the rocket
Friday February 14, 2020 • Volume 103, Issue Number 6 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper
www.theonlinerocket.com
News | A2 Student Health Center urges safe sex practices
Opinion | B2 This Valentine's Day, love yourself
Sports | C2 A tennis player's transition from Altötting to All-American
Campus Life | D3 Women's Center celebrates female empowerment
COVER DESIGN BY: EMILY HEYN
N
Learn more about the coronavirus with WSRU-TV.
NEWS
The path to safer sex
Health Center reminds students of easily accessible condoms, STI testing By Nina Cipriani Assistant News Editor
Valentine’s Day, the holiday that celebrates sex and love, is right around the corner and so, the Student Health Center is urging students to practice safe sex and get tested for STIs. The Student Health Center provides testing for many STIs, including HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Herpes and HPV. There is an average of 1,150 sexual health related visits per academic year. Director of Student Health Services, Kristina Benkeser, encourages students to further utilize the services and hopes to see this number increase in the future. Regardless of whether symptoms are present or not, Benkeser advises students to get routinely tested for STIs. Coordinator of Health Pr o m o t i o n , Va n e s s a Vought, said around 50% of all STIs in the United States are contracted by people between the ages of 15 and 24. “Most of these STIs cause absolutely zero symptoms early in the game when they are easily treated,” Benkeser said, “so, if you’re having sex, come on in and get tested.” STI testing is available to students at any time. Benkeser said the process is simple. “It used to be quite archaic and brutal, but that is not the case anymore,” Benkeser
said. “Most of the time, we can collect samples off of a urine specimen.” Students can always bring a friend if that makes them feel more comfortable with the experience. Benkeser said the Health Center keeps the costs of STI testing, contraceptives and safe sex supplies as low as possible. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing costs $15, and Syphilis and HIV testing costs $10. Benkeser wanted students to know that they have the option to bill these charges to their insurance, but, ultimately, a receipt will be sent home. “We offer [these services] at a reduced cost so that students can keep those parts of their lives private,” Benkeser said, “keep private parts as private parts.”
"Use condoms, wash your hands, and get a flu shot." – Kristina Benkeser, Director of Student Health Services
HPV is preventable with a vaccine, and untreated Chlamydia can lead to long term fertility problems. “We do not want to limit anyone’s option later on, should they want to pursue a pregnancy,” Benkeser said. A common misconception is that if the woman is taking a contraceptive, there is no need to use a condom during sex. Contraceptives do not limit either partner’s exposure to STIs. Bekeser said the same thing applies for same sex couples. Although risk of pregnancy is not a concern in this case, same sex partners should still use condoms to prevent STIs. The Student Health Center also offers counseling to students who have STIs and otherwise. “Students are so busy here with their academic focus, and there is nothing like an STI to derail your thinking and interfere with studying,” Benkeser said. “It’s not like being told your shoe is untied.” The Health Center also offers contraceptives, safer sex supplies, emergency contraception and pregnancy tests. Vo u g h t offers appointments for students interested in contraceptives, and it is required of students who have never been on birth control. Vo u g h t s u p e r v i s e s Healthy Outreach through Peer Education (H.O.P.E.), a group of students who are trained and employed by
GRAPHIC BY ALLISON DOWNS AND NINA CIPRIANI
Student Health Services. Vought said H.O.P.E. is a big part of informing students of the basics of sexual health and preventing pregnancy and STIs. H.O.P.E. is hosting Galentine’s Day during common hour on Feb. 13 in the Smith Student Center (SSC) Commuter Lounge to celebrate Valentine’s Day. H.O.P.E. is also hosting an event in SSC 322 at 6 p.m. on Feb. 13 called Netflix and Chill where students will
watch “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” and discuss the topics afterward. There will also be prizes and food at the event. Vought said she doesn’t want students to be uncomfortable talking about sex or STIs. “Most people are sexually active by the time they get to college,” Vought said, “which is why we try to reach out to freshman to do education and connect them with resources as soon
as they get here to let them know that they can reach out without shame or stigma.” Benkeser said all resources are easily accessible right in the Student Health Center and hopes students will take advantage of the sexual health resources available. Above all, she encourages students to follow the three basics. “Use condoms, wash your hands, and get a flu shot,” Benkeser said.
SGA continues the conversation Social Justice Committee hosts community cafe to discuss mental health By Allison Downs News Editor
Disclaimer: This staff editorial contains mentions of death and suicide and may be triggering to some readers. Please use caution before reading. To submit a care report for yourself or someone you are concerned about, visit the Student Support page on SRU's website. If you or someone you know needs help, local help is available through campus police (724738-3333), the counseling center (724-738-2034) and student support (724-7382121). Other resources include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) and the Crisis Text Line (text “HOME” to 741741). The Student Government Association’s Social Justice Committee hosted its first Mental Health Community Café on Tuesday night in the Smith Student Center’s ballroom. Ken Messina, clinical director of the Student Counseling Center, assisted in facilitating the discussion, answering questions and addressing concerns. He said he was glad to see and hear everyone in attendance because events like the Mental Health Community Café inform him and other counseling center staff members of what changes
students would like to see. One concern in particular was unanimous among almost all attendees at the event: how to continue the conversation and make it more widespread. “It seemed like at the beginning of last semester, when everyone was first coming to campus, mental health was such a hot topic because of different events happening and programs involving stress management,” one audience member said, “but all of a sudden, when this semester started, it seemed to die down a lot.” “For some reason, we continuously have these events, we care about it at that time and then it dies,” another participant said. “I want to know what happens to all the people who were continuously talking about it. Please, don’t stop talking about them because mental health is not going to stop being an issue here; it’s just going to fly under the radar until, again, the next big event occurs.” Another attendee added onto the conversation, saying, “Getting larger groups and organizations on campus involved in these events might help the cause. The groups that tend to bring in the most traffic, somehow partnering with them or even just getting them to post about these events on social media
because if people aren’t checking their emails, they are going to check Twitter.” Participants also discussed the possibility of mental health education or training to students and faculty. One attendee suggested trying to make certain mental health programs mandatory to teach students how to better handle their struggles with mental illness. “Similar to how various groups on campus have to have hazing training,” another audience member said, “we think there should be mental health management, teaching people how to support others with mental illness. I know we can’t mandate professors, but we could offer it with emphasis on how they’d be supporting their students.” Another attendee suggested implementing an “Introduction to Mental Health” course for first-year students that discusses how to manage and seek help for their mental health concerns and how to support others around them. “We think reps from the counseling center could do more education,” another participant said. “I’m sure that they get invited to some FYRST Seminar classes, but that doesn’t necessarily affect anyone who’s not in those seminars or upperclassmen.” One audience member
voiced concerns about the counseling center’s apparent staffing issues, saying that there aren’t enough counselors for the volume of need on campus. “The health center is maybe understaffed for the number of people and the need at SRU,” one attendee said. “Things like online counseling or video calls, we feel, could be beneficial to the counseling center and a lot of students.” Another participant stressed the importance of professor’s being aware of and understanding the possible states of their students’ mental health, saying, “There’s a lot expected of us, and we all have a lot going on. We don’t always have the time to really take care of ourselves, eat right, take time for ourselves or actually take a break.” Other specific mental health concerns and topics were brought to Messina, including alcohol and drug abuse. An attendee shared her personal story with the audience, saying that it needs to be more directly addressed in order to help those who are struggling with substance misuse and abuse. “It’s something that’s so taboo because a lot of us are underage,” she said, “but the reality is, every weekend or sometimes even during the week, we go out and binge-
drink or get high. We’re told these things are wrong, but they happen every day. “Last year, during my first semester on campus, my friend killed himself,” she continued. “He was abusing alcohol, and I think that was a big reason why he couldn’t gauge his emotions. That’s something we need to talk about.” Another attendee shared his personal struggles with seeking counseling as a transgender person, saying that it’s been difficult to find a counselor who has specific knowledge and understanding of his experiences. “I always run into these barriers where I reference something pertaining to being trans and gay,” he said. “It’s very hard to work through something that directly correlates to your experience with someone who doesn’t have any frame of reference for what that’s like, and having to educate your therapist is really challenging. “I’m trying to work through my own garbage, and when they don’t understand something, it’s kind of frustrating for both parties,” he continued. “I feel like it would be a good idea to maybe host some kind of ‘queer crash course’ with all of the counseling staff so they can be better prepared to deal
with that if they themselves are not queer.” During the discussion, one audience member commended Messina for actively being part of the university community, attending events and engaging with students. “I give you a lot of credit and thank you for being here,” she said. “Before you, I didn’t even know who the director of the counseling center was because I never saw him at any events. We see how hard you’re working.” Messina assured everyone in the audience that the counseling center is working to bring a lot of ideas and plans to life. He announced that a men’s mental health group will begin meeting soon. He said the purpose of the group is to “help men on campus learn more about their mental health and emotions and how to express their emotions in a healthy way.” He also announced the upcoming “Get Ahead of Stress” event that will take place Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. in room 322 of the Smith Student Center. Anyone is welcome to attend, he said, and discuss stress management, learn helpful stress management tips and figure out effective ways to get ahead of your stress before midterms approach.
NEWS Students talk consent, polyamory
February 14, 2020
A-3
Sex and love survey reveals differing sexual experiences By Allison Downs News Editor
Over 100 students participated in The Rocket's survey regarding their experiences and opinions on sex, consent, romance, love and relationships. This year's sex and love student survey revealed many varying opinions regarding several topics, but there was resounding agreement on several other topics. Given that the majority of participants were most likely SRU students, 85% of the 107 participants are ages 18-22. All classes were almost equally represented in the survey, with the majority (36.4%) being seniors. However, not all genders and gender-identities were as equally represented: 78.5% of participants identify as cisgender (your gender identity matches your biological sex) females. Similarly, not all sexual orientations were represented equally. Almost 80% of respondents identify as heterosexual, 15.8% identify as bisexual or queer, and less than 5% identify as gay, lesbian or pansexual. Of the 107 students who responded, 46.7% are in relationships and 25.2% of those relationships have lasted 18 months or longer. The majority of participants (50.5%) are single. Two respondents are polyamorous or in an open relationship and one person stated that they are living with their partner. When asked if they would ever consider an open relationship and why (or why not), 87 of 107 participants said they wouldn't. An overwhelming number of responses said they wouldn't consider it because of jealousy or religious beliefs. One particular respondent who is currently in an open relationship said, "It seems great, yes — the sex, the benefits, and the non-dramatic stuff about relationships — but long term, it really sucks." The majority of participants (64.5%) agreed that love is more important than sex, but 32.7% agreed that both
are equally important. Out of the 107 participants, 55 agree that it's also important to experiment sexually during your college years. Over 70% of respondents first had sex between the ages of 15 and 20, while 20% of respondents are still virgins. An overwhelming number of participants said that they're first time wasn't great, but a fair amount said they're first time was special or good. A few respondents stated that their first sexual experience wasn't consensual. One participant said their first time was "confusing. We were both virgins in high school who didn’t really understand our bodies." Another respondent had a different experience, saying, "It was very sweet. We had been together for three years already, so we knew each other really well. He just made me feel very comfortable, always reassuring me." A large majority of participants (78.5%) said their sex lives are either great or alright, while 21.5% said they're sex lives are not that good or terrible. Out of 105 respondents, 56 are having sex at least once a month, and 24 are either virgins or abstaining from sex. Many questions on the survey involved matters of consent. When asked if a person who is "very intoxicated" can give consent, 80.4% of participants said no, 16.8% said "it depends" and 2.8% said yes. Almost 65% of respondents said a person has to say a verbal "yes" for sex to be consensual, whereas 17.8% said you don't need a verbal "yes" for consent. When asked if a person needs to say the words "no" or "stop" to not consent, 71 respondents said no, 30 said yes and six said maybe. An overwhelming number of participants (96.3%) agree that a person can withdraw consent at any time — one person said a person cannot withdraw consent. Participants were also asked about the different forms of protection they use. 56.9% said that they use some form of birth control, such as oral
GRAPHIC BY ALLISON DOWNS AND HANNAH SHUMSKY
contraceptives, IUDs or birth control implants; 31.4% said neither they nor their partner use birth control; and only 11.8% said they don't personally use birth control, but that their partner does. Out of 96 responses, 52 said they use condoms for protection from STIs, and 26 do not. 94.1% of participants said they have never had an STI, 2.9% said they have, and 2.9% said they're not sure if they've ever had one. When asked if they disclose their sexual history (including STIs) to potential partners, 80.6% of respondents said yes, 11.2% said no and 8.2% said they sometimes do. Out of the 107 responses, 66 said they currently use dating apps and a majority of them are on Tinder, Bumble or Hinge. Only 5.6% respondents have cheated on a significant other, but a fairly large number of participants (43%) have been cheated on. 51 respondents said they have both been ghosted or have ghosted someone else, but
only 22 have neither ghosted someone nor been ghosted themselves. 60.7% of respondents do not believe that romance is dead in this generation, whereas 17.8% said they do believe so. When asked if they believe in love at first sight, the responses were almost pretty even across the board: 35.5% said no, 27.1% said yes and 37.4% said they weren't sure. Participants define "love" in very different ways. A few respondents provided the dictionary definition of love, whereas others provided more personal answers. One respondent said love means "a mutual support and commitment that can branch off into romantic or platonic love." Another participant said love is "when you have butterflies in your stomach constantly. You are thinking about that person day and night. The first thing you think of in the morning and the last thing you think of before you go to bed. You see past their biggest flaws, and
don’t even mind them because you care about them so much." A large number of participants agree that honesty, respect, loyalty, trust and kindness are a few of the most important qualities to look for in a significant other. Most participants had varying "types" of partners they typically vie for, but quite a few said they don't necessarily have a physical type. When asked how they know they love someone, a fairly large number of respondents said they "just know" or it "feels right." One participant said they're never really sure if they know. Others had varying responses. One participant said they know they love someone "when they are the first one you want to tell good news to." Another participant said, "You have a deep connection with them and are willing to fight for the relationship." Respondents said they would do some relatively crazy things for love. One particular participant explained that she was prepared
to change her life as she knew it, saying, "I was ready to put my college plans on hold for a guy who said he wanted a future with me because his life plans at the time were going to take him across the country. I was willing and ready to uproot my life and go with him if he asked me to." When asked about relationship "deal-breakers," an overwhelming number of participants included answers like lying, cheating, being disrespectful, being closedminded or prejudiced and abusing substances such as drugs or alcohol. A lot of respondents who are currently in relationships said they were hopeful about their future with their partners. One participant said, "I honestly see it lasting forever." Others weren't so hopeful. Another participant stated that they don't see their current relationship lasting very long, saying it's "more like a situationship, it’s not looking great. Hoping we can figure things out at some point."
Students respect lives lost in China Lunar New Year celebrations canceled in wake of coranavirus
By Haley Potter Senior Rocket Contributor
SRU’s Chinese Culture Association canceled their annual Chinese New Year Celebration because of the recent coronavirus outbreak. The event was scheduled for February 15th. Dr. Wei Bian, an associate professor in the department of physical and health education and modern languages department, was the president of the Chinese New Year celebration this year and said that it was in SRU’s best interest to cancel the event for the first time since she came to SRU in 2007. Bian said that news of the coronavirus came out in China during the time of the Lunar New Year, Jan. 25 through Feb. 8. “When we heard the coronavirus news, I said 'let’s still do the celebration because there are no problems at all here,'” Bian said. “Then as we were trying to prepare, more and more news from China came out and caused the faculty members some concern.” The Chinese Culture Association is made up of mostly faculty members. “I wanted to ask the faculty’s opinion about canceling the event,” Bian said. “Several other universities canceled their Chinese New Year celebrations because of the situation in China.” Bian said she sent out a google form explaining the situation and asking the
association their opinion on having the event. She received 14 responses and 11 of them said not to have the event out of respect for the people in China. “The situation is very depressing and most of our family members are there and we have been exchanging the news with them,” Bian said. She said that there have been over a thousand deaths and that the people in China were asked to stay home during the entire 15 days of the Lunar New Year. “Our hearts are very heavy,” Bian said. “I pray every day, and we canceled the event for those people in China.” She said that they had to cancel the event early enough to inform En Lai, who caters their food each year, and so that they could inform their sponsors.
"Our hearts are very heavy. We pray every day." – Dr. Wei Bian, associate professor in the modern languages department
Bian said the event will be back next year and will feature the same traditions that the community loves, such as Chinese yo-yos, food, calligraphy and performances. “I already booked the venue for next year,” Bian said. “We are looking forward to celebrating the next New Year.” She said that the crafts that were already purchased specific to this year’s New Year were donated to the daycare. “This is a very scary situation for us, that is why we canceled our event,” Bian said. SRU is also being proactive in preventing this virus from spreading to our community. Kristina Benkeser, the director of Student Health services said that the best way to avoid getting any kind of illness is to wash your hands, stay home if you are sick and avoid sharing soft drinks. “Universities tend to have a larger number of international students and faculty and the virus has been close on breaks, so universities have been on high alert for that,” Benkeser said. There is a sign beside the check-in counter at the health center telling patients to inform staff immediately if they have traveled to China in the last month. “It is so that we can isolate that person and determine their reason for visit,” Benkeser said. The Office for Global Engagement is also staying
HALEY POTTER / WSRU-TV
The coronavirus originated in China and has since spread to other countries. The Lunar New Year celebration was canceled to respect the lives lost to the coronavirus in China.
on high alert and checking the CDC daily, according to Dr. Sam Heikinen, the Associate Vice President of Global Engagement at SRU. “We have reached out to all of our study abroad
participants and we have let them know how we are monitoring the CDC developments,” Heikinen said. He said that no spring break trips have been
canceled but that they plans to push back sending visitors or receiving visitors from China. If you are feeling ill, the SRU Student Health Center is open 24/7.
NEWS
A-4
February 14, 2020
POLICE BLOTTER February 1 – Police received a call for an individual that had their dogs running on the field without leashes on. Officer made contact with person, and the person left the area without incident. February 1 – Police were dispatched for an individual that was dressed in all black standing beside a white vehicle and talking to a person. It appeared that the person punched the vehicle as the caller was walking to Boozel. Caller stated that when they returned, the person followed them to their vehicle. As they left, the person followed them on foot. Officer on scene did not see vehicles or persons in lot. Officer checked the area, and no vehicle matched the description given to dispatch. February 2 – Police received a call from the CA in Building A of an alcohol violation. Alcohol was found, and the case was referred to Student Standards. February 2 – Police responded to a fire alarm activation in Building E. Alarm was set off by burnt mac and cheese. Individual did not add water to mac and cheese. February 2 – Police received a call from parent stating that they hadn’t heard from their child in over an hour. Parent requested that police do a welfare check. Person was OK and said they would call their parents. No further police action was taken. February 3 – Police were dispatched for an individual that was suffering abdominal pain and vomiting. Person was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital. February 3 – Person came to police station to file a report of unknown person that stole their gas cap from their vehicle that was parked in the B&G Gravel Staff Parking Lot. Incident is still under investigation. February 3 – Police responded for a theft report at Aebersold Recreation Center. Person stated that they left their cell phone near the fire exit doors and the bench in court 3. When the game was over, person came back to retrieve their phone and discovered that it was gone. Case is still under investigation. February 3 – Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) requested back up on Main Street. Delivery person stated that while they were at a person’s apartment, that individual had a gun on them. Contact was made with the individual. Gun was a BB gun. PSP is handling the investigation. No further university police action was taken.
February 4 – Police were dispatched for a minor motor vehicle accident in the Union Commuter Parking Lot. No injuries were reported, and the vehicles were drivable. Both parties exchanged information, and no further police action was taken. February 4 – Police received a call from a parent stating the they hadn’t heard from their child in two days. Parent requested that an officer check on them. Person had lost their cell phone at the ARC the night before. Person was contacted and picked up their phone. Person called their parents back. No further police action was taken. February 5 – Police received a call of a motor vehicle driving erratically. Officers located vehicle, and the operator was issued a traffic citation. February 5 – Police received a call from the CA in Building D stating that there was an odor of marijuana coming from a dorm room. Officer contacted resident. No drugs or paraphernalia were found. Incident was referred to Student Standards. No further police action was taken. February 6 - Police responded for an individual that was laying on the ground and needed medical attention near Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Person was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital.
February 7 - Police received an intruder alarm activation in Ski Lodge. Staff personnel stated that they entered code, but it didn't work. Locksmith was notified and responded. Security code had to be reentered into alarm system. February 7 - Police responded for a fire alarm activation in ROCK apartments. Cause of alarm was burnt hamburgers. February 8 - Police received a call stated that an individual was having a seizure. Person refused EMS and refused to be taken to the Health Center. Person was with their friend, and the friend kept an eye on the person. No further police action was taken. February 8 - Police received a call from CA in Building F for drug violation. Items were taken. Julia Graybill, 18 and Garrin Ross, 21 were cited with disorderly conduct. February 9 - Police received a smoke detector activation in ROCK apartment. Police checked room, and the cause was burnt food. February 10 - Police received a fire alarm activation in ROCK apartments. Alarm was set off by a burnt oven mitt.
February 6 - Police received a fire alarm activation in ROCK apartments. Alarm was set off by burnt food.
February 11 - Police received call from an individual on Green and White Way stating that there appeared to be a rabid groundhog in the area. Person waited until officer arrived, but groundhog went back into its burrow and was unable to be located.
February 7 - Slippery Rock Police Department (SRUPD) requested backup for a possible domestic disturbance. Parties were separated. University police stood by while borough police gathered person's information. No further action was taken by university police.
February 11 - Health Center nurse called police and advised them that an individual reported that they were assaulted twice in November 2019 while in Erie and Edinboro. Person requested to remain anonymous and does not want police action taken.
February 7 - Police notified Slippery Rock Township Maintenance on hazardous road conditions on Harmony Road. Road crew was notified and was enroute.
February 12 - Police received a call from Ca in Rhoads Hall about a strong odor of marijuana coming from a dorm room. Drugs and paraphernalia was found. Kenneth Ritter, 19, was cited with a drug violation.
February 7 - Police responded for a vehicle accident on Kiester Road. Vehicle slid off roadway and struck a crosswalk pole. Property was damaged, and vehicle was inoperable. PSP was notified and responded to scene to handle the investigation. February 7 - Police received a call from individual stating the their vehicle was struck while it was parked in the 15 minute parking zone on Campus Drive. Officer reviewed the security video system, and damage was on vehicle prior to it being parked in the parking spot. No further police action was taken.
9 No security deposits! 9 4 different locations - South Rock Apts. on Keister Road or South Rock Drive, Stone Crest Apts., & Main Street Apts. 9 2, 3 or 4 bedroom floor-plans 9 Over 180 apartments to choose from 9 Cable, internet, water, & trash included 9 Stove, microwave, dishwasher, disposal, fridge, washer & dyer included at South Rock & Stone Crest locations 9 NEW! On-site laundry facilities at Main St. location – NO COINS NEEDED! 9 Sofa, love seat, coffee & end tables, TV stand, twin or full size beds, dresser, desk, & night stand included 9 NEW! Bedroom furniture at South Rock! 9 24-hour emergency maintenance 9 Professional on-site management 9 Close proximity to SRU campus 9 Direct-wired smoke detectors 9 Fire extinguishers in each unit 9 Access to Clubhouse 9 Handicap apartments available 9 On-site parking 9 Close to SGA bus stop
February 12 - Slippery Rock PD requested university police for traffic control for two vehicles that were in a ditch due to poor roads conditions on Grove City Road.
COMPILED BY NINA CIPRIANI
February 14, 2020
NEWS
A-5
SRU cares about its community SRU celebrates Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
By Hannah Shumsky Editor-In-Chief
When SRU applied for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification in 2010 and 2015, the university wasn't successful in earning the elective classification. However, after the creation of the Office of Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL) in 2016, the submission of a 100page application and other changes on the service and academic levels, SRU earned the classification in 2020. "This has been a long time coming for SRU," Jeffrey Rathlef, OCEL's director, said. The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is from the Carnegie Foundation at Brown University's Swearer Center. The application process involves data collection and documentation, including assessments. SRU joins over 350 institutions and 27 schools in Pennsylvania to earn the elective classification. SRU is the fourth school in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to earn the classification, following Bloomsburg University, Millersville University and West Chester University. SRU has earned the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification after previously applying once in 2010 and once in 2015 with no success. In response to the 2015 feedback from the application, SRU created OCEL to serve as a hub for
service-learning programs. At that time, Rathlef was hired as OCEL's director and Laura Villers joined OCEL as the assistant director for communityengaged ser vice and leadership. There was also a committee dedicated to the classification department led by Linda Zane, associate professor in elementary education/early childhood education, David Kershaw, associate professor in political science, Joseph Robare, associate professor of public health and social work, Natalie Dick, assistant professor in healthcare administration and information systems, and Villers from OCEL. Rathlef said that the process of the classification led to improvements through documentation and assessment before SRU even earned the classification. "The true benefit of this classification is what the process allows you to build," Rathlef said. "Much like accreditation, the classification, the process of actually documenting the stuff and assessing it, allows you to improve its quality. The benefit of the classification is actually the process of doing the application itself. Ac ro s s S RU , t w o academic achievements added to the success of the classification process. During the classification process, administration revised goal nine of SRU's strategic plan to emphasize mutually-beneficial partnerships, changing the
KEEGAN BEARD / THE ROCKET
Jeffrey Rathlef, director of the Office for Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL) speaks at a celebration at the Russell Wright Alumni House on Feb. 6 to honor SRU's Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. SRU applied in 2010 and 2015 before successfully securing the classification this year.
language of the goal from its original "outreach"based goal. Additionally, since fall 2017, the number of high-impact practice service learning courses has increased by 271% (from 504 students in the 201718 academic year to 1,368 this year). In a celebration in the Russell Wright Alumni House on Thursday, Feb. 6, OCEL representatives, community members, SRU administrators and members of the Carnegie Classification Committee gathered to discuss the honor and share their experiences
New opportunity arises Council of Trustees seeks new student trustee By Haley Potter Senior Rocket Contributor
Slippery Rock University’s council of trustees is looking for a new student trustee for the next academic school year. To qualify for this position, a student must be a full-time undergraduate enrolled with at least 12 credit hours and in good academic standing. Jeff Smith, the chairman of the Council of Trustees, said there are not a lot of qualifications, but that students often don’t know about the application until it is too late. “I am trying to do everything I can to get the word out,” Smith said. “This is one of the coolest positions to have as a student.” Smith said that student trustees are full-fledged trustees, even though they are students.
"This is one of the coolest positions to have as a student." – Jeff Smith, the chairman of the Council of Trustees
“Sometimes people think that you are just there to be the student voice, but you are really there as an actual voting member with all of the same rights and privileges as the other trustees,” Smith said. He said trustees vote on topics and issues such as tuition freezes or increases and what new programs should be added. “This is an honor and a chance to make a difference,” Smith said. He said that the student trustee position is not a huge time commitment. “It is like a lot of things when you volunteer because you can make it whatever you want it to be,” Smith said. The official requirements are four quarterly meetings that are usually half a day on Th ursday and Friday morning. He said trustees also act as ambassadors, so they are encouraged to attend other campus events, aside from just the quarterly meetings. The council of trustees also attend a few meetings across the state. The next big one is in April. “We hope to have our new trustee appointed by then so that they can come along and shadow Dylan Colcombe, the current student trustee, and make those connections early,” Smith said. Smith pointed out that this is a position elected by the governor, making it a big honor and a great addition to any resume. He said Colcombe will form a
– The link to the student trustee application
committee to choose the best candidates for the position, the top three will be sent to President Behre, and then the top candidate will be sent to the governor for final approval. “I want to make sure that we get the best people available applying for this position and that everyone that is interested has a shot at it,” Smith said. Applications are due by Feb. 21 and require letters of recommendation. The link to the student trustee application can be found on the SRU website.
with community-engaged learning. Sam Hauser, a secondyear graduate student in student affairs in higher education and graduate assistant for ser vice leadership programming, said that her experience with OCEL began during her undergraduate program at The Rock. "For myself, I fell down this rabbit hole four years ago," Hauser said. "I was just working an office so I can pay rent, then Jeffrey and Laura came on and changed everything. It inspired me to continue to
do this work as a student affairs professional." At the celebration, SRU President William Behre said that the classification serves as a connection between what students learn on campus and how they can apply that knowledge to opportunities in the Slippery Rock community. "What's great about being a campus that is committed to community engagement is it really does create an intellectual bridge between what we do on campus and how we apply the good works that are done on campus everywhere in
the community around us," Behre said. "You cannot simulate that in the classroom." Moving forward, Rathlef said that SRU still has areas for improvement as listed in the feedback for the Carnegie Classification. While SRU doesn't need to reapply for reclassification for another six years, these improvement areas will be a focus going forward. "The OCEL was a big part of [the classification], we did our part, but it was a campus-wide effort and it's a campus-wide recognition," Rathlef said.
O
OPINION
Our View
Enroll now: Civil Discourse
As politics are increasingly polarized, productive conversation is key to unify
OPINION
Volume 103, Issue Number 6
220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057 Phone: Fax: E-mail:
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EDITORIAL BOARD GRAPHIC BY: KEEGAN BEARD & HANNAH SLOPE
Hannah Shumsky
Editor-in-Chief
Allison Downs
News Editor
Karl Ludwig
Sports Editor
Hope Hoehler
Campus Life Editor
Lesa Bressanelli
Copy/ Web Editor
Keegan Beard
Photo Editor
Aaron Marrie
Multimedia Editor
Nina Cipriani
Assistant News Editor
Zachary Bonnette Brendan Howe
Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Campus Life Editor
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Assistant Copy/Web Editor
Hannah Slope
Assistant Photo Editor
Dr. Brittany Fleming
Faculty Adviser
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ABOUT US The Rocket is published by the students of Slippery Rock University five times per academic semester. Total weekly circulation is 2,000. No material appearing in The Rocket may be reprinted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. The Rocket receives 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) 738-2643 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.
Our View is a staff editorial produced collaboratively by the entire Rocket Staff. Any views expressed in the editorial are the opinions of the entire staff. To review our editorial policy, which includes our blotter policy, go to theonlinerocket. com. With nine months left before Americans vote to decide if President Donald Trump will serve a second term or if a democratic opponent will move into the Oval Office, the effects of political polarization are apparent, even on SRU's campus. Last week, two posters from the College Republicans were found vandalized in Spotts World Culture Building. As SRU President William Behre said in his email to the university, "When you have [10,000] people in a close proximity, there is always someone who believes that the basic rules of civility and respect do not apply to them." This political polarization has shifted public attitudes concerning President Trump, trust in government and trust in news media, according to the Pew Research Center. In the months preceding this election, especially after Trump's impeachment trial, civil discourse across the country has been on the decline and this incident in our own
backyard contributes to political party division. Of course, we don't know who defaced this flyer and the chances are that we will never find out who contributed to further divide us by party on campus. However, we can recognize that politics will be at the heart of many conversations we have on campus and social media in the upcoming months. During the time of elections, preliminary debates and caucuses, political uncertainty and disdain towards specific parties and politicians are at a high rise. With all sides wanting to voice their strong opinions and persuade others that their ideology is ideal, we lack respect and civility, the fundamentals of productive civil discourse. It's during this time that all sides—democratic, republican and anyone who falls in the middle—need to use this opportunity to create settings for respectful civil discourse and discussion. No matter how many times we were told to avoid talking about politics and evade taboo conversations, it's time to be prepared for these conversations to unify and talk about differing perspectives, not argue and continue to divide the nation by party. At SRU, one option is to contribute to our opinion section with your
thoughts. As the studentrun newspaper, we serve as a public forum for you. For The Rocket, we will continue our coverage of political student organizations on campus, mainly the College Republicans and Young Progressives. When we get closer to the November election, we will add to this conversation by endorsing our ideal candidate in our opinion section.
"By educating yourself and becoming part of discussions, not debates or arguments, you are creating opportunities for productive conversations." The Rocket won't stop covering these hard-hitting, controversal issues; in fact, in these historical moments, we rise in our coverage. After we publish our news and opinion pieces, you have your opportunity to engage in civil discourse. By educating yourself and becoming part of
In the Quad
By: Aaron Marrie
discussions, not debates or arguments, you are creating opportunties for productive conversations. This means not going into conversations with the intent of proving a point or the assumption that you know all sides of an issue. Every chance to talk about issues on the campus, nation and world is a chance for productive civil discourse, but only when the intent is to learn and be more knowledgeable, not assume and degrade. In the case of the College Republican flyers, someone abused an opportunity to engage in a productive discussion. As President Behre said in his email, this will most likely not be the last incident of this kind on campus. However, now is the time to discover effective ways to continuously participate in civil discourse in casual conversations, classes and social media. No matter how heated the current political scene gets, we must maintain a basic level of human respect toward each other. Without that, we can't accomplish anything when we cannot hear a new side of an issue. While we might not like or agree with the opposite political party, we are all in this together, and cooperation between parties is paramount in this day and age.
Question: What are your plans for Valentine's Day?
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Rocket are available. Subscriptions are $20 per academic semester and $35 for the full academic year. Inquiries should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at the address listed here.
EDITORIAL POLICY 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.
Walter Scherer Sophomore Safety Management Cranberry Township, PA
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“I think that I’m gonna go to class and after class I’m gonna hang out with my girlfriend and exchange gifts with her. Then we’re just going to hang out in my dorm, maybe go over to my friend's place and hang out with them.”
“I’m going to be working Boozel. You know, feeding you guys.”
“Maybe hang out with some friends, play video games with them. Just chill, relax.”
February 14, 2020
OPINION
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Dating in college Mia Graziani, SGA VP of internal affairs, talks balancing love and academics PHOTO COURTESY OF MIA GRAZIANI AND AIDEN SAMES
Mia Graziani Mia is a sophomore healthcare administration major with a minor in psychology. She is the vice president of internal affairs of the Slippery Rock Student Government Association and a pride guide.
As a sophomore in high school, my psychology teacher, Mr. Bell, said something to our class that managed to wedge itself deep into my brain. No, it had nothing to do with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs or the definition of retrograde amnesia, it had to deal with dating. “Dating in high school is great,” said Mr. Bell, but he continued with “Dating in college is way better”. “Dating in college is like a candy store. There are so many good looking people because most of us are in our prime during the college years.” I remembered
that advice during the weeks before the start of my freshman year. That first weekend, I met my boyfriend. He lived 3 doors down from me in Rhoads Hall and started talking to me at a party we all went to at The Ivy. The following weeks were filled with dinners and hours spent sitting around in the third floor common area of Rhoads Hall getting to know each other. I was able to form a relationship with a person while I watched others around me go through the cycle of snapchatting others and then being ignored at parties.
Having a partner means that you never have to carry your own drinks to parties or pay for cinnamon rolls at Camelot, but the best thing about having a partner in college is knowing that you can go home and still have someone who loves and cares about you even when you’re not living with your family. I always say that my boyfriend is my rock as he has had to sit through many phone calls consisting of tears, complaints and irrational fears about failing classes that have yet to start. Dating anyone, anywhere will have its own challenges, but
Kali Davies-Anderson Kali is a sophomore public health pre-PT major. She is a nontraditional student and a mom of four and is expecting her fifth. She has previously worked with the New Castle News. DISCLAIMER: This column contains mentions of eating disorders and mental health and may be triggering for some readers. Use caution before reading. February is the month that we all think of when we think of love, right? As a child, one of my favorite days was Valentine’s Day. I remember opening cards from my classmates, usually accompanied by a tiny edible treat of some kind, and really feeling special. By my teenage years, Valentine’s Day started to take on another meaning. My peers were trading in their 2x2 inch square Valentines for flowers, candy and unsupervised
until I learned how to love myself. I have been hearing of many sad occurrences in which people my age and often much younger are succumbing to these thoughts and leaving behind a slew of unanswered questions and unfulfilled hopes and dreams. And when this happens, we as a community are always so shocked.
Maybe you are funny, perhaps you are a good listener or can pull together a delicious meal from things you purchased from a dollar store. Maybe you were gifted with the ability to express yourself through the art of dance, spoken word or song. Or maybe you are reliable, always there for others and a loyal friend.
"It's nice getting compliments from people that we love, strangers even. But, really, you need to hear it from yourself for it to truly matter. And if you don't believe your words at first, that's OK. Still say them. Get used to hearing that you are important, that you are special and that you matter." “ He w a s s o f u n n y and happy,” “she was so smart and successful,” and “they had so much to live for” are some of the things we hear, as if mental illness cares about our personality traits, careers or earthly possessions. We all have things that we don’t like about ourselves. Sometimes we can change these things and sometimes we cannot. Despite these less than desirable traits, we NEED to love ourselves. So this Valentine’s Day, I am challenging my fellow students to engage in some introspection. What do you love about YOU?
when stress seems to take you over and you accidently take it out on your partner. I realized that dating in college is great because the positives outweigh the negatives. Knowing that there is someone right there to help you when you can’t figure out chemistry questions or when you just need a hug because you had a rough day is one of the best feelings in the world. If you find a person who you want to be with, and they want to be with you, go for it! It can’t hurt to have another person on your team when you’re trying to navigate life in college!
A look into love
Love yourself this Valentine's Day d a t e s t o t h e m ov i e theater. I, however, was not exchanging love letters with my high school crush or salivating over a shirtless photograph of Zack from Saved by the Bell (ageing myself here). I was beginning what would become a long, arduous and often hopeless path towards loving someone far more important that any high school or Hollywood crush. I was learning (or at least trying) to love myself. My battle with depression began in late middle school, but it really didn’t go into full swing until I was in high school. That was the point at which I began extreme dieting and then eventually became anorexic/bulimic. I spent Valentine’s Day of my senior year of high school in a psychiatric unit for eating disorders. It would be the first of many holidays I would miss out on as I tried to win the battle against a hideous and dishonest disease. I had no self-love. I felt useless, hopeless, helpless and worthless. I felt less. I will spare you the gory details, but I will say that I am very lucky to be alive today and the only reason that I am is because I have learned to love myself. I did not recover from my demons until I was in my mid-20s, and they still rear their ugly heads sometimes. But, I have learned how to counter the lies of a mind that is sometimes distorted and the intrusive thoughts are now mostly fleeting and sparse. But, something is to be said of my inability to overcome such distortions
college is a whole different story. You no longer worry about just your own grades, health and well-being. You now have another person who you want to see succeed and do well. I spent time worrying about exercise science lab reports when I’m a healthcare administration major. Having a partner, just like my job and clubs, needed time. Even Though we don’t have the time to see each other every day, we always make it a point to call and recap on the days events. Sure, there’s fighting, but I think that every relationship has that. It can be most difficult
Whatever the case is, before you go to dinner with your date or party with friends, talk kindly to yourself this Feb. 14. Tell yourself all of the wonderful things about you that everyone else already knows. It ’s n i c e g e t t i n g compliments from people that we love, strangers even. But, really, you need to hear it from yourself for it to truly matter. And if you don’t believe your own words at first, that’s OK. Still say them. Get used to hearing that you are important, that you are special and that you matter. Because, it’s true. Happy Valentine’s Day.
would be the other. When love is true and real it would be a really hard bond to break between two people, just like the bond that is found in a family.
Madeline Bundy Madeline is a freshman converged journalism major. She is also a content creator for WSRU-TV News and a member of Jumpstart. What is love? What does it mean? Why do we value it so much? If you were to ask, I think that many people would define the term “love” along the lines of an intense feeling of affection towards someone that they also have a strong sexual attachment to. Those are some of the main components that you may hear in a casual conversation between a group of friends while they are talking about their relationships. It seems like this generation does not think of what love truly is, this could be because they just see the term “love” being thrown around or they have not truly experienced it themselves yet, so they do not know the true meaning of it. When they are with someone, they claim to love, they may not see the effects it could have on that person, whether they are the positive, or negative effects. Love is when you would do anything for the other person that you are with, you would do this because all you truly want to see more than anything is the other person in the relationship truly happy. Love is one of the two strongest bonds that we could have in our support system in the world; family
"Love is one of the two strongest bonds that we could have in our support system in the world, family would be the other. When love is true and real it would be a really hard bond to break between two people., just like the bond that is found in a family." I think the reason we value love so much these days is because we very rarely see true love. It seems that there are more “relationships” between two people who have made another life together these days than relationships between two people who found true love for one another and see themselves spending the rest of their lives together. So, when we see true love for each other taking place we try to hold onto it for as long as we can because it does not come along all the time these days.
February 14, 2020
THE ROCKET
Mitt Romney: Senatorial courage
Stone R. Helsel Stone is a freshman secondary education: social studies major. He is also the secretary of the Secondary Education/Foundations of Education Club and the chairman of the Springfield Township Planning Commission. Columnist's note: Any views represented in this column are not reflective of the Springfield Township Planning Commission. On Feb. 5, 2020, Senate Republicans truly became the party of Trump. They rejected the virtue of placing the national interest above the craven advances of one’s party. Their vote to acquit President Donald Trump for his iniquitous invitation to a foreign country to interfere in our solemn electoral process and his anomalous obstruction of congressional subpoenas will be forever remembered by our posterity as a cowardly mistake. They even acknowledged that it was inappropriate. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called the President’s actions as “shameful and wrong.” Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee
concurred and declared that the house managers had proven their case. However, the “elephant could not buck its mahout.” They are no longer the famed party of Lincoln. An exception to the dogmatic and blind allegiance to the President emerged: Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. Romney shattered the uniformity of the Republicans’ abhorrent protection of the President by aligning with Senate Democrats and voting guilty. He spoke prior to his consequential vote about the duty as a juror in this rare constitutional mechanism. He described his oath to “do impartial justice” as an oath before God. Both as a public office holder and devout person of faith, it was e x t re m e l y re f re s h i n g in this era of spin, sycophancy and punditry to see a representative of the people take seriously his oath of office. Now, to some in our modern world of increased cynicism and deteriorating institutions, an oath of office is an anachronism or “ceremonial red-tape.” They are wrong. An oath is a formal public vow made in the witness of your fellow countrymen and Creator. An oath is what bestows the consent of the governed and public trust upon an official whose duty it is to serve his or her constituents. The founders of our great republic pledged “their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” in order to form a nation that was established not for the aristocracy or monarchy, but for the citizenry. Their allegiance was not to a man but to
"Both as a public officer holder and devout person of faith, it was extremely refreshing in this era of spin, sycophancy and punditry to see a representative of the people take seriously his oath of office." the interests of the people. In our current “tit-fortat” modus operandi, we should be reminded that just because this president acts in a direct rebuke of his oath of office, neither should we. Mitt Romney’s senatorial courage will be noted in the long pages of that distinguished chamber’s history. It will be akin to Margret Chase Smith’s 1950 denouncement of fellow Senator Joseph McCarthy for his disgraceful smears. Senator Romney now has the undesired title of being the only senator to vote for conviction against a president of the same party. The question remains: Will this act of political courage only have one act?
ATTENTION SRU STUDENTS SELECTION OF STUDENT TRUSTEE COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS WITH THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL February 21, 2020 AT 4:30 P.M., 300 OLD MAIN, OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT (Downloadable application available at https://www.sru.edu/about/administration/council-of-trustees/student-trustee-selection-process)
Requirements for Student Trustee Candidates are required to . . . x Have been enrolled at Slippery Rock University as a full-time student for at least three consecutive semesters. x Have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. x Be a full-time, undergraduate student (in good academic standing) other than a freshman able to serve at least one full year in service as a Trustee. Selection Criteria Candidates should . . . x Have demonstrated concern for the welfare of both students and the University. x Be individuals who understand the responsibilities of a trustee and the obligations it requires to strengthen the long-range health and vitality of the University. x Have demonstrated academic success and appreciate the need for a quality academic program at Slippery Rock University. x Possess experiences indicating an understanding of student activities and organizations and the concern of students at Slippery Rock University.
QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO Tina Moser, Chief of Staff Office of the President 300 Old Main (724-738-2000)
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B-3
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From Germany to Slippery Rock At theonlinerocket.com
SPORTS
And then there was one Rock men's basketball looks to clinch the final playoff berth By Brendan Howe Asst. Campus Life Editor
At the top p of the arc, the forward slaps p the basketball a ayy from the 6’11”, aw away 280-pound p force in front of him. Dressed in Slippery pp y Rock home w ites, a green wh g whites, n no p no.. 11 sprawled across his back, he blows blows byy t h e
GRAPHIC BY KARL LUDWIG AND HANNAH SHUMSKY
opponent, p pp g g it gathering and dribblingg it off of the hardwood twice as the victim of theft labors behind him. He p picks up p the ball and leaps p from the green g “ROCK” printed on the floor in front
of the basket, clutching it effortlessly in his right hand. His hangtime seems to last minutes before he jams the ball emphatically into the hoop. If this play is any metaphor for the Slippery Rock University men’s team’s toil toward the postseason, the basketball has just been stolen. Standing in the way are five games in which the Green and White need to desperately defend the tournament spot they possess. “We just need to build a little momentum,” second-year head coach Ian Grady said following a 71-64 win over Clarion. “Like tonight, finding ways to win. The main thing is just playing together as one collective unit and everyone making the commitment to defense.” SRU has competed in arguably more arduous sector of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) this season. On Feb. 11, with five games left on The Rock’s schedule, all but one of the West Division’s half-dozen slots in the conference tournament had been claimed. In the East, only one of such berths were reserved. “We’ve put ourselves in a position where [the remaining games are] all important,” Grady said Recovering from a historically uncharacteristic defeat at the talons of the archrival Crimson Hawks of Indiana (Pa.), Slippery Rock will not have it easy in the final turn. In the next two-and-ahalf weeks, The Rock will clash with a trio of divisional foes jockeying for playoff seeding. Pitt-Johnstown (19-5, 13-4 in PSAC) received eight votes in the most recent edition of the NABC Coaches Poll. Gannon, set to host Slippery Rock on Feb. 22, and Mercyhurst visiting the following week, are already slated to participate during the first week of March when the conference crown is thrown for grabs in Lock Haven. The Rock holds at least a four-game advantage over Seton Hill and Edinboro, both of whom it will face off against within the next 15 days. With a win and losses by the Griffins and Fighting Scots in their next league games, Slippery Rock would lock down the final spot in the West. Grady stresses being on the right side of 50/50 plays, “such as loose balls and charge takes” as factors in reaching,
and advancing in, the postseason. He also touched upon consistency on the defensive end as being crucial. Allowing 96 against IUP on Saturday evening wasn’t a step in the direction that Grady was hoping. Granted, the Crimson Hawks did shoot 44% from the field in what has developed into an alarming trend for The Rock defense, which ranks 14th in that department in the league. On the other end of the court, Slippery Rock has coughed the ball up a combined 46 times in its past two contests. The opponents have converted these turnovers for 57 points. Three times in its last four games, the offense has shot below 35%. Regardless, Grady, who became the third SRU coach to ever reach 30 wins within his first two years at the helm, remains steadfast. “I’m always confident in my group, every game whether it’s the first time around or the second time around,” Grady said. “There are no easy wins.” Of course, it will be important that redshirt senior Micah Till, who sat the first eight games of the campaign due to eligibility guidelines, make plays such as the highlight dunk in the final minutes of the first half against the Golden Eagles. “I would say that I felt the best that I have all year,” Till said after the 33-point, 5-rebound performance a g a i n s t C l a r i o n . “ I f e l t re a l l y comfortable out there. I felt almost 100% and I couldn’t say that in any other game.” Last year’s team, Grady said, peaked early. After winning 17 of 19 games in the middle of the season, The Rock, sans an injured Till, was shown a quick exit from the PSAC tourney by Mercyhurst, who ended up reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. This time around, Grady revels in the likely role of being an underdog, rather than a two-seed. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs that we’ve had to overcome,” he said. “It’s who’s hot come playoff time.” “Nobody’s going to believe in us except the people in the locker room with us,” Till added. “I believe when we play at our highest level, we can beat any team in the country at the D-II level. The talent is there.”
The road to playoffs A lack of consistent defense dooms SRU's season ason By Tyler Howe Senior Rocket Contributor
At the start of the season, the Slippery Rock women's basketball team seemed to have high hopes and looked like a team that would be able to wiggle back into the playoffs behind the scoring ability of senior guard Brooke Hinderliter. But, a season that has been characterized by close losses, defensive breakdowns and a lack of scoring has likely ended the hope of a return to the playoffs. This season has been doomed by the lack of defense, and although The Rock’s offense has kept them in games most times, it has not been enough. This season The Rock has allowed 70 or more points in 16 games and in four of their wins The Rock has allowed 70 points. There has also been a number of games where The Rock scored enough points to win, but breakdowns in defense have allowed easy buckets and left regrets for Slippery Rock. “We need to absolutely start playing better defense, we’ve lost a game where we scored 86 points and we’ve lost plenty of games where we have scored enough points,” McGraw said. The loss that McGraw mentioned came early in December against Shepherd University on the road, who at the time had only one loss. The Rock had three players score over 20 points in that game and with nine seconds left, The Rock held a one point lead. But in the end, turnovers and a lack of defense gave the game away. In 15 of Slippery Rock’s 17 losses, 86 points would have been more than enough to win. To McGraw, defending is not an option next season after the team has missed the
playoffs three of the past four years with one of the most prolific scorers in program history. “It won’t be an option next year, you’re either going to guard or you will not play here, plain and simple,” McGraw said. “Playing defense is a personal decision if you have the physical ability to do so, it’s a personal choice and there is no one on the roster who has said, ‘coach, I’m not guarding anybody,’ but there have been some personal choices to not give 100% on some nights.” The trend of only guarding for part of the game has been huge this season and so far, The Rock has been outscored 471-409 in the fourth quarter. Slippery Rock has only scored over 20 points in the fourth eight times, while allowing opponents to 11 times. The most notable occasion was when The Rock walked into the fourth quarter with a one-point lead on Cal U, but they lost by 17 points after they were outscored 26-10 in the final ten minutes. “Mercyhurst is the only game we’ve guarded for 40 minutes. There has been plenty of other games where we’ve guarded for three quarters and that doesn’t win games in this league and that doesn’t get you to the postseason,” McGraw said. Although there has been a lack of success on the court this season, the chemistry of the team off of it and the production in the classroom has been unmatched. "Maybe this group isn’t the best defensive group that I’ve coached, and they aren’t by far and they know that, but they’re the best group of people and students I’ve coached,” McGraw said. “And I tell them all the time, this isn’t the
end of the world. I’m not in arines anymore, y and the Marines this isn’tt a combat zone. We’re playing a basketball ggame, and it just stinks when we don't ximum effort.” give maximum he fall, SRU set the In the m record for cumulative program nd that record had been GPA, and y held for nearlyy 25 years. g everyy night, g we “If wee guarded bsolutelyy have a chance to would absolutely g period," p McGraw win thiss league, And I sayy that because of said. "And nsive firepower p that I know the offensive e. Daeja j Quick is as ggood a we have. uard as there is in this league, g point guard g be the best Brooke Hinderliter might n this league, g and Madison scorer in n is a division one player p y that Johnson points everyy single g could goo for 20 p night. Other teams don’t have the p offensivee firepower that we do, but they veryy single g night.” g guard every der to gget back to the p postseason, In order w is going g g to bringg a new formula McGraw ts with putting p g everything y g together. g that starts ason, The Rock will lose Hinderliter Next season, ve to replace p her p production, or and have p for as much of it as p possible. That make up g g in experience, p formula includes bringing whetherr it’s JUCO transfers or a D1 transfer. en it comes to the next couple p of “When g headingg into next yyear, it’s our kids we sign oaches to make sure we’re bringing g g job as coaches nders because that’s what we lack in defenders w is a nightly defensive presence,” right now w said. McGraw
GRAPHIC BY KARL LUDWIG AND HANNAH SHUMSKY
C-2
SPORTS PSAC WEST The worldwide dream
February 14, 2020
Freshman tennis star travels 4,000 miles to begin career in the US
STANDINGS
Men's Basketball 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Indiana (Pa.) Pitt-Johnstown Mercyhurst California (Pa.) Gannon Slippery Rock Seton Hill Clarion Edinboro
19-2 (14-2 19-5 (13-4) 14-7 (12-5) 15-7 (11-4) 12-9 (11-6) 11-12 (7-10) 4-16 (3-14) 4-19 (3-14) 5-15 (2-14)
Women's Basketball 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Indiana (Pa.) Gannon California (Pa.) Edinboro Pitt-Johnstown Seton Hill Mercyhurst Slippery Rock Clarion
21-1 (16-0) 18-5 (14-3) 16-6 (10-6) 12-8 (10-6) 13-10 (8-9) 12-10 (7-10) 7-16 (7-10) 6-17 (4-13) 4-19 (2-15)
PHOTO COURTESY OF PIA BRUCKMAYER
Freshman Pia Bruckmayer practices on the Slippery Rock Tennis Courts during her freshman season. Bruckmayer is 11-2 in singles play and 6-2 in doubles play.
By Zachary Bonnette Asst. Sports Editor
Baseball (Projections) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Mercyhurst (4) Seton Hill (3) California (Pa.) (1) Gannon Pitt-Johnstown Slippery Rock Indiana (Pa.) Clarion
0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0)
Softball (Projections) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Gannon (3) Seton Hill (2) California (Pa.) (1) Slippery Rock Edinboro Mercyhurst
0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 (0-0)
Tennis 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Indiana (Pa.) Mercyhurst Slippery Rock Clarion Seton Hill Edinboro California (pa.)
2-0 2-0 2-1 2-2 2-2 1-5 0-4
For any college team, recruiting young talent is a pivotal factor for building the foundation of a team that can compete for championships year in and year out. After a noteworthy 16-9 season in 2019, followed by a skilled recruitment class, the sky is the limit for head coach Matt Meredith’s squad. Perhaps one of the most talented recruits in recent memory includes freshman Pia Bruckmayer. The talented newcomer was born 4,300 miles away from the small town of Slippery Rock, in Altotting, Germany to be exact. Located just under an hour and a half from Munich, Bruckmayer has taken many interests in life, namely athletics. Track and field, skiing and badminton are all ways that Slippery Rock tennis’ newest recruit enjoys staying active, but she credited her parents for introducing her to one of her biggest passions in life: tennis. “My dad played tennis with my mom, so I started playing. I’ve been playing tennis since I was probably eight years old,” Bruckmayer said. Currently boasting an 11-2 singles record and 6-2 doubles record at Slippery Rock, the talented freshman admitted that the sport didn’t always come naturally to her. The skill that she currently possesses is something that has been ten years in the making. “I was so bad in the beginning, but then I tried more and more, because I wanted to keep playing tennis,” Bruckmayer said. “I just kept getting better and better.” Mastering anything in life requires countless hours of hard work, attention to detail and consistency. After pairing that with a no-quit mentality, the up and coming athlete soon turned taking two steps back into two steps forward. Year by year, her talent began to show more and more, collecting awards and trophies in track and field as well as tennis. One of her
biggest accomplishments in her athletic career came at the age of 14, when Bruckmayer became the youngest women’s district (Altotting and Mühldorf ) champion in tennis in front of a crowd of roughly 1,000 people. Experiencing a massive amount of success at a young age can be hard to navigate, but Bruckmayer credits her coach from home for keeping her motivated to improve. "I’ve always liked my coach from back home and I’ve known since around the time I started playing tennis and he is like a dad to me, I could talk to him about anything," Bruckmayer said. With a solid cast of support coming from her parents and coach, Bruckmayer was able to fully entrench herself with the ins and outs of the game. When she was not playing tennis or running track, the German native spent time watching professional tennis player, Stan Wawrinka, picking parts from his game and applying it to her own. “Stan Wawrinka is one of the oldest players on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour, he’s just a kind person and tries very hard,” Bruckmayer said. Wawrinka is an extremely accomplished tennis player who was ranked as high as No. 3 in singles play in 2014. His accolades include 16 titles, winning the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2014 and won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics with Roger Federer. He also won the 2014 Davis Cup as a member of team Switzerland. Gathering trophies and countless honors in tennis is one thing that Bruckmayer has in common with her idle, but another is the experience of overcoming a major injury. The promising tennis prodigy would face one of her biggest challenges when she was skiing, resulting in an ACL tear. An injury that has ended countless athletic careers, Bruckmayer made sure to maintain a comeback
mindset throughout her recovery. "I tore my ACL doing a ski jump and didn’t even realize it was torn at first," Bruckmayer said. She went on to say that she believed her athletic career in college was in jeopardy due to the injury, but her mother supported her through the recovery process and believed in her ability to return to playing tennis. “[The recovery] was okay, but at first I cried a lot because I couldn’t ski or play tennis anymore. It took nine months, but now I’m back,” Bruckmayer said as she began to smile.
Pia Bruckmayer season stats: Singles play: 11-2 record Doubles play: 6-2 record After a significant injury and lengthy recovery, it then became time for Bruckmayer and her family to decide where the persevering athlete would continue her academic and athletic career. Enter a small school with a unique name located over 4,000 miles away, Slippery Rock University. “[My mom] wanted me to fulfill my dreams. … Coach Matt was the nicest coach so I just decided to come here,” Bruckmayer said. And just like that, a new chapter started in the resilient athlete’s life, joining senior star Viola Lugmayr (Linz, Austria) and Lois Page (Guisborough, England). Lugmayr and Page have been instrumental in each other’s success, as the pair took home
t h e 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 P S AC Doubles championship and the 2019-20 ITA Atlantic Region Doubles championship. Since joining the team in September, Bruckmayer explains how Lugmayr and Page have made her transition to Slippery Rock a bit easier. “Lois is from England and Viola is from Austria which is near Germany, so she only lives two hours away which is nice,” she said. “Viola also speaks German, so it’s much easier for me and whenever I have a problem I go to either Lois or Viola.” With excellent role models to follow on the team, the promising freshman has taken full advantage of her opportunities. Now in the second semester of her debut season at Slippery Rock, Bruckmayer seems to be right at home, going 11-2 in singles and 6-2 in doubles. Seemingly putting together an impressive resume by winning a majority of her matches, Bruckmayer keeps her goals short and sweet at SRU as dual season continues to get underway. “I want to get better and ultimately be successful with my team and doubles partner,” Bruckmayer said. It is evident that the rising star is already well on her way to achieving those goals, as the team is out to a strong 2-1 start in dual season, while Bruckmayer and her doubles partner, junior Amy Varckette are currently 5-2. After the pair spend more time building a relationship and understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, the newly formed duo will be a sight to see in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition. If her resume as an athlete and first season at Slippery Rock is an indicator of anything, it would be that there is no ceiling on the potential of Pia Bruckmeyer and coach Meredith’s team. Born in Altotting and showing All-American promise, Pia Bruckmeyer and her team will be a force in the PSAC for years to come.
SPORTS The quest Till greatness
February 14, 2020
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Rock senior forward nears the end of his illustrious career
By Karl Ludwig Sports Editor
Standing with his father just outside the home locker rooms, a young boy watched eagerly as Slippery Rock star forward Micah Till walked over toward them for a picture. "What's your name?" Till asked the boy, smiling down at him, still drenched in sweat from his 33-point performance just 10 minutes ago. "Edward," the boy told him, staring up at the hulking figure with wide eyes. Draping a long arm around Edward, Till instructed him to hold up his index finger. A wide smile crossed Edward's face as he held up his index finger, holding it up next to Till's outstretched finger. Put together, the two fingers formed an 11, Till's number. The father snapped the picture, capturing his son's beaming smile with one of his favorite players, and thanked Till for the picture. As the father walked out with his son, chatting animatedly about the encounter, Till watched for a second before dashing back into the locker room. After a dominant performance against Clarion over the previous two hours where he dunked on defenders, buried 3-pointers in their faces and just imposed his will against men standing nearly seven feet tall, seeing Till interact so tenderly with a kid was a complete 180. For the first time in 364 days, exactly one day to the year before he sustained a knee injury that ended his season prematurely, Till said he finally felt like his old self. On Feb. 6, 2019, Slippery Rock traveled to Indiana, Pa. for a crucial Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game. Winners of 13 of the last 14 games, including an upset win over No. 3 IUP at home, Till spearheaded an SRU team that had surged to the top of the division standings. Averaging 21.5 points, 10.2 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game, Till was well on his way to fulfilling his preseason All-American team nomination on a team with legitimate PSAC Championship aspirations. That made his unspecified knee injury in the first half of the IUP game that much more devastating. "It was heartbreaking because I wanted to finish out the season," Till said. "We had the two seed, had a bye and it was just looking promising. It hurt to have to cheer on my teammates and not be able to be out there with them." Despite struggling mightily against Indiana without Till, Slippery Rock would go on to pick up wins in its next four games -- with Till often noticeable in his large knee bracing, limping around the court. Slippery Rock head coach Ian Grady called the injury "upsetting" at the time, but he stressed the team's "next man up" mentality. Having clinched a first-round bye in the conference tournament, Slippery Rock was matched up with Mercyhurst at home in the second round. A 73-68 loss to the Lakers ended SRU's season. The second-round exit in a oncepromising season only served as more inspiration for Till, who attacked the offseason with a vigorous return from injury. "I just came into this year to rehab the best that I could, so I could come back full strength," Till said. While the road back from injury was an up-and-down experience, Till said the slow progression in recovery was the most frustrating part. "I had a little bit of worry, not too much," Till said. "But just when the doctor said it should feel better, and it didn't feel better, it kinda worried me a little bit. I'm a God-fearing man, so I just kept praying, and I started to feel better." But while Till's injury might have healed, due to NCAA rules, Till was unable to compete for Slippery Rock during the fall semester. Having exhausted nine of 10
s, Till was forced to sit out in order semesters, ve his eligibility g y in the spring. p g to preserve Grady noted the difference between an oldingg him out of ggames down the injury holding ast season and the NCAA policy p y stretch last rced him out of all organized SRU which forced ll. basketball. "This yyear was a little different because he couldn't reallyy be around m p per NCAA rules, but I the team at he's done a p prettyy ggood think that rying y g to organize g different job of trying things," Gradyy said. "Since he's ck, there's been some ups p been back, ns, with everybody, y y but he's and downs, hat next step to a leadership taking that role." Picked to finish second in the PSAC pp y Rock entered by the media, Slippery on without Till anywhere. y the season Not on the court but not on the ther. bench either. "I was unable to be around m at all," Till said. "I the team practices or couldn't be at p gg, so I would just j anything, mmunicatingg with stay communicating ches and my my coaches tes and jjust teammates trying too stayy in the loop as much as possible."" Unablee debut c. 15, Till until Dec. watched from afar ammates as his teammates jumped out to a 4-44 start. ctedly, y the Unexpectedly, uggled gg to find team struggled ityy without its an identity star, but Till's roommate, transfer forward Will n, Jr., found himself as Robinson, point of the offense. the focal p hingg Robinson p put up p Watching t, 17-rebound and 35-point, p 25-point, und p performances reminiscent of 12-rebound pp y Rock, Till's firstt two seasons at Slippery uld go g through g drill after drill Till would j to tryy to stay in without the team just shape forr his eventual return. ggingg 19.8 points p and 10.1 Averaging per ggame p prior to Till's return, reboundss p ade off Till's career average g of 21.2 just a shade nd 11 rebounds, he served as the points and resident "Micah Till" on the team. g Salem Since Till has come back against on Dec. 15, Gradyy said the offense has been tailored to fit Till and Robinson. uo has emerged g as one of the The duo scoringg duos in the PSAC this highest-scoring g g 18.4 p points p per season, with Till averaging d Robinson averaging 17.8 points game and per gamee this season. ntlyy seventh in the PSAC in Currently scoring, Till has done it all while still j y and nearlyy 10 working back from injury g basketball. months off from collegiate Averaging ggingg 18.4 p points, 6.3 rebounds, ts while shootingg 47% from the 1.3 assists % from 3-point p g and 77% field, 38% range from thee free-throw line, in addition to light-reel g passes his highlight-reel dunks, no-look p e-down blocks, Till looks like he and chase-down doesn't belongg at the Division II level. n truth, he doesn't. And in p If not for an initial dream to pursue the NFL at North Carolina State as a 3-star d, spurning p g the likes of Duke, tight end, d, South Carolina and Missouri, Maryland, ht have found himself on the Till might d at Rutgers. g hardwood g head coach Eddie Jordan Then Rutgers hed Till at an AAU basketball approached ment in the summer of 2013 tournament ull-ride offer to the basketball with a full-ride program. “I told him, like, ‘I’m alreadyy ggoingg [to te] for football’ and he told me, N.C. State] g yyour mind, yyou ‘Well, if yyou ever change g Till said to have a fullll ride to Rutgers’,” ket in 2018. “It was kind of an The Rocket informal offer, but he still offered me.” g Despitee losingg his love of the game of football, Till found a renewed love for the game all. of basketball. physicality y y of football And with the p d in his mind, he's been able to ingrained
use that football mentality to his benefit on the basketball court. p me "I think the football side does help g g with my reboundingg and going up to shoot the ball at g point," the highest Till said t o the
y g but conventional, how manyy anything p y Division I football player-turned JUCO p y basketball player-turned Division II basketball All-Americans can be named off p of the head, his qquest Till greatness the top has never been derailed. Sittingg at 11-12 on the season, holdingg pp y the sixth seed in the PSAC-West, Slippery Rock has not enjoyed the magical season it y ago. g did a year q Till's excitement for That doesn't quell p y s, another shot in the conference playoff j however, as he said his team just needs p a few more wins to gget the to stack up playoff y s. momentum rollingg before the p pp y Rock is capable p y g While Slippery of p playing pp basketball times, the nearlyy unstoppable p p in team play. p y team is often prone to lapses j needs to keep its eyes Till said the team just g p on the grand prize. j Pittsburgh "We just have to continue to p playy g a Po s t - G a z e t t e hard," Till said. "Sometimes we get in 2018, "I do a lot of little lackadaisical, and we jjust need p g p pointingg practice with high to remember that we all have a g in wanting to win a the ball in football, so that common goal p p does come into effect on the championship." g y can sayy p nearlyy three court. I guess you Havingg spent pp y Rock, football has some sort seasons at Slippery g of influence on a rollercoaster of highs basketball." and lows, much like this While Till's season alone, Till has g p of journey sights set on a pair g through goals before he's taken collegiate his last shot: the p p p sports has PSAC championship b e e n and the NCAA p p championship. g Five regular-season g games remain on the schedule and holdingg g a four game lead in the race for the last p y berth, Slippery pp y playoff Rock faces three teams that have alreadyy clinched and two that g chasing. Till knows that if his j get g to the team can just p y y have playoffs, they'll a chance to do some g damage. p With a couple of p p trophies, p championship y g ggoes to Till's if everything p plan, he'll look to take p to the next level, the step through whatever means necessary. y "[I want to] find a p pro team," Till said. "Whether that's the G-League g or overseas, that's what I p plan on doing. g Find a team that fits me." pp y Rock has onlyy Slippery sent former gguard Myron y Brown to the NBA in 1991, but under former coach Kevin Reynolds, y 16 former p players y have gone g on to p playy p professional basketball, with most ggoingg overseas. A feat that Gradyy was directly involved in. If nothingg else, Till will leave Slippery pp y Rock as the onlyy player p y in school history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, p 100 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks. W h i l e Gr a d y w a s bashful in his estimation of Till's all-time rank amongg p past p players, y Gradyy said he'd have to sit down and think about it, but he's near the top. p top. Till's next chance to p push for his goal, g and climb Grady's y list, is Saturdayy afternoon at the Morrow Field House against g Seton Hill. Tipoff p is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. GRAPHIC BY KARL LUDWIG
GRAPHIC BY KARL LUDWIG
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SPORTS The universal language of love
February 14, 2020
Sports bring families together around round the world
KEEGAN BEARD/KARL LUDWIG / THE ROCKET
Various members of varsity sports at Slippery Rock University celebrate throughout the fall semester. The football team and the women's soccer team won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship in 2019.
By Karl Ludwig Sports Editor
In the wake of former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant's shocking death, the sporting world came together in unity at the memory of one of the best basketball players of all time. Yet while talk of basketball was prevalent in every tale of Kobe's legendary work ethic and dominant play on the court, what resonated with so many was the way Kobe had somehow become a better father than his Hall of Fame play on the hardwood. Kobe's 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who perished in the helicopter crash that killed eight others including her father on Jan. 26, was the second coming of her father on the basketball court. Hitting the same fadeaway jumpers during her AAU games that her father made famous at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for more than 20 years, Gianna was smashing the silly myth that Kobe's legacy ended on April 13, 2016, after he scored 60 points in his farewell game. The world will never get to see exactly how great Gianna was, or how Kobe transitioned from basketball superstar to the "Girl Dad" of four daughters that he shared with his wife Vanessa. The sight of Kobe sitting courtside with Gianna at the Staples Center barely a month before their untimely deaths, explaining and teaching his daughter the intricacies of the game on the court where he plied his trade, is a moment that will live on for a lifetime. For Slippery Rock women's basketball coach Bobby McGraw, he cherishes the opportunity for his son to grow up around the team in the sport that he loves. “It’s important because my son doesn’t stay with me," McGraw said. "So, for him to enjoy the same thing that his dad enjoys and enjoy being around this environment, it’s wonderful. It’s an absolutely incredible place to raise your child.” While McGraw said his son Reed has "gone through different phases" through his childhood, often mimicking his father's previous profession in law enforcement, he's grown fond of sports. “It’s not so much to have him around sports because that’s his choice to be around sports," McGraw said. "I joke around with people all the time, ‘as long as he doesn’t grow up to steal cars and is nice to everybody, I don’t care what he does.’" Slippery Rock men's basketball coach Ian Grady was raised with sports serving as a pillar of his life, with his father and brother both playing. “I grew up around my dad coaching me at a young age, and we were very active growing up playing multiple sports," Grady said. Like the Gradys, on Christmas Eve, McGraw said he was spending time with Reed, and all he wanted to do was head up to MihalikThompson Stadium to emulate the play of his favorite players, Henry Litwin and former Rock quarterback Roland Rivers III. As a transfer to Slippery Rock before his junior season, Rivers took a "leap of faith" coming up to SRU from his home
in Georgia and fi rst college, Valdosta State. Immediately upon arriving on campus, Rivers said he noticed how different the atmosphere was in the small town in the middle of western Pennsylvania. His love for the town, and its people, grew stronger with each passing game. “Now that I’m here at The Rock, everything happened for a reason,” Rivers said to The Rocket in November. “If I had to go out and change anything, I wouldn’t change anything at all.” Despite falling just short of his ultimate goal, winning a national championship, Rivers attributed his time at Slippery Rock to helping him grow as a person. Slippery Rock football coach Shawn Lutz found out early in his time as an assistant on legendary coach Dr. George Mihalik's staff how quickly time spent at SRU can change someone.
"If it wasn't for Mr. Lueken, I wouldn't be doing this interview right now. This [job] saved my life." – Bobby McGraw, SRU women's basketball coach “I thought I was going one or two years then getting to the highest level I could,” Lutz said. “I got married pretty quickly, had three beautiful boys and it just worked out for me to be here this long. I really enjoy success here.” Now in his 24th season on the Rock football staff, fourth as head coach, Lutz realizes the importance of football in his life, but he's sure to never forget how life transcends sports. “There’s life, there’s family and just having a balance between family and football means so much," Lutz said. "I could be at a Power 5 school where I don’t value family and I don’t get to see my kids play at sporting events because the emphasis is all about pressure and winning. I value the importance of the family approach at this university.” Football has been a way to enhance Lutz's life, and in the process, he's been able to share his passion for the sport with his sons. In the case of SRU Director of Athletics Paul Lueken, athletics and the love from the Slippery Rock community helped him to overcome a life-altering tragedy. Losing his first wife to cancer in 2010, Lueken credited the outpouring of love and support from across the campus in helping him escape the darkness. “I learned what was important," Lueken said. "Definitely, don’t sweat the little thing in life. I try to look at the big picture and stay as calm and level headed as I can. Still get excited
sometimes, when I need to, but it really taught me about what’s important in life. The family, the community, and the support I have.” Having spent 25 years now as the AD at Slippery Rock, getting to work with the people in the community and at the university who make the job so rewarding, Lueken couldn't see himself anywhere else. “To still be in this position 25 years later… I’m living the dream. I still enjoy it every single day,” Lueken said. The atmosphere of love and support arising from the people in athletics at Slippery Rock, and across the entire campus, has allowed SRU to excel in areas where other universities lack, according to Grady. “I love Slippery Rock," Grady said. "I love the people here more than anything. Slippery Rock is one big team, and we operate like that on a day to day basis." McGraw credited Lueken for giving him an opportunity that forever changed his life. “I could not be more grateful to Paul Lueken for the opportunity," McGraw said. "If it wasn’t for Mr. Lueken, I wouldn’t be doing this interview right now. This [job] saved my life.” After leaving the marines, McGraw worked for the Pennsylvania State Police, specializing in heinous cases that involved children. Being forced to talk to child molesters and murderers took a toll on him, he said. "For somebody to pay me to coach basketball is a blessing I can’t describe," McGraw said. "I literally have the best job in the world." Aside from being the chair of the sport management department, Dr. Brian Crow also has his own consulting firm in which he is able to analyze and critique professional and major college sports venues. Crow said the pleasure of having all-access passes to such facilities and working at Slippery Rock in the sport management department gives his life immeasurable joy. “It’s been one of the best moves I’ve made," Crow said. "Career-wise, I’ve made a lot of friends, met my wife here, and I never really knew SRU as a sport university, but when I got here, I realized that the sport marketing and sport management programs were some of the best in the country.” Watching his own children learn from the "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" earned through sports has brought similar joy to Crow's heart. Every summer, he said, he enjoys a vacation with his children that usually centers around sports. Taking a page from Crow's own experience growing up with a strong involvement in sports, he's been able to pass that love down to his children. “It was a bonding experience when I was growing up, with kids in the neighborhood, family members,” Crow said. “I wasn’t very good as an athlete, but it helped me realize that being part of a team is just as important as individual success. And that’s what I try to parlay into class and lectures.” As was the case with Crow, Rivers grew up competing with his brothers in nearly everything that they did. Whether it was football, basketball, swimming or whatever
activity they enjoyed doing, it instilled within him a passion for competition. “That same feeling I had when I was a kid competing with my brothers and always wanting to win is the same thing that persists for me today,” Rivers said. As an athlete who played lacrosse at Slippery Rock, Assistant Athletic Director of Compliance and Senior Women's Administrator Andrea Miller transitioned from the field into the athletic department. “Sport plays a huge role in my life and always has,” Miller said. “I am fortunate enough to have found a career in sports that I love where I have the opportunity to impact the lives of our student-athletes.” As the highest-ranking woman in the athletic department, Miller has made a concerted effort to help other women rise through the ranks in sports, whether it's a student-athlete or an administrator. “We don’t want to beat each other down, so we’re always there to support each other,” Miller said. “Females in athletics need to lift as we rise and be leaders, but we also need to be genuine friends to those other females on our teams.” With sports at Slippery Rock sometimes leaning more toward football and men's basketball than others, the importance of building up all athletics, especially women who sometimes fly under the radar, is paramount to Miller. In its purest form, sports serve as a way of bringing groups of people, regardless of differences, together. While friendly rivalries and fierce competition are encouraged in sports, all too often, such camaraderie devolves into the worst human emotions: hatred, ignorance and cruelty. The LeBron vs. Kobe debated has raged on amongst fans for years and years with a lot of fans leaning radically to one side or the other. Following Kobe's death, Twitter relented. Why can't the two superstars be cherished for their individual talents and remarkable impact on basketball, it seemed to say. Debate will forever encompass sports, but at the end of the day, sports serve as a conduit to friendship, competition and building character. More often than not, strong bonds develop between fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren from the shared love and passion for sports. As is the case with Kobe and Gianna, sports didn't make the relationship. A father and daughter strengthened their love through basketball. A notion that is familiar to countless families around the world. Sports can create within people the desire to reach for the stars. As is the case with Rivers, an NFL-hopeful. “I really fell in love with the game of football when Ben Roethlisberger threw that gamewinning touchdown to Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone against the Cardinals,” Rivers said. “Ben Roethlisberger became my favorite quarterback. That’s when I really chased after wanting to be a quarterback. That’s what I wanted to do right then and there.” Like any good story, it all started with a dream. But it really began with his brothers in the backyard.
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Yusef Salaam and the Central Park jogger Watch at WSRU-TV's Facebook
CAMPUS LIFE
Unjust conviction becomes beacon of hope Yusef Salaam speaks on the Central Park Five case and his wrongful conviction
KEEGAN BEARD / THE ROCKET
Salaam talks about the Central Park Five case and how his unjust arrest led him to a new perspective on life. Salaam was in prison for over six years before the true perpetrator was caught.
By Brendan Howe and Hope Hoehler Rocket Editorial Staff
Disclaimer: This article briefly mentions rape and false accusations. “I’ve been watching you,” the officer said. “You’re not supposed to be here. Why are you here? Who are you?” These words, said Yusef Salaam, changed the trajectory of his life. Had this question not been asked of him, the speaker predicted, he wouldn’t have been standing in front of an attentive
audience, sharing his story in the Smith Student Center ballroom Monday night. For a week after being born, Salaam’s first name read plainly, “Boy.” His parents observed for seven days, pondering what to name their child. They settled on a full name that, while in prison, Salaam would learn translates to “God will increase the teacher with justice and peace.” While in prison, Salaam began to seek the purpose for his life. Sponsoring the event was the Philosophy Club, Gender Studies Program, FMLA (Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance), SGA (Student Government Association, Black
Action Society and the Office for Inclusive Excellence The Central Park Five, a case that would gain much attention, began in 1989 April 19 in Central Park for Salaam and four other young men. Although there were multiple suspicions for assaults on other joggers and harassment that night, four young, black men and one Hispanic were charged with rape, including Salaam. The story of the Central Park Five was not unique in its wrongful convictions, fitting the pattern of unjust arrests of Latino and young black men in the United States. Several years later, after being exonerated,
Salaam reiterated the fact that the system went after the wrong people. Salaam’s journey began in 1989; he was convicted and sentenced in 1990. “What happens in the black and brown community is this idea that has been woven in and throughout, you’re going to be dead or in jail before the age of 21,” Salaam said. Salaam believed life would go back to the way it used to be when he was bailed out. A year later, during the trial, with court almost over on a Friday night, Salaam was out in the hall on the phone with a friend. “I said, ‘Hey, listen, we’re about to leave here. I’ll see you later,’” Salaam remembered. “’We’re going to have a good time.’” Somebody approached him with news; there was a verdict. “I walked back into the courtroom, and the jury foreman was asked to stand and read the verdict. And when he came to me,” Salaam said. “I heard the words guilty echo so many times in the court room that I lost count.” Before sentencing, Salaam was given the one last chance to say his piece before the court. Those close to him advised him to throw himself to the mercy of the court, in order to receive the minimum ruling.The judge allowed Salaam to say what he needed, asking him to stand. “I stood up,” Salaam said. “And the most amazing thing happened.” Throughout the court process, Salaam said, the prosecutors, jury and city all looked at him with a hatred he couldn’t fathom. When he unfolded his six-foot-tall frame from the chair, he realized that, the whole time, they’d been looking at his future self, trying to get him to accept a 13th Amendment that reserves the punishment for a crime to turn a man back to slavery. He wouldn’t accept it. Salaamspitoutathree-minutelong freestyle rap, blasting those in the room who had wrongly accused and racially profiled him. “Man, after I sat down, that judge was so angry at the words I just said, it looked like he wanted to change the lawrightthenandthere,”Salaamsaid.
He was sentenced for five to 10 years. He served six years and eight months. “As I thought about my life and what was happening at that particular point in time, I realized that I wasn’t able to escape that gravitational pull,” Salaam said. “I, too, was caught in that system. And now I was going to jail.” Salaam was told that he and his friends were being brought to Brookwood, a “country club compared to the particular jail we were pulling up into.”That jail was Harlem Valley, a maximumsecurity juvenile prison. The young Salaam hobbled forward in shackles, allowing himself a look at the side of the building. “I stopped for a moment,” Salaam said. “The windows looked like they were painted black. Then I saw movement. Those were people. They were shaking the windows, telling me that they were going to get me.” He tapped Antron, “Man, keep your head up in this place.” “We held onto each other,” Salaam said. “We were all we had. Itwassuchapainfulreality.Wetook a vow that day to watch each other’s backs, to protect each other.” When Salaam was a kid, he participated in martial arts training with Master Little John Davis and world-renowned, 10th degree black belt Moses Powell. One exercise was doing push-ups with his knuckles excruciatingly pressed against the concrete in the middle of Central Park. Salaam would slowly inch closer to the grass, seeking comfort, but later realized that these exercises were discipline, shaping and preparing him for life. The instructors looks of parental disapproval pulled him back. “How am I going to survive this?” Salaam thought to himself, sitting in a holding cell. Other than going to jail for rape, Salaamexplained,childmolestation istheworstcrimeyoucanbelocked up for. Myths and legends are told, he said, about horrors that prison inmates sentenced for these crimes are subjected to. “I’m not going to let them take me,” he said about starting to
shadowbox in his cell, “without a fight.” This, six months in, is around the time the officer asked Salaam that fateful question. He now knew that he not only was chosen to go through the ordeal but could handle it. “God saw fit for you to be and therefore you are,” Salaam told the crowd. “If you were born on purpose, then that means that you have a purpose.” While Salaam was in prison, his grandmother wrote him frequently, addressing her grandson as “Master Yusef Salaam” on the front of each envelope. “That did something to me,” Salaam said. “That told me to straighten my path. That told me that I was still the master of my destiny and my fate. That told me that this too shall pass. That told me that this was not the worst.” Salaam said that one of the worst things about being in prison was that the real perpetrator was free committing more crimes. Before being apprehended, the real offender had raped and murdered a pregnant woman and her unborn child. “They want you to think that the Central Park jogger case is an anomaly,” Salaam said. “That they just got it wrong this one time.” Over the past 25 years, through the Innoncence Project, 349 men and women had been realeased through DNA evidence. Salaam serves on the Board of Directors for the Innocence Project. In addirtion to serving on the Board of Directors, Salaam received the President's Achievment Award from Obama in 2016. The Central Park jogger case was more profound than one could even imagine, Salaam said. Actually, it’s a beacon of hope being reintroduced to society 30 years later. “It’s actually a love story between God and His people,” he said. “It’s actually a story of how people can be brought low only to rise, because the truth can never stay hidden.”
Normalizing sex education conversation
Women's Center encourages students to talk about taboo subjects surrounding mental health
MORGAN MILLER / ROCKET CONTRIBUTOR
Students gather around a display of educational trifolds to learn more about esx education topics, such as disability in sex, orgasms and more. The Women's Center and Pride Center hosted SexU: An Intersectional Take on Sexual Health to celebrate Valentine's Day weekend.
By Jack Konesky Junior Rocket Contributor
SRU’s Women’s Center and Pride Center collaborated with the H.O.P.E. (Healthy Outreach through Peer Education) Peer Educators, Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the Commuter’s Lounge for SexU: An Intersectional Take on Sexual Health in hopes of educating the student body on sexual health and related topics. Erin O’Connor, the graduate assistant for both the Women’s
Center and Pride Center, presented the event’s primary purpose as one of education. Oftentimes, O’Connor said, people shy away from conversations surrounding sexual education at even the most basic level. “What we’re trying to do is bring awareness and education to various aspects of sexual health,” O’Connor said. “We touch on subjects that aren’t as commonly discussed, such as contraceptive usage, transexual health, disabilty and sex, orgasms and their health benefits.”
The event featured several tables equipped with pamphlets and informational trifolds on topics such as contraceptive methods, disability in sex, and trans health, acommpanied by small activities — a spin-thewheel orgasm trivia game, for instance. Students who visited each station could check off a card given to them when entering, which they could then deposit into a basket at the entrance for a chance at a raffle prize. “The goal was to focus on things that aren’t commonly discussed and also might be
uncomfortable for some people to discuss and to put them in a much more engaging and comfortable setting for students,” O’Connor said. “Talking about orgasms is often very uncomfortable for people — they don’t really wanna do it — and very few people have conversations about what disability in sex looks like.” O’Connor said that combatting discomfort was a core focus during the developmental stages of the event. The Women’s and Pride Centers worked closely with H.O.P.E. to develop activities
which could be both engaging and educational. “A lot of it was brainstorming to find sexual health topics that aren’t commonly discussed, and a lot also came from our students — we both have incredible student staffs,” O’Connor said. “They then got to develop the activities and educational material that they wanted to see at this event, such as the crafts and games, to help make it more engaging and inviting for students to come and learn about these things.” O’Connor supervised the staff during the development
of the event, keeping track of materials, logistics, and anything else on what she called the “back-end support” area. O’Connor’s hope for attendees was that, at the very least, they can feel a little less awkward and a little more educated in terms of sexual health. “At the end of the day we want them to walk away knowing something that they didn’t know walking in,” O’Connor said. “Hopefully, it can even be a jumping-off point to starting those conversations with other people.”
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CAMPUS LIFE
February 14, 2020
A Discussion : Not only 'No' Phi Alpha Theta and three co-sponsors talk about Rosa Parks’ life beyond the bus
KEEGAN BEARD / THE ROCKET
Dr. Melissa Ford of Slippery Rock University's history department, a self-described "Rosa Parks fangirl", speaks to a classroom of students in Spotts World Culture Building during common hour Tuesday. Students were treated to pizza as they listened to the presentations and were encouraged to offer their opinons on the matters afterward.
By Brendan Howe Asst. Campus Life Editor
The children’s doll sat pristine and untouched on the classroom desk, encased in a red and gold rectangular box adorned with patterns of vines and roses. With caramel-colored skin, the woman stands before the background of a bus, her big brown eyes staring forward through white spectacles as if completely zoned out. Dressed in a hat, gray coat, and floralprinted dress, she clutches a pocketbook, almost completely resembling the historical figure for which she was designed. “As much as I love it,” Dr. Melissa Ford said. “It’s everything wrong with the way that we think about Rosa Parks.” The Barbie, part of an “Inspiring Women” series issued by Mattel last October, was featured along with the likes of trailblazers such as aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and Sally Ride, the first American woman to float in the weightlessness of space. “We’re not even talking about the bus,” Ford said. “You can watch any PBS special to get that story.” “My admiration came from the fact that she was fighting her entire life for so much more than a spot on the bus,” later added Ford, who first learned of Parks’ longer story in grad school. Ford, who teaches, among other things, African American history at Slippery Rock University, paraded the $30 figurine Tuesday during common hour in a discussion held by Phi Alpha Theta. Members from the NAACP, FMLA, and Gender Studies Club also presented, furthering
the discourse on gender, race, and historical v i e w p o i n t s t h a t a re frequently overlooked in classrooms of any level. If one was to study to what degree an individual’s actions define them, Rosa Louise Parks would make an interesting case. More often than not, Parks is viewed as the tired, softspoken seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus. “In reality, she wasn’t tired at all,” MaryAnn Steinmiller, the public relations officer for Phi Alpha Theta said. “If we were to look at the way that Mattel and Barbie and popular history present her as this one static moment, we are doing her a disservice and injustice,” Ford said. Maggie Calvert, a president for the Feminist Ma j o r i t y L e a d e r s h i p Alliance (FMLA), presented first. The FMLA, Calvert said, is a group dedicated to spreading intersectional feminism and promoting social justice across campus. Unknown to many, revealed Calvert, who majors in each political science, philosophy, and gender studies, Parks was an advocate for sexual justice well before her civil activism. In 1943, a 30-year-old Parks joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Montgomery, Alabama as a volunteer secretary. She also investigated sexual violence, as the organization protected men who were falsely accused and allowed black people the resources needed to go to court for sexual assault. Working as a housekeeper in 1931, Parks was offered a drink by a white man she
worked for, who then made sexual advances towards her. She wrote a six-page essay detailing the events, but never told the story. Calvert recited a quote of Parks’, “I was ready to, but to give my consent? Never, never, never.” One of the most prominent cases Parks was involved in was that of Abbeville, Alabama’s Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old who was walking home from church in 1944 when she was picked up by a handful of white men and gang-raped. Taylor’s life was threatened if she told anyone and shrugged off by the local sheriff, who told her he didn’t want troublemakers in the town Parks then launched the Committee for Equal Justice for the Rights of Mrs. Recy Taylor, a case that made national news. The men, after attempting to pay for Taylor’s silence, were acquitted by an allwhite, all-male jury that October. Parks sent a letter to the governor about his failure to the people of Alabama. “Unfortunately, they did not get the outcome they wanted,” Calvert said. “But they were able to kind of show the public that this did happen, [saying] ‘Something happened to this woman and we’re not going to stay silent about it.” Taylor was one of the first cases to speak out against her abuser. It wasn’t until 2011 when the Alabama House approved an apology for failure to prosecute the men. Taylor was 91 and in poor health. “We think about the # Me To o m ov e m e n t ,
starting with Alyssa Milano, but it’s actually black women who started these kinds of movements,” Calvert said. Kayla Nolan, the treasurer of SRU’s recentlyopened NAACP chapter, which is looking to become compliant, then spoke about Rosa Parks’ involvement in the organization. Headquartered in Baltimore, the 111-yearold NAACP’s mission is “to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality for the rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.” “She was the spark that started the Montgomery Bus Boycott,” Nolan said. “But, she was not the first to take a seat, let me clarify that right now.” Parks name carried a stigma after the bus. She and her husband were fired from their jobs after her act of protest. Martin Luther King Jr. took over the bus boycott. The movement needed a Baptist preacher who would bring everyone to their feet. “During this time, gender roles were a very real thing,” she said. “You needed a man to lead a movement. You couldn’t have a soft-spoken seamstress. The couple received threats on their lives, leaving Alabama two years later for Detroit and Parks’ brother’s crowded, derelict house. “Phyiscally and mentally, the boycott and her activism took a toll,” Ford said of the impoverished Parks, who had developed a stomach ulcer and throat tumor
that needed removing. “However, Rosa Parks is a bad-ass. And she refused to give up.” Parks remained politically involved as a social organizer in the Motor City. She rubbed elbows with other civil rights figures; such as Stokeley Carmichael, a socialist organizer who coined the term “Black Power”; former world-champion boxer Muhammad Ali; and Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to be elected to congress.
"In reality, [Parks] wasn't tired at all." –MaryAnn Steinmiller, public relations officer, Phi Alpha Theta
Steinmiller educated the room on Rosa Parks’ portrayal in the collective public memory. The strongest point of her speech being the clash of cultures seen around the country. She displayed a photo of two street signs sitting atop a pole in Montgomery. One avenue was named after Parks. The other was in dedication to Jefferson Davis, the leader of the confederacy.
In the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol Building, a bronze statue of Parks stares directly at another sculpture of Davis, a man that led the charge for a southern way of life built on the concept of slavery. “I feel like public education didn’t really do justice in teaching us what happened,” Keaton Allison said, who presented about education systems’ roles in teaching about Parks and the Civil Rights Movement. “And part of that was, basically, curriculum.” Every teacher has to follow a handful of rules, Allison explained, and that’s why students only see the tip of the iceberg that is Rosa Parks. Retired police officer Lisa Boeving-Learned, a senior criminal justice major and history minor, pointed out that African Americans who attain fame have to work harder to be recognized for accomplishments rather than race. Senior Kendall Alexander, a senior dance and psychology double major, offered an example. “Beyonce’s not black,” Alexander said. “She’s Beyonce.” Parks, of course, will be forever tied to bus no. 2857, which now resides in the Henry Ford Museum. But, Ford says, she deserves to be recognized for much more. “The story they tell us isn’t necessarily the historical truth,” Ford said. “You should always be educating, always be learning, and always be pushing what you think you know."
Review: A brush stroke of brillance
'Portrait' gives depiction of forbidden love, freedom in one of year's best By Dereck Majors Movie Review Columnist
When you look at a works of art by Picasso, Michelangelo or Da Vinci, words that may come into your mind include “timeless” and “masterpiece”. Early on watching “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” you quickly realize that the same applies for writer and director Céline Sciamma’s film about two star crossed lovers in 18th century France. Marianne (Noémie Merlant in a career defining role) is commissioned to paint Héloïse (Adèle Haenel, who is familiar to indie film fans from 2017’s “BPM”) by her mother without her knowledge. The portrait is to be made for a man in Milan, Italy that she has never met so that he can judge her appearance and decide if she is worthy of his hand in marriage. Marianne spends time during the day
with her subject to be able to remember her face when she paints in a makeshift, hidden studio in her bedroom. Soon, the film begins to change its tone into an all-out romance. One of the scene's most intimate moments comes when the two describe each other’s quirks. When Marianne doesn’t know what to say, she touches her forehead and Héloïse bit her bottom lip when she is embarrassed. It’s moments like this that allow the audience to understand every characters’ thoughts, even if they’re not directly stated. Even more so, it shows how perfectly this romance blossoms over the course of eleven days at Héloïse’s family home on the coast of France. Their first kiss is shared in a cave with the waves smashing the shore in the background. While this happens well into the second half of the film, both characters savor every moment, knowing that
their time together will soon be over as Héloïse’s mother returns to take her to Milan to start a new life. The audience knows that time is the main antagonist in the story and yet the two do not seem to care. These remaining days spent with Marianne are Héloïse’s last days of freedom. Luckily, their romance sparks as fast as the flames catch on Héloïse’s dress in the film’s title scene. For a film with no musical score, music plays an essential role, especially in the already mentioned “lady on fire” scene and the heartbreaking final minutes. Other than these two instances, the film is composed of French dialogue that is lyrical in and of itself and a sound design that articulates every step down the stairs, wave crashing against the shore and brush stroke against the canvas. The rhythm of every line spoken blends beautifully together to allow for non-
French speaking viewers to comprehend exactly which word is being enunciated in a particular sentence. This is in large part due to the perfect acting by both actresses, who give their characters plenty of depth with little to no backstory for both. Regarding the script, it’s packed with small moments that all meet rewarding ends. Sciamma is in complete control of the story and all its elements. We may not know in what direction the script will lead once the romance begins, but we do know that no matter the resolution it will be satisfying from a storytelling perspective. When all the pieces of a film come together so masterfully, (the direction, writing, acting, cinematography, etc.) you instantly know you are watching what will soon be regarded as a classic. This phrase should not be used lightly, but in the context of this film, it feels like destiny.
CAMPUS LIFE Celebrating women's empowerment February 14, 2020
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Galentine's Day to encourage women to cherish their frendships and support one another Similar to the Women’s Center advocating and e m p owe r i n g w o m e n , H.O.P.E. was present to remind students and women that they have a lot of potential and strengths that could be found. Selby Gluth a H.O.P.E. Pe e r M e n t o r a n d sophomore public health major and gerontology m i n o r b e l i e ve s t h a t women's empowerment is important to bond women together. “Women need to know that they are strong and that they are able to hold higher positions such like men,” Gluth said. Much like H.O.P.E. the Psychology Club believes it’s important for women to stand together and
support one another. The club discusses topics of women’s psychology is some of its meetings. Carly Aprea, a freshman psychology major and member of FMLA reiterated the fact that relationships on Valentine’s Day don’t need to be with a specific partner, they could be with friends too. “When women stick together, we can have a great influence on society,” Aprea said. Following the empowerment theme of Galentine’s Day, O’Connor the graduate assistant for the Women’s Center and Pride Center wants to take any opportunity to put a focus on women’s empowerment.
“More and more we are seeing the necessity for [women’s empowerment] because there aren’t a ton of platforms in our society where women get to feel empowered,” O’Connor said. J o i n i n g H . O . P. E , FMLA and the Psychology Club were two newer clubs on campus; Active Minds and Reflections. Reflections works closely with different organizations that focus on women’s issues and joined the Galentine’s Day event to connect women. “A n y e v e n t t h a t can show you can feel empowered and proud in what you’re doing, we’re going to do,” O’Connor said.
KEEGAN BEARD/ THE ROCKET
A student decorates a self-affirmation Valentine with Active Minds during Galentine's Day. Active Mindsw as one of the tables attending the event to support women and their friendships.
By Hope Hoehler Campus Life Editor
The Women’s Center celebrated a new era, with the event thene surrounding the twenties with their fourth annual Galentine’s Day event, inspiring the name from Parks and Recreation, the popular sitcom. The event invited other clubs and organizations around campus, primarily consisting of women members to help celebrate the relationship between women.
By Mallory Angelucci Rock Around The Rock Columnist
Valentine’s Day is a great time to express love to anyone. Music is a great way to do that, as it comes in so many different forms. What does a proper love song sound like? Does it have poetic lyrics that reflect what you’re feeling? Is the instrumental aspect so strong that no words are necessary? Is it loud and aggressive, or soft and intimate? There’s a different song for everyone on such a love filled day, and what better way to find that song than to match it to your specific Valentine’s Day? Maybe you spend Valentine’s Day celebrating with friends. This could mean staying in and watching movies, or going out to dance the night away. When finding a song for this day, it is important to remember that happiness is the thing that truly makes Valentine’s Day special. Taking the strong and
The Psychology Club, Active Minds, Healthy Outreach through Peer Education (H.O.P.E.), Reflections and Feminist Ma j o r i t y L e a d e r s h i p Alliance (FMLA) all had tables with information and activities. Students in attendance could make self-affirmation mirrors, Valentines and buttons, try mocktails, make a masquerade mask, enjoy a photo booth and create their own heart cosokies. Erin O’Connor the graduate assistant for t h e Wo m e n’s C e n t e r a n d Pr i d e s a i d t h a t
G a l e n t i n e ’s D a y i s all about celebrating women’s friendship and empowerment. “A lot of times we can get wrapped up in Valentine’s Da y w h e re we a re focusing on stereotypical relationships between a man and a woman, but not that we have so many other meaningful relationships in our lives,” O’Connor said. Galentine’s Day allows students the opportunity to recognize the importance of having women’s friendships and to thank your female friends for everything they have done.
independent vibes from “Love Myself” by Hailee Steinfeld is sure to get you up and moving. Dancing along to upbeat tunes on Valentine’s Day will turn the day into a party no matter what tries to stop it. “Toothpaste Kisses” by the Macabees sounds like what walking hand in hand after having a late breakfast feels like. For an easy day with someone who makes everyday activities better, something light and relaxed, like this song, is a great start to a simple love song list. To add to this playlist, Frank Sinatra’s “My Funny Valentine,” is sure to further the romantic mood as the lyrics and slow instrumental sounds detail the love you may feel for your own “little valentine.” This song may even provide a few quotes to credit in a red and pink card for someone! For those who have recently joined the singles’ club, there is no shortage of songs to boost the mood. “Sorry Not Sorry” by Demi Lovato preaches the values of letting loose and having fun, even if you’re by yourself. However, if you need
company on a night where you just want to put on sweatpants and cry it out, Camila Cabello fills the spot perfectly with her slow and emotional song delicately articulating the period of time after a breakup, “Consequences.” Let yourself wallow, but remember to dance along! For those with new and budding loves of all shapes and sizes, there are countless beats. To take you through any kind of beginning, “More Than Friends” by Jason Mraz, featuring Meghan Trainor, speaks for all of new relationships. With this song playing, it could give the confidence to “take it easy” and let it all blossom. “Thinkin bout you” by Frank Ocean depicts the newness and the scattered mindset of an uncertain new relationship. This song motivates the unsure to become more clear and, ultimately, happy with their situation. No matter your romantic, platonic, or friendly situation on Valentine’s Day, music offers all the love in the world to those who are open to it.
KEEGAN BEARD/ THE ROCKET
H.O.P.E. Peer Educators offered friendship bracelets and an situational game to encourage healthy friendships. H.O.P.E. also sold condom roses for $1.
Graduation. When you hear the word graduation, how does it make you feel? Sad, excited, anxious, proud, worried, relieved or all the above? Well, you are not alone. Graduation is a unique experience – make sure you are making the most of your final days as a Slippery Rock student with these five tips. One: make a memory. Studying and getting good grades is not the only aspect of college. Experience is also a key factor to education. Make a memory that you will be able to look back and smile on for many years to come, whether it be having a weekly movie night with your friends or going sledding on one of the many snow days our town of Slippery Rock has to offer. Two: learn something new – outside of the classroom. Slippery Rock offers hundreds of different clubs and organizations, so go check out one. The clubs range from just hanging out in a hammock all day to sustainability to
an on-campus TV studio to creating art. If joining a club is too much in your final semester, attend one of the many free events these clubs and organizations holds for the students daily. Surely at least one will spark your interest! Three: breathe. College is hard. Life is hard. Take a deep breath and make time for yourself to just relax. Try different ways of relaxation, like yoga or meditation. Or you can try my favorite relaxation activity by turning off social media, putting your sweatpants on and binge watching anything on Netflix. Whatever works for you is the right way to relax. Four: reflect. College years go by so quickly. One minute, your mom is taking a photo of you on your first day of elementary school and the next minute, she is snapping a picture of you on stage moving your tassel from right to left. In these last moments of your college days, reflect on the memories whether they be
good or bad. Reflect on how you have grown as a person. Reflect on who you want to be in this world moving forward. Five: research. We hate to think about it. We hate talking about it, but we will be graduating. We will need a job. Start the research while you are still in college and have so many options. Look at different companies that share your same ethical values. Find job titles that relate to your qualifications. Talk to alumni in the same field as you. They have already been in our shoes and will be more than willing to help a fellow Slippery Rock family member. Don’t wait until graduation day to begin your search. Start today. Graduation can be scary for many students, but with these five tips, the stress of being less than one hundred days from walking across that stage will hopefully ease. Good luck to all the future graduates! Make your last semester count!
February 14, 2020
THE ROCKET
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