pushed me up against a wall and said that he hasn’t been to jail yet,” according to the victim. “But there’s a first time for everything, and then he pulled out a gun too.”

He then took her room key from her and warned that if she didn’t leave with them, that they’d come back for her.

While the men had her backed up against the wall, she was able to send a text message to one of her neighbors for help. After she sent the text, her neighbor came out in the hallway to see what was going on.

“When he opened his door, they let go of me,” she said. “That’s when I was able to get away and back into the apartment.”

She notified the people in the apartment that there were men with guns outside, and for everyone to be careful. The security at the

University Village responded to the scene, but by the time they got there, the assailants were already gone. The security then contacted the state police, who came to take statements and assess the situation.

The state police advised her not to let her name be tied to the incident because they believe that it could be gang related, and retaliation is possible. The police also advised her to stay at home for a while until things got straightened out, and to take extra precautions, according to the victim.

The University Village enlarged its security force and is looking into adding more security cameras to ensure that an incident like this doesn’t happen again.

State police have an ongoing investigation looking into the incident, but no arrests have been made according to the student.

Contact us Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896

220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu

2011 Runner-up most Outstading Newspaper, Society of Collegiate Journalists.

News

November 4, 2011

A-3

Police Blotter Campus Oct. 16- John R. Chisolm, 23, and Antre Lindsey, 20, were cited for disorderly conduct, Marquis Knight, 21, was cited for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and Barry Tyson, 21, was arrested for disorderly conduct and simple assault after multiple fights took place at the Black Action Society dance at the University Union.

Oct. 20- An officer responded to a report of theft from a contractor at Weisenfluh Dining Hall. The case is still under investigation.

Oct. 21- Ryan Williams, 33, was cited for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct after a report of disorderly behavior on Morrow Way.

Oct. 22- Aram Yeranossian, 18, was cited with underage consumption of alcohol and disorderly conduct after a report of suspicious activity and disorderly behavior at Rhoads Hall.

Oct. 22- Corbin Harkins, 19, was charged with a DUI from a traffic stop that took place on the East Central Loop on Oct. 16.

Oct. 25- Officers responded to a fire call for a truck on fire in the Physical Therapy Building commuter lot. The fire department responded and put the fire out.

Oct. 25- Andrew Cilia, 18, was cited for criminal mischief because of a trash can that caught on fire due to a cigarette on Oct. 2 at Building F.

Oct. 29- There was a report of a traffic accident resulting in injuries on Harmony Road. The case was referred to Pennsylvania State Police.

Oct. 25- Robert Lawry, 47, was charged with a DUI from a traffic stop that took place on Harmony Road on Sept. 11.

Oct. 31- There was a report of harassment at Building B. The officer notified the suspect of no contact and no other action was taken.

Oct. 25- There was a report of theft of a jacket at Building A. The case is still under investigation.

Oct. 29- David Adams, 19, Matthew Buck, 18, and Ryan Lasko, 19, were cited for underage consumption of alcohol after a report of an alcohol violation at Building B.

Oct. 16- Kelly K. Lugg, 23, was arrested for a DUI. Oct. 29- Charles R. Thomas, 25, was cited for public drunkenness.

Oct. 29- Brett Perry, 20, was cited for disorderly house.

Oct. 30- Justin Gantz, 23, was cited for possession of an open container of alcohol.

Borough Oct. 8- James M. McGallis, 52, was cited for harassment.

Oct. 30- Kevin Zekany, 21, was cited for retail theft.

Oct. 12- John J. Traver, 34, was cited for criminal mischief.

Compiled by Stephanie Holsinger

App puts friending people in new light, Markowitz says Continued from Page a-1

According to the Pittsburgh PostGazette, Haindfield and his wife funds the app, which costs about $600 a month for access to the criminal records, as well as other operating costs, meaning the app is currently not profitable.

He may e ventu a l ly re quire a subscription or develop an ad-supported “lite” version of the app, or both.

While Haindfield designed the app with attorneys in mind, the potential for the use of a college student doesn’t go unnoticed.

Markowitz C ommunications, a Pittsburgh public relations agency, believes that between roommates, online

dating, and social networking, there are a lot of reasons why a student could justify use for such a smartphone app. “[It] puts friending people in a whole new light,” said a Markowitz press release.

The overall reaction of Slippery Rock University students seems to be positive.

Nick Gordon, freshman computer science major, knew that it was only a matter of time before something like this came along.

“Knowing about a person’s criminal history goes along with the freedom of information, people shouldn’t be able to get away with hiding such major things from the public eye,” Gordon said. “It

shouldn’t even be contested.”

Public relations major Hannah McLaughlin pointed out that it could be a double-edged sword.

“Overall it’s a good idea, especially for college students,” McLaughlin said.

“But it could also be a bad thing because people would make judgments based on minor infractions a person may have, without even getting to know them or letting them tell you on their own terms.”

Saleena Gorman, sophomore emerging technology major, also sees it as a good thing.

“It’s a great way to make sure there aren’t any sexual predators in your

circle of friends,” Gorman said. “[It’s] an inexpensive detective at your fingertips.”

Journalism major Kelsey Reese recognizes its positive and negative influences on society as a whole.

“It could allow you to make negative judgments of those who are or have existed in your life,” Reese said.

“You might learn things about these people, such as a family member or close friend, that they never told you, and in turn, question their/your trust and honesty.”

News

A-4

SRU to break ground within two weeks on new exercise science laboratory, according to Smith

By Steph Holsinger Assistant News Editor

S l ipp e r y R o c k Un i ve r s it y President Rob er t M. Smith an n ou n c e d at t h e Stu d e nt Government Association (SGA) meeting Thursday that groundbreaking will take place for a new laboratory for exercise science students within the next week or two.

Ac c ord i ng to Sm it h , t h e laboratory will be located on the side of Patterson Hall and will include various resources for the exercise science program.

“You can already see the stakes being laid down for construction,” Smith said. “Groundbreaking is expected to occur within the next week or two, and I think that this new resource will prove to be very helpful for many students.”

Smith also discussed two other construction projects that will begin over the next year.

A new performing arts center will be built near Miller Auditorium and will include three separate rooms consisting of a main theater, a space for dance students and another room for theater students.

The design is expected to be finished at the end of December, and construction is expected to begin in November of 2012. “ These new facilities will be terrific for those academic prog rams and en hance t he accreditations they already have,” Smith said.

The third upcoming construction project will be the demolition of the former Kraus Hall, which

is expected to take place in the summer of 2012.

“This project will enable the street to be widened by Subway, where many people experience difficulties driving, as well as using the crosswalk,” Smith said.

Smith also predicts the new student center to be finished sooner rather than later.

According to Jim Henry, SGA’s vice president of student affairs, the new student center is expected to have a unique type of vending machine called the “Revive Water Station.”

“It will look similar to a vending machine, but do much more than you would expect,” Henry said.

“You can put your own bottle into the machine, and it will clean it from previous uses before filling it with fresh water.”

Also at the meeting, the SGA executive board presented Smith with a scrapbook to commemorate his experiences at the university.

“I am very grateful,” Smith said.

“Even though I’ll be moving onto the next chapter in my life, I feel confident that the students will have such a powerful leadership role at this university.”

The ad-hoc committee, who will determine whether SGA President Jordan Bailley’s decision about the homecoming process was unconstitutional, will hold their first meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m.

According to Parliamentarian Zach Dornisch, the committee is hoping to have a decision ready by the next formal senate meeting on Nov. 18.

November 4, 2011

November 4, 2011

News

Unemployment big problem for Slippery Rock University grads

By Will Deshong Rocket Staff Reporter

With the unemployment rate of persons graduating with a bachelor’s degree hovering close to five percent, students who graduate are now faced with a harsh reality when they try to enter the workforce after their college years.

Among students at Slipper y Rock University, whose recent unemployment rates are slightly higher than the national average, those who do career planning while completing their undergraduate degree typically are better prepared to face a weak job market upon graduation.

And the Career Services department is trying their best to prepare students with what to expect through both traditional and new features in career building, but must first overcome how to address large numbers of students with a small staff.

“We’re trying to find more venues to address the masses,” John Rindy, the director of the university’s Career Services department said.

“Whether it’s FYRST seminars, clubs, organizations, job fairs – we’re trying to get the word out.”

While means such as cover letter and resume building remain a focal point of instruction, the department is exploring digital means as a way to reach students.

“We’re offering virtual tools students can use on their own for career service building,” Rindy said.

One key tool being developed is an online self-interviewing program that will allow students to practice professional interviews from their personal computers, and have them analyzed by the department and professors. The program is already running at California University of Pa. and is expected to be ready for SRU students soon.

“The hope is for a higher percentage of students to leave SRU with interview experience,” Rindy said.

While the department is working hard in innovations, as well as stressing extensive career planning for students starting freshman year, Rindy wasn’t ready to completely fall

into the job market doom and gloom talk.

“Look through the past months on the College Central Network,” Rindy said. “There are some 400 job postings a month. And they’re by and large bachelor’s degree jobs.”

Rindy also emphasized the difference in employment rates depending on the different fields of study. For example, 2011 graduates from the College of Business, Information and Social Sciences had a 49 percent employment rate in their field of choice, while graduates from the College of Hu m a n i t i e s , Fine and Performing Arts had only a 15 percent rate in their field of choice.

But the over whelming most successful group of SRU students entering the job market were those leaving a graduate program, with 72 percent of 2011 grads finding a job in their field of choice.

And more students are entering graduate school compared to years past as a way to combat the poor job market.

Roughly 23 percent of the most recent group of graduates from Slippery Rock University opted to continue their education, eight points higher than in 2007, prior to the economic recession.

The theory amongst students is graduate school will not only make them more qualified, but will also simply prolong their entrance into a weak market. This trend is seen around the nation.

According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 Survey of Business School Admissions Officers, 52 percent of respondents saw an increase in applications in 2010-11, while only half that number saw a decrease.

But Career Services advises against going to grad school simply to prolong entering the job market, rather only advising an advanced degree if there is an academic or occupational reason to get one.

A-5

A-6

November 4, 2011

OPINION

The Rocket

B-1

November 4, 2011

The Rocket

Our View

Volume 94, Number 8 220 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 Courtney Nickle

Editor-in-Chief Brian Brodeur

News Editor Andy Treese

Campus Life Editor Tim Durr

Sports Editor Lexi Kovski

Photo Editor Stephanie Martincsek

Copy Editor James Intile

Web Editor Stephanie Holsinger Assistant News Editor James Meyer Assistant Campus Life Editor Madeline Williams Assistant Sports Editor Liana Pittman

Assistant Photo Editor Will Deshong

News Reporter Mark Zeltner

Faculty Adviser

Advertising Staff Emily Hunter 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 LEXI KOVSKI

Picture it.

You’re sitting on Facebook, like you always do, like we all always do, and you get a friend request from someone you don’t know.

So, naturally, you creep on anything this potential new friend doesn’t have blocked.

You check to see if you have any mutual friends.

You may even ask the mutual friends about this person.

You follow all of the standard precautions, but you still aren’t sure if you should accept them as a friend and let them enter your wonderful world of Facebook or not.

Imagine if you had an app on your phone that would let you search for any crime this person has ever committed, at least in Pennsylvania.

Would you be willing to pay $2.99 for that app?

Well then get on your iPhone or Android and search the market for Docket in Your Pocket.

Docket in Your Pocket, created by

a lawyer in Iowa, Matt Haindfield, was released to the Pennsylvania population on Oct. 24.

According to a press release, Haindfield said he chose Pennsylvania to launch the app because there’s an existing database of criminal records, as well as a large population of smartphone users. Planning is underway to expand the app to include all 50 states.

Docket in Your Pocket will search through 32.5 million criminal records in Pennsylvania dating back to 2000 and show you every speeding ticket, underage citation, murder charge and everything in between.

So let’s go back to that new friend request you just got on Facebook.

Search their name on Docket in Your Pocket and see what comes up.

Then make an informed decision.

Several of our staff members have already downloaded the app, and we plan to use it not only for our personal curiosities, but also professionally.

While this app is great for nosey

reporters like us, it can be useful in several other situations that extend further than Facebook.

Let’s say you just got a new room assignment. You have no idea who this new roommate is that Residence Life has stuck you with next year. It might be a good idea to look them up and see if they’ve ever assaulted anyone.

But let’s think outside of college.

Let’s say someday you grow up and get a job. A real job. And you’re the boss, looking to hire someone new. Chances are you’ll scour their Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. And we’re sure you’ll be smart enough to do a background check. But those can take some time. Maybe you’re meeting this potential employee in an hour. Just whip out your phone and dive into their criminal record.

Let’s say you join eHarmony or some other dating site. It might be wise to do a quick check of Docket in Your Pocket before agreeing to any blind dates.

Let’s say you finally get hitched

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.

and pop out a baby. Now you want to go out with the love of your life, so you need a babysitter. You should probably make sure the babysitter you hired doesn’t have a history of battery charges on their record.

While the advantages of the Docket in Your Pocket app are evident, there has been some concern about whether everyone should have such easy access to criminal records. What about privacy?

In Pennsylvania at least, the law is very kind to nosey people like us. All of these records are public.

There is no law, at least not yet, prohibiting the sharing of criminal records. In the eyes of the law, the public is entitled to know.

So break out those phones every chance you get and check the records of the people around you. Don’t judge them, but in some cases, it’s good to be aware of what you’re dealing with.

Be safe out there, SRU. It’s a scary world.

This week’s question: What’s your opinion on the new Docket in Your Pocket mobile application?

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 Fall 2011 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.

Aaron Podorson Freshman music education major Hometown: Irwin, Pa.

Katie Campbell Senior political science major Hometown: New Castle, Pa.

“I think it’s a great thing. People deserve to know what other people have done in the past, especially sex offenders or if someone is going for a job in a school.”

“It’s scary what they can do with technology now. I think technology has made it easier to learn more than we should. It is kind of an invasion of privacy.”

Dan Sullivan Sophomore safety major Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa. “It shouldn’t be that easy to get that information. It shouldn’t be possible to get a person’s history with the swipe of a finger. I can understand employers, but not regular people.”

Opinion

B-2

Let it out, scream and shout

Nicole Crevar Dare and Share Do you ever feel so bogged down with class work and stress that you want to SCREAM your head off?

Or violently throw your body against a wall?

Or, perhaps you have at least experienced the itching temptation to jump in front of strangers and bellow a hideous, stressreleasing shriek.

Well, that is exactly what I do.

This October, I had the wonderful honor of working at Kennywood’s Phantom Fright Nights.

I worked in the newest haunt, Biofear, a science experiment gone wrong.

Every weekend I would slip into my biohazard costume and cake on layers of Halloween makeup.

Initially, my designated spot in the maze was in the bathroom. I pretended that I was sick, only stages away from becoming a full-fledged mutant.

My crew soon named me “puking girl” as I deceitfully gagged and hurled into a toilet covered with giant, fake brown turds.

But this wasn’t enough.

My job was becoming more of a grotesque entertainer than a scary freak of nature. I wanted in on the action.

So my lovely co-worker, Chelsey, told

me that I needed to just GO CRAZY. Let it all out!

I took this as a challenge.

Painting my face with glow-in-the-dark makeup, and teasing my hair into a chaotic mess, I initiated a transformation.

I knew that to truly enjoy myself, I had to leave my porcelain throne and enrage myself into a psychotic mutant.

Approaching a whole new level of crazy, I thought of every little thing that completely pisses me off and just went bonkers!

I screamed and screamed and chased people.

I slammed my body into walls, grabbed my hair in frustration and, you guessed it, screamed the living moonlight out of myself!

It was the most liberating and refreshing feeling.

All of the anxiety and frustration I had built up was depleted.

And the best part?

My insane and ridiculous behavior was not only accepted, but also encouraged.

Which got me to thinking, we all get the urge to just go crazy, let it all out, and scream our heads off, so why don’t we?

Who cares if it’s ‘socially unacceptable.’

I believe we all have the audacity to behave in such temperaments.

Take my experience as advice.

Even if turning into a mutant for the night or thrusting your body against walls isn’t your forte, a few manic screams never hurt anyone.

In the end, all of the stress will vanish and you’ll find yourself at peace.

Maybe it takes a little insanity to reach a sane handle on life.

Nicole Crevar is a sophomore journalism major with a minor in Spanish from Mercer, Pa.

Have an idea for an experiment you’d like to see Nicole do? Send it to rocket.letters@sru.edu

November 4, 2011

It’s a mad, mad world of advertising

Jake Olson Introspection As a college student, many of us are rather unaware of the constant stream of advertising in media that we’re bombarded with every day. Everywhere we look, company branding and recognition is ever increasing and will continue to do so as advertisers seek narrower audiences in today’s market. At what point do we begin to experience over-saturation, or where does it begin to significantly affect aspects of our lives?

One medium in particular has become particularly crowded with a large volume of advertisements.

Television has become largely dictated by advertising companies, and it’s evident by the ratio of programming to commercials. Take into consideration that many shows are only 22 minutes long, which leaves eight minutes of that half hour block that are filled with promotions and advertisements. This doesn’t seem like much

at first, but people that watch multiple shows in one day have to add those eight minute segments together. After two hours of watching television, the advertisements, themselves, could be added together to have filled one of those half hour slots. For those that watch football on Sundays, nearly an hour of each game broadcast is devoted to commercials.

One of the more socially acceptable avenues for businesses to advertise through is the clothing market. Certain companies have a very strong grip on particular sport teams or the entire sport, and as such, every time people don their favorite team’s jersey they are inadvertently also promoting that brand. Clothing brands are instantly recognizable by their emblems, and, anymore, are also sparks for stereotypes. Bands, colleges, teams, products, companies, internet sites and more can all be seen in one sitting here on campus, let alone throughout the day in a busy city.

L a t e l y, a d v e r t i s e r s have begun to exploit the virtually infinite space that the internet has available.

Because it doesn’t have a concrete space, there is less worry about where or when they throw their advertisements at consumers. If you play Facebook games or use

search engines, you are well aware of the clutter that greets you each time. A slightly disconcerting fact that many are unaware of is that companies like Google now have the technology available to access your webcam’s microphone to listen to you and anything going on in the background that it can pick up. This could allow advertisements to display what you were just talking about, new music depending on the artist you’re listening to, or even things that coincide with the television sounds.

Advertising firms are good at what they do, and it shows on a daily basis.

They get our attention in every way possible, whether we choose to give it to them or not. People are almost zombie-like in their media digestion in the United States, where advertisements do not faze them anymore. While there is nothing wrong with this, it’s important that we take the time to look around and see how much we advertise for companies through our lifestyle, and how much we ingest that we are aware of.

This is especially important to do while we still have the ability to be cognizant of it, as Google will not be the only company that develops that technology.

Jake Olson is a junior secondary education English major from Grove City, Pa.

Eating healthy is harder than it sounds

Michael Santoro Observation Station More and more today, it seems as though the price of living continues to rise.

Rent rates always go up. Gas prices fluctuate, but tend to stay at a relatively high cost.

Education, while always having been a bank-breaker, is even more so today than any time before. These affect us monthly or weekly, but one group of prices that affect us every day is the costs of food and drinks. Food, from tuna cans to ground beef, continues to rise at a steady rate. Due to factors such as a soda tax, soft drinks are on the uphill slope, and milk is no exception. What stays constant is the fact that food and drinks that are known to be good for you are always more expensive than those that are unhealthy. It’s hard to even imagine the words “healthy” and “cheap” in the same sentence anymore.

Not to point any fingers, but just walk into Dollar General and take a look at the food. We all are aware of Ramen noodles and their exceptionally high amount of sodium at a dirt cheap price, but it extends farther than that. Almost everything from rice and beans to even canned fruits and vegetables

contain copious amounts lettuce are about three of sodium. Wanting to be times their counterpart in healthy, I looked through the can. Meat also extends each kind and checked the this trend. Ground beef that nutrition facts. All I saw is 80/20 (80 percent pure was sodium and fat that I beef and 20 percent fat) is never knew were in these more expensive than its foods. To me, it just seems 93/7 counterpart. Even at unnecessary. I can add salt restaurants, a rib-eye steak, and pepper myself, so why which contains a decent do they need to be included? amount of fat, is considerably It’s not like salt is expensive. cheaper than getting a New It would still be the same York strip which contains a price to offer two options, lot less fat. Chicken is now fed with food filled with with or without sodium.

Although it seems easy steroids, pesticides and other to point this out, Easy Mac ingredients in order to bring is also notorious for this. it to consumers quickly at a I never knew as a kid that cheaper price. Chickens fed when I put in the packet straight feed are going to be of ‘cheese sauce’ that I was a lot more money.

Money is tight all around. saturating plain food with something much more. The economy continues to Anything instant, such be in a downturn and living as Banquet meals and day to day continues to be Compleats, are also full of a struggle no matter who saturated fat and sodium. It you are. Those of us that seems that being a college would like to be more health student with a tight budget conscious are discouraged is harder than ever before. due to the ever-rising prices Being health conscious takes of healthy foods that used to a huge chunk out of your be staples. Even when you budget. Unless you want to find something seemingly eat plain pasta (any sauce you healthy, it contains either get is going to be full of salt) fat (mainly saturated) or or white rice, you’re going unrealistic amounts of to be faced with choosing sodium. It’s said this is due between two evils. Well, I to Americans adjusting guess you could eat plain to the taste of salt and the toast. Forget about jelly and preservation of food, but I jam, though. Same situation don’t know how much truth there, but I guess that’s to be there is to this. I wouldn’t assumed. Peanut butter is mind readjusting and I’m even worse, but again that’s sure the American public already common knowledge. would agree. We don’t need Now on to the expensive as much of these things foods. Organic foods as companies assume. We are usually the first to be can handle adding these pointed out. These aren’t ingredients on our own. the only ones, though.

Fresh vegetables are now Michael Santoro is a junior pricier than often expected. public relations major from Even bags of spinach and Pittsburgh, Pa.

CORRECTIONS: Oct. 21 - The Oct. 21 Police Blotter listed Matthew Farward, 21, and Ciera Spencer, 20, as having been cited for DUI on Oct. 1 after a traffic stop on Main Street. This was incorrect. On Oct. 6, Ciera Spencer was cited for underage consumption of alcohol after a traffic stop on Main Street on Oct. 1. On Oct. 17, Matthew Farward was cited for DUI after a traffic stop on Main Street on Oct. 1

Opinion

November 4, 2011

B-3

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.

Rape, assaults will not be tolerated at SRU, victims should not be blamed In September 2011, an SRU student was allegedly gang-raped by two SRU students in a house behind Ginger Hill.

The two alleged perpetrators have been charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and unlawful restraint.

If you did not know this, you’re not alone, because the university community was not made aware of this incident.

Within the last two weeks, campus-wide emails and emergency text messages have informed our community that an assault which included a gun occurred on university property.

There has yet to be a follow-up, so like most, we are left uninformed, concerned, and anxious.

The university response in newspaper coverage of these incidents (the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Monday, Oct. 24th and the online edition of The Rocket on Oct. 27th) described the events as “unfortunate incidents” and cautioned readers that “It’s as simple as not letting strangers into your apartment” (“Reports of physical assault, rape plague SRU”).

We have two points of concern which we want to

address in this letter.

First, members of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and members of the Women’s Studies Committee want to publicly express our dismay and concern about the absence of coverage concerning a gang rape and physical assault.

We have learned that SRU’s notification policy is to report acts of violence if the assailant(s) is known to the victim.

However, if the assailant is unknown to the victim, campus notification does not occur.

This is incredibly problematic, given that 85 percent of rape victims know their rapist.

This policy needs to be revisited and changed.

We have also learned that if a violation occurs in the borough, the university only knows what borough police report.

Recognizing the ways in which SRU’s access to information might be limited, we suggest that the university better explain the policies which limit its coverage so that we, in the campus community, better understand that absence of follow-up information.

However, we also want to voice our outrage that discourse which blames the

victim is still occurring.

To d e s c r i b e g a n g rape as an “unfortunate incident” is inadequate and misleading, and it participates in a culture of victim-blaming which SRU should be combating.

This type of victim blaming renders victims of sexual assault afraid, ashamed, and unsure of where to turn.

Too often, victims end up assuming responsibility for a violation that is not their fault, is never their fault.

Vic t im blaming contributes to perpetrators believing that violence against women is acceptable.

We all suffer when that idea is reinforced.

T h e f a c t t h at t h i s discourse continues is especially troubling in light of the alleged assaults last year.

Readers may recall a campus-wide email sent S ept. 13, 2010 which responded to those alleged a s s au l t s w i t h “ b a s i c tips,” which included the following: “Do not walk alone at night” and “Think before you drink. This warrants repeating, (sic) think before you drink.

Alcohol impairs your judgment.”

We made concer ted efforts then to respond

both to these events and to the university response which participated in victim-blaming with education, advocacy and activism.

It is disappointing, at best, to stand here a year later and realize that despite our efforts, nothing has changed.

With these most recent assaults, SRU had an opportunity to send a message to the region at large that we do not tolerate assault of any kind, on or off campus, and that ours is a campus where we work assiduously to promote equity, safety and a welcoming climate for all.

S RU a l s o h a d a n opp or tunity to let it be known that we take s e r i ously any a c t of violence, intimidation or discrimination.

There is no place for that here. Unfortunately, SRU failed to take those steps.

Today, we would like to take the opportunity to say all of these things.

It is imperative that we defend victims, decr y violence and de velop responses that address any violation which might occur.

We have to acknowledge that, as with any college campus (and our society generally), violence will

occur, and, sadly, that is even more true in a culture which regularly sanctions violence against women.

With that said, we have to respond at SRU in such a way which protects the victims, sends a clear message that violators will be punished and that promotes safety for all.

We s e e t his as an opp or tunity to foster dialogue, learn from our experiences and refrain from reenacting the past.

Thirty years ago, we might have expected to hear gang rape or assault with a weapon described as “unfortunate incidents.”

But not today.

Today, it is necessary for all of us to stand together and say, “No more.”

Cindy LaCom, Director of Women’s Studies Jennifer S a n f t n e r, C o - C h a i r, P r e s i d e nt’s Commission on the Status of Women Traci Zillifro, Co-Chair, President’s Commission on the Status of Women Karla Fonner, director of the Bridge Project Trudy Bayer Susan Hadley NicoleHahna Kay Mickle Jim Hathaway William Williams Carolyn Steglich

Kayla Hersperger Rachela Permenter Ashley Ranck Victora Pinter June Edwards Mark O’Connor (English) Catherine Massey Derrick Pitard Chad Mohr Stentor Danielson Tina Moser Paul Cunningham Jennifer Reeher Margie Riddell Joyce Basham Judy Silva Deb Cohen Ursula Payne Colleen Cooke Paula Olivero Hayley Hunter Laurel Dagnon Heather Frederick Susan Elwell Nanette Solomon Paula Rieder Sal Ghani Emily Keener Erica Scott Jace Condravy Nancy Barta-Smith Katrina Quinn Danette Di Marco Kristen McSorley Anna Maria Caulo Jennifer Keller Elise Grabner Warren Davidson Kaitlyn Veiock Diane Galbraith Katie Cooklin Sharon Sykora Laura Smiley Beverly Gocal

Clearing up Happy Bus rumors, confusion With the many concerns expressed about the Happy Bus in recent weeks, I would like to take the opportunity to clear up some of the misunderstandings and hopefully answer a lot of the questions that have been asked.

Many students are concerned with the new off-campus Happy Bus route.

I first of all want to apologize for any inconvenience that the new schedule has caused you, but I want to explain why the change has occurred.Due to the construction on Normal Avenue, the route has had to undergo some changes.

The bus is no longer able to turn onto or out of Normal Avenue because of the road barrier that has been constructed.

Within the old route, we utilized Normal Avenue on our way to and from campus, to get to and from the Heights and Giant Eagle.

The road restructuring has forced us to look at alternative routes. We expressed our concerns with Slippery Rock Borough Representatives, explaining how the changes would negatively impact the route, but unfortunately, the construction went ahead as planned.

During the summer months, there were many discussions on how the route could be altered to reflect the road restructuring and how best to transport our students around town.

After many drafts of different schedules, this ultimately was the schedule that was selected.

The new route requires the bus to drive down Main Street and Kiester Road. There is a lot of heavy traffic, both cars and walking, on these roads.

This required us to lengthen the route in an effort to stay on schedule.

There are modified schedules available in the SGA office in the Union, at the Union Help Desk, and online at www. srusga.com.

The schedule is not permanent and we are looking to make some changes for next semester.

These changes would decrease the now hour loop to a proposed 40-minute loop.

Changes will be advertised next semester.

As far as the safety for students on the

Happy Bus is concerned, there shouldn’t be a concern.

The Happy Bus is a safe alternative to walking and driving for students.

After several conversations with the Campbell Bus Company owner and the SGA business manager, I will personally attest to the fact that the Happy Bus was not and will not be pulled over by the police in an effort to bust underage drinkers.

The bus is here in order to make sure that students get around town safely. That being said, that is not a guarantee that the bus has not pulled over or will not from time to time.

There are a few reasons that the bus would stop during its route and those reasons include students endangering other students or themselves, objects being thrown around/from the bus, and in order to clean up unfortunate messes that have occurred.

We are privileged to have the Happy Bus and all of the routes, on-campus, offcampus, evening and late night.

We are not guaranteed this service when we enter as a student at the university. It is a privilege to have it and I want to encourage students to treat it that way.

Over the past few weeks, a couple of incidences have occurred on the bus and damages to the bus have resulted. I encourage you, as a bus rider, to look out for well-being of your fellow Happy Bus riders.

If you see something happening that shouldn’t, alert the security guard and driver.

If you think you are going to be sick or your friend is going to be sick, take the proper precautions and use the waste cans/ trash bags provided in the bus.

We are working to make sure you get where you want to go safely and efficiently, but we could use your help in those endeavors.

If you have any additional concerns or problems, please do not hesitate to contact me at kcc5757@sru.edu or x4779. I would be happy to talk with you and address any concerns that you may have.

Kaitlyn Campbell SGA Vice President of Campus Outreach

B-4

November 4, 2011

SPORTS

The Rocket

Signed, November 4, 2011

C-1

Sealed,

Delivered.

PSAC-West Champions

ANDREW LACEY/THE ROCKET

Sports

C-2

November 4, 2011

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Standings Football East Conference Next Opp. Bloomsburg

5-1 Kutztown Kutztown

5-1 Bloomsburg C.W. Post

5-1 Cheyney Shippensburg

3-3 East Stroudsburg West Chester

3-3 Millersville Millersville

2-4 West Chester East Stroudsburg 1-5 Shippensburg Cheyney

0-6 C.W. Post West Slippery Rock 6-0 Gannon California (Pa.) 5-1 Edinboro Edinboro

4-2 California (Pa.) Indiana (Pa.)

4-2 Lock Haven Gannon

2-4 Slippery Rock Clarion

2-4 Mercyhurst Mercyhurst

1-5 Clarion Lock Haven

0-6 Indiana (Pa.)

Overall 8-1 8-1 5-4 5-4 4-5 3-6 2-7 1-8 8-1 7-2 7-2 5-3 3-6 3-6 3-6 0-8

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 T25

AFCA Coaches Poll - Division II Football Name

Overall Points Delta State (25)

8-1 717 Pittsburg State (3) 8-0 692 Northwest Missouri State (1) 8-1 661 Colorado State-Pueblo 9-0 629 Midwestern State (Texas) 8-0 620 St. Cloud State

8-1 531 Winston-Salem State 9-0 530 Nebraska-Kearney 8-1 502 Washburn (Kan.) 8-1 488 New Haven (Conn.)

8-1 448 West Virginia Wesleyan 9-0 444 Bloomsburg

8-1 429 Kutztown

8-1 351 Slippery Rock 8-1 324 Minnesota-Duluth 7-2 263 Abilene Christian 6-2 256 North Alabama

6-2 245 West Alabama

7-2 220 Humboldt State

7-1 216 West Texas A&M 6-2 195 Albany State

7-2 158 California (Pa.)

7-2 115 Colorado Mines

7-2 84 Wayne State (Mich.)

7-2 83 Mars Hill

7-2 40

Rank 1 2 3

Defensive Rankings Name

Overall Total Defense Slippery Rock 8-1 237.33 Shaw

2-7

250.67 Edinboro

7-2

257.89

Previous 1 3 4 7 8 11 9 10 12 13 14 2 16 18 6 19 5 23 21 20 22 24 25 15 NR

Lock Haven (1) Millersville (2) California (Pa.) (3) Bloomsburg (4) Mercyhurst

Shippensburg East Stroudsburg Gannon

Slippery Rock West Chester

Men's Soccer Conference Points Overall 7-2-0

21 11-7-1 7-2-0

21 11-6-1 6-2-1

19 11-3-4 4-4-1

13 7-8-2 4-5

12 10-7 3-4-2

11 9-5-2 3-4-2

11 5-8-4 3-5-1

10 7-9-2 3-6-0 9 7-8-2 0-6-3

3 5-9-3

ROCK RESULTS Women's Volleyball • With a 19-10 overall record, the Rock's hopes of making the NCAA tournament are still alive and SRU is ranked No. 7 in the region, but with an 8-9 PSAC record they will miss the conference playoffs.

Women's Soccer

California (Pa.) (1) Kutztown (2) Slippery Rock (3) Edinboro (4) Indiana (Pa.) (5) West Chester (6) Gannon (7)

Bloomsburg (8) Lock Haven East Stroudsburg Mercyhurst

Shippensburg Millersville

Clarion

Mansfield

Women's Soccer Conference Points Overall 12-0-2 38 16-0-2 11-3

33 15-4 10-2-2 32 14-3-2 10-4

30 15-4 9-3-2

29 11-4-2 8-2-4

28 12-3-4 6-4-4

22 9-5-4 7-6-1

22 9-8-1 4-8-2

14 6-9-3 4-9-1

13 8-9-1 4-9-1

13 7-10-1 3-9-2

11 5-10-3 3-10-1 10 5-12-1 2-10-2 8 4-11-2 0-14

0 2-15

West

California (Pa.) x Clarion x

Gannon x

Edinboro x

Slippery Rock Mercyhurst

Indiana (Pa.)

Women's Volleyball Conference 15-2

13-4

13-5

13-5

8-9 6-11

5-12

Overall 26-4 17-10 19-10 21-7 19-10 14-16 11-20

West

Shippensburg (1) Indiana (Pa.) (2) Slippery Rock (3) Mansfield

Mercyhurst

Seton Hill

Field Hockey Conference 10-0

7-3

5-5 4-6

3-7

1-9

Overall 17-3 12-7 6-13 6-12 7-11 3-14

• On Tuesday, the Green and White defeated defending PSAC champ, West Chester, 1-0, and play No. 17 Kutztown at 4 p.m. today. A victory over Kutztown would set the Rock up against the winner of the California (Pa.) vs Edinboro game.

Men's Soccer • A 3-1 loss to Lock Haven ended the Rock's chance of making the playoffs with a 3-6 record in conference play and a 7-8-2 overall record.

Field Hockey • Field Hockey made the playoffs for the first time since 1987 and lost in its first playoff game to Indiana (Pa.) 2-0.

Football • With a victory over Mercyhurst College, the Green and White captured at least a share of the PSAC-West title, and a win over Gannon would send SRU to its first PSAC title game since 1974.

Men's Cross Country • The men's cross country team finished fifth in the PSAC Championships meet. The Rock's next match is Saturday as they host the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.

Women's Cross Country • The women's cross country tream placed seventh at the PSAC championships with Stephanie Case leading the way with a seventh place finish.

Rock locks up share of West with win over Lakers

By D.J. Vasil

Rocket Contributor

For the first time since 1999, the Rock is 8-1 and for the first time since 2000, the Rock has locked up at least a share of the PSAC-West title.

Slippery Rock University clinched both of those accomplishments with a 28-21 win over defending PSAC-West champion Mercyhurst College.

A win next week against Gannon University will ensure an outright win of the West for the Green and White and will add another accomplishment to this season. The Rock would also earn a berth to the NCAA national tournament.

Down 21-14 with 5:27 to play in the game, the Rock gambled on fourth down and 12 in an attempt to tie the game. It paid off as senior quarterback Cody Endres hooked up with redshirt freshman receiver Ken Amos for a 22-yard pass and catch to tie the game at 21.

“I slid the protection the wrong way,” Endres said about the touchdown pass. “I knew I had to get the ball out quick and Ken made a good play.”

Endres finished the game 17 for 29 for 195 yards with four touchdowns, three throwing and one rushing, and one interception. Two of Endres’ touchdowns went to senior wide receiver Devin Goda.

Goda’s touchdown total is now at nine for the year. Goda finished the game with six catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’m just happy we got a ring,” Goda said. “I felt comfortable with my play and everyone around me makes me better and more comfortable.”

A field goal on fourth down would have

ANDREW LACEY/THE ROCKET

Senior quarterback Cody Endres and teammates celebrate after closing out the game against the Mercyhurst Lakers Saturday, Oct. 29 to clinch a share of the PSAC-West championship in a 28-21 victory. The Rock faces Gannon University tomorrow for a chance to win the PSAC championship outright.

left SRU down by four points and would have forced them to get the ball back and score another touchdown. This thought was the final factor in head coach George Mihalik’s mind as he decided to go for it on fourth down.

“I talked with the special teams coach and I knew we could make the field goal from there,” Mihalik said. “But we would still have to score a touchdown on our next drive, so I figured we’re down here, why not go for it.”

Late in the fourth quarter, the game still tied at 21, sophomore cornerback Anthony Saunders intercepted a pass from Laker quarterback Anthony Vendemia and returned

it down to the Mercyhurst two-yard line, where a personal foul face mask moved it even closer to the goal line.

“I read my keys,” Saunders said about the interception. “They had run that play a couple times before that. I’m disappointed I didn’t score.”

When Saunders made the interception, Mihalik had no doubt in his mind that this was the Rock’s game to win.

“When Anthony picked that pass off, well, I can’t describe the feeling,” Mihalik said. “At that point, I knew the game was ours.”

Defensively, the Rock tallied three

LEXI KOVSKI/THE ROCKET

interceptions and three sacks against the Lakers, two of the interceptions coming in the final minutes of the game.

“Obviously, we are playing great defensive football right now,” Mihalik said. “And when we get great defensive play from everyone, we are going to win games.”

Leading the way on defense was senior linebacker Jake Wickline who registered 14 tackles against Mercyhurst and intercepted two passes, the first coming on Mercyhurst’s opening drive of the second half.

Wickline’s second interception came on a third and four in the final minute of the game and was the deciding factor in the SRU victory.

“I saw the quarterback rolling out on both picks,” Wickline said. “He threw back across his body and I dropped back and intercepted it.”

The Rock will go on the road Saturday for a noon start in their final PSAC-West game against the Gannon University Golden Knights (3-6 overall, 2-4 PSAC).

Sports Women's soccer advances through PSAC quarterfinals

November 4, 2011

C-3

By Madeline Williams Assistant Sports Editor

The No. 22 ranked Slippery Rock University women's soccer team knocked off two-time d e f e n d i n g c h a mp i o n West Chester University on Tuesday in the PSAC quarterfinals by a score of 1-0.

With the win, the Rock moved to a 14-3-2 overall record and improved their shutout streak to 11 consecutive games. The team has not allowed a goal since Sept. 24 when Kut z t ow n Un i v e r s it y scored a goal with only one minute left in regulation play.

The win on Tuesday was the first Rock win over the West Chester in playoff history.

Last year, SRU was bumped out of the PSAC semifinals by a shootout between the two teams.

However, on Tuesday, the Rock avenged the loss by shutting down West Chester, who has made it to the PSAC semifinals for six consecutive years, and denied the Golden Rams the opportunity to potentially win the conference for the fifth time out of the last six seasons.

Junior midfielder Marissa Anderson said it feels great to finally beat West Chester in the playoffs.

"It's seriously the best feeling in the world to

ANDREW LACEY/ THE ROCKET

Freshman forward Lucy Hannon dribbles through a crowd of Lock Haven University of Pa. defenders Saturday in a 1-0 win. The win was the 10th consecutive shutout for SRU and gave them the No. 3 seed in the PSAC playoffs. The Rock defeated West Chester University on Tuesday, 1-0, for its 11th shutout of the season.

know that all the hard work we've done in the last three months is paying off in the postseason," Anderson said.

Sophomore Kara Mullins tallied the lone goal of the game off an assist from freshman Lucy Hannon in the 69th minute of the game. This was Mullins' fifth game-winning goal of the season.

West Chester held an 11-9 advantage in total shots and

a 4-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Rock edged the Golden Rams with a 7-6 advantage in corner kicks.

Senior Lisa Rodgers stopped four shots and currently leads the PSAC with her 10th shutout of the season.

Sophomore midfielder Stephanie Buckenheimer said the team's passion to succeed led them to the victory on Tuesday.

"The win definitely came from the team's determination to beat the two-time defending champs, and also the determination to move forward and win the PSAC championship," Buckenheimer said.

The Rock will play No. 17 Kutztown University in the PSAC semifinals at 1:30 p.m. today at California University of Pa. The winner of this

game will move on to play either California or Edinboro University in the championship game at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Junior for ward Erin Storck said that the Rock is heading to Cal. U today ready to play a solid game.

"Expect a really great game against Kutztown that will be played at a high intensity level," Storck said.

"We will come out strong

and give 100 percent from start to finish."

Storck said this year has taught her a lot about the character of her teammates.

"This season taught me that our team has a lot of heart," Storck said. "The girls are very hard working and when we had some struggles in the middle of the season, we didn't get down on ourselves, but tried even harder."

Sports No. 14 SRU, one win away from winning title outright C-4

By D.J. Vasil

Rocket Contributor

No. 14 Slippery Rock will look to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West division outright Saturday as they travel to Gannon University to take on the Golden Knights.

Head coach George Mihalik wants nothing more than to win the PSAC-West outright for the first time since 1999.

“We want to be selfish, we don’t want to share the west championship,” Mihalik said. “We don’t want to cochampionship, we want to be the champion.”

The Rock ensured at least a share of the west division with their win last week against Mercyhurst College.

“It was nice to clinch at least a share of the west division championship on our home field,” Mihalik said. “That made it even more special.”

The Golden Knights are led defensively by defensive tackle Randy Colling. Colling, a first team All-American selection by the Collegiate Development Football League, has 8.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss.

“He’s definitely a big physical presence on their defensive line,” Mihalik said. “He can disrupt an offense and his numbers show that.”

Rock guard Mitchell Kudlawiec, a redshirt sophomore, will play a key role in stopping Colling as he will lineup against him on most plays.

“We are going to come out,

do the same thing we do every week as a line,” Kudlawiec said.

“We are going to come out ready to go, he’s the same as anyone else we have faced he’s just a bit bigger.”

Rock senior quarterback Cody Endres has been protected all year by the offensive line and believes that trend will continue Saturday against Colling.

“He’s a big boy,” Endres said.

“He’s done well this year, but I have confidence in our line.”

There is some pressure this week to win the PSAC-West and to not overlook the Golden Knights.

“There is a little pressure,” Endres said. “We want to be alone at the top, we want to finish undefeated in the conference.”

This is Endres’ first year at the helm for the Rock and he looks to keep improving on the success the Rock has had this year.

“We want to keep things the same this week against Gannon,” Endres said. “We want to build on the things we have done well on our way to the PSAC championship and hopefully the NCAA Division II playoffs.”

Coach Mihalik knows the challenge Gannon’s defensive line presents for the Rock offensive line, as this is the biggest front four the Rock has faced all year.

“They have a big defensive line,” Mihalik said. “They get a lot of push on the offensive line.

Size wise, Colling is 6’5”, 320, their other tackle is 6’3”, 280, and their ends are both 6’3”,

with one weighing 280 and the other 245.”

On the year, Gannon has forced 23 turnovers.

“Every week, we want to protect the ball,” Mihalik said.

“Gannon has an aggressive defense and they have created a lot of turnovers. We have to be more effective in the run game this week.”

The Rock could get starting running back Akeem Satterfield back this week after he’s missed the last four weeks because of a leg injury.

“He practiced Tuesday,” Mihalik said. “He is stronger this week and has made progress.

He will likely be a game time decision.”

Gannon offensively averages 268 yards per game, 84 rushing and 184 passing. The Golden Knights are led by receiver Lawrence Coleman who has 525 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Anthony Saunders will play a pivotal role in stopping Coleman.

“I’m going to keep reading my keys,” Saunders said. “I can match his speed. I’ve played against better receivers. I think our defensive line is better than their offensive line. Our line is going to get a lot of pressure on their quarterback.”

Providing Slippery Rock wins against Gannon, they will travel to either Kutztown or Long Island University CW Post to play for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship.

November 4, 2011

ABBY MICHAELIAN/THE ROCKET

Junior Alex Koksal leads a pack at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship meet held at Lock Haven. Koksal placed 18th with a time of 25:31 and earned All-PSAC honors.

Rock to host NCAA regionals

By Mike Hurlimann Rocket Contributor

The Slippery Rock men's and Women's cross country teams will be hosting the 2011 NCAA Division-II Atlantic Regional meet on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Cooper's Lake Campground.

This season, the Slippery Rock men's cross country team has had great success, most recently on Oct. 22 at the PSAC championship where they took fifth place.

Junior Alex Koksal, and sophomores Travis Arrigoni and Morgan Elliott finished in the top 20 overall at the PSACs, which gave the three runners All-PSAC honors. Arrigoni finished in ninth place with a time of 25:10, Elliott finished 15th with a time of 25:25, and Koksal finished 18th with a time of 25:31.

Rounding out the top five Slippery Rock runners were

sophomore Michael Beegle who placed 24th, and junior Eric Geddis who finished 26th overall. This pack of five runners all crossed the finish line within the same minute of each other, ending the 8000-meter race in under 26 minutes.

The Slippery Rock women's cross country team also performed well at the PSAC championships, taking home sixth place. Sophomore Stephanie Case earned AllPSAC honors by finishing seventh overall with a time of 21:24.

Case was followed by juniors Abby Michaelian and Kara Styles, stand-out freshman Janine Powis, and senior Caitlin Hancox, who all finished the 6000 meter race in under 23 minutes.

Last year, at the 2010 NCAA Division II regionals, the Slippery Rock women took home third place and the men's

team took fourth place.

Case, Michaelian, Styles, Powis, Hancox, along with junior Becky Belding, and freshman Angie Bagwell will be competing for the Slippery Rock women on Saturday in the Regional.

Arrigoni, Koskal, Elliott, Beegle, Geddis, as well as junior Buddy Clements, and freshman Chris Grooms will be competing in the regional event for the men.

Case said they plan to use the course to their advantage on Saturday.

"It's our home course and we know it better than everyone else," Case said. "I think everyone will do well. I'm hoping to go out and give it my best. Hopefully that's enough to get it done."

If either the men's or women's team finish in the top three on Saturday, they will qualify for the national meet on Nov. 19 in Spokane, Washington.

November 4, 2011

C-5

COMICS

The Rocket

C-6

November 4, 2011

(Th)ink

By Keith Knight

Blundergrads

Life in Hell

By Matt Groening

By Phil Flickinger

That Monkey Tune

Welcome to Falling Rock National Park

To d a y ' s Birthday (11/04/11). Open up to new experiences. What if you could have it any way you wanted? Don't assume anything, or take anything for granted. Explore. Make respectful requests. Don't be afraid to tell someone how much you miss them. Love is of the essence.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Consider your priorities and your strategies. Traveling isn't as easy now. Slow and steady does it. Stick to simple work, and it goes well. Chart your course of action.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Don't let rejection get you down.

Beatle Paul McCartney was rejected from the school choir for "lack of musical talent," and look where he ended up. Persistence is key.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 7 -- As the poet Tagore wrote, "If you cry

because the sun has left your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars."

Learn from your challenges today.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Discover an error that saves you money.

Conditions look good for travel and romance, so budget to make them happen. Together, you'll think of something.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -Today is an 8 -- Focus on financial planning today and tomorrow. First, make sure there are no leaks. Consider the previously impossible.

Promises alone won't do it.

Get into action.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Pay bills and support your partnerships.

With teamwork, you can accomplish what otherwise would seem impossible.

More brains are better than one, especially when it comes to imagination.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- You may be putting yourself under too much stress. Sometimes you have to let go of attachments for things to work out. Ride the waves. It gives health.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov.

By Michael A. Kandalafti

Horoscopes

Tribune Media Services (MCT)

By Josh Shalek

Sudoku

By Nancy Black

21) -- Today is a 7 -- Edit your own dream to get to the real juice. What do you really want? What do you really love? Ask those who know you well; they'll tell you.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Your spiritual practices clear your mind. Believe you can attain what you're after. Then start cleaning house (literally and figuratively), and stay active.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- A failed experiment will teach you more than success.

Figure out how to achieve an old goal. Don't waste time on arguments. Stick with your team.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Resist the urge to spend. Work can get in the way of romance.

It's not a good time to gamble, but you can take advantage of a twist of fate.

Get feedback from friends.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Today's metaphor: You're Neptune, king of the seas. You have willing teammates, ready to fulfill your every whim.

Like water, expand in the direction of least resistance.

Solution

By Michael Mepham

The Rocket

CAMPUS LIFE D-1 November 4, 2011

Ghost hunter Chad Calek visits SRU on Halloween

By James Meyer Assistant Campus Life Editor

Halloween fell on a Monday this year, which usually means that the celebrations are relegated to the weekend prior. When Monday comes, the costumes are put away, and the ghost stories are over.

However, on Monday night, students gathered in the Multipurpose Room of the University Union for one more piece of Halloween entertainment.

Chad Calek, the director of Paranormal State, gave a presentation Monday night entitled “The Trail of the Dead.” To him, this is more than entertainment. To him, it’s evidence.

After arriving late due to the driver having difficulty finding Slippery Rock, the director of Paranormal State said that he had the choice to be at Slippery Rock or Notre Dame for Halloween night.

“Slippery Rock sounds kind of punk rock, so that’s where I wanted to be on Halloween,” Calek said in the introduction to his presentation. “This is Paranormal State country.”

The show Paranormal State stars the Pennsylvania State University Paranormal Research Society, a student-led club.

Calek said that as a child, he was skeptical of anything supernatural and considered himself an atheist. Calek’s first experience with what he calls ‘the paranormal’ was at age 12 when he felt someone lie down next to him in bed. Frightened of this unexplained phenomenon, Calek went to his parents’ room and saw his mother’s hair being pulled by an unseen presence. From then on, he had a series of strange experiences in his childhood home.

Calek criticized famous skeptics James Randi and Michael Shermer for their cynicism on matters of the paranormal.

Calek said that while he strongly disagrees with the skeptics, he has a great deal of respect for them.

LEXI KOVSKI/THE ROCKET

Chad Calek shows footage of his ghost hunting expeditions during his presentation, "Trail of the Dead," given at SRU on Halloween night.

“Skepticism and doubt will lead you to a good piece of evidence,” Calek said.

Calek said that what skeptics don’t consider is that, according to studies, 73 percent of people say that they have had a paranormal experience. Calek also mentioned that skeptics go to great lengths to explain away documented evidence.

“At some point, it’s easier just to say it’s a damn ghost,” Calek said.

Calek showed footage from his film “Terror

Normal,” which documents his crew’s investigation of Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky.

Waverly Hills was a medical institution used for the treatment of tuberculosis patients from 1910 to 1961.

During this period, a tuberculosis pandemic broke out in the area, and thousands of deaths occurred at Waverly Hills, giving rise to many ghostly legends. Waverly Hills is said to be home to Timmy the Spirit Child, the Bottom

Fog Ghost and the Ground Level Ghost.

As unfocused, shaky camera footage was shown, the audience struggled to catch glimpses of shadows and lights. At some points in the footage, audible voices could be heard from somewhere off camera. Some of the footage contained small orbs of light, a common phenomenon cited by ghost hunters.

Calek said that the orb phenomenon is real, but most of the orbs seen in photographs are nothing more than dust.

“The litmus test is if you can see it with your eyes,” Calek said. “If not, it’s dust.”

Several members of Slippery Rock University’s Paranormal Research and Investigation Club were in attendance.

Sophomore health and physical education major Kelsey Itterly, 19, vice president of the Paranormal Research and Investigation Club at SRU, was skeptical of Calek’s footage of the orbs.

Itterly said that some of Calek’s evidence was good, but some of it was questionable.

She said that genuine orbs will give off their own light.

“The orbs that he showed didn’t give off their own light,” Itterly said.

Junior elementary and early childhood education major Rebekah George, 21, organized the event through the University Program Board.

George said that she received much positive feedback about the event.

“I think it went really well,” George said.

“Lots of people said they really enjoyed it and found it very interesting.”

Sophomore resort recreation management major Kelsey Rush, 19, said that she believes in the paranormal due to her own experiences, but she found Calek’s evidence very unconvincing.

“I didn’t think anyone was taking him seriously” Rush said. “He kind of made it seem like one big joke. It was just Halloween fun. If I was a non-believer, I wouldn’t be convinced after seeing him.”

GRAPHIC BY LIANA PITTMAN

Slippery Rock Community Alliance honors victims of domestic abuse with Clothesline Project

By Rebecca Marcucci Rocket Contributor

Silhouette outlines, t-shirts strung along clotheslines, and facts and numbers posted about domestic violence were all part of some of the scenery students observed in the quad Thursday.

To honor those victimized by domestic abuse, the Slippery Rock Community Alliance Clothesline Project allowed those close to the issue an opportunity to decorate t-shirts displayed in the quad.

The Clothesline Project, which originated in Cape Cod, Mass. in 1990, is part of an awareness alliance against domestic violence.

Its mission is to provide women affected by domestic violence with t-shirts to decorate, detailing their emotions. It’s aimed at helping those affected with constructive therapy for the aftermath of their abuse.

The Slippery Rock Community Alliance, in partnership with the Women’s Center on campus, has sponsored the Clothesline Project

in recent years. The existing team joined forces Thursday with the social work honorary fraternity, Phi Alpha Omicron Upsilon.

Senior social work major and vice president of Phi Alpha Omicron Upsilon Raven Davis, 21, said she was excited to partner up with the Women’s Center for the Clothesline Project.

“This was our first time working with the Clothesline Project,” Davis said. “I heard about it and I said, ‘Let’s jump on that!’”

Davis said SRU students decorated the shirts and she thought that helped her to bring the issue of domestic violence home.

Junior social work major and president of Phi Alpha Omicron Upsilon Bethany Bickle, 20, said she was equally as excited as Davis to help out with the Clothesline Project.

“We have worked closely with the Women’s Center and this is the first time the project has launched on a larger scale,” Bickle said.

Bickle said she hoped the event

would give students more sensitivity to the issue of domestic violence.

“A lot more people are affected by domestic violence than we think,” she said. “The t-shirts were made by or for victims and also in remembrance.”

According to previous McLachlan Student Health Center and Women’s Center director at SRU Claire Schmieler, the project’s roots run deep. “[Previous to the creation of the Slippery Rock Women’s Center,] we worked with recovering women at New Castle and Butler’s women’s centers and we took part in a sponsored workshop providing women with t-shirts to decorate speaking out against their experiences with domestic violence,” Schmieler said.

Schmieler said she decided to bring the Clothesline Project to the Slippery Rock campus, hoping it could make a very large impact.

“The Counseling Center helped us,” she said. “It was originally open to anyone who had been in

an abusive relationship. In the first Clothesline Project, shirts were made by men and women.”

Schmieler explained how the event is not just for SRU students.

“The event is housed at the university, but it is a great community event,” she said. This attributes to its name, Slippery Rock Community Alliance Clothesline Project.

Current Women’s Center director Jodiann Solito said she believed the event was cathartic to female students on campus who could relate to the effects of domestic violence.

“People hear the term ‘domestic violence’ and they think of married couples,” Solito said. “They do not realize domestic violence can exist in any type of relationship.”

Solito also said students generally do the ‘sideways glance’ when looking at the display.

“They’re kind of interested and kind of not,” she said. “Students don’t want to engage, necessarily.

They’re a little reluctant, but there are mixed feelings. There’s still a sort of reverence attached to the event.”

Solito said this is the first year the event has been held in the quad. Last year, the Clothesline Project was on display in the ARC, and in previous years, Swope Music Hall. This is often times due to rain, according to Solito.

She shared past student reactions to the Clothesline Project.

“I’ve heard male students joking to each other after seeing the shirts asking, ‘Is it wash day,’” she said.

“Some male students are receptive and outspoken about the issue. A lot of male students are actually getting involved with events like the Clothesline Project and other events the Women’s Center sponsors.”

Solito said female students who are victimized by domestic abuse often feel alienated and may hesitate in reaching out to others for help.

“Some female students think, ‘It doesn’t just happen to me? This is something that happens and I can get help for it,’” she said. “Other female students may feel too close to the issue and might seem a little uneasy.”

Campus Life

D-2

November 4, 2011

Study Abroad program provides student with enriching experiences

By Benjamin Bergfelt

Diamond also said that the scenery in Ireland is so beautiful Rocket Contributor that anyone can take pictures there A row of colorful houses march and they would turn out great.

Diamond had taken the winning up a hillside into the sky as a powder blue set of buildings sits photograph while she was studying on a mount above them. In front at the University of Limerick in of it all, an ancient stone wall lines Limerick, Ireland during spring the edge of a hill, zig zags around a semester 2011. The picture, itself spindly tree whose leaves are fading was taken during one of her many excursions to from green to red, different parts of the and out of the frame.

Emerald Isle.

Waves of emerald “I saw every part grass meet a line of of Ireland,” she said daffodils marching in regard to her trip. along the bottom of Diamond said she the wall while the knows what to see roofs of another row when she goes back. of houses peek over She said that it. she went there While this might was because she be a description of RACHEL DIAMOND originally chose a picture taken by a professional photographer, it was, Italy, however, that fell through, in fact, taken by junior business so Ireland was her alternative. She management major Rachel mentioned that it was her second choice because she heard it was Diamond.

Her picture taken in Cobh a fun place and her ancestors are (pronounced “cove”), Ireland, is the from Northern Ireland.

Her travel to Cobh happened winner of a photography contest because it was where her aunt and held by International Services.

“I was very excited about it,” cousin wanted to go when they Diamond said. “I didn’t think it visited her in Ireland.

According to Diamond, Cobh is would win.”

Ask Ana

by beating his brain with similar hard-to-get tactics.

Also, never tr y to physically beat up someone because you never know the day when you will start a fight with a black belt in karate.

"Ana Graham" Need some advice? Add Ask Ana on Facebook or email her your questions at askanagraham@ymail. com. Your question will be promptly answered in the next issue of The Rocket!

Question: Dear Ana, This guy is trying to make my head explode in confusion.

One minute he seems interested in me, the next he doesn’t. And every time he’s got me finally convinced that he just wants to be friends, he does something to make himself seem interested again! Other than beating him down until he makes more sense, what are your recommendations?

Answer: - Boy confused with boy Dear Boy, He’s either oblivious or playing hard to get. You have two options. First, you can simply ask him if he is interested or not because of the impressions that he is giving you. The second option is if he is a tease and keeps with this game, move on. If he is really interested in you, then after a short period of time he will quit with the games.

I would not suggest beating him, as that is illegal. At least it is physically. If he’s messing with your brain, however, you can try to counter this

Question: Dear Ana, Did you like SRU’s new black football jerseys?

- A guy who thinks I like football

Answer: Dear Guy, I think the jerseys are awesome because black is not only more slimming, but also very sleek. The design is very modern and I like it. But it does make me feel a bit weird in the same way that I feel a bit weird when I see those blue alternative Penguins jerseys.

I know it’s a throwback, but I’ll always associate the Penguins with black, gold and white. In the same way, I will always associate SRU with green. The black jersey does implement the green well, though.

Question: Dear Ana, What is the best way to do a research paper when you aren’t very good at them?

- Midterm dread

Answer: Dear Midterm, The best way is by breaking the project down into smaller pieces to make it feel less threatening.

No one likes to fight the big boss at the beginning of the game, because it is

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL DIAMOND

a historic town, known for being the place the first Irish immigrant to the U.S. hailed from and for being the last port of call for the ill-fated Titanic.

Among the other places she journeyed to were the Ring of Kerry, Aron Island, and she also took a trek out to Germany, as well.

When she was not spending her time traveling, she was studying.

impossible to win.

For example, Bowser totally destroyed Mario at the beginning of Paper Mario 64. There was no way that Mario could win when he was starting from scratch. Learn from Mario take gradual steps and soon you will be prepared for the whole. Brainstorm, finish the research, and write the sections that come to you first in no specific order.

You can fix these later.

Another way that is helpful is to write about a topic you are interested in. It is always easier to write about something that you like. I realize this can be hard when you are tied down to the constraints of a class’ requirements, but it is possible. You just have to work with your topic to establish legitimacy. I like Paper Mario 64, and I found a way to implement it into this answer. You can definitely try something similar.

My last suggestion is to seek help. If you struggle with writing, the Writing C enter on the third floor of Spotts is there to help you. There are also departmental sources of assistance, for example the communication dep ar t ment honorar y L amb d a Pi Et a has learning assistance and h e lp s s tu d e nt s w it h communications projects.

There are many resources like these on campus that, unfortunately, are untapped. Tap them!

Question: Dear Ana, Will you marry me?

- Good Question

Answer: Dear Good Question, Yes. "Ana Graham" is a senior public relations major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

She took three business courses, financial accounting, human resource and development, and issues in contemporary global economy. She also took two Irish study classes, traditional Irish song and dance, and Irish language.

While she was there, she stayed in an apartment that was part of the university. She resided there with people from Berlin, Paris and

the Canary Islands. They all had separate bedrooms, but shared a kitchen.

She said that she got along well with her roommates, although the girl from the Canary Islands was “a little messy.”

Diamond said that she would recommend the Study Abroad program to anyone and cannot think of a downside to it.

Kardashians, Jessica Simpson accumulate major profits from successful clothing lines

Katie Ellis "ROCK'n Fashion" When the term mogul comes to mind in reference to the fashion industry, who do you think of? Do Jessica Simpson, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, or the Kardashian clan come to mind? They probably should.

These women have some of the most profitable companies in America. These moguls know the value of hard work and what it takes to make a name for themselves in an industry that is ever changing.

Singer, songwriter and actress may all be words that describe Jessica Simpson, but these days, fashion designer may be the one that she is the most proud of. After achieving success as a singer with hits like “Irresistible” and “Where You Are,” and movies like “The Master of Disguise” and “The Dukes of Hazzard,” Simpson decided to try her hand in designing.

In 2005, she released her debut line as a collaborative effort with the Nine West shoe company. Because of its immense success, the collection immediately began to expand. Today her brand still includes footwear, but now boasts a successful clothing, handbag and jewelry line. Her collection is not just limited to clothing and accessories, it also includes successful fragrances and a luggage line.

In 2010, Simpson made upwards of $750 million, but that is not enough for Miss Simpson, as she plans on expanding her clothing line to include a sportswear collection that, alone, is expected to make her a reported $150 to $200 million over the next few years,

according to articlesfactory. At just 25 years old, it’s safe to com. Shoppers can find her say that the Olsen twins have products at a wide variety made fashion history.

The Kardashian family of stores including Macy’s, Nordstrom and Boscov’s, to has been under the public eye ever since their reality name a few.

Recently, she made history show, “Keeping up with the when she became the first Kardashians,” premiered on celebrity to have a clothing the E! Network in 2007. The line reach $1 billion in sales success of their show has given for just this year, according to them the opportunity to build articlesfactory.com. Although a brand empire. After soaring she may have enjoyed her ratings from their first series, time in the music and film the E! Network has produced industries, it’s clear that three spinoffs entitled, Simpson has the most talent “Kourtney & Kim Take New York,” “Kourtney & Khloe in the fashion industry.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Take Miami,” and “Khloe & Olsen have spent their entire Lamar.”

While they were expanding lives in the spotlight. They got their first big break as the their television empire, the lovable “Michelle Tanner” on Kardashian women decided to the hit television series “Full expand their fashion business.

House,” where they spent the They started with Dash first eight years of their lives. Boutique in Los Angeles and After they finished their run then expanded to both New on the popular show, they York and Miami where their began to build their empire. spinoff series take place. Most In 1993, they established their recently, Kim, Kourtney and company Dualstar, which Khloe have designed a highly has produced their movies successful apparel line for over the years like “Winning Sears, called the “Kardashian London” and “New York Kollection.”

Not only have they ventured Minute.”

When the Olsens weren’t deeper into the clothing working on their popular industry, but they have also films or television series, written a best-selling book, they were making a name “Kardashian Konfidential.” for themselves in the fashion Kim has made two perfumes, industry. Walmart produced and Khloe and her husband, their first line of clothes Lamar, have a unisex fragrance and helped them expand called “Unbreakable.” This to accessories and makeup. famous family knows how to Nowadays, the famous twins sell a product, and in 2010, are power players in the high- they earned $65 million, end fashion industry with according to the Huffington Post. their brand, “The Row.” All of these women have Named after Savile Row in London, the luxury brand become moguls because of is a favorite among those on their expert knowledge of the the Hollywood A-list. With fashion industry. Over the beautifully tailored coats years, they have built their and pants, and to-die-for brands into million and billion accessories like crocodile skin dollar empires, respectively. handbags, the Olsen twins Clearly, Jessica Simpson, are making their mark on Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and the Kardashian clan have American fashion.

In addition to “The Row,” some serious staying power. they are the founders of “Elizabeth and James,” and Katie Ellis is a freshman “Olsenboyle,” an affordable journalism major and a regular line of clothes sold at JCPenney. contributor to The Rocket.

November 4, 2011

Campus Life

D-3

Campus day of celebration honors history, culture of Native Americans

By Courtney Tietje Assistant Campus Life Editor

Upon attending the Native American Celebration Day (NACD) Panel at SRU yesterday, one would know that they are, in fact, everywhere.

“We’re surrounded,” the title claims.

The panel, a discussion on the use of Native Americans as mascots and on today’s actual Native Americans, was given

by Dr. Rachela Permenter, Dr. Frederick White and others.

One of the students in attendance was senior English literature major Bridgette Powers.

Powers, 22, said that if someone didn’t know that Native Americans still exist, they wouldn’t be alone.

Dr. Permenter, an English professor who has been involved in NACD for approximately five years now and who teaches a Native American literature and studies course, was a co-chair of the event.

“The people who are involved in this event are ‘Urban Indians,’” Permenter said. “They are from all over different tribes and just happen to be living in Pittsburgh.”

Permenter explained the objective of NACD. “The intention of Native American Celebration Day has always been to celebrate the survival of Native Americans and their culture, as well as to educate about images and identity issues,” she said. “I feel that what they call the ‘white man’s Indian’ is a creation that accumulated over a couple hundred years. That needs to go away. It’s an image that’s detrimental to living native people. I think that non-native people really, really have a desire

to know more and to dispel all of the stereotypes.”

The celebration took place in the Multipurpose Room of the Union and featured a demonstration of drumming, singing, dancing, and Native American storytelling

by Miguel Sague, a local Native American, as well as the discussion panel, and opportunities for the audience to participate in dancing.

Powers, who has attended NACD in the past, said that students who attend NACD find it shocking how the dominate culture reveals Native Americans.

“We’re educated about Indians through stories like Pocahontas and Dancing with Wolves, and just the fact that there are a lot of Native American people who are still alive and active can be a surprise to a lot of students,” she said.

Dr. Permenter agreed with Powers’ statement.

“We get a lot of elementary students and people in the community, particularly for the panels, who are interested, but the reaction from the students is overwhelmingly positive,” she said. “They will say, ‘Why hasn’t anyone taught me this before?’

And I think that’s the key —having them answer that question and beginning their own search for knowledge.”

Dr. Jessamine Montero, senior officer for diversity and inclusion, said she feels that events like NACD are important for the Slipper y Rock campus and community because they help us to understand not only our own culture, but other cultures and social groups, as well.

“As with most of our events here on campus, our own faculty, staff and students identify and create

LEXI KOVSKI/THE ROCKET

native American Celebration Day at SRU included drumming on traditional Native American instruments, singing, storytelling, and a discussion panel.

the various programs because we, ourselves, relate to and/or are part of the social, cultural and personal identities that these programs have to offer,” Montero said. “As such, we are then able to celebrate and learn more about our own identities while at the same time, educate others too.”

Montero, Powers and Permenter said they all believe that it’s imperative for cultural studies to flow over into the classroom.

Po w e r s w a s e s p e c i a l l y passionate about it. She said she has been doing research on Native American literature and culture since her sophomore year at SRU.

“Education is important,” Powers said. “It’s taking a step closer to not erasing these people any more than they already have been.”

She later added that she felt students opening their minds to other cultures should be a central part of a liberal studies program. “[It’s the] only way that you can see if what your culture is making you think is true,” Powers said.

“See what other cultures think and compare that. See what’s different.”

Montero discussed the Native American studies program, which is under the leadership of Dr. Permenter. She also discussed the

President’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity.

“Our President’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity, co-chaired by Ms. Lorraine Stubbs and Dr. Chris Cubero, help lead our campus with the various educational programming specific to race and ethnicity,” she said.

As for the continuation of NACD in the future, Montero said she encourages and supports other diversity events alongside NACD. “ T h e Nat i v e A m e r i c a n Celebration Day is one that [the university and community] look forward to every November,” she said.

D-4

November 4, 2011