The Slate 4-13-21

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Volume 64 No. 18

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

PASSHE to appoint interim president Hannah Pollock Editor-in-Chief

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governors is scheduled to appoint Shippensburg University’s interim president at its meeting Thursday.

In the public meeting agenda, which is available online at passhe.edu, PASSHE officials list the business under No. 13, “Board Consideration.”

The board will appoint the university’s interim president and will also issue a resolution honoring current SU Carmine Scicchitano/ The Slate

Pastor Aden Rusfeldt, right, and James Ross hold signs while preaching to students outside of the Ceddia Union Building (CUB). They repeatedly spoke about the immoral behavior of women and what the role of women should be. The group eventually moved to the lawn next to Reisner Dining Hall.

Campus leaders have message of support following demonstration Noel Miller News Editor

Editor’s note: This story includes language used by the demonstrators that some readers may find offensive.

Shippensburg University campus leaders are responding and offering support after a group of self-described “Bible believers” drew a crowd on campus last week.

SU Police Department Chief Michael Lee identified the lead demonstrator as Pastor Aden Rusfeldt. Rusfeldt notified the university of the group’s plans to visit campus.

After visiting websites listed on the bottom of the demonstrators signs and comparing photos and accounts to a Philadelphia Inquirer article, the Slate staff found the group is from the Key of David Christian Center, a small non-denominational church based in Philadelphia that is led by Rusfeldt.

Rusfeldt was joined by two women and another man, James Ross, who spoke with members of the Slate staff.

Ross is identified as having been at another protest at Princeton University and the College of New Jersey with Aden and the Key of David Christian Center in an article from The Daily Princetonian and The Signal.

Ross said the group demonstrates on college campuses and that their goal is “to warn students about sin.”

“We go to every campus, this one isn’t just getting picked on today. It’s just the one that came up,” he said.

A Slate staff member first attempted to speak with Ross when he was preaching outside of the Ceddia Union Building (CUB). When the reporter introduced themself and asked to speak with them, Ross promptly asked about their sexuality. Ross refused to talk after the staff member declined to answer his questions regarding their sexuality.

When a second member of the staff asked if he would speak to them instead Ross told them, “If you’re a faggot I don’t answer you.”

Ross eventually agreed to speak to the staff members.

Representatives from different campus organizations like the Spiritual Center, the Pride Center and the Women’s Center also came out to the demonstration.

United Campus Ministry leader the Rev. Jan Bye observed the demonstrator’s actions at a nearby table outside of the CUB. “I think they misrepresent a lot of Christian people. When folks wander by they think that Christian folks are like these judgmental, hateful, horrible name-calling kinds of people. And I think most Christians are not that way,” Bye said.

Bye said it was ironic that the group demonstrated during Holy week, in which Good Friday and Easter Sunday are a celebration of grace and salvation.

She encouraged those who have a different perspective of faith than the demonstrators to use this as an opportunity to “share how their Christian faith is different than this kind of hateful rhetoric.”

WSYC delivers listeners entertainment in pandemic Hannah Pollock Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s note: Interviews for this story were conducted in fall 2020.

When Shippensburg University moved classes online due to the COVID-19 coronavirus last spring, many on-campus groups lost access to offices and had to cancel events.

Members of WSYC (We Serve Your Community) 88.7 FM, the student-run radio station, lost access to their station in the Ceddia Union Building (CUB). The station’s general manager, adviser and other officials could not gain access to the studio.

“It was just the same thing for hours and hours,” WSYC general manager Leah Fuoco, a senior communication/journalism major, said of the loop of music that played at the end of the spring 2020 semester. “That was a struggle because as a radio station you’re doing the same thing over and over.”

WSYC also had to cancel its annual, “Up All Night” event, which is held every spring.

During “Up All Night” WSYC members are on air for 24 hours giving away prizes includ-

ing concert tickets, restaurant gift cards and more to callers during shows.

“Last semester [spring 2020] was the hardest when we shut down,” Fuoco said. WSYC members expected to return after spring break to continue broadcasting. “Everything stopped.”

A year later, WSYC is back in action and held the student-favorite “Up All Night” from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on April 10. DJs gave away gift cards, Airpods, Squishmallows and more.

But the road back into the studio was bumpy at times.

As students returned to SU in the fall, they had to adapt to meet new rules and guidelines to keep everyone safe and healthy. For WSYC, this meant wearing masks off-air, social distancing, plexiglass dividers and lots of cleaning and sanitation. There were also limits to how many people could be in each room in the studio. The studio continues to follow these guidelines during the spring 2021 semester.

The equipment in the studio is labeled with cleaning instructions along with bottles of disinfectants. For Fuoco, one of her biggest

President Laurie Carter.

Carter announced on March 4 that she will depart the university this summer to take the same position at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Carter began her tenure at SU in August 2017 following the retirement of former president George “Jody” Harpster.

SU community members expressed concerns of potential integration or consolidation during PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein’s virtual visit to campus on March 8.

See “INTERIM,” A2

Officials work for R3 solution Noel Miller News Editor

Shippensburg University is continuing to get its on-campus rapid testing program back up and running.

Officials stopped testing at the Raider Rapid Results (R3) Center in early March and modified testing protocols for SU campus community members.

The lab that processed SU’s samples is located in Sunnyvale, California. State health department officials suspended the lab from analyzing samples because it did not have the correct outof-state permit.

Pennsylvania Department of Health Deputy Press Secretary Maggi Barton said the ShieldT3 labs did not have a Pennsylvania clinical laboratory permit and could not continue testing the state’s samples until they had one.

Neither ShieldT3 or university officials were aware of this requirement when R3

testing began, according to Barton.

SU stopped the R3 testing after notification of the issue, according to Sue Mukherjee, SU chief strategy officer and senior associate provost.

The university is working to get approval from the state health officials to begin testing in ShieldT3’s Washington, D.C., lab, which meets the health department’s out-of-state requirements, Mukherjee said.

“Yes, we acknowledge challenges with our testing initiative but Shippensburg University and ShieldT3 have (and continue to) work on getting the R3 Testing Lab operational so we can serve the Shippensburg University community soon,” Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee added that R3 testing should re-open by the end of April, however, it depends on how long it takes the department of health to process the Washington, D.C., lab’s permit.

See “SUPPORT,” A2

Hannah Pollock/The Slate

WSYC was able to host its annual “Up All Night” program last weekend. challenges as general manager is making sure everyone is keeping up with the new cleaning and distancing guidelines.

However, there have been some unexpected benefits to the new routines. Fuoco said she thinks the extra cleaning is an added benefit and hopes that they will continue the practice long after the masks and social distancing are no longer needed.

“It was hard, but we learned to overcome and adapt,” Fuoco said. “We’re just glad that we can do shows again and be on air.”

WSYC held its general interest meeting

during the fall semester and gathered a lot of inquiries about becoming members of the station. The station ran about 30 shows during the fall semester, according to Fuoco.

According to WSYC’s website, students are volunteers and any major is free to join the organization.

Listeners can hear music, talk shows, news and more over the airwaves between Carlisle and Chambersburg, and also listen anytime online at wsyc-fm.squarespace.com.

NEWS

A2

April 13, 2021 From “SUPPORT,” A1

Hannah Pollock/The Slate

Faculty members at some PASSHE schools are facing retrenchment, meaning they are at risk of being laid off. Retrenched faculty may apply for positions at other PASSHE schools if and when they come open.

What does a campus look like when faculty members are gone?

PASSHE faculty members at-risk for layoffs

Hannah Pollock Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s note: The interviews for this story were conducted in fall 2020.

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is undergoing a system redesign to increase the financial longevity of its schools. With this initiative, comes tough decisions from school administrators to determine how to meet directives and goals set by PASSHE officials.

One way officials are trying to increase financial sustainability is through retrenchment. Retrenchment is when letters are sent to faculty members informing them of their employment termination at the end of the academic year.

More than 100 tenured and tenure-track faculty members received re-

trenchment letters Oct. 30 and Dec. 1, according to Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) officials.

All state system universities are undergoing sustainability planning. PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein outlined ways university presidents could work on financial sustainability in February. Greenstein also called for PASSHE schools to return to faculty ratios that existed in 2010-11.

Officials at 10 of the 14 PASSHE schools announced the possibility of on-campus faculty layoffs caused by financial issues in spring 2020. Faculty members at Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Indiana, Mansfield, Millersville, Kutztown, Clarion, Edinboro and Lock Haven universities were in danger.

Officials rescinded letters at Millersville, Kutztown and Bloomsburg, according

to APSCUF communications Director Kathryn Morton.

Morton said the APSCUF contract with PASSHE requires a specific procedure with necessary criteria that must be met if there are threats of faculty layoffs. There are deadlines throughout the academic year at which faculty members must receive retrenchment letters based on seniority. She credits APSCUF and campus leadership for meeting with local administrations to find ways to meet financial goals without faculty layoffs.

However, the threat of retrenchment looms for some PASSHE faculty members. APSCUF President Jamie Martin explained how the health and social climate of the pandemic adds stress to faculty members who face the possibility of retrenchment.

SGA announces the senator election results Noel Miller News Editor

The Shippensburg University Student Government Association (SGA) announced the senator election results in an email Friday sent out to students. Voting was held earlier in the week.

Over a dozen senator positions were filled for the 2021-22 academic year.

Students voted on three sets of class senators: Kevin DelaCruz and Jordan Newsome-Little were elected as the class of 2022 senators. The class of 2023 senators are Abigail Birtchet and Austin Correll.

Madison Cole and Ian Davis were elected as

the class of 2024 senators.

There were five open seats for academic senators in the election. Hunter Cramer won the college of arts and sciences senator position. Chase Carpenter is the new college of business senator. Ashley Smith is the college of education and human services senator. The Exploratory Studies senator is Andrew Hare and Bryan Rottkamp was elected as the honors college senator.

Student life senators were the third group of positions in the election. Cody Willoughby was elected as the male athletics senator, Ian Thompson will be the commuter student senator and Shadai Joyner was elected as the transfer student senator.

See “PASSHE,” A3

The demonstrators focused on calling out students for having pre-marital sex, wearing immodest clothing and being homosexual.

Rusfeldt and Ross referred to women and LGBTQ+ students with derogatory terms and slurs.

Alithia Zamantakis, Pride Center director, said these demonstrations can make students feel ostracized and affect their ability to focus on their schoolwork.

“For a lot of us who are LGBT, we have experienced this kind of oppression a long time and in these moments where it’s more out in the face, it triggers being back in those same spaces where folks didn’t have much control over their lives. I think it impacts mental health in that way,” Zamantakis said.

Despite upsetting many students, the demonstrators are allowed to gather and speak on SU’s campus because the university is public property.

SU Chief Diversity Officer Stephanie Jirard said the group followed university policy and let the university know in advance that it was coming. SU is a state school funded by tax dollars which makes the campus public property. The school is required by law to allow these groups to gather.

The group was exercising its First Amendment rights to freedom of expression, assembly and religion, according to Jirard.

Jirard quoted United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in regard to coping with viewpoints individuals disagree with.

Hannah Pollock/ The Slate

The Career Center is located at room 108 in the Ceddia Union Building.

Career Center continues mission amid pandemic Hannah Pollock

From “INTERIM,” A1

Greenstein responded by saying, “There are no plans to consolidate Ship.”

He also noted that PASSHE and university policy outline an interim president search process and said more information would be available after the April PASSHE Board of Governors’ meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. and will be on Zoom. Members of the public may dial in at 1-646-558-8656 and use meeting ID: 979-8078-6196 or access the stream online on PASSHE’s YouTube channel. For more information on how to access the meeting, visit passhe.edu/ meeting.

To access this Simulation: Visit either:

https://www.ship.edu/life/wellness/ and click the Kognito button in the left hand tool bar

or

https://ship.kognito.com/

Kennedy said, “The remedy for speech that is false, is speech that is true. This is the ordinary course in a free society. The response to the unreasoned is the rational; to the uninformed, the enlightened; to the straight-out lie, the simple truth. The theory of our Constitution is that the best test of truth is the power of thought...”

While the university cannot keep these kinds of groups from coming to campus or take action against them, students are still free to express their own opinions. Students can express themselves through organizing their own events like sitins, Jirard said.

The First Amendment protects ideas individuals may not want to hear, but also allows individuals to address those ideas, according to Jirard.

“We at Shippensburg embrace everyone, welcome everyone and support every single student. We condemn hatred, we condemn discrimination,” Jirard said.

She encouraged students to get together and support groups that may feel marginalized and to put thoughts and feelings into action and make a commitment to make everyone feel like they belong.

Students who may have been upset and impacted by the demonstrators can find resources and support on campus at the Women’s Center, Spiritual Center, Pride Center, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, the dean of students office and the Counseling Center.

Editor-in-Chief

As the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues, so does the work of the Shippensburg University Career, Mentoring and Professional Development Center (CMPDC).

The CMPDC, located in the Ceddia Union Building (CUB) on the first floor in room 108.

It offers career-related resources for SU students and alumni.

After SU officials implemented new rules to meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the CMPDC had to modify some delivery styles of its programming to ensure students’ needs were met.

Tracy Montoro, CMPDC assistant director, said the changes have expanded the number of students officials can help. Montoro said by adding virtual appointments and events, the CMPDC is able to reach more students who may be in a master’s program and do not live in Shippensburg.

Montoro said virtual appointments also allow for more time helping students. Montoro can now schedule classroom presentation visits and individual appointments back-toback, allowing for more time with students.

The CMPDC is continuing to offer some in-person appointments, which Montoro said helps students both professionally and personally.

“I have some students that make appointments with me because they want a place to go,” Montoro said. “They want a reason to leave their room and come out and see somebody face-to-face.”

Montoro cited the lack of large spaces on campus due to the university using most open multipurpose rooms for classroom instruction during the fall 2020 semester.

Despite this logistical challenge, Montoro said the CMPDC is virtually continuing with

networking events, career fairs and service appointments. Students can visit the career center for resume critiques, interview practice, to find job shadow and internship opportunities and to prepare for job fairs and searches.

Officials separated the fall career fair into four separate sessions based on college and industry types, with employers and job searchers attending on Zoom. Montoro said officials modified the etiquette networking dinners into virtual events, which lessened the cost for students.

“In the end, it was really about networking and allowing students to make those connections,” Montoro said.

The CMPDC is continuing to offer the “Raider Ready Professional Dress Closet,” which is a collaboration between the CMPDC and the Women Leaders of the College of Business, according to ship.edu.

Montoro said the closet provides professional clothes for free to any student with a valid SU ID. For more information about the closet, visit ship.edu/life/career/professional_dress_closet/.

Montoro encouraged all students to join Ship Connects, an online networking platform for SU community members. Ship Connects offers students the opportunity to network with alumni working in their field, in regions similar to where they may want to go.

Montoro said 70-85% of people have found their next position through networking and hopes that the SU family can help one another through the platform.

“We’re trying to build your network and help you out there,” Montoro said.

The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To set up an appointment with the CMPDC, call 717 4774066 or email career@ship.edu.

NEWS

April 13, 2021

Campus Police Briefs

A3

Your World Today

Commentary: Sharing our ‘PASSHE stories’ helps advocate

Person charged after fight at Lackhove Hall Campus police said they responded to an altercation report at Lackhove Hall on April 10.

The altercation had ended before officers arrived, according to police.

Police said they charged 19-year-old Khair Smith with summary harassment during an investigation.

Traffic stop ends with violation SUPD officers were conducting a traffic stop on April 10 for a broken headlight and found that the vehicle did not have an ignition interlock.

Police said Elysse Louis, 24, was operating the vehicle. Police charged Louis was charged with a moving violation.

Officers find drug paraphernalia while responding to fire alarm Officers responded to a fire alarm in Naugle Hall and found drug paraphernalia in the room that set the alarm off on April 5. Police said the occupants Quamiere Keys, 18, and Maquel Harrison, 19, were charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Snowless March sets record

Hannah Pollock Editor-in-Chief

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) officials and advocates designated last week (April 5) as PASSHE Advocacy Week.

Current students and alumni shared their stories of how the state-funded system of higher education opened doors for their lives and careers. Officials encouraged this to further advocate for funding and assistance from the state legislature. So, I figured I would share my own “PASSHE Story.”

When I was a kid, I knew I would eventually attend college. The potential career paths spanned a variety of ideas. I wanted to be a teacher, veterinarian, pediatrician, chef — all of these despite my disdain for chemistry, germs and lack of culinary genius.

As the child of educators, I saw first-hand what learning could do for a person.

My parents (who are also products of the state system) instilled in me that learning and education are vital.

“They can physically take everything you have, but they cannot take your education.”

College would be the path, but by middle school I had not settled on any potential career end goals.

My school made the eighth graders take a career ap-

titude test so we could be aware of what careers best suited our skills and mindsets.

My test results recommended I become a “sanitation engineer, teacher or nurse.”

I am not entirely sure what boxes or statements I agreed with to get those three distinct careers.

Fast forward to my junior year of high school, and I was still not 100% sure what I wanted to do. I excelled in my English classes (sans poetry and Shakespeare) and briefly reconsidered going into education. However, I quickly figured out that working all day with children and teenagers was not my calling.

Then someone recommended I look into the world of communication/ journalism.

I always loved reading the local newspapers and watching the morning and evening news broadcasts. I was curious about the world around me, enjoyed helping others and serving the community.

Perhaps they were onto something.

I began researching the best journalism programs near Pennsylvania. The top choices were Temple University, Penn State University, Shippensburg University and a lot of programs in New York.

I knew Penn State would be too big, and my resume and lack of Nittany Lion connections would hinder my ability to get into the main campus.

I liked the idea of Temple, merely because I could live in the city and attend Philadelphia Phillies and Flyers’ games. My parents were unsure about send-

ing me to live in Philly, as I grew up in the farmlands of Lancaster County.

I scheduled a visit to SU to see what the school had to offer. Some of my extended family lives in the area, so I had passed the signs on I-81 for my entire life.

One visit was all I needed to know — SU offered an accredited communication/ journalism program that is of the same caliber as Penn State and Temple. But at SU I could get involved as soon as I stepped foot onto campus, an opportunity my peers at the “big” schools were unlikely to be awarded until their junior or senior years.

The faculty-to-student ratio was low, and I knew I would not be “just another number.” My professors would know who I was, my interests, my strengths and my weaknesses. The campus was close to home, but not too close to home. The state system tuition was also much more appealing than the “big” and out-ofstate schools.

SU offered me the opportunity to dive head-first into student media. As a senior approaching graduation, having experiences to fill my resume are everything.

My resume is bursting thanks to the opportunities I took advantage of at SU. This state school allowed the girl who was once unsure of what her future held to develop into a confident journalist ready to tell the stories of the world.

Our alumni, legislators and state system leaders must fight for the next generations of students so they may have the same opportunity to tap into their full potential.

Weather Forecast

Graphic courtesy of Tim Hawkins/ Geography and earth science department

Shippensburg saw no snow in the month of March according to geography and earth science professor Tim Hawkins. March 2021 was the 16th warmest and 27th driest March since 1932. Hawkins said there have only been 13 times when Shippensburg recorded 0 inches of measurable snow during the month. A record high temperature of 79 degrees was set on March 11, according to Hawkins.

From “PASSHE,” A2

“This is just going to be devastating to our state system and is going to be devastating to those universities,” Martin said. “It’ll decimate departments and it’s going to just be a horrible thing to do to faculty, where they’ll be losing their careers and their health care in the middle of a pandemic.”

While the faculty members worry for their jobs, they also worry for their students.

Some PASSHE school officials are offering “teach outs” as potential solutions when faculty members are retrenched. These options would potentially allow any student who started in a major at a university to finish in the major and would not allow any additional students into the major after a cut-off date.

Martin and Morton both questioned how “teach outs” could offer the same educational student experience if a department closes or retrenches the majority — if not all — of its faculty.

“What happens if they’re a sophomore, and they’re trying to complete their major,” Martin said. “And all of a sudden, the major is gone.

“If you have an entire political science department disappear, they discontinued the program. That in essence means that all of the faculty who are able to teach political science are gone,” Martin said.

Martin asked if students would have to change their majors to remain at their univer-

sity or if they would need to transfer to another school to continue their desired education.

She also shared concerns about students have difficulty getting classwork required for graduation and finding that their class sizes have increased beyond what they were expecting, especially in upper-level and skills courses.

The retrenchment letters arrive amid some PASSHE schools entering partnerships and integrations where faculty cuts are already a threat. If a PASSHE faculty member is retrenched, Martin said there is an opportunity preferential hiring at other PASSHE schools.

There is a clearing house website at which the state system posts job opportunities, but Morton noted, “There’s seven campuses with possibilities of layoffs, so that’s a lot of people flooding one [position].”

APSCUF’s hope is to minimize the impact of retrenchment and to save as many faculty member’s jobs as possible. But as U.S. News and World Report ranked Pennsylvania 50th in the nation in support for higher education in 2019, PASSHE continues to search for funding and ways to cut costs. Martin urged officials to keep the students as their priority when making these decisions.

Morton said student and alumni support can go a long way in advocating for programs at PASSHE universities.

“We all deserve the opportunity to pursue a higher education that’s affordable in Pennsylvania,” Morton said. “Everyone in Pennsylvania deserves that opportunity.”

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Pennsylvania promises quicker, easier jobless claims system Marc Levy

Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — After a year of frustration over long waits for checks, jammed phone lines and confusing online filing procedures, Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry is promising a much quicker and easier unemployment compensation claims filing system in two months.

The new system, scheduled to launch on June 8, is based on what the department said Thursday is modern software to replace an “obsolete 40-year-old mainframe legacy system.”

It arrives after a series of bungled efforts to replace the system began in 2006 and culminated in a 2017 lawsuit that is still being fought in court.

The new online system “looks and functions like a modern website, unlike our current one,” acting Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier told reporters in a news conference. It is more intuitive and easier to use on a tablet or mobile phone, she said.

To transfer data to the new system, users will be unable to file unemployment claims for two weeks in June, delaying payments to people filing for traditional unemployment benefits, Berrier said.

Its rollout will be accompanied by training materials and live workshops, she said.

Pandemic-related shutdowns starting last spring stressed the unemployment compensation system like never before, as claims shot to record levels and swamped a bare-

bones staff forced to work remotely.

Complaints about the system have continued even a year later as the department has struggled to hire and train new employees on a complex system and absorb new jobless benefits programs on the fly.

“The new system will be easy to use, provide access to important information and streamline the unemployment claim filing process for workers, employers, unemployment program staff, and third-party administrators,” Berrier said.

The new system was created by Palm Harbor, Florida-based Geographic Solutions Inc. on a $30.2 million contract, plus some ancillary costs, Berrier said.

The new system will handle claims and appeals for unemployment compensation, pandemic emergency unemployment compensation, extended benefits, shared work or short-time compensation and trade readjustment allowances.

The new system also will allow users to check the status of a payment, use a dashboard to receive message from state workers and manage certain options on their account.

The system had been close to being introduced last year when the pandemic hit, Berrier said, but the department put it on hold to manage the surge in unemployment claims as businesses shut down and people hunkered down at home.

With claims on a downward trend this spring, department officials decided they could go forward with introducing the system, Berrier said.

B1

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Opinion

The Slate Speaks

Commentary: We’re almost there

Maintaining our efforts against pandemic We as a society share some collective aftermaths of the pandemic. Whether it is the continued social distancing, virtual learning, vaccinations or reduced business hours, we all feel some of the same burdens and inconveniences.

But the individual effects can be vastly different. We all deal with stress in different ways. After more than a year of coping with our societal changes, some are feeling the frustrations of pandemic fatigue and burnout.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines pandemic fatigue as an expected and natural response to a prolonged public health crisis that calls for the implementation of invasive measures with an impact on everyone’s daily lives.

Some of us may show our responses through frustration, burnout, tiredness, disinterest, anger or sadness.

We have adapted to a plethora of changes in the past year. Our campus is physically and emotionally not the same

SU as it was before March 2020.

Some professors are exhausted with teaching courses online. Some students find themselves uninterested and unmotivated when outside of the classroom. There is a disconnect — a loss of personal attachment to our education.

The Rocket, Slippery Rock University’s student newspaper, reported that Shippensburg University’s COVID-19 coronavirus cases rank second highest in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Bloomsburg and Edinboro universities remained close in case numbers.

The warmer weather and relaxed government and health guidance can allow us to temporarily rationalize tossing away one’s mask and trying to return to our old lives.

Whether the perceived increase in cases are due to increased testing availability, student behavior or more students on-campus at in-person classes, we must maintain our efforts to finish

the semester strong.

We must not let all of the sacrifices made so far succumb to our itch to take the mask off and disregard any measures.

When a health provider prescribes a patient antibiotics, they tell the patient that they must finish the entire 14-day bottle.

The patient says, “I will,” in the doctor’s office. But when the patient gets home they may not follow through.

Some patients stop taking the antibiotics when they “feel better,” before the bottle is empty. This can create antibiotic-resistant bacteria — and in the longrun, more problems for the patient.

Finishing the prescribed antibiotics is important to complete battling the infection.

The same is true in the pandemic. We cannot think we have “taken enough of the antibiotics” and go back to our old ways. We must follow through and completely solve the crisis we face.

Commentary: ‘We feel isolated’— Freshmen students review their first-year experience

Julianna Vaughan Staff Writer

After a year of primarily distance learning and little clarification for students on Shippensburg University’s next steps, the effects are becoming more obvious in all of us.

Without any breaks save for two randomly placed Raider Rest Days, the burnout is bad — especially knowing there are still five more weeks left in the semester.

It can be hard to remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. For seniors, this is our last experience with college, and for fresh-

men, this is all they have ever known. They came here for a traditional college experience, to make their families proud, to play sports, for a world-class education, but they are left with anxiety, burnout and an urge to drop out. The lasting effects of the past two semesters may be detrimental to the class of 2024.

Working with freshmen as a tutor this semester has given me an in-depth look at this problem and a desire to shed light on this growing problem. I sat down with a few freshmen and listened to their stories this week.

“It’s not the traditional first-year experience,” freshmen Elijah Warren said. “But at least we’re getting our credits.”

Some students wonder if they should have taken classes at a local community college instead to save time and money but were drawn to Shippensburg by our formerly stellar first-year program.

Freshman Allison Frick said that the first-year expe-

rience and UNIV-101 seminar required for freshmen have been difficult to enjoy.

“This could be a lot better in a non-COVID environment,” she said. “I understand that they can't have so many activities happening and are only trying to keep us all safe. But it's just frustrating. It’s hard to get involved.”

Freshman Courtney Mayne agreed, adding that it’s “incredibly hard” to make friends.

“The lasting effects of the past two semesters may be detrimental to the class of 2024.”

-Julianna Vaughan “I feel very isolated,” she said. “Most of the activities are on Zoom, which removes the [traditional] socialization. [Zoom] was very new to me, this being my first semester. I thought it was incredibly important to be able to meet friends, but I have

not really been able to.”

Spring 2021 classes have been incredibly demanding on everyone, with strict attendance policies and little room for accommodation.

For freshmen adapting to college life, this increases the difficulties.

“I feel like no one tells us anything,” one freshman said.

There has been little clarity on anything for the past year, with emails from the administration typically only promising to unveil plans soon.

“I think I’m just going to take a gap year until this is all over. I’m tired of the confusion,” said another freshman.

How can SU continue to sell itself as a world-class education if it is only causing world-class stress and confusion? I worry for the retention rates in the upcoming years and can only wish our soon-to-be sophomores and incoming freshmen the best of luck in the uncertain waters ahead.

Where’s your voice?

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Shippensburg University students, staff, faculty, administrators and affiliated people are welcome to submit letters to the editor for publication.

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

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Letters should be sent to The Slate one week prior to the day of publication. Late letters may be accepted but published the next week.

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The views and opinions expressed in this section are those of the writer and not of The Slate or University.

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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.

Matthew Unger Staff Columnist

It has been a little less than 10 weeks since the start of the spring 2021 semester, but I can say that the time has seemingly flown by.

Maybe it is because I am doing this entire semester online (as I did during fall 2020). Maybe it is because I have more time to sleep in as my classes take place on my laptop right next to my bed, as opposed to academic buildings where I usually had to walk.

Whatever the reason, with midterms over and the end of the semester a month away, we have all come a long way since the beginning of the pandemic in regard to our college experience.

When I chose Shippensburg University, I chose it because of the great staff, the close location, and, of course, those spacious dorms. It has been over a year since I have physically been at campus, but I am itching to see it up close and in-person again.

SU allowed students to remain on campus since last semester, but I chose to attend my classes completely online at home be-

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cause the majority of my classes were via Zoom, anyway. It has definitely been quite the experience for me learning completely online for this entire school year.

But I guess adaptation in times when it is necessary is a learning experience in and of itself.

Still, with online learning, it can be easy to slouch back in your chair and doze off because of that lack of physical human interaction. And for those on campus whose friends are learning from home, the yearning to reconnect and socialize face-to-face with those friends hopefully will come with the fall semester.

But as we round the corner on this semester, I urge those studying on campus and at home to give it your all for these final weeks of classes. Whether you are doing science labs, participating in field projects, competing in athletics, working part-time or just simply going to classes, push yourself these next few weeks to be the best that you can be.

It is unknown what the next academic year will completely look like. Hopefully we will have a sense of normality when we move into our dorms in the fall, but it is hard to predict what that will look like exactly.

We have all tried our hardest this semester so that, in the future, we may be able to all learn together again on campus. But until that time comes, let’s finish this semester strong. We are almost there — let’s stay with it.

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Content granted permission must include attribution to The Slate and the appropriate staff member and creator of the work.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

C1

Ship Life

SU’s annual Children’s Fair raises spirits Chaela Williams

Asst. Ship Life Editor

After canceling the event last year because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Shippensburg University welcomed back children from the community for the annual Children’s Fair on April 10 at the ShipRec. From 10 a.m.-1 p.m. children were placed in different stations that included carnival games, crafts and other activities.

Alex Karlheim, SU director of the first-year experience and community engagement, queued lines, directing families to the outside and inside activity stations.

“The Children’s Fair has been around for 39 years,” Karlheim said. “It is a long-standing Ship traditionthat allows [kids] to do activities to interact with our Ship students in a couple different capacities.”

This year, fair officials limited the number of activities to follow SU’s coronavirus safety regulations.

Activity stations were placed outside and inside the ShipRec to avoid possible

overcrowding.

Various campus groups and local organizations volunteered to make the event a success.

The SU campus farm had a small chicken coup and containers of dirt, plant seeds and pots to teach children the importance of farming and taking care of the environment.

“We want to have kids with ability to grow their own food or just actively play with nature,” campus farm member Karina Sahly said.

Panhellenic sorority Phi Sigma Sigma also made an appearance at the event, hosting the classic carnival game fish bowl at which children could win prizes like a sea monkey magic aquarium or eggs that grow shrimp in water.

“It is very important for Panhellenic to be involved in events like this because we want to make sure we are [giving] back to our community,” said Lindsey Ekanger, a member of Phi Sigma Sigma Read the full story at theslateonline.com.

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate

Shippensburg area children spent the day learning about farming and other activities on April 10.

5 ways to stay motivated and beat senioritis Chaela Williams

Asst. Ship Life Editor

Dealing with assignment after assignment when all you want to do is graduate is exhausting.

It is normal for seniors to feel fatigue from their countless number of deadlines and responsibilities.

But if you are trying to keep yourself afloat then here are five ways to beat senioritis and finish the semester strong.

Practice self-care Take care of yourself and keep yourself busy by participating in healthy activities like yoga, walking and going to bed early.

Eating junk food and staying up until 4 a.m. is not going to help you stay focused.

Implement a bed time and add healthy and organic foods to your diet.

Talk to your professors If you are struggling in class, email your professor and be honest as to why you have not finished assignments or do not understand the course material.

Do not hesitate to reach out and ask for help.

Stay organized This one is easier said than done, but push yourself to use your agenda and keep up to date with any upcoming deadlines and work.

Try to start assignments earlier so you can avoid the extra workload and stress from starting an assignment two hours before the deadline.

Focus on your goals What do you want to do after graduation? Think of all the things you want to accomplish after getting your diploma. It will not happen if

you end up failing a class or two.

Write down your goals and post them on your bulletin board or wall to remind yourself why you are getting this degree.

Do not push yourself Try to avoid the “be positive, no worries” mindset. It tends to be toxic and does more harm than good.

Do what you can to graduate and be proud of yourself for getting this far.

You can improve your situation but do not take it overboard and cause yourself a meltdown. Work your way up and take it one step at a time.

If you still find yourself stressed out and falling behind in schoolwork contact the SU career center or SU Student Success Center at Mowery Hall for more information.

Courtesy of Shuttershock

Are you trying to stay motivated? Read these five steps to keep yourself afloat.

Recipe of the Week:

Spinach Ricotta Ravioli w/ zucchini, tomato and creamy lemon sauce Ingredients:

-1 zucchini -1 roma tomato -2 scallions - 4 tablespoons of sour cream - 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning - 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese - 1 cup of vegetable stock concentrate - 1 bag of spinach ricotta ravioli 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Boil a medium pot with salted water.

Slice zucchini and dice tomato and scallions.

Zest and quarter lemon.

2. Once the water is boiling add ravioli to the pot. Stir occasionally and cook for eight-10 minutes.

3. Drizzle olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables.

4. Reduce heat for the veggie pan to medium and stir in vegetable stock concentrate, ¼ cup of reserved pasta water and a squeeze of lemon juice.

5. Stir in sour cream and one tablespoon for butter and season with salt and pepper.

6. Drain ravioli and add to the sauce, stir until well mixed for four-eight minutes.

Divide ravioli mixture between and garnish with remaining parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Photo by Chaela Williams/The Slate

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

D1

A&E File photo/The Slate

The SHAPE Gallery hosts numerous art exhibits throughout the year.

SHAPE Gallery reopens Austin Trevino Asst. A&E Editor

The Shippensburg Arts Programming and Education (SHAPE) gallery recently reopened following a March 20 flood.

Officials said the flood caused damages to the gallery but were not as severe as initially thought.

The SHAPE Gallery was previously closed for sev-

eral months in 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as another incident involving water damage.

The gallery reopened in September 2020.

A fire in an apartment above the gallery caused water to flood down onto the gallery. Gallery officals said that no art was damaged, thanks to quick thinking

by SHAPE board president

Joshua Rosetta.

The SHAPE Gallery reopened to the public on March 27. The gallery is showing the exhibit “Unmuted,” a celebration of young, local artists.

For more information on the SHAPE gallery, visit shapeart.org/exhibits or on Facebook page. The SHAPE Gallery, located at 19. E. King Street, is an art exhibit in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Review: SU Woodwind Ensembles perform for socially distant crowd Piper Kull

Asst. A&E Editor

The Shippensburg Woodwind Ensemble performed Sunday, kicking off the first of many in-person concerts for Shippensburg University musicians.

The clarinet choir opened the afternoon show, with the SU Alma Mater and Dukas’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

The two familiar tunes swallowed the auditorium immediately, and it was clear that the audience would be in for a treat.

Officials told the audience to take out their phones and scan a QR code which would play a certain sound corresponding with each section of the room. The effect was a unique and interesting soundscape, both calculated and random.

The saxophone choir took the stage next, playing “Mt. Nittany Mambo” by Rick Hirsch, “Come Sunday” by Duke Ellington, and closing their selections with the viral whaling song, “The Wellerman.”

The flute choir closed the concert with power, presenting a wide selection of tunes: “The Palladio section of Concerto Grosso for strings” by Karl Jenkins, “Over the Rainbow” by Harald Arlen, “The Magic Flute (In

5 Minutes)” by Mozart, “The Largo section of Concerto in G Major” by Domenico Cimarosa, and ending the daytime set with a Beatles medley.

The ensembles recognized their graduating seniors, who expressed their gratitude for finally being able to perform at a show again.

As I watched the concert, I was moved to tears on multiple occasions. I, and many other Shippensburg students and parents, have not attended a live musical performance in over a year. It was truly an incredible experience, making it feel as if it was my first time ever attending a concert. It was clear that all the woodwind ensembles were incredibly passionate and grateful from the outstanding performance they put together.

Upcoming performances at H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center include: • Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m. - Orchestra & String Ensemble • Monday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. - Concert Choir & Madrigal Singers • Sunday, May 2 at 3 p.m. - Concert Band & Wind Ensemble • Tuesday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. - Percussion Ensemble

Review: AJR’s ‘OK ORCHESTRA’

Billboard Top 10 1. (Call Me by Your Name) - Lil Nas X

6. Save Your Tears - The Weeknd

2. Peaches - Justin Bieber feat. Daniel Caeser

7. Levitating - Dua Lipa feat. Dababy

3. Leave The Door Open - Silk Sonic

8. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

4. Up - Cardi B

9. Mood - 24kGoldn feat. iann dior

5. Drivers License - Olivia Rodrigo

10. What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke

shows mastery in producing, song writing Bailey Cassada Staff Writer

2020 was a difficult year for many musicians. With COVID-19 canceling their tour, the band AJR decided to release their album “OK ORCHESTRA” on March 26.

Four of the songs, “Bang!,” “Bummerland,” “My Play” and “Way Less Sad,” had already been released as singles.

The album starts with the song “OK Overture,” a mashup of all of the songs on the album. AJR had overtures in the previous albums “Living Room” and “The Click.”

I could not have been more excited for the newest album because of their ability to create new and exciting sounds. AJR never fails to surprise me with songs that are out of the ordinary.

For example, the song “Joe” samples a Mozart piano piece alongside beatboxing. It is hard to imagine two very different sounds flowing together perfectly. “Joe” is about that person from school who you always envied.

Years can go by without seeing that person, but sometimes we still wonder where they are. It is a very specific feeling that I never heard covered in a song.

Another one of my favorite songs from the album is “Ordinaryish People,” featuring Blue

Man Group. The song starts off strong, with a marching band playing a tune similar to what you would hear at a football game. AJR then adds a hip-hop beat underneath it with effects to the instruments, giving the song a new vibe. Blue Man Group’s appearance in the song is obvious, as their dubstep-like sound is hard to ignore. The Blue Man Group’s sound is yet another unique addition to the song and album altogether.

While many of the songs are upbeat and contain an important message, there are a few songs on the album that are capable of pulling at the heartstrings of listeners. The song “My Play” discusses divorce while “The Trick” talks about being a compulsive liar in order to fit into a crowd.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the album.

From the influence of multiple genres, excellent production and clever lyrics, I have had the album on repeat for the past week.

AJR does a great job of creating music that listeners can relate to. Whether that would be about COVID-19, fitting into the crowd or the difficulties of balancing a relationship and a career, they make the listeners realize that we are not so different from each other after all.

“OK ORCHESTRA” is available on every music streaming platform.

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

Songs 1. Once In My Life

Artists The Decemberists

2. Ride On

Rocky Nti

3. Valentine

Earthboy

4. He’s Fine

The Secret Sisters Aries

5. DITTO 6. Hey Pretty Momma

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

SUTV News

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

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Sports

Softball, E2

E1

Football, E3

Remembering a legendary coach Yeager and Taylor recollect times with Davis Taylor feels the same about her late coach. As a walk-on freshman in 1999, Taylor said she was not at the performance level she had hoped, a level that she thought was not good enough for collegiate softball.

Davis saw something in Taylor that she did not see in herself. The end result: a 1999 All-PSAC Second Team nomination — later followed by All-PSAC First Team honors in 2002 — and a takeaway that is ingrained in her mind for the rest of her life.

“To believe in yourself,” Taylor said in regard to the lesson learned playing under Davis. “When I went to college, I didn’t think I was good enough. When I was playing travel ball, I didn’t think I was good enough to play softball on a college level.”

“But I went out and he made sure I believed in myself. It doesn’t matter what you do or whatever you put your mind to. If you want to do something bad enough and you’re putting in the hard work, he made sure to point out you can do anything.”

In the end, both Yeager and Taylor said they are forever grateful for their time and Photo courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info. memories with Davis.

In his 16 years at the helm of SU softball, Bobby Davis compiled a 449-204-4 record and made nine PSAC tournament appearances.

They said they can easily recall the laughable moments. The moments where Davis Additionally, his .686 winning percentage taught me that you can coach a team hard and Christian Eby may not have been very happy with them. But Sports Editor earned him an SU Athletics Hall of Fame dis- love them after.” in hindsight, they said those moments made tinction in 2001, a year after his departure.

“He was a tough coach, but in a good way, it all the better; they were a key piece to their If there was any softball coach that not only While Davis concluded his Raider coaching because he only wanted to make you better,” SU careers. stamped their name in Shippensburg Univer- career with a plethora of accolades, his suc- Taylor added. “And he had your back, no mat“The way I coach today is definitely a resity history but left a lasting and lifelong im- cess is just a glimpse for what he is remem- ter what. You knew he was going to be there flection of the way Coach Davis coached me,” pact on their players, it was Bobby Davis. bered. to support you.”

Yeager said.

“Before I had Coach Davis, I Davis, who held the reigns to the SU softFormer players Tracy Starke Yeager and Yeager, who now coaches softball at Cheswould definitely say the coaches that I had ball program from 1985-2000, died March 22 Sandra Smith Taylor — who played under apeake High School in Pasadena, Maryland, growing up were very, very old school.” at his home in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Davis toward the end of his SU career — both said she has carried some of Davis’ coaching “And although Coach Davis also had that He was 85. said Davis was a tough, yet loving coach. techniques and qualities over to her coaching tough love approach, again, it was ‘coach In his 16 seasons at SU, Davis assembled He pushed his players to the best of their career. them hard, love them later.’

And I think that an overall 449-204-4 record, ranking him ability. Believed in his players. Held his play“The one thing that Coach Davis taught me is 100% the way that I’ve mothered, the way among the Top 15 most winningest coaches ers accountable. and that I have taken to all the teams that I that I’ve coached and who I am today, is bein NCAA Division II history. Under his direcDavis owned all the qualities of a have coached is that it’s really not about softcause of Coach Davis.” tion, the Raiders appeared in nine Pennsylva- well-rounded coach. ball,” Yeager said. “We want to win and we’re In lieu of flowers, those wishing to rememnia State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tourna“He was a coach that coached us super super competitive, but sports are just an avber Davis are asked to make memorial contriments and five NCAA tournaments. Outside hard, had super high expectations for us, was enue to prepare your athletes for life. And in butions to the American Diabetes Association of the postseason appearances, SU reached an amazing communicator and we knew ex- hindsight and looking back, I see everything at www.diabetes.org or to St. Jude Children’s PSAC runner-up honors on four occasions, actly where the line was with him,” Yeager that he ever taught our team was really about Research Hospital at www.stjude.org. hitting that mark three years in a row from said of her former skipper. “But at the same life, and we just happened to play great soft1997-1999.

time, as hard as he coached us, he definitely

ball in the meantime.”

Baseball continues hot streak, takes 3 of 4 against Kutztown Christian Eby Sports Editor

The Shippensburg University baseball team’s winning streak may have ended at eight games but that did not prevent it from capturing three of four games against Kutztown University.

Across a four-game homeand-home series Thursday and Friday, the Raiders snagged Games 1 and 2 by scores of 9-5 and 9-0, before falling in Game 3 7-0. SU climbed back into the win column in Game 4 with an 8-3 defeat.

By taking three of four on the Golden Bears (14-12, 8-12 PSAC East), the Raiders have now won nine of their last 10 contests, improving their record to 12-8 (10-6 PSAC East), keeping themselves in the tight-knit postseason race.

Junior Chase Zurawski unfurled the Raider scoring in Game 1 on an open-inning RBI double, his first of two on the afternoon. Graduate JuJu Cason — who accounted as the first SU run and assembled a 3-for-4 line at the plate — followed suit in the bottom of the fourth, plating two on a single.

Clinging to a 3-0 advantage going into the top of fifth, the Golden Bears countered with three runs, tying the game. However, pitching mishaps on the KU side in the bottom of the fifth arguably cost them the game.

In relief, KU’s Jake Skrocki plunked four Raiders, three costing runs.

Sophomore Justin Darden and freshman Andrew Chronister also contributed to the fifth-inning cause with RBI and two-RBI singles, sparking a six-run stanza and providing the Raiders with a sixscore edge. That lead would hold, even after two KU runs in the sixth, giving SU the 9-5 win.

Graduate Kyle Lysy (3-2) continued his torrid pace to the season, allowing three earned runs across five innings of work. Lysy also scattered six hits, knee-buckled four and charted two walks.

Sophomore Noah Nabholz and freshman Austin Labarre combined for the last two innings in relief, Nabholz tabbed for two runs (one earned) and Labarre pitching a clean seventh inning.

The bats remained hot in Game 2 as the Raiders tallied 14 knocks. Pitching also

played a key role with the Golden Bears dropping a “goose egg” in the run column.

In five innings on the bump, redshirt-sophomore Kiernan Higgins (3-3) notched his third straight shutout performance. Higgins conceded four hits, struck out seven and permitted four free passes. The citable outing also garnered him his third consecutive

win, following an 0-3 start.

Freshman Jackson LoBianco — who typically anchors shortstop — and junior Chris Horst both threw 1-2-3 innings out of the pen.

At the dish, junior Ben Werkheiser fueled the oodles of Raider hits with two doubles, a 2-for-4 line and an RBI. Behind him, sophomore Lake Lloyd sported a 2-for3 total, including a two-RBI two-bagger, his third dou-

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate Chase Zurawski rounds third in Game 1 versus Kutztown Thursday. Zurawski totaled a 6-for-14 line at the plate in the series.

ble of the day after a pair in Game 1. Redshirt-freshman Andres Garcia and graduate Jordan Yoder also knocked extra-base hits, Garcia going 2-for-4 and Yoder boasting a 2-for-3 line.

Game 3 Friday did not fare to be as kind to the Raiders, as SU found themselves on the butt end of a 7-0 lopsided defeat.

The Raiders could muster all of four hits with Lloyd adding another two-bagger to his Thursday-Friday resume. Zurawski’s 15-game hitting streak came to a close, as he was held hitless across three plate appearances.

On the rubber, freshman Kaleb Sophy (1-2) struggled to find his command. KU tacked Sophy for five earned runs, nine hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings of action. He also wrung up nine Golden Bears, a strikeout shy of three straight games with double-digit Ks. KU’s Zach Male tossed a complete game, striking out four in the process.

The Raiders righted the ship in Game 4 to the tune of an 8-3 victory, as freshman Gabe Stotler (3-0) sculpted another impressive start in his debut season, keeping his

undefeated record alive.

In 5 1/3 innings on the mound, Stotler scattered seven hits, allowed two earned runs and struck out four. He did not issue a base-on-balls.

Labarre slammed the door on the remaining 1 2/3 innings, allowing two knocks and ringing up four.

SU’s bats reawakened with Werskheiser cruising in the batter’s box. This time around, Werkhesier squared up for a perfect .1000 in four at-bats, rocketing a three-bagger in the second and a solo blast to right field in the fifth. The solo shot coming in the form of his sixth home run on the season.

Darden kept the pedal down, pitching in a teamhigh three RBIs on a firstframe two-RBI single and a fifth-inning RBI triple. He finished the game at 2-for-4.

The Raiders hope to continue their winning ways on the road against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) powerhouse Millersville University Tuesday. It will be a doubleheader for SU, the only two contests for the week. First pitches from Marauder country are scheduled for 1 and 3:30 p.m.

SPORTS

E2

April 13, 2021

Marsteller smashes record, Van Scyoc reaches 100 wins Isaiah Snead

Asst. Sports Editor

Shippensburg University’s softball team picked up a sweep over No. 23 Kutztown University in their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader Friday.

Sophomore Hannah Marsteller continued her season long hot streak as she homered three times on the day to bring her total to 15 on the year, giving her the most home runs in a single season in school history. With the 15 bombs, Marsteller surpassed previous record holders Nicole Henninger and Taylor Weisman, who each blasted 12 home runs in their respective seasons.

Through 28 games this season Marsteller is batting .476 with 46 RBIs. She has only struck out four times.

Marsteller was not the only Raider to bring her bat with her to Kutztown, as SU recorded 12 hits in each game and all nine players cataloged a hit on the day.

In Game 1, SU (15-13, 13-11 PSAC East) faced KU ace Bridget Bailey who entered the game with a 10-0 record. SU showed no fear

Hannah Pollock/The Slate Emma Flattery fires from the circle Thursday against Kutztown. She pitched four innings.

Hannah Pollock/The Slate Hannah Marsteller covers first base Thursday in SU’s Game 1 loss to Kutztown. She finished her Thursday afternoon with a 4-for-5 line at the plate.

and put up six runs before Bailey could ever record an out. Marsteller plated three on a three-run homer and freshmen Alyssa Nehlen and Toni Jones each had RBI doubles in the first inning. A fielder’s choice from freshman Taylor Radziewicz made it 7-0 in the second inning.

On the mound, freshman Emma Flattery retired 11 of her first 12 batters and took a no-hitter into the fourth inning. After giving up two runs, she was pulled for fellow freshman Brianna Small who did not allow any more runs the rest of the way.

A four-run seventh inning from SU, including a Marsteller solo home run, led to a 11-2 Game 1 win.

The Raiders scored runs early again in Game 2 as Jones and Radziewicz both drove in a run in the first inning. Junior Courtney Coy and sophomore Lacey Hunter both hit solo shots in the second inning to make it 4-1.

Coy drove in another run with a fourthframe solo blast and Marsteller hit her third big fly of the day in the fifth.

Small earned her third complete game of the season, giving up two runs and throwing

only 81 pitches. Small and Flattery combined for 11 strikeouts on the day.

This is the first sweep at KU for the Raiders since 2013. With the sweep and Game 1 win, head coach Alison Van Scyoc collected her 100th career victory. The pair of wins also boosted Van Scyoc’s overall record to 101-81, which she has accumulated across five seasons.

The Raiders will return home Tuesday as they take on Pitt-Johnstown in a doubleheader at Robb Field. First pitches Tuesday are scheduled for 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.

Raider of the week: Hannah Marsteller

- Broke single season record for home runs with 15 - Went 11-for-17 at the plate versus Kutztown and IUP - Totaled five home runs with 11 RBIs across six games - Propelled Raiders to 4-2 record for the week Photo courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info.

Krahl fires game-winner, lacrosse splits week 1-1

Photo courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info.

Bailey Krahl whisked in the go-ahead goal in Tuesday’s overtime win versus the Maraduers of Millersville University.

Christian Eby Sports Editor

The sticks fell to the ground, the opposition hung their heads low and the Shippensburg University women’s lacrosse team swarmed freshman Bailey Krahl.

Krahl, who took a lead pass from sophomore Gabby Savarino, fired the game-clinching goal in overtime Tuesday to defeat the Marauders

of Millersville University (2-6, 2-5 PSAC East) by a score of 12-11. The win came at a much-needed time for the Raiders, owners of a 1-6 record entering the contest.

Prior to the golden goal, SU and MU traded scores the entire way through. The Raiders held a 7-6 edge at the break before the Marauders flipped the script, outscoring SU 5-4 in the second frame.

Savarino — who tallied the

game-winning assist off a ground ball scoop — opened the scoring less than a minute in. Across the next 20 minutes of play, the teams would barter goals back-and-forth on four occasions, the score evening out at five. In that span, sophomore Hannah Seifried tallied two goals, Savarino added another and junior Alana Cardaci also contributed to the cause.

Cardaci would then piece togeth-

er her own 2-0 run — completing the hat trick — before MU found the net with 42 ticks remaining, SU taking the 7-6 lead into the half.

Out of the break, Seifried reached hat trick status at the 28:10 mark.

Krahl responded off a Marauder goal at 21:14, still bestowing SU the upper hand. After two MU scores, which tied the game, Savarino propelled the Raiders back into the lead on her third goal of the day, her second hat trick of the season.

However, Millersville’s Gillian Zimmerman’s goal with 2:13 remaining sent the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division foes into overtime, where Krahl eventually helped the Raiders claim victory.

In the net, freshman Ally Weneta worked all 60 minutes, tying her season-high 15 saves and allowing 11 goals. She garnered the win.

Junior Madi Jones paced the Raiders with four ground balls, Krahl tacked on two assists to her career day and junior Jessica DeMarte snagged a game-high six draw controls.

Following the momentous win Tuesday, Saturday’s contest versus the No. 5 ranked Golden Rams of West Chester University (7-0, 7-0 PSAC East) did not reside in favor of the Raiders, with WCU coming out on top 16-8.

The Golden Rams used a 13-2 first half to stymie any chance of

an SU rally. The Raiders, however, would find themselves on the front end of a 6-3 advantage in the second stanza, not nearly enough to pull off the upset.

Over the course of the first frame, WCU erected runs of 2-0, 3-0 and 8-0. The 8-0 burst coming as the “closer” of the first half.

For SU, Cardaci and Krahl accounted for the pair of goals, with Cardaci’s charting at 25:33 and Krahl’s, 16:36.

The final 30 minutes of the game fared better for the Raiders, as Savarino and Seifried got in the scoring category. Cardaci followed suit with two goals, rounding out her second hat trick of the week and the fourth of her 2021 campaign.

Freshman Addie Kalama also slung a shot into the twine, the first goal of her collegiate career.

Seifried completed SU’s week of scoring with 11 beats remaining.

The final result: a 16-8 drubbing.

Weneta conceded 16 goals in the loss, saving 13 shots along the way.

Seifried and Savarino notched the two lone assists, while freshman Kayla Jones matched team-highs in ground balls and draw controls (2).

SU returns to the turf Wednesday on the road against Shepherd University before hosting the Huskies of Bloomsburg University Saturday at Robb Sports Complex. Wednesday’s start time is slated for 4 p.m.

SPORTS

April 13, 2021

Track and field finds success in different invitationals Christian Eby Sports Editor

To say last week was bloated with competition for the Shippensburg University men’s and women’s outdoor trackand-field teams is an understatement.

Spanning three days, the Raiders competed in three separate events.

Thursday and Friday, SU had a handful of athletes at Kutztown University’s Mondschein Multis. The mid-distance and distance runners also competed Friday at the Messiah Invitational. And to round out the week, the Raiders saw a bevy of success at the Ed Fry Invitational Sunday, held at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

Mondschein Multis Freshman Robert Lissner wasted no time in his multis debut, capturing first with 5,401 points in the men’s decathlon. Entering Friday, Lissner trailed fellow freshman Mason Boyd. However, Lissner garnered the upper hand with his skill in the pole vault, clearing 4.05 meters, just enough to eventually squeak by Boyd by a mere 20 points.

For the women, freshman Kayla Brooks and sophomore Carson Pennings snagged respective finishes of fourth and fifth place in the women’s heptathlon. Brooks used a 78-foot javelin throw to edge her teammate. Pennings recorded a solid effort in the long jump at 4.12 meters.

Messiah Invitational The men’s team shined Friday with three different Raiders reaching Top 2 spots in their respective events, on the way to a first-place nod of 50 points. Freshman Chayce Macknair — who continues to build off his monumental cross-country campaign — took his momentum to the track, claiming gold in the 10K and silver in the 1,500-meters.

Behind Macknair, freshman Drew Dailey also impressed, following a week which included Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honors. Dailey’s time of 3:54.79 earned him first place in the 1,500 meters, besting Macknair by almost four seconds.

Freshmen Aiden Gonder and Hayden Hunt accounted as the other second-place owners, Gonder in the 5K and Hunt in the 10K. On the women’s side — who rallied for a fifth-place finish of 20 points — sophomore Kyra Gerber continued her streak

of Top 3 finishes on the season, pacing the track in 4:55.47 in the 1,500-meters to the tune of a third-place tally. Junior Bella Marchini was the other Raider to crack the Top 5, claiming fourth in the 5K. Ed Fry Invitational Freshman Leah Graybill refused to let up, continuing the torrid pace to her debut outdoor season. Graybill duplicated her success as she has done all year, taking the top spots in the 100 and 200-meters, navigating the track in 12.13 and 24.95. Graybill also contributed to the women’s 4x400 relay, clocking a time of 3:56.01, a two-second improvement from the group’s previous conference best.

Freshman Megan Kendall reached gold status with a time of 15.16 in the 100 hurdles. Throwing wise, junior Kate Matrisciano propelled herself to first in the shot put with a throw of 14.03 meters.

The men’s team also compiled a noteworthy Sunday showing as the throwing squad once again roped in multiple top placings.

Sophomore Josh Herbster hurled a 56.09-meter throw in the hammer. The throw not only crowned him first in the event, but it also surpassed teammate Pat Maloney’s conference-leading throw and charted as an NCAA-provisional qualifier.

Graduate Cam Strohe notched the other first-place throw in discus, reaching a whopping 49.25 meters.

Freshman Kenny Ryhne and sophomore Nate Reed leaped to the best measures in the long and high jump. Ryhne hit 1.95 meters in the high jump and Reed, 7.09 meters in the long jump.

For the runners, the grouping of Michael Lingard, Mo Whittle, Stephon Brown and Eric Kirk sprinted to a time of 42.09 in the 4x100 relay, good enough for first. Kirk also sported finishes of third (200-meters) and sixth (100-meters).

Graduate Charles Bowman Jr. and sophomore Josh Booth claimed second in the 110 and 400 hurdles, respectively.

Up next After the rapid fire of events, SU has a lone meet on the schedule this week. The Raiders host the SU Midweek Invitational Wednesday at Seth Grove Stadium. Competition is set to begin at 3 p.m.

Catch more sports coverage at theslateonline.com

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Tennis drops to 0-3 Jack Ansley Staff Writer

The Shippensburg University women’s tennis team played two matches this week against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East foes West Chester University and Bloomsburg University.

On Tuesday, the Raiders traveled to WCU and were defeated by the Golden Rams 7-0. On Thursday, the Raiders hosted BU in one of their two home matches of this season. They would end up losing to the Huskies 6-1.

The action started Tuesday with the first match between sophomore Sahar Islam and Elaina Rochford. Rochford would dominate in both sets of the match, giving the first match to the Rams.

The next singles match was freshman Merel Hoekstra and Alyssa Skulsky.

Skulsky cruised in both sets, winning the match 6-0.

In the No. 3 singles match, WCU’s Leandra Roelker would blank Raider freshman Brighid Cantwell in the first set 6-0. In the second set, Cantwell would fight back but it would not be enough as she would drop it 6-3.

The No. 2 singles match was the most competitive of all the matches on the day.

The match was between junior Jenna Sluymer and Davica Massaro. Massaro would take the first set 7-5. The second set came in duplicative fashion, the score being 7-5.

The No. 1 singles match was between freshman Skylar Walder and Tori Alexander. Alexander would win both sets by a scores of 6-2 and 6-1.

The first doubles match of the day was senior Hannah Wieller and Hoekstra taking on Shannon Nixon and Julia

Mowrey. Nixon and Mowrey took the match in one set 6-0. In the second doubles match, Massaro and Skulsky defeated junior Kayla Tryanski and Cantwell 6-2. The final doubles match, consisting of Alexander and Elaina Lee, resulted in a 6-2 defeat over Walder and Sluymer.

The Raiders returned home Thursday, honoring Wieller prior to the contest.

In the first singles match of the afternoon, Taylor Capoferri would defeat Walder 6-1 in both sets.

The next singles match went to Sluymer over Giavanna Bonito.

Sluymer would win the first set 6-2 and repeat her success in the second set with a 6-3 win. It was the Raiders first dash in the win column.

The No. 3 singles match was between Isabella Sarquis and Cantwell. The first set would be close as Sarquis would edge Cantwell 6-3.

The second set would not be as close, Sarquis taking the set 6-1.

The next match was between Sarah Capoferri and Tryanski. Capoferri would beat Tryanski by a score of 6-2 in both sets.

The fifth singles match was between Anna Chikhalenko and Hoekstra. The first set would be close and Chikhalenko would win by a narrow score of 6-4. Chikhalenko would sweep the match and win the second set 6-1.

The final singles match of the day was between Islam and Haille Hoeflein. Hoeflein would take the both sets 6-4.

Overall, the Raiders would lose five out of the six singles matches against the Huskies.

In the doubles matches, the Raiders would drop two out of three.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com.

Football holds scrimmage, first game since fall 2019

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate SU strength and conditioning coach Dennis Kerstetter leads the Raider football team in a stretch after Saturday’s spring scrimmage. The scrimmage was the first game type action since fall 2019.

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate Freshman defensive lineman Jake Hines in Saturday’s scrimmage at Seth Grove Stadium.

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate The defensive and offensive line go head-to-head in Saturday morning’s spring scrimmage.

F1

GALLERY

April 13, 2021

Flowers bloom across Shippensburg University Flowers bloomed across Shippensburg University as warmer temperatures and rainy weather moved through the area this past Saturday.

Photos by Carmine Scicchitano and Heather Ross