3/24/16 Digital Edition

the rocket

Friday March 25, 2016 • Volume 99, Issue Number 20 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper

www.theonlinerocket.com

Follow-up meeting allows students to voice their concerns

President Norton listens to opinions and suggestions in regards to the Student Success Center

By Haley Barnes News Editor

President Cheryl Norton hosted a follow-up meeting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Alumni House for students to voice their concerns with the Student Success Center, as students demand good communication between the administration and student body, as well as an apology.

"I'm here to listen, to listen to you all" Norton said. "To what you have to say today, to what we can learn from each other and hopefully, we can move forward."

However before Norton handed the floor over to students, she addressed a tweet that had been shared by multiple students that afternoon. The tweet was created by the student success committee utilizing the hashtag, #DoYouKnowSRU?.

According to the tweet, "SRU has no veteran's coordinator and yet is listed as military friendly, only 3.4 percent of tenure-track faculty is black and only five percent are Hispanic, student concerns are no long represented in the president's cabinet, the administration lied to you about the future of your campus, the Women's Center and the Office of Multicultural Development have no assistant director, the Office of Students with Disabilities is segregated and lacks a permanent director and pride guides were instructed to cover up the administration's lack of honesty with students."

"This afternoon I saw that there is a

Council of Trustees meeting attracts active students leaders

tweet that's been going out," Norton said. "A tweet that made six assertions about this institution. A tweet that is not accurate in many ways. A tweet that does not have a context to some of the information. A tweet in particular that said the administration lied to us about the future of our institution. You need to know I take great exception to that, great exception, so what I'd like to do is hand out some information in response to that tweet and you can take a look at it. You can have your opinion all you want, that is good. Opinions are important. You cannot change facts."

The President's Cabinet compiled a sheet addressing each point in the tweet created by the student success committee.

After the sheets were handed to the audience, vice president of Internal Affairs for SGA, Jenna Temple, expressed that she wanted the focus of the meeting to not be about space, but about student concern. She read a list of anonymous student concerns that were submitted in regards to the meeting that took place on March 15.

"The administration did not listen to us," she read from the list. "We spent the majority of time dancing around questions talking about space, everything came back to the student success center when in reality that is the least of our concerns, I thought that President Norton was extremely condescending, I felt as if the students in attendance were being spoken down to and being punished in a way for not being excited about the project."

KENDALL SCOTT/THE ROCKET

SEE STUDENTS PAGE A-2

Andre Roberts, graduate resident director of Watson Hall, expresses that he does not feel safe on campus.

New MySRU por tal update offers mobile friendly convenience to students

By Janelle Wilson

By Chris Gordon

Editor-in-Chief

Assistant News Editor

After spring break, SRU students logged in to a newly redesigned MySRU, as the site was relaunched on the evening of March 9 with intent to make a faster and more mobile-friendly portal.

Henry Magusiak, director of enterprise applications and manager of the project, Bob Bibler, application support manager, Tony Demarsh, senior database administrator, Salehin Ghani, systems administrator, Joel Protivnak, application developer and Nancy Ejzack, enrollment management, are the team who worked on the new update.

Magusiak said that one of the main goals with the update was to make the platform more mobile friendly, so students can access the platform on any device with ease.

"The old platform didn't work so well on mobile phones," he said.

One of the biggest changes was moving to a rebranded portal. The Liferay Portal, Magusiak said, is used by millions of people. By switching to this portal, Magusiak said that not only will MySRU accommodate better to mobile devices, but also will be faster.

"Testing has shown that [the portal] is extremely fast during registration," he said.

Bibler, the application support manager, explained that the market is moving to be more mobile-friendly,

Students voiced concerns about diversity and inclusion at the Slippery Rock University Council of Trustees quarterly business meeting, which was held last Friday in the Smith Student Center.

Dewayne Anderson, Alex Rizutto, Gabriella Lyons and Jenna Temple expressed concerns previously raised regarding plans for the Student Success Center to the council, SRU President Cheryl Norton and other administrators in attendance.

Anderson, a graduate student in SRU's Student Affairs in Higher Education Program and a graduate assistant in Academic Affairs, said the administration's focus on recruiting international students takes the focus away from campus diversity overall.

“It’s important to have a diverse student body and international students are a part of that," he said.

"But when you lose the focus on diversity and inclusion for our domestic student population, how can we effectively have an enriching student body that appreciates each other?”

SEE RETENTION PAGE A-3

and the majority of students are using their smart devices to access information. Bibler also said that they had plans for developing a mobile app in the future, as well as continuing to get student input.

The architecture of the portal allows us to be agile with development," he said.

He also said the design is more organized and logical, and that they got a lot of input from students as to the features and organization of the site. One new feature that was suggested by students is the graduation countdown.

Bibler said he planned on meeting with students on a regular basis to get their take on the website.

As for why the portal was launched during spring break, the developers planned on launching it around that time because of a deadline. Orientation also played a factor, and they wanted incoming students to be familiar with it before coming into the university in August.

As for why the portal was launched during spring break, the developers planned on launching it around that time because of a deadline. Orientation also played a factor, and they wanted incoming students to be familiar with it before coming into the university in August.

Future developments will include a single sign-on system, which is 80 to 90 percent complete. A single sign-on system will only require students to sign in once to access MySRU, Desire to Learn and their SRU email.

New MySRU Women Who Confuses Students Rock The Rocket staff comments on the controversy surrounding the new MySRU portal Page B-1

Softball head coach Stacey Rice talks about her playing days at SRU and her path to success.

Page C-3

Happy 127th Birthday SRU Green and White Society hosted a birthday party Tuesday to celebrate 127 years of SRU. Page D-1

NEWS

A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

A morning shower; cooler

Brilliant sunshine and milder

Mild with clouds and sun

Cooler with periods of rain

Partly sunny

Partly sunny and milder

Periods of rain

47°

26°

54°

34°

66°

REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE

®

Fri.

Sat.

Sun. Mon.

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

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

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

Friday HI LO W 43 28 pc 69 34 sh 58 30 pc 40 29 pc 40 29 sf 68 38 pc 53 30 sh 52 30 c 72 40 sh 49 31 c 65 33 pc 58 31 pc 49 32 c 64 32 sh 43 28 pc

Saturday HI LO W 55 37 s 59 35 s 57 36 s 50 39 s 46 37 s 61 39 s 59 38 s 55 40 s 60 41 s 58 41 s 58 36 s 58 36 s 60 40 s 60 36 s 56 36 s

Sunday HI LO W 68 43 c 64 42 pc 69 46 pc 65 42 c 58 41 c 69 47 pc 71 47 pc 67 46 pc 65 46 pc 71 48 pc 64 44 pc 69 45 pc 72 50 pc 69 44 pc 69 44 pc

41°

48°

29°

30°

45°

UV INDEX

Fri.

Sat.

Sun

Sun. Mon.

Tuesday HI LO W 48 33 pc 54 32 pc 51 29 c 46 35 pc 43 32 pc 56 32 pc 50 30 c 47 30 c 56 36 pc 52 33 pc 48 29 c 51 29 c 52 34 pc 52 29 c 48 32 pc

39°

61°

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

Wednesday HI LO W 60 46 c 56 35 s 55 40 c 58 46 pc 55 44 pc 58 41 c 62 42 pc 53 41 pc 59 43 s 61 45 pc 53 39 s 56 40 s 65 47 pc 55 39 s 60 44 pc

Thursday HI LO W 63 40 r 60 42 r 62 43 r 60 41 r 59 41 r 67 48 r 64 37 r 60 41 r 65 50 pc 65 43 r 64 44 r 63 43 r 66 45 r 66 45 r 62 41 r

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Moon

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Rise 7:15 a.m.

7:13 a.m.

7:11 a.m.

7:10 a.m.

7:08 a.m.

7:06 a.m.

7:05 a.m.

Rise 9:50 p.m.

10:45 p.m.

11:41 p.m. none 12:35 a.m.

1:28 a.m.

2:19 a.m.

MOON PHASES

NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES

PRECIPITATION

39°

IN THE SKY

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

Monday HI LO W 55 30 r 58 40 r 56 35 r 47 32 r 46 31 r 59 39 r 56 33 r 54 31 r 63 42 t 54 34 r 55 35 r 54 35 r 57 34 r 57 36 r 54 30 r

59°

March 25, 2016

Set 7:38 p.m.

7:39 p.m.

7:40 p.m.

7:41 p.m.

7:42 p.m.

7:43 p.m.

7:44 p.m.

Set 8:25 a.m.

8:56 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:07 a.m.

10:49 a.m.

11:35 a.m.

12:27 p.m.

Last

New

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3/31

4/7

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Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016

National Summary: Dry conditions will be in store from the Northeast to the southern Plains on Saturday.

Showers and thunderstorms will linger across portions of the Southeast. Showers will dot areas from the Upper Great Lakes to the central Plains while snow falls across Colorado. On Easter Sunday, rain and thunderstorms will occur from the Missouri Valley to the Gulf Coast. Some storms could be strong to severe across the lower Mississippi Valley. Showers will return to the Northwest. The Northeast will remain dry.

Rain and thunderstorms will return to the East Coast Monday. Dry conditions are in store across the central states. Showers will occur in the Northwest and into Nevada and Utah.

NATIONAL CITIES

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday CITY HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W Atlanta 69 50 s 75 58 s 74 58 t 69 46 pc 70 47 s 70 57 s 73 61 t Boston 61 37 r 49 36 s 51 39 pc 54 40 r 46 32 r 49 39 s 61 51 pc Chicago 45 32 s 57 40 pc 51 35 sh 51 32 s 56 39 s 60 44 c 58 38 r Cincinnati 49 34 pc 62 42 s 71 45 c 52 34 sh 57 38 s 67 52 c 67 42 r Dallas 69 50 s 76 54 s 66 41 c 69 51 s 74 60 pc 78 60 t 76 51 sh Denver 43 21 pc 36 16 sn 44 24 s 50 31 s 56 33 c 45 23 sf 43 26 r Detroit 47 30 pc 53 37 s 60 38 c 47 32 r 51 35 s 59 47 pc 63 38 r Houston 71 47 s 77 61 pc 77 51 t 74 52 s 74 63 pc 79 67 t 83 59 c Indianapolis 50 35 s 61 42 s 65 39 c 52 33 sh 59 41 s 66 53 c 66 44 r Kansas City 59 43 pc 58 34 c 46 28 r 62 42 s 67 50 pc 71 44 t 61 37 sh Los Angeles 77 55 s 78 55 s 75 56 s 68 50 pc 66 51 c 64 52 pc 68 54 sh Miami 85 73 t 86 76 t 86 74 pc 86 72 pc 83 70 t 82 73 sh 83 74 c Nashville 62 36 s 72 45 s 78 46 c 62 38 pc 67 44 s 73 56 s 71 49 r New Orleans 72 55 s 78 65 c 76 60 r 74 57 pc 74 60 s 76 66 r 81 66 c New York City 69 41 sh 56 42 s 58 46 pc 57 42 r 54 37 pc 56 42 s 62 54 r Orlando 85 68 t 83 68 t 84 68 t 85 64 pc 81 62 pc 81 65 t 85 67 c Phoenix 85 57 s 85 57 s 86 60 s 87 60 pc 75 52 s 76 54 s 76 55 sh San Francisco 65 51 s 67 55 s 64 50 pc 61 49 pc 62 50 pc 64 51 pc 65 52 s Seattle 54 40 pc 59 45 pc 52 40 c 52 38 pc 58 41 pc 62 42 s 67 44 s Washington, DC 72 44 pc 62 44 s 70 53 pc 66 44 c 59 39 pc 61 48 c 68 57 c Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Students demand diverse faculty P

Continued from Page A-1

Temple said. "We don't want to be at war."

However, Temple expressed that she would like an apology as she felt she and SGA were being called liars by the administration and that she felt disrespected in front of a respectable group of people.

"We would just like an apology since we do have the documented evidence to show that this was presented to our senate who is here to advocate for the students, and since it was presented to us that these offices could potentially be moving for bigger space, that is where the idea came from and that's where this whole issue started," Temple expressed.

Senior theatre and dance major Lawrence Karl expressed that the student body of the theatre department is upset that Miller Auditorium is not finished and that it was not fair that the administration tried to move offices into a space that the theatre department calls their home.

"I don't know if anyone from the theatre department was contacted or talked to about this idea of moving those offices, but I know a lot of student body did not like that idea," he said.

Ben Shaevitz of the physics department and president of the faculty union responded by explaining that before Vincent Science Center was finished, the physics department was relocated to a basement and that there was solid communication between the administration and the department.

"It was temporary pain for a long-term gain," Shaevitz said.

Provost Philip Way expressed that he is willing to communicate with students, but that students need to take advantage of the opportunities when they are offered.

LaMorie Marsh, community assistant, said that the problem is a lack of trust and that an apology is not going to fix the gap between the administration and student body.

The student success committee presented a list of demands including that Catch something exciting happening positions in relation to diversity on campus? Want your Insta-photos to be filled by diverse faculty, be featured in The Rocket? Just follow search parties be comprised of 50 percent of students with @SRURocket on Instagram and use a representation of minority # in the caption for your students, consistent meetings chance to be featured here every week! between administration and university stakeholders, the restoration of the Vice President of Student Affairs as a cabinet level position and a public published apology sent to all university stakeholders via SRU communication email, published in The Rocket and given to the Council of Trustees.

Gabriella Lyons, a member of the student success committee, gave Norton the opportunity to respond to these points, but asked her to keep her responses to under a minute.

"Are you willing to take the suggestions we gave you when we wanted to fill the positions that are directly related to diversity and we wanted the search committees to be 50 percent students, are you willing to at least meet us half way with these things?" Lyons asked Norton.

Norton said that recruiting a diverse staff is easier said than done.

Lyons said that at previous meetings in regards to the Student Success Center, Norton was recorded laughing at student comments and Lyons expressed that she had never felt more disrespected as a student.

"I do not necessarily Blotter.................A-4 Sports...................C-1 remember those specific Opinion................B-1 Campus Life.............D-1 situations," Norton said. "It has not ever been my habit to laugh Comics...................D-4 at a student. I've always been known as having a great deal of empathy with students."

However, Temple expressed that the students want to be one cohesive unit with the Newsroom: 220 Eisenberg Building administration.

"We need you, Dr. Norton," (724) 738-4438 Slippery Rock Advertising: University (724) 738-2643 Slippery Rock, PA Fax: 16057 (724) 738-4896

By Daniel DiFabio Email: Rocket Contributor rocket.letters@sru.edu

INDEX

CONTACT US

"A lot of the student body, we don't feel the same trust we felt, when I came here as a freshman," Marsh said.

Graduate resident director of Watson Hall Andre Roberts expressed that SRU needs to become a more culturally competent place, by making students, faculty and staff aware of diversity. Roberts said that he often feels when he speaks to students, that they may look differently at him because of his race and he does not feel safe on campus.

"I do not believe this university does the best job at cultivating an environment where students, faculty, staff and administration have an opportunity to sit down and speak about things such as race, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and all those topics that have to deal with diversity," Roberts said.

Jessica Johnson, vice present of Student Affairs of SGA, said that she doesn't want to be an alumna of SRU and in 10 years be upset with SRU, as there are some alumni who are currently upset with the status of the university Keshia Booker, a graduate assistant who works in The Suite, said that black students on the campus are facing hard issues and it is very hard for them to not be able to go to someone who looks like them for help.

"As much as it is great to shine and the sun is always shining at Slippery Rock, it is not always shining for an AfricanAmerican student and for some reason, I think that's been lost among this administration in a multiple of ways," she said.

Norton said that she wants to provide students with good communication.

"I pledge to you to work with you, so that you can say to your friends, you can say to your family, you can say to your colleagues, Slippery Rock is the best choice I ever made in my life," she said.

SRU freezes six fees for 2016-17 school year

Nationally recognized as one of the top 10 four-year weekly broadsheet newspapers by the Associated Collegiate Press.

not increase,” Abent said.

Abent said the way that this benefits students is obvious in that they will not have to pay more for these services in 2016-17.

“Any savings in the total cost of education Slipper y Rock University recently is a great thing for students,” Abent said. announced that it would freeze six fees for Abent said that the school can only change the upcoming 2016-17 academic school fees for things it controls, whereas some year. costs, like tuition and the technology fee, Rita Abent, executive director of University are controlled by the Board of Governors Communication and Public Affairs, said and that some fees are tied to enrollment. the fees that were frozen, included fees for “The University annually reviews the cost traditional housing, parking, health services, of the service for which a fee is designated the student center, student recreation and and works diligently to keep costs down student life enhancement. so that fees can remain as low as possible.”

“When you freeze fees, it means they will Abent said.

NEWS

March 25, 2016

A-3

POLICE BLOTTER Campus March 17- An ambulance transported a person who had passed out in Rhoads Hall to Grove City Hospital.

March 18- An individual reported their bike was stolen from the Quad. The case is under investigation.

March 18- Ryan Schappell, 21, was charged March 22- Mary Thompson, 19, was charged with public intoxication after running into with an alcohol violation. the heating plant. He was taken to the Health Center.

March 24- Police were called to search for an intoxicated individual who was pounding March 19- An ambulance transported an on doors in the borough. The subject could unresponsive person in Building D to Grove not be located.

City Hospital.

Compiled by Chris Gordon

Retention rates fall below 90 percent Continued from Page A-1

This shift in fo c us is evidenced by recent retention rates of domestic minority students, Anderson continued.

"Fall to spring retention dropped from 92.4 percent last year to 88 percent this year," he said. "This is the first year since this data has been kept that we've gone below 90 percent."

Anderson said that there were 14 new international students last fall and 11 were retained this spring, illustrating their small demographic position within the campus community.

Further evidence of this shift is the elimination of the Chief Diversity Officer position and staffing differences between the Office of Global Engagement, responsible for recruiting international students, and Academic Affairs, he said.

Global Engagement has three full time staff members,

one interim coordinator for travel abroad services, two secretaries and one temporary staff member, Anderson said.

Academic Services office has on faculty member and one graduate assistant.

Other offices that promote the success of domestic minority students are poorly staffed as well, including the Office of Multicultural Development, he added.

Anderson said he felt the meeting went well overall, but felt the students should have been given more time to speak.

"We only had five minutes," he said. "If students are the voice of this campus and the administration really wants to listen, we should have been given more time."

Meetings such as this are also lack action, Anderson continued.

"If students voice their opinions and no action is taken, the movement we've demonstrated is for nothing."

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* 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! Living room furniture at South Rock!

9 Not all units are furnished at Main Street location** 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

ROCK NOTES

REBECCA HARRIS: ASSESSING WOMEN AND RISK The President's Commission on Women presents speaker Rebecca Harris, Director, Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University for Women's History Month: Assessing Women and Risk on March 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m in the ATS auditorium.

WEEKLY PLANETARIUM SHOWS Vincent Science Center offers a different show every week. Admission is free and the show starts at 8 p.m.

KENNY ENDO ENSEMBLE CONCERT Kenny Endo is one of the world’s leading artists in contemporary taiko and percussion. Free and open to the public. The event offers festival seating and the doors open at 7 p.m. in the Swope Recital Hall.

CANDID AND CONTROVERSIAL: EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT A discussion on whether an equal rights amendment is necessary to grant equal rights to women in the Smith Student Center 321 at 12:30 p.m. on March 29.

To submit a Rock Note please send your announcement by 6 p.m.

Wednesday to Haley Barnes at hmb1006@sru.edu or to rocket.news@ sru.edu. The Rocket does not guarantee that all requests will be published in the paper.

O

OPINION

Our View

MySRU redesign is untimely and unnecessary

OPINION rocket.letters@sru.edu Volume 99, Number 20

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

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

EDITORIAL BOARD Janelle Wilson

Editor-in-Chief

Haley Barnes

News Editor

Amber Cannon

Campus Life Editor

Ryan Barlow

Sports Editor

Rebecca Dietrich Victoria Davis

Photo Editor Copy/ Web Editor

Chris Gordon

Assistant News Editor

Emma Pfeifer

Assist. Campus Life Editor

Cody Nespor

Assistant Sports Editor

Kendall Scott

Assistant Photo Editor

Amanda Salvia

Assist. Copy/Web Editor

Emily Brown

Multimedia Reporter

Mark Zeltner

Faculty Adviser

ADVERTISING STAFF Karleigh Santry

Advertising Manager

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

The Rocket receives approximately 5 percent of its funding from the SGA Student Activity fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising.

Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 7382643 or by emailing rocket.ads@sru.edu.

CORRECTIONS If we make a substantial error, we want to correct it. If you believe an error has been made, call The Rocket newsroom at (724) 738-4438. If a correction is warranted it will be printed in the opinion section.

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

GRAPHIC BY KENDALL SCOTT / THE ROCKET

Slippery Rock University’s website has always been challenging to navigate for students, whether they’ve been at the university for one week or three years.

During the past school year, SRU updated its website to be more aesthetically pleasing, but the counterintuitive navigation that was the trademark of the old website is still present. The new website looks good and is less intimidating to navigate, but is still not functional to incoming and current students.

But students could still function without navigating the actual website as long as MySRU, the portal that students access for everything necessary to their success and development, was intact.

While the old MySRU certainly had its problems, it was easy for students to navigate and find resources they needed, whether it was for ordering textbooks or something as simple as checking their assignments on Desire to Learn (D2L).

While the appearance of the old MySRU wasn’t anything to be excited about, it served its purpose in helping students

access things they needed.

Most students had become accustomed to navigating the website, and rarely had issues.

The new MySRU portal is not functional, is difficult to navigate, and could not have come at a worse time in the school year for students, from freshmen to seniors alike.

When we were first introduced to the new MySRU over spring break, D2L, the most utilized ser vice by students, was completely inaccessible from the new login page.

This is problematic for a variety of reasons, most being that D2L needs to be the most accessible part of the website so that students can find assignments and monitor their grades. A redesign where this accessibility is not the utmost priority is not a functional redesign, but a useless one.

Now, D2L is accessible, but some Internet browsers are finicky in allowing access through the MySRU login.

While MySRU’s new design is undoubtedly cleaner, by the designers making everything the same color and size, it doesn’t prioritize information.

In the Quad

Most students would agree that they utilize their Rock Audit more than they do to change their marital status, but according to the website redesign, these are both things that students should be able to readily access.

Seniors are especially affected by this change, as they have spent the past four years of their life accustomed to navigating MySRU and D2L. Suddenly, students who are a little under two months away from graduating have to relearn how to find resources and information that they had no trouble locating just weeks ago.

Members of the Rocket staff have heard of students who have difficulty accessing not only D2L, but also their Rock Audit, which shows students’ progression in degree programs and grades.

We get it, the website was outdated and unattractive, 75 percent of the way through the semester is not the time to do something about it. In the future, we hope administration will consider the students before changing the entire design of SRU’s website.

This week’s question: What do you think of the new MySRU?

In the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alexa Goodwin Freshman Business Major Plum, Pennsylvania

Ryan Neely Sophomore Sports Management Major Lexington, Kentucky

“Every time I’ve tried logging “I think it’s hard to figure out in on Google Chrome, it and I don’t really like it.” wouldn’t work but it did on other browsers.”

Taylor Ellis Freshman Forensic Chemistry Major Washington, Pennsylvania “I only like the fact that it’s easier to find your billing statement. On the old one you had to click on more links but the new one you just have to go to one place.”

OPINION

B-2

March 25, 2016

QUESTION OF

THE WEEK @SRURocket

Politicians don’t need a background in politics Arizona primary chief ? Why not consider someone who can get enough votes and attention and get the shows DNC failings

Joseph Szalinski Commentary Joseph Szalinski is a senior creative writing and professional writing major.

Most jobs require some mention of experience in order to secure a position. This is especially true for important vocations, like ones in politics. I sure hope an elected official has some sort of experience working with people, especially those with dissenting ideas, and is able to compromise. No political position is as alluring as being the president of the United States of America. This is evidenced by all of the countless individuals who have threatened presidential bids, had fans attempt to encourage a campaign and by those who actually do end up running for the presidency.

This current election has given us a myriad of interesting candidates. Whether or not one agrees with a particular candidate’s stances, one must admit that this election cycle is pretty unconventional and exciting for odd reasons. The most polarizing candidate is actually the most inexperienced one, one without any political experience whatsoever.

His supporters argue that his success in business is enough to warrant him being taken as a serious presidential option, although his critics disagree.

But should a candidate have prior political experience before becoming commander-in-

job done despite being an “outsider?” I’m not saying Trump is the candidate I support, but if a more rational and less-bigoted “outsider” ran, his or her validity shouldn’t be called into question. As long as one is aware of his or her duties and how to execute them appropriately, then there should be no issue.

Another thing that should be considered is that many presidents gained life experience doing things other than politics,and it’s the lessons they learned doing those others things that they applied to their successful political careers.

Arguments have been made throughout history as to what should qualify one for the presidency. Being a politician, much like having military experience, having a college education; maybe even a doctorate, being a white male, being religious, are all technically unnecessary for becoming president. At least in terms of it not barring one from campaigning. Leave it up to the voters to see who they feel comfortable with electing and having reign over them.

Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson said it best: “What profession do all of these senators and congressmen have? Law, law, law, law, businessman, law, law, law…Where are the scientists? Where are the engineers? Where’s the rest of life?”

What he alludes to is the fact that candidates should be of one mold. Outsider candidates should be encouraged. Different professions yield different perspectives: leaders in sciences can offer valuable insight as well as typical political leaders. Candidates from different disciplines can offer more than a humanistic lens, which is what political science views through. Not to mention, candidates from atypical backgrounds may influence policy that typically gets ignored.

Victoria Davis Commentary

Victoria Davis is a sophomore English secondary education major and is the copy/ web editor of The Rocket.

A primary was held in Arizona this week for the upcoming presidential election, and it was a prime example of how dismal the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has become at promoting easy and ethical voting. After some Democratic voters waited over five hours to vote, many found that when they tried to vote in the closed primary, they were registered as Independent or Republican, and were unable to vote.

To add insult to injury, the number of polling places in Arizona decreased significantly, going from over 200 locations in 2012 compared to just 60 during Tuesday’s primary. The only explanation was that this was a measure to cut costs, but democracy shouldn’t be hindered for the sake of cost efficiency.

We should not accept this as an unfortunate truth and move on. This is the first presidential election I am able to vote in, and it is unacceptable that I have to worry about whether or not my vote will even be valid because of disorganized and understaffed primaries across the country.

This election cycle has been marked by xenophobia, racism and homophobia, we cannot afford for a lack of preparedness to effectively silence the American voice.

This kind of voter oppression should not be tolerated.

Voting is not a privilege you earn for standing in line for five hours: it is an absolute right, and any time that right is threatened, it should be taken very seriously.

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

Editorial in ‘The Rocket’ educates people about modern racism Cheyenne Jackson’s thoughtful commentary in the March 18th Rocket was right on the mark. Unfortunately, despite the election of President Obama, twice, racism is still a serious problem in the United States. Those of us who are white have to recognize that we are in a privileged class and at the same time have to strive to do what we can to reduce racism with the goal of ultimately eliminating it.

As a white person, I have never been stopped while driving my car because of the color of my skin, the type of vehicle I’m operating, or for failing to signal a lane change. I have not been eyed suspiciously by store employees when shopping. I don’t walk the streets of Slippery Rock with the fear that someone may scream a racial threat at me. I was born with white privilege and recognize

that my friends and colleagues of different races do not enjoy this status. At any time, they could encounter demeaning and even dangerous situations through no fault of their own.

I have found, in particular, that the Republican response to Barack Obama as President has elevated racism, not subdued it. Seven years of obstruction and disrespect from national leaders in Congress, not to mention commentators and bloggers, have fanned the flames of racism. And we are seeing the result of this deeply ingrained racism becoming more evident every day in an absolutely ugly GOP presidential campaign.

Ultimately, however, this is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. This is a human issue.

I don’t have the answers to the complex racial

and socio-economic challenges facing us as Americans. But I can try to treat each person I meet, regardless of their background, with respect.

Thank you, Cheyenne, for having the courage to write about the very real problem of racism as it exists today. You did so without inflammatory language and without the hate behind so many of the messages now flooding social media. We need more rational conversations like what you provide in your commentary.

John Snyder Office of Career Education and Development

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March 25, 2016

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C

COMICS Sharing Stalls

By Molly Huey

Best in Show

By Phil Juliano

COMICS

Today's Birthday (03/25/16). Envision your dream job this year. Fantasize and explore. Incorporate elements into current work. Travel and research. A partnership soars after 3/23, heralding a two-year collaborative phase beginning 9/9. Balance work and health after 9/1. Close a chapter from the past after 9/16. Create possibilities together.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Attend to shared finances for the next two days. After that, plan adventures, travels and educational exploration over the next three months (with Saturn retrograde). Create detailed itineraries, file applications and reserve tickets.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Follow budgets closely. Return to basics. For the next five months, with Saturn retrograde, financial discipline pays extra dividends. Exceed shared financial goals.

Focus on foundations and structures. Collaborative projects undergo revision today and tomorrow.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Focus on balancing your work and health today and tomorrow. Go back to what worked before. With Saturn retrograde until 8/13, strengthen bonds between partners. Collaborative projects undergo revision. Resolve old misunderstandings.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Have fun today and tomorrow. Get outside and move your body. Review and revise health practices over the next five months, with Saturn retrograde. Schedule your next big work projects with time to recharge.

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy

By Tim Rickard

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Make your home and family more comfortable today and tomorrow. Study rules to win over the next five months, with Saturn retrograde. Find ways to renew the game. Invent new romance by returning to classics.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Keep a journal and make sketches. Today and tomorrow favor creative communications projects. With Saturn retrograde (until 8/13), revisit plans for home infrastructure. Refine and polish. Try a new technology or style.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Focus on making money over the next two days. Edit and revise over the next five months, with Saturn retrograde. Indulge nostalgic retrospection.

Assess what worked before, and adapt to new circumstances.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Return to basic financial priorities. Exert budgetary discipline over the next five months, with Saturn retrograde. Plan for upcoming expenses, but wait to implement. You're especially strong for the next few days.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -Find a peaceful spot to think and plan today and tomorrow. Learn from the past without repeating it. Self-discipline produces personal results until mid-August with Saturn retrograde. Take charge to produce results.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Confer with allies today and tomorrow. Over the next five months, with Saturn retrograde, consider old dreams and visions. Measure ground taken and still ahead. Contribute to savings. Old passions rekindle.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Focus on professional goals for the next two days. Revise social infrastructures between now and midAugust, with Saturn retrograde. Plan upcoming events and gatherings with friends new and old.

Generate community enthusiasm.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Travel and study over the next two days. Prepare for a test or challenge. Play strictly by the book. Review career goals over the next five months, with Saturn retrograde. Disciplined backstage efforts win.

(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black's legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @ lindablack. For more astrological interpretations visit Linda Black Horoscopes and www.nancyblack. com) (c)2015 bY NANCY BLACK. DISTRIBUTED

BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Bliss

By Harry Bliss

B-5

March 25 , 2016

S SPORTS

INSIDE SPORTS

Women Who Rock Current softball head coach Stacey Rice set 19 oensive program rec0rds when she played for SRU in the mid2000's.

See Page C-2

Online Exclusive Rock LAX defeated WheelingJesuit University 14-10 on the road Wednesday evening.

See theonlinerocket.com

Two LAX seniors reach career milestone

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Senior midfielder Erin Wilcox evades Edinboro defenders during The Rock's 10-7 win over the Fighting Scots. Wilcox scored her 100th career goal with 11:08 left in the first half.

Wilcox and Callaghan score 100th career goals in same game

By Ryan Barlow Sports Editor

In an athlete's playing career, completing certain milestones can spark self-pride and confidence and can be viewed as a tremendous accomplishment. Rock lacrosse seniors Erin Wilcox and Kaytlin Callaghan recently completed impressive career milestones themselves, becoming the eighth and ninth players in SRU history to score 100 goals in their Rock lacrosse playing careers. As unique as their accomplishment is, it may be even more unique that each player scored their 100th goal in the very same game.

The senior duo made their marks on school history on March 15 against Edinboro University, with Callaghan needing just one more goal to reach 100 and Wilcox needing three. Callaghan decided not to waste time with her goal, finding the back of the Fighting Scots' net in less than four minutes. Wilcox was able to get the ball across the goal line twice before scoring her 100th, finally getting that third goal with 11:08 minutes remaining in the game.

"We've both talked about it a lot since that game, and we both have agreed that this feels like it was just meant to be," Wilcox said.

"We've been best friends and roommates for

all four years we've been here and it was just an awesome experience."

The two players met their freshman year as roommates and certainly traveled different paths before deciding to play lacrosse for Slippery Rock.

Callaghan, an early childhood and special education major, of Wayne, N.J., initially did not see herself winding up at SRU early in her recruitment process. In fact, it was her father who convinced her to at least give The Rock a look by taking an official visit.

SEE SENIORS, PAGE C-3

Lock Haven wins two close match-ups versus SRU

By Ben Matos Rocket Contributor

Rock softball could not overcome Lock Haven Sunday afternoon, dropping both contests by scores 4-3 in game one and 5-2 in game two.

Slippery Rock gave Lock Haven an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of the first game after a solo home run and a walk that brought in a run.

"We're looking to take those losses as a learning experience," Rock senior Katie Kaiser said. "It is important to be able to identify the reasons we did not come up with two wins, and to make improvements on those things. We hope to take what we have learned from those games to help make us better this week against Cal and Seton Hill. " In the third inning, The Rock’s offense came alive. Senior Megan Maloney singled scoring freshmen duo Caitlyn MacKelvey and Katie Skolnick. Later in the inning Maloney stole second allowing, Kaiser to score after a throwing error by the catcher.

Lock Haven would tie the game up at three in the fifth inning. The game remained scoreless going into extra innings where Lock Haven scored the winning run on a double.

Junior pitcher Carly DeRose (4-3) took the loss after recording four strikeouts, five walks and allowing six hits.

In game two, it was Slippery Rock who jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.

Offensively, The Rock was led by senior Ashley Samluk when she drove in Kaiser on a double. Samluk then scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.

Slippery Rock held the lead at 2-1 in the third inning but lost it in the sixth by giving up three runs, resulting in the 5-2 losing decision.

Sophomore Paige Flore (3-2) took the loss going six innings giving up five hits on two strikeouts and only allowing one earned run.

After the pair of losses, Slippery Rock drops to 9-9 on the season. The team's next matchup will be a PSAC doubleheader at home against no. 4 overall California University (Pa.) on March 25 at 2:30 p.m.

SPORTS

C-2

March 25, 2016

Softball coach dedicated to SRU for the long haul Baseball 1.

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Gannon California (PA.) seton hill pitt-johnstown mercyhurst Slippery Rock Indiana (pa.)

Clarion

16-5 (4-0) 11-9 (4-0) 15-6 (3-1) 10-10 (3-1) 12-8 (1-1) 6-17 (1-3) 7-14 (0-4) 3-12 (0-6)

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California (pa.) mercyhurst gannon Slippery Rock edinboro seton hill

13-1 (0-0) 7-5 (0-0) 8-8 (0-0) 9-10 (0-0) 5-7 (0-0) 7-10 (0-0)

Women's Lacrosse 1.

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Lock Haven Mercyhurst Indiana (PA.) East Stroudsburg West Chester Millersville Slippery Rock Edinboro Bloomsburg Gannon Kutztown Shippensburg Seton Hill

7-0 (3-0) 5-1 (3-0) 4-3 (2-0) 7-1 (2-0) 6-1 (2-1) 5-3 (2-2) 4-2 (1-1) 5-2 (1-2) 3-3 (1-2) 4-4 (1-2) 5-3 (1-3) 3-3 (0-2) 1-6 (0-3)

Women's Tennis 1.

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indiana (pa.) mercyhurst Seton Hill california (pa.) edinboro Slippery rock clarion

8-0 (1-0) 5-2 (1-0) 7-5 (1-0) 8-2 (0-0) 9-4 (0-0) 7-6 (0-1) 2-5 (0-1)

Outdoor track March 25 & 26: Raliegh Relays at North Carolina State University in Raliegh, NC.

Standings as of Thurs.Mar. 24 at 10:58 a.m.

PHOTO COURTESy OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATION

Current Slippery Rock head softball coach, Stacey Rice, with the Rock softball team as a player in the mid-2000s. Rice holds 19 offensive school records and was a part of 97 Slippery Rock wins over her four years.

By Cody Nespor Assistant Sports Editor

At 18 years old, most people are beginning to have to make decisions about their future. What college to go to, what subject to major in and what kind of job you would want are the usual questions that 18 year olds are answering. At age 18, current Slippery Rock softball coach Stacey Rice (then Stacey Rhoades) was asked to become something bigger than herself and to buy into a program and an idea that did not have a track record of success.

Rice grew up in South Park, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh, where she was a star player on the championship- winning South Park High School softball team. During Rice's senior year at South Park she began being recruited by then-Rock coach Vashion Johnson. The 2004-05 year was going to be Johnson's second year as head coach and he was looking to turn around a program which had amassed 14 consecutive losing seasons. To turn a team and a program that had endured consistent failure into a program that could succeed Johnson knew he had to recruit the best possible players he could.

"My first recruits to the university had to be proven leaders, proven winners and I saw that in Stacey," Johnson said. "I really went after her and talked to her about how her recruit class was going to help transform the program."

Originally, Rice was not considering coming to Slippery Rock, but as she continued to talk to Coach Johnson, his message began to resonate with her. "(Coach Johnson) challenged me and basically said 'Do you want to be a part of something bigger than yourself?

You're going to the start of a new chapter in Slippery Rock softball.' That just enticed me, it was interesting," Rice said.

"I knew I would play and be a leader, helping to transform the program. I bought into it really early, I was only 18 years old and I bought into this idea of Slippery Rock and the softball program."

Rice ultimately accepted Coach Johnson's challenge and came to SRU. Her decision proved to be a good one, as Rice went on to have one of the best playing careers during the program's most successful period since the 1980's.

In 2005, her freshman year, Rice hit .349 as the team's starting shortstop and played in 43 games, an SRU record at the time. In 2006, Rice hit .315 and broke her own record by playing in 44 games. Rice really put her mark on the Slippery Rock record books during her junior year in 2007 when she hit .414, setting then single-season records in games played and games started with 48, at bats with 145, hits with 60, doubles with 15, home runs with 15, runs batted in with 44, total bases with 119, walks with 22, runs scored with 40 and slugging percentage with .821. Rice also excelled in her senior season, hitting .372 and starting in all 44 games.

In her four-year career the team compiled 97 wins and three winning seasons. Rice still holds the career records in games played (179), games started (175), at-bats (511), hits (186), doubles (37), walks (86), total bases (334) and on-base percentage (.461).

After graduating with a degree in Secondary English Education in 2008, Rice joined the master's program at Slippery Rock and became a graduate assistant for the softball team. Rice earned her master's degree in 2010 and then became an assistant coach on the team before being named head coach prior to the 2015 season. Rice attributes a lot of her coaching style and messages to the way Johnson coached her.

"I think (Rice) really enjoyed the fact that the players were accountable for the way they played on the field," Johnson said. "I taught as much as I could in practice, but during the games I put responsibility on the players. My focus was to have smart ballplayers who were accountable so basically they were becoming coaches while they were playing."

In her first year, Rice led The Rock to a 15-23 record and narrowly missed the conference tournament.

SRU athletic director Paul Lueken said that when the head coaching job opened up Rice's success, knowledge of Slippery Rock and dedication to the university made her the clear candidate to take over the program.

"I saw her desire and enthusiasm to continue what she had thought we had gotten started with softball," Lueken said. "She's has experienced success here and she understands what we need in order to be successful."

Aside from her responsibilities with the softball team, Rice is active in on-campus activities and within the athletic department. Lueken said she is well-liked by other coaches and is a positive member of the department.

Rice has taken part in the women's athletic golf outing and was a part of a panel called "Journey's of Success at The Rock" that focused on Slippery Rock women who have been successful in their lives.

Rice said that her success comes from her making decisions not based on personal success or gain, but rather on her own code of ethics and doing what is right.

How Rock softball performs in the coming years will determine how successful Rice's coaching career will be, but she is dedicated to SRU and excited to continue the process she signed on with 12 years ago when she was just 18 years old.

"Best case scenario for my career, we finally win a conference championship and I can retire here," Rice explained. "I think it's very unheard of for a coach to stay at any one place for a very long time. We're blessed to have a community here on campus that is based on more than just winning. I would love to stay here for as long as they will have me, but definitely with at least one big trophy at the end."

SPORTS Seniors cherish friendship while each makes their mark in SRU record books March 25, 2016

C-3

Continued from Page C 1

"I had never heard of Slippery Rock when they first contacted me, and at first I was like no way I can't go there, it's six hours away and it has a weird name," Callaghan joked. "Then I decided to watch a video and the campus looked really nice so I came for the official visit and I ended up loving it."

Wilcox, a psychology major, also confessed to being unaware of SRU when entering her recruitment process, but being from Hamburg, N.Y., just outside Buffalo, she liked that the school was only about a two-hour drive from home.

"I thought I'd just give (SRU) a shot when looking at schools," Wilcox said. "I was keeping my options open but this place seemed like the best decision. The program was in a building process at the time so I knew that I would be able to help the team right away rather just being a background player before my junior and senior year."

Outside of their goal-scoring abilities, both players love the team aspect of lacrosse, saying that the sport goes beyond individual talent and relies on teamwork. Entering the 2016 season, Callaghan also ranked fifth in SRU history in assists.

"If you hated each other out on the field, us as a team wouldn't ever have the ball," Callaghan said.

"When someone gets a ground ball or causes a turnover, it shows

REBECCA DIEtRICH/THE ROCKET

Senior midfielder Kaitlyn Callaghan looks to take a shot against Edinboro. Callaghan scored her 100th career goal less than four minutes into the game. She now ranks in the top 10 in all-time goals scored in SRU history.

how everyone is involved and can help the team win."

As seniors, Callaghan and Wilcox are ready to leave behind their legacy at SRU and turn the program over to their underclassman teammates. Both seniors stress the importance

of wanting teammates to have fun, because four years can go by quicker than you think. According Wilcox, you enter a season with 30 teammates, but you walk away with 30 friends.

"I know that every single game we go out there and get emotional,"

Wilcox said. "We want to get out there and win that conference championship and get those rings like we've always talked about.

It's great to get that individual accomplishment, but it would be awesome to get that recognition as well."

Rock cracks at claws of Crimson Hawks, shutout 9-0 in 2016 home opener

By Oscar Matous Rocket Contributor

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Freshman Amanda Bruscemi returns a volley in The Rock's match against Indiana (Pa) Wednesday. Bruscemi plays SRU's number four singles and has a 5-3 record this season.

The Slipper y Rock Un i v e r s i t y w o m e n’s tennis team opened up its section play with a loss to conference rival Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

The Rock was defeated Wednesday with a score of 9-0, leaving the team with an overall record of 7-6 and 0-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

To start the day, the doubles team of sophomores Carla Corrochano Moracho and Nina Barbano lost to IUP’s Jarka Petercavoka and Luise von Agris with a score of 8-1.

Freshman Amanda Br u s c e m i an d ju n i or Stephanie Fortier lost to the Crimson Hawk’s Raquel Gonzalez and Rachel Wood with a score of 8-4.

Ro ck junior Tif fany Kollah and freshman Allie Welch lost 8-1 to Claudia Menes and Alanna McFail to wrap up the doubles match.

“We played really slow doubles,” C oach Matt Me r e d i t h s a i d , “ T h e competition was tough, but I believe we could have come out stronger and played a lot better doubles.”

To b e g i n s i n g l e s , Corrochano lost to Petercavoka with scores of 6-2, 6-3.

Nina Barbano was defeated by Gonzalez 2-6, 6-2, 10-3 to add another win for the Crims on Hawks. Kollah lost to van Agris with scores of 6-1, 6-4 in the next match.

Slippery Rock added to its woes when Butland took down Bruscemi with scores of 6-1, 6-3.

“We held our own out there,” Bruscemi said, “I wouldn’t say we played bad, but by the time we got focused in doubles it was too late. We grinded out there and definitely played a lot better when we got to singles.”

In the final two matches of the evening, Fortier lost to Menes 6-3, 6-3 and Welch fell to Wood 6-2, 6-1.

“They are a tough team with some ver y good talent,” Coach Meredith said of IUP’s team, “We knew coming in it was going to be tough. All we can do now is to prepare for next week against Mercyhurst.”

The ladies will look for a win against Mercyhurst University on Tuesday, March 29, at 8:15 p.m.

“Again, this will be a tough matchup for us," Meredith explained. "It will be interesting to see how we play indoors because Mercyhurst does not have outdoor tennis courts. We are used to battling the weather out here so it will for sure be different for us next week.”

SPORTS

C-4

March 25, 2016

Sophomores ignite Rock offense in doubleheader

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET

Sophomore infielder Matt Mandes throws to first during The Rock's game against Mercyhurst Thursday afternoon. Mandes is batting .231 with two RBI's so far this season.

By Ryan Barlow Sports Editor

Rock baseball earned its sixth win of the season Sunday afternoon in a 22-4 route over University of Pitt-Johnstown (UPJ), but the celebration was short-lived after the Mountain Cats stormed back to take game two of the doubleheader 12-4.

The Rock's offense stormed out of the gate hot in the first inning, putting up 10 runs on nine hits which included a three-run home run by sophomore Tyler Walters, a two-run single by sophomore Christian Porterfield and a two-run triple by sophomore Mitchell Wood.

The Rock scored three more runs in the second inning and then scored seven more in the third. At the end of the third inning, Slippery Rock had a commanding 20-0 lead over

UPJ. Walters led SRU's offense with five hits and five RBI's.

His home run was his seventh of the season and 20th in his career. He now sits tied sixth all-time in SRU history for home runs with 2003 Rock grad Mike Sikorski.

Sophomore Matt Gordon had a solid day on the mound for SRU in game one. He went all seven innings giving up four runs, only two were earned. Gordon also had six strikeouts on seven hits.

"Matt is the type of pitcher that is always going to go out and throw strikes and put your team in a good situation to win," Rock head coach Messer said. "Offensively, we hit everything in sight. We show at times that we are capable of doing that and sometimes we don't."

In game two, SRU held a 2-1 advantage heading into the sixth inning before allowing the Mountain Cats to score four runs in the top half of the inning. UPJ would score another seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to secure its victory.

Sophomore Shawn Holman started the game for SRU, going five innings while allowing two runs on six hits, four strikeouts and two walks. Junior Preston Falascino replaced Holman in the sixth.

Falascino went 1.1 innings and allowed seven runs, earning the loss. He was replaced by sophomore Andrew Null in the seventh inning who recorded the final two outs of the game.

Messer credited some of The Rock's pitching struggles to some of his players inexperience pitching at the collegiate level, but he expects them to improve as time goes on.

"The game-plan is for our guys to mature as time goes on," Messer said. "I think our biggest battle as far as guys getting their time on the mound has not been so much a physical battle, but more of a mental battle."

SRU returns to the field for its home opener against Mercyhurst University Friday. The doubleheader begins a four-game weekend series with the Lakers, who were ranked first overall in the nation in preseason rankings.

According to Messer, he believes the second game of the series is the most important game for his team to win.

"In that first game, you run out there with your top arm going against their top pitcher, who is probably the best in the conference," Messer said. "You know that he is going to give you a good game, so you know your pitcher will have to be 100 percent on. In that second game, if you can't get to their top guy in the first game, you want an experienced pitcher such as John Anderson on the mound to put your team in its best opportunity to win."

First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at SRU's Jack Critchfield Park.

C

CAMPUS LIFE

INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE

MTS Debuts Spring Broadway Cabaret

Calling Women "Crazy"

The Musical Theatre Society opened up its spring Broadway Cabaret on Wednesday with songs from hit musicals, "Grease," "Heathers" and "Hairspray."

The Slippery Rock University Women's Center hosted a panel discussion on Tuesday to explore depictions of "crazy" women and the negative consequences of the label.

See Page D-2

See D-3

Happy Birthday, SRU Green and White Society celebrates 127 years of Slippery Rock University

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET Samantha Rivet, president of Green and White Society gathers a group of students to take a "selfie" to celebrate Slippery Rock University's 127th birthday at the party.

By Emma Pfeifer

The event had a variety of different games and stations for students to enjoy throughout Asst. Campus Life Editor the party such as water pong, pin the tail on The Green and White Society hosted a Rocky and Plinko. birthday party to celebrate Slippery Rock’s 127 The intention behind the party was to years of existence in the Smith Student Center celebrate Slippery Rock by bringing the on Tuesday during common hour. community together and having fun, Trocci Alyssa Trocci, junior early childhood said. education and special education major and The event took about an hour to set up and Green and White Society’s vice president of there were more than 15 people from Green traditions is the one that organized and made and White Society and UPB contributing. the event happen.

There was candy for students including

Twizzlers, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, M&Ms, chocolate candy and Skittles. There were empty bags that were available for anyone to fill with candy and take home for later if they wanted to.

Along with being able to take home candy, there were hats, beads, fake tattoos, pens, pencils, frisbees and more for people to play with and take home.

SEE BIRTHDAY, PAGE D-2

Panelists link masculinity to mass shootings

By Samantha Figard Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock University's Gender Studies Program hosted a panel, “Masculinity and Mass Shooters,” where SRU students and staff were invited to learn about the correlation between gender and mass shootings and participate in a Q&A. Professor of English and director of gender studies Cindy LaCom and gender studies graduate assistant Natalie Drozda led the event.

The event was co-sponsored by the Department of Criminology and Security Studies and the international psychology honorary, Psi Chi. “We are doing a disservice to boys and me,” LaCom said. “This is not about apportioning blame, it’s really about raising questions which have to be a part of national conversation.”

LaCom and Drozda informed the audience of statistics on mass shootings and the factors involved that drive males to perform such acts.

Past mass shooting tragedies were given as examples, such as the Columbine High School massacre and the case of Elliot Rodger, who was responsible for the Isla Vista killings.

“Being bedded in this research has changed the way I live in the world,” LaCom said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN ACCETTULLA Professor of English and director of gender studies Cindy Lacom and Natalie Drozda leading the panel discussion about masculinity and mass shooters.

SEE PANEL, PAGE D-2

CAMPUS LIFE Birthday party MTS opens spring cabaret keeps pride alive with new and old show tunes March 25, 2016

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Continued from Page D-1

There was a balloon creation station for students and community members to be entertained with. Freshman business major Quinn Mclaughlin was the balloon creator for the event.

Mclaughlin started his business 5 years ago when his uncle bought him a kit as a joke.

He took to it and really got into the creation of different animals and objects, Mclaughlin said. He can make about 50 different shapes with the balloons and is still learning.

Another station at the event was pin the tail on Rocky. The player would be blindfolded and spun around three times then directed towards where Rocky was to try and pin the tail in the right place. After they were done, players would get a poster for participating.

The HOPE Peer Educators came to the event and had a booth with the game Plinko. Plinko is a game that players drop a chip down a maze shaped board into a slot where they usually get a prize.

But, the Peer Educators did it a little bit differently.

Junior social work major and Peer Educator Jessica Tager said that the game was to educate people on the effects of how many drinks somebody has had either at a party or the bar.

Instead of handing out prizes, the educators would ask questions about the affects of alcohol and if the player got the question right, they would win a prize.

Claudia Hartmann, sophomore safety management and athletic training major, said that the event brought back the importance of how the university was founded 127 years ago.

Being a part of Green and White Society gives the chance to advocate for Slippery Rock and get other students excited about Rock pride, Hartmann said.

The event started being planned in the beginning of last semester.

It took many different people and organizations to make it what was, Trocci said. Everyone had their own part in helping to plan it.

The purpose of the birthday party was to celebrate when Slippery Rock was founded, Trocci said.

Sophomore public health major Kara Mancini said that the party is a way to keep the pride in everyone that goes here and it is a way to celebrate the ongoing pride of Slippery Rock students.

The event started to come to an end after students sang happy birthday to Slippery Rock and took some pictures.

Cupcakes were available to everyone at the party, along with some drinks as well to bring the event to a conclusion.

“I think the party went extremely well, it was lively and fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves,” Trocci said.

REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET Musical Theatre Society members, Jessica Patterson and Jordan Powell perform "I'd Give It All for You" from "Songs for a New World."

By Nina Bracci Rocket Contributor

T h e Mu s i c a l T h e at r e Society (MTS) opened its spring Broadway Cabaret on Wednesday evening in Swope Music Hall.

Songs were included from "Grease," "Heathers" and more.

The event originally began as a fundraiser in order to reach the club’s main goal of performing a full musical, and has been continuing for five years with two cabarets per semester.

President of MTS Karleigh Santry said it's really exciting that MTS has gotten to this point, and that the organization is working on putting on a musical for next year.

When asked how the theme of the show was chosen, Santry explained that several times, the organization or executive board members think of broad ideas with thorough discussion and collaboration between everyone.

The show's Assisant director Samantha Christou said there isn't always an exact theme to every cabaret.

“It’s just different varieties of songs from different musicals, and I think a lot of people like that because they aren’t expecting the same thing," she said.

S ant r y e x pl ai n e d t hat the process for putting on the cabaret shows are very tedious with a long audition process. Auditions began back in January, with rehearsals starting right after.

MTS member, Mallor y Milberger, xssaid members mostly pick which songs they want to audition with based on how that song fits with their style of voice.

The directors and assistant directors of the show sit in on the two-day auditions, the first being scheduled and the second being open on a first come-first serve basis.

“After the second audition day, we sit down and decide who’s going where and come up with the final cast list,” Santry said.

Santry explained that once the cast is picked, there are many little things that go into preparing the show, such as securing a space for the show, to purchasing small props, to building bigger props.

“Behind the scenes is very time consuming for the directors, the assistants and the entire creative team,” Santry said.

“Some of the show had dancing with blocking involved and that usually goes with the bigger group numbers” Milberger said. “There (were) also female numbers, male numbers, big group numbers, and just a lot of variety.”

Christou stated that the directors tried to mix in older shows with newer shows while also adding many newer songs that people might not know and several older songs that people will be familiar with.

Santry said that this year in particular, there are many more freshmen than the society usually has participating in the show.

“They (were) very enthusiastic and excited about being involved which is so exciting for us to see, because those are the ones who will be running the club in the future,” Santry said.

Milberger said she hopes after people see the show that they understand how important mustical theatre is and it is a way to express yourself.

Panel discussion brings awareness to SRU campus Continued from Page D-1

“I tend to be oblivious and happy and trusting and everyone is wonderful. I have found myself walking into rooms and looking around and thinking, ‘Right now, if I start to hear gun shots, where would I go?’”

Exercise science majors Katelynn Kaiser and Katie Hane attended the event for credit for their psychology course.

“You see (mass shootings) in the media, and then you forget about it because it doesn’t really affect you, but in reality it affects you more than you think it can,” Kaiser said.

Audience member, Sara Bridgeman expressed her feelings about the effect mass shootings and violence have on her.

“I don’t feel safe sitting in this room,” Bridgeman said. “I don’t feel safe anywhere on this university. Every time I go to the movies, and I see somebody sitting alone and they shift, I start to say my goodbyes. That’s how I live. I carry my car keys between my fingers, just in case, and it doesn’t matter if I’m here or anywhere else, that’s just what I’ve had to do to make myself feel even some semblance of safety.“ After attending the informational event and learning about the reality that is mass shooting, Hane was able to walk away with a clear message on how to handle the now normal frequent occurrences of mass shootings. “(Mass shootings) are a reality and we need to think about it as though it can happen anywhere and anytime, which is kind of scary, but we need

to be more aware of it,” Hane said.

Advice was given by Bridgeman for ways to cope with the reality of mass shootings.

“Mass shootings have become such a large issue,” Bridgeman said. “It was just said that some of us may be involved in mass shootings in our lifetime. How are we supposed to live with that hanging over us?”

Drozda was able to supply some advice to Bridgeman on how to cope with the threat of being involved in a mass shooting.

“Mass shootings are very real and terrible," Drozda said. "The main thing is, you have to go on and live your life. You can’t live in a cage, because that way, you are not being proactive and promoting these tough but necessary conversations. Through dialogue and communication, events like mass shootings can change.”

"Masculinity and Mass Shooters" geared toward bringing awareness to students who may not have known the frequency of mass shootings in America or effects mass shootings can have on society or how gender plays a role in mass shootings, but the hosts were able to share their knowledge with the audience.

“I think there is a capacity for all of us to feel really paranoid and helpless, and I don’t know how to balance that, but I think that finding some way to have a conversation about this violence being a part of our culture without letting it consume us is the best we can do,” LaCom said.

Scan this QR code to watch an exclusive video of the "Masculinity and Mass Shooters" or go to www.theonlinerocket. com

March 25, 2016

CAMPUS LIFE

Ask Andi

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Panelists explain society's image of a "mad" woman

Andi is a senior at SRU giving advice to those who seek it and occasionally to those who don't.

Question: Dear Andi,

So I've gained the freshman 15. Maybe even more, but I'm starting to take action on it. I've started going to the gym, but I noticed everyone stares at me when I go, which is starting to make me very uncomfortable, and embarrassed.

How do I get over the fear of going to the gym without being judged?

Sincerely, Fast Food Junkie

Answer:

Dear Fast Food Junkie,

Been there, done that. The freshman 15 is no joke, but it's good you're taking action.

Judgement is everywhere, we just learn how to live with it, which is easier said than done.

When we graduate high school, we think the prissy judgement phase is over; wrong, it has just begun. We enter college and adulthood and realize the judgements just become more passive-aggressive than before. Adults are guilty of judging each other just as much as any preteens, but that's where the not caring and just living your life comes in. You recognized a problem and you are taking charge of it and trying to change yourself for the better. You're doing this for you, not any of those people at the gym, so those people don't matter. The gym isn't the most flattering place for anyone, so disregard what they think, you aren't there to impress them. More power to you, girl or boy.

Best Wishes!

Andi

Question: Dear Andi,

My best friend's birthday is next weekend, and she wants to go to an amusement park, but the ticket is $80, and to be honest, I'm broke.

I've been working on saving money lately, and this will really push me back a couple steps. $80 may not seem like a lot to some, but it's a lot to the average broke college student. How do I tell my best friend that I don't have the money to go to this amusement park without letting her down?

Sincerely, Broke As A Joke

Answer:

Dear Broke As A Joke,

I think your friend will understand, considering she's probably just as broke as the rest of us. Just tell her that you're trying to save money, but you'd be up for something a little less costly. Tell her maybe you could just go out to dinner and just hangout for the day. Going to the movies might be fun too. Birthdays are overrated and there are so many expectations built around them when really it's just about being around the people who matter and having a fun time enjoying each other's company (and maybe a couple of drinks). Sometimes the best gift you can give someone is friendship (and put the couple of drinks on your tab).

KENDALL SCOTT/THE ROCKET Dr. Emily Keener disusses the issues of double standards in society regarding gender at the Women's Center panel discussion.

By Sam Delauter Rocket Contributor

Everyone has seen it before: whether in real life, film or the media, if a woman’s emotions get the best of her, society to labels her as crazy, leaving that woman to contemplate her psychological status.

On Tuesday, the Slippery Rock University Women’s Center shed light on this issue of stigmatizing women during its panel discussion “Mad Girls: Calling Women Crazy in Pop Culture.” The four-woman panel, which included Dr. Rochelle Dykstra-Crookshanks, Dr. Emily Keener, freshman information technology student Madison Hollins and senior psychology major Ayanna Byers, spent common hour delving deep into the issue of the verbal denunciation of women as well as the double standard our society possesses regarding gender issues.

The discussion began with a historical background regarding how society has previously dealt with women who were “out of step" with the rest of the world.

Women's Center member Sarah Naughton said women went from being physically locked up to being socially restrained.

While women are no longer jailed for their abandonment of traditional folkways, many feel their genuine behaviors and thoughts are being impeded upon as society attempts to condemn behaviors that contradict social expectations.

So why do we as a society feel the need to fit certain people in to certain categories? Dr. Keener explained that the need for society to fit certain people in certain categories is the phenomenon that is something subconscious.

“You may not realize why someone is rubbing you the wrong way.” Keener said. “We are socialized to have these (categorical) reactions.”

Byers said women make certain boundaries that they are often told to go back into.

"Once we step outside these boundaries, you have people who will consistently tell you what you need to do to be back in your boundaries," Byers said.

Wit h a h i s tor i c a l ly u n c onve nt i on a l presidential election on the horizon, the panel went on to examine the issue in the context of leadership roles.

“The role of leadership is interesting because that’s a masculine domain,” DykstraCrookshanks said. “When a woman is then put into a masculine leadership role, she is perceived as bossy, but keep in mind if she were to act feminine, it’s also problematic because then she is not taken seriously.”

There was plenty of discussion among the audience during the hour-long event. One member chimed in to explain his opposing view on the issue.

“When a girl comes in screaming and yelling, then I’m going to call her crazy,” the audience member said.

Another member responded by explaining that instead of writing women off as simply crazy, maybe the two parties should sit down and calmly discuss the situation. There was a general consensus among the crowd that the word crazy is often used as a cop-out to avoid discussion and argument.

The four panelists encourage everybody to become more aware of the issue of gender stigmatizing and act different from your implicit beliefs.

Need Advice?

Ask Andi about anything at rocket.letters@sru.edu Or...

Visit theonlinerocket.com Click in the "About" tab, and click "Feedback" to

Best Wishes!

Andi

submit your questions.

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March 25, 2016