4/19 Digital Edition

the rocket

Friday April 19, 2019 • Volume 102, Issue Number 9 • An Independent, Student-Run Newspaper

Call for campus carry College Republicans host rally on concealed carry on college campuses

PARIS MALONE/ THE ROCKET Brian McLaughlin, a senior political science major and president of College Republicans, speaks during a campus rally Saturday afternoon.

By Hope Hoehler and Hannah Shumsky The Rocket Editorial Staff

The College Republicans hosted Kaitlin Bennett, Mayor Jondavid Longo, and State Representative Aaron Bernstine at their Campus Carry Rally Saturday afternoon.

Attendance at the rally was approximately 84 people, as students, professors and members of the Slippery Rock community came together to express their questions and opinions about campus carry.

President of the College Republicans and senior political science pre-law major Brian McLaughlin said that they decided to bring Kaitlin Bennett, a 2018 Kent State

University graduate who rose to fame after she posed with an AR-10 in a photo, to campus because she is a national advocate for campus carry.

Bennett said she received pushback from students on other campuses and still believes that it is important for everyone to stick together because conservatives for campus carry are a minority on college campuses.

“Even though I am not from here, I support the students' rights to protect themselves on this campus,” Bennett said.

Bennett said that she is a Second Amendment absolutist and believes that there should be no gun laws.

She believes that there should be no background checks, no waiting period and no licenses to conceal a handgun.

“If the government can have a weapons system to where they aren’t prohibited from having any type of weapons, then the citizens shouldn’t either,” Bennett said. “The Second Amendment is there for us to be able to protect ourselves against tyrannical government.”

Bennett said that she does not believe campus carry is carrying around an AR-15 rifle, but she does believe that it is the right to carry a handgun on one’s person.

Ma yo r L o n g o , a Marine Corps combat veteran, questioned the safety of potential victims in gun-free

zones, using the example of Virginia Tech, which is still a gun-free campus, during his opening remarks.

“But let’s face it, we aren’t always going to have a hero with a badge and a firearm at our side ready for the moment someone takes us by surprise and starts slinging bullets at us,” Longo said.

During the question and answer session of the rally, a couple students expressed their concerns about campus carry, saying that they would not feel safe if guns were allowed on campus. Some students mentioned that they would feel less safe if a fellow student could be carrying a firearm.

“You have to look at it from an ethical standpoint,” Bennett responded. “Why is it that your fear overrides my right to self-defense?”

During the hour-long question and answer session, faculty advisor for the College Republicans D r.

Heather Frederick mentioned during the discussion that the rights in the Constitution were not absolute and have limitations. Frederick, a political science professor, teaches the limitations of the Constitution and its Amendments in her American National Government, Civil Liberties and Civil Rights, Constitutional Law and Court classes.

SEE BENNETT PAGE A-3

Brett Young gives SRU a "Ticket to L.A." Students brought country music with Brett Young and LANCO concert

By Megan Bush Campus Life Editor

"In Case You Didn't Know," country music stars Brett Young and LANCO paid Slippery Rock University a visit Sunday evening thanks to the University Program Board (UPB).

When the Aebersold Student Recreation Center (ARC) closed that afternoon, UPB took over the building, setting up the stage, placing smoke machines and preparing the queue for the audience members that would soon line up in the parking lot outside. UPB worked with University Police and Landmark Event Staffing Services to provide security detail and ensure the safety of all concert-goers as well as UPB volunteers and staff members.

UPB Director of Concerts Tom Streit said his favorite part of being in his position

is leading a committee that is able to transform venues and atmospheres into something ideal for concerts like this one.

"Not everyone is able to do [that] at different universities," Streit said.

"Slippery Rock University is one of the only universities that has a student-run program like this."

The decision to present a country music concert this spring was mostly due to the three years of hip-hop and rap concerts that UPB had brought over the last few years, according to Streit.

After presenting rock band Simple Plan in the fall, he was excited to host a country music event.

"We really wanted to switch it up [after Simple Plan], and we really wanted to bring a big country name," Streit said. "Brett Young's been all over the place; he's been on The Bachelor, American Idol.

So, we wanted to bring a

News

Greenstein Open Forum

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PARIS MALONE/ THE ROCKET Brian McLaughlin, a senior political science major and president of College Republicans, speaks during a campus rally Saturday afternoon.

real good star that's on the rise and super, super in the media."

Doors opened at 6:30 p.m., an hour before LANCO would begin its set.

Audience members passed

Opinion

Don't Go At It Alone

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by UPB's free water station and a merchandise booth at the back of the gym before fighting to get as close as they could to the stage.

www.theonlinerocket.com

Not just an AD

Lueken reflects on 25 years

By Karl Ludwig Assistant Sports Editor

All too often, individuals become synonymous with the jobs they spend their lives working. In the case of Paul Lueken, he does not let his role as the Athletic Director at Slippery Rock University define him as a person.

Despite the immense pleasure attained from 25 years in charge of the SRU athletic department, he’s learned to value the little things in life.

A life-altering event almost ten years ago changed his entire perspective on life and allowed him to see what makes life worth living: family. “[Losing my first wife] definitely showed me what’s important in life. Being an athletic director at Slippery Rock University is a big part of my life, but I don’t let it control my life,” Lueken, 59, said. “I learned what was important. 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 support I have.”

When Lueken’s first wife, Rose Ann Lueken, passed away in August of 2010 following a 13-year battle with cancer, Lueken credited the outpouring of support from the community in helping him through the hardest time of his life.

Outstanding support from the Slippery Rock community aside, Lueken pointed to his new wife and her two children in helping bring joy back to his life, too.

“I’ve been very blessed, and I’ve found another special woman who brought two wonderful children. We have a super thing going there, and I’m really enjoying life.

I just became a grandfather and I’m really enjoying that, too,” Lueken said.

Since truly realizing the importance of family, community and love in maintaining a fulfilling life, he has instilled that same family atmosphere in his own department. Family comes first and in dealing with issues involving family, that comes before anything – even work.

However, while family always comes first to Lueken, his work as the

SEE YOUNG PAGE D-3

Sports

Athletic Director at SRU has been everything he’s ever wanted… even if he did not know it when arriving on campus almost 25 years ago.

“I thought it’d be a three to five year stop and maybe I’d move on to Division I as an athletic director,” laughed Lueken. “The place grows on you though. When I first got here, I saw a lot of room for growth, facility updates and improvements, scholarship growth and lots of other room for opportunities. It was a challenge that I wanted to give a try.”

Before coming to The Rock, Lueken attended Earlham College and ventured into the insurance field after earning a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Business. After deciding he did not envision selling insurance in the future, he returned to school at St. Thomas University in Florida.

“I really enjoyed my time as a student-athlete and working in the field house,” said Lueken. “I thought, ‘how can I do that?’ so I went and got a degree in sports administration with the goal of being a college athletic director.”

The path to becoming an athletic director took Lueken back home to Southern Illinois where he received an offer from near-by Eastern Illinois University.

For four years, he served as the director of athletic development and the assistant athletic director of marketing and promotions.

During his time at EIU, Lueken combined his love of golf and helping others by becoming a coach.

While at EIU, Lueken received an offer from a small, state school which he had never heard of in a whole different state. His dream of being a college athletic director was close to becoming reality just a few hundred miles away in western Pennsylvania.

“I got a great opportunity to start my career at Eastern Illinois University and that was where I grew up, so that was home. And then this opportunity as Slippery Rock came and to get the athletic director job was a dream come true."

However, the up and downs in Lueken’s athletic administration career began early. Day one, in fact, started with a challenge.

SEE LUEKEN PAGE C-3

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Women's Rugby Booted Out

Campus Life

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Discussion on Gun Violence

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Check out an SGA Update produced

by WSRU-TV

NEWS

Passing the torch

Kline to hand off SRSGA presidency to Dunlop

By Hannah Shumsky Assistant News Editor

On April 11, Nicole Dunlop, a sophomore homeland security major, was officially elected as president of the Student Government Association (SGA) following in the footsteps of current president Dallas Kline.

When reflecting on this past year of SGA, Kline emphasized that the internal culture of SGA changed, especially with the training of younger senators.

"We really empowered the senate, told them how to use Robert's Rules, gave younger, newer senators information they needed to be successful, which always hasn't been done in the past," Kline said.

With the introduction of new projects, such as the food pantry and senate restructure, Kline said that SGA grew as an organization, but not without mistakes.

"Because we did stuff so new and we were always trying to find the best way to make things happen, things didn't go over as smoothly as they did in the past, but that kind of comes from change," Kline said. "Facing that adversity of change, there were some times where we definitely made some mistakes, we messed up, but that comes with the growth of the organization."

Dunlop, who is currently the vice president of internal affairs, agreed with Kline and added that SGA embraced change that will carry into next year, although some initiatives from SGA were difficult to accomplish within one year.

"It's important because our terms are only one year long that we make sure that we carry on what was done last year because it's really hard to make those huge changes in just one year," Dunlop said.

"So, passing the torch is a very important time."

Next year, Dunlop will encourage students across campus to discuss more issues with SGA members, especially during the open forum section of formal meetings. Dunlop also hopes to host town hall sessions, including one about mental health.

"I think definitely one of the biggest [goals] is making sure students know they can come and talk to use during open forum or just speaking to senators who are in their class, and also vice versa, making sure senators and E-board are reaching out to students around us and getting opinions on what to do better, so just that two-way communication," Dunlop said.

"It's not really about our legacy—it's about what's going to happen for students in the future."

Dallas Kline, 2018-19 SRSGA President

"I think definitely one of the biggest [goals] is making sure students know they can come and talk to us during open forum or just speaking to senators who are in their class..."

Nicole Dunlop, 2019-20 SRSGA President

8,895 eligible voters (Total Enrollmeent)

8,824 eligible voters (Total Enrollmeent)

534 ballots cast (6% turnout)

739 ballots cast (8.4% turnout)

One ticket for executive board candidates

No official ticket, indvidual candidates ran for executive office

6%

8.4%

Dunlop also hopes to encourage more collaboration between SGA's six committees: internal affairs, rules and policies, finance, student and academic affairs, social justice and campus outreach. For example, rules and policies and internal affairs are currently working together to revise SGA's election policies and procedures.

"We realized that we're missing a gap in either our bylaws or our constitution, or however we decide to do that," Kline said.

At Monday night's formal meeting, SGA approved a senate restructure that would represent students by college, residence and other offices on campus (including the Women's Center and Pride Center).

One major campaign goal for Kline's current executive board was to research and eventually implement a new structure. The current senate structure is based on where students live and may not accurately represent all SRU students.

While reflecting on her tenure as president, Kline said that while her executive board accomplished a major campaign goal through the senate restructure, the priority of SGA's accomplishments isn't the legacy of her and her executive board, but instead the future SRU student body.

"We're changing a lot, and I'm glad to see that I was part of that change," Kline said.

"Once again, it's not really about our legacy—it's about what's going to happen for students in the future."

As a sophomore, Dunlop will still be enrolled at SRU to see the new structure take effect in fall 2020.

"I'm really excited for it," Dunlop said. "I think it will be interesting to see how it changes SGA." Du n l o p a n d t h e restructuring committee will oversee the next step ahead: to research a possible executive board restructure.

As for Kline, she will also be around to see the new structure take effect. The senior sport management major will return to SRU in the fall to begin a master's in student affairs and higher education and will serve as a graduate assistant in Career Development and Education.

While she is unsure of her future involvement within SGA when she returns as a graduate student, Kline said she will still support SGA at its meetings and events.

"I'm not leaving until I see [the senate restructure] happen," Kline said.

NEWS

April 19, 2019

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Redesigning the system PASSHE Chancellor holds open forum at SRU, touts future plans

By Adam Zook News Editor

Plans to restructure the Pennsylvania State S y s t e m o f Hi g h e r Education (PASSHE) were outlined in brief by state system chancellor Dr. Daniel Greenstein during an open forum at SRU on Monday morning.

Since being appointed chancellor in September, Greenstein promised to revitalize the state system, saying that he would explore a wide b re a d t h o f o p t i o n s to offset declining enrollment. He proposed what he called a "sharing system" at Monday's town hall, implying that PASSHE schools would share educational resources across the system to provide more opportunity for students.

"Right now is the time," Greenstein said. "We're not just going to be able to tweak our way out of the financial difficulties that we're experiencing at the moment. We have to make large-scale changes and innovations if we want to achieve our overall mission of providing a quality, affordable education across the system."

His visit to SRU is the first in a "listening and learning" tour that he is taking across PASSHE institutions in the spring. Greenstein intends to lay out his ideas of how to redesign and optimize the state system and get feedback from administrations across the state.

A short video began Greenstein's presentation, outlining some of the projected future of the

job market for recent college graduates. With companies increasing their use of artificial intelligence, Greenstein empasized the importance of desigining curriculum so that it's grounded in skills outlined by employers.

Greenstein provided examples of students who had to delay their graduation because a required course for their degree was not being offered by their university. He said that it's ridiculous that a student would have to prolong their time at college and pay more instead of graduating on-time. Under the sharing system Greenstein described, students would be able to take courses online at other PASSHE schools if their institution is not offering the classes they need to advance in their degree program. " Tr a n s f o r m i n g fundamentally is how we'll sustain ourselves," Greenstein said. "We're a single bank account.

Even when institutions like West Chester and Slippery Rock succeed, it's all of our problem when others aren't performing as well.

This system will enable universities to sustain themselves with lower enrollment numbers."

Greenstein had few specifics to offer as to how the sharing system would be implemented starting in the fall, saying that he doesn't have all the answers of how to alleviate the problems that PASSHE has faced in recent years pertaining to financial stability.

According to figures provided in his presentation, only West Chester University has had an increase in enrollment

ADAM ZOOK/THE ROCKET

Chanellor Greenstein listens to a question from an audience member during his open forum at SRU on Monday morning. A small crowd made up mostly of administrators convened in the Smith Student Center theater to hear Greenstein's future plans for PASSHE in the fall.

since 2010, 21%. SRU's enrollment did not change over the eight year span measured by PASSHE. Edinboro, Mansfield and Cheyney Universities experienced the sharpest declines of any PASSHE institutions at 44, 52 and 70 % respectively.

SRU President Dr. William Behre expressed some concern over the proposed changes under the PASSHE restructure.

He asked Greenstein how he planned to keep a healthy balance between aiding suffering universities and lifting

up those who are more stable financially.

"How do you make sure you're still feeding the giants?" Behre said. "We're a series of interconnected institutions of higher education dedicated to preparing students to enter an evolving workforce. How do you make sure that the strong aren't dragged down by the weak?"

Greenstein saw this issue as akin to the problems of "great society", saying that he hears questions like this all the time during campus visits.

"All schools have a vested interest in their own success and the success of their students, and that should be expected," Greenstein said. "It's a question you have to reconcile in situations like these. How do you not disincentivize the rich while supporting the poor? Our scale that we have is enormous, and I believe this redesign will put more capability in the hands of our students."

Greenstein described himself as a "random idea generator", and said he likes to get out his abstract

thoughts and work from there when approaching an issue. He said that solutions come from the ground up and discussions like these help him and his advisors as they prepare for the future of PASSHE. "We have a sense of where we have to be, but not quite what we have to do to get there," Greenstein said. "PASSHE should be self-consciously seeking to improve its culture. It's my job to help us form concrete and observable values that we can hold ourselves accountable to in the future."

Bennett defends her ties to Infowars CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1

Frederick used an analogy in relation to the Fourth Amendment which says you have the right to be secure in person, place and effects from unlawful search and seizure.

However, Frederick also said that there are limitations to this Amendment and that it is not an absolute right by stating that the police can frisk you without a warrant, they can look through your bags and search your car without a warrant.

“The Supreme Court has said that an individual right has to be balanced by the good of society,” Frederick said. “In that instance, the police can frisk you or search your bag without a warrant for their own protection.”

Frederick said that the Second Amendment is not an absolute right and that the Supreme Court said that right to bear arms is an individual right unconnected to service in a militia.

“That doesn’t mean that anyone can have any gun, anywhere they want,” Frederick said. “There can

be limitations put on that.

It’s up to the Courts or the government to set those limitations.”

State Representative Bernstine said that professors or those in charge of people are irresponsible if they don’t want people to be able to protect themselves.

“When people continue to take away my right to protect my family, I will do anything to stop them,” Bernstine said.

One rally attendee mentioned the Sandy Hook shooting from 2012 in relation to Infowars, in which Alex Jones conspired that the shooting was faked to confiscate firearms from Americans. The person making this claim stated that the College Republicans should not be endorsing "someone so terrible.”

“I’m proud of myself for what I do,” Bennett responded. “You call this disgusting, inhuman or disturbing, the only person who represents that is you.

You took an opportunity to discuss self defense for these students and turn it

into something about your feelings. And then you get up and you get your little rant going because you are so emotional you can’t even ask a question; you grab your bag to leave. That is so disgusting and disrespectful, and it shows that you’re a coward.”

Bennett also claimed that Infowars was not part of the rally and that she represented only herself at the event.

“Infowars is not a part of this, Kaitlin Bennett is a part of this,” Bennett said.

Following the rally, Bennett walked around the Quad with an Infowars microphone asking students on their thoughts on 9/11 and Representative Ilhan Omar’s recent remarks at a Council on AmericanIslamic Relations banquet.

Bennett’s team filmed her in front of the Flight 93 memorial located between Boozel Dining Hall and Vincent Science Center.

While filming with students, passing pedestrians yelled expletives toward Bennett seven times.

SRU President William Behre didn't attend Saturday’s rally. Following the rally, he said he didn’t support Bennett being part of a “rally,” which implied a gathering to support one cause, not necessarily discuss the issue.

“I don’t think inviting her was the best way to have a serious conversation,” Behre said. “I will gladly sit down with any student organization and have any conversation, but she’s not a student here and I don’t think she was the best choice to bring onto campus.”

Behre added that he would like to see the College Republicans and Young Progressives meet to have a meaningful discussion on campus carry, a conversation he offered to moderate.

“I think everyone wants a safe campus, but how they define a safe campus and the path you get there, differs significantly,” Behre said. “I think when we have a less nuanced discussion that comes down to, ‘This is the Second Amendment

and this is what it says,’ that’s not the nuanced discussion. The nuanced discussion is ‘What does it mean for Slippery Rock to be a safe campus and what’s the best way to achieve it?’

I’d love to see those two groups sit down and have a reasonable conversation about it.”

Representative Bernstine announced at the rally that he would work on a petition with McLaughlin to distribute around campus.

“I am a big proponent and always have been of bringing people together who may view a situation differently,” Bernstine said. “I think it’s my responsibility and it’s every elected official’s responsibility to listen and understand those points. That way, I can be a better decision maker and implement what I believe as well as my constituents.”

Longo also expressed his support for cosponsoring a petition.

“That’s where we start; it’s mobilizing folks who

are in favor of something like this and making sure their voices are being heard, and sometimes, you need to provide a good medium so that those voices can be heard,” Longo said. “It’s no secret I’ve been a strong of proponent of the Second Amendment since I’ve started my campaign for mayor, a lot of folks didn’t like my conservative stance. I’ll continue to champion those views and try to make sure they are advanced."

Bernstine also announced his primary sponsorship of future legislation that would implement a two-tier system for the concealed carry of firearms in Pennsylvania. In the first tier, the legislation would eliminate the requirement of a separate license to conceal carry a firearm in Pennsylvania and would offer an optional license that would be recognized in other states. Check out theonlinerocket.com for more information on his upcoming legislation.

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The Rocket

April 19, 2019

April 19, 2019

The Rocket

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NEWS

Apirl 19, 2019

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Anxiety epidemic touches SRU

By Haley Potter Senior Rocket Contributor

Six hundred and fiftyfive different students were seen at the health center last fall for anxiety and 58 of those visits were related to suicide, according to Kristine Benkeser, director of Student Health Services.

“That number is terrifying,” she said. “What is not terrifying is that people are coming to us now because we want them to come, if they have these thoughts.”

The anxiety epidemic among college students is on the rise, after reports show that it took over as the leading mental health concern in America in 2018.

One in every four students will experience or develop anxiety during their college career, according to a study done by the American College Health Association in 2018.

32%

OF CASES AT THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICESARE ANXIETY RELATED

There are 230 students on file in the Office of Disabilities for having an emotional or psychological disability such as anxiety.

Natalie Burick, the director of Disability Services, said this makes up 32% of the total disability cases served at the office.

Dr. Dave Wilmes, associate provost for Student Success, said a lot of mental health concerns students have traditionally dealt with in college fell below anxietyy this year.

“College can be a difficult time, because students can be going through a lot off changes in figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and how they are goingg to get there,” Wilmes said.

He also said that this is the first time for many college students to be completelyy on their own, without their parents telling them to do their homework, not to go out, or to go study, makingg college students ripe for anxiety.

Vanessa Vought, an SRU health educator, said mental health problems really start to develop for people in their early 20s, making it prominent as theyy are entering and movingg through their college years.

She also said that her team uses the American College Health Association, National College Health Assessment to develop results and see where SRU students fall in the realm of anxiety. Benkeser, the director of Student Health Services, said this health survey is taken by 80,000 students from 140 schools, making it the largest health database of college students in the country.

According to ACHS, NCHA, 63.4% of college students felt overwhelmed with anxiety in the past 12 months, as opposed to only 54% in 2014. 12% considered suicide linked to their anxiety in 2018, as compared to 8 % in 2014.

22% of all college-students nationally are treated for

anxiety by a professional.

27% of Slippery Rock students suffer from anxiety, according to the ACHS database.

Madison Przicina, 22, a senior public health major and health education intern, said some of these rising statistics are alarming.

“The one that struck me the most was that 12% of students have seriously considered suicide because of their anxiety, and that anxiety is the top concern with 41.6% followed by depression at 36.4%,” Przicina said.

Benkeser said this is a disturbing trend, and that it’s important to know what is driving it.

“Finally, after years of public ser vice announcements, the stigma is reduced in saying you are having a struggle, and that leads to a higher number of people feeling comfortable sharing or seeking help,” Benkeser said.

She also said there was not an effective way to treat anxiety before, so it was not diagnosed nearly as often as it is today. Benkeser said the world is more complex today, so students don’t have the same experiences to build the level of resilience prior generations had.

“Prior generations were expected to make good effort and also to fail sometimes,, and then pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and try harder again,” Benkeser said. “You did not fail and then totally give up, which is what we see when failure happens because students are unsure of what to do.”

She said students today feel that they need to be perfect in everything that they do all of the time, and that that triggers anxiety.

“Saying that you must be perfectly successful all the time, no matter what, is

not how it works, and is not a reality-based approach to the problem,” Benkeser said.

Lindsay, a 21-year-old junior pubic health major who asked not to include her last name, said she has had a diagnosed case of anxiety since her freshman year of high school.

12%

OF STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY NATIONALLY CONSIDER SUICIDE

“My anxiety has gotten so much worse since being in college because there are such high expectations to be perfect, especially because I am trying to get into grad school,” Lindsay said.

Lindsay also said that she thinks anxiety needs to be taken more seriously.

“A lot of people throw the word around like it’s nothing, and some people who have never gotten diagnosed claim they have it,” she said. “Not a lot of people understand how severe it can be for some people.”

Benkeser, the director of Student Health Services, said another trigger for anxiety is the fast-paced world we live p in.

“Every aspect of life is pictured so you can see what others are doing, and often have a fear of missing out or comparing yourself to others,” she said.

She said that social media is lopsided, because only the good things are posted and there is comparison among peers, creating a perfect storm for anxiety.

SRU students in need of support for anxiety issues have several options, such as attending group counesling sessions, signing up with Student Support, or taking a trip to the health center, according to Patricia Dixon, an intern with Student Support.

“We have cases coming to us at Student Support through the health center, and also through the counseling center,” Dixon said.

She said a lot of cases coming through her department are across the board, and that her colleagues help lead students in the right direction.

“We like to joke that we are like a GPS because we can reroute students to the right pathway for them, and help them know where to start,” Dixon said. “We help you choose your path after processing because we understand that sometimes it is overwhelming, so it is important to come to p us first.”

27%

She said they also had eight psychiatric admissions in the fall semester.

Melissa Nard, a licensed psychologist and an associate professor of psychology, said the counseling center does not track diagnoses, but noted that the numbers are higher than ever, making this a pressing concern.

“I think that in general, college students are faced with multiple stressors, like academics, social responsibilities, financial struggles, and family, at a time when they are new to navigating the responsibilities of adulthood,” Nard said.

She said the counseling center is one of the many tools that can be used to help support anxiety.

Evan Markowitz, a 21-year-old junior finance major, said he turns to support groups on campus to ease his confirmed case of anxiety.

“I utilize the resources on campus like the counseling center and exercise classes at the Arc to weaken my anxiety,” Markowitz said.

He also said he tries to incorporate mental health days into his schedule, and that because he has been dealing with anxiety for six years he’s learned how to better control it.

Benkeser, director of student health services,, said that it’s important to note that there is medicine that can be taken for anxiety, but that “walk” and “talk” are also very essential.

“There are physiological issues with mental health,” she said.

“The body does mot make

OF SRU STUDENTS SUFFER FROM ANXIETY ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH ASSOCIATION'S DATABASE

GRAPHICS BY ERIC DAVIES

enough of the balancing component, so that is where medicine comes into play to resolve those levels.”

She said walk and talk come into play as well, because sometimes the best way to treat anxiety is to talk it out with a counselor or a peer or to exercise regularly.

Lindsay, the student with anxiety, said she goes to the gym everyday to help cope with her daily struggles. She also takes full advantage of the Office of Disabilities for when she needs to take a test. Lindsay said she takes anxiety medication, and thinks it helps.

22%

OF ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE TREATED FOR ANXIETY

BY A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL

Wilmes, the provost for Student Success, said SRU offers a new program called “Boost,” where students can meet with their peers for support. Vought, the health educator, said the Hope Peer Educator leaders talk to freshman seminar classes about mental health and about the resiliency bootcamp that SRU offers.

Benkeser, the director of student health services, said it’s important to balance school work with fun, to relieve stress. These are all ways the professionals said w to ease anxiety. Meditation is one of the other methods Dixon from Student Support recommends to students feeling extreme stress or anxiety.

Vought said it’s important to take just as much care of mental health as physical health. She said that 75 to 90% of visits to primary care physicians are actually due to mental health rather than physical-related conditions.

“If you let chronic stress pile up and you aren’t getting proper care, you can actually start to see a lot of health problems, such as a weakened immune system, w heart disease, and high blood pressure,” Vought said.

She also said that when we w get sick with the flu, we do not just wish it away with positive thoughts; we see a doctor.

“That is exactly what needs to be done with mental health,” she said.

“You can’t just deal with it.

You need to pay mind to Y mental health.”

Wilmes said it’s important for students to take advantage of the resources at SRU. “College is one time in life where you have all the resources right here, free and available to you,” Wilmes said. “The counseling center meets individually or in groups. There is also the Boost program, the health center, and it is so much easier in the college environment than when you are out on your own to seek this kind of help.”

Benkeser said that sometimes students who have friends or roommates dealing with struggles also become anxious.

“It is important to tell a friend that is struggling to ‘put your shoes on, we are going to the health center,’ it is as simple as that,” she said.

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OPINION

Our View

Misfire: Inviting hate to campus

OPINION

Volume 102, Issue Number 9

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

(724) 738-4438 (724) 738-4896 therocketnewspapersru@gmail.com

EDITORIAL BOARD Eric Davies

Editor-In-Chief

Adam Zook

News Editor

Oscar Matous

Sports Editor

Megan Bush

Campus Life Editor

Heather Donat

Copy/ Web Editor

Paris Malone

Photo Editor

Thomas Fabian

Multimedia Editor

Hannah Shumsky Karl Ludwig

Assistant News Editor Assistant Sports Editor

Hope Hoehler

Assistant Campus Life Editor

Sarah Allen

Assistant Copy/Web Editor

Jack Hopey

Assistant Photo Editor

Dr. Brittany Fleming

Faculty Adviser

ADVERTISING STAFF Lauren Ault

Advertising Manager

Nicole Tolliver

Assistant Advertising Manager

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

GRAPHIC BY JACK HOPEY

On Saturday, SRU's conservative student group, the College Republicans, hosted a rally in support of campus carry, advocating for legislative reform to allow students to carry handguns on college campuses for the purpose of self-defense. Club president Brian McLaughlin, a senior political science and pre-law major, spoke at the event, along with Slippery Rock Mayor Jondavid Longo and local State Representative Aaron Bernstine.

Kaitlin Bennett, a recent graduate from Kent State University, also spoke at Saturday's gun rights rally.

Bennett garnered attention last spring when she posed for her graduation pictures with an AR-10 rifle, tweeting out that she believed students would be safer on college campuses if they could carry firearms. She said at the rally that she considers herself to be a Second Amendment absolutist, arguing that background checks, waiting periods and licenses to carry a concealed handgun should be abolished.

Bennett is also a "reporter" for InfoWars, a media conspiracy organization that

is facing multiple defamation lawsuits for reporting blatantly false information about the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. At the rally, Bennett, who claimed that her presence at SRU was solely for the purpose of the Second Amendment rally, proceeded to interview students on campus for an InfoWars video published days later on Bennett's Liberty Hangout Youtube channel.

It is the opinion of The Rocket that inviting a radical such as Bennett to campus showcased a disastrous lapse in judgment on behalf of the College Republicans and those associated with the rally. Saturday's discussion was sullied by her inclusion in what should have been a productive discussion on gun rights. Bennett did nothing to further the conversation and went out of her way to belittle and demean members of the audience.

We believe SRU President Dr. William Behre was correct when he said that including Bennett in the rally would take away from any

serious conversation being had, and we commend him as well as others members of university administration for not attending the event.

We appreciate the actions of Mayor Longo and McLaughlin, president of the College Republicans, for apologizing to a member of our staff after he was harassed by Bennett for taking her picture during her on-campus interviews for InfoWars.

Including a conspiracy theorist such as Bennett provided no educational or tangible value to students or the SRU community.

The rally was attended by few students who were not already associated with the College Republicans.

As an institution of higher education, SRU should always be a forum where students and guests can have civil discourse on important political and social issues. However, the ideology of a whitesupremacist sympathizer who uses social media to attack the survivors of school shootings shouldn't be welcome anywhere, not just on a college campus.

In the Quad

The Young Progressives, SRU's liberal student group, hosted an open forum on gun control and violence Wednesday. Their event attracted a higher number of students (although less attendees overall) and allowed for a more open dialogue between moderators and attendees.

If the College Republicans are committed to the idea of campus safety, they should have discussions similar to Wednesday's open forum, and not simply rely on the shock factor of an extremist guest speaker.

It is not The Rocket's perspective that students should refrain from engaging in candid and controversial dialogue with their peers. Students should go out of their way to talk with people that they disagree with and make their own voice heard. We need to call out oppressive rhetoric when we hear it and hold others accountable when they seek to suppress others through bigotry and hate. It's on us as students to make sure that Bennett and other enemies of human decency don't have a voice on our campus.

Question: What do you think of the performers that UPB brought to campus this year?

By: Aaron Marrie

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.

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.

Mike Gashgarian Freshman Psychology Erie

Miriam Bates Sophomore Dance and Theater Design Mercer

Dominic Civitella Senior English Easton

“I am not attending the Drake Bell thing that they are having here, but I do think that it is a great thing they are having and opportunity for students to go to and learn from the different things that he’s gone through.”

“I went to work the concert and I thought it was very cool that we had a concert for the kids to go to and it’s not off campus and it’s in a more safe environment. But it also felt like it was a little chaotic and a little bit of a danger because there is so many people in that space.”

“None of the speakers are really who I’m interested in, but I can see their appeal to typical college students. When they brought Marcus Luttrell, a couple years back, I really enjoyed that cause I read his book, it was interesting to me.

Recently I don’t really care about Drake or Josh, sorry.

I feel like it’s also personal preference.”

April 19, 2019

The Rocket

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Lueken's 25-year career at The Rock Watch the video interview at theonlinerocket.com

SPORTS

A 'hard hitting' topic Concussions remain one of the more complex injuries to treat

By Oscar Matous Sports Editor

More than 200 lawsuits are reportedly being filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for its handling of concussionrelated injuries in college football, according to an article published by Sports Illustrated on Feb. 1.

A December 2015 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that concussions result in 52,802 (5 percent) of all injuries sustained in college athletics.

Scott Morrison, Sl i p p e r y Ro c k University’s head football and t e n n i s

trainer, said it’s tough to say whether the NCAA, universities as a whole, or individual studentathletes are to blame for how concussions are managed and treated.

“Universities and the NCAA share some responsibility in these cases but a lot of it does come down to the athlete,” Morrison said. “If they are not going to do what you tell them to do to keep them safe, then where is that responsibility?

Everybody, including the NCAA, could be doing what they’re supposed to be doing, but if the athlete isn’t, then the university, or even the NCAA, shouldn’t have to be paying for that.”

Within the past five years, 166 concussions across all 17 of SRU’s NCAA Division II sports have been documented by the university’s athletic training personnel, Morrison reported. Of those concussions, 17.5 percent (29) have occurred in football, he said.

According to SRU’s concussion management plan,

athletic trainers look to identify concussions based off four broad symptom categories: physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep. The plan, which was updated in July 2017, and consists of information published in 2013 by the American Medical Society, states that official diagnosis of a sport-related concussion is a clinical diagnosis based on a decision from the athlete’s health care providers.

Morrison, who graduated from Pennsylvania State

University with a degree in kinesiology, said SRU bases its concussion management plan on the NCAA’s guidelines.

“The NCAA doesn’t necessarily mandate the policy that they send out,” Morrison explained.

“They more or so provide a guideline, or framework, for what Slippery Rock is to follow, and leave it up to individual institutions to determine what needs to be done. How we see it, [the NCAA] gives out the bare minimum, and then we take it a little bit further to be a little bit more detailed to protect our student-athletes.”

According to a 2015 study from the American Physical Therapy Association, wrestling is the primary collegiate sport where most concussions are sustained, averaging 10.92 per 10,000 athletes annually.

Men’s and women’s ice hockey followed, with 7.91 and 7.52 concussions, respectively.

College football reported 6.71 concussions per 3,417 exposures, which ranks them as the sport that overall produced the most annual concussions.

Morrison, in the midst of his fourth year at SRU,

said concussions are tricky, because of the lack of clear visual signals that can be seen.

“If you injure your leg, I can see that,” he said. “I have to rely on the athlete to be honest with me with what they are experiencing, which doesn’t always happen. If, from the sidelines, we see somebody get absolutely lit up and really get rocked, we are going to pull that athlete to the side and have a conversation with them, and try to get a sense of if they are being honest with us.”

Morrison said that if he and fellow trainers begin to notice an athlete is coming off as dizzy, or reports a headache, then they will begin to conduct a Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT 5) test on them.

According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), a SCAT 5 test is designed for athletes 13 years of age or older, a n d is the go-to onfield test for concussions.

It cannot be properly performed in less than 10 minutes, and involves a fivestep process when performed on field. If the athlete successfully passes with the clearance of a medical professional, then he or she is allowed back in the game, Morrison explained.

“If the athlete fails any portion of that test, then

we immediately shut them down until they see a doctor,” Morrison said. “We’ll give that athlete, and possibly their families, information on what they need to do to get treated.

At that point, we set them up with doctor’s appointments, and will probably even conduct a neurocognitive computer-based test for them as well.”

Morrison said the athlete is then turned over to a doctor to perform the necessary treatment to get that athlete healthy and back on the field. Morrison highlighted that many people have false stigmas about the after effects of concussions.

“A lot of times, especially in football, you see medical professionals say that if an athlete gets lit up on the field and then complains about a headache, then you

have to shut them down,” he said. “Come Sunday morning, ever ybody, including myself, has a headache. I don’t necessarily think that headaches are a great diagnostic tool for concussions and I think the literature surrounding the topic is supporting that.”

SRU head football coach Shawn Lutz said last season that following week six’s 30-27 win against Indiana University (Pa.), his team stopped going full contact during the week’s practices.

“We really tried to preserve our team because we wanted to remain healthy for the playoff push we were making,” Lutz explained.

“All injuries must be taken seriously, but a lot of the times we know the timetable for specific injuries. With concussions, you can never know how long an athlete could be out for, so we really tried to limit in-practice contact.”

Morrison said the steps taken by Lutz were important but that if it were up to him, there would be no full-contact in practice during the regular season except for training camp, in August.

“From a concussion standpoint, yes, it is crucial to not go full contact during practice,”

Morrison said. “But even from a performance standpoint, it just keeps us fresher out on the field.”

Morrison said the majority of concussions sustained during the 2016 and 2017 football seasons occurred during fullcontact practices.

The program has eliminated a lot of that fullcontact during practices and, as a team, the number of concussions sustained during a season have gone down from about four to five each year to about one to two, Morrison explained.

Morrison said he has yet to find some kind of trend when it comes to concussions.

“This past season, we had about two concussions during the entire schedule,” he said.

“In other years, those numbers have gone up to about four or five a season. It’s not really the epidemic that the media makes it out to be.”

Despite the numbers, Morrison reports from past seasons, he said there’s still an issue with athletes not reporting their concussionlike symptoms, because they don’t want to see a decrease in playing time.

“There are probably a lot more players, across all sports, not just football, that do not report symptoms, which is really alarming from an athletic trainer’s standpoint,” Morrison said.

Morrison said the athletic training department, as a whole, is clamoring to find a device that can show promise in treating concussion. One in particular that showed promise to Morrison and his team was the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening tool (VOMS).

“The training to get certified to use VOMS is not that rigorous, but it takes some time,” Morrison said. “And you have to put in that time to get good at it, so it’s not that reliable.”

Morrison said that from what he’s seen, the best and easiest way to really tell if an athlete has a concussion is if they pull themselves out of the game.

“Once they reach out to with you concern, they are done; we shut them down for the remainder of the game or practice,” Morrison said.

To be cleared to resume contact, Morrison said the athlete has to be cleared by both himself and the team’s independent medical physician, Dr. Megan Miller.

“I am in touch with [Miller] and the team’s orthopedic surgeon on a pretty regular basis,” Morrison said. “We have a pretty good working relationship and communicate with each other. She never tries to pull rank on me and I don’t try to bully her on stuff; we just try to have a professional discussion with each other so that we can protect and treat our student-athletes.”

Morrison said on average, when an athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, he or she is typically out for 10 days.

There are a number of factors, particularly a certain athlete’s medical history, Morrison said.

“I have seen people come back in as little as 48 hours, depending on how well they handle their treatment options,” Morrison explained.

Martin Donahue, head trainer for SRU’s women’s soccer and softball teams, believes there’s no average recovery time.

“The shortest recovery team for an athlete is probably going to be five days,” Donahue said.

“And that’s because of the length it takes for medical clearances to go through and be confirmed.”

Donahue said there’s no correlation between the impact of the concussion and the timetable that the athlete might be out for.

“I have had athletes that have been unconscious at the

time of the injury and end up being fine a day or two later,” Donahue said. “And there have been times that an athlete has been involved in a smalltime impact, where we aren’t sure if they have a concussion right away, and then they have symptoms for months.”

Mark Sappington, an SRU women’s soccer assistant coach, said the NCAA is not really to blame for the recent lawsuits in the news, because it’s not up to them to babysit athletes.

“College athletes know the risks of playing high-intensity sports,” Sappington said. “If they suffer a questionable head injury, they should be responsible and know the risks of going back out on the field too soon."

DESIGN BY ERIC DAVIES

PHOTO BY PARIS MALONE

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California (Pa.) Gannon Mercyhurst Seton Hill UPJ Clarion Slippery Rock Indiana (Pa.)

26-8 (12-4) 22-10 (12-4) 20-8 (10-6) 19-15 (10-6) 19-13 (7-7) 15-21 (5-11) 12-17 (3-11) 9-23 (3-13)

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Seton Hill Gannon Slippery Rock California (Pa.) Edinboro Mercyhurst

23-13 (8-4) 18-11 (7-5) 14-21 (6-6) 10-18 (6-6) 13-15 (4-6) 7-24 (3-7)

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West Chester E. Stroudsburg Bloomsburg Mercyhurst Indiana (Pa.) Millersville Seton Hill Kutztown Slippery Rock shippensburg lock haven edinboro gannon

12-2 (8-1) 11-3 (8-1) 10-4 (6-3) 9-5 (6-3) 8-5 (6-3) 8-6 (6-3) 8-6 (6-3) 6-7 (5-5) 5-8 (4-6) 4-8 (2-6) 3-11 (1-8) 2-12 (1-8) 2-11 (0-9)

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Slippery Rock Indiana (pa.) mercyhurst Edinboro Seton Hill Cal U Clarion

SPORTS

April 19, 2019

Meredith, Papa reflect on career Alumni found coaching success at The Rock

By Oscar Matous Sports Editor

Slippery Rock University currently has 15 coaches in its athletic department that are alumni, two of which have served as a head coach for over two decades.

John Papa was named as the head coach of the men and women cross country and track and field teams in 1987. Since then he has led the teams to a combined total of 23 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) titles.

Over the past 21 years, Matt Meredith has established himself as one of the top coaches in Division II tennis and has accumulated over 300 career wins. He is the winningest coach in SRU history, according to Athletic Communication. Papa was recruited to the university by long-time coach and director of athletics Bill Lennox.

"While I was in high school, I never had any real interest in going to college," Papa said. "I was contacted by (Bill) Lennox and began discussing the idea of going to college with my parents.

Neither of them went to college, so it was a whole new experience for our family. We decided that it would be a good idea and I decided to go to Slippery Rock."

Papa noted how going to school in the present is much different than when he was a student.

"As far as athletics go, back in the '70s, there was basically no compliance, no NCAA regulations and the school was far less selective than it is now," Papa said. "I am not even sure if I would get into Slippery Rock if I was applying today."

Papa graduated SRU in 1979 with a degree in elementary education. Upon receiving his degree, Papa moved down to Virginia to teach at the local middle school. It was at that time that he also began his coaching career.

"I was in Virginia for four years," Papa said. "I took a job as an assistant coach with the local high school

track team. The head coach was only there because the school needed someone to coach or else there would be no program. After the first practice, the coach approached me and told me the program was mine.

For the first year, I was the assistant coach for the team but really served as the head coach."

After a couple of years of working in Virginia, Papa got a call from Lennox, who was recently hired as the new athletic director for SRU. Papa said he returned to The Rock in 1984 to became a graduate assistant under Lennox.

"I worked for [Lennox] for a couple of years and earned my master's degree in the process," Papa said. "I returned to Slippery Rock because I really enjoyed the family atmosphere when I attended The Rock. There's a reason why people who get jobs with The Rock never leave."

Papa worked with The Rock's track and field teams for the next several years, working his way up the coaching ladder in the process. He became an assistant coach, then head men's track coach and finally taking over as head coach in 1987. Papa attributed his success at The Rock to his assistant coaches.

"When I went to school, coaches, even head coaches were not full-time," Papa said. "Now I have three full-time assistant coaches in Bill (Jordan), Meagan (Shadeck) and Nathan (Shadeck). Without them, our programs would not be anywhere nearly as successful as they are now."

Papa said the key to having successful assistant coaches is by hiring a staff who, individually, are better than the head coach, and by retaining said staff.

"We have had the same staff for several years now," Papa said. "I have been here since the '80s. Replacing the head coaching position is not the end of the world,

12-7 (3-0) 8-10 (3-1) 8-6 (2-1) 2-15 (2-2) 5-8 (1-1) 5-7 (1-2) 1-9(0-5)

ROCK @ Ashland Alumni Open Apr. 19 - Apr. 20 Ashland University

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

Reagan Hess sprints down the track in the 100m dash. Under Papa, Hess holds the SRU indoor 60m sprint record.

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

Junior Lacey Cohen returns a serve against Clarion University.

Under Meredith, Cohen won the PSAC Women's Singles Championship in the fall.

but there is an unavoidable period of transition that occurs. Keeping that same staff allows the wheel to keep on moving so our programs keeps on being successful."

Papa praised SRU Athletic Director Paul Lueken for placing track and field as a priority within the athletic department.

"Most schools don't care about their track and field team," Papa said. "I talk to other coaches from specific schools and they always praise The Rock for placing importance on other sports besides football. [Lueken] has one of the toughest jobs on campus in my opinion because everyone wants everything to do with sports."

Coach Meredith's tennis career began in his seventh grade year.

"I grew up in DuBois and started taking tennis lessons," Meredith said. "I fell in love with the game and just feel very fortunate to have been able to have the experiences that I have had. Over the summer months one year, our family had a player come stay with us for a few weeks and that is where I got my first chance at coaching. That is where I realized I could have a future in coaching."

Meredith's journey to The Rock began in the late '80s when he was recruited by both SRU and Edinboro.

As an undergraduate, he majored in secondary education and social studies with a focus in history. He graduated in 1992 and began his coaching career.

He coached one season at DuBois high school, his alma mater, before moving to Philadelphia for several years to instruct tennis at the Bucks County Racquet Club.

"I taught tennis for a number of different clubs and organizations in the Philadelphia area," Meredith said. "After a few years, I returned to Slippery Rock under the guidance of Dr. McFarland."

Upon returning to SRU, Meredith earned his master's

degree in special education and eventually took over as the interim head coach for the men's tennis team.

"I was the interim coach until the university hired a new full-time coach," Meredith said. "That guy ended up not working out and Director Lueken ended up giving me the job and that is how I stayed here for 20 years."

Meredith coached the men's tennis team for 1213 years before it came to a bitter end.

"The university made the decision to ultimately cut the men's program," Meredith said. "I understood why the decision was made, but it was still unfortunate."

The men's tennis team was dropped at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year due to the university's need to comply with Title IX, Director Lueken said.

Lueken said that Meredith helped the difficult transition that followed the dropping of the men's tennis program.

"It was very disheartening to me," Meredith said. "I would get the men's team back in a heartbeat. But I think that losing the men's team helped the women's team prosper. We were able to put more money into the women's program because of Title IX, and that helped establish our program as a winning program and as a program that also places a large priority on academics."

Lueken said there are a number of positives that come with hiring alumni to head coaching roles.

"Alumni don't necessarily have any advantage when applying to coaching roles," Lueken said. "We conduct a nationwide search but when we do have alumni apply, we already know a little bit more about them and their playing career. We have a pretty good idea based on them having gone to school here on what kind of person they are and player they were."

SPORTS

April 19, 2019

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Lueken helped turnaround Rock athletics CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1 mission, have the same goals

“I inherited an NCAA issue with men’s basketball.

That was a tough time trying to get them going in the right direction, but we did,” Lueken stated. “I didn’t realize they were asking the athletic director to also do compliance which was a tough job and I had not done that. I was a revenue generator and a coach before, but I learned quickly.

That first year was difficult in trying to learn that side of the business.”

With the NCAA levying sanctions against the men’s basketball program in 1993, Lueken spent a year learning his job on-the-fly under intense scrutiny from the university. The unusual circumstances enabled him to become accustomed to every aspect of his job earlier than expected.

While dealing with the pressure of returning an NCAA sanctioned program to compliance, Lueken dealt with moving his growing family to Slippery Rock and steering SRU toward the vision he had in his mind.

“I tried to get some of the things that I had envisioned off the ground,” Lueken said.

“Getting the family settled in, building a house, moving from a home in northern Illinois to an apartment here in Slippery Rock. The community has developed greatly since then in terms of amenities available to us.”

Slippery Rock’s familyoriented environment enabled Lueken and his family to quickly become acclimated to the community and made leaving almost impossible. He stressed how the people he interacts with every day make life at SRU so rewarding.

“It’s the people. It really is the people that we work with here. Everybody seems to be working on the same

and want to achieve the same things for this university and community,” Lueken said.

With almost 25 years of service dedicated to the athletic department at SRU, Lueken pointed to the upgrades of athletic buildings as one of the most rewarding experiences of his job. However, it's the continued success of studentathletes in the classroom—as well as on the field—that brings him the most pride.

Since winning the Dixon Cup—an award given to the best overall athletic program in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference— in 2007-2008, SRU has consistently been able to stay within the top five of every year’s race.

With the academic and athletic success of student-athletes at an alltime high under Lueken, he complimented the leadership from past and present SRU Presidents in helping build a program that rivals that any in Division II. “To sit here and think that we would have all the updates across campus since I came here is remarkable,” Lueken stated. “It’s a testament to the leadership that we’ve had here, and I’ve been able to have great relationships with all those folks. I’m on my sixth president here and I’m enjoying working with President Behre.”

Aside from his work at the Morrow Field House and all of the athletic buildings on campus, Lueken has taken every opportunity to give back to the community which has done so much for him. The Butler County Board of Tourism provided the perfect opportunity to get involved.

“Athletics often serve as the front door to our campus.

We can bring a number of events onto campus through our athletic fields. Events

Courtesy of Athletic Communication

SRU Athletic Director Paul Lueken speaks at the NCAA Division II National Championship Festival on Nov. 28. Lueken is celebrating his 25 years at The Rock on Aug. 24, 2019.

that bring visitors to the community. I got involved with the Butler Country Tourism Board through that and they talked me into being the treasurer. I just came off my six-year term as treasurer and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I got to meet so many great people in Butler county from all different businesses and walks of life.

I actually miss the day-today interaction,” Lueken admitted.

In addition to staying invested in the community, Lueken enjoys playing golf

and spending time with his friends and family. Despite growing up a Cubs fan, Lueken attends as many Pirates games as possible with his wife and children in at PNC Park.

Lueken lives in Slippery Rock with his wife Donna while their children, Adam, Lindsey, Tyler and Hannah have spread out across western Pennsylvania. A selfdescribed homebody, Lueken takes pleasure in working around the house. Although, the work does not hold the same appeal it used to.

“Maybe because I’m getting older and can’t keep at it quite as hard,” Lueken smiled.

With Aug. 4, 2019, serving as the official 25-year anniversary of his time at The Rock, Lueken is blessed to still be living the dream.

Before the anniversary of his tenure, Lueken looks forward to spending some time with his wife.

“I’m kind of a homebody but my wife and I like to travel a little bit in the summer to our national parks,” said Lueken. “We’ve

been to several out west and we’re looking to go this summer back to California or maybe up into Maine at some of the national parks up there.”

Through it all, after 25 unforgettable years as the face of Rock athletics— experiencing highs and lows—Lueken could not be more thankful for where the road has taken him.

"To still be in this position 25 years late, I’m living the dream. I still enjoy it every single day,” Lueken explained.

History of hazing goes back almost a decade for rugby Women's club team receives 5-year ban

By Karl Ludwig Assistant Sports Editor

The Slippery Rock women’s rugby club has been sentenced to a five-year suspension stemming from hazing violations committed over the past seven to eight years, according to Leigh Ann Gilmore, the Director of Student Conduct at SRU. “We received some information they were participating in a scavenger hunt that involved activities that were either against the law or humiliating to the students, so we called them in and did an investigation.

We did find women’s rugby responsible for hazing under the code of conduct and they were suspended for five years,” Gilmore said.

While the women’s rugby club may act as a team outside of SRU, Gilmore said the university no longer recognizes the team as an organization.

“They cannot operate as an SRU organization. They cannot operate as a team so, for example, they cannot play intramurals as a team,” Gilmore explained. “They can’t have any type of SRU recognition or funding.

Essentially, SRU women’s rugby does not exist… for the next five years.”

Written in the SRU Student Code of Conduct, under the Appendix D: Hazing Policy, "students arrested and convicted for the charge of hazing are subject to a one-year jail term." Gilmore explained how the rugby club’s cooperation with the office of student conduct during the investigation allowed the student-athletes to avoid any direct legal prosecution.

“The club agreed to the sanction and violations. If it had gone to a hearing, individuals could have been charged, but the club agreed to the sanction, so my office did not bring charges against individuals,” explained Gilmore. “The organization was sanctioned, not individuals.”

According to the Code of Conduct in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, 18 Pa.C.S. § 2801 et. seq., hazing is described as: A person commits the offense of hazing if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly, for the purpose of initiating, admitting or affiliating a student, applicant or admitted individual into or with an organization, or for the purpose of continuing or enhancing

the membership or status of a student, applicant or admitted individual in an organization, causes, coerces or forces a student, applicant or admitted individual to do any of the following: • Violate federal or state criminal law; • Consume any food, drink, alcoholic liquid, drug or other substance that subjects the student, applicant or admitted individual to a risk of emotional or physical harm; • Endure brutality of a physical nature, including w hi p p i n g, b e ati n g , branding, calisthenics or exposure to the elements; • Endure brutality of a mental nature, including activity adversely affecting the mental health or dignity of the individual, sleep deprivation, exclusion from social contact or conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment; • Endure brutality of a sexual nature; and • Endure any other activity that creates a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to the student, applicant or admitted individual.

Similar to the SRU men’s rugby club’s suspension in 2016, Gilmore said an organization’s history of misconduct is taken

into consideration when sanctions are levied against an organization convicted of misconduct.

“Each case is different, so what we look at when we’re sanctioning is: does an organization have a history of hazing? Is this a first-time incident? We also look at consistency in terms of other organizations,” Gilmore said. “We always try to be educational, of course, but when there’s a culture of hazing within an organization, the only real thing to do is remove that organization and start fresh.”

Gilmore credits Pennsylvania’s new antihazing law, spurred to action by the death of a Penn State student at a fraternity house in 2017, with giving her more support in attempting to end the culture of hazing in some SRU organizations.

However, her heart aches for those students who joined the rugby club to make a positive impact on the team’s culture.

“This has been happening for a long time. There was at least one instance of this happening around seven or eight years ago, so this has been part of their culture, part of their identity and part of the organization. We

have to eliminate it,” said Gilmore. “The saddest part of it for me is that some of the new members were so invested in the organizations and had already made some changes to attempt to change the culture of the organization.”

After the five-year suspension runs its course, Gilmore said the club will be eligible to be reestablished as a university recognized organization.

If all stipulations are met and the possibility of hazing permeating within the club is non-existent, she hopes the club will be revived.

According to Gilmore, one of her stipulations is no one who was involved with the club may be involved with a potential restoration.

If a group would wish to revive the club after the suspension expires, Gilmore said they would need to cooperate with Lauren Moran, the Director of Student Engagement and Leadership, and her office.

While Gilmore said she would rather not divulge just how the office of student conduct first heard about the hazing allegations, she said all referrals must be backed up by proficient evidence. If that evidence is strong enough, an investigation follows.

Currently, Gilmore is in the process of creating new ways for student-athletes, coaches and parents to voice their concerns about misconduct, including hazing.

“If someone comes forward and makes a complaint about hazing, we will follow up on that to determine if it’s valid or not,” Gilmore said. “We are working on getting an anonymous referral, that’s in the works right now, because we really want to eliminate that hazing culture.”

Despite how heartbroken Gilmore is recently joinrf studentathletes who were looking to make a change, she firmly believes in rooting a problem out at the source. Especially when that problem is hazing. “ It’s u n f o r t u n a t e because I see the bonds that are created, I see the friendship made and it’s unfortunate. It’s not that the friendships are going to go away but it’s sad because there was a lot of good that came out of the organization but the hazing that was occurring, we don’t have a place for it.

I feel firmly that we have to take hazing seriously.”

SPORTS Honest judgment for Rock tennis April 19, 2019

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Lack of refs proves to be widespread problem

By Zack Bonnette Senior Rocket Contributor

In every sport, it is widely understood that there is some sort of referee to enforce the rules of the game and ensure that the competition runs smoothly.

This is not the case for the PSAC women’s tennis teams.

When playing at the SRU tennis courts, The Rock plays without any referees, leaving the judgment for scores and close calls up to the teams facing off against one another.

This can reasonably raise some questions. Why are there not referees? Slippery Rock University’s Director of Athletics, Paul Lueken, explained there is an effective way that the team uses which has proved to have little flaw.

“In terms of how score is recorded, tennis is similar to golf. It’s sort of an honors system that the players and coaches here use to keep each other accountable,” Lueken explained. “The players always say the score of the match before they serve and they call their own lines. So, from that point of view, the game really governs itself in a sense.”

However, through explaining the exact reasons why the women’s tennis team plays matches without the services of a referee,

Lueken revealed a much deeper dilemma.

“We actually have the budget for officials for tennis, there is just not enough people willing to take the job anymore,” Lueken said. “That’s not to say that we never have an official at any tennis match, but it’s more likely than not that there is not one there.

If there were enough tennis officials around, we would certainly have them around more often.”

"The officiating ranks are aging and there not a lot of young folks who want to go out and pursue that career," -Director Lueken We have all grown up thinking that referees are indispensible to the game, that the human capital is never-ending, just like the athletes who compete year after year. As it turns out, there are less and less available referees today than there has been in quite some time.

“I am on the Division II athletic directors board and we recently had a

conference call, and we endorsed a proposal by the conference commissioners on officiating and how there is a shortage of officials in a lot of sports,” Lueken said. “The officiating ranks are aging and there are not a lot of young folks who want to go out and pursue that career.”

Lueken went on to give some reasoning behind why younger generations are often turned away from getting into a career of officiating.

“Even at lower levels of competition such as high school or even youth athletics, fans, parents, you name it can be particularly harsh towards the officials," Lueken said.

"Often in these cases, the officials are young people trying to get their foot in the door. But as they take more and more abuse, these young people begin to realize that they don’t want to be put through all of that, especially at the lower levels where the pay isn’t the best."

Lueken has even noticed that athletics on the high school level in Slippery Rock Area are sometimes scheduled just so that there can be enough referees to officiate a contest.

“I know in District 10 (Slippery Rock High School’s district) that they’ve had to schedule football games on Thursdays,

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

Sophomore Olivia Warner returns a serve during The Rock's 7-0 defeat against Clarion University on Tuesday. Warner is 17-8 this season in singles play.

Fridays or Saturdays just so they could bring in enough officials,” Lueken

began. “If [Slippery Rock high school] scheduled each of their games on Friday,

there would not be enough officials to cover each of those games.”

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Black Arts Festival Watch the event video at the onlinerocket.com

CAMPUS LIFE

African American art and culture Black Arts Festival celebrates African American culture through art and poetry

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

Rock Royalty step team performs at the Black Arts Festival Tuesday afternoon in the Smith Student Center ballroom. The festival was hosted by Black Action Society (BAS) and cosponsored by the Student Union for Multicultural Affairs (SUMA) and featured black artists of all media including painting, music, dance, poetry and jewelry.

By Hope Hoehler Asst. Campus Life Editor

The Black Action Society (BAS) hosted the Black Arts Festival, cosponsored by the Student Union for Multicultural Affairs (SUMA) Tu e s d a y afternoon in celebration of art and artists representing African American culture.

Those attending the Black Arts Festival found artists, poetry, food, a caricaturist, photo booth and a performance from the Rock Royalty step team.

Taron Polk, junior marketing m a j o r, management minor and President of BAS, said that the Black Arts Festival is an opportunity for students to display cultural aspects.

According to Polk, BAS reached out to artists they knew represented African American culture. In past years, Polk said that BAS used to have a signup method, or a post on social media where those who wanted to participate could write their name and information.

"If the students are artists themselves, I hope they get inspired to go home and

do a painting or write a poem," Polk said. "I hope they understand the cultural aspect of it and get a little inspiration and do a little more research into what black art actually is."

BAS is not solely for black students Anaya Jackson said. Jackson, a sophomore dance major and public relations chair said that BAS is a community."Anything is for you," Jackson said.

"There is no separation.

BAS is not just for black students, it's to combine everyone."

Jackson said that the point of the Black Arts Festival was to not only showcase artwork and poetry created by black students, but to showcase artists who may not be black, yet their art embodies black culture.

Lauren Greggs, a graduate student and the advisor for BAS, hopes that people attending the Black Arts Festival leave feeling educated. Greggs has been the advisor for two years and, as a graduate student, is on her last year as advisor."To me, BAS is family," Greggs said.

Greggs encourages all students to come out for BAS general body meetings which

are held every other Thursday.

"BAS is here to share the African American experience on a predominantly white campus," Greggs said.

"Come out, it's for anyone. We are inclusive for all students. Try to get out of your comfort zone."

Jackson hopes that

students on campus realize that BAS has a lot to offer and that students shouldn't be afraid to make connections.

Polk agreed that BAS is an all-inclusive family and that it was the first organization he joined as a freshman.

"When I started here as

a freshman, I was very shy and introverted," Polk said.

"Black Action Society has always felt like home."

BAS hosted an abundance of events ,primarily in February, to celebrate Black History Month, but they also host the Homecoming party, Kwanza in December and

a cookout at the beginning and the end of the academic year. BAS will host their end of the year cookout at the beginning of May in the quad.

To learn more about BAS and to keep updated on their events, follow them on Twitter and Instagram @ BASSRU.

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

Sophomore public relations major Alyse Fowlks admires paintings by freshman biology major Destinee Smith during the Black Arts Festival Tuesday afternoon. Smith was one of many artists Black Action Society (BAS) contacted to showcase their art at the festival.

Sustainability throughout Earth Days Macoskey Center to host various Earth Month events for students

By Jack Konesky Junior Rocket Contributor

This upcoming Tuesday, April 23, the Carnival on the Quad will be held featuring a variety of games and activities themed around Slippery Rock University's Earth Days. One in a series of events spanning the whole month, the Carnival, designed by SRU's Office of Sustainability aims to raise awareness of environmentalist issues and how students can become personally involved in them.

"The overall idea for the Office of Sustainability is to promote and educate

students and faculty on campus/.../on sustainable environmental practices and just better ways to live life," explained Megan Stouffer junior public relations major.

Stouffer is the Social Media Manager for SRU’s Office of Sustainability and has been working closely with Dr. Paul Scanlon, Director of Sustainability, to raise awareness for these environmental events that are both coming and have passed. When asked why the usual one-day holiday had been extended to a whole month, Stouffer said, "Because we're on a campus and because it's such a broad

audience, it's easier for the office, as well as other organizations, to get involved with Earth Day activities. Instead of just combining everything on one day, which would be crazy for any student or anyone else involved, it's easier to spread it out throughout the month.

That way you can do more, educate, and have more fun and activities, that kind of thing."

Of the many activities planned throughout the month, Stouffer called particular attention to a guest speaker, Larry Schweiger, who appeared on April 11, the Carnival on the Quad on April

23, and Earthfest, a collaboration with the Kaleidoscope Arts Festival on the 27.

Stouffer explained that a considerable amount of time is spent just planning and coordinating the events long before they even occur; even now, the Office of Sustainability has its sights set on October.

"April is Earth Month, and then October is also Sustainability Month for the state schools, so really half the year is planning for Earth Month and the other half is planning for October events," described Stouffer.

"We're excited for October

/…/ the Office, as well as the Commission, are working towards really pushing for sustainable products that students can use instead of plastics ones and stuff like that. I know plastic is kind of a big thing we've been working to get rid of on campus, so that's something they’re really pushing for going forward."

"Last year they took away plastic bags from Rocky's and Boozel as well, that’s why they use the paper ones, and it was interesting because older students were in an uproar about it because, 'Oh my gosh, taking away our bags,' but now people don't even know they were there. I think there's a lot of cool

ways we can change out stuff."

The Office of Sustainability hopes to keep making small changes to refine the whole, but most of all they strive to educate and improve the student body of Slippery Rock University.

"I hope people just kind of get the idea that you don't have to do a lot to make a difference," she concluded.

"I know a lot of people are like, "oh my gosh, sustainable practices are so hard," like, you can’t hold a zero waste life. I can’t even do that. But there's little things you can do, like replace a straw. I think it takes just a little bit of education for people to realize that."

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CAMPUS LIFE

April 19, 2019

Young Progressives host open discussion Conversation on campus carry hosted in response to the College Republicans

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

75 students, community and faculty members attended the Young Progressives open discussion about campus carry. This discussion was in response to the College Republicans campus carry rally Saturday.

By Hope Hoehler and Hannah Shumsky The Rocket Editorial Staff

The SRU Young Progressives hosted an open discussion about campus carry Wednesday night in response to the College Republicans' campus carry rally Saturday afternoon.

The hour-long event was attended by about 75 students, faculty members and community members that came together to express their opinions at the discussion, moderated by Dr. Cindy LaCom, director of the gender studies program.

Caitlyn Kilmer, senior political science and philosophy double major and president of the Young Progressives ,said that the open discussion about campus carry was in response to the Young Republicans' campus carry rally. Kilmer said that this discussion was the Young Progressive’s way of letting students know that there can still be civil discussions about campus carry.

“When we start to fight and yell at each other, we start to

look at each other as the bad guy,” Kilmer said. “But none of us are the bad guys.”

LaCom said she wanted to moderate the discussion because she felt that tensions were high after last week’s College Republicans rally.

“I felt there was a need to address the issue in a more tempered, conversational and respectful manner for everybody’s concern,” LaCom said. “I do a lot of discussion-based classes, I’m very comfortable moderating discussions, and I think it’s an important issue.”

LaCom began the discussion asking, “Do you think that the rise in gun violence, specifically in educational settings, affects your ability to feel comfortable as a student at a university?”

Students expressed various opinions on this topic. One student attending the open discussion said that he does not feel more fearful in the rise of gun violence because there are war zones everywhere in the world. Other students expressed concern about the rise of gun violence, questioning what would what happen if a shooter enters a classroom.

Other students recognized that mass shootings are significant in the U.S. but said they are more worried about getting struck by lightning or getting hit by a car, saying that there are more reckless things than guns.

The discussion transitioned into the second question of the night, “To what extent do you feel your Second Amendment right is infringed at SRU?” Students once again expressed differing opinions on the Second Amendment infringement. One student mentioned that she believes not everything in the Constitution is absolute and that this right is being infringed upon on campus because there are students who don’t want guns on campus.

One student said that he believes his Second Amendment right is infringed upon, and that his safety stops the minute he enters a classroom, but still believes that rules for carrying on SRU’s campus should be expanded to those 21 and over with a clean record.

Another student said that she would feel safer if a student

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

Caitlyn Kilmer, President of the Young Progressives, states the rules of the open discussion. The conversation started with prewritten questions, moderated by gender studies professor Dr. Lecom.

with a concealed carry would be allowed to carry into the classroom, rather than leave their car. Slippery Rock Boroug police confirmed that students carrying guns on campus could store them in the police station's gun locker.

Another said that no matter how anyone feels about the Second Amendment, it only affects victims. He said that if someone wanted to mass shoot a school, nothing was going to stop them.

Moderator LaCom brought up the relation to gun violence in comparison with gender.

One student said that guns are an equalizing factor against a larger opponent. The student also said that he would want his sister to carry against a larger attacker.

A student brought up the opinion that obtaining a conceal carry permit is for them to protect themselves, not everyone. One student said that he believed in the situation of an active shooter, the student with a concealed carry protecting against the active shooter would then become the active shooter.

Dr. Emily Keener, a psychology professor at SRU, who is married to a gun owner, believes there are more than the two options in this issue.

She said that she would like to learn more about situations where it’s effective to have guns but understands that there are limits.

This comment brought the third question of the evening asked by LaCom, “Have you considered the implications of less restrictive gun policy on marginalized, minoritized students, some of whom are already facing, for example, racial profiling.”

One student said that he believes more concealed carry permits would decrease racial profiling, stating that if he wanted to execute someone, he would just do it, and not look at the law book. He then brought up question, “Why are we giving fewer permits to those who want to do good?”

One student brought up the Center for Disease Control and how they use private funding to support gun research and develop statistics, mentioning that the FBI is one of the only

agencies that can use federal funding to collect data on guns.

As moderator, LaCom saw the open forum successful as many students spoke their minds on gun policies.

“I feel that multiple perspectives were represented in quite thoughtful ways,” LaCom said. “And though many were silent, we heard from a fairly representative number of student voices and some faculty and community voices.”

LaCom said that more discussions must happen in the future to keep the conversation going on campus.

“An hour doesn’t do justice to the complexities in topic,” LaCom said. “It’s a topic of critical importance.”

Kilmer said that the Young Progressives are very open to the idea of a well-structured, wellmoderated discussion about campus carry and other topics with the College Republicans.

“We need to hear each other out,” Kilmer said. “We're a community. At the end of the day we all live near each other.

We're neighbors and friends.

We really need to be listening to each other instead of yelling at each other.

Cherry Blossom Festival held as fundraiser Students will travel to Japan this May as part of course on Japanese culture

By Brendan Howe Senior Rocket Contributor

The Cherry Blossom Festival, a celebration of spring and experience of Japanese culture, was held in the Smith Student Center Ballroom on Tuesday, April 16, hosted by students to raise money to pay for a trip to Saga, Japan, located on the island of Kyushu, in mid-May. With anime such as Naruto projecting on a movie screen and upbeat Japanese pop music playing in the background, attendees were encouraged to participate in multiple activities. Cultural pastimes included: constructing origami figures, having Tarot cards read, putting colorful brushstrokes of paint on shitadashioto masks, and writing the attendees names in calligraphy.

People were also allowed to dress up in a kimono, a traditional Japanese garment, and have their pictures taken at a photo set. They were also invited to decorate and snack on Cherry Blossom cupcakes with pastel green or pink frosting.

The Esports Club assisted by organizing a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament.

The 14-person bracket was

single-elimination and the first- and second-place winners earned a baseball cap themed after the video game that are being shipped from Japan.

The volunteer help from the group also helped Esports get their name out there, according to Khalil Harper, the club’s president.

“Esports sounds like you have to be a seasoned gamer or someone who’s used to playing games in a competitive atmosphere, but it’s really not,” he said. “It’s something where people can come to learn, have fun, and make new friends. People can find people who have the same interests as them or just learn something new about themselves.”

The students are part of a liberal studies course on Japanese culture taught

by Dr. Yukako Ishimaru, a native of Saga and a member of SRU’s Modern Languages and Cultures department since 2006. Some of the money will also help purchase English books and children’s games for elementary pupils in Japan.

A partnership between SRU and Saga University has helped plan the volunteer work that students from both schools will carry out, said Alice Del Vecchio, program director for the philanthropy and non-profit management program. The students will

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

Students practice their calligraphy skills at the Cherry Blossom Festival Tuesday evening in the Smith Student Center ballroom. The event was co-hosted by the Japanese Club and the Esports Club from 6-8 p.m. and featured activities like karaoke and mask painting.

interact with children and senior citizens, and participate in service projects that the foreign school is arranging.

“I always tell students that when you go on a trip with me, I’m going to expect that you serve, because I think it’s important for us to leave something behind other than our money,” Del Vecchio said. “And so we leave a part of our heart and people get to see us from the inside."

In her 31 years at Slippery Rock, Del Vecchio has taken students to Croatia, Costa Rica, Ireland, Poland and St. Lucia. She is currently working with the Spanish department, looking to take a group of students to Columbia over winter break next year.

The students on the Japan trip will partake in cultural activities such as a tea ceremony and a weekend home-stay with a host family.

“They will have to use their language skill they learned in class and learn the Japanese lifestyle firsthand,” Ishimaru said.

To help pay for the trip, which will cost each student nearly $2,250 Del Vecchio said that she helped raise nearly $340 on Giving Day, an annual crowdfunding campaign held on March 26.

Ishimaru said that students in her class would have to combine to make at least

500 paper cranes Wednesday, which will be half of the amount submitted at an altar for a peace ceremony in Nagasaki. The other half will be folded by students from Saga.

The trip, Del Vecchio said, is pre-session, meaning students receive an incomplete grade until returning from Japan and writing a reflection.

"We start to connect the world when we do service toegther," Delvecchio said.

CAMPUS LIFE

April 19, 2019

Operated With Love

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Student store promotes sustainability in recognition of Earth Month

By Brendan Howe Senior Rocket Contributor

Operated With Love (OWL), a sustainability store created and managed by students, mostly of the department of geography, geology and the environment, is up and running in the lobby of the University Union for the month of April.

With a goal of removing the commodification of items that people need on a daily basis, the student exchange offers renewable products, consignment and a clothing swap.

“It’s been engrained to us that there’s a price for everything,” said senior Wyatt Moyer, a geography major with a concentration in environmental studies and sustainability. “You go pay for a bottle of water. Water should be free. The whole concept is to try and remove the price tag on things that we should have easy and reasonable access to.”

“We’re so used to relying on the system of having to pay for stuff,” said Karah Smith, a senior park and resource management major. “So by kind of going back on that and teaching people that it doesn’t have to be like that and ending that cycle, I think it will help a lot.”

Initially, OWL was a project for an applications and sustainability course.

After developing the goal of its creation at the start of

the spring semester, Moyer said, the students had to reach out to the right people for the planning of matters such as an ideal store space. They talked to Dr. William Behre, the president of the university, and Dr. Stentor Danielson, their department chair, and even the dorms, asking to place collection boxes.

Moyer said that it is, for now, a sort of pop-up shop for Earth Month, and other leaders in the project are in the process of establishing it as a club with funding from the Student Government Association. Already with an advisor lined up in Dr. Julia Chandler, members must deal with other club guidelines, such as writing a constitution and getting certain appointees as club representatives.

“There’s a wide variety of products that are sold in the store, and it seems to kind of grow every other day,” said Moyer, who runs consignment efforts.

The consignment involves students bringing in their items to the store, which in turn sells them and retains 10% of the profit. Being a non-profit, the money kept from every sale goes back into improving the store itself.

The range of items includes necessities like toothbrushes and soaps, cultural items such as jewelry and artwork, and even a renewable, organic coffee that a professor in the department had created and branded.

Whether for an interview, class, or night

PHOTO COURTESY OF WYATT MOYER

Operated With Love, located in the lobby of the University Union, provides an all-natural food service, a consignment shop and a clothing swap to SRU students. The student sustainability store was originally a project for an applications and sustainability course and has now blossomed into its own entity.

out, students can go in and take an article clothing, free of charge, and are invited, but not required, to bring an item to replace it. The store is also accepting clothing that can be dropped off in the donation boxes located next to the disability office in the student union, Smith said.

“If you want a different T-shirt,” Moyer said, “you can just grab it off the shelf and leave with it, no price tag.”

“Most people don’t understand that it’s free,” said Karah Smith, the leader of the Xchange Clothing Project.

“Because most things

have a catch, or they’re not just free, so it’s taken a little bit for students to get used to it.”

In addition to clothing and items, OWL provides an all-natural food service to the campus. The store purchases and receives deliveries of organic foods from Frankferd Farms, a family-owned food farm based less than 30 miles southeast, in Saxonburg.

Moyer touched on another way people can practice sustainability on campus. He feels there's an important issue in single-use products, in particular the plastic cups at coffee shops, and reminds students that slight discounts are

offered if you bring your own container to get filled.

“I think, with all of the environmental problems we’ve created ourselves, thinking ahead in an ecological way is our only forward and pushing those principles is what we have to do,” said Luke Oswald, a sophomore environmental studies and sustainability major who’s in charge of food orders."

The G e o g r a p h y, G e o l o g y, and Environment (GGE) Club, of which Moyer was previously treasurer, also takes charge in most campus and local highway

cleanups. The group's adopted a section of highway between Slippery Rock and Harrisville and participated in a cleanup, done once a semester, on April 11. The club also helps with other events, such as a recent clothing drive and the upcoming EarthFest, both through the Macoskey Center.

OWL is open until April 30 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and during common hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For more information, visit the store’s website at OperatedWithLove. com or send an email to OperatedWithLove@ gmail.com.

Brett Young and LANCO perform for SRU CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

When the clock struck 7:30, LANCO members Br a n d o n L a n c a s t e r, Chandler Baldwin, Jared Hampton, Tripp Howell and Eric Steedly sauntered onstage to the cheers of the denimand flannel-clad crowd.

Lancaster, the band's frontman, quickly acknowledged SRU's affectionate nickname "Slip", and proceeded to use it throughout the set, to the delight of the students in the crowd.

The band played some of its biggest hits, including "Greatest Love Story" and "Long Live Tonight."

"Put your phone away/I know you want to check it/This is one of those nights/And I don't want to wreck it/ With distractions and worries/'Bout what all could go wrong tomorrow/ So live in this moment/ And know that there's no time to borrow"_ Br a n d o n L a n c a s t e r,

singing LANCO's "Long Live Tonight."

Halfway through the opening set, Lancaster started interacting with the crowd, jumping from 0-100 — literally — by leaping into the audience to crowd-surf.

After returning to the stage, it took him only a few more songs to find his way into the crowd again, this time safely on the ground. The opening set ended after LANCO played a cover of fanfavorite "Mr. Brightside"

by The Killers.

A 30-minute intermission separated LANCO's set from Young's entrance, letting the excitement build in the ARC gym. He began his set with his newest and most upbeat single, "Here Tonight," a song about recognizing the good moments in life while you're in them. His single about unrequited love, "Like I Loved You," introduced an acoustic guitar and a

blue-lit stage. During his biggest hit, "In Case You Didn't Know," Young saw the phone flashlights in the crowd and liking the look of it, asked for more.

The concert closed with an encore, including "Mercy," Young's secondbest selling single, and his very first single released from his self-titled EP, "Sleep Without You." Streit, who will graduate in May, spent much of Sunday showing Derek Brewer the ropes; Brewer was recently elected as the director of concerts for the next academic year. He said he was looking forward to learning a lot from Streit as the night went on.

"Music is the number one thing in my whole life, in general, and it's really, really fun seeing people who value it in the same way come together, sort of forget that they have stuff going on, and just listen to music together as a group," Brewer said.

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

PARIS MALONE / THE ROCKET

(Top left) LANCO performs with his electric guitar, opening the concert for Brett Young. (Right) Brett Young performs country music with his acoustic guitar for SRU.

"Knowing that I'm the one that can help provide that for people means a lot to me."

Both young men had similar sentiments; Streit reflected on his four years

with UPB as nothing short of incredible.

"Four years in the Un i ve r s i t y Pro g r a m Board has really, really helped shape who I am and I think it really has

helped my academics and me grow in a professional manner," Streit said. "I wouldn't change my four years in the University Program Board for anything."

April 19, 2019

The Rocket

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