sru rocket 9-7-12

Sports

Campus Life

B-1

SRU football prepares for game against Shippensburg

C-1

Miller Auditorium closed, theater relocated

The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com

Friday, September 7, 2012

Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper

Est. 1934

Volume 96, Number 2

Romney nomination causes debate among SRU students

By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter

Mitt Romney will need to do more to impress voters, as the candidate received low speech scores after the Republican National Convention last week.

According to the Business Insider, 38 percent of Americans rated Romney’s acceptance speech as “good” or “excellent.” This Gallup poll score was worse than Republican Bob Dole’s speech in 1996.

Steve Scholl, 21, a senior physical education major from Kittanning, Pa. and member of the Republican Party, thinks that the speech ratings will not be directly correlated to the number of votes that both leading candidates receive on Election Day. “I’d rather focus on what they actually do and not what they say,” Scholl said.

“That’s why I don’t pay much attention to presidential speeches. Any politician can tell you what you want to hear.”

Scholl believes Romney’s speech was clear. According to The Week,

Romney portrayed himself as a “generic Republican” and not going into in-depth controversial issues. In addition, Romney took several attacks on Obama.

"You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him," Romney said.

Romney said that Obama’s hope and change had a powerful appeal to viewers. In spite of the attacks, Scholl found that the speech was not

extraordinary.

“It was exactly what I’d expected,” Scholl said. “He made his points on how he differs from Obama.”

Romney said that his business career will make him a better president than Obama because he can use it to restore the economy.

Scholl believed Romney’s speech was predictable. However, Chris Peco, 21, a senior history major from Pittsburgh and the president of the group Young SEE STUDENTS, PAGE A-2

Student jumps out window to evade fire

By Jonathan Janasik over outside thinking it of the hot water heater was News Editor

A fire broke out Tuesday morning in the Cooper Street Ap ar t m e nt s resulting in a student jumping out the second stor y window of her apartment.

Mary Jane Brandon, the manager Cooper Street Apartments said the fire station was called as soon as the fire broke out at approximately 2:30 a.m.

The residents of the complex’s six apartments were evacuated until the fire was extinguished at 4 a.m. Brandon said that this was the first fire in the 15 years that she has worked there.

“The gentleman who lived downstairs went outside and called up to the girl who was in the room upstairs. She was yelling because of all of the smoke in the apartment, but there were no flames upstairs. So she jumped out of the window and he caught her.”

Gar y Agostino, the maintenance manager for the apartment complex, was a witness to the events. “ It w a s l i k e t h e fairgrounds out there, there were lights, firemen, cops, people running around, s m o k e e v e r y w h e r e ,” Agostino said. “There was four tankers over here, an ambulance was there, the cops were here, there were people from all

was a big party watching smoke coming out of that building.”

Agostino said that he believes the fire was started because the residents stuffed some of their flammable possessions into the hot water tank room.

Many residents take their batteries out of their smoke detectors to prevent them from going off while they are cooking, according to Agostino. Because of this, the staff often perform safety checks where they go room to room checking to make sure that the smoke detectors are on and the hot water tank room is clean. Each of the complex's 60 apartments has smoke detectors in each bedroom, the main hallways, the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen.

“There’s a reason why you’re supposed to have these in your apartment,” Agostino said. “These smoke detectors will save your ass, don’t you understand that? You can die. If you don’t care, you can go outside and stand in front of a truck.”

Brandon said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Agostino explained that there is evidence that the hot water tank was tampered with by one of the residents. The cover

missing, which could have prevented the heater from overheating.

“We won’t do anything, Agostino said. "I know what he did, he knows what he did, and the fire marshal knows what he did. If they wanted to press charges, they could have located him by now. We have his name, his lease and his phone number.

With something like that, what are you going to do? It’s a valuable lesson learned.”

The residents are not supposed to go into the apartment, because it is a safety hazard. Glass, water, and ash covered the carpet, while the heat made the walls sweat, and the paint start to peel. The smoke alarm melted off of the wall and there was soot covering the walls and ceiling.

Agostino estimates that the repairs should take three weeks to a month.

The apartment will take one day to be gutted out, the carpet, ceiling, stairs, doors, and walls will be replaced, and the appliances will be professionally cleaned.

B efore rep airs c an be made, the insurance company needs to come in to assess the damages and make an estimate.

Agostino said that they called the insurance company, but they have yet to respond.

ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET

An air conditioner and other debris were cast aside Tuesday after a fire blazed through the Cooper Street Apartment Building.

The residents of the apartment were offered a motel outside of town to stay at until the repairs were completed, but because none of the residents own a car they declined, and decided to

stay with friends instead. “ T h e y d i d n’t h ave renter's insurance, and if they would have had renter’s insurance for $120 for a whole year it would have given $20,000 or $30,000 worth

of coverage,” Agostino said.

“If you rent, you should have it. If someone comes into your apartment and slips and falls, it’s not us that gets sued, it’s you, and insurance covers that.”

PASSHE schools show declining enrollment for second straight year

By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY PASSHE, GRAPHIC BY WILL DESHONG

For the second straight year, Slipper y Rock University witnessed a reduction in enrollment, a theme that has been consistent across all PASSHE schools.

According to the Post-Gazette, in the past 14 years, the State System enrollment has raised 28 percent, which is an increase from 93,711 to 119,513 students.

This year, SRU enrolled 1.5 percent less students, which is 130 students, compared to the previous year.

Declining enrollment means that students and faculty member may have to work in larger class sizes in the future.

Dr. Katherine Cooklin, a philosophy professor, worked as APSCUF’s vice president since May. She talked about what our school can prepare for if this pattern continues.

“We need to try to deliver services as soon as possible, but we need to keep in mind that the most

important service here is education,” Cooklin said. “I think that the public higher education is one of the common wealth’s best assets, and it needs to remain a funding priority.”

Student fees, tuition and state funds are the largest foundations of State System revenue. The estimated tuition and fee cost for a Pa. resident is $8,748. If that number is multiplied by the 130 students that did not enroll this year, the total is more than one million dollars.

Cooklin believes this loss of revenue will not drastically affect the university because of the quality of education that SRU has to offer.

“I think that we have an excellent faculty that connects with the students through mentoring to basically get a rock solid education,” Cooklin said.

“That’s what’s available to all students. Those who SEE SRU, PAGE A-3

News

A-2 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SLIPPERY ROCK FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Fog in the a.m.; partly sunny

Cooler with rain and a t-storm

Chance of a shower

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Mostly sunny and nice

Mostly sunny

Clouds and sun

82°

63°

68°

47°

68°

REAL FEAL TEMPERATURE

®

Fri.

Sat.

Sun. Mon.

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

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

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

Friday HI LO W 85 62 pc 88 67 pc 85 61 pc 84 63 pc 82 65 pc 88 68 pc 80 64 pc 82 62 pc 89 72 pc 86 65 pc 85 67 pc 86 62 pc 86 65 pc 88 66 pc 84 63 pc

Saturday HI LO W 67 51 r 82 58 t 74 56 r 68 55 r 69 57 r 79 55 r 70 50 r 68 48 r 87 66 t 71 53 r 76 52 r 74 50 r 71 50 r 74 51 r 69 49 r

Sunday HI LO W 70 52 c 74 52 pc 68 52 c 72 55 c 70 57 sh 73 53 pc 67 49 c 63 48 c 77 60 pc 71 51 c 70 49 pc 68 48 c 70 50 c 72 49 pc 69 49 sh

47°

71°

46°

Fri.

Sat.

Sun. Mon.

Tuesday HI LO W 76 57 s 74 52 s 71 50 s 76 59 s 73 59 s 76 51 s 74 48 s 69 51 s 75 60 s 77 56 s 71 44 s 73 49 s 76 54 s 73 47 s 75 52 s

Students Invited to meet Candidates for Provost and Vice President The Search Committee for the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs invites all students to open sessions to meet the candidates and provide feedback to the Search Committee on Friday, October 19; Tuesday, October 30; Friday, November 2; Tuesday, November 6; Friday, November 9; and Tuesday, November 13 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in room 321 of the Smith Student Center.

To submit a Rock Note please send your announcement by 6 p.m. Wednesday to Jonathan Janasik at jtj9529@sru.edu or to rocket.news@sru.edu. The Rocket does not guarantee that all requests will be published in the paper.

Index Rock Notes...............A-2 Sports...................B-1 Weather map...........A-2 Campus Life.............C-1 Blotter.................A-3 Opinion...............A-4

220 Eisenberg Building Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057

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

Tue.

Wed. Thu.

Wednesday HI LO W 77 58 s 76 50 s 75 54 s 78 61 s 77 63 s 79 58 s 76 55 s 73 55 s 79 62 s 78 57 s 77 56 s 77 57 s 79 58 s 77 56 s 76 57 s

Five bands will play 10 sets at Harmony’s Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, Sept. 8, as a community effort to raise funds for the small, historic community’s parks and hiking/biking trails. See concertsinharmony.com for ticket information.

contact us

55°

76°

Sun

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

Monday HI LO W 73 51 s 73 52 s 70 49 s 72 51 s 70 51 pc 75 50 s 70 46 s 66 46 s 74 58 s 73 51 s 70 47 pc 69 44 s 73 49 s 73 46 s 70 46 s

50°

75°

53°

IN THE SKY

Bluegrass Festival to Benefit Harmony Parks & Trails

Newsroom: (724) 738-4438 Advertising: (724) 738-2643 Fax: (724) 738-4896 Email: rocket.letters@sru.edu

75°

UV INDEX

ROCK NOTES

.

September 7, 2012

Thursday HI LO W 77 57 pc 72 58 sh 75 54 pc 76 55 s 71 59 s 78 55 pc 77 61 pc 72 57 pc 84 59 pc 76 55 pc 78 55 pc 74 56 pc 75 57 pc 78 54 pc 76 55 pc

Rise 6:53 a.m.

6:54 a.m.

6:55 a.m.

6:56 a.m.

6:57 a.m.

6:58 a.m.

6:59 a.m.

Rise 11:32 p.m. none 12:20 a.m.

1:13 a.m.

2:11 a.m.

3:12 a.m.

4:16 a.m.

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Moon

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

MOON PHASES

Set 7:42 p.m.

7:41 p.m.

7:39 p.m.

7:37 p.m.

7:36 p.m.

7:34 p.m.

7:32 p.m.

Set 1:47 p.m.

2:38 p.m.

3:24 p.m.

4:07 p.m.

4:46 p.m.

5:21 p.m.

5:54 p.m.

Last

New

First

Full

9/8

9/15

9/22

9/29

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2012

NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEK TEMPERATURES

Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal

PRECIPITATION

Above Near Below Normal Normal Normal

National Summary: A low will bring significant rainfall to the eastern Midwest and Northeast Saturday.

The front with this storm, stretched from Quebec to eastern Texas, will move eastward, bringing thunderstorms to most of the Southeast. The front will move quickly, allowing a high behind it to dominate in the middle of the country for Sunday, and drying out the plains and South. Lingering showers will be in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic for Sunday, with some storms just along the southeast Atlantic coast and Florida. For Monday, the country will be dry, with a few storms in the Rockies during the afternoon. Some showers are possible in the Northwest with a cold front moving onshore.

NATIONAL CITIES

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursda CITY HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W HI LO W Atlanta 90 72 pc 84 62 t 80 63 pc 81 61 s 83 62 s 84 65 s 84 64 p Boston 84 69 pc 80 64 c 75 57 r 72 53 pc 68 55 s 75 61 s 77 60 p Chicago 76 57 t 70 55 pc 72 55 s 77 57 s 83 63 s 80 60 s 72 58 Cincinnati 88 63 t 75 53 r 77 54 pc 79 56 s 81 59 s 83 61 s 82 57 p Dallas 102 69 pc 85 64 pc 88 63 s 90 67 s 94 70 s 90 71 s 94 68 Denver 71 50 c 78 55 s 85 60 pc 91 62 pc 84 54 pc 75 50 pc 80 54 Detroit 78 58 t 69 53 r 71 52 c 74 52 s 78 60 s 81 60 s 74 59 Houston 98 76 s 96 71 pc 88 64 s 89 64 s 91 68 s 93 70 pc 90 68 Indianapolis 84 60 t 73 55 pc 77 55 pc 78 57 s 80 63 s 82 63 s 76 60 Kansas City 74 50 t 77 53 s 83 59 s 85 63 s 85 65 s 77 58 pc 75 58 Los Angeles 85 66 pc 88 66 pc 89 68 pc 85 65 pc 83 62 s 83 65 pc 84 66 p Miami 90 76 t 91 76 pc 91 78 pc 92 77 t 91 77 t 89 78 pc 89 74 s Nashville 92 69 t 79 58 t 78 56 pc 83 59 s 86 63 s 86 62 s 86 63 New Orleans 90 75 pc 90 71 t 85 67 pc 85 69 s 87 73 s 88 71 pc 89 70 p New York City 85 72 pc 82 65 t 78 62 t 76 60 pc 74 61 s 78 63 s 81 57 p Orlando 90 73 t 91 74 t 88 74 t 85 75 pc 86 73 s 90 71 pc 89 67 s Phoenix 101 85 s 103 86 t 102 80 t 98 81 t 98 81 pc 99 81 pc 106 81 San Francisco 68 53 pc 67 53 pc 65 52 pc 67 52 pc 72 54 pc 73 56 s 75 57 p Seattle 85 57 s 83 54 pc 71 50 pc 64 48 sh 66 48 pc 71 52 s 73 50 Washington, DC 92 73 pc 84 61 t 77 62 pc 79 60 s 79 61 s 81 65 s 83 59 p Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

New adult learners program rewards credits for previous work experience

By Jonathan Janasik News Editor

PASSHE announced a new program last week that promises course credits for adult learners with work or military experience.

Kenn Marshall, the Media Relations Manager for PASSHE, stated that the program is targeted to nontraditional students who have not been in college classrooms but instead, have learned through military training and real world work experience. A nontraditional student is anybody who goes into higher education, but not straight out of high school.

“It’s really a way to help nontraditional students who want to earn a degree, better themselves, be able to get a job, or to advance higher into their current career,” Marshall said. “A lot of businesses require that if you want be promoted

into certain positions, you have to have a college degree. If you’re already out in the workforce and have a family, it could be difficult to leave all that behind for 120 college credits, when you may have already had a solid education and training.”

As of now, the program is not completely sorted out yet, Marshall explained. Students will have to go through a certification process to prove that they have all of the knowledge that would be needed to pass the classes. The main way that they will do this is to make a portfolio that documents their experience, writing, certifications, and evidence of prior training.

Amanda Yale, the Associate Provost for Enrolment Services , explained that the program can be compared to assessments such as Advanced Placement courses in high school and College Board’s

L e vel E x am i n at i on Pro g r am in the fact that multiple faculty members from around the nation are responsible for grading the student’s work. “ This is going to be most attractive to the individual who has been in the work environment for 15, 20, 25 years and who want to get a degree,” Yale said. “Maybe it’s because they want to get, promoted but to get promoted, you have to have a bachelor’s degree.”

Select SRU faculty members attended a meeting last week to be introduced to the basic concept of the program. Currently, PASSHE is finalizing the contract with LearningCounts.org. After the contract is agreed upon, SRU faculty will begin their training in the program. Yale estimated that PASSHE will begin to reveal the finer details about the program within six months.

Students react to Romney's nomination Continued from Page A-1

Americans for Liberty had different expectations on Romney’s speech.

“It was surprising to me because I think the speech itself was good, and he seemed passionate,” Peco said.

“Romney’s speeches are usually cut and dry, but he seemed passionate the other night.”

According to CNN, Romney revealed more about his family, faith and career. He even opened up his speech about how his parents showed him unconditional love.

Peco also believes that the ratings of these acceptance speeches do not correlate with the candidate’s votes.

“I think Romney’s votes will be more than his speech ratings because you will have Obama close in votes with Romney,” Peco said. “It’s usually even in the popular vote when it comes to the election.”

In 2004, John Kerry’s speech was rated slightly better than Bush. However, he lost the election.

Brian Cushanick, 24, a senior history major from Pittsburgh and a member of the SRU College Democrats, believes that Romney’s speech was a way for him to change his big business man title into a down-to-earth human being.

“I don’t think he really knows what people are going through,” Cushanick said. “He suits me as someone unaware of the economic society that we’re in. We are in a depression and not a repression where as a recession would take weeks to come out of.”

Cushanick believes that the convention’s reaction to Romney’s speech was nearly clueless.

“The RNC people were completely unaware of the actual financial problem,” Cushanick said. “They are unaware of the poor and lower class.”

Cushanick emphasized on the condition of the economy.

“Republicans don’t understand that if there wasn’t a middle class, we can’t work,” Cushanick said. “They aren’t taking the poor in consideration. They are taking views from the rich men. We can’t be cutting education and medical insurances. Nobody has jobs.”

He also shed light on his views on Romney’s campaign financials.

“I want to know where Romney is getting all of the money from,” Cushanick said. “Michigan is bankrupt.

Obama is getting money from rallies and donations from people.”

According to Business Week, Romney made trips around the world to meet foreign leaders to fundraise for his campaign.

“I think Obama would win, not because I’m Democratic, but Obama is going to dominate the debate, Cushanick said. “Paul Ryan might win the Presidential Debate. He runs on the stances that everyone agrees on.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Mitt and Ann Romney hug a family member on stage at the 2012 Republican National Convention in the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Thursday, August 30, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.

News

September 7, 2012

A-3

Police Blotter Campus August 30 – There was a non-reportable traffic incident at the Ski Lodge. A vehicle hit another vehicle and no injuries were sustained.

August 30 – There was a report of a vehicle damaged in the East Lake Lot. The case is under investigation.

August 30 – Michael Mascara, 18, was cited for underage consumption of alcohol after a report of an intoxicated individual at Building E. August 31 – Edward Beveridge, 21, and David Cortese, 19, were cited with disorderly conduct after a traffic stop on East Lake Lane where contraband was found.

August 31 – Philip Tomko, 19, was cited with disorderly conduct and Kevin Ubrey, 19, was cited with underage

consumption of alcohol after a report of a drug violation at North Hall.

are all of the factors in a constellation that leads to higher quality education.

Maintaining those standards and getting the word out are to be had at SRU and will attract and retain students.”

APSCUF’s Secretar y Judy Silva, a performing arts librarian and archives, believes the loss of revenue will encourage the university to create a larger student to professor ratio.

“I don’t think the pattern will create more cuts because SRU has excellent programs and will attract students,” Silva said. “However, I do think the class size is an issue.”

Silva helped out at the WOW weekend program and talked to the new students and parents.

“They all agreed that class size was an issue,” Silva said. “The university thinks we just need to enroll more students, but we can’t just grow our way out of the problem.”

August 3 – Joshua Shaw, 21, was cited for open container of alcohol.

September 2 – There was a welfare check on an individual with cuts on their arms August 4 – Anthony Greeze, 27, was cited for disorderly conduct. at Building D. The individual said they were fine and refused treatment.

August 14 – Keith Beatty, 18, was cited for underage consumption of alcohol.

September 5 – Campus police assisted Slippery Rock Borough Police with a August 15 – Thomas Zajac III, 25, was house fire on West Cooper Street. The fire department responded and the chief cited for disorderly conduct. was notified.

August 17 – Jessee Jennings, 21, was cited for disorderly conduct.

September 6 – There was a report of a sexual assault that occurred off campus.

August 24 – Gerald J. Papay II, 25, was The incident was referred to another cited for a DUI. policy agency.

Borough August 3 – Mark Natural, 21, and Matthew Taylor, 21, were cited for disorderly house.

SRU maintains 20:1 student-faculty ratio Continued from Page A-1

containers of alcohol.

According to U.S. News, SRU has about 8,000 students enrolled and a student-faculty ratio of 20-1. Whereas, IUP has about 12,000 students enrolled and an 18-1 ratio.

Silva believes that faculty members can keep doing what they’re doing.

However, their workload will increase as their class size gets bigger.

“APSCUF cares ab out quality education,” Silva said. “Students who are enthusiastic about their education will attract more students. That’s why you need to focus on quality education.”

In addition, students can become an orientation ambassador and/ or a FYRST Seminar leader to help new students help students become adjusted to the campus.

In the meantime, Silva maintains the library.

“At the library, we support research,” Silva said. “It is part of keeping that quality education.”

August 26 – Brian Presto, 20, was cited for disorderly house.

August 26 – Ryan Zamboni, 21, was cited for an open container of alcohol.

August 30 – Trent King, 21, was cited for disorderly conduct.

August 31 – There was a report of theft from a motor vehicle. Lost items included golf clubs and the title of the vehicle.

September 1 – Courtney Wells, 21, and Raymond McCanna, 21, were cited with disorderly conduct.

August 26 – Andrew Greenslade, 21, was September 4 – There was a report of cited for retail theft at Sheetz. criminal mischief resulting in damaging August 26 – Francis Maiolo III, 21, and a car mirror.

Brandon Gross, 21, were cited for open Compiled by Catie Clark

SGA unveils plans for intramural multi-purpose outdoor hockey rink

By Catie Clark Assistant News Editor

The Slippery Rock Student Government Association’s Board of Co-Operative Activities unveiled Thursday the plans for a new multipurpose rink.

The multi-purpose rink would be intended for such sports as volleyball and deck hockey.

According to Ben Motyl, Vice President of Financial Affairs, the rink will be located near the intramural fields.

“The rink will be located between the softball and rugby field,” Motyl said.

The Co-Op Board rejected their first bid because it was over budget, and because they were looking for more competition. They only had received one bid, and according to policy they have to receive at least three bids with projects budgeted over $500.

“The plan is to bid out again in the beginning of November, and begin construction in spring when asphalt plants open again,” Motyl said.

Cathy George, SGA business manager, said that rejecting the bid would allow for more features to be added to the rink when seeking a new bid, such as washer boards and bleachers,

which had originally been a part of a separate bid.

“If everything goes as planned, the rink could be completed as soon as next April,” George said.

The Co-Op Board also approved the AFSCME/SGA vending contract for the 2013 fiscal year.

Under the contract, SGA has to give AFSCME (The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) 2.5 percent of net sales commission from June 30, 2012 to June 30, 2013.

According to George, the 2.5 percent equates to about $700 to 800 per year.

SGA plans to recommend to the AFSCME membership that the money be given to the SRSGA, Inc. Child Care Center each year as a gift.

The current budgetary reserves were announced at the Thursday meeting as well.

According to Motyl, the current reserves are $40,523.50.

The carryover for reserves won’t occur until the audit report from last year has been received.

BANKING ON CAMPUS PNC STUDENT BANKING brings you the convenience of an eBranch, right here on campus. And you can even show off your school spirit with a free PNC Bank Visa® Check Card, created just for Slippery Rock University.

Go to pnc.com/sru, call 1-877-PNC-1000, or visit our branch now

at the Smith Student Center.

PNC and ACHIEVEMENT are registered marks of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. ©2012 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC

UNV PDF 0612-043-99208

OPINION

The Rocket

A-4

September 7, 2012

The Rocket

Our View

Volume 96, Number 2

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 Will DeShong Editor-in-Chief Jon Janasik News Editor Andy Treese Campus Life Editor Madeline Williams Sports Editor Alex Mowrey Photo Editor Stephanie Holsinger Copy Editor James Intile Web Editor Catie Clark Assistant News Editor Courtney Tietje Assistant Campus Life Editor Kristin Karam Assistant Sports Editor Emily Schubert Assistant Photo Editor Erica Kurvach News Reporter Mark Zeltner Faculty Adviser

Advertising Staff Zach Dornisch Advertising Manager 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 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.

GRAPHIC BY EMILY SCHUBERT

The show must go on for SRU Performing Arts students Slippery Rock University is currently in the process of renovating its main performing arts theatre, Miller Auditorium.

The ongoing renovations to Miller, which will take at least two and a half years to complete, will ultimately result in a wonderful new performing arts studio for the campus community to venture to for their viewing pleasure.

The new additions will make the building more practical, and are a needed adjustment to an out-ofdate theatre.

The renovations needed to be done, and in the long run, they will be beneficial for the school.

But one cannot help but feel a little sorrow for the current performing arts students that have been relocated to their less than spectacular temporar y department location of the old University Union.

The move was probably the best option for the school to make, but it doesn’t mean it makes for a great situation. Or even a good one.

While the old Miller Auditorium stage was hardly the most glamorous of venues, it was certainly still far more adequate a spot for theatre than the place no longer worthy enough to store textbooks..

Any professional

atmosphere the school was clinging to with an out-of-date stage has been erased with an out-of-date union simply not fit for theatre.

Like previous stated, it wasn’t like the school had much of a choice.

Renovations had to be done in order to assure a better future for the program.

But the present for the program seems to have been stashed away in the university’s new storage closet.

Let’s be hypothetical and pretend that you were a sophomore theatre major.

If the school finishes the renovations to Miller on

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.

time, and who knows what setbacks could occur, you would get one semester to experience the joy of an actual stage.

The rest of your college e x p e r i e n c e i s s p e nt performing in a setting more suitable for an elementary school play than a college production.

In a major built around its atmosphere, the current students at SRU will be lacking in that experience.

That says a lot about the students who are in the program. They’ll have to work hard with the professors to make the most out of this situation.

We admire them for that.

They won’t be the first department to suffer relocation for an extended period of time.

But having to adjust environments to study typical classroom courses, such as psychology, may be annoying, but it doesn’t have the same impact as the performing arts programs.

It’s not the end of the world for the department or its students.

Those students will still receive the same highquality education from the school’s wonderful professors as they would have back in Miller.

But it just won’t look as nice.

This week’s question: How will the Miller renovations impact your experience as performing arts students?

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.

Ashton Williams Sophomore acting track major Hometown: Aliquippa, Pa.

Thom Wells Junior theater technology major Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.

“It’s been a topsy-turvy kind of deal.

It is excting to find new opportunities.

I’ve been in Miller so long, but I think this new location is beneficial. The union is right in the center of the campus.”

“It will affect us as we won’t have an official space, but you have the option to use found spaces such as the MPR stage. Also, we were talking about performing Equis in the Equestrian Center.

Cindy Brennan Junior acting track major Hometown: Duncansville, Pa. “The experience of the stage is different by not having a stage with a fourth wall. The new stage has a less professional feeling.”

September 7, 2012

Opinion

A-5

Working retail at the Grove City Outlet Mall is what you make of it

Michael Santoro Observation Station Eight miles away from rural Slippery Rock there lies a shopping destination for one and all.

A place where you can find clothing, food, kitchen accessories, tools, and a variety of other types of items.

The Grove City Area Outlet Mall hosts about 130 stores, and offers thousands of products to hundreds of thousands of customers of all creeds, nationalities, genders, and outlooks.

In addition, it provides employment for tons of both local and long-distance high school students, college students, and working adults.

As an employee of two stores for about four years, I’ve pretty much seen it all. In addition, many of my friends work at the outlets, or have in the past.

These are their stories.

Now, I don’t want to get off on the

wrong foot here. Working at the outlets is nowhere near as grisly as the heinous crimes we see on the different Law and Orders.

I personally don’t mind working with the public most of the time, and the conditions are not as cramped or restricted as with other malls.

Yet there are some horror stories that can be told about various experiences, such as the mall’s need to stay open during horrible weather conditions, bad customer experiences, or really long shifts that just seem to drag on forever.

Let’s start out with the positives, though.

Because that’s mainly where my story lies: in the relative goodness of the Grove City Area Outlet Mall.

I worked at the Black & Decker Factory Outlet Store for about three and half years before the store was shut down, due to no fault of the outlet mall.

I enjoyed my time at Black & Decker for the most part, and was actually promoted towards the end of my term.

The atmosphere was laid back, which I know is not universal amongst the mall.

In addition, my employment helped me learn more than I already knew about tools and kitchen appliances.

I worked with a good friend from high school and now college and I grew close to my fellow employees.

The pay wasn’t exactly awesome, but I could have been working at one of my

prior jobs: McDonald’s.

In comparison, Black & Decker was a whirlwind of awesomeness and sheer delight every second of every shift.

Now, on to what you’re probably reading this for: the negative aspects of working in the mall.

Most people would cite poor customer experiences as their biggest pet peeve in working in retail, or working with the public in general.

There’s always going to be that customer that unfolds all the clothing, opens all the boxes, and misplaces items throughout the store.

There’s also always going to be that customer that asks 5,000 questions, half of which could be answered by reading conveniently-placed signs or by thinking things through more.

Finally, there’s always going to be that customer that comes in with a chip on their shoulder and decides that whatever you do, you won’t be able to appease them.

Sometimes, depending on where exactly in the mall you work, you could deal with all of these types of customers on a daily basis. I really hope not, but I’m aware that’s a distinct possibility.

Despite all of this, most customers have good hearts. They mean well, and are just looking to help support a company by purchasing products that they need.

But poor customer experiences aren’t the only thing holding the outlet mall

back from being a better place to work.

Sometimes shifts can run upwards of 10 hours, leaving you drained and physically exhausted, even though you open the next morning.

Furthermore, sometimes extreme weather conditions will come about and the mall will decide that staying open for an extra hour or two is worth letting the roads get all snowed and iced up.

While they do offer discounted rates on local hotels, that wouldn’t be feasible for employees with families or college students with tight budgets.

Overall, I haven’t had too much of a negative experience at the Grove City Area Outlet Mall.

Although there have been circumstances and scenarios where I didn’t appreciate my job as much as I would have normally, no experience has caused me to up and quit.

Despite this, I am aware that many people, some of which I know personally, have had such a bad time at their job that they have left their jobs.

Different strokes for different folks and everybody has a different opinion on everything.

Overall, the Outlet Mall seems to be what you make, and how you respond to what it is.

Michael Santoro is a senior public relations major from Pittsburgh, Pa. and a regular contributor to the Rocket.

Questioning the notion of ordering New student center has a lot to condoms through a mail service offer Slippery Rock community

Jon Janasik Commentary Here at the Rocket, we strive to cover the latest and most hard hitting news that we can find throughout the university.

Of course this is much easier said than done. As you may or may not have noticed, Slippery Rock is not always the most exciting place to be.

Because of this, the Rocket staff is more than happy to take suggestions for story ideas.

Surprisingly, a lot of students and locals do send ideas. The catch is that not many of them know what constitutes a news story.

For example, this week I received an email from the “Dollar Rubber Club” asking that I write a story about their products.

Although I don’t think that it is at all newsworthy, I also thought that the email was too interesting to ignore.

Please note that I am not trying to be a corporate sellout for the “Dollar Rubber Club” and I am not trying to sell you their great products at a low and affordable price.

The idea behind the club is that you pay a monthly fee to get packs of condoms in the mail, rather than having to go to the store to buy them.

The press release states, “Today, men can rest easy knowing they will no longer have to miss last minute action with their lucky partner or suffer the embarrassment of buying rubbers in public.”

I find this to be a very strange problem to have. When I buy condoms, I have a smile that stretches all the way across my face.

When the clerk says, “have a nice night,” I can’t help but respond with, “you know I will.”

Do people really get embarrassed about not only having sex, but also protecting themselves from STDs and unwanted

pregnancies?

To be fair, the press release does address my questions with a quote from one of their customers, Tom S., who said, “I HATE buying condoms. I hate it. I don’t want to see my girlfriend’s mom at the grocery store, and I sure as hell don’t want some stupid kid at 7-Eleven judging me when I buy a box of 12.”

Lucky for you Tom S., I’ve thought of a few strategies to help get you out of those sticky situations.

First, if you happen to see your girlfriend’s mom while you’re buying condoms at the grocery store, you should approach her.

If you see her glance at your box of goodies, tell her that it’s for your parents because it’s their anniversary.

This will make you seem like a family man, which is always a positive in the eyes of a mother.

Tom S.’s other situation is a little bit trickier. As you all know, kids are very judgmental when it comes to condom brands.

Because of this, I would recommend skipping out on those juvenile flavored condoms, and instead buy a pack of Trojan Magnum.

Of course you could always skip my advice and join the “Dollar Rubber Club”.

You can order packs of three, six, or twelve in a variety of brands.

But if you’re prone to embarrassment like the people that this club is targeted to, I’d suggest ordering more than just the three-pack.

Whoever is in charge of packing and shipping the product is going to see your name when he packs your three condoms into a box, and you will forever be known to him as the guy who only has sex three times a month.

Also, if you still live with your mother, there is a chance that she will find your package in the mailbox.

If that happens, I suggest that you tell her that they’re for your girlfriend’s parents because it’s their anniversary.

She’ll be proud of you for being so thoughtful.

Jon Janasik is a junior professional writing and geology major from Mechanicsburg, Pa. and the News Editor for The Rocket.

Dave Wolfe SGA President To the Slippery Rock Students, For those of you who do not know me, my name is Dave Wolfe and I am the President of the Student Government here at Slippery Rock University.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back all of the returning students and welcome the Freshmen students to campus.

The Student Government office is located in the Student Development Suite in the Robert M. Smith Student Center.

If you need anything at all, please feel free to visit.

I will be using this column in the Rocket to provide you with information that we feel is important for all students to know.

I hope you find all of my writings this year to be beneficial.

I would first like to discuss the new student center. I think it is important for all of the students to know that there is much more to this building than just Quaker Steak, Starbucks, and the new bookstore.

There are so many resources in the building to utilize.

On the first floor, there is PNC Bank, Co-Operative Activities, and many different administrative offices that students should know are there.

Co-Operative Activities will be where most of the students who are involved in any organization will go to get checks cut for their organization.

This office, along with the rest of the administrative offices, is located to the right of the welcome desk.

These administrators can help you with so many different things in the Student Center, such as reserving the beautiful conference rooms that are on

CORRECTIONS: August 31 - Three stories in last week’s issue were cut short due to advertisments. To view the stories in their entirety, please visit theonlinerocket.com

the third floor.

All organizations on campus need to know that these rooms are available for their meetings, and that they are equipped with projectors and other resources that are crucial to run an effective meeting.

Make sure you take advantage of this. Also, the Student Development Suite on the second floor is where all organizations can obtain crucial information about their organizations.

Each organization has a mailbox, and the staff in the office can answer almost any question regarding your organization.

This suite is also the new location for many different resources on campus.

The University Program Board is located in this area.

It is also the new location for the Women’s Center and the Multicultural Development Office.

Bringing all of these great organizations together in one location has created an incredible and fun working environment that will only help all of these organizations make our campus a better place.

Another resource in the suite is the offices that are available to rent for any organization that does not have an office of their own. Inquire at the suite for information.

The new Student Center is an exciting place and all of us students should be so happy to have it.

Keep in mind though there is a resource available on campus for every situation, and if you are having problems, Student Government is here to help and can guide you to the correct place.

I hope to meet as many of you as I possibly can, and I am excited for the upcoming year.

Talk to you soon, Dave Wolfe President/CEO Slippery Rock Student Government Association Inc. Dave Wolfe is a senior Sport Management Major from Pittsburgh, Pa., and is the President/CEO of the SRU Student Government Association.

Dave will be writing a letter to the students on behalf of SGA every other week.

A-6

September 7, 2012

COMICS

The Rocket

A-7

September 7, 2012

MoreOn TV

By Jay Schiller and Greg Cravens

Welcome to Falling Rock National Park

Life in Hell

By Josh Shalek

That Monkey Tune

Blundergrads

By Matt Groening

By Michael A. Kandalafti

By Phil Flickinger

Sudoku

By Michael Mepham

Horoscopes

By Nancy Black Tribune Media Services (MCT) To d ay ' s Bi r t h d ay (09/07/12). Your people are your greatest resource, so celebrate them on this birthday. Your career is growing steadily this year.

A writing or educational adventure may develop after October. Plan your priorities, and ask for what you want since you're likely to get it.

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 -- An insider tip leads to a great bargain. It's not a good time to gamble or travel.

Something unusual is going on behind the scenes.

Review your plans one more time, and then soar.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Work challenges abound, and overcoming them leads to advancement and extra income. Consult experts.

Take care of your health, too.

Eat nutritional foods, take a walk and rest.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is an 8 -- When

you're hot, you're hot. Enjoy your time in the spotlight, but don't burn any bridges.

Avoid gossip about your job.

Advance to the next level.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 5 -- You may be temporarily overwhelmed.

There's nothing wrong with being mellow for a couple of days. More profits are headed your way, if you're willing to wait.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -Today is a 7 -- Obligations could interfere with fun. Get the important things done quickly so that you can play with friends. Or have your friends help with chores while you have a good time together.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept.

22) -- Today is a 7 -- Hold the position you've taken, but use your imagination and creativity to improve it and make it more fun and exciting. Your partner is enthralled. Be a perfectionist (or delegate to one).

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- What are you waiting for? Now is the time to step out of your comfort zone and go for what you truly believe in. Set long-range goals over the next two days.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 5 -- Be

gracious to a jerk. Your theory is challenged. Hold on to what you've acquired, or it could slip away. A light touch works better. Query a person of many talents.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -You're entering a two-day partnership phase. Behind the scenes work pays off.

Fix something at home that's broken. Don't ask for favors now. Someone makes another brilliant discovery.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 6 -- See what you can do for others, but don't overextend to the point that you forget to take care of yourself. Talk philosophy around the dinner table. Relax.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- More group effort is needed, or at least more creative thinking.

Call for a brainstorming session. Provide value.

Don't expand too rapidly, especially without considering the costs.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is an 8 -Defend your position; they'll understand. It's a good time for a get-together. Organize a group hike and get the exercise you need. Don't take a financial risk. Provide information.

Solution

A-8

September 7, 2012

SPORTS

The Rocket

B-1

September 7, 2012

Slippery Rock rolls over Seton Hill

ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET

Junior Nigel Barksdale powers through three Seton Hill University defenders last Thursday night. Barksdale rushed for three yards in the fourth quarter.

By D.J. Vasil Rocket Contributor

Slippery Rock University Football opened up the 2012 season in convincing fashion, by rolling over the Seton Hill Griffins 52-6 in a nonconference game at MihalikThompson Stadium last Thursday night.

After a three and out on their first offensive series, The Rock got the scoring underway

with 10:01 left in the first quarter. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jared Buck found redshirt senior tight end Josh Gardner for a 17 yard touchdown. Redshirt senior Kurt Brackman would add the extra point to make it 7-0.

The game marked Buck’s first collegiate start at quarterback.

“The way the offense is set up, someone is always open you just have to find the open guy,” Buck said. “The receivers

ran great routes and made it easy for me.”

Buck wasn’t done there. With 3:43 left in the first quarter, Buck threw his second touchdown finding redshirt junior Michael Bongivengo from 10 yards out.

Buck would later run add a rushing touchdown and also a third touchdown pass which went to Ken Amos from 28 yards out.

Rock head coach George Mihalik was impressed by

Buck’s poise and command of the offense.

“I thought Jared did a great job handling the offense in his first start,” Mihalik said. “We played mistake-free football except for the interception at the end of the first half.”

“Mentally, I thought he managed the game very well and made good decisions,” he said. “He protected the football and he didn’t force anything, and also showed he can escape.”

The running game was led by redshirt senior Akeem Satterfield who finished the night with 118 yards on 13 carries. He also added a 27 yard touchdown early in the third quarter. Redshirt freshman Brett Crenshaw finished out the Rock’s scoring for the night with a two yard touchdown run. Junior Jimmy Zubik would also add 36 yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, The Rock had

the Griffins under pressure all night, finishing with six sacks.

Redshirt senior Jeff Thompson led all Rock defenders with 2.5 sacks. He would also add six tackles, three assisted and three unassisted.

“Jeff is our catalyst on defense,” Mihalik said. “He gets things started and when they have to focus on Jeff, then the rest of the defense can start making plays.”

The Rock defense contributed to the scoring also as redshirt junior Anthony Saunders would return an interception 50 yards for a touchdown.

“Saunders made a great break on the ball and showed his speed,” Mihalik said. “I think at that point the air went out of them.”

The Rock defense held Seton Hill to a mere 4-18 on third downs.

The Rock will begin cross over play tomorrow as they travel to Shippensburg University to take on the Red Raiders at Seth Grove Stadium.

Shippensburg (1-0) pened up the 2012 season by defeating Shepherd University 38-28. Shippensburg racked up 460 yards of offense. Going into the game, Shepherd was ranked No. 19 in the American Football Coaches Associations poll.

Mihalik sees similarities between the Red Raiders offense and the Rock offense.

“Shippensburg runs the uptempo offense, which is what we run,” Mihalik said.

Offensively, Shippensburg has a number of weapons, but is led by junior quarterback Zach Zulli whom was named SEE SRU, PAGE B-3

Case wins, cross country teams place second at Daniel Walker Invite Men's Cross Country

By Cody Gray Rocket Contributor

The Slippery Rock U n i v e r s i t y m e n’s cross countr y team kicked off their season with a second place finish at the Daniel Walker Invitational last weekend, with five runners placing in the top 16 of the competition.

The only team to top the Rock and their 54 points was Edinboro, who took home first place with a final score of 16 points. No other teams scored less than 100 points.

Head coach John Papa was pleased with the start to the season, but knows that there is still a lot of work to be done if they want to be considered as one of the top teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference at the end of October.

“We have a lot of reason for optimism this season, but we definitely still have a long way to go before the end of the year,” Papa said.

Junior Tr a v i s Arrigoni was the first runner from the Rock to finish the 8,000-meter course, running it in 26:57 and taking fifth place overall.

Junior Michael Beegle was the second runner to cross the finish line for the Green and White, placing 10th and running 27:26.

Senior Alex Koksal finished the race in 27:37, slotting himself into 14th place.

S ophomore Jaron Martin and freshman Ryan Thompson rounded out the scorers for the Green and White, both finishing directly behind Koksal in 15th and 16th place, posting times of 27:39 and 27:45, respectively.

Koksal acknowledges that it is early in the season and the squad did not have their best outing, but he is still looking for ward to what the season has in store.

“ We h a d s o m e very good showings from the freshmen and sophomores this we e ke n d ,” Ko k s a l said. “They will help make this one of the deepest teams we’ve had in a long time.”

Beegle said that the team is making strides in the right direction.

"We had an alright start to the season on Friday," Beegle said. "We have a lot of guys who are going to work together and improve significantly in the next few weeks in preparation for our big races. Great things are coming our way!"

Earlier in the week, the team was nat i ona l ly r an ke d by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross C ou nt r y C o a c h e s Association, earning a No. 31 rank among all NCAA Division II schools.

The next meet for the Green and White will be the Mack Cooper Classic which will be held on September 14 at 6 p.m. at the home course of Cooper's Lake Campground.

Women's Cross Country

By Matthew Morgan Rocket Contributor

Slipper y Rock University senior Stephanie Case finished in first place at the Daniel Walker Invitational this past weekend, completing the 5,000-meter race in 18:23.

Case guided the Rock to a second place overall finish with 59 points, behind the women of Edinboro University, who won the meet with 23 points total.

“I was happy with my performance, but I realize there will be a lot more competition in the upcoming weeks,” Case said. “We also had a lot of Edinboro girls place in front of the rest of our pack, so that’s something we need to work on before the PSAC meet.”

Edinboro is projected

to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, which will be held at SRU on October 20.

Karly Knechtel, Jordan Hausladen, Emilee Hertweck and Janine Powis made up the rest of The Rock’s top five, all finishing under 20:30, as well as in the top 20 of all racers.

The race last weekend was freshman Emilee He r t w e c k’s first collegiate competition.

“Before the race I was very nervous, not knowing how a collegiate level event would differ from high school,” Hertweck said.

“Competition was definitely more extreme, but I was comfortable with my position and the pressure.”

The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has nationally ranked the Rock at 21st overall among NCAA Division II teams.

Entering his 26th year as coach of the cross-country team, coach John Papa is both optimistic and critical of the performance of

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN PAPA

Senior Stephanie Case leads the race at the Daniel Walker Invitational. Case won with a time of 18:23.

his team.

“The team did very well this weekend, but we certainly aren’t ready for a championship type performance yet,” Papa said.

“I am excited for what our team can do this year,” he said. “Our athletes all have a lot of

potential.”

With no race this upcoming weekend, the Green and White will have the next week to rest and prepare for the first their first home invitational on Friday, September 14 at 5 p.m at Cooper's Lake Campground.

Sports

B-2

September 7, 2012

Slippery Rock gets first win of the season

CARALEE WELLS/THE ROCKET

Junior Mike Roopchandsingh maneuvers around a Seton Hill University player at Wednesday's match. Roopchandsingh scored the first goal of the game at the 6:03 mark.

By Kristin Karam Assistant Sports Editor

After settling with two double overtime ties at the SRU Soccer Tournament, Slipper y Rock’s men’s soccer team swept Seton Hill University 6-1 on Wednesday to advance their record to 1-0-2.

The Rock began their season with the SRU S o c c e r To u r n a m e n t against Ashland University last Friday night.

Junior defender Joshua Gray scored an early goal for the Green and White

at the 20:21 minute mark.

Slippery Rock maintained control of the game until the second half of the game when tempers began to rise for both teams. By the end of the game, the referees issued nine cautions, one ejection, and over 40 fouls.

The most influential foul of the game came at the 75:10 mark when Jamie Dollar was given a penalty kick inside the box.

Despite great effort by senior goalkeeper Clayton Master, Dollar

made a high left kick to tie the game 1-1.

Ashland and Slippery Rock were forced into double overtime and settled for a tie after neither team was able to produce a goal.

“We have to have a more killer instinct to finish games, and at no point can we think we’ve won until the final whistle blows,” Master said.

Saturday gave the team a day to practice, recover, and prepare for the final game of the tournament against Tiffin University at 2:30 P.M. on Sunday.

Sophomore midfielder Anthony Jack recorded the first goal for the Rock in the sixth minute of the game after rebounding a free kick.

S ophomore for ward Chris Davis moved the Green and White to a 2-0 lead at the 14:01 mark with an assist from junior midfielder Mike Roopchandsingh.

Tiffin’s Eddison Benda cut the lead in half in the 35th minute of the game.

Davis connected with Roopchandsingh again during the second half to give Slippery Rock

another two-goal lead at the 50-minute mark.

C edrik Bruce-Kotey scored for Tiffin at the 75-minute mark and again with 46 seconds left in regulation.

The Rock was sent into overtime again and fought hard but were again made to settle with a double overtime tie of 3-3.

We d n e s d a y ’s g a m e against Seton Hill gave the Green and White a chance to push through their weaknesses. “ The tournament showed some of our strengths and things we

need to improve,” Master said. “We’re a relatively new team so we haven’t quite gelled, although glimpses are there.”

SRU entered the game ready to prove themselves and take their first win of the season.

Within the first 15 minutes of the game, they recorded two goals.

Roopchandsingh took an assist from senior defender Drew Donoghue and sophomore forward Stephen Donnelly scored his first goal of the season.

Davis got his third to improve the Rock’s lead to 3-0.

In the 66th minute of the game, Donnelly found the goal again to take the score to 4-0.

“It felt great being able to grab two goals,” Donnelly said. “It was a great team performance overall, everyone worked really well together.”

Freshman midfielder Max Aronica tallied his first collegiate goal in the 77th minute, improving the score to 5-0.

In the 79th minute, Seton Hill’s Joe Tchimou ended the chances of a shutout, making the score 5-1.

Senior forward Michael Ramirez sealed the deal for the Green and White with a late goal in the 87th minute.

The Rock posted a 1911 advantage in total shots, 12-5 in shots on goal, and 5-2 in corner kicks.

Slippery Rock will go on the road for the first time this season when they head to AldersonBroaddus College tomorrow for a 4:30 p.m. non-conference matchup.

Green and White shuts out Mercyhurst for second straight win

By Nikolas Horniacek Rocket Contributor

The 10th-ranked Slippery Rock University women’s soccer team demonstrated their strength as they powered past Mercyhurst University in a 5-0 shutout victory on Wednesday night.

The Rock turned it on in the second half, scoring four goals following a slow start to the game to advance to 2-0-0 in the season and 1-0-0 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play.

The first goal came in the 34th minute off a long shot from junior defender Izabel Scott.

Freshmen C aitlin Binder stepped up big for the Rock with three assists in the game.

Junior Stephanie Buckenheimer tallied two goals and had one assist in a great performance before suffering from an injury later on in the game.

Freshman C aitlin Binder chipped in three assists for the Green and White.

Sophomore Luc y Hannon and junior Lauren Impey found the back of the net for one goal apiece.

Sophomore newcomer Leslie Henny rounded off the score sheet with an assist of her own in the winning effort.

Junior Dana O’Neill recorded a shutout, stopping all five of Mercyhurst’s shots to earn the win in goal for the Green and White.

Hannon thinks that Slippery

Rock got off to a slow start in the first half and were not playing up to their potential at first.

“We just weren’t passing the ball like we usually do,” Hannon said. “We weren’t playing as a team and it just showed, as it took us longer than we would have hoped to get on the score sheet.”

The Rock opened up the second half strong, with some creative play, notching their second goal early and not looking back from there.

“We knew that we had two options for the second half,” Hannon said, “We could either go out play like we are capable of or keep going the way we were playing earlier in the game. We chose to give it our all during that the second half.”

The Rock made some key substitutions off the bench during the first half, which led to a purely dominant second half, head coach Noreen Herlihy said of Wednesday’s game.

"The young players made a huge impact off the bench which followed us through to the second half," Herlihy said. "It was a purely dominant second half."

The Rock finished the match with a 16-14 advantage in total shots, 8-5 in shots on goal, and 7-6 in corner kicks.

Slippery Rock will host the Un i v e r s it y of C h a r l e s t on tomorrow at James Egli Field for a 1 p.m. non-conference game.

EMILY SCHUBERT/THE ROCKET

Freshman midfielder Crysta Ganter weaves past a Mercyhurst University defender in Wednesday's match. Ganter scored her first career goal last week against Wheeling-Jesuit University.

Sports

September 7, 2012

B-3

SRU prepares for matchup with Shippensburg Continued from Page B-1

PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Shepherd.

Stopping Zulli and the air attack of the Red Raiders will be a tough task for a young Rock defense that is a little banged up on the injury front.

Redshirt sophomore Admire Carter is out for this week and possibly multiple games with a high ankle sprain. Redshirt

junior linebacker Bob Westerlund has a hand injury, which will require surgery and will keep him out of this weekend and most likely multiple games after this weekend.

“Their quarterback is an excellent player,” Mihalik said. “Behind cornerbacks Brandon Burley and Anthony Saunders, we have Marzett Geters and Will Graham.”

“They are going to start their careers against a very good offense and I’m hoping that our special teams can give us an edge,”

he said.

Offensively, the Rock will have to keep Shippensburg linebacker Cody Flemming blocked. Flemming was named to the Lindy’s first team preseason All-American squad.

The Shippensburg defense recorded eight tackles for loss, three sacks and forced three turnovers against Shepherd.

“Flemming is all over the field,” Mihalik said. “He’s a very good athlete.”

The Rock offensive line, like the secondary

is young and will be tested tomorrow afternoon.

“Our young offensive line got some great game experience last Thursday.” Mihalik said. “Their defense really gets after you.”

“You don’t know where they’re coming from,” he said. “It’s been a challenge to try to prepare for that kind of defense.”

SRU will return home on September 15 to take on the Gannon Knights at 6 p.m. WhiteOut game at Mihalik Thompson Stadium.

Volleyball gets off to rocky start Field Hockey starts 2-0

By Brian Hepfinger Rocket Contributor

The Slipper y Rock University women’s volleyball opened their season by dropping three of their four matches at the Millersville Marauder Clash tournament this past weekend.

The Rock was handed a pair of 3-1 losses by Adelphi University and LIU-Post on the first day of their trip to Millersville.

In the match against Adelphi, the Rock lost in four sets by scores of 28-30, 25-22, 18-25, and 19-25.

Sarah Beals led the team with 11 kills, 10 digs, and one block. Morgan Tyree had nine kills and two blocks. Sarah Cadwallader contributed eight kills, three digs, and one block.

The match against LIUPost later in the day was nearly the same, with the Rock losing again in four sets by a scores of 24-26, 25-21, 17-25, and 21-25.

Hannah McShea led the

effort with 19 digs and three service aces.

Beals had another eight kills, 18 digs, and one block.

Caroline Houston added an additional six kills and 10 digs.

On day two of the Marauder Clash tournament, The Rock went up against Holy Family and Dowling University.

In their match against Holy Family, The Rock won in a 3-0 sweep by scores of 27-25, 25-23, and 26-24.

Tyree led the team with 10 kills while McShea had 20 digs and one ace.

Houston had seven kills and eight digs of her own.

After the great game against Holy Family, the Green and White fell to Dowling University in three straight sets by scores of 2518, 25-11, and 25-18. Tyree led the team again with seven kills.

The Rock split the day and finished the weekend with a 1-3 record to start the year.

Head coach Laurie Lokash thought that the team played pretty well at the

tournament, but not as well as they thought.

“Our defense was good, but we couldn’t finish each match well enough,” Lokash said. “The sets were tight, and we need to focus on finishing better.”

Lokash thinks that part of the reason that the team has started 1-3 is because the teams this year were much better than last season.

“Last year, the teams were pretty weak and we got off to a great start, but this year the teams seemed a lot more decent,” Lokash said.

Cadwallader believes that the rocky start wasn’t such a bad thing for the team.

“It’s a starting place for us," Cadwallader said. "Now we know what we have to work on in order to win and have a better outcome overall."

The Rock will look to bounce back this weekend as they travel to Clarion University for the Clarion Classic.

They start the day off with a match against Shepherd University.

for first time since 1997

By Cody McCullough Rocket Contributor

The Slipp er y Ro ck University women's field hockey team got out to a 2-0 start for the first time since 1997 with two dominating wins over A s s u mp t i o n C o l l e g e ( 3 - 1 ) and A m e r i c an International College (61) last weekend.

With Kaitlin McGinnis’s strong performance last weekend, she earned herself Pennsylvania State At hletic C onferenceWestern Division Athlete of the Week.

McGinnis started her junior year out on a good note, matching her career-high four goals in a season by scoring four goals last weekend alone.

McGinnis had help from all her teammates throughout the weekend

with Courtney Bradshaw scoring two goals, and Rebecca Wi l l i ams , Lauren Geiser, and Kelsey Gustafson each scoring one apiece.

Goalies Courtney Lee and Carlee DuMars both spent time in the net only giving up one goal apiece all weekend.

Head coach Julie Swiney was very satisfied with her team’s ability to score goals and how well they played as a team over the weekend.

“We take the season one game at a time and always have room for improvement," Swiney said. "This week we will look to focus on what we learned about ourselves this weekend.”

Senior midfielder Gabr ielle Malishchak was ecstatic about the performance of the team this past weekend and is excited to see what the

team can do with the rest of the season.

“S t a r t i n g o f f o u r season 2-0 for the first time since 1997 is a huge accomplishment for us and we're humbled by it," Malishchak said. “We're planning to take the season one game at a time, preparing thoroughly for our competition and sticking to the game plan our coaches layout for us each day.”

“We're improving every day and this weekend was full of passing connections, tough defense, reaching our personal goals and playing together as one unit,” she said. “We can only hope and do our absolute best to continue the momentum in the weeks to come.”

The Rock will look to continue their winning streak today as they host Mercy College at MihalikThompson Stadium.

BUILDING B SENATOR BUILDING E SENATOR BUILDING F SENATOR ROCK APARTMENTS SENATOR COMMUTER SENATOR GRADUATE SENATOR PARLIAMENTARIAN

THIS WEEKS MOVIE SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN STUDENT CENTER THEATER Friday 9/7: 4pm & 8pm Sunday 9/9: 8pm 2hr 7min PG-13 ACTION

“Slippery Rock Student Government Association” NEXT SENATE MEETING: Monday, September 10th @ 8:45p.m. in the Student Center Theater, room 315.

NEXT CO-OP MEETING: Thursday, September 20th during common hour, in room 322 in the Student Center.

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September 7, 2012

The Rocket

CAMPUS LIFE C-1 September 7, 2012

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

The Department of Theatre is undergoing a temporary relocation as renovations and expansion begin in Miller Auditorium. The department is currently residing in the University Union, which provides ample space for acting and design classrooms but lacks a proper theater.

Miller Auditorium closed for planned renovation, building expansion project

By Andy Treese Campus Life Editor

For the first time in over 50 years, the only sounds that will emanate from the halls of Miller Auditorium during the school year will be the cacophony of construction and labor.

After moving the Department of Theatre to the University Union, SRU closed the doors to Miller Auditorium last month to undergo an extensive, $24.5 million project – to completely gut, renovate and expand the building, according to assistant vice president for construction design and management Herb Carlson.

Cu r re nt ly, a s b e s to s i s b e i ng removed from the building and the planning is in its final stages, but Carlson said that work had already

begun in the building over a year ago to gradually remove the asbestos.

While the final plans and the construction contracts are both expected to be approved by no later than June of 2013, the current plans for renovating Miller were not what university officials originally had in mind.

According to Carlson, the original aim of the university was to destroy Miller altogether and erect a new building elsewhere on campus. “[The project plans] started out as a new performing arts center identified in the master plan that was completed in 2007,” Carlson said. “It had been on the books for a couple years before that, and its location was going to be between Patterson and the new student center.”

Classes, offices for theatre department relocated to union

The planned cost for that project was $42 million, but of that amount, $12 million needed to be raised by the university in accordance to regulations made by the Board of Governors at that time, according to Carlson.

Because the university wasn’t able to raise their share of the money for the undertaking, however, the original project was scrapped and the idea shifted to renovating and expanding Miller Auditorium.

To renovate the building, however, Carlson said a lot of things would need to be significantly improved inside of Miller.

“Miller Auditorium, itself, needs better scene shops, support areas,

While a season of change can be both good and bad, associate professor of theatre Laura Smiley chooses to see the good side of the Theatre department’s temporary relocation.

The department, which previously resided in Miller Auditorium, moved in late August to the University Union. Professor Smiley is ecstatic as she tells about being in the “new” venue, which includes an acting classroom, technical classroom, costume shop, stage/theater area, computer lab, and more.

“We actually have more space over here than we did in Miller,” she said. “The acting classroom is the old bookstore. It’s just this

SEE AUDITORIUM, PAGE C-3

SEE NEW, PAGE C-3

By Courtney Tietje Assistant Campus Life Editor

University, local women share empowering college experiences

By Stephanie Cheek Rocket Contributor

ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET

Dr. Cheryl Norton, SRU's new president, was one of six keynote speakers for “A Night of Storytelling: Tales of College Women and the Quest for Confidence,” held in the Robert M. Smith Student Center Tuesday evening.

As women in the United States continue to fight for total equality in society, younger women at SRU turned to the guidance of older women for “A Night of Story Telling” in the Robert M. Smith Student Center Tuesday evening.

A panel of six women, all part of the Slippery Rock community, shared their personal stories and insight for “A Night of Storytelling: Tales of College Women and the Quest for Confidence.”

The panel consisted of SRU’s new president, Dr. Cher yl Norton, English professor Dr. Myra Balok, director of multicultural development Corinne Gibson, Lauren Larkin, part of the Slippery Rock community, assistant professor in academic ser vices Dr. Jessamine Montero Michaels and associate exercise and

rehabilitative science professor Dr. Kimberly Smith. Along with the six speakers, two emcees, parks and recreation and environmental education professor Dr. Colleen Cooke and Heather Strong, a SRU graduate student, helped move the event along with introductions of each of the speakers.

The stories ranged from heartfelt and emotional to awkward and funny, but they all had a meaning and lesson that the audience can take with them outside of the Student Center and throughout their lives. In the end, the goal was to make an impact on the students, but the panelists also left the interactive seminar with a new way of seeing those around them.

Two stories that brought out the tears and laughter in everyone were those from Dr. Balok and Dr. Smith. Each told different stories, but both with an important message to women – the importance of discovering

one’s own identity and passion in life.

Dr. Balok said she entered college academically prepared, but not socially and emotionally ready for the college experience.

Balok said she was involved in college, was a part of the school council and participated in sports, but it was not until she entered a poetry class her freshman year that she met “Bob.” This was her first serious relationship, and it soon became unhealthy when he began wanting to be able to control her and her time. After college, seven years of marriage, and two small children, she said her relationship with her then husband took a turn for the worse.

“I made ‘Bob’ my God,” Balok said.

According to Balok, after she left “Bob,” a close friend told SEE STORYTELLING, PAGE C-3

Campus Life

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September 7, 2012

Film based on a true story scores big in action, love and and filming technique

Jimmy Graner "Jimmy G's Rock Reviews" Film of the week: "Lawless"

5 Stars Pretend you’re one of three brothers living in Virginia during the Prohibition era, owning and operating an illegal business where everyone you know is involved in some way, including the cops. Would you continue to run it no matter who or what got in your way?

The movie “Lawless,” based on a book written by Matt Bondurant (the grandson of one of the main characters in the story), follows the lives of three brothers who successfully run an illegal bootlegging moonshine distribution business.

The brothers, along with a town of paying customers, keep the business on the down-low.

But one day, a special agent shows up by the name of Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce). He’s ordered

by District Attorney Mason Wardell to go into the county, seize and stop production.

Unfortunately for him, the three Bondurant brothers (Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, and Shia LaBeouf)

like what they are doing, and refuse to give in to such counts.

After all is said and done, the film follows events of what would lead up to be a violent and graphic war between both sides of the law.

Although the movie doesn’t follow the exact turn of events that happened during the actual Franklin County Moonshine Conspiracy, it recollects what life and business was like during the Prohibition era. Hardy, who played the oldest brother, was brilliant. Being the leader and socalled tough guy of the group really helped him progress the story.

LaBeouf, who’s known for playing his role in The Transformers Series, does a remarkable job playing the youngest brother who starts out as scared and afraid and moves up to being brave and calm when he must make a strong and worthwhile decision. Out of all the characters, however, Pearce’s role is just phenomenal. How one actor in character can build up so much anger and fury is truly remarkable.

The sense throughout the movie ranges from minor yelling and fighting to gruesome killings and murders. The makeup and special effects of just some of the things filmed was done greatly. Films like “Goodfellas” and “Inglorious Basterds” resemble just a little bit of what someone dying a graphic death might look like.

If blood and gore isn’t your thing, this movie is not for you.

However, there’s more to the movie than just ghastly and gross killings.

Jessica Chastain plays the role of Maggie Beauford, a bartender/ waitress originally from Chicago who helps manage the Bondurant boys’ bar. She inclines herself into

Ask Ana "Ana Graham" Dear Ana, My favorite anonymous columnist is back! After I worked through my joy, I thought of this question...

Will you still be giving fresh baked goods to the people who ask the best questions/ shower you with the most compliments?

One of my/my only Fan(s) Dear Fan, Yes! I’m trying to teach students that asking questions and stroking egos will get them further in life, and so I will be baking sweets for the person sending the best question starting next column.

Ask Ana will now be every other week instead of every week, but that just means that there will be more quality questions for me to answer for each column (it also means that I am really lazy).

Anyone who has a question that they would like an answer to, and anyone who enjoys home baked cookies can send me a question via Facebook – my name is Ask Ana. You can also send questions, love, hate mail, etc. to my email, askanagraham@ymail.com.

Dear Ana, My friend texted me and told me that he is dropping out of college and getting a job in a coal mine or something similar. He is completely serious about this and I have

no idea what to say to him at all. He should be a senior and he just completed an internship at a place that loved him so much that they offered him a job after graduation.

I can’t help but feel angry because this is so stupid to throw away what you’ve worked on for four years.

I haven’t been able to reply since he told me that. What should I say to that?

Ticked Dear Ticked, That sounds like a huge transition and it definitely couldn’t have been a spontaneous decision. He had to have thought about this for some time before feeling that giving up on his degree was the right decision.

If you haven’t asked him why he’s decided to do this, then that should be the first text you should send him in response.

And even though it may seem stupid of him to do (and it may very well be a very stupid decision that he will regret), this may be what makes him happy.

If you’re his friend and he seems happy with his decision, then you should support him no matter how you feel about it.

Dear Ana, Why is financial aid taking so long to be distributed to the students?

Every College Student Ever Dear College Student, It is because Governor Corbett is hoping that students will drop out before their aid comes in.

Just kidding! Financial aid is frustrating because of all the avenues it must go through before it can finally

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

(From left) Shia Labeouf and Mia Wasikowska star as one of three bootlegging brothers and a preacher's daughter in the prohibition-era film, "Lawless." The two share a love affair amidst politics, alcohol, and the graphic battle between two sides of the law in Virginia.

a love affair relationship with the oldest boy, Forrest (Hardy).

LaBeouf is also entwined into a love affair with the preacher’s daughter, Bertha Minnix (Mia Wasikowska), with whom he likes to parade around town. That, the fun and exuberant attitude of the Bondurant brothers’ close friend Cricket Pate (Dane DeHaan), love and lust prove to play a little role in the liking of the characters.

enter your bank account. The system is more complicated than it should be, and I have no explanation for this. And although I don’t understand how some people get their financial aid days before someone else with no obvious difference between the two people’s financial situations, I don’t envy the folks up at Maltby who have to manage thousands of students’ only way to get an education.

This frustration comes along every semester, with students complaining about having to wait for the aid for a few more days before they can use it for tuition, bills, kegs, and video games. Like the end of a long work day, your aid will soon come. It just has to go through a bunch of (expletive deleted) first.

Dear Ana, Is there any such thing as too much?

First Lame Question of the Year Dear Lame, This is a deep question with many possible answers, and you are a jerk to ask me it.

I’m a Communication major, not a Philosophy major, but I will try.

There is such a thing as too much information, such as when you overhear your mother suggest to your girlfriend that she read “50 Shades of Grey.” However, there is no such thing as too much ice cream, unless you are lactose intolerant.

There is also no such thing as too many questions being sent to me, and if you think this is a vague hint to send me some more questions to answer in my next column, then you are absolutely right.

"Ana Graham" is a senior public relations major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

As far as negatives go, there is close to nothing to ruin this film.

The language that is spoken is a little hard to understand, and even some killing scenes flip the border on realness in this day of age. The epilogue and prologue bring it to an even level, and make up for the minor negative aspects of the film.

In the end, you will see things that will inevitably tick you off and make you cry.

However, if you decide to take in the misguided events, one thing is for sure – you won’t be disappointed with a well thought out story that will have you grasping for more when everything is said and done.

Jimmy Graner is a sophomore journalism major, a film and media studies minor and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

Campus Life

September 7, 2012

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New location provides theatre department with creative opportunities Continued from Page C-1

big, empty room with pillars in it, and we have twenty chairs and a big open space. At first it was like wow. It was difficult sometimes to fit ever ybody in the classroom [in Miller Auditorium].”

Katie Makufka, 22, a senior psychology major and theatre minor who works in the costume closet, is also excited about how much space the university union has to offer.

“There are a lot of possibilities here for what we can use this space for,” Makufka said. “We have this whole downstairs area.

I look forward to the new shows and the new challenges we’ll have and figuring those out.”

While the theatre offices are on the second level of the union, and the theater itself is in the union’s multi-purpose room, the basement area of the union contains both the acting and

design classroom, and the scene shop, as well as the new costume shop, which is inside what used to be Rocky’s dining hall.

According to Professor Smiley, the costume shop was one of the most difficult areas of Miller Auditorium to relocate.

“It was a huge thing to move the entire costume closet,” she said. “We had one closet that was all shoes. There were tons of storage closets full of different costumes.”

Samant ha Ko cht a, 19, a sophomore dual major in theatre and communication, helped out with the move.

“The move went pretty well,” Kochta said. “It was just hard because of the abundance of stuff in Miller. We had costumes, props, and lights.”

Having just moved a majority of t he items f rom Miller Auditorium to the Union this past weekend, there’s still a lot of unpacking to do, according

to Makufka.

[We’re] just getting everything organized and out of boxes,” she said. “You look at a section of cardboard boxes and get a little overwhelmed.”

“But we’ll plug through it and get everything done,” she said. “We’re still trying to figure out where we can store certain things.”

Being in the new space can also encourage creativity, according to Professor Smiley.

“That’s part of the challenge.

That’s part of the fun of being here,” she said. “We’re also thinking about exploring other venues on campus.”

“Where else might you do a show? One year we couldn’t use Miller Auditorium, we pitched a circus tent and did a show outside in a circus tent,” she said. “One time, we used the loading dock in the back.”

“We’re trying to think outside of the box,” she said.

“For now, we’re just going to get used to this space and figure out what we can and can’t do, and then after that, what about the equestrian area,” Smiley said. “There’s a show I’d love to do at the pool in the water.

There are just lots of ideas.”

Makufka also looked forward to the opportunities available while temporarily relocated.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting experience for everyone involved, being able to use this space and other spaces and figuring out how to put on great shows here,” she said.

As a stage manager and props mistress, Kochta found the idea of spatial design freedom very enticing.

“Now we can pick and choose how we want to play in our space, so we get to make cool design choices if we want to,” she said.

Kochta admitted that the move to the union has helped prepare

her for adjusting to change later in life.

“We could run into smaller things like this in the real world, so for now all of us are getting the experience and getting what we can out of it,” she said.

Smiley said she feels certain that the relocation doesn’t mean that the college or prospective theatre students should have any reason to doubt the authenticity of the theatre program.

“I think [the move is] a challenge, but the opportunities are still here in the acting program,” she said. “If [students] are open to the idea of being creative, it’s like they get to create their own space and set up lighting and build the stage. I think that can be very exciting for the right people.

There will still be great acting opportunities. It will be a new experience for them. We have a crew of new students this year and they’re all pretty excited.”

Auditorium renovation, expansion allow for easier access for patrons with disabilities Continued from Page C-1

green rooms, dressing rooms – things of that nature. A lot of support s p a c e s ,” h e s ai d. “In addition, the seating area for the audience is lacking in accessibility and sight line quality is not very good as the seating area is nearly flat, so we would be making it steeper and the seats themselves will be a little larger and a little more generous.”

In addition, Carlson said the theatre classrooms for the department will be

moved to the front of the auditorium and the offices would still be located upstairs.

B e c au s e t h e e nt i r e building itself is also planned for expansion, the plans for renovation include much more than improving the support rooms, classrooms and audience seating.

In fact, one of the main highlights of the project is t hat t he ne w and i mprove d au d itor iu m , w hen f inished, would have five different stages – two black box stages,

the auditorium stage and rehearsal and performance stages for the Department of Dance.

Out of the five planned stages for this set up, h o w e v e r, o n e w o u l d stand out from the rest in features and location, according to Carlson.

“Adjacent to the main black box stage is a black box rehearsal space that opens up to the outside world, meaning it can also be used for outdoor performances,” he said.

“The audience would sit and watch the production

Storytelling event allows students to openly share stories about past major struggles, passions in life Continued from Page C-1

her, “There is someone who thinks you are beautiful, loves you, cares about you, and values you.” She said it was after hearing this one sentence when her life changed completely, and that from that moment on she allowed Jesus Christ into her life.

Balok said the road to recovery was by no means easy and that she still has moments of self-doubt to this day, but she learned how to move on with her life. “[Moving on with your life] is a journey, but when you are grounded you have something to go back to,” she said. “I would urge [younger women] if you don’t have a relationship with God, seek one first and allow God to grow them up to be women that they want to be.”

The college experience, itself, for Dr. Kimberly Smith was somewhat of a struggle, but it wasn’t until after college that she said she began to face major struggle in her life.

Smith said she attended SRU in 1999, struggling with many of the same situations that most college students face, such as the “freshmen 15” looming over her head, and decided to do something about it.

During the time of Lent, instead of giving something up that she loved, she said she decided to add something that was good for her but not exactly enjoyable – running. Throughout Lent and for years after, running became a passion and gave her time to focus on self-reflection,

improving her physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

She said as she got older, she realized that running was causing some slight pain, and soon found out that she had hip dysplasia, mild scoliosis and that her pelvis was twisted. These problems kept her from running on a regular basis, but while going through surgeries and physical therapy to improve her health medically, she said she fell deeper in love with her passion of running, and was thankful when she could finally put on her running shoes again for her celebratory triathlon.

Smith said she wanted students to be inspired by her story and take a personal lesson from her experience.

“Be passionate about what you do, take a risk, play an active role in your own life, and exercise is medicine,” Smith said.

While she was not part of the panel of speakers, Dr. Colleen Cooke served as the role of emcee and introduced the speakers. Cooke said she values the idea that everyone has a story to tell, and that she was glad SRU was able to create a safe environment for women to tell their stories openly and honestly.

Cooke said the goal of the event and what most of the speakers wanted to get across to female students was that they would always have someone there for them, willing to listen.

“Young women are being victimized, and we need to all listen to each other,” she said.

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on that smaller stage from the lawn, and the stage would be facilitated from the inside of the building.

It would provide a lot of flexibility for various kinds of performances, including bands.”

Out of all the renovations planned for the building, Carlson said one of the most important renovations that needs to be made for Miller Auditorium is one that is more subtle.

Prior to being temporarily closed down, one of the auditorium’s

biggest setbacks, according to Carlson, was a lack of accessibility for patrons with disabilities.

“A couple of years ago, I put in a wheelchair lift so people in wheelchairs could actually make their way down to the auditorium seating, but prior to that, if you were disabled, you basically couldn’t have anything to do with that building,” he said. “Standard building codes were a lot different back then than what they are now.”

To reverse the problem,

all of the future stages will be made accessible on multiple levels for people who are disabled, in order to be brought up to standard code and to be more accommodating to those who are not able to get around very easily.

“Once you spend that kind of money, you have to bring the building up to all of the current codes,” Carlson said. “But more i mp or t ant ly, we w ant ever yone to be able to enjoy the future facility – free from hindering limitations.”

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September 7, 2012