The Rocket 12-06-2013

Celebrating Diversity Slippery Rock organizations honor holidays including Diwali, Hanukah, and Los Posados.

Page C-1

Friday, December 6, 2013 • Volume 97, Issue Number 12 • Slippery Rock University's Student Newspaper

www.theonlinerocket.com

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Seasons of Giving brings joy to students

NEWS

Rockmail Flaws Being Addressed After Rockmail's recent update, students have voiced their frustrations with the system.

SRU responds.

Page A-3

OPINION

Break Schedule Needs Evaluated Students think Thanksgiving break should be a week long fall break.

Page B-1

SPORTS

Women Battle Against Gannon The Slippery Rock women's basketball team fell short of an upset against the Golden Knights Wednesday night.

Page C-2

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Sean Thomas, pictured in red, and Arthur Adams, pictured in white, celebrate the holidays with a green screen photograph at the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership's Season of Giving event held Tuesday afternoon. The event was a part of Project Christmas Elf.

Norton expects more cuts next year

By Kevin Squires

CAMPUS LIFE

Assistant News Editor

Disney's 'Frozen' Hits Theaters Jimmy G. gives his thoughts on the newest Disney animated film as snow and ice takes over the big screen.

Page D-2

Sports Showcase Photo Timeline The stories of the Rock football, men's soccer and women's soccer seasons are highlighted and retold through pictures.

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Page C-4

Slippery Rock University President Cheryl J. Norton discussed the declining enrollment trend present at the university at the town meeting Thursday afternoon.

Down 9 percent this year, Norton forecasts enrollment to be a major a challenge for the budget in years to come. “We are in a period of declining enrollment. We haven’t had as low of an enrollment at this institution since 2008 and that’s the challenge that we’re really dealing with,” Norton said.

President Cheryl J. Norton broke the news to the public during the town hall meeting in the ballroom of the Robert M. Smith Student Center that the university should expect cuts present in the 2014-2015 fiscal budget. “I have to tell you in all honesty we know that to address this size gap, we will have reductions in workforce, we will have to cut operation budgets, but we also will try to increase revenue.”

“I want you to understand how fluid this process is,” Norton said in reference to the timeline for the budget. She noted how difficult it is to plan a budget unaware of what funding would be like from the state, saying that she feels it is like she is being told “I want you to fix your Thanksgiving dinner but I’m not going to tell you how much money you have to spend.”

The anticipated budgetary gap of $10.9 million for the 2014-12015 budget is assuming level state funding, a minimal tuition increase, declining enrollment, personnel cost increases. “Those are assumptions that at this point in time have not been challenged,” Norton said.

SEE ADMINISTRATION, PAGE A-2

Audit finds discrepancies of millions of dollars in SRU's budget very gloomy,” explained president of the SRU chapter of APSCUF, Patrick Burkhart “When they moved News Editor toward a widespread retrenchment action we wanted The Association of Pennsylvania State College to interrogate the finances to see if the financial and University Faculties (APSCUF) released the picture was as gloomy as the presented it. That is results of an independent audit of seven of the 14 Pa. why we hired an external audit.”

State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) public According to the audit, SRU has under-budgeted schools, including SRU. The audit claims that the tuition revenue on an average of $1.3 million dollars universities have been dishonest and wasteful with from 2008/09 to 2012/13, fees revenue was underfunds. budgeted an average of $1.2 million from 2008/09.

The other six schools examined were Cheyney, State subsidies were over-budgeted in 2011/12.

Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinburg, Kutztown, and SRU reportedly over-budgeted salaries and wages Mansfield universities. by $1.9 million in 2009/10, $3 million in 2010/11 and Research was commissioned by the accounting $5.3 million in 2011/12. firm Boyer & Ritter and used financial data from “When compared to the actual financial results June 30, 2009 to June 30, 2013.

“PASSHE and the 14 schools presented a picture SEE APSCUF, PAGE A-4 of their finances that in many instances was painted

By Jonathan Janasik

NEWS

A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Rain changing to snow, 1-3”

Colder with sun and clouds

Snow possible in the afternoon

A bit of snow and rain

Snow showers possible; colder

Cold with periods of sun

Cold with clouds and sun

36°

22°

29°

17°

30°

REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE

®

Fri.

Sat.

Sun. Mon.

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Shown are the highest and lowest values for each day.

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

Friday HI LO W 32 21 sn 54 31 r 42 28 r 34 22 sn 34 25 sn 52 33 r 36 25 r 36 23 r 59 37 r 35 25 r 45 28 sn 40 27 r 36 24 r 40 28 sn 34 21 sn

Saturday HI LO W 28 17 pc 39 22 pc 35 19 pc 28 19 pc 28 21 sf 41 24 pc 29 19 pc 27 17 pc 43 28 pc 31 20 pc 35 19 pc 34 18 pc 31 19 pc 37 19 pc 27 15 pc

Sunday HI LO W 33 29 sn 35 31 sn 30 28 sn 33 30 sn 32 30 c 32 32 sn 34 29 sn 28 26 sn 34 34 sn 32 31 sn 30 30 sn 29 28 sn 35 34 sn 33 29 sn 31 28 sn

28°

40°

17°

11°

20°

UV INDEX

Fri.

Sat.

Sun

Sun. Mon.

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.

Tuesday HI LO W 19 10 sf 36 20 sn 27 15 c 22 14 sf 24 18 sf 37 21 c 23 14 c 21 12 c 42 26 sn 23 12 c 33 18 sn 28 15 c 22 14 s 31 18 c 19 11 sf

19°

25°

NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES

24°

Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal

IN THE SKY

™

Monday HI LO W 38 13 c 46 32 r 41 23 r 39 16 c 41 22 c 46 32 r 43 19 c 43 16 r 49 36 r 44 18 c 43 29 r 38 24 i 42 17 c 42 27 r 40 16 c

26°

Wednesday HI LO W 25 19 c 32 21 pc 31 20 pc 28 19 sf 30 23 sf 36 23 pc 27 20 pc 25 16 pc 36 22 s 29 19 pc 31 19 pc 31 20 pc 29 20 pc 34 22 pc 25 19 sf

Thursday HI LO W 24 23 pc 32 20 s 26 24 s 25 24 pc 26 25 pc 32 24 s 27 24 pc 22 21 pc 36 27 s 28 26 pc 29 22 s 25 24 s 28 26 pc 29 21 s 25 24 pc

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Moon

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Rise 7:31 a.m.

7:32 a.m.

7:33 a.m.

7:34 a.m.

7:34 a.m.

7:35 a.m.

7:36 a.m.

Rise 10:34 a.m.

11:14 a.m.

11:49 a.m.

12:22 p.m.

12:54 p.m.

1:26 p.m.

1:59 p.m.

MOON PHASES

Set 4:52 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

Set 9:23 p.m.

10:33 p.m.

11:42 p.m. none 12:48 a.m.

1:52 a.m.

2:55 a.m.

First

Full

Last

New

12/9

12/17

12/25

1/1

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2013

December 6, 2013 PRECIPITATION

Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal

National Summary: A front draped across the Southeast will bring rain from North Carolina to the Gulf Coast Saturday. A bit of ice will lead to slick conditions across north Texas, with snow into Oklahoma and farther west. Rain showers will occur across Southern California. A storm will build into the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys Sunday, with rain from Louisiana to the mid-Atlantic. Sleet and freezing rain will be possible from Arkansas to southern Ohio. Steady snow will fall farther west from Kansas to Iowa. This storm will push into the Northeast Monday, leading to a wintry mix of precipitation across New York and New England. Plain rain will be possible for Pennsylvania and points south.

NATIONAL CITIES

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday CITY HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W Atlanta 74 50 t 54 47 r 52 51 sh 67 42 c 48 31 c 50 36 s 51 43 sh Boston 51 32 r 41 26 sf 35 30 s 43 37 sn 39 23 sn 34 23 pc 32 23 s Chicago 23 12 c 22 13 pc 31 24 sn 26 6 sf 22 18 s 25 10 c 19 18 s Cincinnati 34 18 i 29 19 pc 36 30 i 37 11 c 21 11 s 28 18 pc 30 29 s Dallas 28 17 i 25 25 i 34 31 i 36 22 pc 39 27 s 48 29 s 54 36 pc Denver 12 -5 pc 18 4 sn 14 0 sn 17 6 pc 43 18 pc 38 23 pc 50 22 c Detroit 33 19 c 28 15 pc 31 27 c 35 14 sf 21 16 sf 28 17 c 25 24 pc Houston 43 35 r 39 35 r 49 38 c 46 26 r 46 30 c 54 34 pc 63 47 sh Indianapolis 30 14 sn 26 15 pc 29 24 sn 31 7 c 17 8 s 26 17 c 27 26 s Kansas City 20 5 pc 21 14 c 24 10 sn 21 7 pc 32 15 s 33 20 pc 34 23 s Los Angeles 59 45 s 57 40 sh 58 39 pc 60 39 s 66 43 s 68 48 s 74 45 pc Miami 82 72 s 82 72 s 83 73 pc 83 72 sh 83 70 pc 82 68 s 80 69 sh Nashville 38 28 r 38 30 c 47 36 r 43 21 r 35 20 s 43 24 s 44 31 pc New Orleans 76 47 t 51 47 r 73 60 t 63 42 r 51 38 c 56 40 s 60 55 sh New York City 55 36 r 42 28 pc 37 33 sn 48 34 r 38 23 sn 36 22 s 33 28 s Orlando 82 63 s 83 64 pc 83 65 pc 84 64 pc 84 62 sh 74 59 pc 74 61 pc Phoenix 55 37 s 58 45 pc 57 38 pc 56 36 s 58 40 s 63 44 s 69 44 pc San Francisco 54 45 sh 49 37 pc 49 36 s 51 38 pc 54 43 s 58 43 pc 59 40 sh Seattle 32 18 pc 27 15 s 32 21 pc 38 31 c 44 39 c 45 40 r 46 33 r Washington, DC 59 39 r 45 31 c 33 32 sn 35 39 r 45 27 sn 41 30 s 39 31 s Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

ROCK NOTES Ask the President

If you have any questions for President Cheryl J. Norton, let The Rocket know on Facebook, Twitter, or by email. Emails can be sent to rocket.news@sru.edu. Submit on social media with #AskNorton.

KARLEIGH SANTRY/THE ROCKET

Last Issue of the Rocket for Fall Semester

This is the last issue of The Rocket for the fall 2013 semester. The next issue will be published Jan. 31, 2014.

Administration responds to financial suggestions Continued from Page A 1

Weekly Cycle Aerobics

As of Nov. 18, there have The President's Commission on Wellness, in conjunction with been three reassignments the Physical and Health Education Department, will be offering from low-enrolled programs a Cycle Aerobics class every Wednesday morning from 6:30 - 7:15 to areas of higher need, am in the Field House. The class intensity and workout can be one faculty retrenchment, self-regulated to meet your own individual needs. Please bring 28 potential new faculty water and a towel. Lockers and showers are available. For more information, please contact Randy Nichols at randall.nichols@ vacancies consisting of sru.edu or Hannah Brewer at hannah.brewer@sru.edu.

12 confirmed faculty retirements and 16 pending retirements, and a reviewing of temporar y faculty positions.

To submit a Rock Note please send Retiring is an important your announcement part of balancing the budget, according to Norton. by 6 p.m. Wednesday to Jon “A s p e o p l e r e t i r e , Janasik at jtj9529@sru.edu or to obviously, we are working with the natural attrition of rocket.news@sru.edu. The Rocket the university to make sure does not guarantee that all requests the balanced budget comes will be published in the paper. out,” she said.

The ultimate goal is to maintain a 20:1 student to faculty ratio. “Historically that’s proven to be a good academic and educational environment for our Blotter.................A-3 Sports...................C-1 students and one that meets our needs,” she said.

Opinion...............B-1 Campus Life.............D-1 Addressing the budget Comics...................B-4 gap by all divisions of the University is something Norton emphasized so that the hardship is “not being shouldered on the back of one group” she said.

“I have asked each division across the university to cut Newsroom: 220 Eisenberg Building their operational budgets by 9 percent.”

(724) 738-4438 Slippery Rock As another main source of Advertising: University revenue, enrollment was also (724) 738-2643 Slippery Rock, PA discussed. Based on early indicators, Norton feels that Fax: 16057 enrollment is “looking more (724) 738-4896 positive,” but maintains that Email: it is important to remember rocket.letters@sru.edu “we’re starting from a very negative location.”

“Perhaps we’ve stopped the bleeding and that’s our first 2012 Mark of Excellence First goal to stop the bleeding,” Place Winner in Region 4 from the Society of Professional Norton said.

Journalists.

She also addressed some of the 200 recommendations received from the online submission box for the budget that was highlighted on t he Slipp er y R o ck University webp age as an opportunity for the

INDEX

CONTACT US

community to have an input in the budget process.

The form was available from Aug. until Nov. and input is still welcome.

Norton broke down the contributions in terms of implementing or ongoing, reviewing, or not feasible in order to provide information, clarification, and feedback to the community.

“We can’t do everything we’d like to do because sometimes, frankly, it’s just illegal,” Norton said as explanation for many of the not feasible options.

These options may not be feasible due to factors out of the university’s control, no cost savings, or contrary to strategic priorities.

The presentation mostly explained why the not feasible options cannot be pursued, including building a parking lot at Kraus Hall’s location, using shovels over machines, closing t h e C r anb e r r y c e nt e r, eliminating FYRST seminar, offering associate degrees, pressuring the state to tax natural gas or leasing land for internships and jobs, stopping promotions and sabbaticals, and reducing admission requirements.

Norton said that building a parking location would cost more than the benefit.

“It would cost about a million dollars and I’m not sure that we would get that money back and if we built a parking garage it would be a multimillion dollar expenditure,” she said. She also discussed the possibility of charging more than just students to be able to park on campus. Norton also explained that the cost for not using machines for things like snow would require more labor for more hours and not save money.

The Cranberry Center, while offering programs for the university, is not owned by it. “First of all, we don’t

own the Cranberry Center.

It’s not ours, so we can’t close it,” Norton said. She believes that the Center can still be a profitable endeavor. “[FYRST s eminar] is n ot re qu i re d.” Nor ton said that 95 percent of the students take the course and believes that the program is important in helping new students to overcome the barriers of a new culture and community. She sees it as a very effective tool nationally in helping students to be successful.

The associate degrees, Norton feels, would not be successful for Slippery Rock University because of the offerings from community colleges. Finally, Norton stated that the university is not going to advocate for what the commonwealth does as far as natural gas is concerned. “Folks in all honesty we are not an advocacy institution,” she said. She added that if an individual feels strongly about this topic they can discuss it with the state as an individual.

The ideas implemented or ongoing discussed included going green, reduced hiring, developing branding that expands beyond a “Premier Residential Institution.”

The only two ideas under review that the president discussed were creating a capital campaign and creating an online education program similar to Southern Ha m p s h i r e Un i v e r s i t y model.

She explained that a capital campaign costs money to start up but does have a potential to generate re venue. The online education program is something Norton said would need to be discussed before moving forward.

Norton thanked the public for all of their ideas and comments in the budget making process.

NEWS

December 6, 2013

A-3

POLICE BLOTTER Borough

Nov. 26 – There was a report of individuals Dec. 3 – There was a report of harassment at throwing snowballs at vehicles on Keister Patterson Hall. The case is under investigation.

Nov. 22 - Angelo Nola was cited for disorderly Road. The incident was referred to Judicial. conduct after an incident along Maple Street.

Dec. 3 – Police responded to a reported Nov. 23 - A resident at Stonecrest apartments Nov. 27 – A traffic accident with injuries harassment at the ROCK Apartments. The reported that a bedroom window was broken occurred with injuries on Stadium Drive. individual was contacted and advised not to by an unknown actor. make contact. No other action was taken.

Campus

Nov. 27 – Pa. State Police requested assistance from campus police for a possible DUI accident.

Dec. 3 – Police responded to a report of Nov. 21 – There was a report of theft from The Pa. State Police are handling the incident. vehicle damage at Lower Stadium Lot. The a vehicle at Kraus Hall. The case is under vehicle was moved to an unknown location investigation. where the incident occurs and the case is under investigation.

Dec. 2 – There was a reported theft of an Nov. 21 – Police responded to a call for an iPhone from the ARC. The case is under individual having a seizure at the Jack C. Dinger investigation.

Building. The individual was transported to Compiled by Kevin Squires Grove City Hospital by an ambulance.

New rockmail still under support phase Microsoft Office 365 planned to be installed over winter

By Haley Barnes Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock students have had mixed emotions about the new Rockmail system that updated during the summer.

Henry Magusiak, enterprise applications director of the university’s IATS, said the Rockmail system was updated because the old system was outdated in regards to email platforms.

He said the current email system is under what is considered the extended support phase from Microsoft, which will still deliver security patches only for the platform.

"Anytime I submitted homework to the dropbox on D2L, I would never get an email confirmation on Rockmail, which resulted in a lot of problems for me,” Mark McGinn, a freshman Information Systems major, said.

“We are aware of the ongoing active sync issue with the current Exchange 2013 environment and continue to work with the vendor to resolve,” Magusiak said. “We believe that most of the problems stem from the mixed environment that is currently deployed which is a mix of Exchange 2007/2013 servers."

The problems are expected to be resolved when the servers are all switched over to 2013.

"The movement of all staff and faculty to the Exchange 2013 environment along with the transition of all student email to the Office 365 cloud version will enhance functionality and reliability.” Magusiak explained.

According to Magusiak, goals of the summer update included updated storage capacity of mailboxes, updated look and feel, resilience toward hardware failures, and the integration of Office 365.

“Office 365 will be installed Christmas break,”

Magusiak said. “Following installation, a pilot group of students will test the functionality of the new email system.”

Magusiak said that it is very important to keep your account secure and never share your password.

He also mentioned how important it is to pay attention to spam emails, as the number of phishing attacks have increased dramatically over the last few years. .

“You must really be aware that any email that has a web link that is requesting information about your SRU account/password that does not have “sru.edu” or “passhe.edu” at the end of the website should be treated with extreme caution,” Magusiak said. “The groups who then possess this information attack our email servers and use them to send out email all over the world which causes production email issues.

Reminder: No movie this weekend!

Come join us at the ARC on Saturday, December 7th, from 6-pm.

Dodgeball, board games, video games, free pizza, and more!

Sunday December 8th 6pm to 8pm Only $10 for two slices of pizza, a pair of shoes, and two games!

Come out and have a great night before finals week!

NEWS

A-4

APSCUF questions SRU's new building initiatives PASSHE defends financial decisions Continued from Page A-1

for these years, it would appear the university has budgeted conservatively, consistently under-budgeting revenue and over-budgeting salaries and benefits,” the audit states. “This has created a large disparity in budget to actual Educational and General operational income.”

“We believe that and public accounting principles are sufficient to budget within a few percent of error,” Burkhart explained. “And therefore, I think in essence, they’re playing dirty pool. They’re opening up by projecting horrific deficits, when in the end they don’t materialize. They project those deficits in a manner to defend proposed retrenchment actions at some universities.”

Burkhart stated that the audit cannot be used to prevent retrenchment, but it is still beneficial to APSCUF. For example, APSCUF has requested that the auditor general of the commonwealth to review the data in the audit.

“The auditor general can move in and say, ‘you have been doing inappropriate accounting and henceforth, that is unacceptable,’” explained Burkhart. “Then at least, we can have a discussion about financial difficulties with disclosure and confidence that both sides understand, a reasonably accurate picture of what’s going on.”

“In general, there appears to be minimal accountability for budgeting at the university level with the PASSHE Board of Governors,” stated the audit. “Without strict oversight of these budgets, University management should extremely cautious when utilizing these budgets to project faculty and other personnel retrenchment 2013/14 and forward.”

PASSHE media relations manager Kenn Marshall explained that he had doubts about the audit.

“The accounting firm doesn’t understand the way our budgets are done, there are very specific responsibilities for the university presidents, the consul of trustees, and the board of governors,” Marshall explained.

“There are three different entities that oversee the budgets. We at PASSHE are very committed to financial management and we’re confident that our universities are practicing that.”

Burkhart explained he understands why some people may see the audit as an attack on the universities.

“I suppose that if I was in the accounting departments in some of these places, I would feel like this was an attack,” Burkhart said. “It clearly is a statement of distrust that we’ve gone to an external auditor. “ “In instances where there is a statement of distrust and you disclose to one another in good faith, then you can strengthen or rebuild trust,” Burkhart added. “In instances where there’s distrust and then you collect independent evidence that the distrust was valid, that is a challenging circumstance for people to face. Ideally we want to build a trusting relationship where we come to the table for discussions and have good faith and believe that everyone is discussing honestly.”

A blog post about the audit on the APSCUF website Tuesday stated, “In every case, the accounting firm discovered that the university created affiliated entities or used foundations to take on debt for new construction. In many cases, the affiliated entities are taking on debt to pay for new dormitories and other lavish construction.”

“A lot of the assertions in the news release that APSCUF put out are not from the report from the firm that they hired, so I’m not sure why they were included,” explained Marshall. “The news release claims that the PASSHE universities are hiding their debts and entering their debts to affiliated entities.

That is absolutely not true. They’re talking about the affiliated entities that universities, including Slippery Rock have been using for over 15 years to help fund new residence halls.

We’ve been very open about that process.”

President Cheryl J. Norton and SRU vice president for finance and administration Molly Mercer were unavailable for comment.

December 6, 2013

Board of Cooperative Activities approves stipend commission review committee

By Kevin Squires Assistant News Editor

The Board of Cooperative Activities (CoOp) approved a committee to work with AVI on the 2014-2015 vending commission as a base for the stipend commission.

Last year, the stipend budget was made up of the vending contract guarantee, along with an additional $10,000 allocation and a 2,400 allocation and was based on the prior year’s stipend budget. Student activity fees cannot be used to fund the stipends.

SGA also had to allocate an addition $15,000 from the scholarship fund last year after a mix up with the University Program Board’s additional position. A freeze was also placed on stipends last year.

“These stipends are important,” SRSGA, Inc. Business Manager Wendy Leitera said Stipends are funded primarily from vending sales. However, so far this year vending sales are down 24 percent.

“Based on vending sales, I can say with confidence that AVI will probably not renew last year’s vending guarantee,” Leitera said.

“Our current stipend allocation really needs to be studied further in depth.”

Leitera recommended that more revenue sources be examined and that this be addressed now. “This is a more long range plan that I think we need to put into effect with this current senate,” she said.

The groups receiving stipends include the Student Government Association, the University Program Board, WSRU, and The Rocket.

The Happy Bus Committee recommended that evening Happy Bus schedule remains terminated next semester, but to keep the committee next semester to continue to examine ridership and possible interest in the evening route. Co-Op also approved the minutes from Nov. 21 meeting.

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O

OPINION

Our View

SRU should extend Thanksgiving Recess, reevaluate break schedule

OPINION rocket.letters@sru.edu Volume 96, Number 12

220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057 Phone: Fax: E-mail:

(724) 738-4438 (724) 738-4896 rocket.letters@sru.edu

EDITORIAL BOARD Catie Clark

Editor-in-Chief

Jon Janasik

News Editor

Rebecca Marcucci

Campus Life Editor

Madeline Williams

Sports Editor

Alex Mowrey

Photo Editor

Todd Hart

Web/Social Media Editor

Mary Leach

Copy Editor

Kevin Squires

Assistant News Editor

Stephanie Cheek

Assist. Campus Life Editor

Kristin Karam

Assistant Sports Editor

Rebecca Dietrich

Assistant Photo Editor

Alyssa Cirincione Mark Zeltner

Multimedia Reporter Faculty Adviser

ADVERTISING STAFF Karleigh Santry

Advertising Manager

ABOUT US The Rocket is published by the students of Slippery Rock University every Friday during the academic semester with the exception of holidays, exam periods and vacations. Total weekly circulation is 3,000. No material appearing in The Rocket may be reprinted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief.

The first copy of The Rocket is provided free of charge.

Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents each.

The Rocket receives approximately five percent of its funding from the SGA General Service fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising.

Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 7382643 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.

GRAPHIC BY REBECCA DIETRICH

After returning from a nice five-day weekend, otherwise known as Thanksgiving Recess, many SRU students are left wanting more. In the fall, the university’s break schedule is a little wonky, to say the least.

With a two-day fall break, a one-day break for Labor day, and then another three-day break for the Thanksgiving holiday, it is hard to have a solid chunk of time to relax with so many little breaks given here or there.

Unlike the spring semester, where students are given a solid week right in the middle of the semester to relax, the fall can often seem hectic.

We think that the university should consider making Thanksgiving Recess a week long, and avoid all of the other little holidays students are given, as it doesn’t really provide much more time for relaxation and recuperation from a stressful semester and heavy course loads.

In fact, many students would rather not go home for such short breaks. If the university gives students a three day weekend, and students need one travel day to get home, and another travel day to get back, where has the weekend gone?

Unfortunately, students living in the residence halls are required to leave for both fall and thanksgiving breaks unless special arrangements are made (arrangements which often involve paying more money).

While this is an inconvenience to some, most end up traveling to their respective homes, even if there time spent there is short-lived.

But the break schedule during fall isn’t the only that leaves students feeling puzzled.

As of last winter, the break between the fall semester and spring semester was extended to six weeks in length.

After they ring in the New Year, most students find themselves bored out of their ever-loving minds for the entire month they have to wait to go back to school.

While we realize this is because of SRU’s winter sessions, it is an annoyance to the majority of students. Especially when most other universities (outside the PASSHE system) return to school in the beginning of the month of January.

Winter session is obviously a great opportunity to catch up on classes, but it isn’t always the most affordable option for students with the generic financial aid package that is offered in the winter and in the summer.

If the fall and spring is when the majority of students are on campus, why not cater to their needs and put the two semesters a little closer together to make it more convenient to the students?

We as a staff think that the university needs to reevaluate their break schedule to cater more towards the majority of students, not towards winter and summer sessions.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Rocket are available. Subscriptions are $20 per academic semester and $35 for the full academic year. Inquiries should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at the address listed here.

EDITORIAL POLICY

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.

This week’s question: Do you think Thanksgiving break is long enough?

The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by Rocket editorial board members. It reflects the majority opinion of The Rocket Editorial Board.

“Our View” does not necessarily reflect the views of Slippery Rock University, its employees or its student body. Columns and cartoons are drafted by various individuals and only reflect the opinions of the columnists.

LETTERS POLICY The Rocket welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee their publication.

The Rocket retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes the property of The Rocket and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published.

Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major and/or group affiliation, if any.

Please limit letters to a maximum of 400 words. Submit all material by noon Wednesday to: The Rocket, 220 ECB, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa. 16057. Or send it via e-mail to: rocket.letters@sru.edu.

Kayla Sommers Junior Biology Major North Versailles, Pa.

Shannon Turner Junior Early Childhood and Special Education Major Pittsburgh, Pa.

Angelo Visco Sophomore Physics and Philosophy Major Zelienople, Pa.

“It is long enough especially because Thanksgiving break is so close to finals week this year. I don’t think we needed anymore time off.”

“Yes, I think a week is enough time to spend with your family for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is only one day and break gives us enough time before and after Thanksgiving for traveling and family time.”

“It would be nice to have more time for Thanksgiving break, but then that would cut into Christmas break.

I’m on the fence about it because there are pros and cons to each side.”

December 6, 2013

OPINION

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR British singer Lily Allen makes feminist SRU’s production of Richard III utilizes modern touches, dedicated young actors statement

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” section are those of the writer(s) alone. The Rocket cannot verify all facts presented in a given letter, but if we are aware of an error or omission, we reserve the right to include an editorial note for accuracy’s sake.

To the Editor,

Ashley Cook Pixie Posts Ashley Cook is a senior English major from Gibsonia, Pa.

Po p u l a r B r i t i s h s i n g e r, Lily Allen, is back and with a vengeance. As a fan of her previous music before her hiatus from the music industry, I was ecstatic to hear her new song “Hard Out Here.”

Although her video has received criticism for her mocking of Miley Cyrus’ twerking and her black back-up dancers, and I can see the critics’ points, I think the song should be appreciated for the aspects of feminism that it promotes, not simply the few flaws of the video.

Allen’s previous songs, “The Fear” and “22,” were both controversial singles. In “The Fear,” she critiques the life of celebrities selling their bodies and the mass consumption of society while in “22,” she depicts the cruel way in which society decides a female’s worth in accordance with her marital status and age.

With both of these songs, and with the addition of her new song, it is clear to me that Lily Allen is making a feminist statement about society and I love it.

We should be applauding her for saying things that subvert the patriarchy and challenge traditional gender roles dictated by our society today.

Her obvious play on the song, “Hard out Here for Pimp” by Three 6 Mafia is a battle cry for women to not be afraid to stand up against sexist stereotypes even if they will be considered a ‘beeyotch’.

I think Allen shows in her video that women can do whatever they want and no one in society has the right to judge them.

The music video starts out with Allen on an operating table receiving liposuction with a man in a suit wondering out loud how a woman could let herself “get like this” implying that she is overweight.

Allen says quietly that she had two babies but this is obviously no excuse for her weight and is dismissed.

Later in the song, Allen touches on the double standards of sexually promiscuous women being considered ‘sluts’ while men are considering players and critiques the idea that if a woman is not skinny or attractive, she better have something else going for her like being a cook.

The whole song and video is very tongue-in-cheek and I think it does its job beautifully.

It is a risky move for a female singer to create such an obvious critique of society and its patriarchal ways and she definitely received backlash for her troubles.

I personally find her songs thought-provoking, unique, and simultaneously catchy.

The sound of a “magic flute’ exquisitely touched by young gifted hands and the soft background of a gently played guitar accompaniment set at tone for grace in a rendition of ‘Ave Maria.’ Outside the theatre those in line stood silently waiting for the doors to open. No one spoke. Music filled the air.

Ins i d e, s ob e r ar t , an immense skeleton of Richard III structured in an artistically designed rock formation and a compelling castle-like stage setting invited the patron to return in history to another time and to compelling days of cunning and deceit.

The director’s words, an invitation to become a part of the actor’s life at Slippery Rock University, welcomed the audience.

Shakespeare and the young people earnestly pursuing their desire to communication intelligent ly, spir itually, mentally and physically the

minds and hearts of humans caught in a worrisome period in history began, Immediately a cr ippled Richard III e x p l o d e d a p hy s i c a l l y animated disability as well as an ability to clearly portray the animosity of a player in a struggle for the royal lineage of England.

Modern touches, the spikeheeled women, the messenger on a bicycle, among others brought a touch of the comedic, as well a thoughtful method of communication the story to those not familiar with Richard III, into the present.

In remembering the impact of what I call the “Electric Eye,” among the young actors, there were moments of exquisite light in sudden expressions of complete understanding between the character and the actor. The eye, spoken of as the ‘window to the soul’ is electric. It secures the truth, bordering on the sublime intent of the writer, the director and the

historical personages.

Why some young storytellers are willing to be smother by words their meanings, to struggle with little sleep, to remember to dive into the soul of another to exhibit truth through their gifts, is still a question for the thoughtful. Some moments in life are mostly spiritual.

The truly focused actor is willing to forgo the modern pleasures of self-indulgence, to reach an understanding of what life has to offer that has deeper meaning and joy of a spiritual value.

Some young people seem to know that they are not alone in this world. There are sup er natural forces that lend them grace. They have the capacity to avoid the devastation of pride, to become humble learners, willing to face criticism as well as praise. Usually they know God. Sincerely, Laurette Cribbins

Student-run ʻSRUʼ Twitter accounts waste of time, joke among students

Hannah McLaughlin Commentary Hannah McLaughlin is a senior Public Relations major from Mechanicsburg, Pa.

I feel like it’s safe to assume that most students on campus have a Twitter account. And I think it’s also safe to assume

that at some point or another, we’ve all see the various SRU accounts ‘not affiliated with Slippery Rock University’.

Some of these accounts are funny, provide an outlet for student frustrations, and show how we are a unified student body (remember all those Tweets about the horses a few weeks ago?).

However, some of these accounts are so beyond stupid. Personally, my least favorite, so far, is SRU Makeouts and Crushes. This is the worst excuse for social interaction in human history.

I understand the idea behind it, but I don’t understand why it needs to exist. If you have those special feelings for someone, why not try talking to them without 3,303 other people getting involved? Or

how about just keeping your feelings bottled up inside like a normal person?

Even worse is the modern day cat calling. Is this what we have come to? If telling some unspecified brunette in the yellow shorts at the ARC that she has a nice butt is now a compliment, I give up. I’m confident that upon seeing this heartfelt love letter, every girl wearing yellow shorts was thinking ‘Be still my heart!’

What is the idea behind it? Maybe I’m just older than my 22 years, but come on everyone. Is this really how we want to be spending our time? There are people in Boozel as we speak eating bananas with no one to take pictures of them! And isn’t that a better use of everyone’s time?

Students wait in anticipation for new season of ‘The Bachelor’

Casey Young Casey’s Corner, Consider This Casey Young is a sophomore Communication-Journalism major from Orchard Park, NY.

We are all in the midst of final exam stress, studying, and maybe even some last minute cramming. I, for

one, am ready for a relaxing winter break. Not only break, ladies, I am ready for the new season of The Bachelor to hit ABC January 6.

For all of my fellow The Bachelor and The Bachelorette fanatics, the wait for the new season will be over before you know it. Who is not excited to see a bunch of women fight for Juan Pablo’s love? The claws are bound to come out on the premier, and, undoubtably, tears will be shed. I don’t know what I find more entertaining, the girls that fall in love with a man they have never met after five minutes or how great Juan Pablo will look

shirtless on a beach in a faroff land.

The newest bachelor, Juan Pablo, did not get much airtime on Desiree’s season of The Bachelorette this year. However, with the airtime he did get, he made it count. He won the audience over with his accent, smile, and physique. I was not s u r pr i s e d w he n C h r i s Harrison announced Juan Pablo snagged the coveted position on After the Final Rose this August. He should give the show great ratings and, more importantly, the audience the perfect person to watch “fall in love.” Now, all we can do is wait in anticipation.

December 6, 2013

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C

COMICS Spaghett Kat

By Jack Johnehsick

REST IN PEACE

SPAGHETT KAT

COMICS

HE ARBITRARIY DISLIKED MONDAYS.

Horoscopes

JUNE 19, 1978 TO NOVEMBER 22, 2013

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency (MCT) Today's Birthday (12/06/13). Embark on an educational journey this year. The winter holidays reveal love's splendor. Financial abundance rings in the New Year and continues with fruitful collaboration built on mutual respect. Springtime creativity sparks productive fun. July 25 and 26 peak with personal power.

Share your work with the world in late summer. Follow your muses where they lead.

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 -- Get homework completed early, as distractions line your path. Money's tight. Don't fall for a trick. Publicity interferes with privacy today and tomorrow. Ask friends to teach you what you don't know.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Building a savings plan is easier over the next three weeks, as your influence grows. Keep your eyes open; all's not as appears. Circumstances could bring up emotions. Consider all possibilities before taking action. Give thanks.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Responsibilities increase. Call ahead to avoid running all over town. Your team helps you make it to the top, within budget. Travel beckons, but take care. Switch up the rhythm. Go with your heart. It's bonus time.

This is just kooky!

He‛s not dead.

That's Socrates!

Socrates, last night I forgot to take my ‘medicine‛.

By Jack Johnehsick But to my surprise, it turned out that I didn‛t even need it!

Would you call that a miracle?

No, Eryximachus. I would call that an effective use of kairos.

How did you know that‛s what I named ‘it‛?

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy

By Tim Rickard

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Finish up old business. It may take some wheeling and dealing. Increase efficiency. Others help you extend your influence. Don't let friends spend your money, though.

Stash away the surplus. Prayer and meditation are powerful tools. Accept guidance.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Offer helpful suggestions. Listen graciously, and with patience.

Present only facts, not opinions or embellishments. Be prepared to walk. Today and tomorrow are extra good for compromise. Be willing to give. This allows access to new resources.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- New questions lead to more research. Work out the details. Rest when you need to. Get a lot done today and tomorrow. An interesting development arises when a secret is revealed. Provide motivation to the team. Reason prevails.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Help out and you'll be richly rewarded. The next two days seem luxuriously lovely. Play the song lightly and enjoy.

Gamble some other day. Pull strings to get what you're after, and apply creative energy. Stash away surplus funds.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Love blossoms in rare and exotic ways. Don't fall for a sob story.

Friends help you advance. Luck favors shrewd business people. Open a conversation again and clear up a priority disagreement. Discover what's at the bottom of the dispute.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Make adjustments to get a perfect picture. You're in study mode for the next two days. Get your own house in order early. Don't try a new trick now. Send others on ahead. Acquire an antique.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- A friend's great idea needs work; estimate how much money it'll take. The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. Proceed with caution, as mistakes get expensive now. Use what you have on hand to alleviate tension.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Develop a creative plan of action. Today and tomorrow hold a personal focus. You gain unexpected insights, despite a possible communications breakdown. Cram in an extra job to make extra money. Relax expectations and the results may surprise you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- The pace quickens. You're getting more creative and sensitive.

Resist the urge to fling your emotions around; use your words. Get contemplative today and tomorrow.

Assign or accept work projects on an intuitive basis.

Vivid dreams could fill your journal. (c)2013 bY NANCY BLACK DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Bliss

By Harry Bliss

December 6, 2013

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S SPORTS

By Kristin Karam Sports Editor

An out-of-sync Slippery Rock men’s basketball team fell to an aggressive Gannon University 61-68 Wednesday night.

The loss ended a six-game win streak and dropped SRU to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in the PSAC-West.

Gannon improved to 3-2 overall

INSIDE SPORTS

Women's Basketball

Men's Football

The Green and White narrowly fell to No. 2 Gannon University on Wednesday by three points.

Senior quarterback Nigel Barksdale overcame an ACL injury to have a standout season.

See Page C-2

See Page C-3

and 2-1 in the PSAC-West.

Head coach Kevin Reynolds blamed the team’s performance on the coaching staff.

“There’s a lot of frustration on my part,” Reynolds said. “That was a bad job out of myself and that type of performance hasn’t happened since I’ve been here.”

For the first time all season, Slippery Rock was outrebounded. The Golden Knights held a 40-30 advantage over

the Green and White.

SRU took an early 17-6 lead over Gannon but the Golden Knights fought back to tie the score 30-30 heading into the half.

“We stepped out of how we play,” Reynolds said. “Guys were taking chances and risks that were bad. That’s coaching. At the end of the day, it’s my responsibility to have those guys in SEE MEN'S, PAGE C-2

Redshirt junior guard Antonio Butler leaps into the air to make a shot over Gannon University defenders Wednesday night. Butler added three points and had one assist against the Golden Knights.

SPORTS

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December 6, 2013

Gannon narrowly defeats SRU

By Matthew Morgan Rocket Contributor

The Slippery Rock women’s basketball team (1-6, 0-3 PSAC) demonstrated their full potential Wednesday night despite falling to the No. 2 ranked Gannon Golden Knights (7-0, 3-0 PSAC), 73-76.

“Tonight’s play shows what everybody was telling us. We showed tonight that we can compete with anybody in the conference,” junior D’Asia Chambers said. “If we got this close to Gannon, then we can compete with anybody.

I’m really proud of how hard my team played tonight.”

Chambers led the Rock with a careerhigh 30 points and eight rebounds.

The Rock and the Golden Knights exchanged streaks throughout the entire first half and entered the locker rooms with SRU trailing 31-44.

SRU opened the second half by going on a 17-10 run to tighten the score at 54-48. Slippery Rock capitalized on Gannon’s missed opportunities under the basket and brought the game within three points several times.

With six seconds left, sophomore Erica Aiello attempted a three pointer in desperation to tie the game as the crowd in Morrow Field House collectively held their breath.

The shout bounced off the rim and a groan echoed through the building.

“When you’re ranked number two, you’re going to get everyone’s best game. SRU gave us everything they have and I didn’t expect anything less,” said Gannon first year head coach Jim Brunelli. “They got a great young ball team here. Sometimes you have to survive a game and we did just that.”

SRU sophomore Aidan Geise contributed 15 points in the near upset.

Sophomore Megan Hardimann tallied nine points along with Aiello scoring

nine of her own. Senior Jazmyne Frost scored eight for the Rock.

The Golden Knights saw five of their players score in the double-digits on Wednesday night.

“I think we raised the bar for SRU women’s basketball tonight, said SRU head coach Tanya Longo.

"As hard as it is to swallow a loss, in this situation we do know what our potential is. We have a new level of expectations."

Last Saturday, the squad earned the first win in 19 games with a 68-57 win over the Gray Wolves of Lourdes University in Ohio. The Rock’s last win prior to Saturday’s came on January 12th, 2012.

SRU trailed entering the half by eight points (32-40) but held the Gray Wolves to only 17 points in the second half.

“We stressed working on our defense heavily. That’s the number one thing that comes to mind,” Longo said. “Closing out the game and just knowing who you are guarding made the difference.”

Chambers posted her third doubledouble of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Geise contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, sophomore Rebecca Olkosky supplied 11 points and Frost scored 10 points of her own.

The Gray Wolves were led by 16 points from senior Tiffany Scott, senior Courney Slepko added 13 points and senior Tarynn Hampton contributed 10 points in the losing effort.

Coming off the win against Lourdes and near-upset against Gannon, SRU now looks to their next game Saturday against the University of Pitt-Johnstown (2-5, 1-2 PSAC).

“We really do treat every game similarly. Whatever game we are on is the most important,” Longo said looking forward.

SRU will tip-off against the Mountain Cats 1p.m.,Saturday at Johnstown, PA.

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Sophomore Rebecca Olkosky sets up the offense for the Green and White in Wednesday night's 73-76 loss to Gannon University. Olkosky is averaging 5.3 points per game this season.

Men's basketball ends six game winning streak Continued from Page C 1

ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET

Redshirt sophomore forward Erik Raleigh goes up for a shot Wednesday night against Gannon University.

Raleigh scored six points during Slippery Rock's 61-68 loss.

the right positions to make the right plays.”

B ot h te ams h a d 1 2 turnovers but Gannon capitalized on their opportunities better than SRU. The G olden Knig hts s c ore d 1 8 p oi nt s of f turnovers, compared to Slippery Rock’s 13.

A lack of chemistry on the court greatly affected the team’s ability to put up a defensive effort against the Golden Knights.

Gannon outscored the Rock 26-22 in the paint and 16-13 in second chance points.

All-conference guard Adam Blazek, who scored 26 points, led the Golden Knights.

During the final minutes of the game, Slippery Rock made a run against Gannon and trimmed the deficit to two or three possessions on several occasions.

In the end, missed shots prevented the Green and White from tying the game or taking the lead. “ There’s no prize for effort,” Reynolds said. “You don’t get a prize for effort.

Effort’s expected but you have to play with smart effort.”

Ju n i o r g u a r d Mat e j Delinac led the Rock with 18 points, senior center M au r i c e L e w i s - B r i g g s and junior forward Kelvin Dixon scored 10 points while senior forward Tabari Perry scored nine.

Perry, one of Slippery

R o ck’s on ly re tu r n i ng starters, said that the struggle with team chemistry shouldn’t be connected with the graduation of last year’s seniors.

“I try not to think like that,” Perry said. “I just want this year’s team to be better than last year’s.”

Te am chemistr y will continue to be a focus for Slippery Rock and they will need it in order to make a statement in the conference.

The Green and White shot a meager 35 percent efficiency in field goals.

A frustrated, disappointed Reynolds took the loss to heart and gave a lot of credit to Gannon’s coaching staff.

“Gannon was a better coached team tonight and they played significantly better than us,” Reynolds said. “That ultimately falls on me. There’s no blame to put on the guys. I need to do a better job coaching the game."

During the final moments of the game when the Rock attempted to make their comeback, the stands began to empty.

Reynolds said that he didn’t blame the fans or put any fault on them.

“The fans have been great to us,” Reynolds said. “They come to home games and they travel. We let them down with a disappointing performance.”

Slipper y Rock will c o n t i n u e P S A C - We s t action with a game at 3 p.m. on Saturday against the University of PittsburghJohnstown.

December 6, 2013

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Barksdale overcomes ACL injury

By Kenneth Moore Rocket Contributor

This season, Slippery Rock quarterback Nigel Barksdale set the Division II football world on fire as he broke school records and led the football team to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 1999.

One year after tearing his ACL, Barksdale set new Slippery Rock University records for single-season passing yards (3,674), passing touchdowns (30), pass attempts (405) and pass completions (238) as well as total offense (4,096).

He was also named a Super Regional finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, the Division II version of the Heisman Trophy.

Barksdale, a 5’10’’ 170 pound athlete, has an average build and a humble attitude about his abilities. “Tearing my ACL hurt, but I knew my drive would allow me to come back even stronger,�

Barksdale said. “I worked tirelessly with the athletic trainers every single day and they pushed me and to them I am forever grateful.�

Barksdale, a California native and public health major student at Slippery Rock University, has been playing football for as long as he can remember. He said that football is a way of life and no matter where life takes him, he hopes that a football is in his hands because he feels that he was born to play. “When I was growing up in San Diego, all I had was family and football,� Barksdale said. “I knew football was my calling.�

Barksdale’s collegiate journey began at Mount San Jacinto Community College, a small school in Riverside County in California. He said he loved the weather and atmosphere in California, but he knew that he’d have to leave home once he got an offer to play at a Division I or Division II school. “I knew I’d get an opportunity somewhere to play college football, but I didn’t know I’d have to take my talents across the country to Pennsylvania,�

Barksdale said. “I was excited and happy that Coach Longo found me and saw something he liked in me. I knew that I couldn’t let him down."

Phil Longo, Slippery Rock’s wide receiver’s coach, said that Division I coaches may have overlooked Barksdale because of his size.

When Barksdale came to SRU in 2012, he wasn’t named the starting quarterback. After Jared Buck suffered an injury during the season, Barksdale was given the opportunity to step in.

Barksdale was successful right out of the gate and went on to lead the team to five straight wins. He scrambled a lot but made the type of play calls that couldn’t be taught, Longo added. “When we brought Barksdale in two years ago, we knew that our offense was challenging and that it would take time to learn,�

Longo said. “To watch him soak up the information and not struggle with it was remarkable.

Nigel puts the necessary time and effort into the system and it shows in his play.�

Barksdale’s first season with the Rock was ended by one of

the toughest injuries an athlete can suffer; an ACL tear. “He was in a nice groove and was beginning to get comfortable out on the field,�

Longo said. “When he went down with a knee injury, it was sad to see.�

X-rays and tests confirmed that his junior season was over and he would need to get surgery to repair the torn ACL. While unable to practice, Barksdale spent his time studying the playbooks and understanding the offense.

When he finally was cleared to practice, he knew he had a lot of work to put in to earn the starting position back. “I worked so hard to come back because I hated not being able to help my team on the field,� Barksdale said. “I felt like I let my team down when I went out with the injury last season.

I feel that I made up for it this year and hope my teammates agree.�

SRU’s coaching staff was pleased with the performance Barksdale had this year. “It’s no surprise to the staff at Slippery Rock that Nigel had the season he did,� Longo said. “He studied the system and knows it inside and out.�

Sophomore wide receiver Nick Davis looks up to Barksdale and was impressed with the quarterback’s dedication to the sport. “Nigel’s got the juice,� Davis said. “He came back from the obstacle of tearing an ACL. He was, hands down, the best quarterback in the PSAC this year. He’s a great leader and definitely has my respect. He

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTEN CAPPATT

Senior quarterback Nigel Barksdale looks to pass in the 42-38 loss to Bloomsburg University in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title game on Nov. 16. Barksdale averaged 311 passing yards per game.

makes everyone feel welcome and important on the team.�

One of Barksdale’s favorite targets this season, redshirt junior wide receiver Ken Amos, said that the quarterback’s comeback says a lot about his character. “Life is full of obstacles and we all have them,� Amos said. “What matters is how you overcome them. It was tough to see Nigel go out with a torn ACL but to see him come back in his senior year stronger and better is simply remarkable.�

Having the respect of his coaches and teammates means a lot to Barksdale. “To me, respect is key in life,�

Barksdale said. “It feels great to have the respect and admiration of the guys on my team.�

Even though the season is over, Barksdale is optimistic about football being a part of his future. “Ever since I was a kid growing up in California, football has been my life,� Barksdale said. “I hope to be able to play it for the rest of my life.�

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Head coach Michael Bonelli comforts junior midfielder Brandon Chiu after a tough loss against Millersville University.

defender Marissa Scullin celebrate after a goal against Shippensburg University.

August

Head coach George Mihalik celebrates the fourth consecutive win over Clarion University for the “Milk Jug� trophy.

September

October

Photo by: Rebecca Dietrich

November

Senior defender Lauren Impey and freshman

Sophomore wide receiver Jaimire Dutrieuille extends his

Junior midfielder Leslie Henny boots the ball past a California University defender.

Junior forward Steo Donnelly drives the ball up the field to score a goal.

Photos & Design by: Alex Mowrey

reach in an attempt to catch the ball.

December 6, 2013

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INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE Fashion books share advice on style, celebs Rock 'N Fashion's Katie Ellis shares style advice from many published fashion books in this week's column.

CAMPUS LIFE

Disney's Frozen, animated holiday hit Jimmy G takes a look at the newest animated family movie, Frozen, in this week's Jimmy G's Rock Reviews.

See Page D-2

See Page D-2

Red Ribbon Monologues dramatize A DS stories, facts and statistics for students

By Amber Cannon Rocket Contributor

On Sunday, Dec. 1, the world took time to remember the devastating affects of AIDS. The Student Union for Multicultural Affairs (SUMA) and the President's Commission on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation hosted their fourth annual Red Ribbon Monologues event to commemorate World Aids Day on Monday night in the Student Center Ballroom.

World Aids Day has a history dating back more than twenty years. Two public officers, James Bunn and Thomas Netter decided that there should be a global day to raise awareness of AIDS. When Bunn and Netter proposed this idea to the Global Program director, it was granted. Ever since Dec. 1, 1988, World Aids Day has been a very important day used to raise awareness about the dangers of HIV and AIDS. The event hosted a variety of monologues and poetry. To set the mood of more of a poetry club, several candles were lit around the room and the lights were dimmed.

Junior biology major, Ashley Craig, 21, preformed an original poem titled Silent Killah. Craig addressed how AIDS does not discriminate against anybody.

"AIDS is sort of like a game.

Tag! You're it. It only takes two seconds to ruin your whole life. AIDS doesn't discriminate according to race or gender. It can happen if you don't take the right precautions. Wrap it up," she said.

Craig expressed that most of the time, most people don't even know they have AIDS, which creates a chain of people not knowing that they are infected

by AIDS. It kills millions each year.

Videos were also shown to emphasis the dangers of AIDS and HIV. Statistics in the video show that 33.4 million people GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA DIETRICH/MCT CAMPUS

SEE THEATER PAGE D-3

Students celebrate holidays around the world

By Stephanie Cheek Assistant Campus Life Editor

PHOTO BY REBECCA DIETRICH SRU's American Sign Language Club members Stan Perko, Rachel Hunziker, and Benjamin Irwin performed ASL to "Winter Wonderland" at Thursday's holiday show.

Most SRU students are most familiar with the holiday of Christmas, but at the end of the year there are a lot more holidays that people of all different religions and nationalities celebrate every year.

Each booth at SRU’s Holidays Around the World event featured an organization that demonstrates a diverse holiday, and showed students some of the traditions featured.

For example, some of the holidays include Hanukkah, Los Posados, and Diwali.

The NAACP chapter on campus is having a booth devoted to the holiday, Diwali.

“Diwali is an Hindu holiday celebrated in India,” Raekelsha

Moss, 20, a junior social work major said. “It is also called the Festival of Lights.”

Moss who is also the President of the SRU chapter of NAACP further explained that Diwali is a five-day celebration that usually occurs between mid Oct. and mid Nov. This celebration is filled with plenty of food, fireworks, and candles.

Usually the festival takes place on the first day of the new moon marked on the Hindu calendar.

“This festival symbolizes light over dark, triumph over hardships, and good over evil,” Moss said.

According to Moss, each of the five days has something to do with the Hindu culture. For example, during the first day of the festival people SEE STUDENTS PAGE D-3

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December 6, 2013

Style improvement advice, trendy-chic celebs featured in how-to fashion book

Katie Ellis "ROCK'n Fashion" Katie Ellis is a junior journalism major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

The fashion industry is a multi-faceted, billion dollar business that is comprised of numerous moving parts, some of which are recognized monthly whenever magazines hit store shelves or seasonally whenever the latest fashions make their runway debut.

Countless books have also been published recognizing the industry’s major players like stylists, designers and novels have also become hot topics thanks to the attention given to recent motion pictures. Books on the many aspects of the fashion industry are ever evolving, but great style is forever.

For nearly five years, Emily Schuman has been running one of the fashion world’s favorite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere. Her site is an homage to her favorite recipes, DIY projects, and most importantly, style.

Schuman regularly posts trendsetting outfits on her website that would make even the most stylish girl jealous of her wardrobe.

Last year Schuman built off of the success of her website and published her first book, named for her popular website. “Cupcakes and Cashmere” isn’t just for fans of her blog, it’s for the girl that is looking to define her sense of style all while learning how to throw the perfect party and replicate the latest trends on a budget.

Clinton Kelly, style guru and co-host of “The Chew”, became known for his cutting-edge fashion advice on TLC’s “What Not to Wear”.

For 10 seasons, Kelly and Stacy London made over hundreds of fashion challenged women from across the country, and wrote insightful fashion books in the process.

“Oh No She Didn’t” by Kelly addresses the 100 most common fashion mistakes that women make and how to avoid them. In between hilarious personal stories, he offers advice for every woman on how to choose the right top to accent her figure, choose accessories to match, all while carrying herself with class. This book is a great read for fans of Kelly’s, and those that want to add some humor to their lives.

The City of Light takes center stage as Isabelle Thomas and Frédérique Veysset explore Parisian street style and the women that epitomize what it means to be Parisian chic. “Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic”, features photographs and interviews from the city’s most stylish young women, and their secrets to adding urban chic flair to an otherwise boring wardrobe.

Thomas and Veysset also look back at legendary French fashion inspirations including Jackie Kennedy and Françoise Hardy and how their style has inspired today’s trendsetters. They also break down the best pieces for women to buy, what to borrow, and what to avoid adding to their wardrobe, in order to look like they’ve just stepped onto the Rue de le Paix.

One of the best fictional stories about the industry to have ever been written is “The Devil Wears Prada”, the story of Andrea Sachs, a recent college grad that landed the job a million girls would kill for, as the assistant to the editor of “Runway” magazine.

This story was brought to life by Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in the 2006 blockbuster film of the same name. Lauren Weisberger’s mega-hit book paved the way for Sophie Kinsella to bring her beloved novel, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” to the silver screen in 2009, as a heartwarming, funny romantic comedy about Rebecca Bloomwood and how her love of fashion has affected her life.

“The Carrie Diaries” by Candace Bushnell is for fans of “Sex and the City’s” favorite New York City style icon, Carrie Bradshaw.

Bushnell brings fans of the popular book series and television show back to the 80s, to see what Carrie was like as a teenager and how she made her way to the city.

Books are a great way to learn about the different aspects of the fashion industry, and can be referenced time and time again. With so many books available, any girl can learn how to have impeccable style.

Disney's Frozen, a holiday hit for families

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS Disney's Frozen features stars such as Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Johnathan Groff (Kristoff ), in a magical holiday adventure that's fun for the whole family, young and old.

Jimmy Graner "Jimmy G's Rock Reviews"

4 Stars

Jimmy Graner is a junior journalism major and film and media studies minor and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

Disney is known for producing some of the best-animated films ever. The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid are just some of the most famous.

In order to gain popularity, stay confined to her room for the rest of her childhood, such films must stand out from others. In order to do this, they must bring to the table the power of laughter, sadness, and powerful voices.

Frozen, the newest Disney animated film to hit theaters, does just that. Unlike other Disney films, Frozen has two lead female roles. Elsa (Idina Menzel) is a princess with the incredible power to produce ice and snow.

Anna (Kristen Bell) is the younger sister of Elsa, who’s just along for the fun. However the fun stops when Elsa accidentally freezes her sister with her powers. To prevent this accident from ever happening again, a magical troll gives Anna

some very powerful advice: Elsa must refrain from ever talking to Anna. To make matters worse, the parents of the two are killed in a storm at sea. After three years, the summer coronation of Elsa arrives, meaning the two sisters, along with neighboring dignitaries across the land, spend one day together in celebration. During the reception, Anna causes a stir with her sister, making her unleash her power for the whole colony to see. It comes to this point that Elsa decides to flock to the mountains (but not before turning her surroundings into ice and snow), leaving Anna with a tough decision on what to do.

On her journey to the mountains to make things right with her sister, she comes in contact with Kristoff (Jonathan Groff ), who lends the helping hand. The added bonus of a talking snow man named Olaf (Josh Gad) who dreams of

living his life in the sun, will steal the spotlight from every other character just for his kooky voice and fun-loving attitude. With the villain revealed later, the common idea of how a Disney movie goes about is 100% complete.

The added bonus of the film is definitely the eight musical numbers. Although the beginning gets kind of annoying with every other portion being a sing-a-long, it slowly turns into a well-balanced storyline over a musical. Even the tone being used is soothing.

Whether it is a sad or funny scene, the melody adds inspiration to everything.

You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy this one. Frozen brings out the good in everyone with the pleasing atmosphere of what may just be an early Christmas present. The bond of two sisters will always be strong with the power of friendship and love.

December 6, 2013

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Students get festive with foods Theater tells personal stories from holidays across the globe of those affected by HIV, AIDS Continued from Page D 1

make rangolis. Rangolis are pictures made out of colorful sand and rice which are usually in the shape of lotus flowers. This is another symbol that represents good over evil.

The NAACP organization tried to bring some of the traditions to their booth.

“A couple members will be making rangolis at the event only with a little twist,” Moss explained.

For the event, they mademore intricate ones compared to the traditional lotus flowers, Moss further explained.

Another holiday that was featured at the Holidays around the World was the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, at the Green and White Society’s booth.

“For the past few years, we have always done Hanukkah as our holiday,” Katie Hill, 20, an early childhood education and special education major, said.

Hill is also the president of the Green and White Society and further explained that the reason they chose Hanukkah was because a few of the members are Jewish.

According to Hill, she is glad that they chose to represent a more diverse holiday to show the diversity

Follow this QR code for more on Campus Life stories stories!

Check out this online exclusive to see more about the Season of Giving event. www.youtube.com/SRURocket

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of the Slippery Rock campus, and that there are more holidays in the world than just Christmas.

Some of the traditions that are celebrated during the holiday were playing dreidel, lighting a candle in the menorah for eight nights and receive a gift each night, and gold coins, usually plastic or chocolate.

“You spin the dreidel, and depending on the one of four symbols the dreidel lands on, you give up your coins or get more,” Hill explained. “It resembles poker a little.”

This year Hanukkah goes from Wednesday, Nov. 27 to Thursday, Dec. 5.

At the Green and White Society booth, they had students playing the dreidel game and handed out plastic gold coins. Along with the game, students can also decorate sugar cookies, explained Hill.

The Holidays Around the World is an annual event that highlights the many nationalities that are seen at Slippery Rock.

“It really is important for SRU to represent other cultures, especially with holidays that are different from the usual Christmas,” Hill said.

didn't realize was that having AIDS came with a lot of other in the world live with AIDS. side effects.

"In 1997, I ended up spending Among those 33.4 million, one million are in the United States. 10 days in the hospital. Just Statistics also show that one in from having one infection, I six people living with HIV are developed chronic bronchitis, hypertension of the lungs, unaware of their infection. diabetes, and had After each a total of ten mini monologue strokes. I was and poem was completely bedfinished, speaker ridden."

Clarisse Jordan Toward the end of the Pittsburgh of her sp eech, AIDS Task Force Jordan explained (PATF) gave a how HIV never speech on her had a target. struggles living "HIV doesn't with AIDS. care about you " Ye s , in being black or h i g h s ch o ol, out this online exclusive to see more white. It doesn't e v e r y t h i n g Check World AIDS Day featuring the HOPE care if you have w a s n i c e . I about Peer Educators. m on e y, or i f had a faithful boyfriend that took me places you're poor. You can have a and didn't hide anything from little one-room shack, or you me, or so I thought. We told can live in a mansion," she each other everything, but what said. "Every time you have he did not tell me what they unprotected sex, you might as he was infected with HIV," she well grab a gun with one bullet and put it to your head because said.

Jordan admitted that she you are playing Russian roulette didn't want to get tested because with your life."

Jordan expressed that she she thought that she couldn't came to tell her story because have HIV. "All I remember saying was she doesn't want anyone to end that I thought that AIDS was up with the life she was given. a gay white man's disease. I She wasn't able to go to college wasn't gay or white, so I knew because of the fear of being judged for having AIDS. I didn't have it," she said.

"Next time things are getting Jordan explained that a month and a half later, she received her hot and heavy, I want you to test results back and her doctor close your eyes and picture Ms. told her blatantly that she was Clarisse. After you do that, I going to die of AIDS by the want you to get up, put on your time she was 24, but what she clothes, and run."

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December 6, 2013

New Sheetz, new features, new flavors Stephanie Cheek "Pinch Me, I Must Be Eating "

Like most fast food restaurants in Slippery Rock, Sheetz has been a staple of student diets from the moment that they step onto campus. Unfortunately, the local Sheetz used to be run down, small, crowded, and was nicknamed Club Sheetz any time after midnight when a line was around the block.

With the now open and new Sheetz right down the block, not only do students get the usual food but they also gets the high end treatment that Sheetz is making the new norm in most of their stores.

When you first walk into the new Sheetz, you immediately notice all the new stations and the large crowds that most are used to having diminished all around the store. There are specific stations for each item of food and drink.

The usual made-to-order kiosks are on the side of the store near the kitchen, and the beverages are organized by what they are, from soda, to lemonade, coffee, and even tea. Next to the food kiosks is the self serve coffee dispensers.

This new organization of Sheetz creates easy access for customers

to find what they are looking for and helps control the crowd.

One of the newer parts of the local Sheetz is the “Soda Cave.”

This “Soda Cave” is a refrigerated room full of cold sodas that come in two-liter sizes and 12 packs of soda cans. This cave makes picking up large quantities of sodas quick and easy.

Now moving on to the important part; the Sheetz food.

Now, when we go to Sheetz no one expects a gourmet meal, but they have added some new toppings that can be added to sub sandwiches, which includes French fries on your sandwich and the seasoning Old Bay. These toppings, especially Old Bay, is a welcome addition in my opinion, giving costumers that chance to have a more unique experience at Sheetz.

After you purchase your food you can move to the other side of the entire store to a section clearly marked for dining. This new Sheetz offers tables and booths with a retro décor were customers can sit and relax and enjoy a little television while they eat their food.

The only thing that is difficult is the new location of the store.

Even though it is only down the street from the old store, it is a little farther from campus than the old location. Most college students get to the local Sheetz by foot and trudge through snow and rain to get to the delicious fast food. But having to walk across one of the busiest roads to get to Sheetz makes the journey a little more difficult.

Lastly, I want to touch on the bathroom situation. In the old Sheetz, the bathroom was one

STEPHANIE CHEEK/THE ROCKET

STEPHANIE CHEEK/THE ROCKET The dine-in area along with the walk in soda cave are just two of the new features that is offered at the recently built Sheetz. Along with these two new facilities they are also adding new food toppings like Old Bay seasoning and the option to make sandwiches, "Pittsburgh style."

room that most would describe as 'dirty.' The new restrooms include multiple stalls and sinks allowing more than one person at a time.

Lastly they are sparkling clean and a place that would not strike fear into the eyes of students.

Overall, I think that the new Sheetz is a big improvement from what SRU students were used to, and creates an environment that is clean, organized, and turning the gas station restaurant into a somewhat classy place to eat.

SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF DANCE

SRU DANCE THEATRE FALL CONCERTS December 7 and 8, 2 and 5 p.m., in Swope Music Hall on the Slippery Rock University campus. $7 general admission; $5 students, seniors, and children; tickets will be available beginning Nov. 7 at the Smith Student Center Information Desk and online at www.sru.edu.

SRU Dance majors present semester-culminating showcases of diverse dance works.

SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY IS AN ACCREDITED MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF DANCE

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

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