The Slate 3-23-21

Support and welcome all people, B1

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Baseball player makes history, E1

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Volume 64 No. 16

ACT holds vigil in quad

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Spring starts SGA senator elections

Siobhan Sungenis Asst. News Editor

The Student Government Association (SGA) is gearing up for spring senator elections.

In an email sent out March 15, Riley Brown, SGA 2021-22 president-elect, emphasized the role of senators in campus life. “From student life senators to academic senators to class senators, members of student government bring concerns to the table from fellow students and serve as a liaison between them and the university,” Brown said.

There are 19 senator positions available this semester. They are separated into three categories: student life, academic and class. Each category will fo-

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate

The ACT (Ask, Communicate, and Teach Tolerance) Committee organized a vigil Monday night in remembrance of the victims of the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia. Additional coverage will be available online at theslateonine.com. More than 50 people attended the event outside of the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library.

APSCUF president calls out PASSHE chancellor’s remarks Noel Miller News Editor

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Chancellor Daniel Greenstein is facing criticism from state system faculty union leadership and members.

Jamie Martin, Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) president, said many APSCUF members perceived Greenstein’s remarks during a senate hearing as a threat, according to an APSCUF press release.

Greenstein said the

“threat” at a March 18 state senate budget-appropriations hearing.

“Unless we figure this out, I will be recommending to the board that we come back to the senate next year with a legislative package to dissolve the system,” Greenstein said.

Martin responded to the chancellor’s remarks calling them “reckless and irresponsible,” according to the press release.

“The chancellor should be a leader and advocate for higher education in Pennsylvania, but his suggestion only creates fear, uncertainty and

mistrust for students, their families, faculty, coaches, staff and Pennsylvania residents,” Martin said. “His detrimental testimony crossed a line, and we are shocked, appalled and outraged.”

Martin will call for an APSCUF executive council emergency meeting this week to “discuss the situation” “Action must be taken,” she said in the press release.

The chancellor’s remarks can be found at the 52:23 minute mark online at pasenategop.com/blog/ state-system-of-higher-education/.

R3 testing program suspended, modified protocol implemented Noel Miller News Editor

Shippensburg University officials temporarily suspended COVID-19 coronavirus testing at the Raider Rapid Results Testing Center (R3 Center).

The decision comes after the Pennsylvania Department of Health suspended testing at the laboratory SU uses.

After the testing program was suspended, officials implemented a modified testing protocol until further notice, according to an email from Scott Barton, senior vice president of administration and finance, sent to students on March 17.

The performing laboratory for R3 results is ShieldT3 Health in Sunnyvale, California, according to R3 testing documents.

According to the email, the Pennsylvania Department of Health suspended testing at the laboratory that analyzes R3 tests. Officials said the downtime is expected to be minimal, however, the timeline of resuming R3 testing is “fluid.”

While the R3 program is suspended, modi-

fied testing protocols were implemented like the “surveillance model” for students living on-campus in residence halls.

Vice President of External Relations and Communications Kim Garris said in an email that 20% of residential students will be randomly selected and mandated for testing.

The surveillance model will also be used for students using the ShipRec, the email from Barton said. Extracurricular groups are following an alternate testing schedule, while faculty and staff testing will be suspended until the R3 program resumes, according to the email.

Etter Health Center will continue to provide tests for symptomatic individuals or those who believe they may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

Officials said the university is working with all of those involved with the R3 testing program to solve the issue, and that students, faculty and staff should remain socially distanced, wear masks and wash hands frequently.

cus on serving its assigned campus group.

Candidates turned in applications last week. Each person submitted an applicants statement of purpose, a personal biography and a personal portrait to be considered for the position.

The campaigning period is March 18 through March 28. Candidates are required to present speeches on March 25 at 5 p.m. The student body will be able to view the speeches over Zoom. SGA officials will email a link at a later date.

Voting begins on Monday, March 29, at 8 a.m. and will continue until Thursday, April 1, at 4 p.m.

Students can vote with the online voting system through a link sent to their SU emails.

For a complete list of SGA senator candidates, see A2

Students, SU archives work to document pandemic Noel Miller News Editor

History students are working with the Shippensburg University Archives and Special Collections to document the campus community’s experience during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Posters reminding you to wash your hands, stickers on the floor designating places 6-feet-apart to stand at and SU branded blue and red face masks will eventually disappear, but SU history professor Steven Burg and his “archives and public history” class aim to save evidence of this historical time.

Christy Fic the university archivist and Archives and Special Collections librarian, and Melanie Reed the archives technician, created the project last March in 2020, Reed said. They created a portal on the archives website where campus community members can donate documentation, it consists mostly of items from last spring and are still open to donations.

It has only been a year, but the project is still in its early stages of gathering information, Reed said. All donations are virtual for now, as photos, videos, stories and audio

recordings, the Archives and Special Collections portal said, physical donations might be accepted in the future.

Burg said now is the time to collect evidence and documentation. Evidence of the pandemic’s impact, like posters and socially distanced spaces will likely quickly disappear after the pandemic ends.

The course focuses on archives and teaches students skills they would use as an archivist and Burg has made the archives project part of his curriculum. Archivists are the record keepers of institutions, Burg said, and the pandemic provided his students the firsthand opportunity to be archivists.

His class sat down and looked at a chart of organizations on campus to determine key groups they should reach out to so they could provide a variety of different experiences.

“Hopefully we’ll leave behind future generations a great document of how we as a campus have made it through this experience,” Burg said.

While there is a plethora of things and events to document, Burg’s students face challenges in their archival work.

See “ARCHIVE,” A2

Noel Miller/The Slate

The University Archives and Special Collections is located in The Ezra Lehman Memorial Library Room 207 and is open by appointment only.

NEWS

A2

Campus Police Briefs Woman found with drug paraphernalia in campus parking lot

March 23, 2021

Your World Today

Commentary: Chancellor’s words hurt students, faculty

Campus police responded to a report of a person passed out in a vehicle in the G-1 parking lot on March 20. Officers found Abigayle Hollibaugh, a 20 year-old woman, passed out in the drivers seat. Hollibaugh consented to a vehicle search and officers found multiple drug paraphernalia items. Hollibaugh is being charged for possession of drug paraphernalia.

State Police Briefs Shippensburg man has credit card information stolen State police responded to Thompson Creek Drive Southampton Township where a 22-yearold man reported fraudulent charges on his credit card. The charges occurred between March 14 and March 15. The investigation is ongoing.

From “ARCHIVE,” A1

Shawn Pokrop, a junior history major with an emphasis in public history, is one of Burg’s student archivists. He said the hardest part of this project was getting people to talk about their experiences.

“Everyone was affected by this pandemic in different ways and some people lost a lot and some not so much. Many people I’ve talked to about it didn’t really want to open up and relive those memories since they were so recent,” Pokrop said.

Pokrop’s main focus for the project has been documenting the music department, specifically the marching band. As a member of the marching band, Pokrop was easily able to get documents and photos. He also had to look through the photos the band’s public relations crew took, and pick photos that showed how they handled the pandemic.

The archives project shows what is considered day-to-day life for the campus right now, however, its purpose is to serve future generations of students to educate them about this historical time.

“This project will impact future students at Ship by showing them what life was like specifically at their college,” Pokrop said. “In the case of COVID-19, most history books will probably talk about places like California or Florida but not Shippensburg or even Pennsylvania. It gives future students the opportunity to see what life was like in their own backyard during these crazy times.”

Pokrop believes that the COVID-19 coronavirus archive will not just educate future generations, but will show that if something like this happens again, Shippensburg University has and will be able to sail through those rough waters.

Agents found no evidence of backdated ballots, report says Marc Levy

Associated Press

U.S. Postal Service investigators did not find evidence of any backdated presidential election ballots in the post office in Erie, Pennsylvania, according to a report summarizing the investigation into claims by a postal worker that spurred calls from Republicans for a federal probe.

The presidential battleground of Pennsylvania was a key target for unfounded claims of election fraud by former President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans after Trump lost the state, and the election, to Democrat Joe Biden.

Agents from the Postal Service inspector general’s office found no evidence of backdated ballots after interviewing county and post office employees and reviewing ballots received by the Erie post office on Nov. 3 and afterward, the report said.

The report had been kept under wraps by the inspector general’s office until it

was posted, without an announcement, on Feb. 26.

Allegations by an employee, Richard Hopkins, became public Nov. 5 in a video released by Project Veritas, a conservative group that had been promoting voter fraud accusations on social media.

Citing Hopkins’ allegations, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for an investigation by the Department of Justice.

The name of the employee in the agents’ report is redacted, but the report discusses the same claims he made publicly, as well as his involvement with Project Veritas. Hopkins does not appear to have a publicly listed telephone number.

On Nov. 6, he told agents that he overheard a conversation between the postmaster and a supervisor that involved backdating ballots received after polls closed to “make them appear to have been received” on Nov. 3, which was Election Day, the

report said.

Three days later, on Nov. 9, he told the agents that he had not actually heard a conversation about ballots, but saw the postmaster and the supervisor having a discussion “and assumed it was about backdating ballots,” the report said.

He “acknowledged he had no evidence of any backdated presidential ballots,” the report said.

Postmaster Robert Weisenbach has called the allegations false, and the supervisor and the postal worker who controlled the postmarking stamps at the post office told agents they were unaware of any evidence of backdated presidential election ballots, the report said.

Doug Smith, Erie County’s chief clerk and clerk of elections, told The Associated Press at the time that the county had received about 140 ballots after the election.

Just five had an Erie postmark, while the rest were postmarked elsewhere from other post offices, Smith said.

Hannah Pollock Editor-in-Chief

It is no secret that the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is financially struggling.

When I was a senior in high school, I did not pay attention to the state system and did not understand the complexities of the governing body of my chosen university. I knew that the SU communication/journalism faculty and Slate staff members at the open house events made me feel welcomed and that I was going to gain a lot of valuable experience.

During a Pennsylvania Senate budget-appropriations hearing on March 18, Daniel “Chancellor Dan” Greenstein answered questions and gave an update of the state system. While most students are not interested in these types of hearings, it is important that all PASSHE students hear what our chancellor said.

“Unless we figure this out, I will be recommending to the board that we come back to the Senate next year with a legislative package to dissolve the System,” Greenstein said.

This is one of a few recent reasons why I am becoming increasingly fed up with the chancellor’s actions.

When Greenstein began his tenure on Sept. 4, 2018, PASSHE officials sold him as “a game changer” for the state system. PASSHE Board of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia Shapira said Greenstein would move the system to the “forefront of public university systems

in the United States.”

“Dan comes to us with an incredible level of knowledge and experience and the demonstrated temperament necessary to achieve great things. He will use all of that to help achieve excellence for our students and stakeholders, and — indeed — to write the template for 21st century public higher education in the nation,” Shapira said in a 2018 press release.

Greenstein was an oasis for the wearied traveler that was the state system. Unfortunately for us, he was nothing more than a mirage.

I visited the Capitol in Harrisburg for the first time during the spring of my freshman year before Chancellor Dan entered our lives.

I rode on a bus full of SU students who were meeting representatives from our 13 other sister schools to attend an annual advocacy rally at the Capitol.

I attended the event as a student-journalist, observing the groups of students visiting the offices of state officials detailing how the funding of the state’s higher education changed their lives.

We attended a Senate appropriations committee meeting where senators probed then interim PASSHE Chancellor Karen Whitney, SU President Laurie Carter and IUP Student Government Association (SGA) President Brian Swatt about the state system.

I remember a series of statements made by Sen. Scott Wagner (R).

A York Daily Record reporter also attended the hearing and recorded these quotes: “So, for those of you who think your school’s going to be around four years from now, it isn’t going to be around,” Wagner said.

“And I can tell you something, that we are going to stop pumping money into

this system and it’s ridiculous.”

Later in the hearing, Wagner continued: “This is a system that was set up years ago. It is doomed for failure. Financially, there’s just no path out of this unless you just keep throwing more money in.”

“Your school will close, and you do not matter,” is essentially what I and every student heard in that room. As a freshman, I was very concerned. Although I was fairly confident that the closure process would take longer than my degree timeline, it is completely worrying for a 19-year-old student to hear her school will shutter “around four years from now.”

But when Greenstein arrived, we were cautiously optimistic. We thought he could lead us to fix our problems. And while PASSHE’s problems could not be solved in a couple of years, we just needed to see progress. We needed to see that there was hope on the horizon for Pennsylvania higher education.

Whether the chancellor’s words were a figure of speech, threat, rhetoric or hyperbole, the words came out of his mouth.

How can we increase enrollment by convincing students that “Ship is it” if our leader makes these types of careless statements? I am a senior and will not be majorly impacted by the coming repercussions of the integrations and redesign.

But the chancellor’s words sent me straight back to how freshman year Hannah felt hearing that her university would cease to exist in “about four years.”

We have put in too much work fighting for our schools to let our leader throw it away.

PASSHE needs a “game changer,” not someone who threatens to end the game when it gets difficult.

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SGA Senator Candidates Student Life Senator Positions

Academic Senator Positions

- Transfer Students: Shadai Jorner - Commuter Students: Ian Thompson - Male Athletic: Cody Willoughby

- College of Education and Human Services: Ashley Smith - College of Arts and Sciences: Hunter Cramer - College of Business: Chase Carpenter - Exploratory Studies: Andrew Hare

Class Senator Positions - Class of 2022: Jordan Newsome-Little, Kevin De La Cruz - Class of 2023: Abigail Birtchet, Austin Correll - Class of 2024: Ian Davis

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

B1

Opinion The Slate Speaks

We must do more to support and welcome all people, cultures According to the Asian American Journalists Association, the shootings targeting Asian spas and businesses in Atlanta on March 16 killed eight people. Six of the victims were identified as Asian and seven were women. At least four of those killed were of Korean descent.

FBI Director Christopher Wray told NPR that the shootings “do not seem to be linked to race” but are instead “probably motivated by a sex addiction rather than racial animus.”

However, the shootings come during a time when there are increasing attacks on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.

President Joe Biden signed a memorandum condemning and combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance against AAPI community members in the United States on Jan. 26. The White House cited the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and xenophobic rhetoric as factors that heightened risks for Asian Americans.

Stop AAIPI Hate is a reporting center run in partnership by the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department. The organization tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning and bullying against AAPI community members.

The report focuses on the time between March 19, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021, in which there were 3,795 reported incidents. Stop AAPI Hate said that women make up 68% of respondents in the report. These numbers do not account for those who did not report or share their experiences.

Graphic made by Hannah Pollock on Canva/The Slate

The rising numbers nationally are concerning but locally most of our population may not notice any differences.

According to the SU spring 2020 enrollment and compliance report, 78 undergraduate and graduate students, who account for only 1.4% of the student body, identify their race as Asian. No students identify as Pacific Islander. The spring 2020 enrollment was 5,652 undergraduate and graduate students.

Although it is a small population, we must create a welcoming community for all people from all cultures. If we do not take time to recognize and learn about one an-

other’s cultures, we foster an environment in which students with misconceptions and biases about Asian Americans and other campus minorities can graduate without having anyone challenging their beliefs because no one is teaching them differently. We should come to college to learn about other cultures and ideas, as well as to have our ideas challenged.

AAPI culture is more than Boba tea, anime, decorative nails and K-pop. All cultures are more than the popularized elements that the mainstream accepts and takes as its own. There is a rich history behind the cherry-picked traditions. We

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Letters must be no more than 300 words and may not contain derogatory language or messages of hate or discrimination.

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The unsigned staff editorial, “The Slate Speaks,” represents the views and opinions of The Slate as an organization. Participating editors help shape the staff editorial.

cannot pick and choose the “cool” or “popular” elements of a culture without recognizing and making an effort to learn and understand everything else.

We must offer our support not only in times of difficulty but in everyday interactions.

ACT (Ask, Communicate, Teach Tolerance) held a vigil Monday evening outside of the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library. There is a focus at SU for student-led initiatives. We tout our ability to start a group or hold events if one does not exist.

While it is important for student leadership, there also needs to be a certain level of university and com-

Management slate.ship@gmail.com Hannah Pollock...................Editor-in-Chief ........................................Managing Editor

THESLATEONLINE.COM Reporting truth.

Serving our community.

Contact Us slate.ship@gmail.com (717) 477-1778 Mailing Address The Slate - Shippensburg University CUB Box 106 1871 Old Main Drive Shippensburg, PA 17257 Office Location Ceddia Union Building Room 250 Shippensburg University Adviser Dr. Michael Drager About The Slate The Slate is a weekly, independent, student-run newspaper printed by the Gettysburg Times. Its print edition is published on Tuesdays and its website, theslateonline.com, is maintained 24/7.

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News slatenews@gmail.com Noel Miller....................................... Editor Siobhan Sungenis...................Asst. Editor Opinion shipspeaks@gmail.com Chase Slenker...........................Columnist Maria Maresca...........................Columnist Adam Friscia..............................Columnist Noah Steinfeldt..........................Columnist Matthew Unger...........................Columnist Ship Life slate.shiplife@gmail.com Chaela Williams......................Asst. Editor Morgan Barr............................Asst. Editor Sports slatesports@gmail.com Christian Eby................................... Editor Isaiah Snead...........................Asst. Editor A&E slateae@gmail.com Ryan Cleary......................................Editor criminate against anyone based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, political philosophy etc. Undergraduate and graduate SU students are hired based on skill, dedication and loyalty to the values and principles of journalism.

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munity support.

A social media post or giving a student organization the space for an event aids in helping the success of the event. These events have the same core group of people hosting and attending. But having university officials and faculty members present at events would also go a long way. This may also attract people who would not usually pay attention to the events remembering the history of and celebrating the students’ culture and heritage.

It is our community’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that all feel welcome on our campus, in our town and our nation.

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OPINION

B2

Letter to the Editor Editor’s note: This letter is in response to The Slate Speaks Staff Editorial that appeared in the March 2 edition and online at theslateonline.com titled, “The Slate Speaks: Students, faculty must work together in online learning.”

Dear Students, In response to the opinion piece: “The Slate Speaks: Students, faculty must work together in online learning,” I write to you as the director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). In this role, I work alongside my faculty colleagues and staff members who direct strategy initiatives on campus, including instructional technology and campus departments focused on student success. CETL’s mission is to expand our instructional identity in ways that enact varied and diverse methods to connect the process of teaching with the outcomes of learning.

One year ago, spring break was extended, and faculty prepared to teach remotely using new tools and with a renewed sense of defining what is important. Each Friday afternoon for the last year, a CETL focus group meets to discuss the student experience and ways to ensure that Ship has a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding hyflex teaching and learning. Also, during the fall semester, I met weekly with students to capture their unique stories. I recorded their comments and shared their recommendations with faculty. These insights continue to be shared with the president and provost, and many others. Faculty recognize firsthand the deep commitment most students have to persist in the face of anxiety, isolation, unreliable WIFI, and a general lack of motivation. We also see some students who are inattentive and disengaged. We are concerned when students lack materials; when they do not attend class; and when they do not use course/campus resources.

We value your insights and observations, especially acknowledging our good faith efforts to teach both in person and via zoom. We hear your concerns regarding the significant hours students spend completing assignments, working with peers, studying for exams, and, of course, attending class.

“Important achievement requires a clear focus, all-out effort, and a bottomless trunk full of strategies, plus allies in learning.” Carol Dweck.

We know that many students balance employment, care for family, and have other responsibilities while also attending school full time. So, I write to you with a few recommendations: Pace Your Studying: At the end of each class, re-read your notes. Review a peer’s notes to compare your level of detail.

Answer these questions for yourself: • What concepts do I value?

• What concepts or skills are still unclear?

• When I think about XXX, where/how can I see yourself using this information in the future?

If you are uncertain how to respond, talk to your professor or a peer or learning specialists in Mowery Hall. Learning is not a solitary task, it requires communication, clarification, exploration and adaptation.

Share Your Knowledge and Skills: Content knowledge is deepened when you have ongoing conversations contextualizing the concepts and skills you are learning. Call a friend or your family member. Explicitly relate the information you are learning, review your notes during the conversation. It may seem strange, but a daily conversation summarizing your depth of understanding amplifies your knowledge and allows others to add their own understanding of information.

Plus, your friends and family will be able to celebrate your learning journey with you.

Learning takes time and attention. Think about the hours you spent mastering a skill, especially a skill you value.

Studying within a semester timeframe requires a clear understanding of your own personal pace of learning and completing tasks. We often underestimate the time it will take to read a chapter or study for an exam. So, break down that work into daily rehearsal you have on your own, with your peers, with your professors, and with your family.

Dr. Lynn Baynum Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning CETL@ship.edu Chair, Teacher Education Department Teach@ship.edu

Associate Professor in Early Childhood and Literacy Education Shippensburg University 216 Shippen Hall Shippensburg, PA 17257 717-477-1688 LFBayn@ship.edu

Commentary: Zoom may offer benefits for future snow days

Matthew Unger Staff Columnist

With warmer weather becoming more frequent and spring right around the corner, it is nice not having to worry about bringing out the snow blower and shovel like we did so many times last month. Hopefully, we can say goodbye to the snow until next year (or at least until December). But this begs the question: When the snow

does come again, will we have those good old “snow days” that we had in past years, or will these snow days be replaced by Zoom days?

It seems to have been a long time since any student has had a snow day. In February, the snow fell quite hard, but because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, schooling was not affected as most students were attending virtually on Zoom.

At least, that was mostly the case for Shippensburg because in-person classes didn’t resume until Feb. 22.

With classes being held on what would’ve been snow days in a normal year, I can only imagine that most students probably weren’t thrilled about this. I mean, come on, you want kids to log onto Zoom when there is perfectly good snow outside ready to be played in?

Take five minutes:

Maria Maresca Staff Columnist

In 1787, in the sweltering midsummer heat of Philadelphia, the founders pieced together the Electoral College in the Constitution, which would become the cornerstone of a new nation that had never been seen before. However, in recent times, many have derided the Electoral College as outdat-

I think that snow days have more of a meaning for students in elementary through high school than they do for college students.

If you are in elementary school, a snow day means a day of sledding and fun while high school students may use it as a day for sleeping in. For college students, on the other hand, snow in general can be a massive inconvenience.

This is especially true for commuter students who may not be sure if classes are going to be called off in the morning when they take to the road to drive to campus. I can only imagine how annoying it would be to drive all the way to campus only to realize class had been called off by a professor or that the university declared a snow day.

Having the option to “Zoom” into class may benefit commuter students if they

are unable to make it to class because of road conditions.

Now, I do believe that snow days are a perk of growing up. It was always great getting that call from school late at night saying that we would all be off tomorrow.

But ever since the coronavirus struck, we have all become increasingly knowledgeable of how to use Zoom to conduct school. Maybe it would not be the worst thing —especially for college students, who are paying a substantial amount of money to attend classes — to have the option to Zoom during future snow days. I know this may not be the most fun thing to do on the days when it snows, but it beats losing a class that you are spending your hardearned money on.

March 23, 2021

Commentary:

We have come too far to let up now

Adam Friscia Staff Columnist

One year after the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic changed our lives, signs of normalcy are emerging. Although it is far too soon to declare the health crisis over, recent developments are promising.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced his intention to make all Americans eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. With Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson creating mass quantities of doses, public confidence is growing.

And as the number of vaccinated people increases, the quality of daily life improves.

On March 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced relaxed safety protocols pursuant to the vaccines. According to the new guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals can gather indoors without wearing masks provided they are interacting with others who have completed the vaccination process. Additionally, fully vaccinated individuals exposed to the coronavirus no longer have to self-quarantine unless they exhibit viral symptoms.

But despite these encouragements, there have been few grounds for optimism in Pennsylvania. Since vaccines

became widely available, the commonwealth has ranked near the bottom of distribution nationwide. However, current trends suggest the state is finally making headway.

In a press release issued on March 18, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf touted the strides made locally.

“The pace of vaccinations in Pennsylvania is accelerating each day. We have made tremendous progress and today rank at or above the U.S. average for both first doses and those fully vaccinated,” Wolf said.

Wolf supported his claim by citing federal reporting.

“An analysis of CDC data on the number of vaccines administered per 100,000 of population over the past week (through March 17), puts Pennsylvania second in the nation behind only New Mexico. And, while these numbers fluctuate daily, this indicator demonstrates the state’s significant progress on vaccinating everyone who wishes to be vaccinated,” he said.

This positive news has many in the state preparing for better days. Here on campus, Shippensburg University’s plans for the fall semester include expanded in-person class meetings and a return to standard residency requirements.

While there is some light at the end of the tunnel, we must remain vigilant. Until most citizens are vaccinated, health risks remain. Wearing masks is not fun but it is effective at slowing the spread of the virus. In order to enjoy the fall season, we must continue practicing mitigation measures. We have come too far to let up now.

Say It Loud Check next week’s edition for student “Say It Loud” submissions

Disbanding the Electoral College, a disaster for democracy

ed, unfair and worthy of replacement with a popular vote system.

Although conducting presidential elections based on a popular vote is an appealing concept, ridding the United States of the Electoral College system would bring innumerable consequences. The system must remain intact to protect our elections because it prioritizes each state on an individual level, allows for candidates to consider the needs of all states while campaigning, and creates an effective voting system.

It is not reason enough to eliminate the Electoral College even when considering controversial elections where the candidate lost the election but won the popular vote.

If the country was to opt for a process that based its winner solely on the recipient with the most votes, then the states with the largest populations would dominate and candidates would naturally only campaign in those key areas to secure votes.

In the Anti-Federalist papers, a group of

founding fathers, including Patrick Henry, Melancton Smith and others who wrote under pseudonyms, were deeply concerned about individual states not harnessing enough influence against that of an all too invasive government. This directly correlates with the purpose of the Electoral College; it was established to give equal power to all states in the voting system, regardless of population. Candidates not becoming accustomed to issues that are held by states on their own is concerning. Instead of looking at the country as one entire body, the Electoral College system considers each state’s interests and ensures that densely populated places do not undermine less populous areas. The Electoral College itself was formed so that single majorities would not kickstart a system of oppression and in today’s polarizing political climate, this should be avoided at all costs. In reference to the highly anticipated 2020 election, recounting votes would have been more disastrous if a popular vote

had been in place instead of recounting by state. A national popular vote would impact the voting process by forcing the federal government to uphold voting standards.

In contrast, The Electoral College keeps the concept of federalism alive, which is the shared power between national and state governments. The popular vote would only stymie policy because it heavily focuses on the individual running, and not what they stand for. Finding a way to make policy and headway at the congressional level should take precedence instead of relying on who won and lost.

The founding fathers had one concept in mind when forming the Electoral College: The American people. Disbanding the Electoral College would hinder progress and only increase the tensions of ostracization if a popular vote system was installed. The interests of the American people are the most important which is why the Electoral College is here to stay.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Ship Life

C1

APB hosts teddy bear and tie-dye event Chaela Williams

Asst. Ship Life Editor

Students gathered in Shipppensburg University’s Ceddia Union Building’s (CUB) multi-purpose room (MPR) to spend the night stuffing teddy bears to add to their stuffed animal collection and tie-dye shirts on March 20.

A line wrapped around the first floor as students waited to create their own teddy bear in a “Build-A-Bear”-inspired style. Students were given the choice between six different animals to stuff ranging from giraffes to pandas.

The Activities Program Board (APB) made sure participants followed the campus COVID-19 coronavirus safety regulations by distancing certain amount of participants to different stuffing stations and tie-dye tables.

Each stuffing table contained mountains of white polyester material, a pink and purple heart to give the teddy bears “life” and a birth certificate so students could give their stuffed animals a name and a birthdate.

The event was a nice breather for students as many prepared to use the weekend to study for their upcoming midterms.

Heather Ross/ The Slate

SU students could choose from a variety of different animals to stuff and different hearts to make their teddy bear more personalized.

SU students shoot hoops at Hoops Against Hunger

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate

Students attended “Hoops Against Hunger” at the ShipRec on March 20. Attendees played basketball games including Knockout, musical basketball and a 3-point shooting contest to bring awareness to youth food insecurity. Winners of the games received prizes during the two-hour event.

Recipe of the Week:

Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Ingredients: -Zucchini -Olive oil -Grated parmesan cheese -Garlic powder -Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Cut zucchini into ¼ inch rounds 2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and pepper 3. Add zucchini to bowl and shake, making sure zucchini is coated 4. Layer zucchini rounds in the air fryer 5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of zucchini.

6. Air fry for 12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Recipe and photo by Morgan Barr/The Slate

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

D1

A&E File photo/The Slate

The SHAPE Gallery hosts numerous art exhibits throughout the year.

SHAPE Gallery suspends operation Ryan Cleary A&E Editor

The Shippensburg Arts Programming and Education (SHAPE) Gallery announced the suspension of all operations until further notice due to damage caused by an apartment fire above the gallery over the weekend.

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and water damages forced the gallery to remain closed for seven months during 2020. The gallery reopened to the public on Sept. 25.

SHAPE officials said no one was injured during the fire and no artwork was damaged. Officials credit the quick thinking of the SHAPE board president who saved the artwork. However, the gallery did not escape unscathed during the March 20 fire.

SHAPE Gallery officials said monthly exhibits, SHAPE Shoppe and all art classes or art demos are postponed until further notice.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and reopen as soon as possible,” officials said in a Facebook post.

The SHAPE Gallery, located at 19. E. King Street, is an art exhibit in Shippensburg. The newest exhibit, “Unmuted” launched on March 5,

Photo courtesy of Twitter @ZackSnyder

The four-hour movie depicts Snyder's depiction of the “Justice League.”

Review: ‘The Snyder Cut’ delivers director’s epic four-hour vision Adam Beam Staff Writer

When “Justice League” hit theaters in late 2017, it was both a critical and financial disaster. With stories of endless production troubles and expensive reshoots, many felt that it was doomed from the start. The most notable being the replacing of director Zack Snyder with Marvel “Avengers” director Joss Whedon. It was clear that Zack Snyder’s dark vision of the iconic heroes was greatly watered down and saturated into an unrecognizable mess.

However, over the past three years since its release, Snyder’s fans and supporters petitioned and lobbied endlessly for the release of the director’s original vision. Finally, after billboards and hashtags galore, Warner Bros. finally delivered the long-awaited Snyder Cut in all its four-hour glory.

The film sees the world following the death of Superman. Because of his passing, Earth is now opened to far greater threats. It is now up to Batman and Wonder Woman to assemble a team of heroes (Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg) to save the day. The threat they face is the forces of Apokolips, led by Steppenwolf in a quest to retrieve all three Mother Boxes in the name of Darkseid.

The biggest issue that the theatrical “Justice League” had was taking Snyder’s four hour story and condensing it to a measly two hours. Along the way, character development, story beats, even entire subplots van-

ished from the movie. While four hours is a lengthy runtime for any movie, the expanded time allows our characters to breathe. Characters like Cyborg now have a purpose in the film, characters like The Flash now have more personality and depth than lame jokes. It also allows for characters to build a connection and interact more, which is something you think they would want to keep in a team-up film no matter which version you watch.

While this cut of the film is superior, that does not mean that the film is flawless. There are still the same Zack Snyder trappings.

There are times when he relies way too heavily on style over substance, with an almost comical amount of slow-motion. You will also find moments where the visual effects look quite unpolished. However, in that instance I give the film slack due to Snyder only having $20 million to finish any unfinished work.

Despite the flaws, “The Snyder Cut” will give fans exactly what they want, and it is clear that Zack Snyder’s passion for this material leaps off the screen with every frame. If you were let down by the theatrical cut, you owe it to yourself to give “The Snyder Cut” a chance. It is truly the definitive version of the film. While it is unclear if Warner Bros. will continue the story of Snyder’s “Justice League,” as they have attempted to go in new directions with their film slate, it’s still important that you sit down and see what this film was truly meant to be.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is now streaming on HBO Max.

Billboard Top 10 1. What’s Next -Drake

6. Up - Cardi B

2. Wants and Needs- Drake feat. Lil Baby

7. Save Yours Tears - The Weeknd

3. Lemon Pepper Freestyle- Drake feat. Rick Ross

8. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

4. Leave The Door Open- Silk Sonic

9. 34+35 - Ariana Grande

5. Drivers License - Olivia Rodrigo

10. Mood - 24kGoldn feat iann dior

The Music Corner What has Asst. A&E Editor Austin Trevino been listening to this past week?

Songs

Artists

1. Against The Wind

Bob Seger

2. Memento Mori

Red Vox

3. Carry On 4. Here 5. & 6. Can’t Hold Me

Lillie Blue Lennox Hot Jam Factory Tally Hall Emily King

SUTV Preview Follow SUTV on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for all segments throughout the semester and check out its website at SUTVNews.org.

Tuesday: Sports

Wednesday: World News/ Entertainment

Thursday: Ship News/Weather

E1

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Sports

Cross-country, E2

Lacrosse, E4

Coast to coast LoBianco first player from California in baseball program

Photos courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info Jackson LoBianco of Irvine, California, is the first player in program history from the state.

Christian Eby Sports Editor

If you had asked Shippensburg University infielder Jackson LoBianco to point out Shippensburg on a map prior to his search of playing baseball at the collegiate level, he would not have had the faintest of clues.

Why would he? LoBianco, an Irvine, California, native did not even ponder the idea of playing collegiate ball on the East Coast. Let alone in a small town of roughly 5,000 people.

Sure, it was not something he would turn down if the right opportunity came along. He has always been one to accept change. But now, in the most astonishing of circumstances, LoBianco finds himself anchoring the shortstop position for the Raiders’ baseball program.

In a time when the recruiting landscape continues to change, especially with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic last March, recruiting coordinators are not having to travel to see athletes in person as often. While that portion of the process is still important, in a case like LoBianco’s, venturing to the other side of the country was not exactly an option.

However, through the online scouting organization, Next College Student Athlete (NCSA) — where future collegiate athletes can upload game film — LoBianco connected with SU. Shippensburg baseball recruiting coordinator Sean Williamson was in search of filling the hole at shortstop from the 2020 class. Williamson said LoBianco checked all the boxes.

“Jackson had done a good job of having a good collection of videos on his NCSA page and YouTube, where I could get a good feel for the type of player he was,” Williamson said. “He had also gone to a few showcase events where certain metrics were taken (60yard dash, arm velocity, exit velocity), so we were able to add that to our evaluation.”

“At the end of the day, from his videos and speaking with coaches out his way, we could see a really athletic kid with great footwork, a strong arm and a solid swing.”

In fall 2019, LoBianco took a flight out to visit SU and shortly thereafter, picked up the phone and told the coaches, SU is where he wanted to call home for the next four years.

But LoBianco’s journey to SU became even more patented.

With his commitment to the Raiders, Lo-

Bianco carved his name in the Shippensburg history books before even stepping foot on the diamond — he is the first member of the SU baseball program from California. LoBianco’s entry into university history catalogs all the way back to 1874 when the baseball program was founded, with an official NCAA record eventually counting in 1927 when SU became a four-year degree-granting institution.

For LoBianco, while he said he is attending SU for the unique experience and the family atmosphere the university provides. When he thinks in the bigger picture, it is pretty crazy to know he stamped his family name in school history.

“I think when I really sit down and reflect on it, it’s absolutely surreal and crazy to think that that’s really true,” LoBianco said. “It’s not really a huge deal at the end of the day because we’re all just one team, one family.

But upon reflection, it’s definitely a shock, and something I feel I’ve been lucky to do and that I’m very appreciative of.”

As imagined, LoBianco’s transition to SU comes with its adaptations. LoBianco said the East Coast culture and even things like the Pennsylvania wildlife are some things he is not used to seeing.

However, he is soaking in every aspect.

“The amount of animal life here; I know that sounds strange but open space farms, the small-town thing, is completely different,” LoBianco said with a laugh. “I’m used to the

house on every block, things like that.

“I always say the culture on the East Coast is a lot more decompressing and that it was different, and I just felt like I would be able to grow as a person more, being away from home,” he added. “Having my own unique story and really branching out and trying something different — I had a feeling that it’d be a lot slower paced and calm, and I think I was right about that.”

Despite the more mellow pace, LoBianco has his sights set on some lofty goals in his freshman campaign: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Freshman of the Year, and as a team goal, national champions.

He credits himself as one to always shoot for the highest feats. It is why he puts in the constant work and dedication.

As of Saturday, LoBianco holds a .091 batting average and totaled three walks.

But in the end, LoBianco said the opportunity to play collegiate baseball is a blessing in itself. And being part of the Raider baseball crew, makes the entire experience that much sweeter. He knows as long as his teammates are at his side, he is in good shape.

“I think we go to the field every day for each other. To try and make something special happen,” LoBianco said. “To be remembered.

And that really gives us that extra gear. When we’re down and we’re just grinding through it, we just look around and see each other and that’s what pushes us forward.”

LoBianco fields a ball at shortstop in one of the Raiders’ contests versus East Stroudsburg.

Swimming impresses in Day 1 of second meet Jack Ansley Staff Writer

The men’s and women’s swim teams competed in their second Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) virtual swim series Friday and Saturday, with a slew of Raiders touching the wall in impeccable time.

Some of the Day 1 top performances for the Raiders came from freshman Michael Salvatori in the 1,000 freestyle. This was Salvatori’s first time swimming in the event, finishing with a time of 10:04.27. Salvatori’s impressive effort in the event is projected to be one of the Top 10 times in the conference for the 1,000-freestyle event.

Another solid performance during the meet for the men’s team was by senior Eric Zimmerman. Zimmerman improved his time in the 1,000 freestyle event by 10 seconds, hitting the wall at 10:28.79. Sophomore Michael Hannig bested his time by more than a minute, pacing 10:35.55.

In the 200 individual medley, junior Matt Bochanski posted a time of 1:58.56, an improvement of four seconds from his seed time in the previous meet. Junior Trevor Woolwine also improved his time in the IM, with a time of 2:00.35, an improvement of eight seconds.

In the 50 freestyle, senior Hunter Keck placed with a time of 21.84 seconds. Right behind him is junior Andrew Hale with a time of 22.07 seconds. Freshman JC Greenwood, and sophomore Elijah Zinn added times of 22.33 and 22.38 in the event.

Hale also placed first in the men’s 100 butterfly with a time of 53.24.

The women’s team also had a solid performance over the two-day meet, having multiple swimmers improve their

Photo courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info.

Junior Tomomi Nakano swims in one of Friday’s second virtual meet events at Donald N. Miller Pool at Heiges Field House.

times and climb up the conference leaderboard.

In the 500 freestyle, freshman Marissa Bitner won the event with a time of 5:22.96. Right behind her was junior Tomoni Nakano, with a time of 5:28.55.

In the 100 backstroke, freshman Sammy Taylor posted a time of 59.22. Taylor would not be the only one to break the 60 second mark in the event. Senior Mari Reott also posted a time of under one minute at 59.97.

Shippensburg junior Natalie Wiley improved her standing

in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:09.96.

Overall, both teams had very successful days. Several Raiders shaved multiple seconds off their seed times and improved the team standings in the conference. Additionally, multiple Raiders have placed within the Top 10 swimmers on the conference performance list.

This weekend’s meet served as the second of three virtual meets for the teams before the PSAC Championships. The final meet is scheduled for early April.

SPORTS

E2

March 23, 2021

XC ends season in fashion at PSAC Championships Christian Eby Sports Editor

It was no secret that the Shippensburg University men’s and women’s cross-country teams were in for their share of a unique season.

For starters, both teams had only two regular season meets on their schedules. The competitive field at most contests had shrunk. However, the end goal was to see the light at the end of the tunnel: The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships.

That end goal was brought to fruition Saturday, with both teams taking the course at Lock Haven University.

The Raiders had a slight advantage entering the meet as the teams’ first contest took place at Lock Haven. However, the course presented a different feel this time around — the Feb. 23 meet was a road race due to poor course conditions brought on by snow.

Despite the course change, the Raiders concluded their season with respective finishes; the men’s team notched a second-place curtain, and the women’s team capped off their season with a seventh-place tally.

The men’s team’s second-place title came way of their 64 points, only trailing winners of both races, Edinboro University. The Raiders improved from their showing in the 2019 championships, jumping from third to second.

Photos courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info.

The men’s cross-country team finished second at Saturday’s PSAC Championships. Chayce Macknair led the way, placing fifth, a six-spot jump from last year.

Similar to last year’s championships, sophomore and All-PSAC First Time honoree, Chayce Macknair, who had already sported a first and second-place finish this year, led the way for SU, piling on his impressive stat sheet with a fifth-place finish and a time of 15:21.7. Additionally, his fifth-place execution bests his performance from last season in which he finished 11th.

The women’s cross-country team notched seventh place Saturday at the PSAC Championships. Kyra Gerber paced the Raiders, claiming 15th, her first AllPSAC First Team performance.

Following Macknair, fellow sophomore and All-PSAC First Team awardee Andrew Dailey placed ninth with a time of 15:41.5, rounding out the SU runners in the Top 10. The 2020 PSAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year ends his campaign with two third-place tallies in addition to Saturday’s finishing of ninth.

Freshman Hayden Hunt led the first-year group, placing 12th at a time of 15:48.8. His noteworthy performance is the cornerstone to a solid rookie outing, which includes a pair of fourth-place markings.

Making his SU debut, Freshman Ian Sherlock made a lasting first impression, finishing 13th with a time of 15:50.3. He became the fourth Raider to bode the All-PSAC First Team list and crack the Top 20.

Freshman Aiden Gonder, who placed 26th at the 16:09.9 mark — a bright ending to a promising firstyear campaign — presented to be good enough for All-PSAC Second Team honors.

Other notable placings for the

men’s team included junior Nate Kaplon (35th) at 16:22.2, sophomore Alexander Ermold (52nd) at 16:40.1 and sophomore Cole Harris (68th) pacing 17:05.3.

Sophomore Nathan Harding, freshman Ryan Scicchitano and junior Andrew Feldman placed 76th, 80th and 81st, respectively. The trio hit times of 17:16.0, 17:26.9 and 17:27.4.

The Raiders extended their streak of Top 3 finishes at the PSAC Championships to eight years.

The women’s team also boosted their play from last year, going from eighth to seventh, thanks to their 191 points in Saturday’s contest.

Junior Kyra Gerber, who placed 15th with a time of 19:24.5, earned All-PSAC First Team honors and represented SU as its No. 1 runner.

Gerber, who did not make her first appearance until the team’s second meet during the regular season, built off her momentum from then, when she finished second.

Sophomore Isabelle Gulgert, 11 seconds off Gerber’s pace at

19:35.5, also earning All-PSAC honors (second team), notched a 22nd place finish for the Raiders. Prior to Saturday, Gulgert served as one of the women’s team’s top runners, thanks in part to first and sixthplace finishes.

Senior Isabella Marchini, seeing her first cross-country action this year, ended her collegiate career on a high note with a 34th-place curtain and a time of 19:55.8. Marchini earned All-PSAC First Team and All-Atlantic Region First Team honors in 2018.

Freshman Leah Moffit paced at 20:35.2, earning 56th.

Freshman standout Isabelle Weikert added to SU’s scoring at 64th, crossing the finish line at 20:43.2.

Sophomores Mackenzie Kurtz (77th) and Amanda Lavana (89th) rounded out the notable Raider representees with times of 21:07.1 and 21:21.2.

Raider of the week: Chayce Macknair

- Finished fifth at PSAC Championships in 122 runner field -Propelled Raiders to second-place finish overall

Photo courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info.

-Finished sophomore season with first, second and fifth place marks

Boxing club adapts to COVID-19 Jack Ansley Staff Writer

Over the past year, officials placed restrictions on many of the clubs at Shippensburg University due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The university has established guidelines for these clubs to have some in-person interaction on campus. Many clubs have been forced to change the way they interact to meet these guidelines.

One of the clubs that has been affected by this is the SU boxing club.

The SU boxing club was hit hard during the pandemic, having to adapt to these protocols. They were forced to move their practices outside and are not permitted to make any contact with each other while following the 6 feet social distancing rule.

The practices have been very limited in terms of what the team can and can’t do and how many people are allowed to attend the club’s training sessions. The club has only been allowed to have a few people practice at a time.

“Boxing is a very engaging sport, and we can’t do as much as we used to,” SU boxing club president Zy Medlock said.

According to Medlock, the practices have mainly consisted of running and basic calisthenic exercises (pushups and sit-ups).

In terms of restrictions, Medlock said the club has had multiple meetings with university officials in hopes of figuring out a way to have contact practices. With the topic of contact practices, there is always the concern of a possible spread of the virus

within the club itself. To figure out a way to work around that threat would not be easy.

Due to the current restrictions for club sports teams, it does not look like the club is going to compete in any tournaments any time soon.

Clubs have not been allowed to travel to non-essential events, which includes tournaments, according to Medlock.

Before the campus shut down in spring 2020, the boxing club had competed in two tournaments.

Medlock said they competed in the Arthur Mercanti National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) Invitation in November, and the West Point Invitational in December.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com.

SPORTS

March 23, 2021

E3

Werkheiser erupts at plate, baseball splits with Rams

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate Redshirt-sophomore Kiernan Higgins pieced together a career-high 12 strikeouts Saturday, despite taking the loss in an 11-3 score.

Christian Eby Sports Editor

The Shippensburg University baseball team is beginning to mold into midseason form.

In the first two series of the season, the Raiders failed to find their groove offensively, with five runs being the most they could muster in a game. However, in Saturday and Sunday’s home-and-home contests versus Shepherd University, which resulted in a 2-2 series split; SU may have flipped the script on its batting woes.

And it was thanks in part to one player: Ben Werkheiser.

Werkheiser’s weekend consisted of an 8 for 12 line, including five bombs, seven RBIs and six runs scored.

Game 1 saw only four knocks in the hitting column for the Raiders (3-7, 3-5 PSAC East) but those four hits came in small, yet mighty fashion, with the Raiders taking the 5-3 opening game victory.

Following a Rams’ open-inning homerun, Werkhesier woke up the SU bats, blasting a homer of his own opposite field, his first of the season. Moments later, after Lake Lloyd and Justin Darden got on base, junior Chase Zurawski cruised his first homerun over the left field fence, giving SU the 4-1 advantage.

Shepherd (3-5, 3-5 PSAC East) found the scoreboard again in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly. However, Werkheiser had other plans, repeating his success at the plate in the bottom of the frame by sending another ball into orbit (a solo blast) and crawling the SU lead back up to three.

Graduate student Kyle Lysy (1-2), who took the Game 1 nod, re-grouped after a shaky beginning and tossed three shutout

innings. The Rams would not beat Lysy again until the sixth inning on an RBI single. Lysy completed his outing with a respectable six innings, scattering three hits, two earned runs (three total) and tied his season-high nine strikeouts.

Sophomore Noah Nabholz and freshman Austin Labarre closed the door, combining for two scoreless innings.

Come Game 2, the Raiders plated three runs but did not receive any support from the pitching staff, evolving into an 11-3 defeat.

Redshirt-sophomore Kiernan Higgins (0-3) continued his opening-season struggles on the mound. While ringing up a career-high 12 batters, Higgins went for six innings of work and allowed just three hits. But it was his control that got the best of him, dealing five base-on-balls and five wild pitches, resulting in six runs total (five earned).

Freshman Ethan Miller relieved Higgins and scrambled to find outs. In a third of an inning, Miller was teed up for five earned runs on four walks. He also notched four strikeouts.

In the batter’s box, the Raiders saw all their scoring come in the fourth inning, with the freshman trio of Morgan Wyatt, Jafari Williams and Jackson LoBianco responsible for all three RBIs. Wyatt brought in the first runner on a walk, Williams notched an RBI on a fielder’s choice and LoBianco duplicated Williams’ at-bat with another fielder’s choice.

Game 3 was an all-around effort from the Raiders, sprinting to a controlling 7-2 win on the road.

Graduate student Jordan Yoder got the scoring rolling with an RBI single in the first. Darden followed suit with an RBI double in left field gap, making it an early 2-0 margin.

Shepherd countered with a run of their own, which held

for the second and third innings. Werkheiser got back in the scoring table with an RBI single in the fourth, followed by his third homerun of the weekend (a two-run shot) in the top of the sixth.

Yoder marked as the second SU homerun of the game in the seventh frame, a solo blast, before LoBianco contributed his second RBI of the weekend, ending the game at 7-2.

Freshman Kaleb Sophy (1-1) remained on the bump the whole way through, tossing his first collegiate complete game.

His pitching line went to the tune of one earned run, scattering three hits and struck out a season and career-high 11.

Sophy also walked six Rams.

Game 4 swung back in Shepherd’s favor, resulting in an 8-5 outcome.

The Raiders tallied nine knocks, with Werkheiser pacing SU with two more solo blasts, one in the fourth inning and one in the fifth. Redshirt-sophomore Andres Garcia lent two RBIs to the cause in the fourth inning as well, on a double.

Zurawski concluded the Raiders’ bevy of weekend runs with an RBI single, one of his three-hit performances in Game 4.

Freshman Gabe Stotler, coming off a complete game shutout, totaled three innings before exiting due to injury concerns. His afternoon included one hit allowed, one earned run and six ring ups.

Austin Labarre, making his second relief appearance on the weekend, was chalked up for five earned runs and five free passes in two innings of work. He garnered the loss.

The Raiders will look to improve their 3-7 record Friday when they travel to Lock Haven University for Games 1 and 2 of a four-game weekend series. They will return to Fairchild Field Saturday, with first pitches scheduled for noon and 2:30 p.m.

Carmine Scicchitano/ The Slate Graduate student JuJu Cason slaps one opposite field Saturday verus Shepherd, ending his weekend with a 2 for 14 line.

Softball drops four to East favorite Rams Isaiah Snead

Asst. Sports Editor

Shippensburg University’s softball team could not get in the win column this weekend, dropping back-to-back doubleheaders against Shepherd University.

The Raiders (4-8, 3-7 PSAC East) had a modest day at the plate Saturday, scoring 10 total runs and 15 hits in the two games. However, the Rams had a better day as they exploded for 29 total hits and 28 total runs en route to 12-6 and 16-4 wins.

Freshman Alyssa Nehlen went 4 for 6 on the day, with three RBIs, a stolen base and an inside the park home run.

Sunday’s doubleheader at home went better for SU, but ultimately the result remained the same as the Raiders dropped two close games at Robb Field.

Freshman Brianna Small started Game 1 for the Raiders and held Shepherd hitless through four innings and scoreless through five. In the sixth inning, Shepherd’s bats awakened and they scored five runs in the inning to take a 5-1 lead.

Freshman Maelynn Leber hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth and the final score read 5-2.

Game 2 saw the Rams jump on starting sophomore pitcher Tressa Kagarise and score five runs in the first three innings. Small returned to the mound in the fourth and pitched four shutout relief innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, Leber mashed her second solo home run of the day and made it a 5-3 game after an RBI triple from sophomore Hannah Marsteller and an RBI single from freshman Taylor Radziewicz in the third inning.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Shippensburg was able to get the tying run on base. Sophomore Lacey Hunter scored on a

Heather Ross/ The Slate Freshman Alyssa Nehlen finished her weekend versus Shepherd 5 for 9 with a homerun and three RBIs, bringing her season batting average to .421.

groundout after some small-ball to get her into scoring position and make it a one run game.

Right after the groundout, freshman Taylor Myers hit a two out single but was thrown out trying to steal and the game was over.

Shepherd remains at the top of the Penn-

sylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division with an undefeated PSAC East play record.

Marsteller had six hits, three extra base hits and two RBIs on the weekend to continue her stellar start to her season. She is batting .410 with 14 RBIs and four home runs so far

this campaign.

The Raiders will return to action Tuesday at Bloomsburg University in a PSAC East doubleheader, followed by a four-game weekend series against Lock Haven University.

First pitch from Lock Haven Friday is slated for 2:30 p.m.

SPORTS

E4

March 23, 2021

Lacrosse’s woes continue, fall to 0-4 Christian Eby Sports Editor

It still has not come completely full circle for the Shippensburg University women’s lacrosse team.

One half they keep it neck-and-neck. The next, the opposition carries the momentum the rest of the way through, failing to piece together a full 60 minutes.

SU’s week two contests were no exception of that as the Raiders fell in a blowout to West Chester University 20-6 Wednesday and lost a tighter matchup Saturday versus Shepherd University 13-9.

Entering Game 1, SU knew they faced a gritty competitor in West Chester (2-0, 2-0 PSAC East) as the Golden Rams held the five spot in the national rankings.

The Golden Rams routed the Raiders (0-4, 0-3 PSAC East) in nearly every category, capturing advantages in shots on goal (45-20), ground balls (21-11), caused turnovers (8-4) and free-position shots (11-5).

WCU opened the scoring with a quick burst of a 2-0 run. Sophomore Gabby Savarino etched the Raiders in the scoring column with a goal at the 26:22 mark, closing the deficit to one. From there, the Golden Rams nailed shot after shot after shot, sparking a 5-0 run, manufacturing a 7-1 margin.

Savarino thwarted the WCU goal streak with her second score of the day, with 5:57 remaining in the opening frame. However, West Chester refused to end the first half quietly, puzzling together another 5-0 burst, securing the first stanza with 12-2 lead.

Coming out of the break, it took all but a

Heather Ross/The Slate.

Junior Jessica DeMarte (left) and sophomore Hannah Seifried (far right) attempt a ground ball in Wednesday’s matchup versus West Chester.

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate.

Sophomore Gabby Savarino (right) notched her fifth career hat trick Wednesday against West Chester before adding another two in Saturday’s loss.

minute for the Golden Rams to find the back of the net once more. Savarino responded with another shot into the twine, netting her first hat trick of the season and the fifth of her career. Following Savarino’s goal, junior Alana Cardaci tallied one her own, bringing the score to 13-4.

Freshman Bailey Krahl netted another goal a minute later, the first of her SU career.

But it was another WCU run (6-0) in the final 20 minutes that stifled any slim chances of a Raider comeback. Sophomore Hannah Seifried rounded out the scoring, nailing her only goal, with 29 seconds remaining.

Despite allowing 20 goals, freshman goalkeeper Ally Weneta totaled a career-high 15 saves, while garnering the loss.

Junior Jena MacDonald continued to add to her growing resume of assists (62), as she contributed to Cardaci’s goal. Seifried led SU in draw controls (6) and ground balls (3). She also notched an assist on the evening.

Saturday’s continuation of Pennsylvania

State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play for the Raiders displayed a more even match, with SU still seeing a defeat.

This time around, the Raiders got the scoring rolling out of the gate. Freshman Abby Seasock fired one into the net a fraction over 30 seconds in, her second of the season. The Rams countered in fashion with something the Raiders were all too familiar with during the week — a 5-0 run.

SU jetted right back in the game with a 4-0 run of its own. Four different Raiders contributed to the SU resurgence, including Savarino, Cardaci and Krahl. Freshman Kayla Jones got into the mix, tallying her first collegiate goal and evened the score at five going into the break.

The Rams wasted no time at the beginning of the second half, breaking into another 5-0 run, with Shepherd’s Katherine Campbell and Sidney Kelly trading two goals apiece.

Jones eventually stopped the bleeding at 18:32, notching her second score on the day.

Shepherd (2-1, 2-1 PSAC East) tallied two more goals before Seifried found the nylon on two occasions, pushing her goal total to 10 on the season. Savarino completed the game’s scoring with her second goal, ending the contest in a 13-9 Rams’ advantage.

Weneta posted 12 goals allowed and five saves in 48 minutes of action. Redshirt-sophomore KiKi Brasher relieved Weneta in the remaining 12 minutes, allowing one goal.

Sophomore Sydney Costanza paced the Raiders with four ground balls to go along with one assist. Savarino totaled a team-high seven draw controls and Krahl a team-best two assists.

The Raiders take to the road Wednesday and Saturday for the team’s first away contests. Wednesday they travel to Bloomsburg University to square off with the Huskies, while Saturday they match up against the Golden Bears of Kutztown University.

Wednesday’s game is set to start at 2 p.m.

Track and field returns to outdoor season

Photo courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info.

The SU track and field teams will see the Seth Grove Stadium track for the first time in two years after having their 2020 outdoor season cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Both teams also lost their 2020-21 indoor season this past winter.

Christian Eby Sports Editor

The Shippensburg University men’s and women’s outdoor track-and-field teams were another set of sports to have its 2020 campaign succumb to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Following that cancellation, both teams lost their 2020-21 indoor season — where the Raiders flourish — this winter.

However, this spring, the Raiders will get their opportunity to make up for lost time at the Seth Grove Stadium track.

Head coach Dave Osanitsch takes the reigns for his 16th season with SU and his 22nd overall as a track-and-field coach at the collegiate level. Under the direction of Osanitsch, the Raiders own 40 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships (21 outdoors, 19 indoors), with the remainder of the conference combining for 16 titles during his tenure.

Both teams open their season with the West Chester Pentagonal and the Lock Haven Invite Saturday.

For the men’s team, the roster features 25 freshman, 12 sophomores, four juniors and three graduate students.

Heading the men’s roster is graduate student Charles Bowman Jr. Bowman, the 2019 Men’s PSAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and 2019 PSAC Outdoor Champions Most Valuable Athlete, holds the school record for outdoor 110-meter hurdles (14.23, 13.96w). He also boasts two indoor 60-meter hurdle records, one a school record and the other a conference record.

Leading the jumps for the men is redshirt-sophomore Shamar Jenkins. In 2019, Jenkins was named PSAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year, along with 2019 PSAC Indoor Championships Outstanding Field Athlete honors. Additionally, he is a two-time NCAA qualifier and a one-time All-America Second Team honoree.

Freshman Drew Dailey leads the mid-distance crew, after earning 2020 PSAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors. In his debut season, Dailey notched firstplace finishes in the 800-meter, the mile and the 4x8.

Graduate student Cam Strohe remains the most prominent

thrower. Strohe ranks as a six-time U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region athlete, a 12-time PSAC placewinner and a two-time PSAC champion.

The men’s team saw a first-, third- and fourth-place finish at the 2019 PSAC Championships, the team’s last outdoor appearance.

Jumping to the women’s team, the Raiders bring 30 freshman, 12 sophomores, six juniors and two seniors to their 2021 campaign.

Senior sprinter/jumper Zarria Williams leads the pack, entering her fourth outdoor season (second with SU, two with Ohio Christian University) with a slew of accolades to her name. With most of her success coming in jump events, Williams is a two-time PSAC champion, an 11-time River States Conference (RSC) champion and a three-time NCAA qualifier.

For sprints, freshman Leah Graybill is hoping to duplicate her success from her 2020 indoor season in which she earned 2020 PSAC Women’s Track and Field Freshman of the Year honors. On top of that, she shattered two school records (the indoor 60-meters and 200-meters) with times of 7.67 and 24.76 (25.14 flat).

Representing the mid-distance group is junior Bella Marchini. Seeing her most success on the outdoor circuit, Marchini sports sixth- and seventh-place finishes in the 1,500-meters and a fifth-place tally in the 5K in her PSAC Championships career.

Junior Kate Matrisciano leads her respective squad of throwers. Matrisciano enters her second year with the Raiders (third overall collegiately), having already been a three-time PSAC placewinner as well as a three-time Northeast Conference (NEC) placewinner in her tenure at Sacred Heart University.

The women’s team concluded its 2019 Outdoor PSAC Championships run with third-, fourth- and sixth-place marks.

Editor’s note: With the 2020 season ending abruptly, the NCAA granted all spring sport athletes with another year of eligibility. It is not counted as a redshirt season.