The Rocket features a special section this week exploring topics on sex, love and Valentine's Day. Page E-1
Friday February 13, 2015 • Volume 98, Issue Number 15 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper www.theonlinerocket.com
Washing machine sets off alarm in North Hall Residents, workers, and visitors evacuate the building
Firefighters and SRU police respond to a fire alarm set off by a washing machine in North Hall on Wednesday night around 8 p.m. Residents were given the OK to return inside at 8:41 p.m.
Norton said she was about to leave her office in Old Main when she was informed about the alarm. When she stepped outside of Old Firefighters and SRU police responded to Main, she saw the lights from the fire trucks a fire alarm set off by a washing machine in and police cars. North Hall on Wednesday night around 8 p.m. Norton said at first the alarm was at first President Cheryl J. Norton was at the scene thought to be set off by a dryer, but it was waiting for everyone who was evacuated to be actually set off by an overloaded washing able to return safely into North Hall. machine.
By Haley Barnes News Editor
SRU Alumna Gets Gaming Job Bonnie Burton works on videogame "Destiny" after being a pro gamer for years. Page D-3
HALEY BARNES/THE ROCKET
Residents, workers in the building and students who were visiting North Hall at the time waited outside of North Hall or inside Weisenfluh Dining Hall. Norton said there were no injuries and everyone was able to go back inside the building at 8:41 p.m. Additional reporting done for this story by Amber Cannon.
Bookstore sells binders made with hazardous chemicals By Haley Barnes News Editor
The SGA Bookstore located in the Smith Student Center has been selling Samsill brand binders with a label on the binder warning consumers about a chemical that is used to make the binder. The label reads, “WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more info go to www.oehha. ca.gov/prop65.html.” Joe Flynn, SGA Bookstore manager, said the Bookstore has been carrying Samsill brand binders for over 10 years now and the binders come from Samsill Corporation, which is located
in Fort Worth, Texas. He said the Bookstore sells five different colors in various sizes. “We carry the Samsill binders because they are a good quality and value binders that we are able buy at a reasonable cost and pass the savings on to SRU students,” Flynn said. Flynn said that he is sure that some students were probably concerned enough with the label to not purchase the binder. Pau l Nov a k , D i re c tor of Environmental Health and Safety, explained the safety of selling the binders from his perspective. He explained that manufacturers of the binders are more at risk, than consumers, but that the label is required to be on the binder because the manufacturer would be subject to fines and penalties
Easy A's Not OK: No One Benefits
Baseball Retires Adams' No. 25
A letter to the editor describes SRU's grading standards compared to other schools. Page B-2
SRU retired former Rock baseball star Matt Adams college number Saturday evening. Page C-2
in California for violating the Proposition 65 law. According to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard As s e s s m e nt w e b s i t e , “ T h e Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals.” Novak said that the manufacturers of the binders must have some evidence that one or more of the chemicals used to make the binder is present on the Proposition 65 list of known carcinogens. SEE BINDER, PAGE A-3
SRU Promotes Heart Health SRU makes programs to encourage cardiovascular health for students and faculty Page D-1
NEWS
A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Rather cloudy and frigid
Snow, 1-2”; becoming windier
Cloudy, windy and frigid
Sunshine and very cold
Cloudy and not as cold
Low clouds and colder
Cloudy, a flurry; very cold
14°
9°
-3°
24°
REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE
Fri.
Sat.
Sun. Mon.
Tue.
CITY Akron Allentown Altoona Cleveland Erie Harrisburg Indiana Johnstown Philadelphia Pittsburgh Scranton State College Wheeling Williamsport Youngstown
Friday HI LO W 18 15 c 18 4 pc 18 12 c 18 15 c 13 10 c 22 13 pc 17 10 c 13 8 c 23 15 pc 20 12 c 13 6 pc 16 12 pc 20 13 c 20 9 pc 16 12 c
Wed. Thu.
Saturday HI LO W 26 -2 sn 30 10 sf 30 3 sf 28 -1 sn 26 -3 sn 33 8 sf 27 0 sn 24 -3 sn 36 13 sf 27 2 sn 27 6 sf 30 2 sf 27 1 sn 31 5 sf 24 0 sn
8°
13°
12°
28°
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.
Sunday HI LO W 5 -8 c 15 -4 c 8 -3 c 6 -8 sf 3 -6 c 15 1 pc 6 -6 c 3 -6 c 19 2 c 8 -3 c 12 -2 c 9 -3 c 9 -3 c 14 -2 c 4 -9 c
Monday HI LO W 16 11 s 19 10 s 19 11 s 15 10 s 12 6 s 21 13 s 16 9 s 15 9 s 23 13 s 19 13 s 16 4 s 17 8 s 20 15 s 19 6 s 15 10 s
Tuesday HI LO W 29 13 c 34 29 sn 31 23 sn 27 12 c 25 13 c 33 28 sn 32 23 sn 28 18 sn 36 29 sn 32 19 sn 30 26 c 29 22 sn 34 18 sn 31 26 c 27 13 c
16°
3°
21°
7°
IN THE SKY
™
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
-9°
2° ®
Wednesday HI LO W 19 3 c 32 10 sn 26 7 sn 18 4 c 16 3 c 32 13 sn 24 5 sn 20 3 c 38 18 sn 20 5 c 27 9 sn 24 6 sn 21 5 c 29 10 sn 18 3 c
Thursday HI LO W 24 15 c 27 16 pc 25 10 c 23 16 c 18 14 pc 27 12 pc 22 12 c 19 9 sf 28 13 pc 23 11 c 21 10 pc 24 9 c 23 15 c 25 8 c 22 13 c
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Moon
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Rise 7:18 a.m. 7:17 a.m. 7:15 a.m. 7:14 a.m. 7:13 a.m. 7:11 a.m. 7:10 a.m. Rise 2:20 a.m. 3:18 a.m. 4:14 a.m. 5:07 a.m. 5:56 a.m. 6:40 a.m. 7:21 a.m.
MOON PHASES
Set 5:52 p.m. 5:53 p.m. 5:54 p.m. 5:55 p.m. 5:56 p.m. 5:58 p.m. 5:59 p.m. Set 12:32 p.m. 1:25 p.m. 2:26 p.m. 3:32 p.m. 4:44 p.m. 5:58 p.m. 7:13 p.m.
New
First
Full
Last
2/18
2/25
3/5
3/13
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015
February 13, 2015 NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES
Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal
PRECIPITATION
Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal
National Summary: Snow showers will return to the Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Saturday. Rain showers will impact the northern Rockies with a few snow showers across the western Dakotas. The rest of the nation will be dry. On Sunday, frigid air will dominate the Midwest and Northeast with lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes. Showers will occur from southern Arizona to southern Texas and the northern Rockies. Snow showers will impact the Upper Midwest. By Monday, a storm system will develop that will bring rain across the South and snow across the Missouri Valley, central Plains and the Rockies. Snow showers will also impact the upper Great Lakes.
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 45 30 pc 57 22 s 38 25 s 45 36 pc 58 39 r 41 22 c 44 26 s Boston 13 0 pc 25 21 sn 24 -1 sn 15 3 pc 27 23 c 32 13 sn 22 9 sf Chicago 24 18 sn 18 -1 sf 14 4 pc 22 12 pc 24 2 c 16 3 s 29 11 c Cincinnati 30 23 c 33 7 sf 19 5 pc 26 21 s 33 11 sn 24 4 c 33 19 pc Dallas 66 40 s 72 46 s 53 41 s 57 41 c 46 23 r 43 26 s 55 34 s Denver 64 34 s 63 33 s 55 30 s 38 16 sn 22 8 sn 38 22 s 50 20 s Detroit 20 18 c 23 -6 sn 6 -9 s 14 8 pc 25 7 c 20 4 s 26 14 pc Houston 63 46 s 75 49 s 69 54 pc 71 62 r 65 33 r 50 31 s 57 38 s Indianapolis 28 22 c 27 5 c 17 8 c 25 18 s 28 7 sn 21 4 pc 28 12 pc Kansas City 46 30 pc 34 7 s 28 17 sn 33 20 sn 25 4 sn 29 17 s 41 20 pc Los Angeles 89 58 s 85 58 pc 79 56 pc 72 56 s 73 54 pc 74 54 s 73 55 pc Miami 74 49 s 70 48 s 72 55 s 72 64 pc 77 66 pc 80 55 sh 67 57 s Nashville 40 25 pc 50 12 pc 32 17 s 35 33 sn 42 17 sn 30 11 c 41 18 pc New Orleans 53 38 s 67 46 s 59 46 s 66 57 t 73 36 t 47 31 c 50 36 s New York City 19 12 pc 33 14 sf 18 2 sn 21 11 s 33 29 sn 34 16 sn 25 13 pc Orlando 60 37 s 62 46 s 65 42 s 67 53 pc 77 58 pc 70 41 sh 60 44 s Phoenix 82 56 s 83 57 pc 81 56 pc 80 55 s 74 49 s 74 50 s 76 51 pc San Francisco 68 52 s 69 54 s 70 51 s 65 51 s 65 50 s 65 50 pc 64 51 pc Seattle 58 47 r 55 39 pc 52 36 c 54 35 s 53 35 s 55 37 s 54 39 c Washington, DC 30 21 s 42 13 sf 25 10 s 30 23 s 40 35 sn 40 20 sn 33 17 s Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
SRU maintenance tests fire alarms regularly P
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INDEX Blotter.................A-3 S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C - 1 Opinion................B-1 Campus Life...........D-1 Comics...................B-3
CONTACT US Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu
220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Nationally recognized as one of the top 10 four-year weekly broadsheet newspapers by the Associated Collegiate Press.
By Amber Cannon Assistant News Editor
Smoke detectors around campus have been causing a great deal of fire alarms to sound off in classroom and residence hall buildings. Recently, an ‘E-Cigarrette’ and a hair straightener set off fire alarms in Watson and Building F. Paul Novak, director of environmental health and safety explained that the fire alarms on campus do not go off based on sensitivity. Novak said all fire alarms are set to the minimum requirements that are set forth by the fire codes. “It’s not something that can be manually modified,” Novak said. “The fire alarms are set to detect smoke or anything that would be reflective of what that smoke concentration is. Some products such as hairsprays and gels would be able to basically set it off because it’s present in the same kind of concentration. It’s telling that device that there is smoke or a potential fire. Novak said there are no particular fire alarms that are used for the different types of building, whether the building is a classroom building, a residence hall or a gym. He said there’s only one type of fire alarm system. He also said the quantity of fire alarms in the classroom buildings and residence halls depends upon the square footage of the space. “How long a hallway is will dictate how many smoke alarms there needs to be. Some may have more smoke alarms than others. There are no different types of fire alarm systems based on the occupancy,” Novak said. Novak said regardless of the location of the fire detection units, when students hear an alarm, they have to assume that it is going off for the appropriate purpose and should evacuate the building immediately.
“A lot of people will say it’s a false alarm. Well, no. The alarm went off, so it’s not false. It’s just not a fire,” Novak said. The fire alarms on campus are tested every August and February and the residence halls are tested twice annually, Novak said. The university takes the number of buildings on campus and divides them up into two testing events. He also said the university tests all of the sprinkler systems on a prescribed basis. The fire extinguishers are checked once a month. Although all of the fire alarms are checked, Novak said there’s no need to change a fire alarm unless there is a problem with it. According to Novak, the three main things that set off fire alarms in residence hall building are negligent cooking, steam from the shower and hair products. During residence hall trainings, which happen every semester, Novak said one of the things he tries to highlight to the graduate assistants and community assistants is the importance of keeping these things away from the proximity of a smoke alarm. “It’s been our experience in the last two to three years that the majority of our fire alarms in residence halls are due to what I would call negligent cooking, such as if students have access to a microwave and they put a piece of pizza in for five minutes or popcorn for 10 minutes,” Novak said. “We see that a lot. The best things that students can do is to be responsible. With the steam in the shower, students should make sure that the fan exhaust is on when they’re showering and rather than opening the door right away so that that steam rushes out and finds its way to the smoke alarm, students should open their door slowly and allow the steam to dissipate slowly. The smoke alarms are doing what they’re supposed to do.”
ROCK NOTES
Fearless Female Feature Film and Discussion Series The second film in the Fearless Female and Discussion Series, The Secret Life of Bees will be shown at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Feb. 18 in the Women's Center. Contact Lindsay Carr at lec1003@ sru.edu or 724-738-2922 for more information.
To submit a Rock Note please send your announcement by 6 p.m. Wednesday to Haley Barnes at hmb1006@sru.edu or to rocket. news@sru.edu. The Rocket does not guarantee that all requests will be published in the paper.
Snack to Give Back Event The SRU Non-proft alliance will be hosting "Snack to Give Back" on Feb. 17 from 6:3o p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the Smith Student Center Ballroom.
Dude, Get Your Weight Up There will be a panel discussion in the Smith Student Center Theater on Tuesday, Feb. 24 during common hour to explore the pressure men face when it comes to their bodies and the impact this has on men's overall health and wellness. Contact Lindsay Carr at lec1003@sru.edu or 724-7382992 for more information.
Free GRE Strategy Session Phi Kappa Phi and The Princeton Review will be offering a Free GRE Strategy on Feb. 24 from 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m. in room 321 Smith Student Center. To reserve a set, please stop by the CSIL office for signups. The Marjorie Stephenson Scholarship Criteria and applications can be found at the Interlibrary Loan desk, first floor of Bailey Library. The application and other materials are due by March 16 in the Administrative Office of Bailey Library, second floor by 12 p.m. The maximum award for the scholarship is $1,000.
NEWS
February 13, 2015
A-3
POLICE BLOTTER Borough
reported that someone struck his vehicle overnight.
Jan. 24 – Lukas Brooks was cited for disorderly Feb. 3 – An unknown vehicle struck a parked house after being stopped along Elm Street and vehicle in front of Bob’s Subs, damaging the driver was found to have been consuming alcohol while side mirror. under the age of 21. Feb. 7 – A hit-and-run was reported along Jan. 24 – Joseph Zingaro was cited for disorderly Franklin Street at the entrance to Sheetz. An conduct after being stopped along Kiester Road unknown silver car, exiting Sheetz, struck a and was also found in possession of a small passing vehicle and left the scene. amount of marijuana and paraphernalia. Feb. 8 – Alex Chrzannowski was cited for Jan. 25 – Kyle Landfried was cited for disorderly disorderly house after being found in possession house after being seen urinating in public at of an alcoholic beverage under the age of 21. Gateway Park. Feb. 8 – Jonathan Herrit was arrested for Jan. 26 – The property manager of 125 Franklin possession of a controlled substance and drug St. reported a window shot out with a BB gun. paraphernalia. Jan. 25 – Jonathan Macurak was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after being stopped for a traffic violation along Midway Alley.
Campus
that was set off at the Bookstore at the Robert M. Smith Student Center. The manager set off the alarm. Feb. 7 – Burnt food set off a fire alarm at the R.O.C.K Apartments. The alarm was reset. Feb. 7 – Steam from the shower set off a fire alarm at the R.O.C.K Apartments. The building was evacuated and the panel was reset. Feb. 7 – A hair dryer set off a fire alarm at Building A. The panel was reset. Feb. 7 – The health center requested an ambulance for a highly intoxicated individual at Rhodes Hall. The individual was transported to Grove City Hospital. Feb. 7 – Police responded to a fire alarm at Building D. Steam caused the alarm to activate. The panel was reset.
Feb. 4 – Police received a call for a female who was unconscious at Swope. Police were Jan. 27 – The property manager of 125 Franklin unable to wake her. An ambulance arrived, but Feb. 7 – Joshua Crawford, 18, and Cameron St. reported another window had been shot out the victim refused transportation. The female Bildhauer, 19, were issued drug violations at overnight with a BB gun. was transported to the health center by police for Building F. check-up. Jan. 28 – Pry’s Towing reported a theft of Feb. 8 – Steam for the shower set off a fire alarm services. A vehicle owner removed a car from Feb. 4 – Police received a call for a male who ran at Building F. The alarm was reset. their lot without paying the fees. The incident was off with a loaf of bread without paying at Boozel resolved and no charges were filed. Dining Hall. The case is under investigation. Feb. 8 – Borough police requested assistance for an intoxicated individual along Midway Alley. Jan. 29 – James McGinnis and Kaitlyn Nelson Feb. 5 – There was a call for a drug violation at were cited for disorderly conduct after being Building E. The case is under investigation. Feb. 8 – Police responded to an alcohol violation found along Kelly Boulevard engaging in illegal at Building D. The individual was referred to behavior. Feb. 5 – Police received a call for a metis alarm student conduct. going off at Spotts. The alarm was accidently Jan. 29 – The property manager of 125 Franklin tripped and reset. Feb. 8 – Police responded to a metis alarm. The Street reported more windows were shot out with alarm was accidently hit. The panel was reset. a BB gun. Feb. 5 – A female reported threats on social media. The case is under investigation. Feb. 9 – Josiah Bloise, 19, was charged with Jan. 30 – Hunter Elcock was issued an open driving under the influence along Founders Way. container violation after being seen walking along Feb. 5 – Police received a call for a metis alarm West Cooper Street with an open beer can. going off at West Gym. The alarm was accidently Feb. 9 – Marlon Juana, 22, was charged with tripped and reset. theft for a previous incident. Jan. 31 – A window was found to have been broken out of 313 Franklin St. Feb. 6 – Police responded to a tripped metis Feb 9 – Police responded to a medical emergency alarm. The panel was reset. at Patterson Hall. The individual was transported Jan. 31 – Darton Harwick, Marissa Buccilli to the hospital by ambulance. and Alison Misho were cited for underage Feb. 6 – Brian Bylotas, 19, and Matthew Costa, consumption. 18, were issued alcohol violations at Rhodes Hall. Feb. 9 – Police responded to an intruder alarm at the Ski Lodge. Maintenance set off the alarm. Feb. 1 – Daniel Dorman, Nicholas MacBride Feb. 6 – Police were called for an odor of The panel was reset. and Timothy Keblesh were cited for underage marijuana at Building F. Nothing was found. consumption. Feb. 10 – An individual reported his vehicle Feb. 7 – Borough police requested assistance on damaged at the BSB Commuter Lot. The case is Feb. 1 – Chelsea Kreitzer and a 16-year-old a traffic stop. under investigation. juvenile were cited for underage consumption after being found consuming alcohol at Sheetz. Feb. 7 – A police officer, while executing an Feb. 10 – A hair dryer set off a fire alarm at arrest on a person, cut open his finger at the Building A. The panel was reset. Feb. 2 – A backpack, wallet and numerous items Advanced Technology and Science Hall. The were reported stolen from a residence along South officer was transported to the health center for Feb. 10 – An individual reported his iPhone was taken from his room at Building F. The case Main Street. treatment. is under investigation. Feb. 2 – A resident of Stonecrest Apartments Feb. 7 – Police responded to an intruder alarm Compiled by Amber Cannon
Nanjing University students travel to SRU By Kelsey Phillips Rocket Contributor
Twenty-four students from Nanjing University in Nanjing, China are experiencing Slippery Rock University’s hospitality, event management and tourism department for the spring semester. Nanjing University has been ranked one of the top five institutions of higher learning in China, combining both education and research studies. The university has over 35,000 enrolled students and offers programs for both Chinese students wishing to study abroad and American students wishing to study in China. Following recent travel to China by SRU faculty and administration, the partnership between SRU and Nanjing has doubled the size
of the program from the previous spring, when ten students and an instructor from Nanjing visited SRU to strengthen their English language skills and learn about the field of hospitality. The visiting group of students will be developing skills to work in the growing field of hospitality and international tourism as more and more people begin to travel to and from China, thus creating a need for food, lodging, entertainment and more. According to Dr. Bruce Boliver, assistant professor and chair of SRU’s hospitality, event management and tourism department, the SRU AVI food service will be working with the students for food-related workshops, and the students will also attend courses in English as a second language (ESL), hotel management,
sports tourism and intercultural communications. While at SRU, the students will have the opportunity to expand their language abilities with the help of Dr. Seungku (Steve) Park, director of the SRU Language Center. “The students will learn English language by four language skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing,” Park said. The students have already learned some English in China and are able to communicate proficiently to an extent when they arrive, Park said. “Smartphones are now one of the most common gadgets when learning a new language and it is very useful to find words in different languages thanks to the accessibility to the Internet,” Park said. “Having communication with people who have different cultures is always
exciting and gives me amazing moments about the world. The biggest challenge would be the stereotypes of certain groups of people in different parts of the world, much of which are myths created by mass media." SRU has approximately 100 students majoring in resort, recreation and hospitality management, several of which will serve as a mentor to the Nanjing students as they participate in courses and campus activities. The positive experiences of these students will help to develop a 2+2 program between SRU and Nanjing University, in which students would attend school in China and then transfer to SRU to complete their degree. Other international students from Sri Lanka, Turkey and Vietnam may also have the opportunity to participate in the newly developing program.
Binder company plans to remove warning labels Continued from Page A-1
“There is a likelihood some of that chemical may be present as part of the binder matrix,” Novak explained. Novak explained consumers are not really as risk when using the binders. “I offer the true concern relates more to an issue of risk as opposed to safety,” Novak said. “In toxicology, we teach the concept that the dose of a particular substance is a direct function of effect in terms of exposure. Generally speaking ,if a chemical or substance cannot enter the body, it generally cannot hurt that body.”
He compared the binders to gasoline by saying that gasoline contains a number of known carcinogens, such as benzene. He said the general public fills their cars up with gasoline without concern. “Carcinogenic effects are a function of actual exposure to the benzene in gasoline,” Novak said. “That said I offer the perspective if a person happens to get a few drops of gasoline on their hands during filling their tank up, their risk of exposure would be greater than carrying a binder manufactured with a known carcinogen.” Flynn explained that he had a conversation with a
Samsill employee who assured him that these are the same binders that the SGA Bookstore has been selling for years. He also said that the employee informed him that Samsill would be removing all labels off of the binders, with the exception of the binders that are shipped to California. “Based on the conversation that I had with Marcia from Samsill and the information that Paul Novak provided, I am very comfortable selling these binders at the SGA Bookstore,” Flynn said. “They are the same binder that we have sold for years and comprised of the same material as other binders that we and every other retailer carry.”
February 13, 2015
Campus Brand Representative Brand Champion Marketing, an innovative and exciting marketing agency is seeking a bright, ambitious, energetic, outgoing, socially connected and responsible college student to build and execute campus based marketing programs for e6 Energy Shots, a cool new entry into the fast growing energy category! A great job opportunity that provides flexible hours, competitive compensation, cool swag and real world brand marketing experience for the right person.
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A-4
classifieds For Rent
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Advertise with us! Email rocket.ads@sru.edu
(724) 738-2643
O
OPINION
Our View
WARNING:
Cancer-causing chemicals in binders are not OK, warnings, however, are
OPINION rocket.letters@sru.edu Volume 98, Number 15
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 Kevin Squires
Editor-in-Chief
Haley Barnes
News Editor
Katie Ellis
Campus Life Editor
Brian Hepfinger
Sports Editor
Alex Mowrey
Photo Editor
Andrew Conner
Web/Social Media Editor
Shelby Stearns
Copy Editor
Amber Cannon
Assistant News Editor
Janelle Wilson
Assist. Campus Life Editor
Ryan Barlow
Assistant Sports Editor
Rebecca Dietrich
Assistant Photo Editor
Emily Brown
Multimedia Reporter
Mark Zeltner
Faculty Adviser REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
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 5 percent of its funding from the SGA Student Activity fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising. Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 7382643 or by emailing rocket.ads@sru.edu.
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 Editor-in-Chief at the address listed here.
Samsill brand binders sold at the Robert M. Smith Student Center at the SGA Bookstore contain a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm, according to a warning label seen on the back of the binders. The label is in accordance with California’s Proposition 65 which requires businesses to notify Californians about s i g n i f i c a nt a m o u nt s o f chemicals in the products they purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. These chemicals are known to cause cancer and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment includes
a massive listing of chemicals found in foods, drugs, dyes, pesticides and others used in manufacturing and a variety of other sources. The determination of which chemicals should be added to the list is an intensive process and the list airs on the side of caution when it comes to requiring a warning. However, this information allows residents of California to make informed decisions about protecting themselves from these chemicals. There’s just one problem: We live in Pennsylvania and no such law is in effect for the state. In response, Samsill reportedly said to the SGA
In the Quad
Bookstore they would be removing the labels from the products, aside from those sold in California. We think being aware and informed of cancer-causing chemicals is a pretty important step in informing the public and think a similar policy should be implemented in Pennsylvania. It seems a cowardly and selfish move for Samsill to have these labels removed for products simply because they are not required by law in an effort to ensure people will unwittingly purchase their product with no possible cause for concern. We also think that the SGA Bookstore should not sell any products that are known to cause cancer. The labels being removed makes it all the more important that this be addressed now. In the future, students will not be aware that the chemicals are present in the binders. Both of these calls to action are in the best interest and the safety of students at Slippery Rock University and for Pennsylvania residents at large. We feel it is very important that students should feel comfortable purchasing school supplies from the SGA Bookstore. We also think that because SRU is known to be an e nv i ron m e nt a l ly f r i e n d ly campus, the SGA Bookstore should consider ordering e nv i ron m e nt a l ly f r i e n d ly binders to ensure the safety and health of the students. We feel students would more likely be willing to spend the extra dollar on an environmentally safe binder than use a binder that could potentially cause harm to their body. There may be other products in the bookstore that don’t carry a warning if carcinogenic materials are present, even if they are, but it should be the SGA Bookstore’s duty to monitor all products coming in and being sold to students on campus.
This week’s question: What is your ideal way of spending Valentine’s Day?
In the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.
EDITORIAL POLICY The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by Rocket editorial board members. It reflects the majority opinion of The Rocket Editorial Board. “Our View” does not necessarily reflect the views of Slippery Rock University, its employees or its student body. Columns and cartoons are drafted by various individuals and only reflect the opinions of the columnists.
LETTERS POLICY The Rocket welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee their publication. The Rocket retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes the property of The Rocket and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major and/or group affiliation, if any. Please limit letters to a maximum of 400 words. Submit all material by noon Wednesday to: The Rocket, 220 ECB, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa. 16057. Or send it via e-mail to: rocket.letters@sru.edu.
Melissa Paterni Freshman, Recreational Therapy Major Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mack Shearer Freshman, Philosophy Major Sharpsville, Pennsylvania
Christy Paterni Sophomore, Psychology Major Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“I would want to spend it with my Valentine, he goes to school in North Carolina.”
“I think instead of giving gifts, seeing a concert or a live show together with your date would be great. It would be something very memorable.”
“I think going out to eat with friends and hanging out, just not really paying attention to the fact that it’s Valentine’s Day, but hanging out with all the people you love.”
OPINION
B-2
February 13, 2015
QUESTION OF
THE WEEK @SRURocket
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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.
When everyone gets easy A’s, no one benefits As a college student, you already know how much GPAs matter. Your grade point average determines whether or not you keep your scholarships. It affects your admission into grad school. It could be the tie-breaker when you’re competing for a job. Your parents probably care about it, too, especially if they’re writing big tuition checks. But grades are also important because they are supposed to reflect what you know and can do. While everyone wants good grades, it’s often a bad sign when everyone gets them. If that’s happening, the bar for “excellence” is too low. It means some people are getting high grades for doing less, cheapening the value of an A. Moreover, this may leave some students more confident about their knowledge and skills than they should be. A new report, Easy A’s and What’s Behind Them, by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) looks at more than 500 colleges (including Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania) and finds that, on average, about 30 percent of all students at these schools graduate with grade-based honors. Think about your classes. Are almost a third of the students sitting next to you hitting it out of the park on all their exams and in most of their classes? Especially troubling for NCTQ, a research organization that advocates for improving the instruction of K-12 students by improving the preparation of their teachers, is that Easy A’s also found that 44 percent of teacher candidates graduate with honors. That means that students getting ready to teach are nearly 50 percent more likely than all their campus peers to earn a high GPA.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is among the schools that perform worse than average, awarding especially high grades to teacher candidates. Its honors rate for teacher prep candidates was 62.81 percent, while the overall rate for all programs across campus was 36.96 percent. This number puts Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in a group of 95 institutions – out of 509 - where the differential between teacher-prep students graduating with honors and all students with honors is a stunning 25 percentage points or more. The disturbingly large differential raises these questions, “Why are future teachers earning much higher grades than everyone else? Are education majors that much smarter? Is the program too generous in its grading policies? Are the expectations for students too low?” NCTQ believes that part of the explanation lies in the type of assignments students are given. When you dig into syllabi, education majors often are given what we termed “criterion-deficient” assignments – meaning they are overly broad or subjective. These assignments are often an inadequate gauge of whether students have mastered specific content and skills. Disturbingly, teacher prep programs at the universities we reviewed assign more than twice as much criteriondeficient coursework as other academic programs. Predictably, criterion-deficient assignments correlate with higher grades – not just in teacher-prep courses, but in other majors as well. This outcome just makes sense: If your grade depends simply on completing an assignment or on your opinion, more people are going to do well.
Relying too heavily on these assignments in any program can cheat students out of knowledge they need to master. Teacher preparation shares much with training for engineers, nurses, or doctors: teacher candidates must learn and master the skills and knowledge they’ll need in the classroom – if not, they are left ill-prepared for the relentlessly tough work that awaits them and risk doing great harm. The result for teacher candidates and their future students can be devastating. College can’t teach you everything you’ll need to know to be successful in your field. There’s no substitute for experience, and smart professionals learn on the job every day. But teaching isn’t for the unprepared or underprepared. The profession is too demanding, and children deserve teachers who can be effective from their first day in the classroom. Regardless of the program you’re in, make sure you’re taking classes where professors have clear indicators of the content you’ll learn and whether you’ve learned it. If they’re not giving substantive feedback, ask for thoughtful critiques that compare your work to a high standard. In the end, the benefits of an easy A are temporary: when virtually everyone has stellar grades, undeserved high grades won’t help you get a job, and they definitely won’t help you keep it. Kate Walsh Washington, DC Ms. Walsh is the president of the National Council on Teacher Quality
Digital Photography: Making Prints Take a Backseat Digital photography has taken over the shooting market by leaps and bounds in more recent years. Although I have spent all my photography career working with digital cameras, I still appreciate the feel and look of a printed photo. I feel with the considerable growth in digital pictures, people Alex Mowrey have started to lose the meaning behind each photo. During the Commentary early days of photography, it was an expensive luxury. Each shot Alex Mowrey is a senior emerging had to be meticulously planned technology and multimedia major from and it had to mean something. You San Diego, California and the photo only got one shot. (Pun intended) However, as cameras have editor of The Rocket.
evolved with the times the mindset of, “spray and pray” has become much more popular. I know for my work now, I get approximately 10 good photos for every 100 I take. Then only about two of them actually get to see the light of day by being printed in The Rocket. Conversely, every picture that gets printed means so much to me. It is a clear definition of my work and what I love to do. I feel having the tangible product is much more meaningful because you can keep it forever. Yes the pictures saved to our phones can be there for as long as we want them to be, but who hasn’t made
scarifies for storage? I have and now those small snippets of my life are gone. As more pictures are just shared to social media and forever lost to the dissonance of the digital universe, we need to remember what our meaningful moments are. I will always be able to thank my mom for all my baby books full of pictures of me. I may not fully appreciate the boxes of albums just yet, but when I have a family and kids of my own, I’ll be able to show them how silly their father looked in his plaid and bowl cut. I guess this is a memory I’m glad that I only remember from pictures.
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COMICS
Poppy
By Brooke Griffin
COMICS
Horoscopes Today's Birthday (02/13/15). Collective energy can move mountains this year. Work together for positive change. Tackle bigger-than-ever goals. Push the envelope. Funds are available especially after 3/20. Begin a new creative project or study after 4/4. Sign and file papers after 10/13 to expand a joint enterprise or family business. Grow what you love by feeding your roots. Brooke Griffin is a sophomore communication major from Meadville, Pennsylvania. 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 a 9 -- Pleasant surprises bless your journey. Miraculous results seem possible. Follow your intuition (as well as directions) to succeed. Associates can provide what you need. Consider the long term, and get something that will last.
Best in Show
By Phil Juliano
Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- An unexpected windfall boosts your family accounts. Keep your eye on the numbers today and tomorrow. Accept a big assignment respectfully. Heed the voice of experience. Discipline with practical considerations pays off in spades. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 9 -- A creative collaboration offers good pay. Share a dream with your partner. Your work blends together seamlessly, purring like a well-oiled machine. Generosity is a good thing. Practice your artistry. Love provides the perfect sauce. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Buy something that makes your workload lighter. Find a fabulous deal. Use your experience and skills to great effect today and tomorrow. Avoid ephemeral options and stick to practical priorities. Your work is gaining recognition.
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy
By Tim Rickard
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Fortune favors a game well played today and tomorrow. Make sure you're using updated rules. Discover new benefits as you gain skills. Polish the presentation. Weave an enchanting spell. It could get deliciously romantic. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Commit to finish a lingering home project and discover new benefits for your family. Try out an interesting suggestion from an expert. It could be much easier than imagined. A picture is worth a thousand words. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Make longrange plans. Talk about dreams while maintaining practical actions. Stay on purpose (especially when shopping). A creative challenge appears. Explore uncharted territory to discover incredible fun. You can do more than you thought. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- The objective is clear. Keep your eye on the ball. Watch for the moment to pounce. Your touch seems golden. Intuition points the way. Cinch a profitable deal. Put in the work and it pays off. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Keep the momentum rolling. Don't worry about dreams or fantasies now. Stick to practical objectives. Work the audience. Good luck comes when least expected. New status brings new rewards. Keep or sell? Get something you've always wanted. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -Retrospection and introspection can spark innovation and insight today. Try a new tactic. Get advice from the most experienced source you can find. Personal growth comes from a willingness to revise your view. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- You have friends who have been where you're going. Listen to experience. Practical group activities reap a power boost. Work and play together, and enjoy the teamwork. Discipline pays off. Glamour works now. Dress up. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is an 8 -- A professional opportunity gets you moving today. Confront old fears. Offer advice only if asked. New work is possible. See if it fits your requirements. Don't press a controversial point. Follow your intuition. You're inspiring someone.
(c)2015 BY NANCY BLACK DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Bliss
By Harry Bliss
February 13, 2015
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S SPORTS
INSIDE SPORTS
Jersey Retired Former SRU baseball player Matt Adams has his jersey retired by the university Saturday in a private ceremony on campus. See Page C-2
Online Exclusive The women's indoor track team takes 13 top five finishes at the YSU National Invite on Saturday and Sunday.
See theonlinerocket.com
Rock men clinch playoff berth The first half featured tough defense from both teams, and the Rock went into halftime with a one point lead (34-33). "We were happy with the first half and at halftime we were happy because we felt the game was at our pace and tempo," SRU head coach Kevin Reynolds said. "We were aggressive, getting to the hoop and got to the line 11 times in the first half. So, we had a positive mind frame as a team and felt good about it." Nicholson said Reynolds kept the team positive at halftime. "Coach Reynolds would keep encouraging us that our shots would fall and that we would need to keep playing aggressive defense," Nicholson said. The Green and White took over in the second half, allowing Edinboro to shoot 25 percent (832) from the field. Defensively, SRU managed to block five of Edinboro's shots in the second half. "We got a bunch of stops and held them to eight baskets in the second half," Reynolds said. "Our defense was good in the first half and better in the second half. We did a good job of possessing the ball in the second half. We felt good about all four aspects of the game that we were focusing on."
"With us clinching a spot in the playoffs, it gives us that extra push we need to make a run." -Desma Nicholson
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
Junior Malcolm Richardson drives to the basket during SRU's game against Mercyhurst University. Richardson has started two games.
Offense led by junior guard's career-high 25 points By Brian Hepfinger Sports Editor
With a double-digit victory over Edinboro University (11-12) Wednesday, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team (17-7) secured a playoff berth for the sixth time in the last seven years. The Rock defeated Edinboro 75-64 after outscoring the Fighting Scots 41-31 in the second half. "We still have four more games, we're playing for seeding and for the NCAA Tournament," Reynolds said. "There wasn't a lot of celebration about getting into the conference tournament. We look at our program as a national program, and the goal every year is to go to the NCAA Tournament." SRU senior guard Desma Nicholson said he's very pleased with what his team has done so far.
"With us clinching a spot in the playoffs, it gives us that extra push we need to make a run," Nicholson said. "I am very proud of the team, because we learned to come together when adversity hits." Juniors Kelvin Goodwin and Cornelius Brown were both inactive due to a coach's decision, so the Rock was without two of their starters once again. Both teams struggled offensively in this game, with neither team shooting over 32 percent. SRU shot 34.8 percent (23-66), while Edinboro shot 26.9 percent (18-67). "They play underneath you, and they aren't pressuring you," Reynolds said. "They make you shoot over the top. They were the number one field goal percentage defensive team in our league coming in, so it was a physical game. The good news is that we had 14 offensive rebounds."
SRU junior guard Malcolm Richardson had the best game of his collegiate career. Richardson scored a career-high 25 points (8-15) to go along with a career-high and game-high 12 rebounds. Richardson made his second start at point guard with junior guard Kelvin Goodwin being inactive due to a coach's decision once again. Reynolds praised Richardson for his work in practice and how well he rebounded on Wednesday. "He's been practicing well and has had a good few weeks of practice, so his game is getting better," Reynolds said. "His confidence is increasing, he was in attack mode on offense and defense. 12 rebounds in 33 minutes from the guard position is phenomenal." Senior guard Antonio Butler scored 15 points, but struggled shooting. Butler shot 20 percent (4-20) from the field to go along with 11 rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Frank Holloway also struggled shooting, with a field goal percentage of 23 (3-13). Holloway scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds. Junior guard Abdul King scored 11 points (33) and grabbed seven rebounds. "They're tall, athletic and they did a good job defensively against us," Reynolds said. Edinboro was led by Henri Wade-Chatman, who scored 29 points (7-30) to go along with six rebounds and two assists. Jaymon Mason added 17 points (6-15), seven rebounds and two assists. The Green and White's next game is against Seton Hill University at home at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Reynolds said his team still has to play extremely well over the next four games, especially against Seton Hill on Saturday. "They beat us in their place, and it was disappointing for us," Reynolds said. "There should still be a bad taste in our mouth seeing them coming into Morrow on Saturday. We have to play better."
SPORTS
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February 13, 2015
Matt Adams' no. 25 retired by Rock baseball By Ryan Barlow Assistant Sports Editor
Former Rock baseball star and current St. Louis Cardinal Matt Adams had his college number, 25, retired by Slippery Rock University Saturday, becoming the first baseball player in school history to earn that honor. "It's just a proud feeling seeing your first former player to make it to the Major Leagues," Rock head coach Jeff Messer said. "We always knew that he was going to do, he was always a great hitter from day one and it was such a nice recognition that the school gave him. It's an honor for Matt, not just for our program to be recognized for making it to the Major Leagues." As a member of the Rock baseball team from 2007-2009, Adams was a standout athlete who earned a number of honors, including first team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection three times, the 2007 PSAC-West Rookie of the Year, 2009 All-PSAC player of the year, and three All-American selection. Adams appeared in 137 games over his three seasons with SRU, batting .454 with 133 runs scored, 27 home runs, 148 RBIs, a .746 slugging percentage, and an on-base percentage of .525. At the end of his final season with Slippery Rock in 2009, Adams declared for the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft where he was selected 699 overall in the 23rd round. During his journey to the big leagues, Adams spent three years in the St. Louis farm system before finally joining the big club. He hit for a .316 batting average over 373 games in the minor leagues, mashing 82 home runs and driving in 295 runs batted in. On May 20, 2012 and at age 23, Adams made his debut as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals against the the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his debut, Adams went 2-4 with one run scored in a 6-5 loss.
COURTESY OF ROCKATHLETICS
Former baseball player Matt Adams poses with his SRU jersey, which was retired by the university Saturday evening. Adams plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Having been member of the Cardinals for three seasons, Adams enters 2015 with a career .283 batting average, 34 home runs, 132 RBIs, and 109 runs scored. With St. Louis, Adams was a part of two Cardinal playoffs, having reached the National League Championship Series twice and the World Series once. After losing the World Series to the Boston Red Sox in 2013, Adams and the Cardinals returned to the playoffs where they eventually lost to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. "Watching him in the games is always nail-biting," Messer said. "But it makes
Men's indoor track team finds success at YSU National Invite By Brittany Fagan Rocket Contributor
The Slippery Rock University’s men’s track and field team, led by the pole vault team, had a successful weekend at the Youngstown State University National Invite on Feb. 6. Held at the Watson and Tressel Training Site, the Rock attended one of their final tune up meets before the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference meet on Feb. 28. Starting off the meet on Friday night was the pole vault crew, led by Jordan Pacheco, who won the event with a clearance of 4.80 meters. This clearance tied the meet’s record and made it his fourth time hitting the national provisional standard. Pacheco is currently ranked ninth this season. Following this performance was Michael Horrigan, Kieffer Reed and Andrew Koksal finishing in second, third and fourth place respectively. All three men had impressive clearances at the meet. “The pole vault squad had another excellent day spearheaded by Jordan Pacheco,” SRU head coach John Papa said. The heptathlon squad also had an outstanding performance on Friday night. Noah Bostick led the, pack placing second with 4,834 points. Nate Zigler followed close behind with 4,581 points. Bostick and Zigler are currently ranked first and second in the PSAC. Ben Kloepping finished the seven events with a total of 3,994 points, putting him in fifth place at the meet and tying him for 10th among the PSAC. Only top 12 scores are accepted to compete at the conference meet. “The heptathlon guys have been working hard and performing at a high level,” Papa said. Redshirt sophomore Ben Kloepping echoed Papa's thoughts and said that the men are headed in the right direction. “We have really come together as a team this season,” Kloepping said.
“Our coaches push us to reach our full potential and we all have the goal of winning the PSAC in our sights.” On the sprints side, the 4x400 meter relay consisting of Hunter Williams, James Chandler, Monte Chapman and Jacob VanHouten had another great race, finishing in first place with a time of 3:18.59 on Saturday. All four men also competed in the 400 meter dash. Currently ranked third in the PSAC, Williams finished second with a time of 49.29 seconds. VanHouten and Chandler followed close behind in fourth and fifth place with times of 49.67 seconds and 49.99 seconds. Caleb Smithco hit the PSAC mark for the first time this season with a time of 50.62 seconds placing eighth. Chapman rounded out the top 15 with a time of 51.19 seconds. Erik Record also had a good day placing second in the 60 meter dash at 7.89 seconds and 10th in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.62 seconds. Middle distance was led by Tyler Melius, who took second place in the mile with a time of 4:15.54. Melius is currently ranked second in the PSAC. Zac Patton and Tyler Palenchak followed behind in 14th and 15th, both hitting PSAC qualifying times of 4:22.67 and 4:23.99 respectively. Caleb Smithco also competed in the field in both triple and long jump. Smithco took second place in the triple jump with a distance of 14.03 meters and 12 place in the long jump at 6.36 meters. The throwing squad had a successful day, starting with David Reinhardt and Nick Garuccio in the weight throw. Reinhardt took seventh place with a distance of 15.50 meters and Garuccio placed eighth at 15.02 meters. Both distances were qualifying measures. Jerrod Galloway rounded out the throws in the shot put with an eighth place finish at 14.67 meters. “The entire team is getting ready for a great PSAC at the end of this month,” said Papa. The Green and White's next meet is on Feb. 21 at the Kent State Tune Up in Kent, Ohio.
watching the games that much more interesting. When he does well you get excited and when he struggles you feel a little bad for him." Before his team was eliminated from the 2014 playoffs, Adams hit the biggest home run of his baseball career in game four of the National League Divisional Series against the Dodgers. In the seventh inning and the Cardinals down 2-0, Adams hit a three-run homer off of the eventual 2014 National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw to give St. Louis the 3-2 lead and sending the franchise to its fourth
consecutive NLCS. Adams is not the only former Rock player in a Major League system, as former SRU pitcher Lou Trivino is currently in the Oakland Athletics farm system, as well as second baseman Will Kengor who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2014. "Just like we do with Matt, we always like to go online and see how those guys [Trivino and Kengor] are doing," Messer said. "We are always hoping that they're doing well, it's just that Matt has gone above and beyond anything that we ever dreamed."
Rock softball looks to compete for playoff spot By Brian Hepfinger Sports Editor
With the addition of a new head coach and players, the Slippery Rock University softball team is ready to make a run at the playoffs. Former assistant coach Stacey Rice was promoted to the head coaching position in the summer of 2014. Rice was an assistant for SRU from 2012-2014. SRU was picked to finish fifth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division this season in the preseason's coaches poll. "I believe our team is better than fifth in the PSAC," Rice said. "It helps encourage our players and it's good for motivation, but it's just a number." Senior outfielder Alaynna Beers said she's confident in her team and believes they are better than the fifth place team. "I definitely think we should have been ranked a little higher, but that's just motivation for us to prove people wrong," Beers said. "Our past teams have been strong, but with the variety of players we have this year we are going to have a very solid team. The PSAC better be ready for us." The Rock finished last season with an overall record of 16-26 (9-4 home, 4-11 away, 3-9 neutral). Rice said the team needs to work on situational hitting. "A lot of the games we lost were one-run games,
so it's being able to produce when we need to produce," Rice said. "Age is going to help, we're a lot older this year. I think that experience is gonna help." The Rock's pitching staff will be without its top pitcher from last year, Emily Lobdell, due to graduation. "We took a very focused approach on our pitching, making sure that we raise that more, because we lost our main starter from last year," Rice. "We're trying to mature our younger pitchers quicker so that we don't run into that again at the end of this season." SRU will fe ature returning players such as junior infielders Katie Kaiser and Ashley Samluk, seniors Beers, Taylor Welch and Haley Sherer and sophomores McKenzie Popatak and Eliza Sykes. Last season, the Rock's offense was led by Samluk, who was a First Team AllPennsylvania State Athletic C onference Western Division selection. Samluk had a batting average of .355 (44-124), tallying 20 runs and 21 RBIs. Samluk also hit a team-high seven home runs. "I had a pretty successful year last year, and that came with a lot of hard work in and outside of practice, but this game requires a short memory," Samluk said. Whether that short memory applies to a single game or an entire season, last year's season should never dictate ones that follow." Rice said she hopes
Samluk maintains the same level of play from last season. "I don't want to put too much pressure on her, because for her to out-do herself from last season is kind of hard to do," Rice said. "She can maintain and continue what she's been doing, and encourage her positive influence on other players. If we can get more players playing at her caliber, we're going to be a much better team." Along with Samluk, the Rock's offense had multiple players with either 30 or over 30 hits last season, including Sykes, Beers, Popatak and Kaiser. Sykes was second on the team with a batting average of .297 (30-101) with 14 runs and five RBIs. Beers hit .275 (33-120) with 14 runs and nine RBIs. Popatak had a batting average of .265 (30-113) to go along with 10 runs and 23 RBIs. Kaiser had the second most hits on the team with 35. She had a batting average of .263 (35-133) with 14 runs and 13 RBIs. The Rock's pitching staff will be led by sophomores Carly DeRose and Sarah Petrash. Last season, DeRose had a record of 6-12, posting an ERA of 5.18. Petrash had a record of 1-1 with an ERA of 4.42. The Rock will begin its season on Feb. 21 in Raleigh, North Carolina to compete in the Shaw Un i v e r s i t y S o f t b a l l Challenge. SRU's first game is against Elizabeth City State University at 11 a.m.
SPORTS
February 13, 2015
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Women's basketball topped by Fighting Scots By Ryan Barlow Assistant Sports Editor
The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team (9-13 overall, 5-13 PSAC) saw its two-game win streak come to a end at Edinboro Un i v e r s i t y (17-6 overall, 14-5 PSAC) Wednesday, dropping the Pennsylvania State Athletic ConferenceWest matchup 79-56. Slippery Rock was able to keep the game close with Edinboro approaching the halftime mark, but Edinboro went on a 10-4 run to end the first half up 33-23. The Rock was outscored by 12 points in the second half. "Edinboro is one the best teams in country," Rock head coach Bobby McGraw said. "That team is built to win a national championship and I do not want to take anything away from what they have accomplished." McGraw expressed that his team had a big difficulty in handling Edinboro's junior center Aignee Freeland, who finished the game with 29 points and eclipsed the 1,000 point career m ar k We d n e s d ay. Fighting Scot Valarie Majewski also scored
23 points as she and Freeland combined to score 65 percent of Edinboro's points. Despite being outs cored by the Fighting Scots in each half, SRU was able to improve its shooting percentage to 46.4 percent in the second half after shooting just 28.6 percent in the first. Junior guard Taylor Siggers led the Rock with a team high 18 points, shooting 7-16 from the field with two made three pointers. It was her third consecutive game scoring at least 17 points. "As far as getting to the rim, Taylor is one of the best guards in the league," McGraw said. "She's a slasher and scorer. We challenged her at halftime because she was only 2-8 from the field and we told her we couldn't have that in the second half. She stepped it up in the second by shooting 5-8 but unfortunately we couldn't get anyone else to follow her and help take over." Senior forward D'Asia Chambers scored nine points for SRU while contributing seven r e b o u n d s . Ju n i o r guard Breanna Gross and freshman guard Shannon Jack also
scored seven points each. Junior guard Erica Aiello helped the Rock's offense with assists and junior forward Megan Hardiman grabbed six rebounds. Junior center Sorriyah Ranger played a seasonhigh of 20 minutes in the contest. Ranger recorded three blocks. Despite the loss, Slippery Rock is still on the hunt for the final playoff spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament as the sixth and final team to represent the PSACWestern Division. In fact, the Rock did not lose ground to the University of Pitt-Johnstown (913 overall, 6-12 PSAC) who currently own the sixth spot in PSAC-West and were unable to stop California University of Pennsylvania in a 79-64 loss Wednesday night. The Rock has four games remaining on its schedule, and will host Seton Hill (11-13 overall, 7-11 PSAC) Saturday afternoon at Morrow Field-House. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. "Plain and simple, if we lose on Saturday we are in serious trouble," McGraw said. "It's a must-win game for us and we aren't shying away from that fact."
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET
Junior guard Taylor Siggers ďŹ ghts off Ayana Vaughn during SRU's game against Mercyhurst University. Siggers scored 18 points against Edinboro Wednesday, marking her third consecutive with at least 17.
Rock Baseball ranked third in preseason poll By Ryan Barlow Assistant Sports Editor
GRAPHIC BY KARLEIGH SANTRY/THE ROCKET
Ac c ord i ng to t h e Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference preseason poll of coaches, the Rock baseball team has been predicted to finish third in the PSAC-Western Division, only behind top programs Mercyhurst University and Seton Hill. Led by head coach Jeff Messer, Slippery Rock looks to quiet the doubters and take over the Western Division with its experienced roster. "Three is a good spot for us," Messer said. "I think we are capable of winning everything, but it's just a matter of staying healthy. We are certainly in the mix." Messer enters his 30th season with Slippery Rock with a career record of 894540-5, already holding the position as the PSAC's alltime winningest coach. With just six more wins, Messer will become the seventh coach in NCAA Division II history to earn 900 career victories. Among the list of returnee's for SRU is AllConfernce standouts senior outfielder Adam Urbania and junior second baseman Jordan Faretta. Urbania, who has already been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason AllAtlanic Region squad, was transfer from Ashland in 2014 and hit .331 in his debut season with the Rock and compiled 23 RBI's with one home run. Faretta is coming off his first full season as an everyday position player and
had a batting average .290 with 20 RBI's in 2014. Among other returning starters for SRU, the team will welcome back junior Jake Nogalo, junior catcher Alex Bell and redshirt junior Kyle Vozar. Bell, who had a .963 fielding percentage in 2014, and hit for a .324 batting average with 27 RBI's, while Nogalo .315 with 14 RBIs. Vozar, also a transfer from Ashland, appeared in 33 games during his first season with SRU and 14 RBIs. Despite many returning players on the Rock's roster, Messer and his coaching staff will need to figure out a way to replace Rock all-star shortstop Will Kengor, who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball last June. "The biggest replacement for us is that shortstop position," Messer said. "Jake Nogalo played third base in the past but he is very capable of playing short since he's played there in the past. He's had some arm issues before so we will have to watch him closely but he should be able to fit there nicely." Returning to Slippery Rock is the core of its 2014 pitching staff in senior Kyle Schneider, redshirt junior Jon Anderson, senior Garret Peterson and senior Anton Constantino. In the Rock's 45 total games last season, the four pitchers started for a combined 36 games. Schneider earned first team All-PSAC -West honors in 2014 with a 6-3 record with 40 strikeouts and a 3.o9 earned run average. Peterson won three games for SRU last season with a 3.23 ERA and striking out 27.
"We certainly have a lot of options when it comes to pitching," Messer said. "It's just a matter of everyone staying healthy and we don't have to lose any pieces to our puzzle." Despite these four having past experience as starters, Coach Messer feels that they should not get too comfortable in their old roles, because other pitchers, such as senior Ryan Oglesby and sophomore Preston Falascino are very capable of earning regular starts on the mound. "Oglesby, hands down, is our number one as long as he is healthy," Messer said, and then knocked on wood. "He is coming off a great summer season in Alaska and as long as he continues his good work he will continue to be our number one guy because he is just capable of throwing strikes." The Rock also welcomes 10 incoming freshman to the program. Among the recruits are three students who attended high school together at Saegertown, outfielder Kyle Wise, catcher Tyler Walters and infielder/ pitcher Mitchell Wood. Two former teammates from Baldwin High School, pitcher Alex Pantuso and infielder/pitcher Christian Hirt, also join the team. Freshman position players Matt Mandes, Brandon Nania, Christian Porterfield and Davis Smith will also join the team this season. The Rock's season begins this Saturday as they travel to Bristol, Tennessee where they will take on King University in a two day fourgame series.
February 13, 2015
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CAMPUS LIFE
INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE
'The Interview' Causes Tensions
Game Over
James Franco and Seth Rogen team up for last year's controversial film, 'The Interview,' which caused an international debate. Was it worth the hype?
The final installment of the 'Gamer Girls' series concludes with SRU alumna Bonnie Burton, a former professional competitive gamer and employee at "Bungie."
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February is Heart Health Month
PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. KIMBERLY SMITH Students exercise in a cardio/resistance based interval class during a Major Fitness session. Exercise science majors meet twice weekly to participate in this student-led club.
SRU encourages physical activity by offering exercise programs to students and faculty By Rebecca Sheriff Rocket Contributor
In honor of American Heart Health Month, Slippery Rock University is taking steps towards healthier living and overall wellness this February with programs that focus on getting people active to combat the greatest heart disease risk factor, physical inactivity. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. In response to this statistic, organizations and departments on campus are striving to engage the students, faculty and community in initiatives that will not only provide health benefits in the short-term future, but also help combat health issues that could arise later. The CDC found that physical inactivity is the greatest heart disease risk factor, and over 53 percent of American adults report being physically inactive. Initiatives such as the “Walk the Rock” program, the new Exercise is Medicine program, Run Club, the Rock Personal Training program and fitness classes at the Aebersold Recreation Center (ARC) all provide opportunities to increase physical activity and overall health. The Recreational Therapy program also has a few of its own projects that help stimulate physical activity in people who may have a disability. “Each of the programs offers the SRU community opportunities
to enhance their cardiovascular health, reducing their risk for heart disease,” associate professor of exercise science, Kimberly Smith said. “These are all great ways to enhance physical activity.” “Walk the Rock” is a pedometerbased system that encourages SRU community members to increase their level of daily physical activity. The program offers incentives to its 261 registered participants throughout the 12-week course, which is in its ninth semester this spring. Smith said that the group hopes to collectively walk over 120 million steps as well as significantly increase the amount of physical activity the participants complete from week one to week 12. The exercise science program and the health center are collaborating on a new program called "Exercise is Medicine", which allows the health center staff to add physical activity as their sixth vital sign for all non-emergent visits to the center. Smith explained that students coming in for evaluation will now be asked about their level of physical activity in addition to having traditional vitals such as blood pressure and heart rate taken. Then, students can be matched with an exercise science intern who will conduct free motivational interviewing, fitness assessments, training sessions and more. Run Club is another organization on campus that offers fun and free opportunities to simultaneously get involved and get fit. Smith stated that the club is in its eighth year, and although it originally started out as just an exercise science club,
over the years it has expanded into a campus-wide organization. Participants walk, jog or run a 5K, 3.1 mile loop around campus, with opportunities to decrease or increase the distance to suit each individual participant. Freshman early childhood education major Paige Rickey, 18, joined the club last semester. “Run Club is a lot of fun, it motivates me to go and run when I otherwise wouldn’t want to," Rickey said. “There are people in the club that run at all different speeds. The group factor plays into it being motivating, and it’s a great way to meet new people. We have themes each week to make it even more exciting. For example, because Valentine’s Day is this weekend, we all decided to wear red and pink for Tuesday’s run. You can also decide to join anytime throughout the semester.” Smith also commented on the Rock Personal Training program, which offers SRU faculty, staff, students and community members opportunities to engage in one-onone personal training sessions with a senior exercise science major. Participants receive motivational interviewing, fitness assessments and twice weekly training sessions throughout the semester, for a nominal fee. In addition to the structured programs on campus, the ARC also offers free classes on activities such as zumba, yoga, spinning and meditation. These group exercises can all help reduce the risk of heart disease. Dr. Betsey Kemeny, assistant professor in the recreational
therapy program in the Parks and Recreation Department explained that her department has been facilitating several servicelearning programs to help students integrate classroom learning with hands-on opportunities to help individuals with disabilities fulfill their daily physical activity recommendations. The TRAILS (Therapeutic Recreation Accessing Independent Leisure and Social Skills) program is based at Storm Harbor Equestrian Center and assists youth with autism spectrum disorders with social and communication skills through sports, recreation, equineassisted activities and aquatics, all the while helping the participants improve their health and wellness. “The Storm Harbor Recreational Therapy program is an healthoutcomes focused equine-assisted program for veterans and armed services personnel,” Kemeny said. “The ‘I Can Do It’ program is a health promotion for older adults with disabilities in which TR [theraputic recreation] students are applying a nationally recognized physical activity and nutrition program to older adults.” Slippery Rock’s advancement of their fitness programs is aimed at helping to prepare students, faculty, staff and community members for healthier lives and improved wellness. Programs such as Walk the Rock, Exercise is Medicine, Run Club, the Rock Personal Training program, TRAILS and “I Can Do It” all offer opportunities for everyone to take steps toward reducing heart disease and improving their general health.
CAMPUS LIFE
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February 13, 2015
Gwen Stefani, Rihanna take fashion risks at the Grammy Awards
Katie Ellis "ROCK'n Fashion" Katie Ellis is a senior journalism major and the Campus Life editor of The Rocket.
Award season continued Sunday night in recognition of the Grammy Awards as Hollywood’s biggest season of the year nears a close with artists gathering at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California to celebrate the best music from the last year. Arguably the most entertaining show of the season, the Grammys were far from controversy-free thanks to Madonna’s outlandish behavior on the red carpet, to what felt like a flashback moment from Kanye West, as he nearly interrupted Beck’s acceptance speech for his Album of the Year win. Before AC/ DC took viewers for a ride and Sam Smith was named Best New Artist, the industry’s favorite female artists strutted down the red carpet in custom looks, over-the-top couture and straight from the runway gowns. Versace looks dominated on the red carpet and the stage with the house providing half a dozen looks to performers including Gwen Stefani and Ariana Grande and a sharp plaid suit for “Jealous” singer Nick Jonas. Stefani’s Atelier Versace jumpsuit stood out from the other looks provided by the house for its impeccable tailoring and custom alterations that took it from just another runway look to one of the most glamourous looks of the night. The original jumpsuit had the same nude and black bodice but instead featured a pair of wide-legged trousers that looked too formal for the Grammys, but by changing the silhouette to a more modern pair of tailored harem pants, Stefani individualized her couture creation. Her black pumps and decision to wear minimal makeup was an ontrend departure from her standard
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Taylor Swift, dressed in Elie Saab, takes the Grammy stage to introduce Sam Smith's performance of "Stay With Me." The queen of pop made a rare fashion mistake in her ombre gown with out-of-date high-low hemline and mismatched shoes.
red pout. One of music’s favorite new artists and new Clinique spokeswoman, Meghan Trainor, was another Grammy standout on Sunday night as she made her first appearance at the show to celebrate her massive hit, “All About That Bass.” Trainor’s sheer off-the-shoulder Galia Lahav dress was a youthful spin old Hollywood glamour with its short, body-hugging hemline overlaid with sheer black and nude tulle adorned with black lace. The illusion sleeves decorated with the same black lace from the bodice brought the look together. Her Veronica Lake waves, dramatic lashes and Simon G. earrings and ring added just the right amount of flair to her sophisticated look. Last year was undoubtedly the year of Taylor Swift thanks to the release of her latest critically acclaimed and fan favorite album, “1989.” The queen of pop had a rare fashion misstep with her teal ombre Elie Saab gown with high-low hemline and halter neckline with crisscrossed back. This look lacked cohesion of so
Ask Andi
Andi is a senior at SRU giving advice to those who seek it and occassionally to those who don't.
Question: Dear Andi,
For the first time in a few years, a few of my friends and I are single on Valentine's Day, and we're all actually looking forward to hanging out together to celebrate. While we're excited to be together, we aren't sure what to do on a night that is so directed towards the lovesick couples of the world. What are some fun activities that my friends and I can do to celebrate the holiday? Sincerely, Single Lady
Answer:
Dear Single Lady,
First of all, congratulations on having such a positive outlook on this holiday that so many singles dread! Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate the love you do have, not be sad about what
many elements, namely its out-ofdate high-low hemline that was far too short for her statuesque frame, which was particularly noticeable as she walked onto the stage to present an award. Her gown’s borderline wardrobe malfunction aside, the excess amount of straps made the neckline appear too busy. Her Lorraine Schwartz earrings and rings matched the shades of blue and green in her gown perfectly, but her gravity-defying purple Giuseppe Zanotti wedges didn’t match her look at all. The color of her wedges was too severe and they were far too heavy to be paired with her gown’s full skirt. Had she chosen a pair of strappy stilettos in a matching shade, her look might have flowed together more effortlessly. Always a red carpet rebel, Rihanna arrived at the red carpet photo call minutes after it was officially over, but that didn’t stop flashbulbs from capturing her pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown. The bodice of the gown was kept relatively understated with a band of crystals around both its top and bottom,
you don’t have. In other countries, like Finland, they celebrate “Ystävänpäivä” which translates into “Friend’s Day” where the day is focused on celebrating friends, not significant others. Similarly, in Latin American countries, “Día del Amor y la Amistad” or “Day of Love and Friendship,” people take the day to perform “acts of appreciation” for their friends. I think Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be so dreaded if more of us had a similar mindset… Secondly, I think there are plenty of activities for you and your single friends to do on this holiday. If you want to avoid seeing lovesick couples, your best might be to stay inside for the evening. You can do “Secret Cupid” (like secret Santa with a Valentine’s Day twist). Put all of your names into a hat and pull a name to buy a small gift for someone in the group. You could simply have game night and maybe some drinks (if you’re of age of course!). You could hold a potluck dinner where everyone brings their favorite dish and you all share what you brought. All of you could even spread the love by taking the evening and writing messages/notes to those people that you truly love reminding them of how much they mean to you. OR my favorite (which will make the holiday much easier) take some time and brainstorm the top 20 reasons why you’re glad you’re single (you can start the list with saving money on Valentine’s Day). There is always the option of going out and just being happy for everyone that is in a relationship while still remembering how lucky you are to be surrounded by those that love you, significant other or not! Happy Valentine’s Day! Andi
Question: Dear Andi,
I've been seeing this guy for a few weeks, and he asked me to go out with him on Valentine's
but the real showstopper was its voluminous tiered skirt. The singer twirled down the carpet in her unusual ball gown that was accessorized with simple Chopard jewelry and a chic bun to let her dress do the talking. While she received a lot of negative press for her look, the Grammy Awards are the one time a year that artists can get away with such Avant-garde looks. Love it or hate it, Rihanna had everyone talking about her striking ensemble that was ultimately a fashion win. Unfortunately, Taylor Swift’s Elie Saab gown was a fashion miss which ultimately earned her the title of worst dressed. There were too many elements working against one another from head to toe for the look to come together as a win for the starlet. Gwen Stefani’s Atelier Versace jumpsuit was tailored to perfection and it fit her edgy, yet glamorous style perfectly. Her look stood out for all the right reasons, and in the future, Stefani would be wise to work with the fashion house again to create another fashion forward look.
Day which sounds exciting in theory, but it makes me nervous at the same time. There's so much pressure associated with Valentine's Day dates, and since we haven't been going out that long, I'm worried he's becoming more emotionally invested in this than I am. I definitely like him, I'm just not sure what he thinks this date means for our relationship going forward. How should I approach him about this? Sincerely, Cautiously In Love
Answer: Dear Cautiously In Love, That’s really nice that he asked you out on Valentine’s Day, but you’re right, there are so many pressures associated with this holiday. I would be completely open with him and just ask. This will be good for multiple reasons. First, being honest and asking will let you see how he is when talking about emotions and relationship stuff. If he can’t be open now then you know it might be hard in the future to talk about things when you two are more comfortable with each other. Second, this will be good for you two to establish where you are relationship-wise. It might be awkward at first to have this conversation, but if he really likes you and is as emotionally invested as you think, then he should have no problem continuing to pursue the relationship whether you two are at the same place or not. It might not be bad if he is a little more emotionally invested but I can see why that might be concerning as well. I believe that just being open will be the best thing for this situation! Even if this relationship doesn’t work out in the end, I would just enjoy being taken out for the night. Enjoy your date and Valentine’s Day! Andi
February 13, 2015
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SRU alumna works on multimillion player game, Bungie's "Destiny" By Janelle Wilson Asst. Campus Life Editor
An SRU alumna helped work on the videogame “Destiny,” which has over 13 million players, after gaining notoriety for becoming Major League Gaming’s first professional female gamer at just 12 years old. Bonnie Burton, 25, began gaming at age 11. Her older brothers originally asked her to play Halo with them so that they could use her character as target practice. It wasn’t long after that that she found she was keeping up with, and even beating her brothers. When they realized the talent they had as a team, the family started going to local tournaments, eventually advancing to regional tournaments, and even national ones. When she was 12, the team placed third in a national competition, and garnered the attention of the then very small, Major League Gaming. “I think I made an impression being not only a woman, but also being as young as I was,” Burton said. “It just goes to show that you should never be barred by your circumstances.” The team signed a contract with Major League Gaming, and they toured across the country with them for five years. Of her experience, Burton said that it was great opportunity to meet new people and travel, and that she made a lot of lifelong friends. Burton stopped gaming after she enrolled at SRU, saying that she wanted to focus on her studies. She recieved awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement in the computer science department, as well as an Outstanding Senior award.
She graduated Suma Cum Laude with a degree in Information Technology in 2013. During her time at SRU, she became G4’s E3 Booth Babe at 21 years old, and worked in video game marketing for a bit after she graduated. Last April, she was hired to work as a difficulty tester at Bungie, the company that made “Halo,” on the game “Destiny,” which was released last September. From there, Burton began working as a tester for the multiplayer aspect of “Destiny,” a job she began in September. “Getting my start in multiplayer games, I know firsthand how important it is to ensure players are happy with their gaming experiences with each other,” Burton said. “Destiny is my favorite game because you get to customize your gaming experience to whatever you want it to be. There’s a lot people can look forward to for the future.” Despite her success in the gaming industry, with over 12 years of involvement under her belt, Burton said that she still gets looked down upon as a woman gamer. “The biggest misconception about female gamers is that they don’t exist,” Burton said. “More and more women are breaking into, and contributing to the PHOTO COURTESY OF BONNIE BURTON industry. Their voice is valuable, and they Professional game tester and SRU alum, Bonnie Burton at E3 in front of a statue modeled deserve to be heard.” after the game, "Halo," which started her gaming career. Of her own experiences with sexism, Burton said that she was often accused of not being a “real gamer,” and that she was do what she does to go to live events today, and she hopes to keep making and network. She said that the gaming strides in the industry. competing in games for attention. “I want to take opportunities to help “People always accuse women gamers industry is small enough to break into, of being ‘fake,’” Burton said. “Why would as long as someone is willing to go for it. the industry mature and become more Though Burton said she doesn’t know accepting,” Burton said. “I also want to someone fake a passion for something just what the future holds, she said that she continue to develop a gaming experience for attention?” Burton advised people who aspire to never thought she’d be where she was that really bonds players together.”
Part 3 of 3
Student Government Association Open Positions! Commuter Senator (5) Building F Senator (1) Rock Apartment Senator (1) Applications available online at www.srsga.org and in the office! SGA Bake Sale February 18, 2015 Common Hour Smith Student Center, Outside of Starbucks Rising Star Award Nominations Individual & Organization applications available at www.srsga.org or in 235 SSC
Horrible Bosses 2 SSC Theater Friday at 4 & 8 PM Saturday at 8 PM Sunday at 4 & 8 PM FREE POPCORN! @srsga
sga@sru.edu www.srsga.org
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347 Kiester Road Slippery Rock, PA 16057 (724) 794-3727 www.southrockapts.com www.mainstreetslipperyrock.com
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February 13, 2015
February 13, 2015 Editor-in-Chief
Staff Reporters
Sex & Love Special Section Contributors
Kevin Squires
Advertising Manager
Janelle Wilson Shelby Stearns
Karleigh Santry
Multimedia Reporter
Photo Editor
Emily Brown
Alex Mowrey
Submissions from:
Copy Editor
Harmony Kasper Kelsey Phillips
Shelby Stearns Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mark Zeltner
HOPE Peer Educators Women's Center
From The Rocket: Sex edition serves to open discussions Since 1934 The Rocket has provided Slippery Rock University with a quality, student-run newspaper, covering breaking news, athletic events and student life in some form or another. The final section of The Rocket, the opinion section, serves as a forum, giving a voice to students and providing an outlet for an array of perspectives. This special section of The Rocket offers readers information on sexual health and education, resources on campus for students, including those for sexual
violence, stalking and harassment and explores some of the ways that technology and society may have shifted and influenced our views on sex as a part of our culture. The editorial board of The Rocket feels that these topics are of great value to the campus community. On the cover, a man and a woman are depicted engaging in a physical relationship following a conversation seen via text. There are some important things to note about this cover that we feel are worth bringing to our readers attention to better
understand the complex dynamics of relationships and the role of technology in these relationships. In the conversation, it is clearly shown there is consent from both members before engaging in any physical activity. According to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), there is an average of 293,066 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year. Realizing the importance of consent is a crucial step in reducing this number.
The cover page also prominently features technology's up-and-coming role in relationships. There are a lot of things that can be discussed when it comes to sex and love, as our work on this section progressed, it became a focal point to examine the interplays between technology, media and relationships. We hope that you benefit from reading the pieces we have received and written on some of the topics described and that you as readers use this information to foster a discussion about the some of these topics.
HOPE Peer Educators inform students about safer sex choices, options Sexual health is a central piece in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and plays a large role in college students’ lives. The HOPE (Healthy Outreach Through Peer Education) Peer Educators’ goal is to educate the students of Slippery Rock University on how to practice responsible sexual behaviors. Safer sex education is an integral part in an individual protecting themselves. It is also important in establishing healthy and open relationships with students and their partner(s). Having open conversations with your partner(s) regarding sex allows all parties to be aware of each other’s comfort zones. Know what they are comfortable with. Limits can be set to make sex more enjoyable for each partner. Keeping an open conversation can improve the relationship and create a healthy sexual experience for all involved. Different types of protection should be brought up in the conversation. If students choose to have sex, then condoms can reduce the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and is the only form of birth control that
STI Testing Available
@ the SRU Health Center
protects against STIs. Some examples of safer sex supplies include male condoms, female condoms, dental dams, water based lubricants and non-latex condoms. Each supply is different from the other, and each student needs to make the right choice for their body. The Protection Connection, located in the Health Center within Rhoads Hall, offers safer sex supplies including condoms, dental dams and lubricants at a reduced fee. Students can also schedule appointments to discuss birth control options, so that they can make an educated decision when it comes to birth control. The HOPE Peer Educators and Student Health Services want to educate and empower students to take control of their sexual health and make the right choices for themselves. The Student Health Services (this includes the Protection Connection) is a confidential resource so students can feel safe and secure in purchasing safer sex supplies, or making appointments. According to the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) one in two sexually active individuals will contract
Students Get Tested for a Minimal Fee!
HPV Testing available upon request
Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis are the only curable STIs.
The most common STI in the United States and SRU’s campus is chlamydia. It is called the “silent epidemic”.
Genital Herpes, HPV (genital warts), Hepatitis B, and HIV are four STIs that are not curable, but treatment options are available. HPV and Hepatitis B can be prevented through available vaccinations.
Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis
HIV
an STI by the age of 25. Due to our location on a college campus where the majority of the students are under the age of 25, we want to give students as much education, protection and healthy sexual options as possible. The Student Health Service also offers STI testing, and according to past statistics, chlamydia is the most prevalent STI on SRU’s campus. STIs are a real problem that can directly affect students, and we want to give students the means to protect themselves. Like our motto says, “Abstinence is best, protection is next.” For any concerns you may have about your health, you can go to Student Health Services in Rhoads Hall, open 24/7 during the academic year. Student Health Services can also be a resource if you have been a victim of sexual violence. The Women’s Center, Student Counseling Center, Student Intervention Services, Office of Student Conduct, University Police and the Title IX Coordinator are examples of other departments available on campus to provide support for victims of sexual violence (this includes stalking, harassment and other forms of violence). Contributed by HOPE.
To Schedule an appointment at the Student Health Center: (724) 738-2052
To purchase safer sex supplies to prevent STIs visit the Protection Connection in the Health Center brought to you by the H.O.P.E Peer Educators.
H
PE
Sexually Transmitted Infections are transmitted through direct contact with the mucous membranes of an infected person (vaginal, anal, or oral sex).
February 13, 2015
Social media changes finding dates, relationships By Janelle Wilson Staff Reporter
Will you swipe right? Should you snap back even if you're in a relationship? What if he or she liked someone else’s selfie on Instagram? Is he or she in your best friends list, or is someone else currently sliding into your DM’s on Twitter? Social media has become one of the most prevalent outlets through which young adults communicate, especially over the last decade or so. A 2013 study by comScore indicated that most people are accessing social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook almost exclusively through their smart phones, and 18 to 34 year olds also report spending 3.8 hours a day on social media, according to a different survey by Ipsos. Though young adults use social media to communicate with the world around them, they use various social media apps to communicate with others in different ways for different reasons. Snapchat recently came under fire from its users after its CEO Evan Spiegel removed the “best friends” feature, a feature that Snapchatters used to see who was Snapchatting whom. The backlash was caused because some Snapchatters used the feature as a tool to see if someone’s significant other was cheating on him or her, and users thought that it was integral to the Snapchat experience. In response to the overwhelming amount of backlash, Spiegel assured his users that he would return the feature, but made no promise as to when he would do so. In a week, the average smartphone owner picks up their phone more than 1,500 times a week, the marketing agency TecMark discovered in a study that observed phone usage of 2,000 people. With so much time being spent interacting virtually with other people and less time focusing on interpersonal relationships, it begs the question: how is interacting with other people online affecting social media users’ romantic relationships? Forty-two percent of 18-29 year old smartphone owners in serious relationships said that they felt their partner was distracted by their mobile phone while they were together, according to a study by Pew Research Center. Aside from using Snapchat to see who is sending pictures to whom, social media users also utilize apps such as Tinder to initiate hookups. Created in 2012, Tinder has boomed to over 50 million users. The app connects singles in an area with a simple compatibility system. If the user likes a match Tinder has generated for them, they look at their match’s profile, swipe left on their smartphone screen if they’re not interested,
GRAPHIC BY KARLEIGH SANTRY
and swipe right if they are, which starts a conversation between them. The employees at Tinder conducted studies examining how its users utilize the swiping system and found that while men swiped right for 46 percent of all of their matches, women swiped right on only 14 percent of theirs. On average, Tinder reports that users spend an hour and a half a day reviewing their matches alone. Though Tinder is changing how social media is used to communicate with romantic interests, the biggest complaint from users on Tinder is that few matches they meet up with in real life look like the photos they put on their profile, which is likely due to the usage of photo editing apps. Photo editing and Instagram have pretty much become synonymous, especially with Instagram’s filter options. Spredfast, a Facebook ad partner, determined that 11 percent of pictures on Instagram hashtagged with “no filter,” are actually using a filter. Another study by TrackMaven also determined that if you want more interaction on your photos, using the filter “Mayfair” will increase your likes and comments by 17 percent. #WCW (woman crush Wednesday) posts total over 120,000,000, while its counterpart hashtag, #MCM (man
candy Monday), has only 78,000,000 posts. While posting publicly a photo of a person’s crush does the job, young adults also utilize Instagram’s direct messaging system as a way of communicating with people they find attractive. People often utilize the messaging service in Tinder and Instagram, but women often find themselves subject to sexual harassment. In order to combat/parody this behavior, an Instagram user created an account called “Bye Felipe,” in which the account operator posts screenshots of sexually explicit messages sent to female Instagram users. Its Tinder counterpart, “How to Lose a Guy in One Tinder,” takes this message one step further by responding to unwanted sexual messages in an equally creepy or sarcastic manner. Social media is not only changing how young adults explore their romantic options, but also how they end romantic relationships. Seventeen percent of people have been broken up with by text message, email or a message online, according to Pew Research Center. However prevalent social media becomes in romantic relationships, a study at the University of Michigan found that after studying 4000 couples, those who met online were 28 percent more likely to break up within a year, and are three times more likely to divorce if they got married.
Reflections club members discuss body image problems, social media influences, commercials By Kevin Squires Editor-in-Chief
Male or female, the depictions of what it means to be sexy surround society through social media, commercials and celebrities. The Reflections Body Image organization at Slippery Rock University is dedicated to empowering women through challenging media-based ideals of beauty and thinness, according to their website. “[The media says] if you’re not this impossible thin ideal then you’re just not worth it and until you fulfill it you won’t find happiness or love or even be successful,” Chelsea Taylor, a senior psychology and sociology major and president of the group, said. She explained how this portrayal translates to individuals posting pictures on social media sites such as Instagram and Fade as a desire for reassurance from others. “It kind of hurts your heart to
see someone crave attention for something. It’s because these peoples’ body image is so low that a lot of these posts are [present]. It’s not so much because you’re proud of your body for working out, it’s because you need reassured that you are the thin ideal – that you are beautiful,” Taylor said. “The need for reassurance is something that I think society needs to work on.” She specified that if people want to post pictures working out, they are welcome to do so, but that it should be for the right reasons. However, some do not end up with pictures on social media sites by choice. “We have girls in the group who are afraid to go the gym because they’re afraid of someone taking a picture of them and posting it on social media. They shouldn’t be afraid to do something,” freshman psychology major Kasey McComb said. The negative impacts of social media aren’t always directly related
to the individual. Ashli Barron, a sophomore psychology major, described a post she saw on Facebook in which a girl watching a beauty pageant said how seeing the girls made her feel really “crappy” about herself. “I was just thinking ‘you shouldn’t feel that way by watching these beautiful women on TV, you should feel confident about yourself and feel that you’re beautiful and they’re also beautiful,” Barron said. The Reflections Body Image group has been one way McComb has learned to appreciate beauty in all forms and feel better about her own body image. “[Reflections] made me feel better about my body image and it made me want to go back. I still want to go back to this day,” McComb said. “Reflections helps you realize there are more forms of beauty. There’s not just skinny and fat. [Beauty is] not just your size.” Still, Taylor points out that there are problems in society, even given
a good effort. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is aimed at widening the definition of beauty and has feature a number of commercials since launching in September 2004. “We love the Dove commercials, but even with the Dove commercials, some of them still, like the one with the ‘normal’ women, one of the ads is to do firming cream so you’re still kind of insulting the body image regardless,” Taylor said. “No one really wants to see, unfortunately, a normal woman or man being portrayed unless they’re being edited.” She praised one commercial involving a self-portrait from Dove, mentioning that the group actually plans to mimic the concept at Slippery Rock University in April. Commercials influences on body image do not stop with females, according to Taylor. “A lot of it impacts the men,” she said. “We see pictures of Calvin Klein models so we hold a standard
even though a lot of women would be like ‘no we don’t,’ but we do.” Barron agreed, saying, “even though there’s a strong portrayal of what a woman should look like, I’m starting to realize that there’s also a big influence on what men should look like to. In our society women are going to be more attracted to a muscular man but in both ways, in women and men, it’s not about that, it’s about proving what type of person you are on the inside. That’s the most important thing. I think the media and society really downgrade that.” The Reflections Body Image club meets every other Monday at 6 p.m. in Vincent Science Center Room 305. The next meeting will be Feb. 23. In addition to the self-portrait project, the group is planning random acts of kindness events, placing positive sticky notes on the bathroom mirrors and hosting documentaries and events for eating disorder awareness week this semester.
Women's Center offers new initiatives to address issues, raise awareness Slippery Rock University Women’s Center is a campus resource whose mission is to redress gender inequity through educational programming focused on empowerment and advocacy. Women’s and men’s lives are affected in different ways. Through programs, activities, and events, the Women’s Center brings to light issues such as reproductive rights, sexuality, relationships, discrimination, harassment, violence and more, through a gendered lens. We have several new initiatives this semester. The Fearless Female Feature Series is a bi-monthly event designed to celebrate empowered women in film, raise
awareness about issues affecting women and to foster discussion around these issues. Two other initiatives center on providing a space for women to converge, meet other women, and bring forward ideas and issues for discussion. The Drop-in Socials, for transfer, commuter, non-traditional and graduate students, will be held monthly during common hour. These socials are designed to allow women who may find it difficult to meet other students on campus the opportunity to connect with each other and to meet center staff. Another monthly event is "A Necessary Movement," an open
forum for women to raise issues or concerns affecting their experiences at SRU. We will be offering many additional programs throughout the semester. In addition to educational programming, the Women’s Center has a large collection of print and video materials for loan to students, staff and faculty. Within the Women’s Center there is a separate room for private consultations, conversations or for nursing moms. The Gender Studies Program director’s office is also located in the Women’s Center. On the service side, the Women’s Center is designated a confidential reporting site for
students who are victims of violent crime (physical assault, harassment, sexual assault). Students can discuss with professional staff options that are available to assist with healing following a traumatic event. Crime victims, particularly sexual assault victims, can be reluctant to seek help because of the associated stigma. Offering a confidential reporting option may alleviate the concern, real or perceived that one’s confidentiality may be breached. This can be a deciding factor whether or not a victim/survivor seeks help. Follow us @sruwomenscenter or email womenscenter@sru.edu. Contributed by the Women's Center.
February 13, 2015 AFI TOP 100 LOVE STORIES In celebration of its centennial anniversary in 2002, the American Film Institute (AFI) released a list of “100 most passionate movies of all time” as selected by a panel of film professionals, critics, historians and film executives.
NEW LINE CINEMA
“Gone with the Wind”
Rank
Movie
1
“Casablanca”
Year released
2
“Gone with the Wind”
1939
3
“West Side Story”
1961
1942
4
“Roman Holiday”
1953
5
“An Affair to Remember”
1957
6
“The Way We Were”
1973
7
“Doctor Zhivago”
1965
8
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
1946
9
“Love Story”
1970
10
“City Lights”
1931
11
“Annie Hall”
1977
12
“My Fair Lady”
1964
13
“Out of Africa”
1985
14
“The African Queen”
1951
15
“Wuthering Heights”
1939
16
“Singin’ in the Rain”
1952
17
“Moonstruck”
1987
18
“Vertigo”
1958
19
“Ghost”
1990
20
“From Here to Eternity”
1953
21
“Pretty Woman”
1990
22
“On Golden Pond”
1981
23
“Now, Voyager”
1942
24
“King Kong”
1933
25
“When Harry Met Sally…”
1989
26
“The Lady Eve”
1941
27
“The Sound of Music”
1965
28
“The Shop Around the Corner”
1940
29
“An Officer and a Gentleman”
1982
30
“Swing Time”
1936
31
“The King and I”
1956
32
“Dark Victory”
1939
33
“Camille”
1937
34
“Beauty and the Beast”
1991
35
“Gigi”
1958
36
“Random Harvest”
1942
37
“Titanic”
1997
BY TOM BORGMAN AND JOE HOLLEMAN
38
“It Happened One Night”
1934
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
39
“An American in Paris”
1951
Valentine’s Day is almost here, and a young man’s fancy turns to ... trivia quizzes. If you are a fan of great romantic films, try this test. If you wouldn’t be caught dead in a chick flick, maybe we’ll do a “Rambo” quiz some day. For now, pucker up.
40
“Ninotchka”
1939
41
“Funny Girl”
1968
42
“Anna Karenina”
1935
43
“A Star is Born”
1954
44
“The Philadelphia Story”
1940
45
“Sleepless in Seattle”
1993
46
“To Catch a Thief”
1955
47
“Splendor in the Grass”
1961
48
“Last Tango in Paris”
1972
Natalie Wood starred opposite Richard Beymer in the 1961 musical “West Side Story.”
49
“The Postman Always Rings Twice”
1946
50
“Shakespeare In Love”
1998
51
“Bringing Up Baby”
1938
classes, Patrick Swayze sculpted with Demi Moore while what Righteous Brothers’ hit played in “Ghost”? A. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” B. “Up Where We Belong” C. “Unchain My Heart” D. “Unchained Melody”
52
“The Graduate”
1967
53
“A Place in the Sun”
1951
54
“Sabrina”
1954
55
“Reds”
1981
56
“The English Patient”
1996
57
“Two for the Road”
1967
58
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”
1967
59
“Picnic”
1955
9. In “Roman Holiday,” Audrey
60
“To Have and Have Not”
1944
61
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
1961
62
“The Apartment”
1960
63
“Sunrise”
1927
64
“Marty”
1955
65
“Bonnie and Clyde”
1967
66
“Manhattan”
1979
67
“A Streetcar Named Desire”
1951
68
“What’s Up, Doc?”
1972
69
“Harold and Maude”
1971
70
“Sense and Sensibility”
1995
71
“Way Down East”
1920
72
“Roxanne”
1987
73
“The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”
1947
74
“Woman of the Year”
1942
75
“The American President”
1995
76
“The Quiet Man”
1952
77
“The Awful Truth”
1937
1. In “An Affair to Remember” 5. Clark Gable starred in two of where do Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant agree to meet in six months? “Sleepless in Seattle” pays homage to this classic love story. A. Central Park B. Niagara Falls C. St. Louis D. Empire State Building
2. In “When Harry Met Sally,” Harry (Billy Crystal) is a political consultant. What does Sally (Meg Ryan) do for a living? A. Pediatrician B. Lawyer C. Real estate agent D. Journalist
3. In the classic “Casablanca,” what is the name of the bar owned by Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) where Sam (Dooley Wilson) plays the piano to entertain customers? A. Rick’s Café Americain B. American Bar C. The Watering Hole D. El Morocco
4. Woody Allen won his only directing Oscar for “Annie Hall.” What is Allen’s character name in the film? A. Leonard Barr B. Alvy Singer C. Alan Stewart D. Joey Nickels
the greatest romance films of all time: “Gone With the Wind” and “It Happened One Night.” Who were his leading women in these movies? A. Greer Garson and Ingrid Bergman B. Joan Crawford and Carole Lombard C. Vivien Leigh and Claudette Colbert D. Olivia de Havilland and Vivien Leigh
6. In “West Side Story,” Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood played a doomed young couple. What were their names? A. Tony and Maria B. Bernardo and Velma C. Riff and Anita D. Franny and Zooey
7. Which of these classic love stories, all on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 greatest romance films, features the characters Katie Morosky and Hubbell Gardner? A. “Last Tango in Paris” B. “City Lights” C. “Wuthering Heights” D. “The Way We Were”
8. In a scene that prompted an explosion of enrollment at pottery
M C T V I A Z A P 2 I T. C O M
Hepburn plays a princess who goes incognito to see Rome like a regular person with Gregory Peck as her escort. What is her royal name? A. Josephine B. Margaret C. Ann D. Grace
10. Cher won a best actress Oscar for her performance in “Moonstruck” opposite Nicolas Cage. What is Cage’s profession in the film? A. Police officer B. Singer C. Mobster D. Baker
Answers
ance t have much ch ng love doesn’ e chaos of street ou Y . A . 6 e midst of th r,” as opposed to survive in th dancing. air to Remembe . d 1. D. “An Aff et an rg g gang singin it’s best to fo ert Redford to the ones that ’ll “I isand and Rob e, re en St sc r ra e ne ba di ar e B . th 7. D ks to em’ries, like th 2. D. And than 1973 film. “M u’ll have that e of the most e on th is in ” d ng re vi ar ha st s ind …” Now yo have what she’ ines in film history. corner of my m head all day. nchl ur memorable pu again, song stuck in yo r says, “Play it ve ne t ar u where the kiln og yo B r, . 3. A pottery studio ed it for he ne ay O pl . D ou . thing in the 8 “Y : , ys en the hottest be Sam.” He sa time goes by s ve A ha ” t it! no ay ht Pl mig me. can play it for room. d. te is agine ever tw t ge s fact ince, I can’t im acted in pr l) a al H as w ie I nn If . (A C 9. eaton the regular peo4. B. Diane K ge to live like won the best ur d e an th s m ng fil vi n ha lle four Woody A just me. as ple. But that’s r this role. pro bono; it w rt be actress Oscar fo ol ara and C as not working w ’H e O H tt . le D ar . 0 Sc 1 as 5. C. Leigh w rk Gable was post-Bono. rews. And Cla was Ellie And dashing. M C T I L L U S T R AT I O N
MOVIE ROMANCES QUIZ MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
78
“Coming Home”
1978
79
“Jezebel”
1939
80
“The Sheik”
1921
81
“The Goodbye Girl”
1977
82
“Witness”
1985
83
“Morocco”
1930
84
“Double Indemnity”
1944
85
“Love is a Many-Splendored Thing”
1955
86
“Notorious”
1946
87
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being”
1988
88
“The Princess Bride”
1987
89
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
1966
90
“The Bridges of Madison County”
1995
91
“Working Girl”
1988
92
“Porgy And Bess”
1959
93
“Dirty Dancing”
1987
94
“Body Heat”
1981
95
“Lady and the Tramp”
1955
96
“Barefoot in the Park”
1967
97
“Grease”
1978
98
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
1939
99
“Pillow Talk”
1959
100
“Jerry Maguire”
1996
February 13, 2015
'Epic love translated in film:' best romance movies to watch
Harmony Kasper "The Film Buff" Harmony Kasper is a senior journalism and creative writing major and film and media studies minor and a regular contributor to The Rocket. If you are going to be single this Valentine’s Day and would like to enjoy watching epic love that can only be translated in film, then I have the movies for you. These four films will go down in history as love stories that will make you laugh, cry, and cry some more. “Titanic” (1997) If you haven’t seen “Titanic”, you have been missing out on the most epic romance disaster film ever. Young Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) first lays eyes on Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) when he finds her ready to jump from the boat over her loveless engagement to Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), the heir to the Pittsburgh Steel fortune. The two become close and change their friendship into a relationship. As you know, the Titanic hits an iceberg and sinks. The two are submerged in the water with the ship, with Rose on a plank of wood and Jack floating in the water next to her. Jack dies of hypothermia and Rose is rescued by a lifeboat and brought to safety. It’s really hard to make it through the end of this film without crying. Watch if you wish to have an epic love on a ship (P.S. it could go south like this story).
“The Notebook” (2004) Just knowing that Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling fell in love for real during the making of this film should help you believe in this fictional love story even more. Country boy Noah Calhoun immediately falls for heiress Allie Hamilton at a carnival and doesn’t give up on her until she goes on a date with him. The two develop a summer love affair, and Noah tells Allie that he is going to purchase and remodel an abandoned house for her. When Allie has to move back home, the two decide to break off their relationship. Allie becomes engaged to a sophisticated lawyer (James Marsden) and Noah returns home from the war to discover his father sold their house so Noah could buy the abandoned one he promised Allie. The two reconcile their love for each other when Allie comes to see the house modified. The film ends in the present day, with the elderly couple dying peacefully together in bed. Watch if you want to gaze upon Ryan Gosling for 124 minutes. “Ten Things I Hate About You” (1999) This teenage romantic comedy is a classic story of two people falling in love when they had no intentions to from the beginning. Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes infatuated with popular girl Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik). Bianca can only date if her sister Kat (Julia Stiles) is in a relationship as well. Cameron tries to set Kat up with Patrick Verona (the late Heath Ledger), but she refuses. Patrick wins Kat over with his performance of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in front of the entire soccer team. This story is not perfect; there are lies, deception and bribery. Kat and Patrick go through many rough patches, but eventually reconcile in the end when Patrick surprises Kat at college with a guitar. He tells her he did
PHOTO COURTESY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY
fall in love with her and the two make up. Watch if you want to reminisce about your high school romances. “A Walk to Remember” (2002) This is definitely the biggest tear-jerker of the four films. Rebel Landon Carter (Shane West) is given the ultimatum of either being expelled from school or tutoring students and being in the class play. Through helping other students, he meets Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), a girl who he has never paid attention to
before. As Jamie helps Landon learn the lines for the play, they begin to fall in love with each other. Jamie confesses that she has no plans for the future because she is battling leukemia. Landon proposes to Jamie and they get married in her father’s church. She passes away a few months later and Landon goes on to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Watch if you love to cry (a lot) over Nicholas Sparks stories (see also “The Notebook”).
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February 13, 2015
SRU students celebrate Valentine's Day at UPB event
REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
Freshman math major, Sarah Torchia, 19, and freshman business major Madison Eichenlaub, 18, stuff plush animals as part of the University Program Board's Valentine's Day celebration event Thursday during common hour.
GRAPHIC BY KARLEIGH SANTRY
February 13, 2015
'Food porn'
Kelsey Phillips "Bread and Butters" Kelsey Phillips is a junior public relations major and a regular contributor to The Rocket. “Dripping Thighs, Sticky Chicken Fingers, Vanilla Chicken, Chicken with a Lardon, Bacon-Bound Wings, Spatchcock Chicken, Learning-toTruss-You Chicken, Holy Hell Wings, Mustard-Spanked Chicken and more, more, more!” - F.L. Fowler, "Fifty Shades of Chicken: A Parody in a Cookbook." Both seasoned and amateur chefs have long recognized the intimacy involved with food preparation. From handling the ingredients to the marriage of flavors in the first bite, the experience can mirror that of a romance. As the greater public attempts to parody this relationship, it has become an apparent sexualization of food. The
How the relationship of food and sex is seen in society today
“food porn” social media accounts discussed in the “Food selfie” craze are catching on with diners, but are eating away at chefs and lead to advertisements being reprimanded for their implied sexual messages, turning the tasteful into the tasteless. For several years Burger King was criticized over a 2009 burger advertisement that ran only in Singapore which suggested oral sex with a strategically placed model. Another burger tycoon, Carl’s Jr., is famous for its advertisements of women washing cars with burgers and licking mustard off their arm. Paints quite the picture, doesn’t it? Food and its uses are sometimes illustrated as a means to self-growth and acceptance in movies like "Eat, Pray, Love" and books such as "The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted." They seem to satisfy our craving for selfrealization and liberation, but still leave us wondering why the path to the bedroom leads through the kitchen. While this might be interpreted as the sexual objectification of women or the general acceptance of sex in mainstream culture, it can also be considered the motivation of a feelgood society. Food and sex fulfill our primal appetites for self-sustenance and
reproduction. Certain stimuli like sex, food or pain release endorphins in the body and produce a temporary euphoric feeling that convinces you to want that feeling again. Some foods, called aphrodisiacs, are thought to increase sexual desire or response. You could probably find an old folklore or cultural tradition for nearly any food, but some of the common ones are oysters, chili peppers, chocolate, red wine, vanilla, watermelon and pomegranate. And hear me out ladies, it’s sexy when a man cooks for you. Food serves as a means for us to explore our sexual and spiritual nourishment, but with any action comes the possibility of moral judgments. You can be judged as disgusting or prudish based on the foods you eat, how much and how frequent. And as sex enters the mainstream media, talking about it still remains somewhat taboo. I like food – you all know this. But there is a difference between getting pleasure out of a meal and rubbing it all over yourself. With the right intentions both food and sex unify people. They are exhilarating and fun. But they are also inherently different, whichever way you like to spice it up.
Dripping Thighs From "Fifty Shades of Chicken: A Parody in a Cookbook" Serves 2-4 Ingredients: • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry with paper towels • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 1 tsp. salt • ½ tsp. pepper • 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced • 1 cup white wine • 1 bay leaf • 1 cinnamon stick • 1 tbsp. honey • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 4500. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, garlic, salt and pepper. 2. In a small saucepan, simmer together the onion, wine, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt until most of the liquid has evaporated (15-20 minutes). Mix in the honey and butter. 3. Spoon the mixture over the chicken and toss well. Spread the thighs, onion mixture, and juices onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink and the onions are meltingly tender and caramelized (about 25 minutes).
5 ways anyone can celebrate Valentine's Day Celebrate on a budget whether in a relationship or single
Shelby Stearns Commentary Shelby Stearns is a senior middle level education major and the copyeditor of The Rocket.
When we were little kids, we all looked forward to Valentine’s Day. We decorated shoeboxes with construction paper and distributed character cards to every member of the class. No one felt excluded, because everyone got a red velvet cupcake decorated by the fancier parents, some lollipops and a box of conversation hearts. As we grew up, school stopped having parties for every holiday, people started pairing up and dating and Valentine’s Day turned into a couples’ holiday. Somewhere along the way, the holiday became known as “Singles Awareness Day.” Most
people, even people in relationships, tend to either hate Valentine’s Day, or be indifferent towards it. I’ve never lost my childish adoration of the holiday. Sure, it’s much more fun with a significant other, but I can enjoy it regardless of my relationship status. When I tell people this, they look at me as though I have 10 heads. How can you possibly enjoy such a terrible holiday, Shelbs? Well, it’s not terrible at all with the right attitude, and I’m here to tell you how to get the most out of this Valentine’s Day, single or not. 1. Stop thinking of it as just a “Hallmark holiday.” It actually has a pretty interesting history! February 14 is actually the Feast Day of Saint Valentine of Rome. There are many legends about him that are worth researching, but my favorite is that he married young soldiers secretly, as Claudius III outlawed marriage for men serving in the army. When he was later imprisoned for doing so, the couples he married would visit him in jail and bring him flowers and cards as gratitude. 2. Celebrate Galentine’s Day! If you’re not a Parks and Recreation fanatic like I am, Galentine’s Day is celebrated on February 13, and it is celebrated by going out to brunch with your “gals” and giving them small tokens of your friendship. On a budget, this can
absolutely be celebrated at Boozel. Unlimited waffles! 3. Treat yo self ! Okay, that was my last Parks and Rec reference. Use the holiday to buy yourself something you wouldn’t usually buy. You deserve to be treated even if you don’t have a boo to do so, so you might as well just treat yo self ! Buy yourself a nice bottle of… sparkling grape juice, some Lush bath bombs and a pedicure. You deserve it! 4. Pass the love around! Get crafty, or buy a cheap pack of Frozen or Scooby Doo valentines and give them to your favorite professors, your classmates or your neighbors. Buy a little box of chocolates for your roommate. Bring cupcakes to your favorite class. Even if your efforts are unreciprocated, you’ll make someone’s day a little brighter, which is always fun. 5. Decorate your space and yourself ! Make a heart paper chain for your dorm room. Paint your nails pink. Wear red! Studies show that wearing red makes you more attractive! It’s rocket science! So even if you’re alone this Valentine’s Day, there’s no reason to mope and be bitter! Get out there and enjoy this sweet holiday. Hey, it’s the only time of year you can get yellow conversation hearts, which alone are reason enough for celebration.
February 13, 2015