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March 18, 2011
Volume 93, Number 20
President Smith ready to fight back against budget
By Courtney Nickle Rocket Assistant News Editor
Under Governor Tom Corbett’s proposed 2011-12 budget, which slashes state funding to public universities by 51.4 percent, Slippery Rock University would face a deficit of $22 million. “Sort of makes our $8.9 million issue of last year seem reasonable, almost desirable,” SRU President Robert Smith said at the budget information meetings held Tuesday and Thursday, which over 700 staff, faculty and students attended. In 2010-11, the state appropriation to all PASSHE (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education) schools was $503.3 million. Under Corbett’s budget, $258.8 million would be taken away, leaving $244.5 million for the fourteen PASSHE schools. According to Smith, the budget cut reduces state funding to less than it was in 1983, the first year the state allocated money to PASSHE. “Back then, [PASSHE] enrollment was at 81,000,” Smith said. “Now it’s over 120,000.” Smith said he thinks Corbett’s proposed budget is sending a clear message about his stance on public education.
“When you make the choice that you’re going to balance the budget by cutting 50 percent of what is foundation for public education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you’re making a statement, you’re not balancing a budget,” he said. SRU should receive about $18.6 million, compared to the $35.9 million allocated to SRU for the 2010-11 fiscal year. With an estimated enrollment increase of about 2 percent and $106.5 million in estimated expenditures for 2011-2012, SRU is left about $22.1 million in the hole. Smith said it hasn’t been decided how SRU will make up for that deficit. “No decision has been finalized yet,” he said. “We have to be mindful that as draconian as the circumstances might be, we still don’t know exactly how this is going to play out.” According to Smith, no decisions will be made right away. “We’re just going to sit down for two or three weeks to see where this goes,” he said. “The risk in this is that when we do make decisions, we’re going to be very late in notifying people.” Right now, it’s estimated that the $22.1 million deficit equates
Wiz Khalifa performing at the ARC on April 25
JASON ELLWANGER/THE ROCKET
Caitlin Niemic (left), Marcie Johnson (middle) and Corey Street (right) announce Wiz Khalifa as the performer for the spring concert Tuesday in the Union, which will be held in the ARC April 25.
By Eric Busch
Rocket Staff Reporter
Wiz Khalifa will be performing for SRU’s annual spring concert April 25 in the Abersold Recreation Center, the University Program Board announced Tuesday night. According to SGA President Jeremiah Rosser, the final cost of the contract with Khalifa is around $50,000. UPB Vice President of Concerts Audrey Foreback said the concert will consist of Khalifa and J Cole, who will be the opening act. The appeal of artists like Khalifa and J Cole is that they are up-and-comers whose popularity is on the rise, Foreback said. “Wiz is the hottest thing on the market,” she said. Rosser said the contract is
in the act of being finalized after a lengthy exchange with Khalifa’s agent. “Contracts with artists are a lot longer and more detailed,” Rosser said. He said he didn’t approve certain aspects of the contract and is waiting for final word from Khalifa’s agents on if they accept the changes. The original price of tickets was supposed to be $20 for students and $40 for non-students, but that has been lowered, according to Foreback. She said the new prices are the same as last year’s Drake concert, which were $15 for students and $25 for nonstudents. UPB President Marcie Johnson said the original SEE CONCERT, PAGE A-2
JASON ELLWANGER/THE ROCKET
President Robert Smith responds to Pa. Governor Tom Corbett's proposed 2011-12 budget, which would slash state funding to public universities by 51.4 percent and cause SRU a $22 million deficit.
to 131 positions at SRU, Smith announced Tuesday. But Smith made it clear Thursday that there are no plans to cut 131 jobs at SRU. “We don’t really have any idea what it means in terms of people,” Smith said. The deficit would also equate to a tuition increase of about $2,460 more per student, an increase of about 50 percent. Smith said SRU has no intentions of letting that
happen. “This is just giving you an idea of the challenges we’re facing,” he said. Smith showed an estimated budget for 2011-12 with a 5 percent increase in tuition, bringing the deficit to $20.15 million. Smith said that’s the number he’s looking at for right now. Some people have been suggesting to Smith to stop the renovations and building
on campus. But according to Smith, that wouldn’t solve anything. “I can’t move that money from the capital budget to operational funds, not because I don’t want to, but because it’s the law,” he said. “If we gave up that money, they’d just give it to some other institution.” The construction of the new union is one cause of concern for many people. But Smith said the money to fund that
project didn’t come from the state. “Not one dollar of state money is in the union project,” he said. According to Smith, SRU’s reduction in state allocation amounts to less than a 50 percent decrease because of performance funding, extra money given by PASSHE to institutions that meet specific performance goals and demonstrate quality. Rita Abent, executive director for University public relations, said some of the categories used to measure performance funding include freshman to sophomore retention, graduation rates, diversity, accreditation and contributions to the community. “SRU has consistently ranked in the top three institutions for earning performance funding,” Abent said. But performance funding was cut completely under Corbett’s proposed budget. The McKeever Center and the Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education were also hit hard by the budget cuts. Under Corbett’s proposal, both facilities would lose every cent of their state funding. SEE PASSHE, PAGE A-2
Marijuana debate draws in crowd of over 650 By Courtney Nickle Rocket Assistant News Editor
A former DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) agent and the editor-in-chief of High Times Magazine debated the legalization of marijuana at the University Union Tuesday night, drawing a crowd of about 650. Bob Stutman, 68, retired from the DEA, as special agent in charge of the New York Field Division, in 1990. He argued against the legalization of marijuana. Steve Hager, 60, became editor-in-chief of High Times in 1988.He advocated for the legalization of marijuana. At the beginning of the SEE HAGER, PAGE A-3
GRAPHIC BY JASON ELLWANGER/THE ROCKET
Former DEA agent, Bob Stutman, and editor-in-chief of High Times Magazine, Steve Hager, debated the legalization of marijuana at the University Union Tuesday night.
New SGA Bookstore construction to cost $5 million By Eric Busch
Rocket Staff Reporter
The Cooperative Activities Board approved to pay the first $2.5 million installment for the construction of the new SGA Bookstore at its meeting Thursday. Co-Op Business Manager Cathy George said SGA agreed to fund the new bookstore and that it would cost about $5 million. The approved motion stated Co-Op would pay the first part of the bond by May 15.
Vice President of Finance Adam Kennerdell said this move had already been approved, but a vote needed to be held for the records. Co-Op also approved a new $1,550 initiative for the Inline Hockey club to attend a national tournament in Madison, Wis. from April 5 through April 10. Kennerdell said the money would cover the rental fee of three vans from Enterprise and the $500 registration fee. He said the reason Co-Op is paying for the registration
fee is because the hockey team will have to pay for gas, lodging, food and other extra costs. The Geography, Geology and the Environment Club also had a new initiative approved by Co-Op for $1,500 to bring Carlo Hawk Walker, a Native American speaker from the Western Cherokee of Missouri tribe. Walker will be speaking during Earth Week, and he will also be performing a sweat lodge purification ceremony. Kennerdell also
discussed future policy additions he would like CoOp to research and consider. One addition was to sustain a yearly budgetary reserve of $100,000. He said the idea behind this change would be to keep the reserve at $100,000 at the beginning of each school year. As an example, Kennerdell said if Co-Op spent $60,000 one year, that’s what it would put back into the reserve at the end of the year. Kennerdell also SEE KENNERDELL, PAGE A-2
News
Rock Notes A-2
March 18, 2011
PASSHE advocacy hearings to be held April 4 and 5 Continued from Page a-1
Pens Ticket Raffle
Sigma Tau Gamma is raffling off two Pittsburgh Penguins tickets in section 106, row D as well as a parking pass for the game March 25 against the New Jersey Devils. Tickets are 3 for $5 or an arm’s length for $10. If interested in buying tickets, call Josh Rawding at 724-544-1573.
PASSHE advocacy hearings will be held in Harrisburg April 4 and 5, and Smith said SRU is putting a team together, consisting primarily of students, to attend the hearings and advocate for more funding. “We’d like to believe that we have enough influence with 120,000 [PASSHE] students to convince legislators that the governor’s sense of the importance of public higher
education is wrong,” he said. “We’re not just going to roll over.” A budget website has also been set up containing budget information and allowing anyone to submit suggestions. The website can be found under the Office of the President. Several workshops and discussions, like the budget information sessions held this week, will be held for the SRU community.
Smith said decisions will start being made in late April through May. But for now, Smith urged everyone to focus on advocacy. “We’re putting our efforts on the advocacy, on turning this thing around first,” he said. “We need to tell this story and we’ve got about a month to tell it.” One of the reasons Smith brought up in favor of more money for SRU was that the university and its alumni
generate about $334 million every year to the regional economy. Smith also said 93 percent of students that attend SRU stay in Pennsylvania, while only 90 percent of students are originally from the state. “You’ve heard of the brain drain, well we’re the braingain institution in western Pennsylvania,” he said. “We’re an importer of talent and income to the state.”
Applications for the Marjorie Stephenson Scholarship are due March 18. Stephenson was a professor and librarian at Slippery Rock University who made provisions in her will for undergraduate scholarships at SRU. The maximum award is $1,000; partial awards may be granted. Information and application forms are available online from Bailey Library’s homepage and in the Library main office. For more information, contact Judy Silva at judith.silva@sru.edu.
Kennerdell Concert ticket prices originally higher, suggests that lowered to match other campus' prices groups keep Continued from Page a-1 feels it made the correct either way,” she said. fresh rosters prices were based off other outBoth Foreback and Johnson choice.
Pi Kappa Alpha Golf Outing
Continued from Page a-1
Marjorie Stephenson Scholarship
Pi Kappa Alpha is sponsoring a golf outing on April 30 at Oakview Golf Club. Registration opens at 11:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The event fee is $75, which includes 18 holes with a cart and dinner. Registration forms can be found in the CSIL Office or at srupikes.webs.com and are due by April 15. Anyone with questions can contact Corey Stebbins at 814-823-9726 or cds9013@sru.edu.
University Union Room Reservations
The University Union will begin processing requests for recurring meetings for fall 2011 on April 1. Organizations may request meeting rooms on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or similar recurring pattern. Union Reservation Request Forms may be obtained at the Union Information Desk or online under Student Life. Completed forms should be submitted to the Union Information Desk beginning April 1. Forms may also be faxed to 724-738-2116 or sent to Sharyn.McGallis@sru. edu. Requests will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Cole at 724-738-2718 or Christopher.Cole@sru.edu.
Publicize your group's event with a Rock Note. To submit a Rock Note to be considered for publication, please send your announcement by 6 p.m. Wednesday to: News Editor Lauren Laing 220 Eisenberg Classroom Building Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Index
Weather Forecast from National Weather Service Saturday Friday Sunday Scattered showers
High: 61; Low: 36
Mostly sunny
mentioned the idea of putting dollar limits on new initiatives based on how many students are in an organization. Two other new policies Kennerdell proposed could go hand in hand for some groups. He said he would like campus organizations and groups to keep updated rosters beyond the initial ones the group creates. He also said he would like to look into tracking organization and event attendance with student I.D. swipers. Kennerdell said this would probably only work for larger groups since the swipers are somewhat costly. He did say that he would like groups to be given the possibility to use Compass Link to update their rosters, which would then force these organizations to use the program. Kennerdell said he liked this idea because Compass Link is currently going widely unused.
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High: 48; Low: 26 High: 51; Low: 35
Rock Notes..........A-2 Blotter.................A-3 Opinion.......A-4 Classifieds..........A-6 Comics................A-7
Sports...................B-1 Focus..................C-1
campus’ ticket prices. Foreback said one of the draws of bringing Khalifa was that he’s been playing bigger schools, including many Big 10 schools. She said he’s playing a show at Penn State University the day after SRU. Johnson said the prices were initially based off the ticket cost at schools like Penn State, but UPB was able to lower them. Johnson didn’t beliee the ticket price would affect the attendance, though. “I think it would be a sell-
said UPB has received some negative feedback about the choice. Foreback said some students from the Pittsburgh area are unhappy because Khalifa already performs at many local shows. “But we have a lot of people who aren’t from Pittsburgh,” Foreback said. She also said that SRU’s proximity to Ohio and other schools gives people who may not know Khalifa’s music a chance to experience him. Johnson said despite the few negative remarks, UPB
“We picked the artist that we thought would be best for the University,” She said. “Unfortunately, we can’t please every student.” Foreback said the only other artist UPB considered was Mike Posner. But Posner had a scheduling conflict and couldn’t perform on the selected concert date. Johnson said rumors had circulated about UPB considering artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum, but that they could never afford an act that big.
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News
March 18, 2011
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Police Blotter Magistrate March 2 – Thomas C. Rob Jr., 32, of Foxburg was seen for theft by unlawful taking and driving with a suspended or revoked license. He was released on his own recognizance.
March 2 – Jerrod Adam Brandon, 19, of Slippery Rock was seen for two counts of burglary, criminal trespassing, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, small amount of marijuana, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal mischief and loitering.
March 2 – Devon Anthony Delucca, 19, of Slippery Rock was seen for two
counts of burglary, criminal trespassing, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, small amount of marijuana, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal mischief and loitering.
March 2 – William James Beveridge, 41, of Butler was seen for two counts of DUI. He was released on his own recognizance. March 2 – Phillip Duane Spott, 44, of New Castle was seen for retail theft. He was released on his own recognizance. March 9 – Anthony James Parenti, 18, of Forestville, Pa. was seen for simple assault and harassment.
March 9 – Floyd Martin, 43, of Rimersburg, Pa. was seen for two counts of DUI. He was released on his own recognizance.
March 9 – William Augustus Ziegler, 24, of Prospect was seen for DUI and driving with a suspended or revoked license. He was released on his own recognizance. March 9 – William Arthur Eckert, 43, of Butler was seen for two counts of DUI, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving with a suspended or revoked license and operating a vehicle without valid inspection. He was released on his own recognizance.
March 9 – Chris Alice MacGregor, 52, of Slippery Rock was seen for two counts of DUI.
March 9 – Larry J. Thompson, 61, of Butler was seen for DUI. He was released on his own recognizance. March 9 – Jessica Jade Smith, 30, of Portersville was seen for two counts of DUI and driving with a suspended or revoked license. She was released on her own recognizance.
March 9 – Angela Hogg, 40, of Butler was seen for two counts of DUI and driving with a suspended or revoked license. She was released on her own recognizance.
will handle the incident. March 9 – Taylor C. Schlitzer, 18, of Slippery Rock was seen for receiving stolen property. Borough
March 14 – Christopher Hyde, 23, was cited for DUI after a traffic stop on Kiester Road March 13.
March 3 – Theft valued at $300 was reported from a motor vehicle.
March 15 – Report theft of a permit from the lower stadium parking lot. The case is under investigation.
March 11 – Theft valued at $177 was reported from Subway.
March 15 – Report theft of a permit from Building A. The case is under investigation.
Campus March 2 – Joshua C. McClone, 20, was cited for theft after a theft was reported at the ARC Feb. 23. March 7 – Report that an individual gained access to Building B without permission. Residence life
March 15 – Report suspicious behavior in Rhoads Hall. The individual was referred to judicial. March 16 – Report of theft of a permit from the Physical Therapy building parking lot. The case is under Compiled by Courtney Nickle
Hager claims American health care system is flawed, gives other types of drugs Continued from Page a-1
debate, each side had about 15 minutes to give opening arguments. Hager, who went first, gave several reasons why he believes marijuana should be legalized. His first reason was that it’s good medicine, listing several diseases that it helps with including AIDS, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Hager said he believes the health care system in America is flawed. “This is the system we
have today,” he said. “This system that’s happy to give you drugs has a problem with marijuana.” Another argument Hager made was that hemp is good for the environment. According to Hager, hemp was the most beloved crop of America’s founding fathers. “They were making over 20,000 things out of this plant when they made it illegal,” Hager said. Dr. Aaron Cowan, assistant professor of history, agreed that hemp was a widely grown crop in early America.
“I don’t know how beloved it was by the founders, but it certainly became more widespread just before and during the Revolution, when Americans no longer had access to imported ropes and textiles from Britain,” he said. According to Cowan, in the late 1700s they were looking for a crop to replace tobacco, which was exhausting the soil and declining in price, and hemp was the answer. “They were losing money and looking for an investment that would fuel the American commercial economy,” he
said. “But they weren’t lighting up the Pineapple Express.” Hager also said he wants to see marijuana legalized because it’s part of his culture. “Many of us believe marijuana is the true sacrifice of our circle,” he said. Stutman gave his opening remarks next. One of Stutman’s main arguments was that only two chemicals found in marijuana are good medicine. “Two chemicals out of 435 chemicals in the plant are great medicine,” he said. “But instead of just extracting those
two chemicals, [Hager] would have you take in all 435 and call it medicine.” Stutman also pointed out that in California, one of the most liberal states in America, the motion to legalize marijuana failed. “Most people in favor of legalization want it made legal because it’s the intoxicant of choice and they don’t want cops bugging them,” he said. According to Stutman, there are many harmful side effects of marijuana including dependence and addiction. He also said several studies
link marijuana to testicular, mouth, lung and throat cancer. Both Hager and Stutman did agree that marijuana should not be smoked. “If you want to use it, vaporize it, drink it in your tea or eat it in brownies,” Hager said. Dave Wolfe, UPB vice president of speakers and sophomore sport management major, said he thought the debate was a success. “Everyone I talked to said they enjoyed it and I had over 650 people there,” he said.
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News
March 18, 2011
OPINION A-4 The Rocket
March 18, 2011
The Rocket
Our View
Volume 93, Number 20 220 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 Kacie Peterson Editor-in-Chief Lauren Laing News Editor Stephanie Nicotra Focus Editor Bill Kostkas Sports Editor Jason Ellwanger Photo Editor Melissa McFarland Copy Editor Zack Tanner Web Editor Courtney Nickle Assistant News Editor Andy Treese Assistant Focus Editor Tim Durr Assistant Sports Editor Jessica Gordon Assistant Photo Editor Eric Busch News Reporter Joseph Harry Faculty Adviser
Advertising Staff Emily Hunter Advertising Manager Ashley Adams Advertising Asst. Manager
About Us The Rocket is published by the students of Slippery Rock University every Friday during the academic semester with the exception of holidays, exam periods and vacations. Total weekly circulation is 3,000. No material appearing in The Rocket may be reprinted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. The first copy of The Rocket is provided free of charge. Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents each. The Rocket receives approximately five percent of its funding from the SGA General Service fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising. Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 738-2643 or by e-mailing rocket.ads@sru.edu.
Corrections If we make a substantial error, we want to correct it. If you believe an error has been made, call The Rocket newsroom at (724) 738-4438. If a correction is warranted it will be printed in the opinion section.
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Subscriptions to The Rocket are available. Subscriptions are $20 per academic semester and $35 for the full academic year. Inquiries should be directed to the Editorin-Chief at the address listed here.
Editorial Policy
The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Fall 2010 Editorial Board and is written by Rocket editorial board members. It reflects the majority opinion of The Rocket Editorial Board. “Our View” does not necessarily reflect the views of Slippery Rock University, its employees or its student body. Columns and cartoons are drafted by various individuals and only reflect the opinions of the columnists.
Student voices needed to change proposed budget We’re dealing with a large game of “What ifs…” after Gov. Tom Corbett proposed his budget March 8 that recommended Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education receive $244.524 million for the 2011-2012 school year. We have an idea you know how the game goes: “What if the budget goes through?” “What if we have to cut programs?” “What if we can’t fill the financial gap?” Pages could be filled with questions that ponder the future of our school and the state system, but we would like to reiterate the idea President Robert Smith put forth. The proposed budget is a “work in progress.” The 53.8 percent de cre as e in PASSHE
funding isn’t set in stone. To put the numbers in perspective, PASSHE will receive less funding than it did in 1983, should the budget pass. Keep in mind the dollar was more elastic in 1983 than it is now. This is where the voice of SRU students comes in. This is where we fight. Last year, SRU was appropriated $35.9 million from the state in funding. This ye ar, SRU is prop o s e d to re c e ive $18.608 million. That’s quite a large $17.3 million gap that we might have to prepare for. But the numbers get worse. The total projected expenditures for next year come to a grand total of about $106 million. Our anticipated revenue
across the state, people and organizations are bracing for the financial impact the governor has predicted will be made. But to stump our futures at the threshold of the door of opportunity seems a little counterproductive. Ju s t b e c a u s e t h e economy is struggling doesn’t mean the job market is any easier to get into. We n e e d q u a l i t y educations to compete with candidates from other states for the positions in our dream jobs. And that’s where Corbett is making his mistake. By potentially cutting f unding to PASSHE, he’s threatening to force universities to remove quality programs, staff and finances to essential to our majors and college
experience. Smith assured audience members at the two budget meetings held Tuesday and Thursday that SRU plans to maintain its current philosophy: students come first. And b e caus e we’re coming first in the eyes of the university, it’s time we stood up and fought back. There are letter writing campaigns and a rally to be held next week in order to demonstrate the power of our voices. This is our education. And we are worth the investment. It’s our turn to raise our voices and send our opinions to the legislature to get them to change their minds. The budget is merely a proposal. This is our future. We can’t back down.
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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.
falls $22.136 short at $84.328 million. There are a lot of facts and figures our university will need to deal with and adjust to should the budget pass in June or July. But this is where we can insert a “What if…” question in our favor. “What if we advocate for more money and the legislature listens?” Then we’re headed in the right direction. As a university, as a state system, and as a community, we need to send a message to the governor. This proposal is unacceptable. We’re the future of Pennsylvania. What makes him think he can cut our educational programs like this? We understand that all
I’m writing letters. Everyone needed cuts. I’m indifferent. 34 respondents
Go to www.theonlinerocket.com to cast your vote!
Opinion
March 18, 2011
Japan planning not quite good enough
Spencer Cadden The Silent Majority “This is the worst crisis since World War II.” Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan solemnly spoke these words Sunday. Japan was rocked by an earthquake measuring somewhere between 8.8 and 9.2 on the Richter scale (there are conflicting reports). An earthquake of that magnitude would devastate most countries around the world, but Japan was prepared. What caught the Japanese off guard and has led to an estimated 10,000 deaths was the wave that followed. Japan has always been a nation of seismic activity. Up and down the Japan c o ast l i ne p e opl e are accustomed to shaking and shifting beneath their feet. So naturally Japan became world renown for their “quake-proof ” building techniques. Japan is equally well known for its tsunami preparation with tsunamis hitting the coast once every 10 years. So what made this event such a catastrophe? Why has a nation that has been so well defended in the past been reduced to rubble? Tragically, the answer lies in the defense itself. Japan has become accustomed to being a weatherproof nation. They have the best construction techniques and break walls in the world. Yet, all of these safety measures failed this past week. Un f o r t u n a t e l y, t h e tsunami that hit Japan was the largest in written history. Japan could not have been prepared for such an overwhelming disaster. As the days wear on, the survivors face even greater challenges on a daily basis. A nuclear power plant called Fukushima Daiichi has six nuclear reactors on its site. Four of which have experienced severe damage from the tsunami. The tsunami did not destroy or damage the reactors
themselves. It did, however, damage the water pumps, which bring in water to cool the reactors. A basic nuclear reactor such as the Fukushima Daiichi works by utilizing nuclear fission to heat water. The heated water becomes steam, which powers a turbine and makes electricity. To keep this process running smoothly, thousands of gallons of water needs to be pumped into the reactors to keep them from overheating. Think of it like your car’s engine. If your antifreeze can’t reach your radiator, your engine overheats and your car dies. Similarly, if water can’t reach the reactor’s core, the reactor overheats and melts through the containment facility. This melting process is where the term “meltdown” comes from. When meltdowns occur, it can spread large amounts of deadly radiation into the air. In Fukushima Daiichi, the tsunami has caused this exact situation to occur. Three nuclear reactors could experience a total meltdown at any point, and a fourth reactor caught fire Tuesday. This has caused the Japanese government to evacuate nearly 130,000 people living within a 20mile radius of the reactors. Japan is facing dire straits. Nearly 4,000 people are confirmed dead, 8,000 reported missing and there are literally mountains of debris yet to be searched. To top off this disaster, people in northern Japan now face threats of radiation poisoning. Lessons must be learned from this event. Japan was the most quake and tsunami-proofed nation in the world and is a nation of seasoned weather veterans. Japan is a nation of people used to taking the worst from Mother Nature. Despite all of the best planning and preparation, this tragic event serves as a reminder that we are all subject to natural disaster. As aid pours in from around the world, Japan will surely rebuild stronger than ever and the world will be more wary of Mother Nature. Spencer Cadden is a junior secondary education major and regular contributor for The Rocket.
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Letters to the editor The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” section are those of the writer(s) alone. The Rocket cannot verify all facts presented in a given letter, but if we are aware of an error or omission, we reserve the right to include an editorial note for accuracy’s sake. and staff layoffs and university identify any computer/printer were heard by our legislators. closures would hinder the issues that have not yet been Because of the high response state’s economic recovery. reported, and all attempts are rate to the event, Pi Sigma In fact, Pennsylvania’s future made to resolve the technical Alpha will host a follow-up success depends upon its issues when found. event next week Thursday, public universities to produce Higher-level technical March 24, from 3 -5 p.m. an educated workforce and issues are submitted to Please look for advertisements serve as hubs of technology IATS for resolution. Most around campus regarding the Dear Editor, and innovation. technical issues are corrected location. Students, faculty and It is up to the governor within a day or two unless a staff are encouraged to attend As all of us should now be and more than welcome to aware, Governor Corbett’s and the legislature to decide replacement part is needed. Because of the high volume write letters this week on their first budget includes a drastic how to craft a budget that cut to Pennsylvania’s public doesn’t punish our students of traffic in the library (an own. They can drop the letters higher education institutions. by denying them a high average of 55,070 patrons off in the Political Science Corbett proposed a budget quality college education at per month), these computers Department Office in Spotts are used heavily by multiple World Culture Building, that unfairly penalizes funding an affordable price. We ask legislators and users and technical issues are Room 209. We will take care for higher education, including of mailing the letters. a 54 percent decrease in the Governor Corbett to expected. We want to thank everyone Yes, you will see “out state appropriation to the consider the needs of a future Pennsylvania State System of Pennsylvania and provide of order” signs on some who attended the event Higher Education from $503 sufficient funding to the state’s library equipment, but this Thursday and hope to see public universities. represents only about 1% of more participants next week. million to $232 million. Pennsylvania’s future our total equipment. IATS It’s important to reach out The proposed cut would reduce state funding for depends on it. Join the rally does an extraordinary job of to our state senators and PASSHE to 1983 levels, on behalf of the students, responding to our technical representatives during this staff, faculty, coaches and needs, which keeps the time of budget cuts to tell them devastating our universities. For SRU, with even a modest administration at Old Main, majority of the library’s to stand with the students of computers accessible for Pennsylvania and vote no to (!) 5 percent increase in March 22, 12:30 p.m. The proposed budget student use. Governor Corbett’s proposed tuition, the proposed budget budget cuts. Together we have would leave us scrambling to affects our entire university the means to make a great Systems Department address a $20 million deficit community, and, as a difference. Stand with the Bailey Library next year. Students are likely community, we must stand students, faculty and staff. Slippery Rock University experience steep tuition hikes. together! Stand with the university. In fact, to fill totally the Jace Condravy, President Sincerely, hole produced by Corbett’s APSCUF, the Faculty and Katie Campbell cut would require a 33 percent President, Pi Sigma Alpha tuition increase (this does Coaches Union not even take into account inflation). In addition, students will Dear Editor, have to confront overflowing classes and the loss of In response to the proposed programs. They will not budget by Governor Tom receive the type of college Corbett, Pi Sigma Alpha, the Dear Editor, education required for them political science honorary, to compete in global economy. hosted a letter-writing event I’m writing to clear up any Students, are you screaming open to all students, faculty confusion the Feb. 25 edition yet? and staff of the university on of The Rocket has caused. T he st ate s y ste m Thursday, March 17. We asked The section of the newspaper universities, especially SRU, that attendees write to their the “Police Blotter” failed to have consistently been good State Representatives, State distinguish myself Alison M. Dear Editor, stewards of public resources, Senators and the Governor. Woods between the “Alison but as the state appropriation In response to the article, It is our hope that these letters Woods” as published. I myself for PASSHE has steadily “Technology age, universities are received with open minds am aware this is not me, but declined, university presidents constantly switching to new and open ears. whenever future employees have been continually forced to equipment” that appeared in Outlined in the letters are “Google” my name they will trim already meager budgets. the Feb. 18 issue of The Rocket, concerns about the proposed only see Alison Woods in the Now they are being penalized we at the library would like to budget cuts the Pennsylvania “Police Blotter” of The Rocket. further for becoming more clarify the process the library State System of Higher I believe it would be beneficial efficient. uses to identify technical Education is facing. President of The Rocket to use middle The governor in his budget issues. Smith hosted budget meetings initials from now on to stop address spoke about the Currently, the library has 285 this week in order to respond any further confusion. importance of jobs to the public access computers. Our to the university concerns future of the Commonwealth, policy is to do a walk around and we, as students, wanted Alison M. Woods BUT high tuition rates, faculty each weekday morning to to make sure that our voices Senior History Major
Proposed budget cut unacceptable
Letters for legislature
Library technical issues addressed daily
That’s not my name
More diversity in spring concert selection, please
Kacie Peterson Editor commentary He’s a hometown boy and he’ll be singing about hometown football colors come April here at SRU. That’s right, Wiz Khalifa will be rapping about “Black and Yellow” in your face for the spring concert. And I’m a little disappointed. Given the last few concerts put on by the University Program Board, I would appreciate a wider range of musical selection. Over the last two years, we’ve listened to the voices of Motion City Soundtrack, Fabolous, Drake, Chris Young and comedian Ralphie May. May, though not a musical artist, is included in the concert budget for UPB. Let’s take a look at the genres those artists represent. Motion City Soundtrack would most likely fall under
the title of “alternative,” while Fabolous and Drake are clearly rappers. Young was quite obviously “country” and May just made people laugh. Now we have Khalifa and after hearing his hit song on the radio during football season, I think it’s safe to say he’s a rapper as well. And the grand total is: Rappers have three points and alternative, country and comedians all tie up with one. So we’ve got another rap artist? Really? If we put numbers on the board, UPB’s spent $36,228.98 for Motion City Soundtrack, $34,590.15 for Fabolous and $101,149.03 for Drake. This year UPB spent $23,000 for Chris Young and will spend about $50,000 on Khalifa, according to SGA President Jeremiah Rosser. This adds up to $185,739.18 spent on rap artists over the past two years. That’s a lot of money compared to other musical genres. I understand that rap artist concerts will most likely sell a lot of tickets. And I’m not trying to say I completely dislike the sound of rap. There are a few songs and artists out there that I will
voluntarily crank up to jam along with. But sometimes, I would just rather listen to something else. Don’t get me wrong I thought Drake was a good choice. He started his tour at SRU and partnered with Rihanna for “What’s my name?” which plays on my iPod and gets stuck in my head on rainy days. And due to my night class, I wasn’t able to see his concert. But I wouldn’t have minded going to see it. Drake was the spring concert last year and to have Khalifa this year seems a little repetitive. I don’t listen to a radio station that plays one type of music all the time because it would get old extremely fast. So why should I go see a concert that’s the same music genre for the second spring in a row? And I can hear the explanation: “Just don’t go.” Okay, we’ll play with that option for a second. I don’t have to shell out the $15 for a ticket to see Khalifa. But I’m already indirectly paying for it. We all are, regardless of whether we physically go to the concert or not. The general service fee
included in our tuition and fees is $152.36 and goes towards Student Government Association. That’s where SGA’s budget comes from. In turn, that service fee is used to support campus organizations that request funds. Which brings me back UPB, who gets the money as part of its budget and chooses what to do with it. I understand that perhaps UPB is trying to appeal to a large audience with this artist selection. Khalifa has a strong popularity in western Pennsylvania because he’s from the area and his song is about Pittsburgh. But has anyone heard any of his other songs? Will the crowd be able to sing along with anything else he says? His new album drops March 29, 2011, so by the time the concert rolls around “Black and Yellow” should be long gone from our memories. I’m saying that UPB could have picked any artist available and it chose to pick a rapper. Again. Kacie Peterson is a senior dance and communication major and Editor in Chief for The Rocket.
SPORTS
The Rocket
B-1
March 18, 2011
Indoor track sends three to national meet By Bill Kostkas Rocket Sports Editor
The st r ing of A l lAmericans for the Slippery Rock track team continued on Saturday March 12. Of the three athletes that the Rock sent to the NCAA Division II National Championships in
Albuequrque, N.M., Only sophomore pole vaulter Cameron Daugherty came back home with AllAmerican status. Daugherty’s vault of 16 feet 10 inches was good enough to earn him fourth place in the event. The top eight receives All-American honors. His vault was also the
highest for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference vaulter at the national meet in indoor track history. Head coach John Papa said that Daugherty, coming back from a back injury he suffered last season, only makes his performance that much more impressive. “Not too many come back actually,” Papa said. ”A lot of
times that significant of an injury would have someone out for good.” Seniors Brady Wert and Whitney Hendershot also competed at Nationals. Hendershot finished in tenth in the high jump (5 feet 7 inches) and Wert was 12th in the heptathlon (4,595 points). Papa said that those two
not coming home with All-American honors is no disappointment at all. “Heck no,” Papa said. “First of all, making Nationals is tough to do. Brady’s wasn’t his best, but he’s done a lot for us. Hopefully he can get back there for outdoors. Whitney is not exactly where we want her to be yet. We’ll
Tim Durr
JASON ELLWANGER/THE ROCKET
Basketball falls in Division II tourney By Bill Kostkas Rocket Sports Editor
Slippery Rock men’s basketball last made the Division II NCAATournament in 1991. Since then, the program has experienced some low points. Some of the most recent low points were the three seasons before head coach Kevin Reynolds was
hired in May 2008. In the 200506 season, the Rock finished 2-25 overall with a winless record away from Morrow Field House (0-12). In 200607, the Rock ended the year at 5-22. In 2007-08 it ended with a 7-22 record, which included a 1-12 mark on the road. Last Saturday the Green and White found itself back in the
NCAA Tournament against West Liberty State College (W.Va.) in Wheeling, where it would lose 117-73.The win extended the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champion Hilltoppers overall record to 30-0. Reynolds said that the loss shouldn’t be looked at as a nutshell of the entire season
for the Rock. “After the great year they had, this team shouldn’t be judged on one game,” Reynolds said. “They caught us on our worst day, but you still have to give credit to them. I’m proud of what our players were able to accomplish this SEE SRU, PAGE B-3
SEE WARNING, PAGE B-3
NCAA committee messes up again
Sports Sense
Junior guard Devin Taylor brings the ball past half court in a game against California University of Pennsylvania on Jan. 26. Taylor was third in scoring for the Green and White this year with 11.8 points-per-game.
get her back among the top five.” The rest of the team continued the outdoor track season on Sunday, March 14 at the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Conway, S.C. Chris Warning dominated the highlight reel for the Rock with three of his top-
Every year 346 Division I men’s basketball teams battle in the 32 NCAA conferences to make it into the NCAA tournament field of 68 teams. This is the first year that the NCAA decided to go with a 68 team field, expanding from the previous format of 64 teams. The 346 programs play through 30-plus games a season, including a conference tournament and unless they win that conference tournament, their fate comes down to a selection committee to decide if they are worthy of being included in the field. There are always the top teams that are locks for the tourney, but the toughest decisions are made in between the final eight “bubble” teams— the final four teams to make the tournament and the Final Four to miss out. This season, those final fur teams to get in to the tournament played in the new “First Four” round of the NCAA tournament.
Virginia Commonwealth University, University of A l ab am a - Bi r m i ng h am , C l e m s o n Un i v e r s i t y and the University of Southern California were the final four teams into the tournament this year with VCU and Clemson winning the play-in games. These final four teams to make the tournament left much debate for the deserving teams that were left out. VCU and UAB were selected over the likes of the University of Alabama, Virginia Tech University, University of Colorado and Boston College. The argument against Alabama, Virginia Tech, C olorado and B oston College was that these te ams had b ad nonconference schedules and that the committee wanted to have a field with toptier teams and mid-major conference teams. The selection committee, a 10-member group of athletic directors and conference commissioners, meets throughout the season and selects which te ams will make t he tournament and orders the seeds. The main concern that I have with the selection committee is, why do members of the committee have stakes in the tournament because the schools they direct and commission are Division I SEE NCAA, PAGE B-4
SRU baseball returns from road invitationals with .500 record By Tim Durr
Rocket Assistant Sports Editor
ARCHIVED PHOTO
Senior shortstop Adam Jury connects with a pitch last season. Jury is tied for second on the team in hits (14) and in total bases (17).
While many students used their spring break to relax and go on vacation, the Slippery Rock baseball team was hard at work. Slippery Rock’s No. 17 ranked baseball team took its undefeated record (40) down to Florida for the annual Division II spring tournament. SRU earned a split in its first two games Friday against Assumption of Massachusetts and No. 10 Minnesota State. In the day’s first game, the Rock’s hot bats, led by senior shortstop Adam Jury carried them to an 11-5 victory over Assumption. Senior pitcher Rich Hocanson, who missed his first two seasons with an arm injury, earned his first win of the season when he
only allowed one run on four hits struck out two and walked one in five innings of work. The Rock suffered its first loss of the season 5-2 in Friday’s second game of the day against Minnesota State. Senior left-handed pitcher Zach Jeney ended up with the loss after he gave up four earned runs on five hits. After losing three straight games, Slippery Rock baseball looked to St. Joseph’s of Indiana to end their streak, but two costly errors led to six unearned runs by St. Joe's and the Rock was defeated 7-3. Matt Howard, senior center fielder and senior designated hitter Mitchell Monas each had a double to highlight the Rock's four-hit day. Freshman pitchers Lou Trivino and Ryan Oglesby snapped the Rock's four game losing streak. The Green and
White beat NCAA Divison II Atlantic Rival West Chester 3-2 in 10 innings. Slippery Rock suffered back to back losses Wednesday night 10-6 at the hands of University of Tampa Wednesday night. At the end of four innings, SRU held a 2-1 lead due to sophomore third baseman Jamison Walck's solo-home run that accounted for the first run of the game. But the Spartans rallied in the fifth inning to take the lead all the way into the eighth inning. The Rock found themselves down 10-2. The Green and White scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning behind crucial hits by Walack and junior designated hitter Matt Kosik. But its rally fell short as the Green and White suffered its fifth straight SEE ROCK, PAGE B-3
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Sports
March 18, 2011
Top of the
Second Top 10 Ways NOT to Pick your bracket
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
The Ohio State Buckeyes hoist the Big Ten Conference Championship trophy on Sunday. The Buckeyes are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
10. Prettiest colors: Some people choose their bracket because they like a team's colors. This is not a smart decision. 9. All top seeds: There are always upsets and the No. 1 seeds have only made it to the Final Four once. 8. Flipping a coin: While this may win you some games, a coin flip is not going to help you win your bracket group. 7. Mascots: Picking Northern Colorado over San Diego State because it is logical to you that a Bear would beat an Aztec, is not a good method of approaching the bracket. 6. Alma-Mater: Even though you graduated from Wofford University, it isn't a smart move to take it on a Final Four run. 5. School Location: While this would take some intelligence to look at the geographical regions of each school, picking a team because its school is in the mountains will not help it make a Final Four run. 4. Video Games: Playing every game with your friends when the bracket is released might be a fun way to pass the time, but it won't predict the future. 3. Doing actual research: You know it never works. 2. Indiana State: Choosing Indiana State to make a Final Four run because Larry Byrd went there isn't a winning method. 1. Be Bill Kostkas: This means picking Louisville to go to the Final Four and then it loses to Morehead State.
Will Ohio State make a run to the Final Four?
Tim Durr
Assistant Sports Editor
No Ohio State University has the toughest bracket in the entire tournament. In order for it to make a run to the Final Four it will have to bring its A game each time they take the court. The first game of the tournament shouldn't be too difficult for Ohio State, but a second round matchup against either Villanova or George Mason will be a test for OSU. If it makes it through that round Kentucky or West Virginia will be headed its way. Finally, Syracuse or North Carolina are the most likely candidates for the Buckeyes if they make it to the Elite Eight. There are too many tough teams in the East region for the Buckeyes to make it through. Even though, it's selected as the No. 1 seed. I haven't seen proof that it's the best team in the region. Look for UNC or Syracuse to come out of the East.
Bill Kostkas Sports Editor
Yes The East bracket comes off as very deceiving at first, but if you take a close look it's not as bad as many think. It has an easy first game as all top seeds do. A 16 seed has never won its first game. It also have an easy draw in the second round. George Mason is out of the Patriot League, which isn't exactly the Big Ten Conference and Villanova is still in a tailspin having lost seven of its last nine games. Kentucky is young and inexperienced and is the most likely candidate to run into the Buckeyes in the Sweet 16. The only other two teams that can take it out is Syracuse and North Carolina. Syracuse always comes into the tournament with hype, but also consistently finds a way to bow out early. North Carolina falls into the same category as Kentucky.
What's On Tap.....
A quick look at the week-to-be in sports -Fri. March 18, 2:10 -March Madness: 8. George Mason vs. 9. Villanova -George Mason will look to play Cinderella once again and make a deep run into the NCAA tournament as they did in the 2006 tourney. Villanova will look to end its struggles as of late.
-Fri. March 18, 9:45 p.m. -March Madness: 10. Georgia vs 7. Washington -The Huskies will look to defeat Georgia and make a run past North Carolina, who they defeated earlier in the season. The Bulldogs look to rebound from its tough overtime loss to Alabama in the SEC tournament.
Sports
March 18, 2011
B-3
Rock looks to begin home schedule Continued from Page B-1
SUBMITTED PHOTO/JOHN PAPA
Senior Crystal Burnick won the 1,500-meter race at the Coastal Carolina Invite.
Warning earns three top-10's in throwing Continued from Page b-1
10 finishes. He was second in the discus (169 feet 3 inches) and in the hammer throw (190 feet 5 inches), and eighth in the shot put (45 feet 12 inches). Papa said that Warning was off to a great start. “He’s off and running,” Papa said. “He’s going to be a top thrower in outdoor just like he was in indoor.” Senior Crystal Burnick
brought home the individual win in the 1,500-meter run (4:46.22). Seniors Amanda Seigworth and Allison Smith finished in second and third, respectively, in the 400-meter hurdles with times of 1:01.37 and 1:01.98. The Green and White’s next meet is next Saturday for the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh N.C.
loss that dropped its overall season record to 6-5. SRU lost its sixth of the season Thursday, March 10, as Ashland University (Ohio) sealed a 7-1 victory over the Green and White at Henley Field. Senior first baseman Derek DiRuscia smacked an RBI double in the top of the ninth inning to score the only Rock run of the evening. The loss was the second in two nights for the Rock and put the Rock at .500 The Rock found itself in another spring ballgame against rival West Chester University of Pennsylvania Friday night. Senior left fielder Carter Haponski's game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Rock a 1-0 win. The win, the second 10-inning victory over WCU this spring strengthened the Rock's season record 7-6. Freshman right-hander Oglesby picked up another victory in the game. Ogelsby earned his first two wins of his collegiate career over WCU in spring ball. “It felt great to pick up the victories against West Chester,” Ogelsby said. “Being so early in the season you never know how your first few pitching outings are going to go, so having this early success really boosts my confidence. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the mound and continuing to do more of the same.” The Rock closed out its 11-game spring-break trip
ARCHIVED PHOTO
Senior pitcher George Hebert winds up for a pitch in a game last season. The Rock is 7-7 after starting the season 4-0.
to Florida Saturday against regional rival Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. The Green and White ended its spring trip with a 7-7 record after a 3-2 loss to Mansfield. Although the team returned back to the Rock at .500, Hocanson believes the team can improve down the long stretch of games in the next
couple months. “Overall I think the trip wasn't as successful as we had hoped,” Hocanson said. “Even though we played some of the top teams, we still expect to beat them. I think the best by far was how well the freshmen pitchers did when they were called upon to pitch. As for improvement, as a pitching
staff we walked and hit way too many batters that cost us a couple games.” The Rock returns to action today at 1:00 when it will host defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference c h ampi on C a l i for n i a University of Pennsylvania in a doubleheader at Jack Critchfield Park.
SRU makes NCAA's for fourth time
JASON ELLWANGER/THE ROCKET
Junior guard Marlynda Harland jumps up to take a shot over California University of Pennsylvania defenders. The Rock now heads on the road after going winless in its two game home stand.
Continued from Page B-1
year.” The Hilltoppers took multiple categories away from the Rock in the box score. West Liberty shot at a 48.7 percent clip from the floor on the night and was able to outrebound the Rock, who was first in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and eighth in the nation in rebounding, 52-45. Reynolds said that West Liberty’s experience was one of the differences in the game.
“We’re among the top teams in the country in rebounding,” Reynolds said. “They just didn’t miss many shots. We had difficulty rebounding.” West Liberty was also able to boast five players in doublefigures, while the Rock only finished with half as many. Senior forward Jabril Bailey led the Green and White with 12 points and had nine rebounds, just one away from a doubledouble.Freshman Aubin Reeves and senior forward Joe Vines were the next closest with 10 points each.Senior forwards Maron Brown and Jade Burka
each notched eight points. On Tuesday, Brown was named to the All-Atlantic Region secondteam. Reynolds said that the team has come a long way since he first took the reigns. “We’ve increased our win number by 300 percent,” Reynolds said. “All three years we’ve had at least one player on each the All-PSAC first and second teams. We also made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in school history. Seventeen of 19 guys have graduated and we’re about to add eight more to that. They’ve excelled on and off the court.”
Sports NCAA selection process needs to be redone B-4
March 18, 2011
Continued from Page B-1
schools that are contenders in the tournament. After hearing different debates about which 68 teams should have been in the tournament and where they should be ranked, there was still only one question on my mind. Why do the members of the selection committee have a st a ke in t he tou r n am e nt s e l e c t i on process? Are t he y t he most knowledgeable? I doubt it. Is there a reason for them to be biased? Yes. Here is my proposition to make the tournament selections better. Get people who have a lower chance of bias to select the tournament field. How about sports writers and sports analysts? Those are the people who vote on the regular season polls and decide rankings throughout the season. This would take away some of the possible biases that can be created by the committee. T he arg u m e nt t h at these sports reporters and analysts have favorite teams and may be biased is still less important than a leader of a school’s sports programs or of a conference being in charge of selecting the field. There is no way that you can say the athletic director of a program like University of TexasSan Antonio doesn’t sit back and realize how
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Junior forward Kevin Jones takes a 3-point shot against Clemson in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday afternoon. West Virginia defeated Clemson by a final score of 84-76. The Mountaineers will face Kentucky in the 3rd round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday.
much making the NCAA tournament will help his program when selecting who will be the final teams in to the tournament. This season UTSA won its conference tournament and received an automatic
bid in to the NCAA tournament. But what if UTSA had lost in the conference tournament and had a resume that put them in the debate as one of the final teams. If it had an
equal resume with another “bubble” school, who do you think the athletic director from UTSA would select to make the field? On a lighter note, the NCAA tournament is
a l w ay s e x c i t i n g a n d something to look forward to each year. With parity throughout the field this season, upsets, Cinderella stories, and buzzer-beaters should
fill this year’s tournament, as we've already seen with Richmond and Morehead State winning in upsets. My pick for which team will win this year’s tournament is the Kansas Jayhawks.
FOCUS
March 18, 2011
The Rocket
C-1
Concert proceeds donated to RAINN By James Meyer Rocket Contributor
photo Courtesy of Ayaka Hikosaka
Ayaka Hikosaka's home, Urayasu City, is built on a landfill that is usually fine unless disturbed by something like a large earthquake. The ground quickly turns to mud and caused many problems with roads and Disneyland. "My home is built on the ocean, so when the land shakes, water seeps in and it just turns into a milkshake-type substance," Hikosaka said.
Families of Japanese students, faculty safe By Stephanie Nicotra Rocket Focus Editor
When Ayaka Hikosaka’s mother called her early Friday morning, she knew something was wrong. Hikosaka, 21, a junior t h e at e r m aj or, w a s about to learn about the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that unleashed one disaster upon another on Japan. According to the United States Geological Survey, there have been hundreds of aftershocks and dozens have been over a magnitude of 6.0. Friday’s quake makes it the most powerful Japan has had in at least 130 years and ranks fourth in the world since 1900.
The northeastern part of Japan’s island of Honshu, the Tohoku region, was the most affected area by the quakes and the surprise tsunami. Tokyo, the most populated city in the world, is not far from this region. Hikosaka’s home is in Urayasu City, about 5 minutes from Disneyland and 15 minutes from Tokyo. Hikosaka’s father, who works for Dell Computer, walked three hours to his home on Friday because there was no electricity or transportation. Hidosaka said that he just wanted to be with his family, but most people stayed at school or work because it was safer.
“I knew something was wrong because my mom wouldn’t call me just about an earthquake,” Hikosaka said. “Earthquakes are common in Tokyo, so there was more to it. My mom asked if I had heard the news. After that I went on Google News, Twitter and Facebook to find out what was happening.” Hikosaka, like so many people around the world, watched in shock as the death toll climbed from 30 to what is expected to be over 10,000 people. “I wanted to go back to Japan, I wanted to buy my ticket for the next flight over to help and see my family and friends but my mom told me
to just stay here,” Hikosaka said, gesturing to three bags full of cans and other items, and a duct-taped box labeled ‘Pray for Japan’. “So I’m going to try to collect as many donations as possible to give to the Red Cross.” When the Japanese language instructor, Yukako Ishimaru, from Saga on Kyushu, the southernmost island, first heard about the disaster, she said she was in shock and couldn’t believe it. “I didn’t think this disaster would kill so many,” Ishimaru said. “I honestly wasn’t really concerned at first, but as the reports came SEE DISASTER, PAGE C-3
Some issues are considered taboo and too difficult to talk about. This is especially true of sexual assault and sexual abuse. RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is a charity devoted to breaking the silence about all forms of sexual abuse and encouraging victims to come forward. The organization maintains sexual assault hotlines, cooperates with law enforcement and policy makers, and promotes education for the prevention and treatment of sexual assault and sexual abuse. According to www.rainn. org, 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police, and 15 out of 16 rapists will never spend a day in jail. But the problem doesn’t go away after the crime has been committed. Victims of sexual assault are more at risk for depression, alcohol and drug addiction, and are four times more likely to contemplate suicide. College students are more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other age group. RAINN offers many res ources for students to get involved in addressing this problem. We d n e s d a y night, SRU’s Music Therapy Club sponsored a RAINN benefit concert. “I discovered RAINN about a year ago when I was doing a research project,” Katy Capestrani, 21, a
senior music therapy major said. “Last year we did a benefit concert for Haiti, and we decided we wanted to make it an annual event to do a benefit concert for a good cause.” Several groups from within the College of Humanities and Fine & Performing Arts came together to contribute to the show. “It was nice to get so many people on campus involved and passionate about the event,” Angela Junker, 22, a music therapy major and president of the music therapy club said. Representatives from the Women’s Center, Kaitlyn Veiock, 20, a sophomore psycholog y major and Josh Rodgers, 21, a senior psychology and political science major hung shirts for the Clothesline Project. The Clothesline Project is an activist movement started in 1990 in which survivors and supporters make t-shirts, which bear witness to sexual assault and sexual abuse. Concert performances included poetry, music and dance. The show ended with a display of luminaries, decorated by attendees during the intermission, and a moment of silence for victims and survivors of sexual abuse. All of the proceeds from the concert were donated to RAINN, where the money will be used to maintain hotlines, provide education and promote public policy.
Slippery Rock Park By Andy Treese
Rocket Assistant Focus Editor
Every school week Slippery Rock is consistently a bustling town, with rows of cars driving on Main Street and Franklin Street, and even more people walking around on and off the SRU campus. Head a little North on Main Street, just over the hill leading out of town, and one would find the Slippery Rock Park, a park not well-known to SRU students, but enjoyed year-round by residents of the town, according to post-baccalaureate resort recreation major, Steve Ball. Ball said the park always has many different things to offer the community year-round, from an on-site preschool to many different classes, including classes for gymnastics, music, computers and gardening. “When I look at Slippery Rock as a whole, I could really see [the park] as the heart of it,” Ball said. “All the things that I’ve always been impressed by in Slippery Rock run through here. Besides the university, with the communities, families and everyone, I would say this is the absolute heart of Slippery Rock.” According to Park Director Mary Messer, the Slippery Rock Park was originally a bakery until the 1960s, when the Slippery Rock Borough Council received the property. Upon this, the council applied for grants through the 1960s and 1970s in order to acquire enough funding to establish the first park. Messer said the park currently spans over
60 acres and has several pavilions, sporting fields and playgrounds, but when the park was first created, it took up 8 acres. “When there are developments in the area, ‘green space’ is donated to the park, and that’s how some of the park property is acquired,” Messer said. Located on the park’s property, in addition to the playgrounds and fields, are a recreational center used for the preschool, as well as, a local library and the local food cupboard. In appearance, the park is rustic and simple. The buildings for the recreation center, library and food cupboard are older, and wooden post signs with carved yellow letters are spaced out across the property. Because activity at the park is constant each day, and because of the age of the buildings, the amount of constant maintenance the park requires is high, according to Supervisor of Grounds and Maintenance Robert Agostino. “Pretty much every day, something else comes up,” Agostino said, when describing various things to do for the park’s maintenance and upkeep. “You go from mopping up floors and setting up tables, to lying on your back fixing a water pipe on the ground underneath a sink or inside the wall. Everything’s old back here.” Agostino said the winter season is more lax when it comes to his work load, because there isn’t much outdoor upkeep that can be done. But when the snow goes away, the work load increases significantly, adding SEE PARK, PAGE C-3
STEPHANIE NICOTRA/ THE ROCKET
(From left) Rachel Child and son, Isaiah, 4, recently moved to Slippery Rock from Maine and fell in love with the park. "Isaiah loves coming here, it is his favorite place to go so we try to come at least once a week," Child said as she twirled a hula-hoop. The park offers a library, preschool and playground. The park also offers classes in gymnastics, music, computer and gardening.
Focus
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March 18, 2011
Roping in a superb animation with western flair Film pick of the week:“Rango”
MICHAEL CHIAPPINI "To See or Not To See?"
4 Stars
For the last two years, animated films have been full of gimmicks and utterly forgettable. With the explosion of the use of 3-D technology in mainstream cinema in 2009 came a string of duds like “Monsters vs. Aliens,” “Megamind” and “Yogi Bear” - all of them promising so much and delivering so little. Three-D has had its successes, too. Think of “Toy Story 3” and “How to Train Your Dragon.” But the accumulating pile of detritus is far larger than the polished gems that are likely to be remembered. Enter “Rango,” an animated film not shown in 3-D and using the deadly genre of the western. This film has everything working against it, no special effects, no
Photo Courtesy of MCT Campus
"Rango" is full of jokes and references to classic films such as "Chinatown" and "Star Wars" due to screenplay writer, John Logan. Johnny Depp voices the main character, Rango.
anthropomorphic cars shooting up the place and only one big star that children and tweens will recognize— Johnny Depp— on its bill. Yet, I’m fairly certain this film is one of those gems that will be remembered. “Rango” tells a simple, archetypal tale that our American unconscious is very familiar with. A new guy rolls into a town and must use his heroism to protect its citizens from a villain. It’s the basis of every western our
American myth is built upon. Yet, director Gore Verbinski (“The Ring,” “Pirates of the Caribbean”) delivers this parody with a great deal of postmodern panache. The film’s title character is a pet chameleon (Johnny Depp, “The Tourist,” “Alice in Wonderland”) stranded in the middle of the Nevada desert. After coming upon the Old West town of Dirt, Rango accidently kills a hawk that has been terrorizing the animal citizens. The town’s
Michael's DVD Pick I accidently watched the documentary “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” this past week, and it was the best accident I’ve had in awhile. The documentary takes a look at our favorite caustic red-carpet mainstay,
giving an uncompromising study of fame and the tolls it can take. This is probably one of the best films I’ve seen in the last two years, and I don’t say that lightly. Check it out on Netflix Instant Play.
mayor (Ned Beatty, “Toy Story 3,” “Charlie Wilson’s War”) names him sheriff and Rango is suddenly up against a band of bad-guy rattlesnakes. With a water shortage and a multitude of other problems, Rango finds his hands full and his heroism tested. I’m always ambivalent towards Johnny Depp. He is ever-so-popular, yet I find his oddity to occasionally be off-putting. For every “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” and “Ed Wood” he has done, there is a “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Alice in Wonderland” to make me question his acting abilities. But, he does a fine job in this film lending his voice to one of the more lovable characters in recent animated cinema. He owes much of this to the brilliant screenplay writer John Logan, whose impressive writing credits include “The
Aviator” and “Gladiator.” The film’s script is written with great craft, full of intelligent jokes and nods at such great classics as “Chinatown,” “Apocalypse Now” and “Star Wars.” As a film nerd, I was really impressed with the complex inter-textual references. A child could easily enjoy the bravado and “Blazing Saddles”-inspired fart jokes, while an adult can appreciate the great burlesque of American culture and western film. The animation was superb. I realize that animation is now done entirely with computers and CGI, but because this film was not in 3-D, it retained a certain amount of whimsy and creativity that’s lost when a giant computer graphic is leaping off the screen at you. The western landscape was rendered beautifully for a
cartoon. This is certainly a film to see on the big screen if you get a chance. “Rango” is a great film for children and adults, one that doesn’t attempt to exploit its viewers with expensive gimmicks. It’s my hope that many families take their children to this film and a message is sent to production companies that 3-D isn’t always necessary. But I’m pretty pessimistic considering the long list of 3-D films still to be released this year: “Kung Fu Panda 2,” “Cars 2,” “Transformers 3,” “The Smurfs,” “Spy Kids 4,” “Happy Feet 2,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked,” etc. Oi. Michael Chiappini is a senior English literature and philosophy major, film and media studies minor and a regular contributor to The Rocket.
Care Break provides new experiences in new places for students
Chloe Finigan "Freshman Insider" Friday night I sat in my room, looking at my duffle bag a few feet in front of me on the floor. For a moment, I began to doubt if I was doing the right thing. Should I’ve just gone home? Maybe save me some cash. Find a job. But something in my head was pushing me to do this. It was pushing for a new experience. I needed a change and this was going to be it. With that said, going into the Care Break, I was nervous. I knew nobody and had no degree of expectations. All the doubts I had about the trip suddenly revealed themselves at once. The risk seemed greater than it did a week ago, but it was too late. I had my bags packed and was ready to go. What I got out of the trip was so much more than I had ever expected. It was my first time volunteering and my second trip far away. It was a completely new experience, to say the least, with a rough start. I arrived late for the bus and found a seat in the
back. I felt out of place and overwhelmed. I sat in the coach bus and slept most of the way on the 8-hour bus ride, thinking good thoughts for this trip. And even though it was hard at first, the more we shared as a group, the more the tension seemed to just slip away. What bonded us was the weekly work, the reason we traveled 8 hours. Working on an abandoned mobile home in a small garage in the Greeneville, S.C. can show a person more than you think. The program, Homes of Hope, gives a roof to those who need it most. It uses its resources and works on a smaller scale, like finding an abandoned trailer home. The organization mainly works around its town of Greeneville. A town, as I have learned, has many problems with homelessness and drugs. The program hopes to clean up the town and help as many people as possible, and it has already done so much. All of the differences in the city that we noticed were universal. Since we all came from the same school and the same environment, any change one person noticed, we all noticed. The trip really opened our eyes to a new culture. We got to talk to the workers who have lived in Greeneville, and we saw the city, the downtown, the homeless center and so much more.
CHLOE FINIGAN/ THE ROCKET
The Care Break crew bonded over the bus trip and weekly work on an abandoned mobile home in Greenville, S.C. The organization the crew helped was Homes of Hope, works on a smaller scale to provide a roof for people who need it most.
It reminded me of what I had experienced when I first got to school, but it was much more severe. Instead of making fun of my driving skills or the words that I say, there were much bigger differences. There weren’t any small quirks, but huge belief systems and societal norms. The whole town seemed like a foreign country and it helped me grow culturally. What also made this program special beyond
the work activities were the workers themselves. All week we have gotten to work with men who have had struggles throughout their lives and now they’re overcoming them. Hearing all of their stories and how they have changed is a truly humbling experience. All of the minor details in day-to-day life, all of the trouble that can get us down are suddenly brought to light on a huge scale.
There is so much more world out there than most of us realize, and this trip has opened my eyes to that. We have seen mountains from 3,500 feet in the air, making the masses that once overwhelmed us an easy comparison. We have seen in ourselves in all kinds of perspectives, and have had the chance to reevaluate ourselves. I know that I come back from the south with more experience and a
completely different attitude. It’s almost strange to think about my beliefs before this trip. Never again will I doubt myself when it comes to a change, as I’ve discovered by leaving home. The only thing change can bring is a new perspective. Chloe Finigan is a freshman emerging technology and multimedia major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.
Focus
March 18, 2011
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Disaster raises alternative energy concerns
Photo courtesy of Ayaka Hikosaka
Streets like this one in Urayasu City were a common sight after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake on Friday in Japan.
Continued from Page C-1
in and the videos on the internet showed a huge wave moving toward cars that were swept away. What happened to those people driving them? I lost my words. It was shocking. The most upsetting part of this was that so many people saw people die in front of them, but they couldn’t do anything about it because the tsunami was too powerful.” To help in the healing process, Hikosaka has started
fundraising by herself, but hopes that more people will become aware of the need. She plans on putting boxes for donations in public places around Slippery Rock and hold a bake sale. Ish i m ar u h as a ls o considered doing some fundraising with the Japan Club. Ishimaru said that the students will stand in front of places around campus with a tin to gather money. “The best way to help is
to donate money,” Ishimaru said. Another idea Ishimaru had to raise money was to have a session to teach students how to create origami cranes or maybe give origami cranes to students. She e x pl ai ne d t he importance behind the origami crane in the Japanese culture. “One thousand origami cranes are usually given to patients in a hospital to wish for good health and a fast recovery,” Ishimaru said. “This is something Japan needs: support. I cannot appreciate enough what all the countries are doing to help Japan. I was very, very surprised how much we are loved, despite what we did so many years ago. But people are so nice.” Ishimaru said that she heard that over 100 countries are helping. She was surprised that Afghanistan donated a large amount of money to aid in the search for survivors and the countries Japan has had land disputes with such as Russia, China and Korea have been helping as well. “Politics doesn’t matter in such disasters,” Ishimaru said. As a music therapy major, Ai Nakatsuka, 26, from Gumma, a region just north of Tokyo, wants to put together a benefit concert like the one that was held for Haiti last semester. Nakatsuka’s family and friends are safe, but she thinks that it will take a very long time to heal emotionally.
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Despite everything, one good thing the disaster did was to reconnect people, Ishimaru said. Friends and people she hadn’t seen in years emailed her to make sure her family was safe, which they were. Her brother, Tomohide Ishimaru, a hair-stylist, is a manager of a successful business in Tokyo and was really shaken by the disaster that hit so close to home. “Japanese culture is about sacrificing,” Ishimaru said. “That is just how we are raised. My brother feels responsible for the store and the people around it. I wanted him to leave, but he is staying because he wants to make the people feel safe and comfortable by continuing to work normally.” The main issues facing the Japanese people are the nuclear plant damage and refugees, according to Ishimaru. Nuclear power plants are main sources of electricity, so many are left without power and the refugees need food, medicine, blankets and water. “People are sacrificing themselves every day to fix the nuclear plants,” Ishimaru said. “But the best literature is usually produced after a traumatic event, such as WWII so I hope that advancements in technology will produce a better way to get power. Let this be a lesson to other countries to look for better ways to create electricity like solar, wind or water. We have to have an alternative power source.”
STEPHANIE NICOTRA /THE ROCKET
(From left) SRU Elementary Education alumni, Kate Drum, took her daughter, Story Glenn, 2, to the Slippery Rock Park Thursday.
Park heart of the town Continued from Page C-1
the upkeep of the lawns and sport fields to his list of things to do. As the only full-time maintenance employee, Agostino said he often has to take on all of his tasks by himself, unless he has volunteers helping him through the day. “There are times that I wish I had six arms instead of just two,” he said with a laugh. Before starting work at the park last fall for his practicum, Ball, 28, said like other students, he didn’t know very much about the park, and that one of the reasons he initially applied for the position was convenience in location. When he interviewed for the position, Ball said he saw the various activities and programs the park offers to the community and was highly impressed. “The first [factor] was convenience because it was
close, to be honest, but then I checked out the YMCA and this and that,” Ball said. “I came down here to do an interview and I saw all the different programs they have to offer and how they actually do interact with the community.” Messer said the park provides all sorts of activities for the community on and off of the property to provide different services and for children and adults in the community to provide a positive impact. Since the park is a nonprofit organization, Messer said the Pennsylvania budget cuts are going to heavily affect the park in the future and that donations are going to prove highly helpful, but one particular element keeps the park alive. “The park won’t survive without the volunteers that we attract through the community,” she said. “We cannot be selfsustaining at all without the help of the community.”
Focus
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March 18, 2011