SRU Rocket - 9-2-11

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Campus Life C-1

B-1

Football:

Chaseland:

Endres at helm to start season as quarterback

The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com

Friday, September 2, 2011

Barnstormer V tour makes stop at faculty member's barn

Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper

Est. 1934

Volume 94, Number 1

SRU going green to save some green

By Will Deshong Rocket Contributor

The Slipper y Rock University Energy Conser vation Committee has instituted a campaign that will allow students and faculty alike to easily embrace the environmental “green” movement, as well as help cut energy costs to ease a tighter budget.

Students and faculty can now take a pledge, called “Small Steps. Big Payoff.” to responsibly reduce energy consumption used throughout the campus.

The pledge, which can be completed online at the university’s Web site, asks students to select three of 10 energy saving options

compiled by the Energ y Conservation Committee.

The options include basic energy saving techniques such as turning l i g h t s of f w hen possible, unplugging appliances not in use, printing l e s s , shorter showers, u s i n g the stairs instead of e l e v at o r s , running outside instead of inside on treadmills, not using automatic entrance buttons except w hen ne cess ar y,

encouraging friends and family to conserve energy, and even allows for students to create their own energy saving pledge.

The campaign is designed f o r s t u d e nt s to take an individualistic a p p r o a c h to energy c o n s e r v at i o n , something Dr. D a v i d C u l p, a member on the President's Commission on Sustainability, says is just as important, if not a better option than a large scale approach to conservation.

“E n e r g y c o n s e r v at i o n

SRU Professors currently working without contract

By Spencer Cadden Staff Reporter

T he profe ss ors at Slippery Rock University are currently working without a contract.

Last M a y, the professors were notified that because of the proposed budget cuts to higher education statewide, there may be a need for retrenchment, or downsizing.

While the proposed 50 percent cuts didn’t go through, an 18 percent cut was approved. Although the 18 percent cut left professors unsure if their jobs were at risk, Dr. Jace Condravy, the president

of SRU’s chapter of APSCUF (Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties), said that President Robert Smith helped put their fears at rest. “ The retrenchment e-mails were generated at the state level,” Dr. Condravy said. “And President Smith has followed it up by assuring us that no form of retrenchment would hit SRU for at least a year.”

While President Smith said that no retrenchment would happen for at least a year, the professors are still have no contract, without which the professors aren’t g u ar ante e d b e ne f it s , security or wages. Dr.

Condravy said that even though APSCUF and the state still have a lot of ground to cover until a deal is reached, the state has made a few steps in the right direction, from APSCUF’s perspective.

“While APSCUF has had a professional negotiator for months, the state just recently hired one who is getting familiar with the whole issue,” Dr. Condravy said.

One of the steps is putting plans in place by the end of September for the two professional negotiators from both parties to meet and discuss the contract.

Both sides of the

is really determined by individual people being aware that their own behavior is the key component,” Culp, who is also the Chairperson of the School of Business at the University, said.

The President’s Commission on Sustainability coordinates most sustainability initiatives o n c a mp u s , i n c l u d i n g the Energy Conser vation Committee.

Culp stressed that simple measures throughout the University will make an impact on conservation.

“I leave here at night and the lights are on in the hallways or classrooms even though there is no one else around,” Culp said, citing an example on wasted energy.

C onvincing students

to partake in the energy cons er vation techniques listed in the pledge shouldn’t be too hard if any indication from the research Dr. Katrina Quinn, a communications professor at Slippery Rock University, and the Energy Conser vation Committee did on energy conservation among students and faculty prior to the design of the pledge.

“We discovered a lot of students already participated in energy saving activities,” Quinn said. “And they recognized philosophical reasons to save energy more so than just to save money on their electric bill.”

With knowledge about the support the student body had for the green movement,

the committee formulated a campaign that would promote favorable behaviors about energy conservation by students.

“The idea is for students to take the project on now where facility left off,” Quinn said.

The wasted of energy the program hopes participants will limit will not only lead to a greener campus, but the Energy Conser vation Committee also hopes to see an impact on the University budget.

“L o o k on a ny l a r g e corporation’s web site and the second or third spot on the header is usually sustainability,” Culp said.

“It’s an important part of SEE PLEDGES PAGE A-2

Lexi Kovski/THE ROCKET

Students helping the new freshman and transfer students move into their new dorm rooms. Slippery Rock University had a 17 percent increase in freshmen applications this semester.

New student quality went A brand new, happy look up from last year, Yale says By Stephanie Holsinger Assistant News Editor

The Slipper y Rock Un i v e r s i t y S t u d e n t Government Association (SGA) recieved two new "happy bus" wraps this summer.

The new "happy bus" wraps are intended to raise SRU's visibility and to be a symbol of the university.

One of the wraps are on an off campus happy bus, with the other on an on campus bus.

B ot h w r ap s h av e prominant pictures of "Rocky" SRU's mascot, with the off campus bus being black and the on

campus one being white.

SRU is very excited about the public relations posibilities for the bus, according to Kaitlyn C ampb el l, t he Vice President of Campus Outreach.

"They were an initiative that was started a few years ago, and I'm very excited they finally came to fruition," Campbell said.

SGA also made nominations and voted to elect a new speaker of the senate at their meeting Thursday.

Carmen Fortunato, Hayley Hunter and Dan Estes were all nominated by their fellow senators to be elected to this open stipend position.

Duties of the speaker of the senate include being a voting member

SEE FACULTY PAGE A-2

of co-op and maintaining records for SGA. After a vote of 10-8-1, it was announced that Fortunato was elected to be SGA’s speaker of the senate for the 2011-2012 school year. Although it is his first year as a member of SGA, Fortunato feels that he has a lot to bring to the table.

“My main goal is to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard,” he said. “I really want to open up the lines of communication between the senators and the executive board.”

A vote was also held to fill three open CoOperative Board senator positions. Corey Street, Brandon Maharaj and Michael McCarter were elected by their fellow SEE HAWK, PAGE A-2

By Jennifer Simpson Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock University exceeded the enrollment goal for freshmen and transfer students for the fall 2011 semester.

A m a n d a Ya l e , t h e a s s o c i at e prov o s t f or enrollment ser vices, stated that Slippery Rock University has enrolled 2,147 new freshmen and transfer students for the fall semester. The quality indicators are up as well, Yale said.

She said that almost 14 percent of freshmen were in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, which is up nearly 1 percent from last fall. The average grade point average of incoming freshmen is 3.47, which increased about one point from the previous year, Yale

said.

While those numbers show improvement from the previous class, other statistics dropped off.

The percentage of freshmen that were in the top 25 percent of their class is at 41 percent, down almost 2 percent from last fall. Yale also stated that the SAT average of freshmen dropped three points from 1,018 last fall to 1,015 this fall.

The quality of students accepte d to SRU was one thing President R ob e r t Sm it h re f us e d to compromise on, even with the current financial situation. “ There are a lot of students we didn’t admit because they didn’t have the high school qualifications,” President Smith said.

President Smith went on to say how other state schools

lowered the standards of students they admit to make up for the statewide budget cuts.

Genna Miller, a new freshman at SRU, said that she chose Slippery Rock because of its reputation as a quality school and the strength of its music therapy program.

“I’ve heard it’s better than some of the colleges that are known for music therapy,” Miller said.

While tuition wasn’t the most important factor, the dorms were a huge part of her decision to choose Slippery Rock, according to Miller.

“I realized how much I really liked the campus and how nice it was, and how good of a support system they have for freshmen,” Miller said.

SEE FRIENDLY PAGE A-2

News

Rock Notes A-2

Student pledges are the major priority Continued from Page a-1

University Union Room Reservations

The University Union will begin processing requests for recurring meetings for fall 2011 on April 1. Organizations may request meeting rooms on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or similar recurring pattern. Union Reservation Request Forms may be obtained at the Union Information Desk or online under Student Life. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Cole at 724-738-2718.

Adding and Dropping Classes

The Office of Academic records and Summer School will be open until 6 p.m. on Thursday September 8 to help students add and drop classes. The office is located at 107 Old Main.

SOL Needs Members

The Student Organization for Latinos(as)/ Hispanics and Allies, or SOL, is recruiting new members. They are an organization promoting Latino culture and awareness on campus.

Please come to their first meeting this semester Wednesday, September 7th at 6pm at Rocky's in the lower level of the Union. For further information please contact Dr. Christine Pease-Hernandez at ext. 2563 or christine.hernandez@sru. edu.

Rock Rugby

If you're interested in playin and exciting and physically fun sport, try Slippery Rock Rugby. Interested students should contact Brian Brodeur at bdb5229@sru.edu.

Publicize your group's event with a Rock Note.

To submit a Rock Note to be considered for publication, please send your announcement by 6 p.m. Wednesday to: News Editor Brian Brodeur 220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock, PA 16057

September 2, 2011

business and the University is a business.”

The Sustainability Commission hopes to see a three percent reduction in energ y consumpt ion throughout the next year, which would cut energy costs by about $100,000 per year.

These plans would also reduce green house emissions by 1,335 tons of carbon dioxide over that span.

“The Sustainability Commission essentially was set up by President Smith to deal with sustainability issues on campus,” Culp said. “It was designed to make facilities green and environmentally friendly and for energ y conservation purposes for the budget.”

One black eye on the face of the university’s green movement was a Clean Air Act violation in 2007, resulting in fines and negative press.

But Culp stresses that there is no connection between those violations and the campus’ green movement, p ar t ic u l arly t he energ y conservation pledge.

“It’s very much not a kneejerk reaction to any clean air violations,” Culp said in response to whether the green pledge was related to the school’s past environmental violations. “They are two separate issues in reality.”

Culp referenced the university’s past dedication to environmental protection to assure that the violations weren’t the cause of any green movement.

“Slippery Rock University has a long history of going green initiatives,” Culp said.

“Robert Macoskey had a vision of environmental initiatives and President Smith has continued with those visions.

The Macoskey Center was

Faculty finds hope in negotiations Continued from Page a-1

contract negotiations understand the difficulties they’re faced with, according to Dr. Aaron Cowan, a professor in the histor y department. “(I) understand the economic difficulties the state is faced with,” Dr. Cowan said.

The sentiment was reinforced by Dr. Condravy, but she stood by the stance that the state was reaching too far.

“We all understand the f inancial situation,” Dr. Condravy said. “But the state wants to change the status quo.”

T he bi g ge st are as of content ion b etwe en t he

two sides, according to Dr. Condravy, are that APSCUF is fighting to retain professor benefits, salaries and tenured positions currently held at SRU, while the state has held the stance that these areas have to receive cuts. The state would like to cut the amount of tenured positions, which have much greater job security, and increase the amount of temporary positions.

There are still issues between the two sides, but according to Dr. Condravy and Dr. Cowan there is a lot of optimism.

"I'm hopeful now that both sides have professionals at the table," Condravy said.

created in 1990 to promote sustainability on campus and within the local community.

This past year, renovations to the Harmony House, a fixture of the center, earned a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

And the pledge isn’t all students can do to get involved in the green movement. The Sustainability Committee has other green programs running through the year as well, including Recyclemania, Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator, numerous green clubs, and even a Green Fund that allows students and faculty to apply for funds for green initiatives.

“There’s a whole raft of things we’re exploring and we’re even trying to develop an undergraduate program in sustainability,” Culp said of the committee’s efforts for a

greener campus.

The pledge is the focus point of the committee for the year however, as it is believed to be the most influential.

“The major priority this year,” Quinn said, “is to get the pledge up and running so everyone feels committed to energy conservation and have a specific way they can help.”

The reason the pledge is the major priority this year is the simple, yet broad nature of the program and the vast potential number of students that could participate in it.

“The small steps theme shows how easy it is to take environmental action,” Quinn said. “It incorporates so many actions. It’s the best way to get involved.”

This is only the beginning of the green movement for the university however.

“Over the next couple years we’ll see this ground swell into a major focus,” Culp said.

Hawk new SGA advisor, excited Continued from Page a-1

senators to fill these positions.

It was also announced at the meeting that a new faculty member was recently appointed to SGA’s board of faculty advisors. Dr. Stephen Hawk, who has been a faculty member at Slippery Rock University for 23 years, started out as the band director in 1989.

“I’m really excited to work with SGA and see how dedicated the students really are,” he said.

Hawk also gave his opinion

on SGA’s new president, Jordan Bailley.

“Jordan is a very humble, respectable, excited leader,” Hawk said. “I think he will do a great job in leading this organization.”

Bailley, who was elected to be this year’s president in April, expressed his feelings on the subject, as this was his first meeting serving as president.

“I feel very honored and humbled to be serving as your student body president this year,” Bailley said. “I want every student to feel that their voice is heard, even if they’re not in SGA.”

Friendly, fun place to be Continued from Page a-1

While the campus played a big role in attracting Mi l l e r to SRU as a freshman, Chelsea Heckel, a transfer student from IUP and CCAC, said that she chose Slippery Rock because they have a better education program than her previous colleges.

“I’m trying to get a job in the state so I don’t have to move,” Heckel said. “And I’ve heard schools in the state look for Slippery Ro ck on employment

applications.”

There are a lot of reasons students choose to come to SRU, according to President Smith.

“We want this to be a friendly, welcoming, fun place,” President Smith said. “People are so nice and friendly here, why wouldn’t you want to be here?”

Freshmen applications increased by about 7 percent this semester, and transfer applications rose by 17 percent.

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724.738.2643 or E-mail

rocket.ads@sru.edu Index

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Contact us Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896

220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu

2011 Runner-up Most Outstanding Newspaper, Society of Collegiate Journalists

September 2, 2011

News

A-3

Police Blotter Campus Aug. 23 - Police responded to a suspicious person report at the Art Ceramics Building. The individual was identified and no further action was taken.

Aug. 24 - Steven A. Castillo was arrested for a drug and alcohol violation at Building B.

Aug. 24 - Brooke S. Goodman, 19, and Kara Werkmeister, 19, were cited for an alcohol violation on Green and White Way.

Aug. 25 - Police responded to a utility pole fire at the Equestrian Center. Fire officials and the electric company were notified. No injuries were reported.

Aug. 27 - Kevin D. Hoy, 18, was cited for an alcohol violation on Harmony Road.

Aug. 28 - Mathew A. Durso, 22, was arrested for a DUI after a traffic stop on Kiester Road.

Aug. 28 - Gregory M. Jergons, 20, was cited for an alcohol violation during a traffic stop on Kiester Road.

Aug. 28 - Abigail L. Gibson, 19, was cited for an alcohol violation during a traffic stop on Kiester Road.

Aug. 29 - Braden D. Pavlik, 19, was charged with a drug and alcohol violation at Rhoads Hall.

Aug. 30 - Police responded to a report of stolen items from the track area at Old Thompson Field. The case is still under investigation.

Aug. 25 - Andrew E. Cordisco, 23, Anthony R. Costello, 22, and Sean J. Bettler, 22, were all cited for having open containers of alcohol in a vehicle.

Aug. 27 - Seth Rob, 22, was cited for having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.

Borough Aug. 28 - Jarett D. Fritz was cited for an alcohol violation during a traffic stop on Kiester Road.

Aug. 25 - Timothy W. Spear, 21, was cited for having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.

Aug 27 - Lucas Pryor, 19, was cited for disorderly house.

Aug. 27 - Rachel Harper, 21, was cited for public drunkenness.

Aug. 28 - Thomas O’Neill, 24, was cited for disorderly house.

Aug. 28 - Sheree Simpson, 18, was cited for disorderly house.

Aug. 31 - Joshua A. Simons, 18, was cited for a DUI. Compiled by Stephanie Holsinger

OPINION September 2, 2011

The Rocket

The Rocket

A-4

Our View

Volume 94, Number 1 220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057 Phone: (724) 738-4438 Fax: (724) 738-4896 E-mail: rocket.letters@sru.edu

Editorial Board Courtney Nickle

Editor-in-Chief Brian Brodeur

News Editor Andy Treese

Campus Life Editor Tim Durr

Sports Editor Lexi Kovski

Photo Editor Stephanie Martincsek

Copy Editor James Intile

Web Editor Stephanie Holsinger Assistant News Editor James Meyer Assistant Focus Editor Madeline Williams Assistant Sports Editor Liana Pittman

Assistant Photo Editor Spencer Cadden

News Reporter Mark Zeltner

Faculty Adviser

Advertising Staff Emily Hunter Advertising Manager Ashley Adams Advertising Asst. 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 first copy of The Rocket is provided free of charge. Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents each.

The Rocket receives approximately five percent of its funding from the SGA General Service fee paid each semester by students.

All other income is provided through the sale of advertising.

Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 738-2643 or by e-mailing 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 Editorin-Chief at the address listed here.

Editorial Policy

The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Fall 2010 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.

GRAPHYC BY LIANA PITTMAN

SRU welcomes 2,147 new students For those of you who are veteran Slipper y Rock University students, driving onto campus during the first day of classes may have been a bit of a shock.

There have been a lot of changes to the campus l an d s c ap e ove r t h e summer, some of which are continuing into the fall semester.

You can see that the new student center on the top of the hill is coming along nicely.

The walls are up and some windows are even in.

You can see the soil from the backyards of Eisenberg Classroom Building, Bailey Library and Swope Music Hall

sitting in piles along the sides of the road, along with countless pieces of piping and construction material.

You can see Weisenfluh Dining Ha l l, w hich appears to currently be in the “gutting” process of renovations.

And then there are the familiar sights, the things that make you feel at home again.

You can see the fountain between the East and West Lake parking lots, welcoming you back onto campus.

You can see President Robert Smith happily riding around campus on his segway.

And of course, you can see, and feel for that

matter, the enormous potholes up and down Kiester Road.

But for the freshmen and transfer students that are entering Slippery Rock’s campus for the first time, everything is new and different.

Slippery Rock University is welcoming 2,147 f reshmen and transfer students this fall, which is more than what the university had expected, according to President Smith.

Last spring, the university was hoping for a three percent enrollment increase, but that expectation was lowered to zero over the summer, presumably because of the budget cuts instituted by

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett.

For those of you that aren’t aware of the budget cuts, you should probably stop living under that rock that you call home, but despite your ignorance, we’ll fill you in.

Slippery Rock University alone lost 18.3 percent of its funding in Corbett’s budget cuts.

After adding in the 7.5 percent tuition increase, performance funding, reduced energy costs and reserve money, SRU is left with about a $2.2 million budget gap.

But despite all of the monetary issues, we still believe this is a great time to be at Slippery Rock University.

Just look at how much the professors love us.

They’ve been working without a contract since July and no one has made much of a fuss about it.

And with the exception of the hike in tuition, students haven’t been directly affected much by the budget crisis, which is great.

Perhaps if we had, SRU may not have had the privilege of acquiring the students it did this fall.

The Rocket would like to welcome those 2,147 new students that we mentioned earlier, and we would just like to say that we hope you have a great time during your stay at Slippery Rock University.

September 2, 2011

Opinion

In the Quad

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

A-5

New year, new Rocket

This week’s question: Why did you choose to attend Slippery Rock University?

Courtney Nickle Editor commentary

Sam Zampetti

Alex Mowrey

Freshman athletic training major

Freshman communiation major

Hometown: Danville, PA

Hometown: San Diego, CA

“Running track, I run the sprints 100, 200

“My family is from Pittsburgh and they

and 4 by 1, and the athletic training program moved back here from San Diego two years was nationally recognized.”

ago. I stayed behind to finish high school, but I love the idea of having all four seasons.

I applied at IUP but the people just were not as friendly and the price was not as reasonable.”

You may have noticed some changes in the look of The Rocket this week.

As you may have guessed, with a new academic year comes a new Rocket staff, and I would just like to take a moment to briefly introduce myself and the rest of the staff to our valued readers.

I am a junior journalism major from Butler, and I am the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper in front of you.

Last year, I was the assistant news editor, and the year before, I covered field hockey and tennis for The Rocket.

In t he spr ing , t he majority of last year’s Rocket staff graduated, l e a v i n g o n l y f o u r, including myself, to return this year.

Alleged sexual assaults must be taken seriously McClatchy-Tribune News Service

The following editorial regarding sexual assault on college campuses appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday, Aug. 24. With the several alleged sexual assaults that were reported at Slippery Rock University last year, this is an issue of high importance for SRU students:

Tyree Mathis Freshman information tech major Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

“The in-state tuition was great and the campus has a great feel. It’s full of friendly people and makes you feel welcome.”

Sarah Falkowitz Freshman information tech major Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

“The campus is beautiful and SRU has small class sizes compared to the state university options in New York, which have 500-person lecture classes.”

Robin Murray Freshman information tech major Hometown: Ashburnham, MA

“My friends in the area showed me around campus and while looking at schools like the University of Massachusetts, I decided that ultimately SRU was a better degree for less cost.”

That’s why the look and feel of The Rocket will be a bit different this year.

We have a brand new front-page design, which I hope you noticed.

Over the summer, we also changed the name of the Focus section to Campus Life, mostly because no one could really explain what “Focus” meant.

But design and section names are not the only things this brand new staff is looking to change.

The biggest change we would like to see is more involvement from the campus community.

We’re looking to feature more stories and opinion columns written by a broad range of people, from students to faculty and staff to alumni and everywhere in between.

The Rocket is a university newspaper. Our philosophy, therefore, is that it should reflect every part of the university, not just the students.

We hope that you enjoy our newspaper, and if you feel strongly about something, we hope that you’ll let us know by emailing rocket.letters@ sru.edu.

One Sunday morning last February, a 19-year-old Marquette University student tearfully reported to campus security officers that she had been raped.

The officers were legally bound to report that allegation to Milwaukee police. They didn’t. They told the student they didn’t know whether a crime had been committed because the alleged encounter began as consensual.

Result: No charges were filed.

In June, Marquette administrators acknowledged to Chicago Tribune reporters Ryan Haggerty and Stacy St. Clair that the university had violated its reporting obligations for the past 10 years. That is unconscionable.

Marquette is the second major Midwestern university to come under intense public scrutiny for the way it responds to students’ claims of rape or other sexual attacks. Notre Dame was blistered by critics for its handling of sexual battery allegations in the 2010 case of Elizabeth “Lizzy” Seeberg.

In that case, campus police didn’t interview the accused until two weeks after Seeberg reported the alleged assault to them. By that time, she had committed suicide.

Both universities now say they’ve improved the way they deal with such cases.

That’s good. The key point for them, and for every college in America: Don’t try to bury allegations of sexual assault with protocol and process.

Make sure campus police are well-trained to stabilize a situation in which a sexual assault is alleged. That includes making sure the alleged victim gets prompt medical attention and some immediate measure of security.

And then make sure campus authorities, even if they’re sworn police officers, quickly turn over the case to local police and ... get out of the way. The potential for conflicts of interests are just too great. Let the local criminal justice system do its job.

By not reporting sexual assaults to police, Marquette officials opened themselves to accusations of trying to keep those attacks out of the public eye, even if that was not their intent. Marquette spokesman Kate Venne tells us that the school “is aggressively addressing the issue of sexual violence.” One major change: Marquette policy now requires campus officials to promptly report all sexual assault allegations to the Milwaukee police. Smart move.

Parents sending children to college each fall pose one question above all others: Will he, or she, be safe? Full transparency about dangers on and near campus only enhance that safety by helping students understand what places or situations to avoid.

The paradox, then, is that when school officials try to keep campus sexual assaults off the local police blotter, they ultimately risk the reputations of their institutions _ and the safety of their students.

SPORTS

The Rocket

B-1

September 2, 2011

Endres to start for SRU against Seton Hill

By D.J. Vasil

Rocket Contributor

Returning to school marks the return of several things, like 8 a.m. classes, long walks across campus and the return of football at Slippery Rock University.

The Rock finished last year with a 6-5 record and a 3-4 record in the Pennsy lvania State Athletic Conference.

The Green and White will travel to Greensburg to start the 2011 season against Seton Hill University tomorrow at 3 p.m.

SRU is ranked third in the preseason PSAC poll.

This did not surprise head coach George Mihalik much, as he returns to coach his 23rd season at Slippery Rock.

“It’s along the lines of what I expected,” Mihalik said. “I always feel the returning champ should be ranked up there, which Mercyhurst is. From an outcome standpoint, it’s called Saturday afternoons – that is when the rankings are determined.”

The offense will be led by University of Connecticut transfer Cody Endres at quarterback. Scouts list Endres as a strong-armed quarterback who could take the Rock offense to another level.

On a personal level, Endres is looking to make the offense much more potent than it was last year.

“I’m looking forward to expanding on the good things the offense did last

ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET

Slippery Rock University football practices in preparation for the season opener Saturday Sept 3. against Seton Hill University. Last season, SRU finished with a 6-5 overall record and was 3-4 in Pennsylvania State Atheltic Conference play. This year senior transfer quarterback Cody Endres will be at the helm of the offense with standout redshirt junior running back Akeem Satterfield right behind him.

year and expand in the passing game,” Endres said.

“It will help having Akeem Satterfield at running back.

He is a premier player in the country.”

The offense is ver y experienced as it returns seven starters from last year, led by junior running back Akeem Satterfield who was a second-team preseason All-American selection.

Satterfield has set high expectations this season as he comes off of a 20-touchdown season and

looks to help out in any way that he can this season.

“I want to get 2,000 yards and score 30 touchdowns,” Satterfield said. “I want to contribute however I can this season, whether it would be blocking, running or receiving. We need to play together as a unit and take control of the line of scrimmage so we can overpower the defense.”

Look for Jarren James and John Schademan to have breakout years at receiver, and another surprise player to look out for is Ken Amos

at receiver, according to Mihalik.

Mihalik has the same enthusiasm that Endres and Satterfield showed about the offense this season, as well.

“Offensively, the receiver position is very talented and has a ton of depth,” Mihalik said. “The same goes for the other key offensive positions, too.

We have a ton of depth at the running back and quarterback positions.”

With all of the key positions in place, Mihalik

Former SRU standout wins MVP in minors

COURTESY OF THE ST. LOUIS CARDINAL MEDIA RELATIONS

Former Slippery Rock University first baseman Matt Adams leads the Texas League with 99 runs batted in.

By Tim Durr Sports Editor

In 2009, not many people would have predicted that a 23rd round draft pick from Slippery Rock University would go on to win the Texas League Most Valuable Player award two seasons later.

Matt Adams was drafted in the 23rd round by

the St. Louis Cardinals organization, and before Adams was drafted he went to Slippery Rock University.

You guessed it. Adams was recently voted the Te x a s L e a g u e Mo s t Valuable Player for the 2011 season.

Adams plays for the Springfield Cardinals, which is the Double-A

affiliate to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Texas League is one of three leagues that have Double-A affiliates for Major League Baseball, along with the Southern League and California League.

With the persona of coming out of nowhere, Adams did the same in the voting for the MVP. One of the top runners for the MVP was 19-yearold center fielder Mike Trout from the Arkansas Travelers, the Double-A affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels, because Trout was called up to the majors on several occasions this season.

But Adams beat Trout and the other candidates out for the award and said that it was a great honor to receive the award.

“This is a huge honor when you look at all of the talented prospects who were in the running with me,” Adams said.

When Adams was at SRU, he started his freshman season as a catcher and then moved to the first base position in his second season.

He said that he learned to keep a neutral outlook at SRU because of the quick turnaround from each game.

“I learned that I had to keep an even keel mindset going into every game,”

Adams said. “I had to learn not to get too high or too low about what happened from game to game and that helped me to keep my focus.”

Adams has the stats to back up receiving the Texas League MVP as he leads the league with 99 runs batted in and has 31 homeruns, which is second in the league.

His batting average ranks fifth in the Texas League at .304 and his 79 runs is sixth in the league.

An approach at looking for a gap to gap style of playing helped Adams to improve his game and keep from getting too pole happy.

Motivation was another key in driving Adams toward his success so far in his career.

“I had to prove myself when I got drafted because people were saying that I wasn’t going to be able to hang with the big time Division-I athletes,” Adams said.

As a 22-year-old, Adams has the possibility of a long major league career in front of him and has aspirations to make it to the majors and stay there as long as he can.

“I’m looking to keep improving my game and make it to the majors and stay there to have a long career,” Adams said.

will look to see how the offensive line will connect throughout the season.

“Our success is going to depend on how quickly the offensive line will come together this season,” Mihalik said.

The defense brings back experience as it returns eight starters from last year.

Most notable are Brandon Watters and Jason Nixon at safety, Andre Freeman at corner, Scott Kachurik on the defensive line and Zach Sheridan who was a second-team preseason

All-American selection.

Mihalik has been impressed with how his defense is progressing in preparation for the season.

“I feel that we have a strong core of linebackers that will lead this team,” Mihalik said. “Also, we are very deep in the secondary this year.”

Most of the position battles have been settled with a decision that is still up in the air about who will be the team’s place-kicker since the departure of C.J. Bahr.

Rock starts season in Anchorage event

By Brian Hepfinger Rocket Contributor

As the fall sports season begins, teams are preparing on campus at their usual facilities, except for the cross country team.

They will be in Alaska until Sunday and competed yesterday at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Both teams received lower than expected preseason rankings in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with the men ranked sixth and the women ranked eighth.

The men have a very young team with no seniors on the roster after the graduation of Matt Mumford and Brian Ulrich at the end of last season.

The two captains of the team are junior Eric Geddis and s ophomore Trav is Arrigoni.

Along with Geddis and Arrigoni, the expected front runners for the Rock include Alex Koksal, Morgan Elliot and Michael Beegle.

Geddis is confident that the men will exceed the preseason ranking set by the PSAC and finish near the top of the conference.

“I believe we can finish third or fourth,” Geddis said. “We are not surprised by our ranking, but we know we have a ton of potential.”

He said there are freshmen

who show a lot of promise, but that there is no way of knowing who is going to step up or not. The majority of the team is freshmen, with the amount of juniors and sophomores being the same.

The women’s side is more experienced with four senior captains, Caitlin Hancox, Sarah Olesky, Kara Styles and Danielle Mostachetti.

Even with four seniors, some of the top runners from last season graduated.

Most notably Jen Harpp, who holds school records in the indoor 3,000-meter run, the indoor 5,000-meter r u n an d t h e outd o or 10,000-meter run.

Hancox is expected to be one of the top competitors, along with Becky Belding, Ste ph an i e C a s e, Ab by Michaelian and Janine Powis.

Hancox said that it is hard to predict who will be the most dominate runners because there are many young girls who haven’t had the opportunity to prove themselves yet.

“It’s hard to tell because we haven’t raced yet,” Hancox said. “We are definitely a younger team, but there is a lot of potential and I think we are going to exceed SEE YOUTH, PAGE B-3

Sports

B-2

September 2, 2011

SRU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Akeem Satterfield

R-Junior Running Back Bio: Akeem Satterfield chose to come to Slippery Rock University in 2008 and joined the football program. Upon joining the program, he was redshirted his freshman year, which made him ineligible to play in games.

After sitting out with a redshirt his first season, he moved into the backup running back position as a redshirt freshman and had 44 carries for 253 yards, along with three rushing touchdowns.

He also returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, the longest return in school history.

Last season was Satterfield's breakout season with the program.

He started in nine of 10 games and rushed for 1,352 yards and 20 touchdowns, fifth and second most in SRU history, respectively.

Those stats helped him to lead the Pennsylvania State At h let ic Conference in scoring and put him second in all of Division II football.

Satterfield is a Criminal Justice major from Erie and started playing football when he was eight years old, and played for the Bay City Bears in Erie.

Before coming to play for the Green and White, Satterfield attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie.

At Cathedral Prep, he was a two-sport athlete and lettered in both football and track and field.

In football, he earned all-state and regional player of the year honors his senior year of high school.

Q: Why did you Q: What is your Q: Last year you choose Slippery most memorable were involved in a in an incident Rock University? moment game? with the police on campus, do A: "It was a great A: "When I was you have any fit for me, I loved on special teams comments about t he env ironment I had a 92-yard the incident? and the coaches," kickoff return for a Satterfield said. "I liked the laid back feel of SRU. I went to other schools and the environment was just too crazy."

touchdown against Gannon. It was great because it was in my hometown in front of my entire family."

A: "I just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was an unfortunate situation that I was in and I just have to live and learn from what happened."

Q: When did you start playing football on a team?

A: "I was about eight years old when I started playing for the Bay City Bears in Erie. When I was with them I realized that I was good enough to be competetive and decided to stick with it."

Q: You rushed Q: What are Q: What got Q: What are f o r t h e m o s t your plans once you interested your goals for ya r d s i n t h e you leave SRU? in the game of this season?

PSAC last season, football? thoughts?

A: "First off, let me say God is good for giving me this gift. I just try to do what I can with what I have been given. I have g re at te am m ate s that surround me, especially the offensive line."

Texas League MVP

A: "Wherever God leads me. If it's going to the NFL, continuing my music career or something in the criminal justice field, we'll see what happens when that time comes."

A: "I always loved the sport and I used to play catch with my uncles and my brother all the time.

When I found out I was good enough to be competitive in the sport, I decided to pursue it more seriously."

A: "We are going to have a triple threat this season with our quarterbacks and receivers, and I want to contribute to help the offense as much as I can. As a personal goal, I am looking to rush for 2,000 yards and score 30 touchdowns."

PSAC PREDICTIONS FOR FALL SRU SPORTS Football: PSAC rank - Tie for 3rd

• New offensive fire power in QB Cody Endres, along with RB Akeem Satterfield, and a solid defense, the Rock football team has potential to live up to these expectations.

Men's Soccer: PSAC rank - 5th

• The losses of goalkeeper Greg Blum, midfielders Toby Bowser and Mitch Walters, along with defender Tom Pool, this could be a rebuilding year for SRU men's soccer.

Women's Soccer: PSAC rank - 3rd

• Ranked 24th in the nation, the women have the potential to be one of the standout sports in the fall at SRU and head back to the national tournament.

Men’s Cross Country: PSAC rank – 6th

• With zero seniors and an extremely young team, it’s hard to predict what the men’s team will do this season, though the team believes they will exceed the sixth place PSAC ranking.

Women’s Cross Country: PSAC rank – 8th

• The women follow right along with the boys as they also have a very young team. The expectations are much higher than the eighth place rank they received, though.

Volleyball: PSAC rank – 7th

• Volleyball has the potential to exceed these expectations and post its first winning season since 2008 with coach Lokash looking to add to her 530 career victories.

COURTESY OF ST. LOUIS CARDINALS MEDIA RELATIONS

Matt Adams, former Slippery Rock University athlete recently, won the Texas League Most Valuable Player Award, playing for the Springfiled Cardinals.

Field Hockey: PSAC rank – 3rd

• With its most victories in a season (6) since 1998, the Rock will look to add to last year’s momentum and look for a berth in the PSAC tournament.

What's On Tap...

Upcoming Slippery Rock Sporting Events -Sat., September 3rd @ 3 p.m.

-Sat., September 3rd @ 1 p.m.

- SRU will debut University of Connecticut transfer quarterback Cody Endres along with the rest of the revamped Rock offense in the season opener against Seton Hill University.

- The 24th ranked women will open the season at N.

-Football at Seton Hill University

-Women's Soccer vs. Seton Hill University

Kerr Thompson Stadium against Seton Hill University and look to get momentum headed in the right direction.

Sports Bonelli prepares Women soccer rank in top-25

September 2, 2011

B-3

for second season

By Kristin Karam Rocket Contributor

Most of the pieces that led the Slippery Rock University men’s soccer program to an 18-win season in 2009 with a national tournament appearance are gone.

Greg Blum and Jeremy Deighton are now on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, former head coach Matt Thompson left to coach LeesMcRae College (N.C.), and assistant coach Chris Logan took a job at the University of Pittsburgh, but that doesn’t mean that second year head coach Michael Bonelli doesn’t have high hopes that the team can be successful this season.

To help out Bonelli this season, he is brining an old friend on board in Chris Black, from the University of Cincinnati, to help out as assistant coach, and is confident in his abilities.

One of Bonelli’s biggest challenges in the past year was getting familiar with the team around him. He believes the chemistry with the team should be much better this year because the team knows exactly what is expected of them.

“The new recruits are fitting in very well with the philosophy of the team, and our chemistry should be better this year because the veterans know what to expect,” Bonelli said.

Junior goalkeeper Clayton

Master also sees the new recruits fitting in well with the system.

“The new recruits haven’t skipped a beat,” Master said. “They compliment the veterans well. Their learning curve has been quite impressive.”

Bonelli said that the guys are flexible within their positions and willing to fill whatever slot is needed in order for the team to succeed.

Sophomore midfielder Frank Maiolo said that the team was hurt last year by injuries late in the season.

“We were hurt by the injuries that occurred late last season,” Maiolo said. “While injuries are bound to happen, our depth should help us to deal with them better.”

The Rock was ranked fifth in the preseason Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference poll, but Bonelli and his team aren’t paying much attention to the ranking.

“The great thing about preseason polls is just that, they are preseason polls,” Master said. “We just have to take the season one game at a time and stay focused on doing what we need to do.”

After coming off of an 117-1 overall record last season and going 5-4 in PSAC play, the Green and White will play its first home game on Sunday at 5 p.m. against Washington Adventist University at Thompson Stadium.

By Bill Kostkas Rocket Contributor

As the 2011 campaign is now on the horizon, a repeat of the 2010 season for the Slippery Rock women’s soccer team just might not be good enough to be labeled as improvement.

The Green and White ended last year with a trip to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference semifinals against West Chester University of Pennsylvania where it played to a 2-2 tie and fell in penalty kicks.

The Rock then was awarded its sixth NCAA tournament berth, where it advanced through the first round over West Viginia Wesleyan College and eventually lost to PSAC rival California University of Pennsylvania in penalty kicks.

SRU ended the season with a school record for consecutive games played

without a regulation loss, at 15 with a 10-0-5 record.

The Rock finished last season with the fifth best goals per game average in the PSAC at 1.64 and allowed one goal per game.

Senior midfielder Alyssa Barrett said that with the time the team has spent together in the offseason, that it only helps to build on what its already accomplished.

“It’s always good being together,” Barrett said. “On the field we’ve bonded a lot. We’ve benefitted a lot from being around each other.”

The Green and White enters the year as the 24thranked team in the Atlantic Region and is picked to finish third in the PSAC, behind West Chester and California, respectively.

Head coach Noreen Herlihy said that the ranking seemed fair. “ We w e l c o m e t h e pressure,” Herlihy said.

“We still have to remain

optimistic because we have an extremely young group.”

Of five players that were named to the AllPSAC team after last season, the Rock has lost forwards Allison Hindley and Danielle Turner, and defender Rachel Knapp.

Junior defender Emer Flatley returns to help bolster a defense that posted 11 shut outs last season and sophomore forward Kara Mullins looks to improve on her five-goal, two-assist year from 2010.

One thing the Green and White lacks on its roster is senior leadership, as its only two senior players are goalkeeper Lisa Rodgers, who transferred from the University of Dayton, and Barrett.

Herlihy said that replacing players is a yearly task.

“Every year you anticipate losing seniors,” Herlihy said. “We now have a lot of younger players and it’s their job to get into the fold

as quickly as possible.”

Barrett said that she is ready to be one of the main leaders on the team and that she has gained experience from last year's seniors.

“I learned a lot from them last year,” Barrett said. “It’s helpful, having seen them lead. I’m looking forward to doing it.”

The Rock also returns its leading scorer from the previous year, junior forward Shelby Ward (10 goals, one assist).

The Green and White is coming off of its 15th winning season (14-3-5), in each of which Herlihy has led the team to at least 10 victories.

The Rock begins the new season tomorrow at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium against Seton Hill University at 1 p.m.

The team’s first PSAC match is on Saturday, Sept. 10 against defending conference champion West Chester.

Youth movement in cross country Continued from Page B-1

expectations and have a successful season.”

Both teams are ver y young this season with single digits in seniors and an over whelming number of freshmen and sophomores.

The men’s team has only twelve runners, while the girl’s team has forty seven runners.

Those numbers differ from last season when the women's team had 33 runners and the men had 18 runners.

While the team may be

inexperienced, head coach John Papa is entering his 25th year with the program and assistant coach Bill Jordan will be entering his 7th season at the Rock. A new addition to the coaching staff is Christopher Sherve as a volunteer assistant coach

after being the graduate assistant for the program last season.

After the trip to Alaska, SRU will host the Mack Cooper Classic on Sept.

16 at C o op er’s L a ke Campground, followed by the Lock Haven Invite on Sept. 24.

Sports Decision to select Endres over Sabo at QB B-4

September 2, 2011

By Tim Durr

Rocket Sports Editor

One of the most heavily discussed topics when football season starts at any level is the debate over starting quarterbacks.

The debate is even more intense when there are two evenly matched quarterbacks going up against each other. That is the situation that has occurred at Slippery Rock University since the transfer of former University of Connecticut quarterback Cody Endres.

In 2010, SRU had Ryan Sabo at the helm of the offense.

He led the team to a 6-5 record and showed potential that he could grow into a solid quarterback in the future.

Now, his chance to continue growing has been put on hold as head coach George Mihalik and the rest of the football staff have decided to go with Endres as the starting quarterback for this season.

Before passing judgment on the decision, let’s look at the facts surrounding both of these quarterbacks.

Endres is a senior, and this will be his final year with the team. Sabo will have two more years of eligibility after this season and should take the starting role back after this season is over.

In 11 games last season, Sabo had a 50.6 completion percentage with five passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. Added

GRAPHIC BY: LEXI KOVSKI

to the seven touchdowns, he threw 11 interceptions.

While at UConn, Endres played in a total of 15 games and had a 58.1 completion percentage. Last year he threw five touchdowns and two interceptions in three games with the Huskies.

This season, he will have a solid offense surrounding him with the key component redshirt junior running back

Akeem Satterfield.

So it seems that the mindset of the Green and White is to insert a piece that presents them with the best chance to win now and keep Sabo in waiting for the future.

In a side-by-side comparison of Sabo and Endres, Endres appears to be the more complete quarterback, possessing an

extremely strong arm and standing at 6 feet 4 inches and 230 pounds.

Then why is there any debate of who should start this season for SRU? It’s simply b ecaus e of the fact that Sabo was getting comfortable in the system and starting to look comfortable in the starting role.

Even though he had

some struggles in his first full season as starter, it was expected that he would have some troubles.

With Endres in the starting role, it could hinder Sabo’s chances of growing to his full potential and hurt the team next season.

Even with that as a possibility, going with Endres gives SRU the best chance of being successful

this season. It seems that the problems that led to Endres leaving UConn are in the past and that he is fitting into the system here at SRU well.

The results on the choice to choose Endres over Sabo will play out as the season progresses. The Rock definitely has two capable starting quarterbacks in their arsenal this year.

l

The Rocket

CAMPUS LIFE C-1 Local dentist office restored, reopened Allied Dental employees remained on payroll during restoration period

By James Meyer

Assistant Campus Life Editor

Allied Dental’s building at 234 South Main Street in Slippery Rock re-opened on April 4th of this year.

The building smells of fresh paint and new carpet, and the staff is busier than ever.

With the repairs and a new addition to the building, the Allied Dental Group has b een able to accommodate more patients and has been able to expand to include orthodontic services.

“Our practice has really boomed now that we have the space for it. We’ve seen a big increase in patients,” Vicky Sanderson, a patient care coordinator, said.

Allied Dental, formed by Dr. Gregory Long and Dr. Joseph DeFrancesco, has been serving the Slippery Rock area since 2006, providing services such as maxillofacial surgery, cosmetic dentistr y and special needs.

The building was scheduled for remodeling and an addition last year, but things did not go according to plan.

On Sept. 14, 2010, a fire swept through the interior of the building after all the staff had left for the day. The exact cause is still unclear, but the fire started where the electrical service entered the building.

The interior of the building was s e verely d amage d, le av ing t he building in serious need of repairs and causing the staff to work from three temporary locations.

Dr. Gregory Long, an anesthesiologist, recalled that the business had handouts prepared for Village Fest around this time last year, but they were all destroyed in the fire.

I n t h e m o nt h s t o follow, the Allied Dental staff pulled together to keep the practice up and running while having to travel between the three temporary offices. Charts, re c ord s an d s uppl i e s were kept in a temporary business office attached to Gray’s Hair Salon. Patients were seen at the offices of Dr. James Eaton of Grove City and Dr. David

Agostoni of Portersville.

S and e rs on s ai d t he most difficult obstacle to overcome was that the staff had to pick up records and supplies in Slippery Rock at the beginning of each day.

The records and supplies had to be transported to Grove City or Portersville and then returned at the end of the business day.

“The biggest challenge was e ver y b o dy b eing separated, but once we all got into the same building, it was like we never left,” Sanderson said.

R e m a r k a b l y, A l l i e d Dental was able to keep everyone employed through this difficult time.

“Fortunately, we were all still employed. The doctors kept all of the employees on board with full pay,” Carolyn McCall, a dental assistant, said.

Dr. Long said that he and the staff are grateful for the help and support they received from the community, most notably Gray’s Hair Salon and First National Bank.

“We got a lot of support from the community,” Dr. Long said. “Local businesses helped. First National Bank helped us financially to get through the mess.”

The transition was not always smooth, however.

“I’ll never do business with State Farm again,” D r. D e Fr an c e s c o, an oral surgeon, said. “The problem was with the company, not the agent here. They’re a typical insurance company. They want to make money and they don’t want to pay out.”

Dr. DeFrancesco said that many of the local businesses stopped by to ask if there was anything they could do to help. He also expressed gratitude to the fellow dentists Dr. James Eaton and Dr. David Agostoni who provided Allied Dental with temporary workspace.

D r.

DeFrancesco said of the temporar y arrangements, “It wasn’t a perfect set up, but it was the best we could do. We’re grateful to the community and all the support. The patients followed us and all our personnel stuck with us.”

September 2, 2011

BARNSTORMER V TOUR: CHASELAND

Barnyard Blitz

liana pittman/ the rocket

Canadian solo artist Doug Paisley played an acoustic set as one of the scheduled performers in Dr. Mark Chase's barn Tuesday evening.

Faculty member teams up with alumnus to organize concert event in New Wilmington

By Andy Treese

Rocket Campus Life Editor

Upon traveling through the nearby town of New Wilmington, Pa., the sights seen by passing drivers on Bethel-New Wilmington Road on Tuesday were sweeping, green pastures with fields of corn complementing the landscape, houses with acres of space between properties, and the occasional Amish horse-drawn buggy.

That, and a concert being held inside the barn of communication department professor Dr. Mark Chase.

A total of six artists, Hacienda, Doug Paisley, Princeton, Wildlife, White Rabbits and Christopher Paul Stelling, all played a show inside of Chase’s barn to an audience of approximately 150 people Tuesday evening, as one of the scheduled stops for the “Barnstormer V” tour, presented by Daytrotter.com.

Chase said the opportunity for the show first came up through following alumnus and former advisee, Spenser Scanlon, on Twitter.

When Scanlon, a publicist for Girlie Records in New York City, posted a couple of “tweets” over the summer looking for a barn in Western Pa. to bring the tour, Chase said he sent a video taken of the property from his phone to Scanlon.

He said after sending the video, Scanlon put him in contact with founder and head of Daytrotter.com, Sean Moeller, to set up the show.

“After talking over some details, [Moeller] said he wanted to bring the tour to my place August 30 th , to which I said, ‘Okay, that sounds great,’” Chase said.

“The next thing I knew, ‘boom, boom, boom,’ a couple of phone calls, and then [the bands] were on the way.”

To get the place ready for the show, Chase hired a crew to clean out the interior of the barn and to also run enough electricity through the barn to be able to power the show.

Though the show’s lineup predominantly consisted of alternative rock bands, artists that have played on the SEE CONCERT, PAGE C-3

SRU staff uses summer season as time to progress professionally

By Martina Yencho Rocket Contributor

As students come back for the fall semester, the common question everyone asks is, “What did you do over summer break?” The typical answer consists of going on vacations, working, hanging with friends and just having no worries at all.

For professors, summer is sometimes only the beginning of preparing and organizing for the next semester, according

to histor y department professor Carlis White.

“Summer is not necessarily always vacation time for faculty,” White said.

When scho ol ends, teachers don’t have any certain tasks that they are required to do. Physics department instructor John Chovanes said teachers mostly just get ready for the fall, prepare lectures and decide what they want to do for their classes.

The summer can also be

a time to finish up work from the previous semester, according to White.

Mus i c department professor Dr. Colleen Gray explained how she changed a book for one of her classes for this fall semester which resulted in her having to change her whole agenda.

Over the summer, she taught vocal master classes in South Butler. She said she has also been learning new music and practicing for when she goes to a music

conference in Flagstaff, Ariz. in the upcoming weeks.

In addition, she got a contract during the summer for her book, “Life and Vocal Works of American Composer Lee Hoiby,” which comes with an accompanying CD. “The summer is a time to progress professionally,” Gray said.

White said that over the summer, he has been putting together a small exhibit of ancient artifacts

Chovanes said he got to to be displayed at SRU. He said he hopes to be able to integrate new technology announce the opening in this summer and play with the next couple of weeks. all the different equipment.

“Part of the fun is playing Items in the exhibit are from ancient Egypt and ancient with the gadgets,” he said.

Some teachers stay at Mesopotamia.

He said he also taught SRU over the summer to Egyptology for the summer teach classes or to prep classrooms. Chovanes said semester.

When asked about what that he worked on cleaning interesting things happen up labs. He did a standard du r i ng t he su m me r, prep to make sure that there was enough equipment and Chovanes was indecisive.

“It’s hard to point to just SEE PROFESSORS, PAGE C-3 one,” he said.

Campus Life

C-2

September 2, 2011

"American Idol" auditions give SRU student insightful experience

Stephanie Cheek "Student Spotlight" “American Idol” has been one of the top-ranked reality television shows since the series premiered in 2002 and has only increased in popularity over time.

Since then, thousands of hopefuls around the country have auditioned to be one of the lucky contestants to be part of the show each season and a chance to win the prize of being the next “American Idol.”

The audit ions have taken place in Nashville, San Diego, Portland, New Orleans and many other locations, but this year the show made a stop at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on July 15. Over 13,000 people showed up to the auditions to sing and prove themselves, some of those being students from Slippery Rock University.

One of the singers who wanted to be a part of the phenomenon was senior theatre acting major Ethan Rochow, who grew up singing. He’s had six years of choir experience, has performed in theatre and is considering starting up a band.

He said singing and performing was something he always knew he wanted to play a part in his life.

The audition process was to begin at 8:00 a.m., but to try and beat the crowd that was expected to come, Rochow arrived at the stadium at 3:30 a.m. to get comfortable in line and prepare himself for the day to come.

When the stadium doors opened, people flooded in, but the wait was far from over.

“It was hard to think sometimes when people are all around you singing,” said Rochow when asked what was he thinking throughout the waiting process.

Seeing other people come and go, some with slips to the next round and others with nothing, the main thought running through his mind was whether the

song he picked, “Let Me Go” by 3 Doors Down, was the right choice for his voice and for the judges.

Throughout the waiting period, he received calls and texts from friends that auditioned with him. They gave him words of advice and tips for when his turn arrived, calming his nerves and preparing him for his shot to sing.

Rochow said waiting was by far the worst part of the experience for him, but in the end, the most memorable part of the entire day, besides getting to perform his song, was the excitement he felt when his section was called toward the middle of the field to get ready to perform.

He s a i d t h a t t h e experience seemed surreal until he was standing in the middle of Heinz Field surrounded by all the people, trying to do the same thing that he was doing. At that moment, all the waiting didn’t matter and it became real.

When 4:00 p.m. came, he was finally called to the judges. The judges that the audience has grown to love, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler,

GRAPHIC BY alexis kovski

About 13,000 people auditioned in Pittsburgh on July 15 for a chance to be on the hit reality series "American Idol." Among those who tried out was senior theatre acting major Ethan Rochow.

were not there, but other people well known to the music business were the ones that the singers had to impress.

Even though he did not make it through to the competition, Rochow said he still felt proud of his voice and the progress

that he made. The judges’ response to his singing was that he had a great voice, but not the specific type of voice that they were seeking for the 11th season of the show.

Rochow said it was an experience that he enjoyed, even though he did not

make it to the point he wanted to.

He said if given the chance, he would definitely try again in the future.

Stephanie Cheek is a freshman journalism major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

Music stars dress in popular, quirky attire at MTV awards show Best and Worst of Video Music Awards Fashion

Katie Ellis "ROCK'n Fashion"

As per tradition, MTV aired its annual Video Music Awards on Sunday, the one night a year that MTV goes back to its roots and pretends to care about the music that made it famous.

Music’s biggest stars tu r n e d out t o s h ow their support for their fellow artists and to see

performances from Beyonce, Adele, Kanye West and Jay-Z, among others.

Not on ly we re t he performances something to talk about, but the fashion was as well. The night’s biggest trends included sparkly mini dresses and outrageous outfits from music’s leading ladies.

PHOTO courtesy of MCT Campus

Arriving at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday evening in a floor-length Lanvin dress, Beyonce also sported a baby bump as she and her husband, Jay-Z, announced they are expecting their first child.

Te e n qu e e n S e l e n a Gomez kicked off the evening’s festivities by ho st i ng M T V ’s V M A pre-show in a revealing black Julien Macdonald gown with minimal gold accessories and finishing off the look with gold, Brian Atwood heels.

Although this look is very age appropriate for Gomez, it has become her “go to” look. While it is advised to stick with what you know, the teen queen should have opted for something outside of her comfort zone.

The VMAs give every young starlet the perfect opportunity to take advantage of fashion’s most outrageous trends, and while the Julien Macdonald dress looked fabulous on Gomez, she could have stepped up her “A” game when choosing an outfit for the evening.

Nicki Minaj, on the other hand, took a major fashion risk when choosing her Japanese couture.

Minaj set off her look with an intricate set of pink and yellow twists in her hair, an ice cream cone necklace, and thighhigh socks adorned with animals. Although the VMAs call for over-thetop fashions, Minaj took her look too far.

Despite the fact that her outfit was made up of various Japanese couture pieces, that doesn’t always e qua l fashionable, or wearable for that matter.

Her outfit was merely put together to get attention, which should be expected from the rapper, but she would have been better off leaving her leashed

companions at home.

“Jersey Shore” star Snooki hit the mark in her Ema Savahl mini dress. Gold embellishments, chunky gold bracelets and sparkly, champagne colored pumps accented the burnt orange color of her dress.

The starlet looked relatively classy for the e v e n i n g ’s f e s t i v i t i e s , compared to the club outfits that she wears on her famous reality show.

Lady Gaga, music’s most powerful woman, attended the show dressed as a man… Jo Calderone.

Gaga herself did not app ear at all Sunday evening, as she stayed in character all throughout the show. There was nothing resembling her infamous meat dress in sight as she stepped out on stage in a black suit and white t-shirt with a cigarette behind her ear.

G a g a’s Calderone ensemble made quite a statement, one that will never be forgotten by the millions of little monsters that tuned into the show that evening.

Br it ne y Sp e ars , t he n i g ht’s t op h on ore e , receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, looked chic in a black, belted Moschino romper and peep-toe ankle booties.

Pop’s princess dressed appropriately to accept her award and did not look anything like the 29-yearold that she is.

He r s p a r k l y b l a c k ensemble shined on stage as she accepted her well deserved “moon man.”

Former Disney star Demi Lovato came dressed in the

night’s trendiest ensemble, the sparkly mini dress.

Fresh off releasing her latest single, “Skyscraper,” she has embraced the body that it has taken her so long to be proud of.

Lovato wore a halters t y l e Man d a l ay m i n i d re s s w it h m at c h i ng grey, peep-toe pumps by Christian Louboutin, shoe guru to the stars. The singer complemented her fashionable mini dress with matching silver accessories and voluminous brown curls.

The best fashion statement of the night was made by the incomparable Beyonce.

The diva showed up to the event in a floor-length Lanvin dress with the best accessory of the evening, a baby bump.

Beyonce revealed to the press that she and husband, Jay-Z, are expecting their first child, and her joy truly radiated as cameras flashed, capturing her effer vescent pregnancy glow.

Later in the evening, Beyonce took to the stage to perform in a sparkling, purple tuxedo jacket and matching tailored black pants.

All in all, the night was a success for fashion.

That being said, Beyonce takes home the award for the best dressed celebrity of the night, while Nicki Minaj, on the other hand, takes home the unfortunate prize of worst dressed celebrity.

Katie Ellis is a freshman journalism major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

Campus Life

September 2, 2011

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Concert shows ability of SRU faculty, alumni collaboration

LIANA PITTMAN/ the rocket

Third in the lineup for the show in Dr. Mark Chase's barn was the Los Angeles-based band, Princeton.

Continued from Page C-1

Barnstormer tours of the past have varied in genres ranging from psychedelic,

alternative rock to hip hop.

Moeller said the selection of each tour lineup isn’t based on particular genres, but rather how their sound

would fit amidst a barn setting.

“It’s weird because you kind of look for things that ‘work in a barn,’ but

yet it’s also kind of nice to have a weird juxtaposition of things that maybe don’t work in a barn,” Moeller said. “It’s basically like a matching up of personalities between the bands.”

One of the artists on the show’s lineup, Canadian solo artist Doug Paisley, played his first show with the Barnstormer tour that night.

Af te r p e r for m i ng a m e l l ow a c ou s t i c s e t , Paisley slowly made his way through the crowd, happily talking to one audience member after another.

Ta l l and t hin, and wearing a simple, downto-earth outfit consisting of a green v-neck t-shirt and jeans, he held his head high and wore a homely, subtle smile, expressing his happiness of being in a new musical environment.

“This is my first show in a barn setting, so this is the highlight for me, ”

Paisley said with a smile, casually leaning forward onto his guitar case. “It’s just beautiful.”

Paisley said playing in a barn seemed to bring out a different way of performing for everyone, and also seemed to have provided excellent acoustics for the sound.

“It’s like a very old guitar – its just worn wood,” he said.

Chase said after Scanlon graduated, he continued to follow him on Twitter professionally, and that they met up with each other from time to time.

In maintaining a working relationship with one another, he said Scanlon reached the point where he doesn’t need much assistance or advice.

“I t r y to b e ve r y supportive of what he’s doing, in terms of some of the bands he’s been promoting, to buy some of their material and to listen to it,” Chase said.

“He’s doing really well for himself, so he doesn’t need much of my help.”

When asked about his professional relationship with his former adviser, Scanlon said working with Chase to put on the show in New Wilmington was a good experience.

“Ah, man, he’s great,” Scanlon chuckled. “He was my adviser all through school, and I’ve known him since 2002. He’s definitely a good guy and a smart man.”

Though he graduated in 2007, Scanlon said he feels it’s still important to maintain a connection with faculty from one’s depar tment af ter one graduates and moves on to a career.

“I spent five years [at SRU], so I got to know everyone pretty well,” he said. “It’s good to maintain relationships [with faculty] for a number of reasons, but after knowing someone for so long, you become

Professors attend conventions, work on journals over summer Continued from Page C-1

to make sure everything still worked.

Over the summer, teachers also travel to give themselves more experience.

White said he traveled to the University of Illinois to make good use of their classics library. He worked

on an article to give a different interpretation of the Battle of Marathon, which happened in ancient Greece.

Gray said she has attended conferences that have been in Japan, Thailand, Spain, Costa Rica and Ireland. She goes away to conventions every summer, but this year

she wasn’t able to go.

“This year was Korea,” she said.“I would have loved to go.”

When asked if professors like to get everything done at the beginning of summer or spread it out, all teachers agreed with spreading everything out and taking their time.

White said while he was on sabbatical leave in the spring, he was doing research and some writing for his book project that is based on his course, “History and the Bible.”

During his sabbatical, he also made himself available for when the Middle States Accreditation made a visit

to the campus. He said he was on campus a lot during his sabbatical leave so that he could finish off his responsibilities and be of assistance.

Besides doing school work, professors still make room for some vacation time.

Gray said that she traveled to Florida to visit family,

as well as to Vermont and Oregon.

Chovanes said that he went to Myrtle Beach for a couple of days.

Even though there is a lot of work to be done during the summer for professors, they still make time to have a little learning and relaxation for themselves.

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Campus Life

September 2, 2011