Friday April 29, 2016 | Volume 99, Issue 25
Cover by Karleigh Santry/The Rocket
Ticket Limit Causes Concern for Grads
Matt Bellassai Speaks Live at SRU
Rock Football Retires Fusco’s No. 74
University official claims that its four-ticket policy for commencement ceremony is fair.
UPB brings former Buzzfeed ‘Whine About It’ star to do stand-up comedy for SRU student body.
Rock alum Brandon Fusco was honored for his successful football career at SRU.
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D-1
C-1
NEWS
A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
On-and-off rain and drizzle
Mostly cloudy
Rather cloudy, a little rain
Morning rain; cloudy, cool
Mostly cloudy
A couple of showers possible
Mostly cloudy
55°
41°
49°
61°
REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE
Fri.
Sat.
Sun. Mon.
Tue.
CITY Akron Allentown Altoona Cleveland Erie Harrisburg Indiana Johnstown Philadelphia Pittsburgh Scranton State College Wheeling Williamsport Youngstown
Friday HI LO W 58 42 c 55 43 r 54 44 r 53 41 c 51 40 r 55 44 r 57 44 r 54 45 r 59 46 r 63 46 r 56 42 r 50 42 r 64 46 r 54 44 r 55 41 c
Wed. Thu.
Saturday HI LO W 65 55 c 63 44 pc 57 47 c 61 53 c 59 46 pc 63 47 c 61 50 c 56 51 c 65 51 pc 67 54 c 64 44 pc 58 45 c 65 57 c 65 43 pc 67 51 c
56°
38°
45°
61°
UV INDEX
The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Shown are the highest and lowest values for each day.
REGIONAL CITIES
46°
62° ®
Fri.
Sat.
Monday HI LO W 57 42 r 62 44 sh 64 42 r 57 43 c 56 44 r 66 45 sh 61 41 r 59 43 r 68 50 sh 62 44 r 60 44 r 62 42 r 61 45 r 63 41 r 58 42 r
Sun
Sun. Mon.
Tuesday HI LO W 65 47 c 63 45 r 66 45 pc 64 50 pc 61 46 pc 67 48 r 66 45 c 63 47 c 68 51 r 67 47 c 66 45 r 66 46 c 66 48 pc 68 44 pc 65 45 c
47°
59°
Tue.
Wed. Thu.
Wednesday HI LO W 67 47 sh 68 42 sh 71 47 sh 65 48 sh 62 46 sh 71 48 t 69 44 sh 67 46 sh 72 52 t 70 46 sh 71 47 sh 71 46 sh 70 47 sh 76 45 sh 67 47 sh
P
Catch something exciting happening on campus? Want your Insta-photos to be featured in The Rocket? Just follow @SRURocket on Instagram and use # in the caption for your chance to be featured here every week!
Thursday HI LO W 64 43 c 68 44 pc 67 43 sh 64 47 c 59 46 c 70 46 sh 66 41 sh 64 42 sh 71 50 sh 67 43 c 66 43 sh 67 43 sh 68 44 c 70 43 sh 65 45 c
Rise 6:20 a.m. 6:19 a.m. 6:18 a.m. 6:16 a.m. 6:15 a.m. 6:14 a.m. 6:13 a.m. Rise 1:49 a.m. 2:31 a.m. 3:10 a.m. 3:48 a.m. 4:24 a.m. 5:01 a.m. 5:40 a.m.
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Moon
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
MOON PHASES
NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES
PRECIPITATION
43°
IN THE SKY
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
Sunday HI LO W 68 46 r 58 48 r 65 53 r 61 45 r 58 43 r 59 52 r 67 51 r 66 55 r 64 55 r 69 51 r 58 49 r 59 52 r 69 51 r 60 49 r 66 47 r
67°
April 29, 2016
Set 8:15 p.m. 8:16 p.m. 8:17 p.m. 8:18 p.m. 8:20 p.m. 8:21 p.m. 8:22 p.m. Set 12:13 p.m. 1:16 p.m. 2:21 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 4:41 p.m. 5:54 p.m. 7:08 p.m.
Last
New
First
Full
4/29
5/6
5/13
5/21
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
National Summary: Heavy showers and thunderstorms will overspread much of the Mississippi River Valley on Saturday as a cold front pushes eastward. Both large hail and damaging winds will be possible with these storms, not to mention very heavy rainfall and localized flooding. By Sunday, storms will push into the Tennessee Valley with a soaking rain expected for the mid-Atlantic and lower Great Lakes. A cut-off low will provide showers and thunderstorms to the Four Corners region. Showers and thunderstorms will once again plague Texas Monday and extend northward into the High Plains. A departing storm will bring some heavy rain to southern New England with snow for the Green and White mountains.
NATIONAL CITIES
Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday CITY HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W Atlanta 87 65 s 85 68 t 83 65 t 79 60 t 74 58 r 73 57 t 73 52 s Boston 51 41 pc 54 45 pc 53 45 r 53 46 sh 59 47 r 64 48 r 60 48 sh Chicago 53 40 pc 53 44 r 55 41 r 61 44 pc 67 52 pc 63 42 sh 65 46 pc Cincinnati 70 52 pc 66 61 c 73 51 t 62 47 c 68 50 c 74 49 pc 70 45 c Dallas 82 64 t 82 58 s 76 56 s 71 55 t 73 54 c 79 57 s 79 58 s Denver 37 30 sn 40 29 c 40 28 c 50 29 c 60 35 s 69 40 c 75 46 pc Detroit 55 40 pc 59 47 pc 58 44 r 63 44 s 66 48 pc 68 45 sh 63 44 c Houston 84 68 t 78 67 t 79 64 pc 77 61 t 76 58 c 78 59 pc 81 59 s Indianapolis 67 50 pc 64 57 t 70 48 sh 62 46 pc 68 51 pc 73 48 c 68 44 c Kansas City 64 55 c 67 47 r 58 46 r 63 45 c 68 50 pc 71 49 pc 74 51 s Los Angeles 72 55 pc 70 56 pc 72 55 pc 75 54 s 78 54 s 77 60 pc 73 57 sh Miami 88 73 s 87 75 s 86 76 sh 87 75 pc 87 75 pc 87 73 t 85 69 s Nashville 85 63 pc 80 64 c 78 58 t 75 52 c 75 52 c 76 52 pc 76 49 pc New Orleans 87 73 pc 86 72 c 83 71 t 83 68 c 78 66 t 79 65 pc 79 64 s New York City 58 46 sh 63 50 pc 57 53 r 62 52 sh 66 52 r 70 53 sh 68 50 sh Orlando 93 70 t 90 69 t 91 70 pc 91 69 t 89 70 pc 86 66 t 83 64 t Phoenix 83 62 pc 86 62 s 80 63 pc 88 67 s 94 70 s 97 68 s 92 66 pc San Francisco 64 51 s 72 58 pc 79 55 s 71 53 pc 68 54 c 69 54 pc 67 53 sh Seattle 59 46 sh 66 49 pc 75 53 s 85 55 pc 73 55 c 71 53 c 69 51 c Washington, DC 60 50 c 64 55 c 68 61 r 73 53 c 69 54 r 73 53 t 72 51 sh Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
Process starts to hire associate provost for student success By Daniel DiFabio Rocket Contributor
Candidates who applied for the position of associate provost for student success started their series of visits this week and will be meeting with the search committee overseeing selection of the position. Six finalists will visit the campus in the next two weeks and they will spend a day and a half meeting with different groups of faculty and students. Amanda Yale, associate provost for enrollment services, said the candidates are coming from all across the country. “We have six experienced candidates coming to campus,” Yale said. “Their backgrounds are very diverse and it’s going to give an opportunity for this campus to say what does it really mean to do this job.” Yale said that position of associate provost for student success is someone that numerous groups on campus report to, including academic services, residence life programming, the Pride Center, multicultural development and student health services. The candidates' visits to the campus consists of numerous steps. Each candidate will start the day with the provost and associate provost of academic and student
affairs after a welcome to campus, and then be given a tour of the campus. Then they will meet with the president of the university, followed by lunch. Yale said the lunch is more informal and consists of the candidate meeting with seven to 10 students from SGA and other groups on campus. Yale said the lunch helps the candidate find out the student perspective of the university. There is then an open presentation in the student center, which students are encouraged to attend. The candidate will give a presentation on the best practices in colleges and universities for improving student success on campus. After the presentation, the group can ask the candidate questions and fill out an evaluation form with their comments. “Usually, what I like to see is that a dialogue is happening after the presentation, a student group is important,” Yale said. The candidate is then interviewed by the search committee that is comprised of 11 people representing the unions and management on campus. “The idea is to give them an opportunity, they’re interviewing us as much as we’re interviewing them,” Yale said. The process ends with dinner and then a wrap-up session. The visits began on April 26 and end on May 11.
Next year's Rocket modernizes paper's design By Samantha Figard
INDEX Blotter.................A-3 S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C - 1 Opinion................B-1 Campus Life...........D-1 Comics...................D-5
CONTACT US Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu
220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Nationally recognized as one of the top 10 four-year weekly broadsheet newspapers by the Associated Collegiate Press.
Rocket Contributor
Some changes in both the format and the distribution of The Ro cket in the upcoming school year will help the paper transition more into the digital age. For the past few years, the Rocket has featured an electronic edition on Thursday nights and a print edition on Friday, publishing an average of 24 to 26 issues a year. Next year will feature only 10 print issues a year, with five print issues each semester. The print issues will consist of special themed issues. Mark Z eltner, faculty adviser for The Rocket, said this was due to changes in adver tising re venue and wanting to provide a different kind of product for the readers. “This has been coming for a couple of years, other newspapers have lessened how many times they print and I think it’s a good thing to do, so we are going to try it,” Zeltner said. “It’s going to be a big
change,” Zeltner said. “The newspaper has been weekly for, as far as I know, since the 1920’s, so it’s a change in terms of our focus. It’s going to be tricky, so we’re just going to play it by ear and see how it goes.” Zeltner said that next year’s paper will have a much larger focus on the website. “We’re going to have more video content and interactive content and put our energies toward that so we’re still going to have a weekly product, it’s just not always going to be printed,” Zeltner said. Janelle Wilson, Editorin-Chief (EIC) of The Rocket for the past year and graduating journalism major, said that throughout the year the staff prepared for next year’s version of the paper and said that the transition has largely been driven by where the new staff wants to take the paper. “This year we played a lot more with design and interacting with people via social media and now we’re moving toward an online format and opening ourselves into that idea so
it’s faster deadlines and more design,” Wilson said. Zeltner said that switching the focus of the paper to the online version will make the paper more accessible to readers. “I would say 90 percent of our readership now is online, it’s just the way things are now,” Zeltner said. “People don’t like to read print newspapers as much and I think people will react well to it.” Ry an B ar l ow, pu b l i c relations major, will be the EIC for the upcoming year and will guide the new staff with the new changes, and said the new design will help to preserve the paper in the future. “Since we’re not going to be a weekly publication anymore, we get to focus on making the few printed editions special and featureoriented,” Barlow said. “I’m excited to work with those people and have different versions of the Rocket coming out every month with different covers so I’m excited to see how that works out.”
NEWS
April 29, 2016
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POLICE BLOTTER Campus April 24- Police were called to Building F April 26- Police were called to Building E April 21- Reanna Verton, 18, was charged for a person who bled in the stairwell. An for smoke in room. Police checked the room with a DUI after being stopped by police along ambulance was dispatched to the scene, and and it appeared to be a burnt "Light Balance." North Road. the person was transported to the hospital. Maintenance was called to fix the fixtures.
April 22- Police took a report for damage April 24- Police received a call for a person April 27- Police were called to the Health to a car in the stadium lot. The case is under who hit an E-Phone button to activate it and Center for a person having heart issues. An investigation. ran away with two others. The persons were ambulance was dispatched to transport the found under cars in the lower founders lot. person to the hospital. April 23- Demond Hardy, 20, was charged with disorderly conduct after he waved a knife April 26- Police were called to Building F for at another person in the founders upper lot. a pulled fire alarm. The cause of the alarm was a curling iron and the panels were then reset. April 23- William Chesleigh, 19, was charged with an underage in Building D.
April 26- Police were called by a nurse to the Health Center to have an ambulance dispatched for a person with an allergic reaction.
April 27- Police were called to Building B for a welfare check on a person. The person was found by a friend and turned out to be in good condition.
Compiled by Logan Campbell
Graduation ticket demand affected by limit By Logan Campbell Rocket Contributor
The spring 2016 commencement is right around the corner for the graduate and undergraduate students, but demand for tickets has created some problems for students who want more. Each graduating senior was able to request a maximum of four tickets for the commencement ceremony. Commencement will take place in Morrow Field House on Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m. for graduate students of SRU. Undergraduate student commencement will begin on Saturday, May 7 at 10 a.m. for the Colleges of Health, Environment, Science and Liberal Arts, followed by the Colleges of Business and
Education at 2 p.m. The ticket limit was set at four per student due to the occupancy limitations, the size of Morrow Field House and the anticipated size expected to attend commencement. Executive Director of Communication and Public Affairs for Slippery Rock University Rita Abent, addressed some of the student concerns with tickets. "We have to do a little anticipation based upon students who are eligible to graduate, and actually file for commencement," Abent said. "Based upon historical trends, how many will actually pick up tickets and walk at commencement has to be in our thoughts. If we didn't do it that way, we wouldn't
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"We have a third commencement and that's the first time in the history of commencement here at the university we are doing this." -Rita Abent, Executive Director of Communication and Public Affairs
even be able to give four tickets away. If we anticipated everyone who is eligible to show up, we would've had to drop that number down significantly. We have a third commencement and that's the first time in the history of commencement here at t he
university we are doing this. If we would've had the graduate commencement on Saturday as well, we would've had to take out 800 guest tickets." SEE STUDENTS PAGE A-4
NEWS
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April 29, 2016
SGA wins bid for 2016 PASSHE BSGP Conference By Logan Campbell Rocket Contributor
The Slipper y Rock Student Government Association announced Monday night that they will host the 2016 Board of Student Governor Presidents Leadership Conference from October 14 to 16. The BSGP Conference consists of 14 different schools throughout the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and will allow the student leaders to convene for a weekend in October. The conference will hold several keynote speakers, as well as a chance for student leaders to express ideas to one another. Additionally, SRU President Dr. Cheryl Norton addressed the former e-board as well as its senators for one last time. She discussed some numbers with SGA and thanked the former
group for all their hard work. "I'm ver y pleased with the trend of enrollment heading into the fall semester," Norton said. "Fall semester enrollment is up four to six percent from last fall. Undergraduate enrollment is up nearly 12 percent. The US Department of Education has recognized SRU as one of 11 higher education schools for sustainable activities on campus as well. I'm looking forward to the fall semester with fresh new faces, and a new beginning." SGA will begin a new initiative to open their meetings beginning next semester, in which they will say the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge of Allegiance is said before most meetings and is a symbol of respect and recognition to the flag, SGA President Logan Steigerwalt said. This proposal is one of the many new initiatives we hope to achieve starting next year,
Steigerwalt said. SGA also approved the Kings organization and the Pre-Med club to be recognized as part of the campus. The Kings organization will act similar to the Queens, but act as a mentor program to young male students, a club representative said. "We are looking to build character in young men and teach them things they won't necessarily learn in the classroom," he said. "We would definitely like to collaborate with the Queens and maybe do a big event with them." The Pre-Med club will mentor young students who aren't as interested in Pre-Physcial Therapy or the Athletic Training Club but more in medicine, a club representative said. "We will visit other medical schools to see how they go about their fields," she said. "Mentoring
younger students and helping them along in their medical careers is what we are hoping to achieve." Following the motion passes of the two new organizations, the vote on the new senate and executive board would come to the floor. This would be the final vote of the 2015-2016 senate and the start to the 2016-2017 senate's tenure. The new senate announced that it will have the option to be able to call emergency meetings over the summer at the request of the executive board. The Senate's first vote allowed some funds to be given to the Special Olympics for the fall of 2016. These funds would be used for equipment rental and food for volunteers as well as competitors. The next SGA meeting will not occur until August of 2016 when school resumes for the fall semester.
New Rocket staff has high hopes for next year Returning and new members offer new perspectives, skills By Samantha Figard Rocket Contributor
The Rocket staff for the 2016-17 school year will feature both returning and new staff members. Interviews were conducted at the beginning of April and were open to all Slippery Rock students. Ryan Barlow, junior public relations major who was the sports editor for The Rocket for the past year, will be the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) next year. Barlow will be taking the place of graduating journalism major Janelle Wilson. “Ryan is a smart kid,” Wilson said. “He pretty much knows what he’s doing and is very confident in his own abilities, so training him was more about getting him used to the idea of being in charge of people.” Mark Zeltner will continue his position as faculty advisor in the upcoming semester and work with the returning and new staff members. Returning staff members include Cody Nespor,
sophomore communicationdigital media production major, as sports editor, Victoria Davis, sophomore gender studies and English literature major, as Copy/ Web Editor, Amanda Salvia junior creative writing major as assistant copy/web editor, Rebecca Dietrich, junior communicat ion-digit al media production major, as photo editor and Kendall Scott, junior recreational therapy major, as assistant photo editor. The new staff includes Catharyn Burton, junior integrating marketing major, as advertising manager, Megan Bush, freshmen journalism major, as campus life editor, Nina Bracci, freshmen journalism major, as assistant campus life editor, Jordyn Bennett, junior journalism and philosophy major, as assistant sports editor, Daniel DiFabio, sophomore journalism major, as news editor, Logan Campbell, sophomore journalism major, as assistant news editor and Eric Davis, freshmen digital
JANELLE WILSON/THE ROCKET
The new Rocket staff consists of (front row from left to right) Rebecca Dietrich, Ryan Barlow and Megan Bush, (middle row from left to right) Nina Bracci, Amanda Salvia, Victoria Davis and Jordyn Bennett and (back row from left to right) Cody Nespor, Daniel DiFabio, and Logan Campbell Not pictured: Catharyn Burton, Eric Davis and Kendall Scott
media production major, as The Rocket’s multimedia reporter. “This year was interesting because we loved all of our applicants,” Wilson said. “Sometimes there are years
where we aren’t sure which positions to put people into, but we were pretty sure of who fit where, especially our new people.” Barlow is ready to oversee production of the paper and
the new staff. “I think my biggest job is going to be getting the new staff comfortable taking leadership positions with their contributors and learning how to manage
Students selling tickets not a concern to university Continued from Page A-2
Many students requested extra tickets for commencement, but the university hasn't had complaints from a large number of students this year. The ticket process, as well as applying for graduation, starts very early, which helps the university get things situated in a fast and simple manner.
"After that set date, you're not guaranteed tickets for graduation," Abent said. "We tell students who
inquire about more tickets that at the rehearsal on Friday, we give them out at that time. We never end with having a stash of tickets, it's a first come, first serve where we usually will give out two extra to everyone if they need them. We do have three overflow sites, and sometimes those are easier for people to attend. We have the Alumni House where we live stream it, the Smith Center theater so they can see their friends before they graduate in the ballroom and the ATS
ROCK NOTES To submit a Rock Note please send your announcement by 6 p.m. Wednesday to Daniel DiFabio at dxd1034@sru.edu The Rocket does not guarantee that all requests will be published in the paper.
Auditorium." Many students have been trying to re-sell their tickets as well, whether it be through social media, word of mouth or in classes. This issue isn't of concern to the university since they don't sell tickets to begin with. Abent discussed how it is unfair to students who need the tickets, and are just trying to make profit off of them. "We don't authorize or condone students selling their tickets to others," Abent said. "It's a shame
when people sell their tickets when people really want those, just so you can turn around and sell it. I just feel terrible for people who need additional tickets. Just like a concert or any major event, you don't really know if you're getting a real ticket or not. I just tell people if you see them selling their tickets, you know, shame on you, you're my classmate. We don't see it as much as we used to ever since we got the three overflow sites for commencement."
PHEAA STATE GRANT FAFSA FILING DEADLINE PHEAA State Grant Filing deadline for all Pennsylvania residents who wish to be considered for the PHEAA State Grant. File the FAFSA by May 1. BAILEY LIBRARY HOURS FOR FINAL WEEKS Beginning Sunday, May 1 at 1 p.m. The library will stay open 24 hours until Thursday, May 5, when the library closes at 12 a.m. (midnight). Library will reopen Friday, May 6 at 7:30 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. LAST ISSUE OF THE SEMESTER This will be the last issue of The Rocket for the 2016 spring semester. Publication will resume in the fall. Students are encouraged to visit theonlinerocket.com over the summer to keep updated.
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April 29, 2016
d n a d n a s , n u S SU
R E MM S E S COUR
Great reasons to attend summer school at SRU: • Boost your grade-point average • Lighten your fall course load • Study abroad; earn credits • Summer internships • More than 300 classes • More than 200 classes online
• More than 100 graduate courses • Pay 2015-16 tuition rates • Undergraduate tuition for PA residents: $294/credit + fees
Five Sessions
? Fall classes closed Think summer school
• Pre-session ........May 11 - May 26 • Session I ...........May 31 - June 27 • Session II ..........June 28 - July 26 • Summer Term ....May 31 - July 26 • Full Summer ......May 11 - July 26
Credits you can earn: • Pre-session: 6 credits in 12 days • Sessions I, II: 7 credits in 4 weeks • Summer Term: 12 credits in 8 weeks • 18 undergraduate credits in 11 weeks • 15 graduate credits in 11 weeks
ce Experien
ence the Differ
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
QUESTIONS? Email: summer.school@sru.edu Phone: 724.738.2010
To view information on summer school and the summer class schedule: www.sru.edu/summer
www.SRU.edu A member of Pennsylvania‘s State System of Higher Education
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April 29
Black Action Society walks in the parade on Main
H
ere's to 2015-2 Mapping the Slippery Rock has pr with opportunities f Junior Cornelius Raye dives towards the endzone during The Rock's 65-13 victory over Clarion University this season.
Design by: Janelle Wilson / Photos by: Rebecca Dietrich
Emily Eichner speaks during FMLA's Take Back the Night event.
A-7
9, 2016
Street during Slippery Rock University's homecoming in the fall.
2016 school year! way to success, rovided students for involvement.
Shannon Pitcairn hands out food during the Sister to Sister Luau in the Quad.
Erika Kuhn of Alpha Xi Delta talks to friends during The Greek Carnival.
O
OPINION
Our View SRU should raffle off unused graduation tickets
OPINION rocket.letters@sru.edu Volume 99, Number 25
220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057 Phone: Fax: E-mail:
(724) 738-4438 (724) 738-4896 rocket.letters@sru.edu
EDITORIAL BOARD Janelle Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
Haley Barnes
News Editor
Amber Cannon
Campus Life Editor
Ryan Barlow
Sports Editor
Rebecca Dietrich Victoria Davis
Photo Editor Copy/ Web Editor GRAPHIC BY KENDALL SCOTT / THE ROCKET
Chris Gordon
Assistant News Editor
Emma Pfeifer
Assist. Campus Life Editor
Cody Nespor
Assistant Sports Editor
Kendall Scott
Assistant Photo Editor
Amanda Salvia
Assist. Copy/Web Editor
Emily Brown
Multimedia Reporter
Mark Zeltner
Faculty Adviser
ADVERTISING STAFF Karleigh Santry
Advertising Manager
ABOUT US The Rocket is published by the students of Slippery Rock University every Friday during the academic semester with the exception of holidays, exam periods and vacations. Total weekly circulation is 3,000. No material appearing in The Rocket may be reprinted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. The Rocket receives approximately 5 percent of its funding from the SGA Student Activity fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising. Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 7382643 or by emailing rocket.ads@sru.edu.
CORRECTIONS If we make a substantial error, we want to correct it. If you believe an error has been made, call The Rocket newsroom at (724) 738-4438. If a correction is warranted it will be printed in the opinion section.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Rocket are available. Subscriptions are $20 per academic semester and $35 for the full academic year. Inquiries should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at the address listed here.
After countless hours of studying, writing papers and working together on group projects, SRU seniors are prepared to walk across a stage in Morrow Field House next Saturday to receive their degrees from Rock President Cheryl Norton. Graduating at Slippery Rock comes with the harsh reality that the university only provides its graduates with four tickets to the commencement ceremony, forcing seniors to make the tough decision of narrowing down which friends or family members they should invite to the ceremony. No current staff members were around when it was decided that the graduation ceremony would be moved from the football stadium and into Morrow Field House, but it’s evident that the system that is currently in place is not efficient. Obviously the Morrow Field House is a relativley small space to be holding a commencement ceremony, and it can get hot and stuffy in May. Despite
these apparent flaws, the larger issue is that some seniors have larger families with more than four people in it, forcing them to choose which four family members should attend the ceremony. However, some seniors decide not to use all of their graduation tickets, resulting in a large number of graduation tickets being wasted despite the high demand for them, which is a very unfortunate predicament because a lot of other graduates would have been happy to put those tickets to use so they could get a couple of extra friends or family members into the ceremony. Another issue with the fourticket policy is that students who decline to walk at graduation are still provided with four commencement ceremony tickets, simply wasting four tickets that could have been used by somebody else. Unfortunately, some seniors decide to try and sell their tickets, advertising on social media that some of their tickets
In the Quad
are for sale. The university specifically tells students when they pick up their tickets that they are not for resale, but graduates still decide to sell the tickets because, in reality, there’s not much the university can do to stop them. And it isn’t like there’s no demand for extra tickets. On social media accounts, it is easy to find Rock seniors who are desperate for extra tickets, offering to pay just about any amount to ensure that they get an extra ticket, giving students with extra the opportunity and idea that they can make a profit. To try and prevent sale of graduation tickets, SRU should hold a raffle for all unused and unclaimed tickets, providing a fair opportunity for seniors who are looking for extra tickets to still put in a request to possibly gain extras. Each student who puts in a request would then request the number of extra tickets they would like to acquire.
This week’s question: What are your plans for this summer?
In the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.
EDITORIAL POLICY The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by Rocket editorial board members. It reflects the majority opinion of The Rocket Editorial Board. “Our View” does not necessarily reflect the views of Slippery Rock University, its employees or its student body. Columns and cartoons are drafted by various individuals and only reflect the opinions of the columnists.
LETTERS POLICY The Rocket welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee their publication. The Rocket retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes the property of The Rocket and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major and/or group affiliation, if any. Please limit letters to a maximum of 400 words. Submit all material by noon Wednesday to: The Rocket, 220 ECB, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa. 16057. Or send it via e-mail to: rocket.letters@sru.edu.
Callaway Lee Berry Sophomore Public Health Major Medina, Ohio “I’m going to work constantly and make a lot of money at summer camps”
Mike Cannistraci Junior Social Work Major Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Brandon Johnston Physical Activity and Fitness Management Major Warren, Pennsylvania
“Staying at home and taking “Work all summer doing some summer classes.” contracting.“
OPINION
B-2
April 29, 2016
QUESTION OF
THE WEEK @SRURocket
An investment in science is the best option
Joseph Szalinski Commentary Joseph Szalinski is a senior creative writing and professional writing major.
Science is a way many educated people go about studying and l e ar n i ng ab out t he wor l d. It’s dependent on repeatable experiments and observation(s) and peer review. Information is culled and then scientists discern what is true and what is false, what is worth pursuing and how exactly to go about it. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs
in universities, and even some high schools, draw as much attention simply because they are not only practical, but also profitable. The tech industry is booming, now more than it ever has before, engineering is a relatively lucrative industry, so much of important science is math-based and general sciences (like biology, chemistr y) are important for a society dependent on pharmaceuticals and the like. But an interest in science should not come only from a desire to be successful and make money. Science can shift longheld paradigms and ideological biases, make one more humble and provide resources to go about operating more easily within our world. Plus, science is pretty cool. Remember those fun days in chemistry class when we got to watch chemicals react to one another? That was awesome! Perhaps an obstacle to studying science, and integrating it more into one’s life, is the way it does
shift paradigms and ideological biases. Some see it (science) as a contender, of sorts, to religion. As if the two cannot exist cooperatively in our world. While religion has held science back for lengthy periods of time, anymore, the two are pretty compatible, given that one’s personal thoughts/feelings do not interfere with any research or inquiry. Anot her obst acle is how confusing the material can be. Being as incredibly nuanced as they are, scientific fields contain a plethora of information, with some of it being changed with new discoveries, seeming almost contradictory. Now, in order to make a career in science, one should be able to keep up with all of this information, but as far as the average layperson is concerned, science should be a little more accessible. Slowly but surely, science is becoming exactly that through educational YouTube series and podcasts, comic books (like the ones
illustrated and written by Larry Gonick), interactive websites and museums, documentaries and even atypical science books. Writing about science shouldn’t be so “academic” and in the language of the scientists. Magazines that cover scientific topics, and their relevancy, should be considered more than they are at the moment, because they are so useful. If we as a nation put more focus on science, perhaps we’ll become a true world leader again. We must educate the youth in scientific endeavors, for they are the ones to integrate the information into their lives more than we are apt to. We need scientificallyconscience individuals to grow up and impact legislation. Perhaps money spent on trivial pursuits like incarceration or war, can be better spent studying the cosmos or saving the planet. We can only reap a multitude of seemingly unending benefits if we make more of an effort to understand and advocate science.
Five life lessons The Rocket Editor-in-Chief learned while in college
Janelle Wilson I could bore you all with a very detailed description of my time here, which would be similar to most students’ experiences. If you were interested in that, I’ll give you the synopsis: I learned about myself. I grew up. I made friends and I made enemies. I drank hundreds of gallons of coffee and slept only when I could afford to. Now that that’s over, I’m going to focus on the more important part of my college career, which is the people who made me who I am today. Thank you first to all of my professors who watched me grow up these past four years. I applaud you, because as I’m sure you’ve all found out by now, I don’t actually know what I’m
doing. A special thanks to Dr. Pu for always believing in me and laughing with me when the situation called for it. An 8 a.m. was not as painful because you taught it. A shout out goes to Dr. Keppel for challenging his students and making me laugh every class period. It will be difficult adjusting to starting my days without story time. Thanks to the retired Dr. Laux for never letting me get off easy, and reminding me that happiness is a worthy and attainable goal. SRU hasn’t been the same for me since you left it. To Dr. Harry, who gutted my writing and polished it into something clear and concise. Because of you, fact-errors have never been more evident- or more annoying. Thank you to my family and friends who were patient and understanding when I had to leave to go handle a crisis. To my father, who showed me the value of work ethic and personal integrity. And to my mother, who taught me that a good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything. Another thank you goes to my four siblings, Jesse, Jenn, John
and Julie, for making me proud everyday, and for keeping me on my toes so I didn’t slip from my position on the sibling totem pole. To my boyfriend of almost 4 years, Mark (a.k.a “Clark”). You have been so patient and kind. Thank you for being more supportive than I deserved, I know this year wasn’t easy for either of us. There is no other person I would have rather grown up with, and you challenge my thinking every day. I am so proud of who you have become. Where would I be without my Rocket baes? Nowhere. Thank you to the staff of 2015-2016 for making my last year such a memorable experience. I am so proud of each of you, and of everything we’ve done together, and I hope you all feel the same. Thanks to last year’s CL editor, Katie, for being the best teammate I could’ve asked for, and who balanced me out so well. Thank you eternally to Shelby. Together we ranted and raved, laughed and cried. You never let me doubt myself for a minute, and I’m so grateful to call you my lylas. A final thank you goes to Dr.
“Fetty” Zeltner. This year has been the most challenging and educational of my entire college career, and I couldn’t have asked for a better adviser. Thanks for being tough on me always, and complimentary only when I deserved it. You’ve helped me grow not only as a writer, but as a person. I’ll never forget my time here because of you. Now that I’ve gotten all of those feelings out of the way (gross), I’m going to share the most important things I’ve learned during my time here.
is not only foolish, but also unrealistic. Be mindful and thank everyone who helped you become who you are today. You can’t cross a burned bridge.
1. It is not the world’s job to validate your existence.
4. You can learn something from everyone you meet.
Whatever your belief system, you were not put on this Earth to be coddled. The world does not care if you’re not happy, and the most surefire way to ensure your own dissatisfaction is to rely on other people to make you feel good about yourself. The best way to become an interesting person is to be interested.
Even if it’s how to not be a good person.
2. No man is an island. Pretending that you aren’t reliant upon anyone or anything
3. How people treat you says more about them than it does about you. As my favorite author, Mark Twain said, “Keep away from the people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel like you, too, can become great.”
5. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn anything. My failures were the most educational experience of my college career. As a person who fears failure more than any other thing in the world, I understand that this concept is scary. Embrace it. The bigger the failure, the more likely you are to remember the lesson.
April 29, 2016
OPINION
B-3
2016 staff graduates bid farewell The Rocket: The experience Senior ready to blast off into that was more than just a job the real world
Amber Cannon When I arrived at the newly-built Robert M. Smith Student Center in 2012 for OMD’s JumpStart, I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. My family left me, my friends left me and I was all alone. I remember sitting in my overlydecorated dorm room, and wondering, what do I do? That’s when it hit me. One day in Fyrst Seminar with Dr. Quinn, all of the communication-related organizations came to speak to all the scared freshmen, and one organization that caught my eye was The Rocket. That’s when a light bulb appeared above my head. I knew I wanted to write. I even remember the first story I wrote. I interviewed Dr. Mark Brazitis about a book that he was writing. My writing was terrible, but I knew there was room for improvement. Fast forward one year, and I had my first interview for a position on the staff. The only thing I can remember from that was me saying the horrifying statement, “I can bake cookies. I’ll bake cookies for you all.” After I said that, I knew it was a no for me (que Randy Jackson’s voice). Fast forward another year, I became the Assistant News Editor, and I learned so much about writing a hard news story, which not only strengthened my news writing skills, but my overall skills
as a journalist. I was blessed to have earned a promotion as Assistant News Editor, and I will cherish that position forever. Now, being the campus life editor, I’ve learned a lot, not only about myself as a writer, but about other people as well. I’ve learned about the LGBTQ+ community and people of different ethniticies and races. I’ve learned that there is more than one way to do something and I’ve learned that everyone is beautifully different and unique. I’ve learned more from The Rocket than I have from any of my classes, and for that, I’m forever grateful. I’ve been lucky to experience the amazing work that my coworkers and friends have done, and the work that they will continue to do. When I first came on staff, I didn’t know how long I was going to last, but looking back now, I feel stupid for even considering quitting as an option. The Rocket has been more than just a job, it’s been a rollercoaster and an experience of a lifetime. I couldn’t think of a better organization to join on campus. With writing 108 articles, this job has prepared me to go out into the real world and pursue my dream. To the whole staff, I just want to say thank you for everything. Thanks for not giving up on me, and thank you for rehiring me after my quite and awkward stage of being assistant news editor. Thank you for giving me a little family in Slippery Rock University, and thanks for being great friends. I will cherish all of the memories: whether it be the personality quizzes, “alright,” the budget meetings or the crazy Thursday nights. Thank you.
News Editor thanks The Rocket for scaring her everyday
Haley Barnes I can remember coming to Slippery Rock University as a freshman and moving into Building A like it was yesterday. I can even remember what I was wearing. Isn’t that cheesy? But here I am about to graduate in about a week. Coming into SRU, I was a shy chemistry major who hardly left my room and yes, I am well aware that is not the most orthodox way to spend your college career. So after a very rough first semester, I switched my major to communication and focused the rest of my college career on becoming a successful journalist. Of course it is safe to say that my journalism courses were very helpful and helped me obtain a lot of knowledge in the field of journalism, but I owe all of my practice and experience to The Rocket. I have had the pleasure of serving as The Rocket’s news editor for the past two years and let me tell you, it has certainly been one interesting journey. Coming into The Rocket, I had no idea what this position held. I did not know I would be designing the news section on a weekly basis, I did not know I was basically the eyes and ears of finding out information for the student body and I certainly did not know that I would be working on staff of very diverse people with a wide range of personalities very different to mine. I was incredibly intimidated and quite frankly did not even know if this job was for me. Yet, Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “do
one thing everyday that scares you,” and that quote was motivation enough for preserving through all of the hardships that came along with the job and with time, practice certainly did make perfect. I mastered the art of Adobe InDesign creating the design of the news section with ease, I should have a doctorate in professional eavesdropping and snooping by now, and the friends I have made on The Rocket staff are some of the most inspiring and supporting people I have ever met in my life. I’ve written around 100 articles for The Rocket and that, without a doubt, is experience that I would not have had the opportunity to have anywhere else, but experience is not the only thing I gained out of this position. I watched myself grow not only as a writer, but as a person too. I came out of my shell and my room literally became a place where I solely slept. I think that’s incredibly important because I feel there are some jobs you have to just pass the time and make some money, but The Rocket was never that for me and quite frankly, it got to the point where I stopped viewing The Rocket as a job. For me, it was of an opportunity to spend time with amazing people who all had one goal in mind: to create an awesome newspaper. I very much look forward to reading The Rocket as an alumna of this university and I am very excited to see what the new staff is capable of doing. I am very confident that the high reputation of this paper is going to be left in good hands. As for all of the friends I made at The Rocket, I hope we keep in touch and I wish you all of the best with your future endeavors. It is going to feel weird as we will not be spending our Wednesday and Thursday nights together anymore. It’s been real, The Rocket. I am going to miss you very much, but I will never forget you, as you provided me with my roots in the field of journalism.
Emily Brown Towards the end of the spring semester in 2014, which was my first semester attending Slippery Rock University, I remember my professor announcing that The Rocket newspaper was hiring. At first I wasn’t really interested because I didn’t have any experience in journalism or had the desire to write for a newspaper. But when I heard him say there was a position offered that’s responsible for filming and editing videos, I was immediately hooked. I applied to be the multimedia reporter because this position covered events on campus through video. Being a student that had a passion for video editing, this position as the multimedia reporter gave me the opportunity to use my filming and editing skills outside of the classroom and gain plenty of experience. Once I got the job, I was extremely excited to start working with the rest of the staff and felt like I was finally a part of something important at this school. The next year, I worked really hard on videos for The Rocket’s website and tried my best with making our videos something different and new for Slippery Rock students to view. That was something I really appreciated about my job, being able to take it in any direction I thought was necessary. Throughout my two years being a part of this staff, I’ve made incredible friendships that I plan to continue after college. I’ve met a lot of people around campus just from approaching them and interviewing them as part of my job. One of my responsibilities as the multimedia reporter was taking care
of “In The Quad” which is a portion of the opinion section where I had to ask Slippery Rock students what they thought of a certain topic. This for me was a challenge because typically, people don’t like being approached and being asked questions and having their picture taken. But doing this activity actually taught me a lot about other people in the world and taught me how to become a better communicator/ reporter. I’ve actually even met some really inspiring and kind people from having to do this as part of my job. Of course there were numerous times where I felt overwhelmed with having to cover so many events during the semesters. This job has its moments where you feel like taking a break. But that happens with anything you do. I’m glad I didn’t give up when times were tough. I stuck with it and now have many projects that I’m proud I had the chance to work on. I’ve met and interviewed a lot of interesting and incredible individuals who appreciated having their event covered and shared with the rest of the campus. I’ve even had the chance to meet some of the celebrities that have come to this campus such as Alice Tan Ridley, Jimmy Tatro, Hunter Hayes, and Emmanuel Hudson. These moments will forever be remembered and I am grateful that being the Multimedia Reporter has made me such a hard worker. As I’ve stated while working in the office during the last few days of the semester, I’m going to miss being surrounded by my coworkers that I consider my good friends here at Slippery Rock. Not only have I made great friendships with my coworkers but we’ve all done our jobs very well and we’ve created a lot of amazing content during the past few semesters. Even though I’m sure people have heard me complain once or twice (maybe more), I’m still honestly going to miss working here for The Rocket. But I’ve learned a lot working as the multimedia reporter and I’m ready to take those skills that I’ve gained with me into the real world.
Taking off, graduating senior recalls great experience
Chris Gordon I was hired onto The Rocket staff a year ago and now, as a senior, I’m getting ready to leave. I’m keen to ask, “what’s changed this past year?” Honestly, there’s still a lot I don’t know. I still can’t spell definitely without autocorrect, I still can’t explain photosynthesis, despite that general bio class and I still have no true reason to prefer Nike over Adidas. All things considered, I’m relatively the same person I was a year ago. What’s changed, however, is my experience. When you’re part of a student newspaper, it seems like someone is always mad at you, someone is always praising you and someone is always asking why your story didn’t go further. Working for The Rocket taught me to balance my time; managing these voices buzzing in my ear and excelling academically as well. Ma ny s t r e s s f u l w e e k s I
contemplated bailing on my stories, but I knew I owed it my section, my staff and myself to finish the job. Being a part of this staff has expanded my social circle in a way that’s been meaningful to me. Our office became my second home; I’m confident that five days out of seven I spent far more time here than at my apartment. Through bickering, gossip and plenty of laughter, a random assortment of 12 staffers became the close-knit circle we are today. I’ ll certainly miss testing obnoxious Snapchat filters with Emily, talking social justice with Victoria and bashing the sports section, despite my appreciation for Ryan and Cody. Though my time on staff was short, I wouldn’t have shared the experience with any other group. So even though I’m taking off, I’m bringing with me a lot. I’m leaving with the connections I’ve made, the portfolio I’ve developed and all the wonderful experiences that made the work worthwhile. I wish I could have stuck around longer, but there’s a bright future ahead. No matter how far each of us venture, we’ll always have this year in common. I’m proud to have been a part of the 2015-2016 Rocket staff.
S SPORTS
INSIDE SPORTS
Women's Sports
Track Senior
Three new head coaches have led women's sports teams to successful seasons.
Women's track and field senior breaks school record in the 5000-meter race.
See Page C-2
See Page C-4
Fusco celebrated for NFL success
REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
2010 alumni Brandon Fusco unveils his retired number 74 jersey with former Rock football coach George Mihalik. Fusco played for The Rock from 2007-10 and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
By Cody Nespor Assistant Sports Editor
For a Division II football player, being drafted into the National Football League is an uphill battle. Without the national exposure that Division I schools get, it can be hard for Division II players to be noticed, let alone to be regarded as talented enough to be selected in the draft. 2010 Slippery Rock graduate Brandon Fusco, like so many other college
football players, dreamed of one day playing in the NFL and through hard work and dedication he has made that dream a reality. Fusco, a Seneca Valley High School graduate, joined The Rock in 2006 under recently retired head football coach George Mihalik. Fusco was named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) team his sophomore, junior, and senior season, was a consensus All-American as a senior and also
won the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award and was the Rimington Trophy winner as the nation's best center. Fusco said that Slippery Rock means everything to him and that he is an avid fan of Slippery Rock football when the season comes around. SEE COACHES, PAGE C-3
LAX loses season finale, falls 18-13 to Seton Hill By Cameron Bildhauer Rocket Contributor
REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
Senior Anna-Marie Warrington and junior Chynna Chan celebrate with senior Jessica Johnson after Johnson's second goal of the season against Shippensburg Univeristy.
The Slippery Rock University women’s lacrosse team saw its season come to an end with an 18-13 loss to Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action from Dick’s Sporting Goods Field. Slippery Rock finishes the season with a 9-8 overall record and a 5-7 mark in PSAC play. It marks the fifth time in the last six years the team has finished with a .500 or better record and marks the second straight year with a 9-8 record. Seton Hill improves to 8-9 overall and 7-5 in PSAC play and clinches a berth in the PSAC playoffs with the victory. Seniors Erin Wilcox and Kaytlin Callaghan, two of the top offensive players in program history, saw their SRU career come to an end on Tuesday night. Wilcox finished with four goals to give her 52 goals on the season, making her the second player in program history to record two 50-goal seasons in one career. Callaghan finished with two goals and one assist to give her 21 assists on the season, making her the second player in program history to record two seasons with at least 20 assists. “It will be a challenge losing Erin and Kayt (Callaghan). They have played a huge
role in our program’s success over the last four years on both sides of the ball and will be deeply missed,” head coach Emily Hopkins said. “They mean so much to this program and we wish them the best of luck in the future.” Callaghan finishes her career as the second-leading scorer in program history with 187 points, while Wilcox ranks sixth with 150 points. Wilcox is the fourth leading goal scorer in school history with 140 goals and Callaghan ranks fifth with 126. Callaghan also ranks second in SRU history in assists with 61, while Wilcox also ranks second in draw controls with 183. Wilcox scored at least one goal in every game of her final season and scored at least a hat trick in 11-of-17 games. She scored multiple goals in all but one game on the year and her 52 goals are the fourth most recorded in a single-season in school history. “She (Wilcox) has worked really hard over her four years to be a scoring threat. She knows when to cut and catch almost anything,” Hopkins said. Senior goalkeeper Jordan Wagner also ended her career Tuesday, making nine saves in total. SEE LACROSSE, PAGE C-4
SPORTS
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April 29, 2016
Baseball 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
mercyhurst* 32-10 (19-5) seton hill* 33-12 (17-7) Gannon* 28-13 (16-8) California (PA.) 24-18 (15-9) indiana (pa.) 20-24 (12-12) pitt-johnstown 16-25 (9-15) slippery rock 10-35 (5-19) Clarion
9-29 (3-21)
Softball 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
California (pa.)* gannon* slippery rock* seton hill edinbor0 mercyhurst
33-2 (19-1) 20-19 (10-10) 20-23 (9-11) 16-26 (9-11) 14-20 (8-12) 13-24 (5-15)
Women's Lacrosse 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
West Chester* mercyhurst* indiana (pa.)* lock haven* east stroudsburg* millersville* seton hill slippery rock kutztown gannon edinboro shippensburg Bloomsburg
16-1 (11-1) 15-2 (11-1) 12-5 (10-2) 13-4 (8-4) 12-5 (7-5) 11-6 (7-5) 8-9 (7-5) 9-8 (5-7) 7-10 (3-9) 6-11 (3-9) 7-10 (2-10) 5-11 (2-10) 4-11 (2-10)
Women's Tennis 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
california (pa.)* indiana (pa.)* mercyhurst* Slippery rock edinboro Seton Hill clarion
15-3 (6-0) 19-3 (5-1) 14-5 (4-2) 14-9 (3-3) 13-7 (2-3) 7-10 (1-5) 4-11 (0-7)
Outdoor track April 28 Hillsdale Gina Relays Hillsdale, MI April 29 Ashland Alumni Open Ashland, OH
Standings as of Thurs.Apr. 28 at 2:00 p.m.
REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
Women's baskebtall head coach Bobby McGraw gets fired up during a game earlier this year. This is McGraw's first year as the team's permanent head coach.
New head coaches put women's sports on the rise By Cody Nespor Assistant Sports Editor
In the past two years, three new head coaches have been hired to lead three different women's sports programs. In 2015-16, all three coaches led their teams to successful seasons. New head coach Jessica Griggs led the women's soccer team to the semifinal round of the conference playoffs, former interim head coach Bobby McGraw compiled the most wins in a single season for the women's basketball team in a decade and former assistant coach Stacey Rice led the softball team back into the playoffs for the first time in six years. Griggs was named the new women's soccer head coach in March of 2015, coming off of a one-year stint as the head coach of Division III Northland College. She inherited a program that had won a combined 20 games in the past three years. In her first season as head coach, Griggs led The Rock to 13 wins and a trip to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament semifinal round. SRU athletic director Paul Lueken said that Griggs found early success with the women's soccer program because she was able to adapt her coaching philosophies to the players already on the roster. "She (Griggs) didn't try to reinvent the wheel here. She certainly instilled some of the things she wants to do," Lueken said. "I know she's set high expectations for herself, she wants to win the PSAC championship every year and move on and win a national championship. She wants to make sure we do it the right way, she wants to focus on student success not only on the field but in the classroom and in the community. My hope for (Griggs) is that she can settle in here for a long time." Under Griggs, six players were named to all-region postseason teams and the team as a whole posted a 3.1 GPA in the fall semester. Coach McGraw was named the interim head coach of the women's basketball team in May of 2014. In his first year in charge of the program he led the team to an 11-16 record and a trip to the PSAC playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season. However, it was not certain whether or not McGraw would be hired as the permanent head coach after his interim season. McGraw said that he could not let the uncertainty of his job security affect him in any way. "There was one thought through that process; 'go find the best players that we can sign immediately'," McGraw said. "If we were brought back, the last thing we wanted to do was come back with an empty cupboard because we were sitting on our hands hoping we would be back. It was nerve-racking, but at the same time we had to have the thought process that we were going to get hired, so go out and get players."
After being named the permanent head coach of the team last summer, McGraw coach the team to a 13-15 record, the most wins in a single season for the program in the last decade. In the past five seasons before McGraw, the women's basketball team totaled 25 wins. In two seasons under McGraw, the women's basketball team already has 24 wins. McGraw has also been able to draw highly touted high school recruits and transfers. "The next step is to win the PSAC title," McGraw said. "We can win the PSAC. We have a lot coming back, we have a freshman coming in, we have a transfer coming in who will all make huge impacts. The goal is to not win two more games, the goal next year is to win the PSAC title, plain and simple." McGraw said that he will continue to work to improve the team defensively, and that is how he plans on winning a championship. Coach Rice has been a part of the Slippery Rock softball team since 2005, both as a player and as an assistant coach. She was promoted to head coach of the team prior to last season and has already steered the program in the right direction. This year, Rice's second as head coach, the team won 20 games, the most since 2010, and she led the team into the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Lueken thinks that Rice's familiarity with and determination for the softball program has enabled her to have this early success. "I think it has been a tremendous advantage for her. She was here when we were successful and when we did make the playoffs and as a player and saw what that looks like," Lueken said. "She has a very strong desire to be very competitive. She's been able to develop her players, both as an assistant and now as head coach. The coach she learned under was an offensive coach and so I think that's how she's approached her own coaching style." The 12 years Rice has been a part of the SRU softball team have been the program's most successful period and Rice is looking to continue the mission to win a title that she started when she was a player for The Rock. In the end, Lueken thinks that is important for a university to have both men's and women's sports that are successful. He thinks that it reflects well on Slippery Rock when both men's and women's teams can bring home championships and be an example of how SRU athletics operates. McGraw said that he thinks that it is good for everyone when men's and women's sports can be successful. He said in the past, people would only buy tickets to see the men's basketball team, but now people are buying tickets to see both. As each of these coaches continue to build their legacies at Slippery Rock, the only certainty is that they are doing so with the best intentions for both the university and their players.
April 29, 2016
SPORTS
C-3
GRAPHIC BY CODY NESPOR/THE ROCKET
Coaches and players come together to retire legendary player's jersey Continued from Page C 1
"I play at the biggest stage today and I tell guys all the time I would take anything to come back and play for the Green and White, this place means a lot to me and it's very special," Fusco said. "I love this school, it has done a lot for me, it has opened a lot of opportunities for me and I always love checking the (football) scores when I'm on road trips. I give the other guys a hard time because their schools are losing, but mine's always winning." Following his graduation from Slippery Rock with a safety management degree, Fusco was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings, becoming the highest drafted player in SRU history. Fusco is also the only Slippery Rock graduate to be invited to participate in the NFL scouting combine and the Senior Bowl. Following the football team's annual green and white spring game on Friday, Fusco was honored by the university by becoming the third ever Slippery Rock player to have their jersey number retired, joining SRU legends Jerry Bejbl and Jim McElhaney. There will also be a sign hung from one of the light posts outside of Mihalik-Thompson Stadium showing Fusco's name and number, preserving his legacy. Surrounded by family, friends and former teammates and coaches, Fusco saw his number 74 jersey become officially retired and, while fighting back tears, delivered a thank you speech where he talked about his love for Slippery Rock and the gratitude he feels for the university and everyone that has helped him throughout his life. Mihalik said that Fusco is the greatest player to ever come out of Slippery Rock and is the perfect representative for SRU in the NFL. "He had a dream and his dream, like every other high school player, is that he wants to go to college and play in the NFL," Mihalik said. "The only difference was he made his dream come true because of dedication and hard work. At Slippery Rock, you come here to get a degree and graduate and win championships, but he took it that next step. To have one of your players drafted into the NFL is fantastic but even more so the fact that a lot of people get drafted but don't play. He's played five years in the NFL and that's what is most impressive about Brandon. He beat players from any division one school you can mention." Mihalik also mentioned that he is most proud of Fusco for getting his degree in safety management and graduating, and that retiring his jersey number was the last thing Mihalik wanted to do before retiring from SRU for good. Slippery Rock president Cheryl Norton said everyone at Slippery Rock is so proud of Fusco and what he has accomplished and that he has proven that anything is possible. "I think whether you're an educator in the classroom
PHOTO CURTESY OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATION
Rock alum Brandon Fusco blocks Gannon defenders. Fusco won the Rimington award as the nation's best center and the Gene Upshaw award as the best Division II lineman his senior year.
or a coach on the field, your hope is always that you help your students achieve more than what you have achieved, to become more than what they ever thought they could," Norton said. "So for Brandon to be an NFL player, obviously he has made his dream. What it also says about a small-town college like Slippery Rock University is anything is possible if you work hard, if you have a goal, if you're devoted to it and if you have the right people to support you. So he's a great example of what a person can become and how Slippery Rock can help you along the journey." Fusco is one of 13 players in the NFL to come out of the PSAC currently in the NFL and said that he has shown that a Division II player can be just as good as any Division I player. "It feels unbelievable (to play in the NFL). It's hard to put into words. This is my sixth year in the NFL and coming into
the league, the expectations of people that saw me certainly weren't for me to play this long," Fusco said. "I glad to have proved people wrong and just show others that it doesn't matter what school you go to. It doesn't matter if you go to Alabama or Ohio State, I went to Slippery Rock and showed everyone that I can be just as good as those guys." In September of 2014 The Vikings signed Fusco to a fiveyear contract extension, meaning that he will stay in the league for an even longer time. From now on, Fusco can rest easy knowing that no football player will ever again wear the number 74 for The Rock and that no one ever attending a Rock football game at MihalikThompson Stadium will forget who he is and what he has accomplished with the help of Slippery Rock University.
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SPORTS
April 29, 2016
Senior track athlete runs into the record books By Jordyn Bennett Rocket Contributor
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN PAPA
Senior Jenny Picot competes for The Rock during the fall cross-country season. Picot broke the Slippery Rock school record for the 5000-meter race.
Slippery Rock women's track and field senior Jenny Picot unexpectedly ran into the record books on Saturday at the Bucknell Outdoor Classic. "I always wanted to break the record, but that day I just wanted to break 17:00," Picot said. "I was able to see the clock during the race, but I had no idea how fast I was going during the race." The distance runner placed fifth in the 5000-meter with a time of 16:45.80 to start off the day for SRU. Not only did she break the original record of 16:50.54, but she set a new personal best by 28 seconds. Only Division I athletes and club runners beat her. Picot said it may have been one of her best efforts she has ever given. Keeping up with the pack of the beginning of the race was exhausting, but she said she pushed herself beyond her limits. "I don't really remember the end of the race," Picot said. "I remember I fell to the ground. I guess I must have been tired." Picot's effort was worth it and did not go unnoticed. Slippery Rock track and field head coach John Papa said that a race like that takes a lot of courage for any athlete to run. "16:45 is a significant record without a doubt," Papa said. "There aren't many ladies running below 17:00." That day was Picot's day. All of the conditions a long distance runner would want, Papa said, were right there and Picot took advantage of it. "I knew she had the ability to go below 17:00, but the conditions have to be right for that to happen," Papa said. "It may have been luck, but that day at Bucknell was perfect." Neither Picot nor Papa know when a day like this will come again, or if it ever will, but that day put Picot in position to potentially compete with some of the best competition in the country. Picot is ranked first in the PSAC by 13 seconds, and sits at 14th in the country. If she can remain in the top 20 she will qualify for nationals. She realizes that once she gets to her championship meets, that time will no longer matter. "I may be ranked first, but you never know what can happen," Picot said. "At championship meets, doing so many other events, it's all about strategy."
Lacrosse seniors finish careers in record book
REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET
Senior Kaitlin Callaghan evades Shippensburg defenders during Senior Day last week. Callaghan finished her career ranked second in program history in total points with 187.
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She leaves SRU ranked second in career saves with 362. Senior Taylor Balbierz subbed in for Wagner with 17:20 to play and made three saves to finish the game. The two teams traded goals early in the game until the score was 4-4 with 16:48 to play in the first half. From there, Seton Hill scored five unanswered goals and closed the half on a 17-2 run to lead 11-6 at the break. Seton Hill pushed the gap to 13-6 with 26:54 to play before The Rock began to mount a comeback. SRU went on a 6-3 run over the next 15 minutes to cut the deficit to 16-12 with 11:24 to play, but Seton Hill closed out the
victory with a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes. “We felt like we had a chance to comeback throughout the game. We have been able to battle back against some of the best teams in the nation,” Hopkins said. Seton Hill finished the game with advantages of 40-26 in shots, 22-11 in draw controls and 13-11 in ground balls. The Griffins were 14-of-16 on clear attempts, while Slippery Rock was 17-of-21 on the clear. Sophomore Tia Torchia chipped in two goals and grabbed a team-high four draw controls and senior AnnaMarie Warrington capped the multiple point-scorers with one goal and one assist.
Freshmen Jordan Chan and Kelly Muenster, junior Chynna Chan and senior Jessica Johnson each tallied one goal to round out the point-scorers for SRU. Seton Hill was led by Emily Fagan with six goals and three assists. Renee Kania added three goals and two assists and Keagan Pontious chipped in three goals and one assist. Slippery Rock will return eight of the top 11 pointscorers next year. “We are very hopeful for next year. We have done a great job growing as a team this year and are also bringing in a great recruiting class,” Hopkins said. “I am excited to see us finish those close games with wins next year.”
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CAMPUS LIFE
INSIDE CAMPUS LIFE
"The Film Buff" Writes Final Review
New Play Examines the Madness of Poe
A graduating senior reviews "The Jungle Book," saying what she likes and dislikes about the film and whether it is a 5/5 in her last review of the year.
Slippery Rock's Department of Theatre explores the works of classic horror author Edgar Allan Poe with the unique play "Nightfall."
See Page D-3
See Page D-2
Bellassai makes SRU burst with laughter Buzzfeed-famous video blogger 'whines about it' in ballroom By Nina Bracci Rocket Contributor
Matt Bellassai from "Whine About It" took the stage Monday evening in the Robert M. Smith Student Center to make audience members burst into laughter with his special comedy hour. Bellassai is a writer, comedian and internet guru who many know from his weekly series on Buzzfeed called “Whine About It,” in which he got drunk at his work desk and complained about life. He obtained this position on the Buzzfeed team after graduating from college seeking a job as a magazine writer in New York City. When describing how he decided what path to take, Bellassai said that at one point, he thought it would be fun to make videos on Facebook and do what a YouTuber does. Bellassai said, that the first video he ever created was absolutely awful, but it was something that he threw together and decided that he wanted to continue every week. “It eventually became a thing that people actually noticed and talked about, and then I won a People’s Choice Award for it, so it worked out okay in the end,” Bellassai said as he laughed. When deciding his next career step, Bellassai said he had to choose between staying under Buzzfeed’s umbrella or taking a risk and having the ability to work on whatever he wanted and own every project that he worked on. REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET "Whine About It" star Matt Bellassai talks to students about why he believes he will be single forever in the Robert M. Smith Student Center ballroom.
SEE COMEDIAN, PAGE D-2
Students take on new experiences by directing 'Brave New Plays' By Sam Delauter Rocket Contributor
The Slippery Rock Department of Theatre presented its annual Brave New Plays festival this past week in Sheehy Theatre. The festival, which doubles as a final project for students enrolled in the class directing 337, featured 11 plays that were written, produced, performed and directed by Slippery Rock students. Beginning as early as last semester, students of any major were able to submit scripts to be considered for the festival. Of the roughly 24 plays that were submitted, the theatre department sifted through and determined the top 11 they believed to possess the most captivating, artistic and unique aspects. Students in the directing class were then able to choose which one they wanted to direct for their final project. While each play was well-received by the audience, two in particular, "It's Like Pizza" and "Vengeance," had the crowd roaring with laughter. Opening to a scene of two friends cynically arguing, "It's Like Pizza" comically depicted the struggle many encounter when navigating the complicated dating scene during early adulthood. Levi, a character played by Jared Lewis, appears frustrated by the amount of publically displayed affection he notices everywhere. His friend Brent, an apparent stoner played by Lawrence 'Joe' Karl, offers little meaningful advice and seems more focused on satisfying his marijuana -induced hunger. "It's Like Pizza" was written by Rebecca McGann and directed by Crystal Goeteller.
KENDALL SCOTT/THE ROCKET The cast of the student-run play festival "Brave New Plays" takes their bows together after the final performance of the show.
"Vengeance," written by Ashley Tresky and directed by Kaitlyn Cliber, began with two bickering siblings. Peyton, portrayed by Allison Valetta, and Collin, portrayed by Jacob Craig, are suddenly thrown into a role reversal situation when their parents come into the scene acting childishly. The two siblings are forced to take control of the situation and discover the value of maturity and compromise in the process. Laura Smiley, professor of directing, said she gives students a lot of leeway in the directing process. "If there’s any sort of major problem, I step
in,” Smiley said. “But for the most part, they’re adults, it’s up to them.” When speaking of the selection process for choosing the top 11, Smiley described the procedure as kind of subjective. "What you think is good and what I think is good may be very different," Smiley said. "We're looking for art; is the dialouge snappy? Are the characters interesting? Does it grab your attention?" Junior theatre major Emily Daning, who typically performs in plays, said the course showed her the other side of things. “I’m not used to giving the orders,” Daning
said, speaking of her role as director of "My Spot." “Now that we’re directors, we're kind of taking everything we’ve learned and putting it all together.” Students from all areas of study are encouraged to participate in this opportunity for artistic expression. Sophomore English education major Rebecca Robles, who played the lead role in "Always Zero Now," said she originally signed up to act on a dare from a friend. Robles said after she had performed, however, she loved the acting experience and plans to continue in the future.
CAMPUS LIFE Theatre department examines Edgar Allan Poe's decline of sanity April 29, 2016
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KENDALL SCOTT/THE ROCKET Theatre major Kristina Streno, alum Ethan Rochow and theatre major Emily Daning rehearse "Nightfall" in the Sheehy Theater in the basement of the Maltby Building.
By Megan Bush Rocket Contributor
On April 29, join Slippery Rock University’s Department of Theatre as a number of talented actors explore Edgar Allan Poe’s descent into madness. “Nightfall,” a play written by Eric Coble that is comprised of four of Poe’s most well-known works, follows the dark and twisted author of the 19th century as he desperately tries to convince the audience that he is not going mad. The play is a culmination of three of Poe’s tales, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” as well as his poem “The Raven.”
Senior theatre and dance dual major and co-director Lawrence 'Joe' Karl said the play is not just a collection of Poe’s works, however; it’s actually much more than that. “It’s bringing them to life, and being able to take the beautiful words and show the world what those words would mean if projected into a show,” Karl said. “'Nightfall' is a great example of taking those ideas you get in your head when you read those works and making them really come to life.” Co-director and junior theatre design and anthropology dual major Gabriella Petro said she decided she wanted to direct this show when she was looking for a stage adaptation of “The Raven” and came across “Nightfall” during her search.
Karl said Petro approached him because her expertise was more in technology and backstage work, while he had more experience concerning acting and performance. After she approached him, Karl read through the script and immediately fell in love. Both directors agree that working with Poe’s creations posed some challenges, but the production process has certainly been an educational experience. “It’s been a journey,” Petro said. Ethan Rochow, 26, SRU alum and theatre acting graduate, said the process of preparing for the performances has been very intense but rewarding, especially considering the fact that he was brought in a week before opening night due to unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances.
“The funny thing is, I read the script before they even asked me to come in, and I loved it,” Rochow said of his agreement to join the cast. “I said, ‘this is just so cool; I love this,’ so when they asked me, I didn’t even hesitate to say yes.” Sophomore theatre acting major, writing minor and actor EJ Christopher said he’d always been a fan of Edgar Allan Poe growing up, and when he saw that “Nightfall” was being put on as a student production, he immediately felt that it would be a great experience to be a part of. “Bringing ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ to stage is really amazing,” Christopher said of his role as Roderick Usher, the main protagonist of the tale. “It’s life-changing.” Christopher said one of his biggest challenges while working on “Nightfall” was figuring out how to portray the physicality of Roderick Usher to the audience. “I really needed to make the audience believe that this guy is not only physically ill, but very mentally ill, as well,” Christopher said. Sophomore theatre technology and political science dual major and stagehand Emily Manzo said she really enjoys watching everything come together, usually around tech week, and she enjoys getting to be around everyone. Manzo also said the theatre department is really like a second home for her, and she plans on working on many future shows. Sophomore criminology major, ROTC cadet and actor Sean Douglas Drake Grove felt that, as a non-theatre major, working with a group of only theatre majors was not a big deal, and that the cast and crew were very welcoming, encouraging him to continue working on stage productions. “It’s all about the journey,” Grove said. There are two chances to see this exploration into the mind of a madman: Friday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. "Nightfall" will be performed in Sheehy Theater, in the basement of Maltby, and tickets are $5.
Comedian entertains crowd with his cynical view on love Continued from Page D 1
He left Buzzfeed to branch off towards his own assignments. “I decided to go out on my own and take the risk because I wanted to do stuff like this; visit colleges, do live shows and have the freedom to move around and work on other projects,” Bellassai said. Senior secondary education social studies major and Director of Events for UPB, Ryan Logue is in charge of bringing speakers to campus. Logue said that he and his committee members reach out to different agents in the search for a speaker. The committee then narrows their list down and leaves it to the students to make the final decision on which speaker they want to see. “For this speaker, we created a survey on paper and through Survey Monkey on social media, so with that, we tallied up all the votes and Matt Bellassai was the winner,” Logue said. Logue admitted that he is a very big fan of Bellassai. “This was my first time hearing of Matt, and then I started watching his videos from ‘Whine About It’ on Buzzfeed and he’s absolutely hilarious,” Logue said. Bellassai revolved the night’s show around the reasons that he will be single forever. He listed ideas such as not wanting to share his food with a significant other, hating the idea of talking on the phone with someone, despising when his partner is sick and loathing the thought of eating food in front of someone. “A lot of my humor is poking fun at myself and then it sort of becomes about everybody and I hope it’s relatable to everyone,” Bellassai said. Bellassai said that he tends to choose everyday topics that people notice about themselves or what’s happening around them. He said that with live shows, he gets to be more energetic and angry and he feels that it is much more exciting live.
REBECCA DIETRICH/THE ROCKET A group of SRU students share laughs at UPB's spring speaker event in Robert M. Smith Student Center Ballroom.
Bellassai hit the stage only in the last few months after people approached him to do live shows. “It’s thrilling when you’re not in front of a camera because you know right away whether people like you or not and whether they’re laughing at you or not; well, laughing with you,” Bellassai said. The speaker said that the message of his story was to get the point across that he considers himself a horrible person, but that he hopes the audience sees that he is not
entirely awful and that he is good person aside from the humorous things and thoughts that he revealed about himself. “I like making people laugh and entertaining people,” Bellassai said. Logue said that he ultimately wanted people to enjoy themselves with finals week around the corner and stress levels being high. By making the tickets a dollar, Logue said that the show was available for everyone to go and enjoy themselves.
CAMPUS LIFE
April 29, 2016
'The Jungle Book' is deemed 'pure magic'
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Ask Andi
Andi is a senior at SRU giving advice to those who seek it and occassionally to those who don't.
Question: PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE "The Jungle Book" characters Mowgli and Baloo come to life in live-action remake of animated Disney classic.
Harmony Kasper "The Film Buff" Harmony Kasper is a senior journalism and creative writing major and film and media studies minor and a regular contributor to The Rocket. I have to begin with four words: Go see this film. I don't remember the last time I saw the Disney cartoon version, so I wasn't sure of the storyline specifically. I knew the songs, but didn't know the scenes they came in at. Let me begin with Mowgli, the only actual human being in the film, played by newcomer Neel Sethi. The kid is literally the real-life version of the cartoon character. He looks like him, sounds like him, has the same mannerisms and you can't help but fall in love with his character. Bagheera, the panther who found Mowgli, is voiced by Ben Kingsley, whose voice fits the animal's personality so perfectly that it's scary to imagine the animal not having a voice. The famous Baloo, who ends up becoming friends with both Mowgli and Bagheera, is voiced by Bill Murray. Just believe me when I say Murray is Baloo, especially when he and Mowgli sing "The Bare Necessities" while floating down the river. Many other prominent actors play the iconic characters, such as: Idris Elba as Shere
Khan, the aggressive tiger seeking to kill Mowgli; Giancarlo Esposito as Akela and Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, both wolves that raised Mowgli; and Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, the sneaky and slithery snake. Finally, Christopher Walken voices King Louie, the enormous orangutan that sings "I Wan'na Be Like You." Even though King Louie isn't in the original stories, it's hard to imagine not him there. Each animal and actor paired is a perfect match. This film packs so many emotions into 105 minutes. I cried several times, laughed a whole lot, jumped, screamed, panicked, smiled and wondered what was going to happen to Mowgli when he finally faces Shere Khan. The film bases most of its storyline off of Rudyard Kipling's collective works, the original inspiration of the story. It also takes some inspiration from Disney's 1967 film. What I think they did phenomenally with this film is made it real. They didn't tone down any of the storyline, like how Shere Khan hates Mowgli or the multiple animal injuries and deaths that occur. Disney did their part in making an iconic animated film that kids would enjoy back then. Now, they created something that an older and more movie-critical audience can love as well. The film is a full virtual production. Sethi had to act as Mowgli with green screens, human beings in spandex suits and puppets, yet his acting never seems fake. Props to Sethi, the cutest Mowgli ever, for giving an incredible performance with no backdrops or actors to play off of. There is one child in this film and no adults, yet it's easy to relate to any of the characters and their struggles through the film. The movie is pure magic. When the animals talk, it seems natural. When the songs begin, it's effortless and doesn't feel out of place. When Baloo and Bagheera frantically run after Mowgli to stop him from doing something dangerous, you pray they get to him in time. "The Jungle Book" is one of the best movies I've seen in a long while. I can't give it enough praise. "I wan'na be like you" and go see it again, but first I have to focus on "the bare necessities of life" and make it to graduation. Thanks for the reviews!
Iranian speaker delivers message of struggle By Emma Pfeifer Asst. Campus Life Editor
Slippery Rock’s Art Department teamed up with the Kaleidoscope Arts Festival to bring in an Iranian guest speaker to talk about women’s roles in art, education and politics in Iran on Monday in Vincent Science Center. Soude Dadras is an art scholar currently researching the history of art and architecture at the University of Pittsburgh, said Kate Fitzgerald, senior art major and vice president of the Art Society. Dadras came to Slippery Rock to speak about her experiences and her research that she has experienced so far, Fitzgerald said. “The main goal of bringing Soude to campus for us was to create an interdisciplinary space where this speaker would come but also touch so many other departments while speaking,” Fitzgerald said. Dadras talked about a variety of topics throughout her discussion including women in modern art and the limitation of freedom in Iran. One big topic Dadras touched upon was the movement where Iranian women were taking off their hijabs, letting their hair down and taking pictures of their hair
down and uncovered. In Iran, it is punishable by law for a woman to show her hair, Dadras said. 3.6 million women were either arrested or fined last year for showing their hair in Iran. This active, rebellious movement is currently a big issue of discussion for the Iranian people, Dadras said. Another topic Dadras discussed was the fact that there are limitations to how women artists can showcase their work, Fitzgerald said. In Iran, it is much harder to express yourself and be a female artist. “Because social media and the internet have changed everything, Iranian women artists are becoming more creative on how to show their work,” Dadras said. Fitzgerald said that it was interesting how Dadras talked about the limitations of female artists because that issue is relevant to issues in the U.S. In the U.S., women and men are still not equal, and in the art world, men are featured more than women. Fitzgerald said that they brought Dadras here because it would be an event where it would touch other departments and be attractive to all majors such as political science, gender studies, modern art and more. Another good reason why
Dadras came was that a lot of Americans have skewed views of what the Middle East is like and what differences in freedoms there are, Fitzgerald said. Because of the limitations that people in Iran have, when they come to the U.S., it is almost like they are bombarded with all these freedoms, and that in a way it is almost too much, Fitzgerald said. It is an event like this that helps students grow and realize how many connections there are throughout different areas of the world, Fitzgerald said. A person can connect to anything and having an event like this, where people find that sense of connection in the world, helps students experience and gain a better understanding of that. Fitzgerald emailed back and forth with Dadras for months discussing her availability and when would be the best time to come to Slippery Rock. Dadras was originally supposed to come in the fall but she ended up coming in the spring because they figured that what she was speaking about was bigger than just the art department, and collaborating with Kaleidoscope helped make the event even bigger and better, Fitzgerald said.
Dear Andi, With graduation coming up soon, people are planning lots of parties. My best friend has already decided on his party date, and it just so happens that it's the same day as my family reunion. I don't know whether or not I should go to my best friend's party, who I may not see again for a really long time, or my family reunion. Help! Sincerely, Stuck in the Middle Answer: Dear Stuck in the Middle, The classic problem of having two places to be and only one body is always a tough one. It always seems like we find ourselves in a battle of trying to figure which one is more important. However, I'm not sure if it is which one is more important we should be wondering, but which one is more important at the time. Both of those events are important and hard to compare, so don't beat yourself up about having to pick one. Pick the one that will make you the happiest right here and now. We're all caught up in the excitement, yet nostalgia of graduation, so I'm sure your family would understand if you would want to spend your final college moments with your friends. And at the same time, your friend would understand that family is always important. So, pick what is best for you, and have fun at whichever one feel right now. We don't get our college years back, so spend them wisely. Best Wishes! Andi
Question: Dear Andi, I'm a graduating senior, and I thought I was prepared for the 'real world," until I realized I didn't have a job ready for me when I leave Slippery Rock. Now, I'm really nervous and graduation is coming up quick, and I'm wondering where to even begin. Sincerely, Don't Wanna Be Homeless Answer: Dear Don't Wanna Be Homeless, Don't we all want to have a home? And the good news is, we received a college education that will help us have one. Don't worry. We are all panicking and wondering what we should be doing as we are ending the final weeks of our college careers. Jobs don't come easy, so don't give up yet. Searching for a job is arguably more stressful and difficult than all of our college classes combined. This is what we've been training for, now get out there and prove how all your hard work has shaped you into the most eligible candidate for your dream job. In the case that most of us won't start at our dream jobs... at least we can get our foot in the door of the building our dream job might be located in, or with someone who can help us get there. Keep calm and apply on! Best Wishes! Andi
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April 29, 2016
Introducing Your 2016-2017 Senate: Logan Steigerwalt Abby Fugh Brian Welsh Sarah Arpino Sammy Hovis Haylee Zinn Dallas Kline Kevin Kite Morgan Montgomery Leanna Ohora Claudia Hartmann DeWayne Anderson Malika Fields Erin O'Connor Scott Vogelgesang Lindsey Kerecman Allison Sedon Matt Hefflefinger Odell Richardson Elizabeth Hernandez Katerina Fissore Emily Shorr Matt Scott Alexandra Foster Jaclynn Choma Anh Quan
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Congratulations to the class of
Remember to return any book rentals to the SGA bookstore before the semester is over.
Also, be sure to order your books for next semester online so they are ready when you return for the fall semester.
Good luck on your finals!
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COMICS
COMICS
Today's Birthday (04/29/16). Prioritize fun and games this year. Enjoy family gatherings after 5/9. Make long-term investments after 8/13. Love invigorates after 9/1. The next two years (after 9/9) energize you, creatively and physically. Community efforts take a new course after 9/16. Practice love. To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -Gather new income for the next several weeks, with Venus in Taurus. Others give you a boost. Today and tomorrow are good party days. Confess your worries. Love finds a way to work things out.
Best in Show
By Phil Juliano
Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Consider career advancement today and tomorrow. Your luck in love improves immensely over the next several weeks, with Venus in your sign. Get a new style, haircut or beauty treatment. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 6 -Investigate possibilities over the next two days. Travel appeals. Navigate to avoid traffic. Favor private over public for the next few weeks, with Venus in Taurus. Enjoy quiet time and sweeter dreams. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Deal with financial obligations today and tomorrow. Changes necessitate budget revisions. You're especially popular over the next three weeks, with Venus in Taurus. Group activities go well. Get out in public. Social activities benefit your career.
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy
By Tim Rickard
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Spend time with your partner over the next few days. Assume more responsibility over the next month, with Venus in Taurus. Watch for career advances. Put love into your work and it flowers. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Work is getting busy over the next two days. The next month is good for travel, with Venus in Taurus. It's easier to set goals and venture forth. Class convenes and studies get interesting. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 5 -- Get into a relaxation phase for the next two days. Hang with people you love and admire. Find clever ways to save and earn more money this next three weeks, with Venus in Taurus. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 7 -Home and family demand more attention today and tomorrow. Partnerships flow with greater ease over the next several weeks, with Venus in Taurus. Compromise comes easier. Create something beautiful together. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -Get creative with communications over the next few days. There's more work coming in over the next month, with Venus in Taurus -- the kind you like. Beautify your workspace. It's getting fun (and profitable). Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- There's money coming in over the next few days. Your morale gets a boost. You're especially lucky in games and romance over the next month, with Venus in Taurus. Practice your arts. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 7 -Take charge today and tomorrow. Your home can become your love nest. Household chores and improvement projects are more enjoyable over the next month, with Venus in Taurus. Go for domestic bliss. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 5 -Take two days for private productivity. Meditate on your next moves. Trust your heart. Savor what you're learning over the next month, with Venus in Taurus. Your research gets fascinating. Explore a passion. (Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black's legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @lindablack. For more astrological interpretations visit Linda Black Horoscopes and www.nancyblack.com) (c)2016 bY NANCY BLACK. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Bliss
By Harry Bliss
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April 29, 2016