The Rocket

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The

Rocket Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper Est. 1934

Women's Soccer: Three straight shut-outs

SPORTS B-1 FOCUS C-1

Free Candy: Students rocking tasty tunes

September 10, 2010

www.theonlinerocket.com

Volume 93, Number 2

Three alleged sexual assaults in one week By Courtney Nickle Rocket Assistant News Editor

Three alleged sexual assaults took place off campus last week. Slippery Rock University Police Department Interim Police Chief Windy Stafford said the first alleged assault took place Sept. 1 near the corner of North Main Street and Kiester Road. Night security students noticed the woman stumbling and called SRUPD around 11:17 p.m. Stafford said she is proud of the night security students that noticed the woman and called it in. “We’ve had some bad stuff happen, but we also have really great kids here,” she said. “They’re doing a great job and helping other students.” The woman was at an offcampus party and left with five men who were also at the gathering, said Jason Bennett, a Slippery Rock Borough patrolman. The second alleged assault took place Sept. 4 on North Main Street. Slippery Rock Borough officers found the woman in a ditch near Domino’s Pizza, Stafford said. The call was received by Slippery Rock Borough Police around 12:40 a.m. The woman claimed she was assaulted outside Ginger Hill after leaving the bar, Bennett said.

The third alleged assault took place Sept. 4 on Cooper Street. Slippery Rock Borough Police received the call around 2 a.m., Bennett said. The woman was also at an off-campus party beforehand. The Slippery Rock Borough Police are investigating the claims, Bennett said. “You can be the best investigator in the world, but if these girls don’t remember anything there’s not much you can do with that,” he said. “The females were so highly intoxicated it’s hard for them to recall exactly what happened.” As of right now, no charges have been filed and the women aren’t sure if they want to press charges, Bennett said. Stafford stressed that there is no immediate danger to the community. “The incidents weren’t related and there was no common perpetrator,” she said. The women are all physically okay, she said. “We have so many places and people to help people who have been victims of this,” Stafford said. “If this would happen it’s best to call the police, get checked out medically and write down what happened. That way if you change your mind about filing charges then you can file later if you want.”

By Eric Busch

Smokers on campus received new areas to smoke this semester after the construction of the last of nine new shelters was completed on June 2. Scott Albert, Director of Facilities, said the shelters and labor cost nearly $40,000. The shelters were placed in areas that were determined to be the best suited for student use. “We positioned them by student traffic, and where we got the most cigarette butts,” Albert said. There are three shelters near the new dorms, two in the quad, one between Swope Music Hall and the University Union, one by the Maintenance Center, one by North Hall and one by McKay Education Building. These nine shelters may not be enough, though, according to Ryan Dearth, a political science major, and Adam Parker, 20, an undeclared major. Both Dearth and Parker are smokers and said they would use the shelters if there were one nearby. Dearth said that the reason he doesn’t use the shelters is that most of his classes are in Spotts World Culture, and

New disc golf course on campus open to the public By Lauren Laing Rocket News Editor

A nine-hole disc golf course on SRU’s campus opened to the public for the Fall 2010 semester and is scheduled to become an 18-hole course by January. The course expands from Building F, winds around the ARC and ends up behind the rugby field. Steve Roberts, SRU Coordinator for Outdoor Adventures and Club Sports, said the course would eventually be 18 holes. “We’re hoping it’s operational the closest shelter is across the quad. He pointed out that the ashtrays are still located directly outside of Spotts. Dearth said he would rather stand outside by the ashtrays By Courtney Nickle instead of walking to the Rocket Assistant News Editor shelter. The SGA Preschool and Both students said that they would use the shelters if the Child Care Center received weather called for it, but that a CCAMPIS (Child Care on a normal day they wouldn’t Access Means Parents In be used. Parker agreed with School) Grant that will assist Dearth’s reasoning for not student-parents with their child-care expenses. using them. In order to qualify for the “They aren’t where I am money, applicants must have smoking,” Parker said. As far as the shelters filled out a FAFSA and be themselves go, both Parker eligible for financial aid. They and Dearth like the design. must also have a child ages They both said that they like 3-12 enrolled at the Child the bench located in each Care Center and maintain shelter, and have no problems at least a 2.0 grade-point with ventilation or air flow. average. Child Care Center Director Dearth did have a problem with the project itself though. Lisa Ringer said the grant “I think it was a waste of will pay for 100 percent of money, personally,” Dearth the child-care expenses for said. “They talk about the families with the highest budget cuts and then they financial need. From there it’s build something that no one a sliding scale ranging from the grant paying covering is using.” The new shelters could be 25 and 75 percent, based used to serve an unintended on need determined by the crowd instead, non-smokers. FAFSA. The grant would pay for the Megan Shever, 18, psychology major and Jen Hupko, 18, fee at the Child Care Center. elementary and special Currently, the fee is $4 per hour. However, because of a

Smoking shelters across campus spur controversy Rocket Staff Reporter

SUBMITTED PHOTO

(Left) Seth Matthews, a junior physical education major, and (right) Stephen "Koi" Adams, an SRU Outdoor Adventures graduate assistant, test their disc golf skills on SRU's new nine hole course.

by spring,” Roberts said. He said the second nine holes are proposed to go throughout the woods behind campus, and will be much more technical than the first nine. “It’s going to be very challenging in the woods,” Roberts said. The design of the back nine depends on factors, such as the construction going on for Slippery Rock Technology Park and the environment. “We want to protect our wetlands,” he said. Roberts said that planning for the course began two years ago when he applied for a grant

from the Green Fund. He said Jake Scheaffer, his practicum student at the time, wrote the application for $5,000. The grant was approved and he discovered another funding option called the “Disc Golf Foundations College Matching Basket Program.” The program gave SRU nine baskets, saving around $2,500. The other nine baskets were covered by the grant from the Green Fund. “No money came from anywhere except for the Green Fund,” Roberts said. Stephen “Koi” Adams, a graduate assistant for SRU Outdoor Adventures, said they

wanted to make sure that all money for the course came from community sponsors, scholarships and grants so that “students weren’t forking over any money.” J. Gary Dropcho, a disc golf course designer and president the maintenance crew of Moraine State Park’s course, donated a tremendous amount of work to the designing and constructing of the course, Roberts said. “We’ve been really, really lucky,” he said. Roberts attributed the SEE SRU, PAGE A-3

Federal grant helps student-parents pay for child care

SEE NON, PAGE A-2

subsidy from SGA, full-time student-parents pay $2.95 an hour and SGA covers the rest. If received, the grant would pay that fee, which includes the preschool program, hot lunch program and snacks provided, Ringer said. It also could include before

and after school care for elementary-age children as well as summer programs for children if the student-parent is enrolled in summer classes. Ringer said the goal of the grant is to help studentparents as much as possible. “The program is designed

to help parents get in school full-time, get their degree, get out and get a good job as quickly as possible,” she said. SRU was one of 160 schools awarded the grant in 2009. Almost $16 million was SEE SRU, PAGE A-2

JESSICA GORDON/THE ROCKET

Karlee Kennedy, a graduate assistant for the McKay Child Care Center, has storytime for preschoolers (from left) Meghan Bencic, Emily Plyler, Nadia Pruett and Joryn Larkin.


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